cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the performance of additive increase multiplicative decrease (AIMD) protocols in hybrid space-terrestrial networks

It is well known that TCP does not perform well in networks with large propagation delay and high link loss probability, which are typical in hybrid space-terrestrial networks. Implementing Automatic-Repeat-Request (ARQ) retransmission over satellite links in hybrid networks has been proposed to enhance TCP performance by hiding the link losses from TCP. This paper analyzes the impact of implementing ARQ over satellite links on TCP performance. In particular, this paper focuses on the window flow control mechanism of TCP, and provides an exact model for a hybrid space-terrestrial system with transport layer Additive-Increase-Multiplicative-Decrease (AIMD) protocols and satellite link layer ARQ. Both Go-Back-N (GBN) and Selective-Repeat (SRP) are considered, and the delay of acknowledgements (ACKs) of ARQ are taken into account. The numerical solutions for the throughput as a function of different protocol and packet loss parameters are presented. Both the analysis and numerical results show that in most cases, implementing ARQ over satellite links can significantly improve TCP performance, and that proper choices of the protocol parameters can significantly improve the system performance as well. Although the paper focuses on hybrid space-terrestrial networks, the analysis and results are also applicable to other networks with large bandwidth-delay product and one error-prone bottleneck link.
Marine inventory routing: shipments planning

This paper addresses a shipments-planning problem faced by producers of large volume liquid bulk products. Producing origins with limited tank storage capacity supply multiple products by ships (or barges) to consuming destinations that also have limited storage capacity. Timing, origin, destination, and product quantities of shipments have to be determined in a manner that minimizes costs and does not violate storage capacity constraints at both ends (neither stopping production at the origins, nor running out of stock at the destinations). A mixed integer-programming model is used to derive cost effective solutions within a few minutes. A cost-based heuristic algorithm is used to assure that acceptable solutions are obtained quickly.
Sex ratios and the red dragon: using the Chinese Communist Revolution to explore the effect of the sex ratio on women and children in Taiwan

In 1949, Mao Zedong and the People’s Liberation Army defeated the Chinese Nationalist Army. Hundreds of thousands of mainland Chinese fled to the island of Taiwan. In this paper, I use the demographic consequences of the Chinese Communist Revolution and subsequent Taiwanese military policy to identify the effect of the marriage market sex ratio on women and children in Taiwan. I find that as the sex ratio rises, the bride price relative to the dowry increases, the fraction of female children in a family increases, the total number of children in a family decreases, and human capital investments in children increase.
Correction of Blount’s disease by a multi-axial external fixation system

Background Blount’s disease is a multi-planar deformity affecting the pediatric population which leads to varus alignment of the lower extremities. The Multi-Axial Correction (MAC) monolateral external fixation system (Biomet, Parsippany, NJ, USA) is a non-circular fixator that was developed as a response to the technical difficulty for both patients and physicians of placing, managing, and tolerating a circular fixator. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of the MAC system for the treatment of pediatric patients with Blount’s disease.
Coinfection of Human Herpesviruses 6A (HHV-6A) and HHV-6B as Demonstrated by Novel Digital Droplet PCR Assay

The human herpesviruses HHV-6A and HHV-6B have been associated with various neurologic disorders partly due to the detection of elevated viral DNA levels in patients compared to controls. However the reported frequency of these viruses varies widely, likely reflecting differences in PCR methodologies used for detection. Digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) is a third generation PCR technology that enables the absolute quantification of target DNA molecules. Mounting evidence of the biological differences between HHV-6A and HHV-6B has led to their recent reclassification as separate species. As it is now especially relevant to investigate each virus, our objectives were to first design a multiplex HHV-6A and HHV-6B ddPCR assay and then to investigate the incidence of HHV-6A and HHV-6B coinfection in samples from healthy donors and patients with MS, a disease in which HHV-6 is thought to play a role. In our assessment of healthy donors, we observed a heretofore-underappreciated high frequency of coinfection in PBMC and serum, and found that our assay precisely detects both HHV-6A and HHV-6B chromosomally integrated virus, which has important implications in clinical settings. Interestingly, upon comparing the saliva from MS patients and healthy donors, we detected a significantly elevated frequency of coinfection in MS saliva; increased detection of HHV-6A in MS patients is consistent with other studies suggesting that this viral species (thought to be more neurotropic than HHV-6B) is more prevalent among MS patients compared to healthy donors. As the biology and disease associations between these two viral species differ, identifying and quantifying both species of HHV-6 may provide clinically relevant information, as well as enhance our understanding of the roles of each in health and disease.
Effects of Optically Active 1-(α-Methylbenzyl)-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)urea on Reactions of Mitochondria and Chloroplasts

Effects of the R- and S-isomers and racemate of 1-(α-methylbenzyl)-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)urea (MBPU) were measured on phosphorylation and electron transport in mung bean ( Phaseolus aureus L.) mitochondria and spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts. In chloroplasts, S-MBPU inhibited basal and methylamine-uncoupled electron transport with ferricyanide as the oxidant, both photoreduction and coupled photophosphorylation with water as the electron donor and with ferricyanide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) as oxidants, and cyclic photophosphorylation with phenazine methosulfate as the electron mediator under an argon gas phase. With ascorbate 2,6-dichloro-phenolindophenol as the electron donor, phosphorylation coupled to NADP reduction was inhibited, but the reduction of NADP was not inhibited. The R-isomer of MBPU, like the S-isomer, inhibited all of the photophosphorylation reactions studied. However, unlike the S-isomer, the R-isomer either did not inhibit or was a very weak inhibitor of all photoreduction reactions. The effects of the MBPUs on the chloroplast reactions can be explained by action at two different sites: an optically specific site near photosystem II and the oxygen evolution pathway, and a second optically nonspecific site associated with the generation of ATP. In mitochondria, both the R- and S-isomers stimulated state 4 respiration, inhibited state 3 respiration, and released oligomycin-inhibited respiration with malate, succinate, and NADH as substrates. Both enantiomers were equally active in all studies with malate and succinate as substrates. However, with NADH as substrate, R-MBPU was a stronger inhibitor of state 3 respiration and a weaker stimulator of state 4 respiration than S-MBPU.
Family size composition differentials between central city-suburb and metropolitan-nonmetropolitan migration streams.

During the migration intervals 1965–1970, 1970–1975, and 1975–1979, families that migrated from Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs) to nonmetropolitan areas and from central cities to suburban rings were larger in mean size than families that composed the respective counterstreams. Mean family sizes declined sharply for all groups throughout the period, but absolute differentials between opposing streams increased slightly. In terms of the selective attraction of families by size, nonmetropolitan net in-migration was very similar to suburbanization within SMSAs. A considerable portion of recent nonmetropolitan net gains resulted from the exchange of larger in-migrant families for smaller outmigrant families.
Ventricular maps in 804 subjects correlate with cognitive decline, CSF pathology, and imminent Alzheimer's disease

There is an urgent need for neuroimaging biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that correlate with cognitive decline, and with accepted measures of pathology detectable in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Ideal biomarkers should also be able to predict future decline, and should be computable automatically from hundreds to thousands of images without user intervention. Here we used our multi-atlas fluid image alignment method (MAFIA [1]), to automatically segment parametric 3D surface models of the lateral ventricles in brain MRI scans from 184 AD, 391 MCI, and 229 healthy elderly controls. Radial expansion of the ventricles, computed pointwise, was correlated with measures of (1) clinical decline, (2) pathology from CSF, and (3) future deterioration. Surface-based correlation maps were assessed using a cumulative distribution function method to rank influential covariates according to their effect sizes. The resulting approach is highly automated, and boosts the power of fluid image registration by integrating multiple independent registrations to reduce segmentation errors.
Bank restructuring in Indonesia

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the successes and failures of bank restructuring efforts in Indonesia. First, an overview of the banking sector in the country will be presented briefly. Secondly, the effect of the Asian crisis on the banking system will be discussed. Thirdly, the current restructuring process by the Indonesian government, the World Bank, the IMF and the Asian Development Bank will be examined. Finally, it will be determined whether or not the restructuring system has been successful, and possible measures to repair or improve the banking industry will be discussed.
Influence of temperature, salinity, and phenanthrene (a petroleum derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) on the respiration of larval mud crabs, Rhithropanopeus harrisii

Zoeal stages and the megalops stage of the mud crab, Rhithropanopeus harrisii were exposed to factorial combinations of salinity, temperature and chronic, sublethal concentrations of phenanthrene. Temperatures and salinities were, respectively, 20°, 25°, or 30°C and 5 15 25 S. Phenanthrene concentrations were o (66 l acetone l −1 seawater), 37·5, 75 or 150 parts/10 9 (gl −1 ). Respiration rates were determined for second stage zoeae, fourth stage zoeae and for the megalops raised in the different factor combinations. In general, respiration rates of temperature acclimated animals were relatively temperature-independent, with Q 10 's between 1 and 2. All stages showed an increase in respiration rate at low salinities. This increase occurred for all stages tested, but was greatest in the earlier stages. When animals were given acute osmotic shock by a move from 15to 25or 5salinity, the most consistent response was an apparent increase in temperature sensitivity of respiration rate. This was particularly marked during hypo-osmotic shock at low temperatures. Exposure to high sublethal concentrations of phenanthrene usually resulted in an increase in respiration rates over control rates. However, at low phenanthrene concentrations, the respiratory rate changes were not always dose dependent. Both the direction and magnitude of change from control rates appeared to be a function of age, prevailing physical factor regime, and level of hydrocarbon exposure. The interactive effects of temperature, salinity, and phenanthrene on growth were more consistent. Mean dry weight of the megalopae ranged from less than 100 g to about 250 g. The weight of controls increased with salinity. Animals exposed to phenanthrene consistently weighed less than controls and low-salinity, high phenanthrene combinations produced the smallest megalopae. The authors hypothesize that at low salinities, decreased growth is caused by respiratory loss of carbon, and that high phenanthrene concentrations exacerbate this effect possibly by increasing the metabolic cost of osmo-regulation or increasing the rate of membrane turnover.
Footnotes and Foreign Language Requirements.

IN MOST American universities, graduate students must satisfy a foreign language requirement prior to admission to Ph.D. candidacy. A major premise upon which the requirement rests is that a knowledge of foreign languages is necessary to enable the scholar to undertake research, both at the dissertation level and subsequently. In practice, students must demonstrate some competence in reading at least one and frequently two foreign languages which will presumably be related to their work on the dissertation. In this paper we investigate the extent to which students, in writing their dissertations, actually do make use of the language skills which they have been required to obtain. The results of the investigation should show whether students are capable of undertaking scholarly work without taking advantage of their foreign language capabilities.
Implicit visual distortion modulates human gait

We are investigating different adaptive strategies for training with the MIT-Skywalker, a novel robotic device for gait training. In this paper, we describe our studies on an implicit “visual distortion” paradigm and demonstrate its potential on a set of experiments with healthy subjects. Our results suggest that a gradual distortion of visual feedback of step symmetry, during a treadmill walking exercise, induced changes away from symmetry. This implies a contribution of supraspinal brain circuitry for the control of gait and that a therapeutic program which includes a visual feedback distortion without any explicit knowledge of the manipulation may provide an effective way to help patients correct gait patterns; it is one of the potential manipulations of our adaptive algorithm during gait training.
The Method of Repeated Readings Expanding the Neurological Impress Method for Use with Disabled Readers

Many disabled readers decode text in a word-by-word fashion and consequently have difficulty understanding what they read. This failure is often attributed to their inability to focus attention simultaneously on decoding and comprehending the message. However, this undesirable outcome can be avoided through the method of repeated readings. By having children reread a passage until fluency is achieved, their attention can be focused on comprehension, and improved understanding will result.
Continued childbearing among women who were pregnant as adolescents.

Comprehensive programs for adolescent pregnant women have traditionally evaluated their impact partly by studying the rates of delivery subsequent to the 1st pregnancy that brought them into the program. Evidence from detailed interviews with young mothers suggested that having started a family many of the young mothers wanted a 2nd child rather soon and then they planned to cease or postpone further childbearing. This study tested the hypothesis that the impact of a comprehensive program for school age mothers in New Haven Connecticut would be seen most clearly in a reduction of 2nd rather than 1st subsequent deliveries when compared to a control group of similar mothers who delivered just prior to the beginning of the special comprehensive program. No differences were found in the risk of 2nd subsequent deliveries given a 1st subsequent delivery when the fertility of the 2 cohorts was compared. Therefore the hypothesis was not sustained and the usual outcome measure 1st subsequent deliveries would appear to be appropriate. (Authors)
Settler Colonialism and Land Rights in South Africa: Possession and Dispossession on the Orange River

At first glance, the premise of Edward Cavanagh’s slim monograph suggests a conference panel devised by harried organizers desperate to connect divergent papers. Land claims in the early nineteenth...
Technical Note: A Method to Quantify Prolamin Proteins in Corn That Are Negatively Related to Starch Digestibility in Ruminants

Compared with floury or high-moisture corns, dry corn with a greater percentage of vitreous endosperm has been demonstrated to be negatively related to starch digestibility and milk yield of lactating dairy cows. Starch granules in corn are encapsulated by hydrophobic prolamin proteins that are innately insoluble in the rumen environment. Corn prolamin proteins are named zein, and laboratory methods to quantify zein exist but are seldom employed in ruminant nutrition because of their arduous nature. In this study, advances in cereal chemistry were combined with rapid turbidimetric methods yielding a modified turbidimetric zein method (mTZM) to quantify zein in whole corn. Ten dry corns containing unique endosperms were evaluated using the mTZM. Corns with flint, dent, floury, or opaque endosperms were found to contain 19.3, 11.3, 5.8, and 4.9 g of zein/100 g of starch, respectively. The ability of mTZM to differentiate corn endosperm types as defined by least significant difference was 2.6 g of zein/100 g of starch. Ten high-moisture corns of varying moisture content were also evaluated using the mTZM. Zein content of high-moisture corns as defined by mTZM ranged from 8.3 to 2.8 g of zein/100 g of starch with a least significant difference of 1.2 g of zein/100 g of starch. The mTZM determined that zein contents of high-moisture, floury, and opaque corns were markedly less than those of flint and dent dry corns, indicating that mTZM has the ability to quantify starch granule encapsulation by hydrophobic prolamin proteins in whole corn.
Microbes as Menaces, Mates & Marvels

The conventional understanding of microbes as causative agents of disease has led us to fear them and to consider them our deadly enemies. Much less appreciated are the central roles microbes play in shaping the environment and in maintaining plant, animal, and human health. All metazoan organisms – organisms that we can see with the naked eye – exist in lifelong partnerships with vast microbial communities. These “microbiomes” supply metazoans with essential life processes that are not encoded in nonmicrobial genomes. Recent work in microbiology has revealed that microbes, like metazoans, have specific body plans and sensory systems, that they can communicate with each other, and that they orchestrate collective behaviors. Investigations of these ancient yet enduring processes are uncovering the fundamental design principles of life. Microbes are also storehouses of new molecules, biochemical pathways, and materials with medical, industrial, and agricultural relevance. Scientists are harnessing these mic...
Effect of a restorative model of posthospital home care on hospital readmissions.

Objectives: To compare readmissions of Medicare recipients of usual home care and a matched group of recipients of a restorative model of home care. Design: Quasiexperimental; matched and unmatched. Setting: Community, home care. Participants: Seven hundred seventy individuals receiving care from a large home care agency after hospitalization. Intervention: A restorative care model based on principles adapted from geriatric medicine, nursing, rehabilitation, goal attainment, chronic care management, and behavioral change theory. Measurements: Hospital readmission, length of home care episode. Results: Among the matched pairs, 13.2% of participants who received restorative care were readmitted to an acute hospital during the episode of home care, versus 17.6% of those who received usual care. Individuals receiving the restorative model of home care were 32% less likely to be readmitted than those receiving usual care (conditional odds ratio = 0.68, 95% confidence interval = 0.43�1.08). The mean length of home care episodes was 20.3 ± 14.8 days in the restorative care group and 29.1 ± 31.7 days in the usual care group (P < .001). Results were similar in unmatched analyses. Conclusion: Although statistical significance was marginal, results suggest that the restorative care model offers an effective approach to reducing the occurrence of avoidable readmissions. It was previously shown that the restorative model of home care was associated with better functional recovery, fewer emergency department visits, and shorter episodes of home care. This model could be incorporated into usual home care practices and care delivery redesign.
Efficiency Evaluation of Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells in Combined Cycle Operations

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are high-temperature, high-efficiency, combustionless electrochemical energy conversion devices that have potential for combined cycle applications. This paper intends to clarify and expand the efficiency discussions related to SOFC when operating in combined cycle (CC) systems. A brief analysis of the first and second thermodynamic laws is conducted and, building upon a previously developed SOFC dynamic model, operating fuel heating values are determined by utilizing the semi-empirical gas phase heat capacity method. As a result, accurate SOFC stack operational simulations are conducted to calculate its efficiency based on actual thermodynamic parameters. Furthermore, an analysis is conducted of a combined SOFC-CC system using dynamic modeling. Simulation results are given, which are intended to aid researchers in evaluating hybrid SOFC-CC generation systems.
Treatment trends in adolescent clavicle fractures.

BACKGROUND: Controversy continues with regard to decision making for operative treatment of adolescent clavicle fractures, while the literature continues to support operative treatment for select middle third fractures in adults. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the recent trends in nonoperative and operative management of adolescent clavicle fractures in the United States. METHODS: Data were derived from a publicly available database of patients, PearlDiver Patient Records Database. The database was queried for ICD-9 810.02 (closed fracture of shaft of clavicle), with the age restriction of either 10 to 14 or 15 to 19 years old, along with CPT-23500 (closed treatment of clavicular fracture) and CPT-23515 (open treatment of clavicular fracture) from 2007 to 2011. The χ analysis was used to determine statistical significance with regard to procedural volumes, sex, and region. The Student t test was used to compare average charges between groups. RESULTS: A significant increase in the number of adolescent clavicle fractures managed operatively (CPT-23510, ages 10 to 19 y) from 309 in 2007 to 530 in 2011 was observed (P<0.0001). There was a significantly greater increase in operative management of clavicle fractures in the age 15 to 19 subgroup compared with the age 10 to 14 subgroup (P<0.0001). In the operative group, there was a trend toward a higher number of males being managed with operative intervention. The overall average monetary charge for both nonoperatively and operatively managed adolescent clavicle fractures increased significantly in the study period. A statistically significant increase in normalized incidence of operatively managed adolescent clavicle fractures was noted in the midwest, south, and west regions with the greatest increase in west region where the incidence increased over 2-fold (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent clavicle fractures seem to be being treated increasingly with open reduction and internal fixation recently, especially in the 15 to 19 age group. Nevertheless, there remains of lack of high-level studies comparing outcomes of operative and conservative treatment specifically for the adolescent population to justify this recent trend. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV-retrospective database analysis.
Poland: The window to higher education in Eastern Europe?

Upheavals in Poland during 1980–1981 included proposals for some dramatic changes in its system of higher education. Taking advantage of the momentum for change created by Solidarity and using the strike weapon where necessary, academics and students produced temporary changes which in some cases represent a complete reversal of previous policies. By studying these changes one obtains a view of some of the directions socialist higher education in Eastern Europe might take if the opportunity permitted.
Neutrophil Dependence of Vascular Remodeling after Mycoplasma Infection of Mouse Airways

Vascular remodeling is a feature of sustained inflammation in which capillaries enlarge and acquire the phenotype of venules specialized for plasma leakage and leukocyte recruitment. We sought to determine whether neutrophils are required for vascular remodeling in the respiratory tract by using Mycoplasma pulmonis infection as a model of sustained inflammation in mice. The time course of vascular remodeling coincided with the influx of neutrophils during the first few days after infection and peaked at day 5. Depletion of neutrophils with antibody RB6-8C5 or 1A8 reduced neutrophil influx and vascular remodeling after infection by about 90%. Similarly, vascular remodeling after infection was suppressed in Cxcr2−/− mice, in which neutrophils adhered to the endothelium of venules but did not extravasate into the tissue. Expression of the venular adhesion molecule P-selectin increased in endothelial cells from day 1 to day 3 after infection, as did expression of the Cxcr2-receptor ligands Cxcl1 and Cxcl2. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) expression increased more than sixfold in the trachea of wild-type and Cxcr2−/− mice, but intratracheal administration of TNFα did not induce vascular remodeling similar to that seen in infection. We conclude that neutrophil influx is required for remodeling of capillaries into venules in the airways of mice with Mycoplasma infection and that TNFα signaling is necessary but not sufficient for vascular remodeling.
Extensional and contractional deformation in the Blue Ridge Province, Virginia

Basement rocks of the Blue Ridge anticlinorium in central and northern Virginia were involved in two temporally distinct deformation episodes. The older event is characterized by a locally pervasive low-strain fabric and high-strain shear zones. A preferred grain shape orientation in recovered quartz, feldspar, and biotite, combined with a poorly developed symmetric quartz c -axis pattern, defines the low-strain fabric. Kinematic indicators are typically symmetric, but where asymmetric, they consistently indicate top down-to-the-southeast extensional motion. Discrete shear zones are within and close to Late Proterozoic plutons; kinematic evidence fron these zones records large noncoaxial strains also with a down-to-the-southeast extensional shear sense. Feldspar microstructures range from cataclastic fractures to complete recovery, suggesting that deformation occurred at greenschist to amphibolite grade. Both low-strain foliations and high-strain shear zones are cut by Paleozoic thrust-related tectonites. On the basis of kinematic evidence and spatial association with Late Proterozoic plutons, cross cutting relations with thrust-related structures, and regional geologic relations, we suggest that extensional deformation is related to Late Proterozoic rifting of the Laurentian margin. The kinematic histories of the Rockfish Valley fault zone and related shear zones appear to be relatively simple and consistent with Paleozoic west- to northwest-directed thrusting. The Rockfish Valley fault zone does not separate distinctly different basement terranes, and thus its displacement is thought to be small. Mylonitic rocks from this fault zone display crystal plastic deformation in quartz and cataclastic deformation in feldspars, under lower to middle greenschist-facies conditions. Solution transfer processes were an important deformation mechanism in these tectonites. Thrust- related mylonitic rocks are overprinted by related cataclasite and semibrittle shear bands, suggestive of a transition toward more brittle deformation as the thrust system cut higher in the crust. The Rockfish Valley fault zone appears to predate the formation of the South Mountain cleavage in the Valley and Ridge province, but it may be part of a lengthy, progressive, thrust-related deformation.
THE EQUIVARIANT J-HOMOMORPHISM

May’s J-theory diagram is generalized to an equivariant setting. To do this, equivariant orientation theory for equivariant periodic ring spectra (such as KOG) is developed, and classifying spaces are constructed for this theory, thus extending the work of Waner. Moreover, Spin bundles of dimension divisible by 8 are shown to have canonical KOG-orientations, thus generalizing work of Atiyah, Bott, and Shapiro. Fiberwise completions for equivariant spherical fibrations are constructed, also on the level of classifying spaces. When G is an odd order p-group, this allows for a classifying space formulation of the equivariant Adams conjecture. It is also shown that the classifying space for stable fibrations with fibers being sphere representations completed at p is a delooping of the 1-component of QG(S 0 )ˆ p. The “Adams-May square,” relating generalized characteristic classes and Adams operations, is constructed and shown to be a pull-back after completing at p and restricting to G-connected covers. As a corollary, the canonical map from the p-completion of J k G to the G-connected cover of QG(S 0 )ˆ p is shown to split after restricting to G-connected covers.
Tubulogenesis : An inside job

New work shows that a dynamic and highly patterned apical extracellular matrix regulates epithelial cell shape and tube size from within the lumen of the Drosophila tracheal system.
Potential Benefits of Communication in Transactive Memory Systems

Transactive memory theory views communication as a valuable (but not perfect) tool for learning, storing, and retrieving information from other people. In this essay, we review research on transactive memory systems and elaborate on the role of communication in the development and use of such systems. In contrast to Pavitt (2003), we believe that communication can, under some conditions, facilitate the development of an effective group memory system.
Effect of input–output coupling on the sensitivity of coupled resonator optical waveguide gyroscopes

We analyze how the evanescent coupling, κe, between the outermost resonators and input/output waveguides of an N-resonator coupled resonator optical waveguide (CROW) gyroscope affects the transmission and sensitivity to rotations. For constant coupling between resonators κ, rotation sensitivities increase as both κe→0 and κe→1 while between these two limits the sensitivity has a minimum. In the weak coupling regime, κe→0, the sensitivity is enhanced by Fabry–Perot oscillations due to the impedance mismatch at the input/output waveguide–CROW interface, while in the strong coupling regime, κe→1, the sensitivity is reduced because the outermost resonators no longer contribute to the CROW transmission. For small N the sensitivity is proportional to N2, while at larger N the sensitivity begins to decrease due to resonator losses.
Hypercrosslinked phenolic polymers with well-developed mesoporous frameworks.

A soft chemistry synthetic strategy based on a Friedel–Crafts alkylation reaction is developed for the textural engineering of phenolic resin (PR) with a robust mesoporous framework to avoid serious framework shrinkage and maximize retention of organic functional moieties. By taking advantage of the structural benefits of molecular bridges, the resultant sample maintains a bimodal micro-mesoporous architecture with well-preserved organic functional groups, which is effective for carbon capture. Moreover, this soft chemistry synthetic protocol can be further extended to nanotexture other arene-based polymers with robust frameworks.
Does Familiarity Breed Investment? An Empirical Analysis of Foreign Equity Holdings

Traditional financial diversification theory states that one should hold a portfolio with a well diversified mix of assets, both nationally and internationally. Using new international asset holdings data, this paper examines the foreign diversification of more than thirty countries around the world. It confirms the lack of international diversification is still an ongoing phenomenon, but more importantly this article demonstrates that the small diversification that is present is not even well diversified across foreign equity markets. What then affects the diversification that is present? The empirical analysis finds significance in familiarity factors such as a common language, trade and possibly immigrant links, which would support an information-based explanation for equity home bias. Additionally, the results demonstrate that interestingly, other factors such as monetary unions and market trading costs are insignificant. Overall the results help shed some light on foreign diversification and the equity home bias phenomenon.
The Development of a Rotational Wave Energy Conversion System: Design and Simulations

Electrical power generation by means of renewable energies is becoming a flourishing industry with many researchers focusing on investigating new and effective ways to harness this power. This paper presents a new proposed mechanism for harnessing the potential energy of open ocean waves and the procedures of efficiently converting this energy into electricity. Unlike many of the already proposed designs that utilize linear generators, this paper exposes some light on the idea of rotational conversion using ocean waves to make use of most-readily available generators. A simple buoy, piston, connecting rod and flywheel system fixed to a platform elevated from the sea level is designed and simulated to track the wave surface for converting the linear motion into rotational motion, which will eventually turn the generator. The results are validated with experimental data collected from a laboratory wave generator.
What Would They Do? Latino Church Leaders and Domestic Violence

Understanding what Latino church leaders believe about domestic violence, and what they do when they confront it, is a key step in developing programs to help them engage in domestic violence prevention and intervention activities in their congregations. This article presents the findings from an exploratory study of 28 Latino church leaders. The study surveyed respondents’ beliefs about domestic violence and asked for their reactions to three domestic violence vignettes they might encounter. We found that study participants were willing to respond to cases of domestic violence in what we would define as constructive ways. However, some responses suggested potentially unsafe and ill-advised reactions to the vignettes. We discuss our study’s implications for practice and suggest future directions for additional research.
Kinematic finite-source model for the 24 August 2014 South Napa, California, earthquake from joint inversion of seismic, GPS, and InSAR data

Online Material: Movie of wave propagation, GPS coseismic displacements, rupture velocity, waveform comparisons, geologic and 3D seismic structure, and moment rate functions. On 24 August 2014 at 10:20:44.06 UTC, a large earthquake struck the north San Francisco Bay region, approximately 10 km south‐southwest of Napa, California, causing local damage in older wood frame and masonry buildings, road surfaces, sidewalks, and masonry wall structures (Bray et al. , 2014). Using long‐period (50–20 s) three‐component, complete displacement records, the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory (BSL) estimated the scalar seismic moment at 1.32×1018 N·m for a depth of 11 km, corresponding to a moment magnitude of M w 6.0. The strike/dip/rake from the seismic moment tensor solution was 155°/82°/−172°, which is in overall agreement with the trends of structures comprising the West Napa fault system (Fig. 1). Geologic mapping revealed an approximately 14 km long surface rupture with 40–45 cm maximum observed slip on a complex multibranched fault system (Bray et al. , 2014; Earthquake Engineering Research Institute [EERI], 2014; Mike Oskin and Alex Morelan, written comm., 2014). The largest surface offsets were found on a northwest‐striking trend located approximately 1.8 km west of the mapped West Napa fault. Aftershocks are generally located west of the western branch of the surface fault, which had the largest offsets, and indicate a westward dip of the primary fault plane (Fig. 2). Figure 1. Locations of Berkeley Digital Seismic Network (BDSN) stations are shown as labeled squares. Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) Global Positioning System (GPS) sites are shown as circles, and the positions of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) returns are small gray squares. San Francisco and Napa Valley are indicated by SF and NV. The Berkeley Seismological Laboratory focal mechanism is shown, and the thick line shows the mapped surface trace (EERI, 2014). Figure 2. (a) Coseismic fault‐slip model based on the joint inversion of …
Detrusor Regeneration in the Rat Using Porcine Small Intestinal Submucosal Grafts: Functional Innervation and Receptor Expression

AbstractPurpose: To evaluate functional characteristics of regenerated bladder induced by small intestinal submucosa (SIS).Materials and Methods: Strips from bladder regenerated from SIS and normal rat bladder were evaluated by in vitro muscle bath contractility studies.Results: The present results indicate that SIS-regenerated bladder 1) demonstrates contractile activity; 2) expresses muscarinic, purinergic and beta adrenergic receptors; and 3) exhibits functional cholinergic and purinergic innervation that is similar to the normal rat urinary bladder muscle.Conclusions: These functional characteristics of SIS-regenerated tissue demonstrated in the present study further support use of SIS material as a bladder augmentation material.
Detectors, Absorption and Luminescence

Absorption and luminescence detectors convert radiant energy directly into an electrical signal or into another physical quantity, such as heat or resistance, which is subsequently converted into an electrical signal. Detectors are subdivided into three main categories depending upon their mode of operation. Thermal detectors sense the change in temperature that results from the absorption of incoming radiation. Photon detectors, on the other hand, respond to incident arrival rates rather than to photon energies. Multichannel detectors are arrays of multiple thermal detectors or arrays of multiple semiconductor detectors. Detectors of the third category permit simultaneous detection of dispersed radiation over a broad spectral wavelength region. Absorption and luminescent detectors are components in UV (ultraviolet)-visible, infrared (IR) and atomic absorption spectrophotometers and in fluorescence, phosphorescence, Raman and atomic emission spectrometers.
Effects of nutritional status on metabolic rate, exercise and recovery in a freshwater fish

The influence of feeding on swimming performance and exercise recovery in fish is poorly understood. Examining swimming behavior and physiological status following periods of feeding and fasting is important because wild fish often face periods of starvation. In the current study, researchers force fed and fasted groups of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) of similar sizes for a period of 16 days. Following this feeding and fasting period, fish were exercised for 60 s and monitored for swimming performance and physiological recovery. Resting metabolic rates were also determined. Fasted fish lost an average of 16 g (nearly 12%) of body mass, while force fed fish maintained body mass. Force fed fish swam 28% further and required nearly 14 s longer to tire during exercise. However, only some physiological conditions differed between feeding groups. Resting muscle glycogen concentrations was twofold greater in force fed fish, at rest and throughout recovery, although it decreased in both feeding treatments following exercise. Liver mass was nearly three times greater in force fed fish, and fasted fish had an average of 65% more cortisol throughout recovery. Similar recovery rates of most physiological responses were observed despite force fed fish having a metabolic rate 75% greater than fasted fish. Results are discussed as they relate to largemouth bass starvation in wild systems and how these physiological differences might be important in an evolutionary context.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement ventilator bundle: definitions, summary, and brief review of the evidence

Recently, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) developed a campaign to improve the outcomes of critically ill patients. The IHI is a U.S. not-for-profit organization dedicated to the impr...
Insider Trading in U.S. and E.U. Law: A Comparison

Insider trading law is theoretically problematic. Despite this, an essentially coherent transatlantic insider trading regime has been established by the E.U. Insider trading directive. This paper shows that the E.U. Directive is heavily influenced by U.S. securities law. Of interest however is the implicit critique in the rejection of some features of U.S. securities law.
Collective electrodynamics I.

Standard results of electromagnetic theory are derived from the direct interaction of macroscopic quantum systems; the only assumptions used are the Einstein–deBroglie relations, the discrete nature of charge, the Green’s function for the vector potential, and the continuity of the wave function. No reference is needed to Maxwell’s equations or to traditional quantum formalism. Correspondence limits based on classical mechanics are shown to be inappropriate.
Revised protocol for the analysis of melting properties of mozzarella cheese by helical viscometry

Abstract A method that employs helical viscometry to evaluate the melting behavior of Mozzarella cheese was reported earlier. During analyses of numerous Mozzarella cheeses of varied age and composition, it was observed that some cheeses form a natural layer of free oil at the sample surface, but others do not. It was thought that free oil accumulation might cause variation in the measurement of apparent viscosity. Therefore, experiments were conducted to determine whether addition of exogenous butter oil could reduce analytical error by minimizing the differences in sample surface conditions. Effects of cheese age (2 or 21 d), cheese type (low moisture or low moisture part skim), and butter oil addition (0, 25, or 100ml at 60°C) on sample temperature uniformity during analysis and apparent viscosity were evaluated. Added butter oil significantly reduced surface cooling and apparent viscosity in 2-d-old but not in 21-d-old cheeses. Surface cooling and desiccation in 21-d-old cheeses were minimized by the formation of natural free oil, which negated the effect of added butter oil. Adding exogenous butter oil effectively standardized the surface conditions of samples that oiled off to varying degrees, resulting in better analytical performance. Repeatability of the test with added butter oil (25ml) was evaluated.
Sialic Acid Content of Ruminant Blood Serum

Abstract The sialic acid concentration in sera from three ruminant species was quantified and averaged 206, 177, and 207 μmoles per 100ml serum in the cow, sheep, and goat, respectively. A large degree of animal and breed variation was recorded during lactation. The mean level for Holstein, Guernsey, and Brown Swiss was 204, 157, and 241 μ moles of sialic acid per 100ml serum, respectively. Significant amounts of sialic acid were associated with the serum β -lipoproteins.
Coagulation and Innate Immunity

This chapter summarizes the current information on the linkage between the regulation of the coagulation and inflammatory responses to infection. Inflammation can affect coagulation status in less overt fashions. Inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) can not only increase platelet production, but the platelets that are generated are more thrombogenic, demonstrating an increased sensitivity to platelet agonists like thrombin. Among the major anticoagulant mechanisms, the protein C anticoagulant pathway is the most complex and appears to be the most impacted by acute inflammatory responses. Both antithrombin and protein C inhibitor play major roles in inactivating thrombomodulin (TM)-bound thrombin, resulting in a half-life for the bound thrombin of about 1 to 2 s. The difference in efficacy in modulating the host response to bacterial and endotoxin infusion between artificial anticoagulants and the natural anticoagulants suggests that the anti-inflammatory activities of the natural anticoagulants may be very important aspects of their physiological functions. The role of cleavage of the protease-activated receptors in activated protein C (APC) function remains to be fully elucidated. Most of the downstream events following activation of these receptors enhance inflammation. TM accelerates thrombin activation of a plasma procarboxypeptidase B, often named thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI). It is now recognized that even the statins thought originally to function by lowering cholesterol have important anti-inflammatory effects as well. Further identification of the links between inflammation and thrombosis should provide novel approaches to new diagnostics and therapeutics.
Transanal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: early outcomes in 50 consecutive patients.

Aim Minimally invasive approaches to proctectomy for rectal cancer have not been widely adopted due to inherent technical challenges. A modification of traditional transabdominal mobilization, termed transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME), has the potential to improve access to the distal rectum. The aim of the current study is to assess outcomes following TaTME for rectal cancer. Method This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of consecutive patients who underwent TaTME for rectal cancer at a single institution. The study period was from 1 March 2012 to 31 July 2015. Results During the study period 50 patients underwent TaTME. The median tumour distance from the anal verge was 4.4 (3.0–5.5) cm. The rate of conversion from a planned minimally invasive approach was 2.2%. The median operative time was 267.0 (227.0–331.0) min. The median lymph node yield was 18.0 (12.0–23.8), the macroscopic quality assessment of the resected specimen was incomplete in 2% and the circumferential resection margin positivity rate was 4%. Intra-operative morbidity occurred in 6% and the 30 day morbidity rate was 36%. The median length of stay was 4.5 (4.0–8.0) days. The median follow-up was 15.1 (7.0–23.2) months; two patients have developed a local recurrence and eight patients have developed distant recurrence. Conclusion These data suggest that TaTME for rectal cancer is feasible with an acceptable pathological outcome and morbidity profile. Further data on functional and long-term survival outcomes are required.
Renal cortical interstitium and fluid absorption by peritubular capillaries

Every minute, the cortical peritubular capillaries in a 1-g rat kidney take up more than 0.5 ml tubular reabsorbate. Studies of renal lymph and measurements of pressure in capillaries (Pc) and interstitium (Pi) indicate that normally the protein colloid osmotic pressure of peritubular capillary plasma (COPp) provides the necessary absorptive force, keeping Pi at 2-4 mmHg, i.e., 8-10 mmHg lower than Pc. At reduced COPp, continued delivery of fluid from the tubules automatically raises Pi to maintain capillary fluid uptake. The transient Pi response to sudden exposure of the kidney to subatmospheric pressure shows that such adjustment of forces may take place in only 5 s. Most remarkable, adjustment of forces may take place in only 5 s. Most remarkable, reabsorption continues during protein-free perfusion of the isolated rat kidney, apparently effected by a Pi exceeding Pc. A relative retardation of interstitial uptake of ferritin from plasma in this case suggests fluid reabsorption through both small and large pores in the capillary wall. Collapse of the capillaries is presumably prevented by tight tethering to the capillary wall, giving the narrow interstitium a very low compliance.