cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of patient satisfaction and self-reports of pain in adult burn-injured patients.

Procedural and background pain scores were assessed prospectively and compared with treatment goals and satisfaction scores in 84 adult (67 men and 17 women) burn-injured patients treated at a single, tertiary care medical center. We hypothesized that patient satisfaction with pain management plans would be highest among those patients who were experiencing the least pain and also among patients whose experiences most closely matched their treatment analgesic goals. Twice-weekly patient self-reports of worst and average procedural pain, background pain, treatment goals (the level of procedural pain and background pain patients reported that they would be satisfied as experiencing), and overall satisfaction with pain management plans were assessed using 10-point Graphic Rating Scales. Data concerning adjunctive treatments were also obtained. Opioid equivalents, representing pain medications administered, were compared. The majority of patients perceived that no pain during burn wound care was an unrealistic goal, a perception that was consistent throughout hospitalization. As hypothesized, average procedural pain levels demonstrated a negative association with patient satisfaction, indicating that patients with the highest levels of procedural pain also reported the lowest level of satisfaction. Opioid analgesic dosing was not significantly associated with ratings of procedural pain or treatment goals. Our findings support the hypothesis that patient satisfaction with pain management is highest in those who experience the least amount of burn care pain and do not support the hypothesis that satisfaction is highest in those whose pain experiences most closely match treatment analgesic goals.
Splenic Complications of Sickle Cell Anemia and the Role of Splenectomy

Sickle cell disease is one of the common hemoglobinopathies in the world. It can affect any part of the body and one of the most common and an early organ to be affected in SCA is the spleen. It is commonly enlarged during the first decade of life but then undergoes progressive atrophy leading to autosplenectomy. This however is not the case always and sometimes splenomegaly persist necessitating splenectomy for a variety of reasons including acute splenic sequestration crisis, hypersplenism, massive splenic infarction and splenic abscess. Splenic complications of SCA are known to be associated with an increased morbidity and in some it may lead to mortality. To obviate this, splenectomy becomes an essential part of their management. This review is based on our experience in the management of 173 children with various splenic complications of SCA necessitating splenectomy.
Comparative Effectiveness of Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysm Therapies Propensity Score Analysis of Clipping Versus Coiling

Background and Purpose—Endovascular therapy has increasingly become the most common treatment for unruptured cerebral aneurysms in the United States. We evaluated a national, multi-hospital database to examine recent utilization trends and compare periprocedural outcomes between clipping and coiling treatments of unruptured aneurysms. Methods—The Premier Perspective database was used to identify patients hospitalized between 2006 to 2011 for unruptured cerebral aneurysm who underwent clipping or coiling therapy. A logistic propensity score was generated for each patient using relevant patient, procedure, and hospital variables, representing the probability of receiving clipping. Covariate balance was assessed using conditional logistic regression. Following propensity score adjustment using 1:1 matching methods, the risk of in-hospital mortality and morbidity was compared between clipping and coiling cohorts. Results—A total of 4899 unruptured aneurysm patients (1388 clipping, 3551 coiling) treated at 120...
The genealogy of pan-Asian big pictures and the predicament of the contemporary south Korean film industry

ABSTRACTIn the wake of the new millennium, the South Korean film industry began to get involved with ‘mega-budget’ transnational co-production projects such as The Promise (2005), Red Cliff (2008) and Reign of Assassins (2010). Generating such epic films, i.e. ‘South Korea's global project’, has been the South Korean film industry's mandate for years, and would ultimately help to export South Korean cultural products to the Asian and global media marketplace. Most scholars in the field have interpreted the logic that gave rise to these ambitious productions as South Korea's political and economic redirection towards Asia in the new millennium. Therefore, it is essentially a new phenomenon. Yet, this article reconstructs the untold genealogy of South Korea's transnational projects by arguing that it has early and late moments in film history. The South Korean film industry has tried to penetrate geographically and culturally adjacent markets for many decades, although the practice has been virtually erased...
The Materiality and Neutrality of Neutral Density and Orthobaric Density

The materiality and neutrality of neutral density and several forms of orthobaric density are calculated and compared using a simple idealization of the warm-sphere water mass properties of the Atlantic Ocean. Materiality is the value of the material derivative, expressed as a quasi-vertical velocity, following the motion of each of the variables: zero materiality denotes perfect conservation. Neutrality is the difference between the dip in the isopleth surfaces of the respective variables and the dip in the neutral planes. The materiality and neutrality of the neutral density of a water sample are composed of contributions from the following: (I) how closely the sample’s temperature and salinity lie in relation to the local reference u‐S relation, (II) the spatial variation of the reference u‐S relation, (III) the neutrality of the underlying reference neutral density surfaces, and (IV) irreversible exchanges of heat and salinity. Type II contributions dominate but have been neglected in previous assessments of neutral density properties. The materiality and neutrality of surfaces of simple orthobaric density, defined using a spatially uniform u‐S relation, have contributions analogous to types I and IV, but lack any of types II or III. Extending the concept of orthobaric density to permit spatial variation of the u‐S relation diminishes the type I contributions, but the effect is counterbalanced by the emergence of type II contributions. Discrete analogs of extended orthobaric density, based on regionally averaged u‐S relations matched at interregional boundaries, reveal a close analogy between the extended orthobaric density and the practical neutral density. Neutral density is not superior, even to simple orthobaric density, in terms of materiality or neutrality.
Effect of deuteron temperature on iron forbidden-line intensities in rf-heated tokamak plasmas.

Two line ratios, the forbidden line at 845.5 A (2s /sup 2/2p /sup 2/P/sub 1/2/--2s /sup 2/2p /sup 2/P/sub 3/2/) to the allowed line at 135.7 A (2s /sup 2/2p /sup 2/P/sub 1/2/--2s2p/sup 2/ /sup 2/D/sub 3/2/) in Fe XXII and the forbidden line at 592.1 A (2s /sup 2/2p/sup 4/ /sup 3/P/sub 2/--2s /sup 2/2p/sup 4/ /sup 1/D/sub 2/) to the forbidden line at 1118.2 A (2s /sup 2/2p/sup 4/ /sup 3/P/sub 2/--2s/sup 2/2p/sup 4/ /sup 3/P/sub 1/) in Fe XIX, have been measured as ion-temperature-sensitive line ratios during rf heating in the Princeton Large Torus. The results indicate that deuteron collisions in plasmas of high deuteron temperature have a noticeable effect on the intensity of the forbidden lines. Measured relative intensities are compared with values from level-population calculations, which include deuteron collisional excitation between the levels of the ground configuration. The agreement between the observed and calculated ratios is within 30%. A method for deuteron (or proton) temperature measurement in tokamak plasmas is discussed.
Choosing crime: Close your eyes and take your chances

Previous research on the incidence of property crimes shows that a small group of repeat offenders is responsible for 60 percent of armed robberies and burglaries. Little is known, however, about the nature and the incidence of their offending and how they incorporate the threat of punishment into the decision to commit a crime. To learn about such processes, I selected and interviewed a purposive sample of repetitive property offenders who had been undeterred by the threat of legal punishment. The most common responses explaining the lack of deterrent effects on their actions are that they 1) thought they would not get caught, 2) thought that if they were caught they would be incapacitated for a relatively short time, and 3) considered prison a nonthreatening environment.
Corporate Governance Reform and Executive Incentives: Implications for Investments and Risk Taking

We investigate the mechanism through which the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) was associated with changes in corporate investment strategies. We document that the passage of the governance regulations in SOX was followed by a significant decline in pay-performance sensitivity (Delta) and incentives to take risk (Vega) in CEOs' compensation contracts. These changes in compensation contracts are related to a decline in investments, including research and development expenditures, capital investments and acquisitions. Moreover, consistent with the rules in SOX directly affecting CEOs' incentives to take risk, we document that the decline in investments exceeds the amount that would be expected from changes in compensation packages alone. Finally, we also find evidence that the changes in investments are related to lower operating performances of firms, suggesting that these changes were costly to investors. Our evidence speaks to the debate on how corporate governance regulation interacts with firms' and managers' incentives, and ultimately affects corporate operating and investment strategies. Our study suggests that one indirect cost of such regulations in SOX is the significant reductions in corporate risk-taking activities in the post-SOX period. The changes in investments were in part due to changes in executive compensation contracts and in part related to increased executives' personal costs of engaging in risky activities.
Hepatic involvement in hairy cell leukemia

Nineteen patients with hairy cell leukemia were studied in order to define the hepatic changes in this disease and to correlate the morphologic changes in the liver with the clinical and biochemical findings. Although only eight of the patients had hepatomegaly, all 19 had microscopic mononuclear cell infiltration in the sinusoids or the portal areas or both. The severity of mononuclear infiltration in the liver correlated poorly with the size of the liver or spleen, the biochemical changes, or number of hairy cells in the blood. Abnormal serum biochemical values were present occasionally and were usually due to associated diseases or to complications of this disease. Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase activity was noted in four patients; three of them bad granulomatous lesions in the liver. Unless the characteristic “clear cell” pattern is seen, the hepatic mononuclear cell infiltration may not be diagnostic of hairy cell leukemia and, in many instances, may not even be suggestive of neoplasia. A new technique for demonstrating tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity in methacrylate-embedded sections was developed, which allowed identification of hairy cells in the liver biopsy specimens of all five patients so studied. The authors concluded that liver involvement is common in this disease.
Chemical residues in dolphins from the U.S. Atlantic coast including Atlantic bottlenose obtained during the 1987/88 mass mortality

Abstract Bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) collected during the 1987/88 mass mortality event along the Atlantic coast of the United States have been analyzed for anthropogenic chemical contaminants. Average contaminant concentrations in adult males were higher than the average concentrations measured in adult females. Females could be divided into two groups by contaminant concentrations, one with low concentrations, and another with concentrations 4.4 times (PCBs) to 8.9 times (p,p′-DDE) greater. Contaminant concentrations in bottlenose were generally greater than the concentrations measured in either common ( Delphinus delphis ) or white-sided ( Lagenorhynchus acutus ) dolphins from the western North Atlantic Ocean. A subset of animals screened for unusual chemical contaminants showed that numerous polybrominated chemicals were present, including polybrominated biphenyls and diphenyl ethers not previously found in marine mammals from U.S. coastal waters.
Evidence for a High Zinc Requirement at the Onset of Egg Production

Abstract IN PREVIOUS studies at this station, Berg et al. (1962), it was observed that the incidence of an abnormal wing feather condition increased among chicks hatched from eggs laid by breeder pullets just entering production, as level of calcium in the maternal diet was increased. The abnormal wing feather condition, which was similar to that described by Young et al. (1958) as a symptom of zinc deficiency, was markedly decreased in chicks hatched from eggs laid four weeks after the pullets had reached 30 percent lay. Symptoms of zinc deficiency in the chicks were evident even though the chick diet calculated to contain 38 p.p.m. 2 of zinc and the chicks were kept in galvanized metal batteries. This paper will present further evidence as to the effect of calcium level of the breeder diet on abnormal wing feather development of chicks, and evidence for an abnormally high zinc requirement at the…
Experimental determination of energy and exergy efficiency of the solar parabolic-cooker

Abstract A simply designed and the low-cost parabolic-type solar cooker (SPC) was made and tested. The energy end exergy efficiencies of the cooker were experimentally evaluated. The experimental time period was from 10:00 to 14:00 solar time. During this period, it was found that the daily average temperature of water in the SPC was 333 K and the daily average difference between the temperature of water in the cooking pot and the ambient air temperature was 31.6 K. The energy output of the SPC varied between 20.9 and 78.1 W, whereas its exergy output was in the range 2.9–6.6 W. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the SPC were in the range, respectively, 2.8–15.7% and 0.4–1.25%.
The consequences of fixed time performance measurement

In measuring the performance of parallel computers, the usual method is to choose a problem and test the execution time as the processor count is varied. This model underlies definitions of 'speedup,' 'efficiency,' and arguments against parallel processing such as Ware's (1972) formulation of Amdahl's law (1967). Fixed time models use problem size as the figure of merit. Analysis and experiments based on fixed time instead of fixed size have yielded surprising consequences: the fixed time method does not reward slower processors with higher speedup; it predicts a new limit to speedup, which is more optimistic than Amdahl's; it shows an efficiency which is independent of processor speed and ensemble size; it sometimes gives non-spurious superlinear speedup; it provides a practical means (the SLALOM benchmark) of comparing computers of widely varying speeds without distortion. >
A novel magnetic trap for spin-polarized hydrogen

A microwave trap for spin-polarized atomic hydrogen has the important advantage of trapping very cold atoms in the ground hyperfine states at the high densities necessary for BEC. By first cooling atoms in a static trap the shallow microwave trap can be loaded. We report the construction of such a hybrid trap in this article.
Na+ activation of the muscarinic K+ channel by a G-protein-independent mechanism.

Muscarinic potassium channels (KACh) are composed of two subunits, GIRK1 and GIRK4 (or CIR), and are directly gated by G proteins. We have identified a novel gating mechanism of KACh, independent of G-protein activation. This mechanism involved functional modification of KACh which required hydrolysis of physiological levels of intracellular ATP and was manifested by an increase in the channel mean open time. The ATP-modified channels could in turn be gated by intracellular Na+, starting at approximately 3 mM with an EC50 of approximately 40 mM. The Na(+)-gating of KACh was operative both in native atrial cells and in a heterologous system expressing recombinant channel subunits. Block of the Na+/K+ pump (e.g., by cardiac glycosides) caused significant activation of KACh in atrial cells, with a time course similar to that of Na+ accumulation and in a manner indistinguishable from that of Na(+)-mediated activation of the channel, suggesting that cardiac glycosides activated KACh by increasing intracellular Na+ levels. These results demonstrate for the first time a direct effect of cardiac glycosides on atrial myocytes involving ion channels which are critical in the regulation of cardiac rhythm.
Latent herpesviruses: aligning human and murine NK cells.

In this issue of Blood , White and colleagues demonstrate that naive murine NK cells can be armed as cytolytic effectors by latent herpesvirus infection, thus suggesting a mechanism by which herpesviruses may routinely make NK-cell functions accessible to the host. Natural killer (NK) cells are the
An innovative all-polymeric drug-supply device

In this paper, we report an innovative all-polymeric drug-supply device. The micro outlet of the device was ablated through a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) layer using a microheater. The size of the ablated micropore was mainly related to the heater temperature profile, and the molten PMMA took the gold heater lines away from the pore area, avoiding possible block of the gold lines to the flow out of the pore. Simulation was conducted to find the temperature profile on the surface of the microheater, and experimental results have a good match with simulation results.
Sedimentation behavior of horse carbon monoxide hemoglobin at low pH in the presence of mercaptoethanol and urea.

Abstract 1. 1. The effect of mercaptoethanol, urea, and their combination upon the sedimentation rate of horse CO-hemoglobin has been determined at pH values of 4.0–7.2. 2. 2. Evidence is presented which supports the theory of a dissociation-association equilibrium between hemoglobin subunits.
Thermal activation in boundary lubricated friction

Abstract The friction coefficients for copper pairs lubricated with fatty acids and fluorinated fatty acids have been measured over a wide range of sliding speeds and temperatures. Sliding speeds in the range 10−7−10−2 m s−1 and temperatures in the range 4.2–300 K were used. The friction coefficients near 300 K are generally low and increase with sliding speed, while the friction coefficients at low temperatures are markedly higher and relatively independent of velocity. Each lubricant's friction vs. velocity behavior over the temperature range 150–300 K can be described by a friction-velocity master curve derived from a thermal activation model for the lubricant's shear strength. The activation energies deduced from this friction model are identical to those obtained in the same temperature range for a vibrational mode associated with low temperature mechanical relaxations in similarly structured polymers. These results suggest that thermally activated interfacial shear is responsible for the fatty acids' positive-sloped friction vs. velocity characteristics at low sliding speeds near room temperature.
Study of the hydrogen bond donor acidity of binary aqueous mixtures and their role in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

The solvatochromic hydrogen bond donor (HBD) acidity parameter (αmix) of aqueous mixtures of methanol, acetonitrile, propan-2-ol and tetrahydrofuran were determined spectrophotometrically. The study was carried out at 25deg;C as a function of composition. The indicators used were 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl-N-pyridino)phenolate, 2,6-dichloro-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl-N-pyridino)phenolate and Fe(LL)2(CN)2 (LL = N-(2-pyridylbenzylidene)-3,4-dimethylaniline). The HBD acidity of the aqueous organic mixtures was related to retention in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.
Stylometric Identification in Electronic Markets: Scalability and Robustness

Online reputation systems are intended to facilitate the propagation of word of mouth as a credibility scoring mechanism for improved trust in electronic marketplaces. However, they experience two problems attributable to anonymity abuse-easy identity changes and reputation manipulation. In this study, we propose the use of stylometric analysis to help identify online traders based on the writing style traces inherent in their posted feedback comments. We incorporated a rich stylistic feature set and developed the Writeprint technique for detection of anonymous trader identities. The technique and extended feature set were evaluated on a test bed encompassing thousands of feedback comments posted by 200 eBay traders. Experiments conducted to assess the scalability (number of traders) and robustness (against intentional obfuscation) of the proposed approach found it to significantly outperform benchmark stylometric techniques. The results indicate that the proposed method may help militate against easy identity changes and reputation manipulation in electronic markets.
Estimating Network Characteristics in Stochastic Activity Networks

This paper describes a Monte Carlo method based on the theory of quasirandom points for estimating the distribution functions and means of network completion time and shortest path time in a stochastic activity network. In particular, the method leads to estimators whose absolute errors converge as log KN/K, where K denotes the number of replications collected in the experiment and N is the number of dimensions for sampling. This rate compares favorably with the standard error of estimate O1/K1/2 which obtains for experiments that use random sampling. Moreover, since quasirandom points are nonrandom the upper bound log KN/K is deterministic in contrast to the random sampling rate O1/K1/2 which is probabilistic. The paper demonstrates how the use of a cutset of the network reduces N in the bound when estimating the distribution functions. Two examples illustrate the benefits and costs of using quasirandom points.
Association between mucosal hyperplasia of the appendix and adenocarcinoma of the colon

Mucosal hyperplasia of the appendix is a seemingly benign change of poorly understood significance, at times found in patients with colorectal malignancy. To determine the incidence of this change and its association with colonic adenocarcinoma, we have examined the appendiceal mucosa in 122 ileocolectomy specimens gathered between 1987 and 1990, and in 273 consecutive appendectomies carried out during 1990 at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. We found that 23 out of 122 ileocolectomies (18.8%) showed mucosal hyperplasia of the appendix and, of these, 17 (77%) were associated with colorectal malignancy, predominantly of the right side. Moreover, 24 of 273 appendectomies (8.8%) exhibited the presence of mucosal hyperplasia and, of these, six (25%) also were associated with adenocarcinoma of the colon. On the basis of this significant rate of association, we feel that a concomitant colorectal carcinoma should be ruled out in patients who exhibit mucosal hyperplasia of the appendix.
International policy conflict: the Japanese response to US agricultural export embargoes

This article evaluates Japanese response to agricultural export embargoes instituted by the US. Direct response was limited to establishing a small government stock of soybeans and initiating modest overseas production development following the 1973 soybean embargo. Neither action had any significant impact on Japanese agricultural imports from the US. Japanese farm policy does not appear to have changed in response to US embargoes. The embargoes, on the other hand, have provided farm groups with an additional argument to delay changes in a costly farm policy that has been fundamentally shaped by domestic forces.
Noise reduction of page-oriented data storage by inverse filtering during recording

Two novel techniques for eliminating deterministic noise from a page-oriented memory are presented. The first technique equalizes the output response of ON pixels by adjustment of the exposure of each pixel during the recording of each data page. A test image transmitted through the system measures the spatial nonuniformities, and the appropriate inverse filter is imposed upon the data page and recorded in the storage material. On readout, the output signal values are then spatially uniform, perturbed only by random noise sources. Experimental results of using this predistortion technique in a pixel-matched holographic storage system are shown. Under conditions of high volumetric density, raw bit-error-rate (BER) improvements of 6–8??orders of magnitude are obtained (from 10-4 to <10-10). The second technique uses a phase shift during holographic storage to subtract from bright OFF pixels. Under conditions of low spatial light modulator contrast, BER improvements of 6??orders of magnitude (from 10-2 to 10-8) are demonstrated.
Lethal and sublethal effects of two insect growth regulators on adult Delphastus catalinae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a predator of whiteflies (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

Pyriproxyfen, a juvenile hormone analog, and buprofezin, a chitin synthesis inhibitor, are two insect growth regulators (IGRs) considered as selective and effective insecticides for controlling whiteflies. Delphastus catalinae (Horn) is a commercially produced whitefly predator considered to be a valuable biological control agent of whiteflies, especially of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (B. argentifolii Bellows & Perring) in greenhouses. The compatibility of these two control strategies was tested by evaluating the lethal and sublethal effects resulting from ingestion of insect growth regulator (IGR) residues on treated B. tabaci eggs by adult lady beetles in the laboratory. Feeding on pyriproxyfen-treated whitefly eggs caused no significant decrease in longevity of either male or female beetles, whereas feeding on buprofezin-treated eggs reduced longevity significantly. Likewise, preoviposition period was not affected by pyriproxyfen, but was lengthened 3–6 days by buprofezin. Buprofezin reduced D. catalinae egg production and oviposition periods while a 28-day treatment with the low rate of pyriproxyfen actually increased these parameters. Both IGRs reduced D. catalinae egg fertility, especially the higher rate of pyriproxyfen and both rates of buprofezin. However, the process was largely reversed in the case of pyriproxyfen by a transfer of D. catalinae to water-treated whitefly eggs. Because D. catalinae fecundity was actually increased by 28 day exposure to the low rate of pyriproxyfen, there was no net effect on viable egg production. Thus, while both growth regulators negatively impacted D. catalinae, fewest side effects were observed with pyriproxyfen, and the worst of these, egg sterility, was reversible following removal of treated eggs.
Hexavalent chromium reduces larval growth and alters gene expression in mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus).

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a common bioavailable metal ion that causes oxidative stress, DNA adducts, and perturbs gene expression. Changes in gene expression are useful biomarkers of toxicant exposure that provide information about an organism's health, adaptability, and toxicant-specific effects. Therefore, we developed a cDNA array for the estuarine sentinel species mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus). Mummichog larvae were exposed to concentrations ranging from 0 to 24 mg/L (462 μM) of Cr(VI) for 30 d, and growth was measured to determine the no-observable-effect concentration (1.5 mg/L) and the lowestobservable- effect concentration (3 mg/L). Body burdens from Cr(VI)-exposed fish showed a dose-dependent increase and were inversely correlated to body weight. Mummichog larvae exposed to Cr(VI) differentially expressed 16 genes in a dose-dependent manner, including GLUT-2, L-FABP, ATPase synthase 8, type II keratin, TBT-binding protein, and complement component C3–2. Many of these genes are involved in energy metabolism or growth, which is consistent with the reduced growth observed. In subsequent experiments, adults were exposed to Cr(VI) for 7 d at 0, 1.5, or 3 mg/L, because adult mummichog are used in monitoring Superfund sites. Hexavalent chromium altered the expression of 10 genes in adult liver, including HGFA, H-FABP, and complement component C3–2. Many of these genes also are involved in energy metabolism. The mummichog arrays provide a potential mechanism for the effects of Cr(VI) on growth. We anticipate using these arrays and the data they provide to monitor effects at polluted sites, to assess the bioavailability of chromium at these sites, and to investigate the efficacy of remediation in chromium-polluted estuaries.
An Exploration of Tiled Architectures for Space Applications

For many reasons, the chip technology for spacecraft computing has lagged commercial systems by decades. Equally disconcerting, however, has been a similar lag in the computer architectures used. This paper will look at an emerging class of multi-core processor architectures, called “tiled,” extrapolate what they might look like in the future, and how they might be adapted to space applications. This extrapolation will include physical characteristics (speed, power, and area), system architectures, and fault tolerant models
Efficient light trapping in inverted nanopyramid thin crystalline silicon membranes for solar cell applications.

Thin-film crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells with light-trapping structures can enhance light absorption within the semiconductor absorber layer and reduce material usage. Here we demonstrate that an inverted nanopyramid light-trapping scheme for c-Si thin films, fabricated at wafer scale via a low-cost wet etching process, significantly enhances absorption within the c-Si layer. A broadband enhancement in absorptance that approaches the Yablonovitch limit (Yablonovitch, E. J. Opt. Soc. Am.1987, 72, 899–907 ) is achieved with minimal angle dependence. We also show that c-Si films less than 10 μm in thickness can achieve absorptance values comparable to that of planar c-Si wafers thicker than 300 μm, amounting to an over 30-fold reduction in material usage. Furthermore the surface area increases by a factor of only 1.7, which limits surface recombination losses in comparison with other nanostructured light-trapping schemes. These structures will not only significantly curtail both the material and proc...
A constructivist approach to online college learning

The key elements of online course design and pedagogy suggested by research as promoting effective learning are discussed through the lens of constructivist epistemology. Presentation of content, instructor–student and student–student interactions, individual and group activities, and student assessment are each addressed, in turn. The focus is on learning and recognition that, from time-to-time, all students are teachers as they bring diverse expertise, experiences, and worldviews to the task of learning. Reflection on past experiences, interaction with other members of the learning community, immediate instructor behavior, authentic group activities, and diverse assessment tasks with timely and detailed feedback are underscored.
Conservative Realists and Experimental Writers

Women Writing Culture. Ruth Behar and Deborah A. Gordon. eds. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995. 457 pp.
Nonparametric methods for quantitative analysis (3rd ed.)

(1997). Nonparametric Methods for Quantitative Analysis (3rd edition) Journal of the Operational Research Society: Vol. 48, No. 8, pp. 853-853.
Predicting Complex Behavior in Sparse Asymmetric Networks

Recurrent networks of threshold elements have been studied intensively as associative memories and pattern-recognition devices. While most research has concentrated on fully-connected symmetric networks, which relax to stable fixed points, asymmetric networks show richer dynamical behavior, and can be used as sequence generators or flexible pattern-recognition devices. In this paper, we approach the problem of predicting the complex global behavior of a class of random asymmetric networks in terms of network parameters. These networks can show fixed-point, cyclical or effectively aperiodic behavior, depending on parameter values, and our approach can be used to set parameters, as necessary, to obtain a desired complexity of dynamics. The approach also provides qualitative insight into why the system behaves as it does and suggests possible applications.
Key Inspection Characteristics

This paper introduces a technique that can be used in the early manufacturing process design stage to select from among the set of quality characteristics a smaller set that is adequate to ensure a product meets yield specifications. The critical subset of quality characteristics needed to ensure yield are identified, based upon a conditional probability model that ensures all specifications are met, given that the critical subset is met. The approach is demonstrated using a sheet stretch forming manufacturing system from the aerospace industry.
Robust highly linear high-frequency CMOS OTA with IM3 below - 70 dB at 26 MHz

An enhanced configuration for a linearized MOS operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is proposed. The proposed fully differential OTA circuit is based on resistive source degeneration and an improved adaptive biasing technique. It is robust to process variation, which has not been fully shown in previously reported linearization techniques. Detailed harmonic distortion analysis demonstrating the robustness of the proposed OTA is introduced. The transconductance gain is tunable from 160 to 340 /spl mu/S with a third-order intermodulation (IM3) below -70 dB at 26 MHz. As an application, a 26-MHz second-order low-pass filter fabricated in TSMC 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS technology with a power supply of 3.3 V is presented. The measured IM3 with an input voltage of 1.4 Vpp is below - 65 dB for the entire filter pass-band, and the input referred noise density is 156nV//spl radic/Hz. The cutoff frequency of the filter is tunable in the range of 13-26 MHz. Theoretical and experimental results are in good agreement.
Modeling animal movements using stochastic differential equations

SUMMARY We describe the use of bivariate stochastic differential equations (SDE) for modeling movements of 216 radiocollared female Rocky Mountain elk at the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range in northeastern Oregon. Spatially and temporally explicit vector fields were estimated using approximating difference equations and nonparametric regression techniques. Estimated vector fields of movement were mapped onto the project area at selected times of the day to examine spatial patterns of movement in relation to topography. Using the concept of a potential function, we were able to study the influence of roads and grassland foraging areas on elk movements. Doing so we identified broad spatial patterns of elk movements and showed the time dependent effects of habitat features within the habitat mosaic at Starkey. Our analyses quantify the cycles of movements in spring and summer in terms of attraction or repulsion to specific habitat features, and illustrate the magnitude, timing and direction of these movements. An extensive list of references is included. Published in 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Red Queens and ESS: the coevolution of evolutionary rates

The Red Queen principle states that a set of interacting species reaches an evolutionary equilibrium at which all their rates of coevolution exactly balance each other. The lag-load model, which is one way of searching for Red Queens, has, by itself, previously predicted that they do not exist. But this model has assumed that infinite maladaptedness is possible. The lag-load model is improved by assuming that once the lag load of all but one species is determined, so is that of the final species. This assumption eliminates the possibility of infinite maladaptedness. Its result is to allow the lag-load model to yield Red Queen coevolution. It does this whether or not speciation and extinction rates are included. Thus the lag-load model is harmonized with the earlier Red Queen model derived from studies of predation.
Computing a Most Probable Delay Constrained Path: NP-Hardness and Approximation Schemes

Delay constrained path selection is concerned with finding a source-to-destination path so that the delay of the path is within a given delay bound. When the network is modeled by a directed graph where the delay of a link is a random variable with a known mean and a known variance, the problem becomes that of computing a most probable delay constrained path. In this paper, we present a comprehensive theoretical study of this problem. First, we prove that the problem is NP-hard. Next, for the case where there exists a source-to-destination path with a delay mean no more than the given delay bound, we present a fully polynomial time approximation scheme. In other words, for any given constant e such that 0 <; e <; 1, our algorithm computes a path whose probability of satisfying the delay constraint is at least (1-e) times the probability that the optimal path satisfies the delay constraint, with a time complexity bounded by a polynomial in the number of network nodes and 1/e. Finally, for the case where any source-to-destination path has a delay mean larger than the given delay bound, we present a simple approximation algorithm with an approximation ratio bounded by the square root of the hop count of the optimal path.
Connections between ecology, biogeography, and paleobiology: Relationship between local abundance and geographic distribution in fossil and recent molluscs

Summary We used data on Contemporary and Pleistocene molluscs at one site in the Gulf of California to evaluate and extend earlier ideas about the relationship between local abundance and geographic distribution. For each species whose shells occurred in one Recent and two Pleistocene deposits, we measured its abundance in the sample and relative latitudinal position within its contemporary geographic range. Species near the edges of their ranges showed uniformly low abundances, whereas those near the centres exhibited a wide range of abundances. Species near the edges of their ranges also appear to have exhibited greater changes in abundance, including more colonization and extinction events, between the Pleistocene interglacial sample and the Recent one. The constraint of location in the geographic range on maximal local and regional abundance appears to offer an example of a connection between patterns and processes on local, regional, and geographical scales. Characteristics of community structure, such as relative abundance of individual species and frequency of local co-existence of multiple species, may be influenced by the location of the sample site with respect to the geographic ranges of the constituent species. These results demonstrate emergent, statistical features of population ecology and community organization that are manifest over geographic space and evolutionary time.
Meige syndrome: what's in a name?

Frequently, blepharospasm is associated with involuntary movements of the platysma, lower face and masticatory muscles. Similarly, masticatory dystonia may occur in isolation or in combination with dystonia of other cranial and cervical muscles. The non-possessive and possessive forms of Meige and Brueghel syndromes have been variably and imprecisely ascribed to various anatomical variations of craniocervical dystonia. Herein, the origin of eponymic terms as applied to craniocervical dystonia is reviewed as support for proposed elimination of these eponyms from clinical usage. Although the term “segmental craniocervical dystonia” more accurately captures the combination of blepharospasm and dystonia of other head and neck muscles, delineation of craniocervical subphenotypes is essential for etiological/genetic and treatment studies. To conclude, the clinical features, epidemiology, pathophysiology and therapeutic management of segmental craniocervical dystonia are examined with a particular focus on “blepharospasm-plus” subphenotypes.
What did the first cactus look like? An attempt to reconcile the morphological and molecular evidence

Cacti have fascinated students of natural history for many millennia. Evidence exists for use of cacti as food, medicine, and ornamental plants by peoples of the New World for at least 9,000 years (Anderson, 2001), and cacti have captivated the attention of Old World plant scholars, agriculturists, and hobbyists since their introduction in the late 15th century. The striking visual aspect of the succulent, spiny, often leafless plants has received much attention, and botanists have been pondering their evolutionary relationships for over a century. Three subfamilial groups have been traditionally recognized within Cactaceae. The easiest group to circumscribe morphologically is Opuntioideae, with minute, barbed, deciduous spines (termed glochids), and small, often ephemeral leaves. Additionally, Opuntioideae have a bony seed aril (Vaupel, 1925; Anderson, 2001). This subfamily includes the familiar prickly pears of the genus Opuntia Mill. (Fig. lA), plus many other morphotypes. Another large group of cacti are subfamily Cactoideae, which include leafless, spiny stem succulents such as the genus Trichocereus Riccob. (Fig. 1B). Cactoideae are very diverse in habit and morphology, and the vast majority of described cactus species fall into this group. The remaining subfamily Pereskioideae includes leafy, spiny, often non-succulent trees and shrubs of the genus Pereskia Mill. (Fig. 1C). In addition to these three longand widely-recognized subfamilies, recent molecular evidence supports the recognition of a fourth subfamily of cacti, the monogeneric Maihuenioideae (Wallace, 1995a, b; Nyffeler, 2002). Maihuenia Phil. contains two little-studied species of smaller, succulent, cushion-forming cacti that are restricted to western and southern South America
ALLOMETRIC EXPONENTS SUPPORT A 3/4-POWER SCALING LAW

The relationship between metabolic rate and body mass follows a power function: B } m b where B is the basal metabolic rate, m is the species mass, and b is the allometric exponent. Older models based on a consideration of surface to volume ratios predict an exponent b 5 2/3, whereas more recent models based on efficient transport and fractal design predict an exponent b 5 3/4. We analyzed 22 published allometric exponents to address the following questions: (1) Is the published allometric exponent correlated with number of species, average mass, or range of mass in the study? (2) What is the mean and confidence interval for published exponents, and do they vary among taxa? (3) Given the published exponent data, what is the likelihood that b 5 2/3 vs. 3/4? We found that published exponents were not correlated with sample size, average mass, or log(difference in mass). For mammals and birds, the allometric exponents were tightly clustered, with means of 0.72 and 0.73, respectively. The reptile data spanned a wider range but had a mean of 0.74. Likelihood analysis suggests that b 5 3/4 is significantly more probable than b 5 2/3. We built a linear regression simulation with experimental error in mass and showed that such measurement error systematically lowers estimates of the allometric exponent. Measurement error probably contributes to the observation that published allometric ex- ponents often fall short of b 5 3/4 as predicted by theoretical models.
Using Cognitive Dissonance to Encourage Water Conservation)

In a field experiment on water conservation, we aroused dissonance in patrons of the campus recreation facility by making them feel hypocritical about their showering habits. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, we manipulated subjects “‘mindfulness” that they had sometimes wasted water while showering, and then varied whether they made a “public commitment” urging other people to take shorter showers. The “hypocrisy” condition-in which subjects made the public commitment after being reminded of their past behavior-was expected to be dissonance-arousing, thereby motivating subjects to increase their efforts to conserve water. The results were consistent with this reasoning. Compared to controls, subjects in the hypocrisy condition took significantly shorter showers. Subjects who were merely reminded that they had wasted water, or who only made the public commitment, did not take shorter showers than control subjects. The findings have implications for using cognitive dissonance as means of changing behavior in applied settings, especially those in which people already support the desired goal, but their behavior is not consistent with those beliefs.
Growth of third-harmonic signal in optical glass fibre

Rapid growth with time of the third-harmonic signal in optical glass fibres, illuminated with 10 kW peak power pulses from a Nd: YAG laser, has been observed. Broadband fluorescence from the third-harmonic signal around 420 nm was also detected.
Chromosomal Abnormalities in Ectopic Pregnancy Chorionic Villi

Objective To evaluate the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in ectopic pregnancy chorionic villi. Methods A prospective study of patients with the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was conducted, with chorionic villi obtained at the time of surgical therapy cultured and analyzed for karyotype. Review of the patient's medical record and ultrasound evaluation was then completed and findings correlated with karyotype results. Results Twenty-two patients undergoing surgery for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy yielded chorionic villi for culture. Successful culture was performed in 21 patients, with 3 (14%) revealing abnormal karyotypes. Review of the medical record showed ultrasound results consistent with fetal development or a gestational sac in 15 of 18 patients with normal chromosomal analysis. Three of 6 patients without fetal development yielded abnormal chromosomal findings. Conclusion Our results confirm that a high degree of success can be achieved in the karyotype analysis of ectopic pregnancy chorionic villi and that these conceptuses have a rate of abnormality similar to that reported for intrauterine gestations. Our data further suggest that when a gestational sac or fetal pole is identified by ultrasound, there is usually a normal karyotype.
Articular Cartilage Wear Characterization With a Particle Sizing and Counting Analyzer

The primary function of articular cartilage is to serve as the bearing material in diarthrodial joints, transmitting loads while minimizing friction and wear. The friction coefficient of cartilage has been characterized extensively in the literature, using standard measurements of normal and tangential forces acting across a sliding interface [1]. However, quantitative measurements of cartilage wear have proven to be more challenging, with only a few studies having reported such measurements. The primary quantitative approaches proposed to date include biochemical assaying of cartilage and test solutions [2], and characterization of changing articular layer thickness [3] and surface roughness [4]. One study examining polyethylene wear debris in hip arthroplasty reported the use of an automated particle analyzer [5]. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that latest-generation particle analyzers are capable of detecting cartilage wear debris generated during in vitro loading experiments that last 24 h or less, by producing measurable content significantly above background noise levels. The longer-term objective of our studies is to test the hypothesis that elevated interstitial fluid pressurization, which is known to reduce the friction coefficient of cartilage [6], also reduces cartilage wear.Copyright © 2012 by ASME