cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Refractive properties of magnesium fluoride

The refractive indices of a commercially available specimen of single-crystal MgF2 were determined for both the ordinary and extraordinary rays at selected wavelengths from 0.2026 to 7.04 μm. Measurements were made by means of the minimum-deviation method on a precision spectrometer near 19°C. The experimentally determined index values for each polarization were fitted to a three-term Sellmeier-type dispersion equation of the form n2-1=∑Ajλ2(λ2-λj2), where n is the refractive index, λ is the wavelength of interest, λj is the calculated wavelength of an oscillator, and Aj is the strength of the oscillator at λj. The birefringence was computed as a function of wavelength from the calculated index values obtained for the two polarizations. The dispersion coefficients were also determined for the 0 ray and for the birefringence. The results of this study are compared with previously reported work on the refractive properties of MgF2.
Aerodynamic optimization of an HSCT configuration using variable-complexity modeling

An approach to aerodynamic configuration optimization is presented for the high-speed civil transport (HSCT). A method to parameterize the wing shape, fuselage shape and nacelle placement is described. Variable-complexity design strategies are used to combine conceptual and preliminary-level design approaches, both to preserve interdisciplinary design influences and to reduce computational expense. Conceptual-design-level (approximate) methods are used to estimate aircraft weight, supersonic wave drag and drag due to lift, and landing angle of attack. The drag due to lift, wave drag and landing angle of attack are also evaluated using more detailed, preliminary-design-level techniques. New, approximate methods for estimating supersonic wave drag and drag due to lift are described. The methodology is applied to the minimization of the gross weight of an HSCT that flies at Mach 2.4 with a range of 5500 n.mi. Results are presented for wing planform shape optimization and for combined wing and fuselage optimization with nacelle placement. Case studies include both all-metal wings and advanced composite wings.
ASAP: ad-hoc streaming adaptive protocol for supporting P2P streaming over vehicular ad-hoc networks

Video streaming has been a great challenge in highly mobile environments such as Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks (VANET). The high churn rate of mobile nodes introduces unstable routes, which makes the traditional peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols relying on stable connections unsuitable. We present Ad-hoc Streaming Adaptive Protocol (ASAP), an application-layer protocol based on User Datagram Protocol (UDP). It uses peers on the delivery path as relay nodes to cache contents, multiplex requests, and demultiplex content deliveries. ASAP also employs novel methods for fast detection and adaptation to rapid route changes. As a result, ASAP delivers smooth, quality video without missing playback deadlines even when peers move in high speeds. ASAP may be readily applied to VANET, and be used as an alternative to cellular networks for relieving the burden on data usage.
Effects of computerized provider order entry and nursing documentation on workflow.

Objectives: The objective was to measure the effects of the implementation of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) and electronic nursing documentation on provider workflow in the emergency department (ED). Methods: The authors performed a before-and-after time-motion study of the activities of physicians and nurses. The percentages of time spent in task categories were calculated by provider session and averaged across provider sessions. Results: There was a shift in physician time from working with paper alone, 13.1% to 9.6% (p = 0.05), to working with paper while using a computer, 1.6% to 4.3% (p = 0.02), and an increase in time spent working on computer and/or paper from 30.0% to 38.9% (p = 0.02). For nurses, the increase in time spent on computer from 9.5% to 25.7% (p < 0.01) was offset by a decrease in time spent working with paper from 16.5% to 1.8% (p < 0.01). Direct care decreased minimally for nurses from 56.9% to 55.3% (p = 0.69), but from 36.8% to 29.1% (p = 0.07) for physicians, approaching statistical significance. Care planning decreased for nurses from 9.4% to 6.4% (p = 0.04) and from 21.7% to 19.5% (p = 0.60) for physicians. Conclusions: The net effects of an implementation on provider workflow depend not only on changes in tasks directly related to the provider–computer interface, but also on changes in underlying patient care processes and information flows. The authors observed an unanticipated shift in physician time from interacting with nurses and patients toward retrieving information from the electronic patient record. Implementers should carefully consider how implementations will affect information flow and then expect the unexpected.
Hydrogen in Dielectric Film Formation from an Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma

The incorporation of hydrogen into silicon nitride films grown downstream from an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma decreased rapidly with increasing substrate temperature (100-600°C). Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that the hydrogen in the as-grown material was primarily bonded to nitrogen. However, an applied bias of -200 V caused an increase in the number of Si-H bonds relative to N-H bonds, as a result of increased ion-beam damage. In addition, ion irradiation of an asgrown film with 175 keV Ar+ at room temperature showed that H transferred from N-H bonds to Si-H bonds without a loss of H. Elastic recoil detection (ERD) and FTIR of thermally annealed films showed that the stability of H incorporated during deposition increased with deposition temperature, and that the N-H bond was more stable than the Si-H bond above 700°C. Deuterium plasma treatments, at 600°C, of annealed films caused isotopic substitution with a conservation of bonds. Therefore, hydrogen loss from annealed films is apparently accompanied by a reduction in dangling bonds.
Determinants of Population Growth in Urban Centres in the Republic of Ireland

Growth in urban places in Ireland from 1966 to 1991 has been greatly influenced by proximity to Dublin. In fact, the best predictor of growth has been such relative proximity. Government efforts to disperse growth to other areas of the Republic, however, have had some effects. Centres in the north-west and west of the country have grown more than would otherwise have been expected. While the growth in these areas may not be sustainable, the effects of previous government policies have been obvious.
eStadium: The Mobile Wireless Football Experience

It has become clear that the original mobile Web model of people using their portable devices to surf normal Web- pages must be refocused on the creation of applications that are tailored for the mobile experience. The eStadium project is our attempt at creating such an application. It provides live "infotainment" such as real-time statistics, instant replay videos, and venue information to Purdue football fans via a public mobile Web application and an on- demand video delivery system. In this paper, we discuss the design, implementation, and operation of the eStadium system and the lessons learned from five years of serving real sports fans.
The modal argument: Wide scope and rigidified descriptions

Dans Naming and necessity, S. Kripke a avance trois types d'arguments contre les theories semantiques qui analysent la signification, ou la reference, des noms propres en termes de signification, ou denotation, des descriptions associees a ces noms par les locuteurs. Parmi ces arguments, l'argument modal se base sur l'observation selon laquelle le profil modal des phrases contenant des noms differe souvent du profil modal des phrases correspondantes contenant les descriptions. Ce fait est utilise pour montrer que les significations des noms ne sont pas donnees par les descriptions qui leur sont associees par les locuteurs. Par opposition a cet argument, les defenseurs du descriptivisme ont developpe deux strategies, l'une stipulant que les noms propres sont semantiquement equivalents a des descriptions de large portee, et l'autre que les noms sont semantiquement equivalents a des descriptions rigidifiees. L'A. montre ici dans quelle mesure ces deux strategies ne fonctionnent pas
Slow crack growth of brittle materials with exponential crack velocity under cyclic fatigue loading

Abstract The life prediction analysis to determine life as a function of applied stress for brittle materials was made numerically based on an exponential crack velocity formulation. The results were examined using the experimental data on advanced structural ceramics tested under cyclic fatigue loading at ambient and elevated temperatures. The data fit to the obtained relation of ln(time to failure) versus maximum applied stress was very reasonable and compares well with that of the more widely utilized power-law crack velocity. It was also found that life prediction from one loading configuration (static fatigue) to another (cyclic fatigue) in the exponential formulation resulted in a similar degree of accuracy as compared with that in the power-law formulation. The major limitation in the exponential crack-velocity formulation, however, was that inert strength of a material must be known priori to evaluate the important slow-crack-growth parameter n, a significant drawback/burden as compared with the conventional power-law crack-velocity formulation.
The Nursing Home Minimum Data Set Assessment Instrument: Manifest Functions and Unintended Consequences—Past, Present, and Future

The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a uniform instrument used in nursing homes to assess residents. In January 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a draft of a new MDS-version 3.0. This article traces the instrument's development and the design decisions that shaped it, discusses the MDS's manifest functions-data collection intended to drive quality improvement and the unintended consequences of its use-paper compliance and diminished attention to resident quality of life, and examines the revised version to gauge its success in meeting the instrument's objectives. Although results of the national evaluation of MDS 3.0 are promising, the revisions, especially those pertaining to quality-of-life assessment and the use of resident interviews and standardized assessment procedures, raise questions for future consideration. Additionally, past research suggests that the MDS's impact on quality-of-care improvement will be limited unless efforts are directed toward resolving the industry's persistent struggles with staffing, survey effectiveness, and the development of feasible care processes. MDS 3.0 seems most likely to achieve its potential if it operates within a multifaceted quality improvement framework.
Surgical management of hepatic metastases of colorectal cancer

For the 20% of patients with resectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), hepatic resection is safe, effective and potentially curative. Factors related to the primary and metastatic tumors individually and in clinical risk-scoring schemes are the best prognostic factors, although it is difficult to define patient groups with resectable, liver-limited CRLM that should be excluded from surgery. Systemic chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer has improved but does not improve overall survival as adjuvant therapy after resection. Conversion to complete resection with systemic and/or hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy is an appropriate goal for patients with unresectable CRLM.
Soft error and energy consumption interactions: a data cache perspective

Energy-efficiency and reliability are two major design constraints influencing next generation system designs. In this work, we focus on the interaction between power consumption and reliability considering the on-chip data caches. First, we investigate the impact of two commonly used architectural-level leakage reduction approaches on the data reliability. Our results indicate that the leakage optimization techniques can have very different reliability behavior as compared to an original cache with no leakage optimizations. Next, we investigate on providing data reliability in an energy efficient fashion in the presence of soft-errors. In contrast to current commercial caches that treat and protect all data using the same error detection/correction mechanism, we present an adaptive error coding scheme that treats dirty and clean data cache blocks differently. Furthermore, we present an early-write-back scheme that enhances the ability to use a less powerful error protection scheme for a longer time without sacrificing reliability. Experimental results show that proposed schemes, when used in conjunction, can reduce dynamic energy of error protection components in L1 data cache by 11% on average without impacting the performance or reliability.
Recent advances in automatic classification

Traditional classification methods are divided into two broad types: hierarchical methods and non-hierarchical methods in which the number of classes has to be fixed in advance. Both methods can handle both quantitative and qualitative data. A third type finds a partition optimizing a linear classification criterion (e.g. the Condorcet criterion) in which the number of classes does not have to be fixed in advance, but the data must be qualitative. A recent generalization, the ‘S theory’ can handle simultaneously both quantitative and qualitative data, and both linear and non-linear classification criteria (in the space of paired comparisons of elements). With this ‘S theory’ the partition is obtained in order n (in terms of memory space and elementary operations), n being the number of elements to classify.
UroVysion testing can lead to early identification of intravesical therapy failure in patients with high risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Purpose: In this study, we investigated the ability of UroVysion™ to assess response to intravesical therapy in patients with high risk superficial bladder tumors. Materials and methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing intravesical therapy for high risk superficial bladder tumors. Urine specimens were collected for UroVysion™ analysis before and immediately after a course of intravesical therapy. Cytology and cystoscopy were performed six weeks after treatment, using either a positive cytology or visible abnormality on cystoscopy as a prompt for biopsy. The operating characteristics of the UroVysion™ test were then determined. Results: 41 patients were identified in whom 47 cycles of induction and 41 cycles of maintenance intravesical therapy were given during the study period. This yielded a total of 88 treatment and evaluation cycles. Median follow-up was 9 months per induction (range 1-21 months) and 13 months per patient (range 1-25 months). A total of 133 urine samples were collected for UroVysion™ of which 40 were positive. Based upon standard clinical evaluation, 41 biopsies were performed which detected 20 recurrences. UroVysion™ testing performed immediately upon completion of therapy for the 41 patients undergoing biopsy yielded a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 85%, 61%, and 71%. Conclusions: The use of UroVysion™ following intravesical therapy for high-risk superficial bladder tumors helps to identify patients at high risk of refractory or recurrent disease who should undergo immediate biopsy under anesthesia.
Biorthogonal-like sequences and generalized Gabor expansions of discrete-time signals in l/sup 2/(Z)

A biorthogonal-like sequence (BLS) theory and its application to the generalized Gabor (1946) expansion (equivalently, the generalized short-time Fourier transform/filterbank summation) are presented. A pair of BLSs are defined to be two sequences satisfying a biorthogonal-like condition (BLC). We show that two collections in a Hilbert space generated by a pair of BLSs in the joint time-frequency domain are complete, and either can be used as an analysis filter, and the other as a synthesis filter, for a generalized Gabor expansion of discrete-time signals. An efficient algorithm for computation of BLSs is addressed in detail, and examples are presented to illustrate our results. >
High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) screening and detection in healthy patient saliva samples: a pilot study

The human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a large family of non-enveloped DNA viruses, mainly associated with cervical cancers. Recent epidemiologic evidence has suggested that HPV may be an independent risk factor for oropharyngeal cancers. Evidence now suggests HPV may modulate the malignancy process in some tobacco- and alcohol-induced oropharynx tumors, but might also be the primary oncogenic factor for inducing carcinogenesis among some non-smokers. More evidence, however, is needed regarding oral HPV prevalence among healthy adults to estimate risk. The goal of this study was to perform an HPV screening of normal healthy adults to assess oral HPV prevalence.
Printing of Patterned Copper on Pliable, Microtextured PDMS/Ceramic Composites

In this work, we present a novel printing technique that enables the usage of PDMS and ceramic powder mixed PDMS composites (we refer as “PDMS-ceramic composites” in this context), as a substrate for printing of copper conduction layers. This technique is based on microtransfer molding (μTM) and lift-off for pattern formation [4]. Another key feature is the usage of microtextured PDMS and PDMS-ceramic composites before any copper film deposition. Our microtextured surface is composed of pyramid shaped wells (100 μm depth and 150 μm sides on PDMS surface). The poor adhesion between PDMS and copper is overcome by oxygen plasma application and titanium deposition before copper layer. In order to demonstrate the convenience of this technique in RF applications, copper conduction lines (5 mm wide, different lengths) were printed on microtextured PDMS substrates. These transmission lines successfully maintained a low resistance during large strain. The printed lines have the DC resistance of 0.5 Ω and conductivity of 1.3e6 S/m, and the transmission analysis of these lines show good results especially in the MHz range when compared to copper tape measurements. Apart from the conduction lines, the substrates can have ranging dielectric constants from 3 (no powder) to 23 (50% D270 powder, provided by TransTech) by volume mixing rule. Dielectric constant is important for RF applications, especially antenna designs. Therefore, provided with a range of dielectric constants, these composite substrates are a great promise in RF field for pliable antenna fabrication [5]. For experiment purposes, some of the transmission lines are printed on these composite substrates as well as pure PDMS. In this study, apart from the fabrication of transmission lines, this novel technique will be applied in a GPS antenna design for demonstration purposes. This antenna design is a single-fed circularly-polarized stacked antenna for tri-band GPS (L1, L2 and L5) applications [6]. For the fabrication of the antenna, polymer-ceramic materials of e 1 =16 and e 2 =30 will be utilized as the substrates [6].
Estimating Ethnic Preferences Using Ethnic Housing Quotas in Singapore

There are many policies around the world aimed at integrating groups (gender, ethnic, national) in education, employment, immigration and housing. In the case of housing, since prices may not internalize externalities in residential location choices, we need to know preferences for welfare analysis. This paper estimates people’s taste for living with own ethnic groups (ethnic preferences) using unique policy variation from the ethnic housing quotas in Singapore. My approach combines policy induced variation commonly used in reduced form settings with a non-parametric identi…cation strategy in a structural demand estimation framework a la Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995). I …nd that all groups have strong preferences to live with at least some other + � = � �
When does entrepreneurial self-efficacy enhance versus reduce firm performance?

The entrepreneurial self-efficacy of lead founders has been generally considered to be a robust predictor of the performance of their firms. Few studies, however, have considered variables that might moderate this relationship. The current study attempts to fill this gap in the literature by examining two possible moderators of the effects of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on firm performance: dispositional optimism and environmental dynamism. Results indicate that these factors do indeed moderate the effects of entrepreneurial self-efficacy; in fact, a three-way interaction between self-efficacy, optimism, and environmental dynamism was observed with respect to firm performance. Consistent with predictions, in dynamic environments, the effects of high entrepreneurial self-efficacy on firm performance were positive when combined with moderate optimism, but negative when combined with high optimism. In stable environments, in contrast, the effects of self-efficacy were relatively weak, and were not moderated by optimism. Overall, results suggest that high self-efficacy is not always beneficial for entrepreneurs and may, in fact, exert negative effects under some conditions. Copyright © 2008 Strategic Management Society.
Tissue specific perfusion imaging using arterial spin labeling.

Quantitative magnetic resonance measurements of regional tissue perfusion can be obtained using magnetically labeled arterial water as a diffusable tracer. Continuous labeling is achieved in flowing spins using adiabatic inversion. The effects of continuous labeling of proximal arterial spins and T1 relaxation in distal tissue magnetization result in a steady-state change in tissue magnetization which is tissue specific, i.e., it can be quantified in units of blood flow per gram of tissue per unit time. This magnetization is sampled using standard imaging sequences. The theoretical basis for this method, including the effects of macromolecular spin saturation, is reviewed. Recent results demonstrating the successful implementation of this technique in vitro and in vivo in rat brain, heart, and kidney, and in human brain and kidney are presented, as well as the use of a separate RF coil for arterial labeling to produce selective perfusion images in rat brain. This approach allows quantitative perfusion images to be obtained completely non-invasively at the resolution of 1H MRI, and is useful in the clinical and investigational evaluation of organ physiology.
Iliac Artery Angioplasty and Stenting

Iliac artery angioplasty and stenting is performed for occlusive disease of the iliac artery. This chapter describes indications, essential steps, variations, and complications of this procedure. It provides a detailed template operative note for the procedure.
The meaning of everything: communication at the end of life

Communication about end-of-life care is increasingly recognized as a core clinical skill, but doctors are often unprepared to have these conversations. Crisis situations at the end of life, such as when a hospitalized patient with a poor prognosis requests that “everything” be done, pose even greater communicative challenges. Such decisions are often regarded as a demand for care that may be burdensome or even harmful, rather than the start of an important conversation about values and goals. Situations such as this have prompted the development of prescriptive approaches to communicating with patients, which have limitations since they focus more on the physicians’ message than on developing a relationship with the patient or eliciting the meaning of the illness and its treatment. Current models of communication are less about accurate transmission of information and more about the ways in which communication constitutes our social world. Thus, the goal of communication training for physicians should be less about tools and scripts, and more about doctors learning to engage patients in conversation. We suggest strategies for promoting dialogue to more effectively explore the concerns and misunderstandings that might underlie decisions to “do everything.”
Efficient Gene Transfer in Bacterial Cell Chains

Horizontal gene transfer contributes to evolution and the acquisition of new traits. In bacteria, horizontal gene trans- fer is often mediated by conjugative genetic elements that transfer directly from cell to cell. Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs; also known as conjugative transposons) are mobile genetic elements that reside within a host genome but can excise to form a circle and transfer by conjugation to recipient cells. ICEs contribute to the spread of genes involved in pathogenesis, sym- biosis, metabolism, and antibiotic resistance. Despite its importance, little is known about the mechanisms of conjugation in Gram-positive bacteria or how quickly or frequently transconjugants become donors. We visualized the transfer of the integra- tive and conjugative element ICEBs1 from a Bacillus subtilis donor to recipient cells in real time using fluorescence microscopy. We found that transfer of DNA from a donor to a recipient appeared to occur at a cell pole or along the lateral cell surface of ei- ther cell. Most importantly, we found that when acquired by 1 cell in a chain, ICEBs1spread rapidly from cell to cell within the chain by additional sequential conjugation events. This intrachain conjugation is inherently more efficient than conjugation that is due to chance encounters between individual cells. Many bacterial species, including pathogenic, commensal, symbiotic, and nitrogen-fixing organisms, harbor ICEs and grow in chains, often as parts of microbial communities. It is likely that efficient intrachain spreading is a general feature of conjugative DNA transfer and serves to amplify the number of cells that acquire con- jugative mobile genetic elements. IMPORTANCE Conjugative elements contribute to horizontal gene transfer and the acquisition of new traits. They are largely re- sponsible for spreading antibiotic resistance in bacterial communities. To study the cell biology of conjugation, we visualized conjugative DNA transfer between Bacillus subtilis cells in real time using fluorescence microscopy. In contrast to previous pre- dictions that transfer would occur preferentially from the donor cell pole, we found that transfer of DNA from a donor to a re- cipient appeared to occur at a cell pole or along the lateral cell surface of either cell. Most importantly, we found that when ac- quired by 1 cell in a chain, the conjugative DNA spread rapidly from cell to cell within the chain through sequential conjugation events. Since many bacterial species grow naturally in chains, this intrachain transfer is likely a common mechanism for acceler- ating the spread of conjugative elements within microbial communities.
Intersecting vectors of basic science research and clinical medicine: LOX-1?

The decrease in cardiovascular events over the past 30 years has been clear (1). Such improvements in clinical outcomes have been matched, if not fueled, by advances in understanding basic mechanisms of atherosclerosis and its complications (2). Despite such progress, major hurdles persist. Cardiovascular complications remain late-stage events; the pathologic process of atherosclerosis is present years if not decades before myocardial infarction (MI)1 or stroke occurs. As such, many individuals present with cardiovascular disease at the time of a life-threatening cardiovascular event, with a significant percentage not surviving this initial insult or doing so with compromised quality of life and productivity. Among forms of cardiovascular disease, the gains seen in coronary heart disease, like acute MI mortality, have outstripped the trends for stroke (1). Indeed, in some countries, the incidence of stroke has been increasing. Debate has continued around whether various aspects of the lipid profile are predictive of stroke and whether nonstatin cholesterol-lowering therapy decreased cerebrovascular events. Combined, these issues represent distinct vectors: (1) ever-increasing knowledge into mechanisms and specific mediators of atherosclerosis and its complications and (2) the need for earlier, more sensitive detection and prediction of cardiovascular risk, especially as related to stroke. In this issue, Inoue et al. (3) present data relevant to the prospect that advances in science might be applied to the prediction of cardiovascular disease. A central tenet of atherosclerosis has been the concept that LDL undergoes modification into oxidized LDL (oxLDL) in tissues like the arterial wall. Uptake of oxLDL by macrophages and other vascular cells incites a cascade of events that promote inflammation, atherosclerosis, and eventually plaque rupture. A major advance in this area came with the identification of the lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor 1 (LOX-1) that, upon activation by ox-LDL binding, induces multiple proatherosclerotic responses in endothelial cells …
Partner violence during pregnancy: prevalence, effects, screening, and management

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy. Pregnancy IPV is a significant problem worldwide, with rates varying significantly by country and maternal risk factors. Pregnancy IPV is associated with adverse newborn outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm birth. Many mechanisms for how IPV may impact birth outcomes have been proposed and include direct health, mental health, and behavioral effects, which all may interact. Screening for IPV during pregnancy is essential, yet due to time constraints and few clear recommendations for assessment, many prenatal providers do not routinely inquire about IPV, or even believe they should. More training is needed to assist health care providers in identifying and managing pregnancy IPV, with additional research needed to inform effective interventions to reduce the rates of pregnancy IPV and resultant outcomes.
Remarks on the Geometry of Wick Rotation in QFT and its Localization on Manifolds

The geometric aspect of Wick rotation in quantum eld theory and its localization on manifolds are explored. After the explanation of the notion and its related geometric objects, we study the topology of the set of landing W for Wick rotations and its natural stratication. These structures in two, three, and four dimensions are computed explicitly. We then focus on more details in two dimensions. In particular, we study the embedding of W in the ambient space of Wick rotations, the resolution of the generic metric singularities of a Lorentzian surface by local Wick rotations, and some related S 1 -bundles over .
Load-dependent left ventricular relaxation in conscious dogs

Load-dependent relaxation was studied in eight conscious dogs by inflating an intra-aortic balloon during late systole. Initially, the balloon was inflated at the aortic dicrotic notch and deflated before the next systole; subsequently, the inflation time was moved progressively earlier in 30-ms steps. This intervention produced an abrupt increment in left ventricular (LV) systolic pressure. The contraction duration was assessed by measuring the time required for LV pressure to fall by 50% of its maximum value (P50). The rate of LV pressure decline was assessed by measuring its peak negative first time derivative (-dP/dt) and the time constant of relaxation (tau). When the balloon was inflated during late systole (50 +/- 5 ms before aortic dicrotic notch), the time to peak -dP/dt fell, P50 fell, peak -dP/dt increased, and tau was unchanged. Thus the initial rate of LV pressure decline was accelerated, and the duration of the contraction was abbreviated. These data indicated that myocardial relaxation in the intact conscious dog is load dependent. Late systolic balloon inflations were performed after treatment with propranolol, verapamil, or caffeine. During propranolol and verapamil, the rate of LV relaxation (peak -dP/dt and tau) was slowed; however, the effects of balloon inflation on LV pressure transients were qualitatively similar to that seen in the baseline state. By contrast, caffeine prevented the abbreviation in the contraction duration caused by late-systolic balloon inflation. Thus LV relaxation remained load dependent when myocardial relaxation was slowed by propranolol or verapamil; load-dependent relaxation was attenuated by caffeine, presumably due to its influence on the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Two-Photon Absorption in Core-Shell and Core-Only Semiconductor Quantum-Dots

We report experimental studies of two-photon absorption spectra of CdSe and CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum-dots. The influence of the ZnS shell on the two-photon absorption is observed and discussed.
Minimum sensitivity control for planning with parametric and hybrid uncertainty

This paper introduces a method to minimize norms on nonlinear trajectory sensitivities during open-loop trajectory optimization. Specifically, we derive new parametric sensitivity terms that measure the variation in nonlinear continuous-time trajectories due to variations in model parameters, and hybrid sensitivities, which account for variations in trajectory caused by sudden transitions from nominal dynamics to alternative dynamic modes. We adapt continuous trajectory optimization to minimize these sensitivities while only minimally changing a nominal trajectory. We provide appended states, cost, and linearizations, required so that existing open-loop optimization methods can generate minimally sensitive feedforward trajectories. Although there are several applications for sensitivity optimization, this paper focuses on robot motion planning, where popular sample-based planners rely on local trajectory generation to expand tree/graph structures. While such planners often use stochastic uncertainty propagation to model and reduce uncertainty, this paper shows that trajectory uncertainty can be reduced by minimizing first-order sensitivities. Simulated vehicle examples show parametric sensitivity optimization generates trajectories optimally insensitive to parametric model uncertainty. Similarly, minimizing hybrid sensitivities reduces uncertainty in crossing mobility hazards e.g. rough terrain, sand, ice. Examples demonstrate the process yields a planner that uses approximate hazard models to automatically and optimally choose when to avoid hazardous terrain and when controls can be adjusted to traverse hazards with reduced uncertainty. Sensitivity optimization offers a simple alternative to stochastic simulation and complicated uncertainty modeling for nonlinear systems.
Research of Business Indexes Monitoring System Based on SNMP

Grid Corporation has a large number of business systems. These systems, which are large-scale, have clear and professional application characteristics, and implement technology routes differently. Therefore, how to monitor these different business systems with unified monitoring means has become an important problem. To solve the problem, through the study of the SNMP protocol standards, implement technology and detection methods, this paper researches the business index model and the monitoring system based on SNMP, at last realizes business index monitoring system, lays a solid foundation for the unified monitoring technology routes. It is significant to improve the level of business systems and the efficiency of maintenance engineers and reduce management costs.
Analysis of total intake of fluoride in severe endemic fluorosis regions of Guizhou Province

Objective To study the changes of the total intake of fluoride in severe fluorosis-endemic regions of Guizhou Province.Methods 4 historic severe endemic villages and 2 mild villages(control) were investigated by ways of random sampling in the present and retrospect epidemiological study.Results The total detection rate of dental fluorosis in the children aged 8 to 12 years was above 90%,defect type was above 40%,clinic skeletal fluorosis was above 40%,and the sever type above 5%.But the detection rate of dental fluorosis of the age group of 8 and 9 years old was significantly decreased,and the rate of skeletal fluorosis in the group of 16 years old was also decreased obviously.No child cases with the deformity of bone were seen.The daily mean total intake of fluoride was above 30 mg before the 1980's,and below 18 mg in 2006.The order of the constitution of intake is as follows: chilipepper corn rice vegetables drinking water air,which is quit different from that of 10 years ago.The time distribution for mild control villages is the same as the severe villages,but severity of fluorosis was significantly lower than that of severe villages.Conclusions The daily mean total intake of fluoride in the severe fluorosis regions of Guizhou is significantly decreased,which resulted in control of the development and prevalence of endemic fluorosis.However,the situation of the severe endemic regions is still worse,and the total intake of fluoride is still higher.The intake path of fluoride through chilipepper need much regard although the constitution of food changed.
Effects of diabetes on rodent cardiac thyroid hormone receptor and isomyosin expression.

Previous studies show that diabetes induces marked transformations in cardiac myosin heavy chain (MHC) gene expression that are somehow linked to the cellular action of thyroid hormone 3,5,39-triiodothyronine (T3). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that diabetes induces a reduced expression of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs), which are known to be important transcription factors interacting with thyroid response elements (TREs) in the promoter region of both alpha- and beta-MHC genes. Adult female rats were randomly assigned to either a normal control (NC) or diabetic (D) group. Three and/or six weeks after induction of diabetes via streptozotocin injection, the hearts of the animals were analyzed for MHC and TR mRNA isoforms expression, nuclear T3 binding, and nuclear extract interaction with a palindromic TRE. Results showed that diabetes induced significant alteration in alpha- and beta-MHC expression. Northern blot analyses indicated no diabetes-associated differences in TR isoform mRNA signals. Cardiac nuclear T3 binding studies suggested no differences in either the binding capacity or the equilibrium binding constant among the two groups, indicating no changes in either the number of nuclear TRs or their affinity for T3. Furthermore, gel mobility shift assays detected no difference between NC and D groups for cardiac nuclear extract binding to palindromic TRE. Collectively, these findings suggest that, whereas diabetes exerts a profound effect on cardiac isomyosin gene expression, the underlying mechanism, although dependent on factors linked to T3 function, does not involve alterations in TR expression.
Techno-economic analysis of tandem photovoltaic systems

Tandem solar cells offer the potential of conversion efficiencies exceeding those of single-junction solar cells, but also incur higher fabrication costs. The question arises under which conditions a tandem solar cell becomes economically preferable to both of the single-junction sub-cells it comprises. We present an analysis based on cost and efficiency relations to answer this question for a double-junction tandem solar cell. We find that combining two ideally band-gap-matched single-junction solar cell technologies into a tandem should be a “marriage of equals”: the sub cells should be produced at similar $ per W costs, both sub cells should have similar efficiencies when operated independently, and the costs to turn both cells into a system should be similar. We discuss examples of different hypothetical and actual tandem solar cell technologies and show the intricacies of imbalances in the mentioned factors. We find that tandem-solar-cell-based PV power stations for existing solar-cell technologies offer the potential to reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), provided suitable top cells are developed.
Local And ‘‘Global’’ Perspectives On The Middle Woodland Southeast

During the Middle Woodland period, from 200 BC to AD 600, southeastern societies erected monuments, interacted widely, and produced some of the most striking material culture of the pre-Columbian era, but these developments are often overshadowed by the contemporaneous florescence of Hopewell culture in Ohio. I argue that the demonstrable material links between the Middle Woodland Southeast and Midwest demand that we cease to analyze these regional archaeological records in isolation and adopt multiscalar perspectives on the social fields that emerged from and impacted local Middle Woodland societies. In synthesizing recent research on Middle Woodland settlement, monumentality, interaction, and social organization, I make explicit comparisons between the Middle Woodland Southeast and Ohio Hopewell, revealing both commonalities and contrasts. New methodological approaches in the Southeast, including geophysical survey techniques, Bayesian chronological modeling, and high-resolution provenance analyses, promise to further elucidate site-specific histories and intersite connectivity. By implementing theoretical frameworks that simultaneously consider these local and global dimensions of Middle Woodland sociality, we may establish the southeastern Middle Woodland period as an archaeological context capable of elucidating the deep history of the Eastern Woodlands as well as long-standing issues surrounding middle-range societies.
Representation and Properties of Geometric Stable Laws

A random summation scheme, where the number of terms is geometrically distributed, is called a geometric summation scheme (geometric compound, geometric convolution) (Klebanow et al., 1984). Geometric convolutions naturally arise in many applied probability problems. In particular, they appear in queueing theory and reliability in connection to“regenerating processes with rare events”(Gertsbakh, 1984; Jacobs, 1986). Some recent results suggest that geometric compounds could provide useful models in economics (Kozubowski and Rachev, 1992).
Experimental fire increases soil carbon dioxide efflux in a grassland long-term multifactor global change experiment.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that soil respiration rates increase under experimental warming, although the long-term, multiyear dynamics of this feedback are not well constrained. Less is known about the effects of single, punctuated events in combination with other longer-duration anthropogenic influences on the dynamics of soil carbon (C) loss. In 2012 and 2013, we assessed the effects of decadal-scale anthropogenic global change - warming, increased nitrogen (N) deposition, elevated carbon dioxide (CO2 ), and increased precipitation - on soil respiration rates in an annual-dominated Mediterranean grassland. We also investigated how controlled fire and an artificial wet-up event, in combination with exposure to the longer-duration anthropogenic global change factors, influenced the dynamics of C cycling in this system. Decade-duration surface soil warming (1-2 °C) had no effect on soil respiration rates, while +N addition and elevated CO2 concentrations increased growing-season soil CO2 efflux rates by increasing annual aboveground net primary production (NPP) and belowground fine root production, respectively. Low-intensity experimental fire significantly elevated soil CO2 efflux rates in the next growing season. Based on mixed-effects modeling and structural equation modeling, low-intensity fire increased growing-season soil respiration rates through a combination of three mechanisms: large increases in soil temperature (3-5 °C), significant increases in fine root production, and elevated aboveground NPP. Our study shows that in ecosystems where soil respiration has acclimated to moderate warming, further increases in soil temperature can stimulate greater soil CO2 efflux. We also demonstrate that punctuated short-duration events such as fire can influence soil C dynamics with implications for both the parameterization of earth system models (ESMs) and the implementation of climate change mitigation policies that involve land-sector C accounting.
Report of a Phase1/2 Study of 5-Azacitidine and Cytarabine in Patients with Relapsed, Refractory Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.

Background: Epigenetic silencing, particularly of tumor suppressor genes, is known to play a significant role in development of leukemia, and is thought to play a role in acquired drug resistance. In vitro, 5-azacitidine (azacitidine) can reverse methylation and activate expression of genes involved in response to chemotherapy, including proapoptotic genes, DNA repair genes and genes that regulate cell cycle. Thus, reversal of DNA methylation can potentially restore chemosensitivity in leukemia and combined use of DNA hypomethylating agent with chemotherapy can be an effective treatment strategy for leukemia. Methods: We developed a phase 1/2 study of azacitidine and cytarabine administered concurrently in patients with relapsed/refractory AML. Newly diagnosed patients deemed ineligible for standard therapy were eligible. Two dose levels of azacitidine were explored, dose level 0= 37.5 mg/m2 intravenously (I.V) daily for 7 days and dose level 1=75 mg/m2 IV daily for 7 days. Similarly two dose levels of cytarabine explored were; low dose- 100 mg/m2 IV continuously (CI) for 7 days and high-dose - 1 gm/m2 CI for 4 days. This resulted in 4 potential groups (Table1). After 2 cycles of induction therapy as in table 1, patients were to receive maintenance therapy upon recovery of counts. In the phase 1 portion of the study groups were opened sequentially in a “3+3” design. The phase 2 part was designed in a 2 by 2 factorial maner with adaptive randomization. Results: Twenty-seven patients with AML (male=13) have been enrolled so far, Group 1= 7, group 2= 6, group 3=11 and group 4= 3. One patient (group 1) did not receive treatment as she withdrew consent. Median age was 61 years (range, 31 to 79) and median number of prior therapies was 2 (range, 0 to 4). Twenty-one patients had received prior cytarabine including 19 who received high-dose cytarbine. Karyotype was complex in 7 patients, deletion 7 in 3 and 11q abnormality in 2. The median number of cycles administered on study was 1 (range, 1–5). One patient (group 2) developed dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of grade 3 mucositis. No other DLTs were encountered. There was limited efficacy seen, with no patient achieving complete remision (CR). The combination achieved transient control of WBC counts in most patients treated, and one patient had reduction in marrow blasts from 24% to 3% after the 3 rd cycle without recovery of blood counts and had progression of disease after 5 cycles. Conclusion: The simultaneous combination of azacitidine with cytarabine as administered in this study is safe. Efficacy evaluation of the combination was compromised by the small number of cycles of azacytidine given, but appears to be limited in a patient population composed predominantly of relapsed/refractory AML.
Factor Copula Approaches for Assessing Spatially Dependent High-Dimensional Risks

ABSTRACTIn this article, we propose an innovative approach for modeling spatial dependence among losses from various geographical locations. The proposed model converts the challenging task of modeling complex spatial dependence structures into a relatively easier task of estimating a continuous function, of which the arguments can be the coordinates of the locations. The approach is based on factor copula models, which can capture various linear and nonlinear dependence. We use radial basis functions as the kernel smoother for estimating the key function that models all the spatial dependence structures. A case study on a thunderstorm wind loss dataset demonstrates the analysis and the usefulness of the proposed approach. Extensions to spatiotemporal models and to models for discrete data are briefly introduced, with an example given for modeling loss frequency with excess zeros.