cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adding free volume to PEG based anhydrous proton conducting electrolytes with bulky copolymers

Abstract We have synthesized several H+ conducting siloxane copolymers with a methyl polyethylene glycol siloxane (MePEGnSiO1.5; n = 3, 7, 12, 16) and diphenyl siloxane, isobutyl siloxane, and 3,3,3-trifluoropropyl siloxane copolymers. These copolymers where prepared to test if copolymerization with bulky groups can add free volume to our MePEGn polymer, and thus affect ion transport properties. We also found that the fractional free volume (FFV) could be increased in short MePEGn copolymers with the diphenyl and isobutyl copolymers, while with longer MePEGn groups (n = 12, 16), the pure (MePEGn–SiO3)m polymer already has a large free volume and that the added copolymers only dilute that already maximized free volume. The increase in FFV did not correspond to an increase in ionic conductivity. Ionic conductivity appears to be more a function of the volume fraction of PEG (Vf,PEG) than FFV.
Supporting Self-Regulated Learning for College Students with Asperger Syndrome: Exploring the "Strategies for College Learning" Model.

In this study, I piloted the feasibility, effects, and perceived acceptability of a peer mentoring intervention targeting academic achievement and self-regulated learning (SRL) for three college students with Asperger syndrome. The approach, dubbed Strategies for College Learning (SCL), features individualized assessment of academic performance in target courses and direct instruction of learning and self-regulation strategies under the provision of a peer mentor. The pilot study resulted in successful implementation of SCL and the acquisition of numerous learning strategies among participants. Qualitative data indicated participants felt SCL was both useful and acceptable. As the incidence of autism spectrum disorders increases, so has the need to accommodate students with highly individualized learning needs. The pilot is among the first to explore peer mentoring as an approach at bolstering SRL and academic achievement for college students with Asperger syndrome. The limitations of the study are discus...
Increased glucocorticoid response to a novel stress in rats that have been restrained.

Abstract Rats exposed to repeated restraint stress (3 h of restraint on each of 3 days) lose weight during stress and do not return to the weight of nonstressed controls once stress ends. Others have reported that chronic stress raises the daily nadir of corticosterone release and increases the adrenal response to subsequent stress; therefore, we examined glucocorticoid release in rats that had been exposed to repeated restraint. Repeated restraint had no effect on the diurnal pattern of corticosterone or insulin release, measured 12 days after restraint had ended, indicating that the reduced weight of the rats is not associated with an elevated corticosterone–insulin ratio. In contrast, rats that had been exposed to repeated restraint, 12 days previously, showed a blunted corticosterone release during a second restraint stress, a normal response to the novel physiological stress of 2-deoxy glucose (2-DG) injection, but an exaggerated corticosterone response to the novel mild stress (MS) of either placement in a unfamiliar environment or an intraperitoneal injection of saline. Mice exposed to repeated restraint showed a similar hyperresponsiveness to novel MS, suggesting that repeated restraint lowers the threshold for stress-induced activation of the adrenal gland. MS caused a small, but significant, degree of hypophagia in rats that had been exposed to repeated restraint stress. Therefore, multiple aspects of the stress response may be exaggerated in these animals and contribute to the chronic reduction in body weight.
Chlamydial Screening in Urgent Care Visits Adolescent-Reported Acceptability Associated With Adolescent Perception of Clinician Communication

Objective To examine the association between adolescents' perception of clinician communication and adolescents' reported acceptability of the steps involved in chlamydial screening during urgent care visits. Design Cross-sectional survey of adolescents after urgent care visits. Setting Four pediatric clinics in a health maintenance organization. Participants Three hundred sixty-five adolescents aged 13 to 18 years. Outcome Measures Participants' ratings of the acceptability of talking about sexual health and providing a urine sample for chlamydial testing in an urgent care visit. Results Most adolescents found sexual health discussions and urine collection for chlamydial screening acceptable in the urgent care setting (84% and 80%, respectively). Acceptability of sexual health discussion was significantly associated with adolescents' perception that the clinician explained confidentiality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-5.5), knew “how to talk to teens like me” (AOR, 9.0; 95% CI, 3.5-24.2), and “listened carefully as I explained my concerns” (AOR, 14.3; 95% CI, 4.3-54.9). Acceptability of providing a urine sample for chlamydial testing was associated with the adolescents' perception that the clinician knew “how to talk to teens like me” (AOR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.5-9.3) and “listened carefully as I explained my concerns” (AOR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.1-11.5). Conclusions Sexual history taking and urine collection are 2 key components of chlamydial screening and were reported as acceptable by the great majority of adolescents in the urgent care setting. Aspects of clinician communication appear to be important target areas for pediatric clinician education in supporting expansion of chlamydial screening to adolescents in urgent care visits.
Velocity shifts in Mössbauer spectroscopy

Abstract Velocity shifts in the apparent positions of the structure observed in Mossbauer absorption experiments are shown to be simply related to the experimental geometry when thin absorbers are used.
Controllability of nonlinear systems using a growth condition

In this paper, we establish sufficient conditions for complete controllability of systems of the form\(\dot x = A(t)x + g(t, u)\). We assume that the inverse of the fundamental matrix solution of the homogeneous equationz=A(t)z is uniformly bounded on [t0, ∞). The criterion used is a growth condition similar to one used by LaSalle on linear control systems. Our results extend his concept of an asymptotically proper control system.
ENERGETIC ELECTRONS ASSOCIATED WITH SOLAR FLARES AND THEIR RELATION TO TYPE- I NOISE ACTIVITY.

The generation of energetic electrons is always associated with the solar flares which occur within the sunspot groups that are highly active in emitting type I noise storms. The number of the solar flares which are associated with the distinct electron events observed at the earth tends to increase in association with the westward movement of these active groups. This tendency is not contradictory to the close association between electron producing solar flares and type I active regions if we take into account the limited directivity of type I noise storms associated with these sunspot groups.
Did Yeltsin buy elections? The Russian political business cycle, 1993–1999

Abstract This article seeks to determine whether a political business cycle existed during Yeltsin's tenure in the Second Russian Republic. While Yeltsin certainly had the power and desire to increase his electoral chances, the lack of state resources and doubts about their appeal to voters presents an inconclusive picture concerning the existence of a political business cycle during this period. Statistical analysis, however, demonstrates that the level of real wage arrears decreased during electoral periods. Other measures, such as federal budget spending or the average monthly pension, only show weak indications of electoral period manipulation. Finally, the usefulness of buying votes in the Russian case, however, is questioned, considering Yeltsin's failures in various Duma elections.
Trap architectures for Lisp systems

Recent measurements of Lisp systems show a dramatic skewing of operation frequency. For example, small integer (fix-num) arithmetic dominates most programs, but other number types can occur on almost any operation. Likewise, few memory references trigger special handling for garbage collection, but nearly all memory operations could trigger such special handling. Systems like SPARC and SPUR have shown that small amounts of special hardware can significantly reduce the need for inline software checks by trapping when an unusual condition is detected.A system's trapping architecture now becomes key to performance. In most systems, the trap architecture is intended to handle errors (e.g., address faults) or conditions requiring large amounts of processing (e.g., page faults). The requirements for Lisp traps are quite different. In particular, the trap frequency is higher, processing time per trap is shorter, and most need to be handled in the user's address space and context.This paper looks at these requirements, evaluates current trap architectures, and proposes enhancements for meeting those requirements. These enhancements increase performance for Lisp 11%-35% at a cost of about 1.6% more CPU logic. They also aid debugging in general and speed floating point exception handling.
A spectral mapping theorem for generating operators in second-order linear differential equations

Abstract For a class of second-order Cauchy problems, certain integrals of the fundamental solution operators are formally functions of a generating operator. We show that spectral mapping holds.
Environmental Calcium and the Sensitivity of Killifish(Fundulus heteroclitus) in Bioassays for the HypocalcemicResponse to Stannius Corpuscles from Killifish andCod (Gadus morhua)

The hypocalcemic response of killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, to Stannius corpuscle homogenates was significantly increased by adapting the fish to a low-calcium environment. A simple bioassay for the hypocalcemic substance was developed. Killifish were adapted to calcium deficient sea water and fed low calcium food for at least six weeks. They were given 4 daily injections of tissue homogenates and serum calcium levels were determined two hours after the final injection. Both cod (Gadus morhua) and killifish Stannius corpuscle homogenates produced significant hypocalcemia. The responses were log-dose related. Liver and kidney homogenates had no effect. Cortisol, angiotensin amide and salmon calcitonin did not elicit hypocalcemia in the present assay system. The name “hypocalcin” was proposed for the hypocalcemic factor(s) in this tissue. (Endocrinology 94: 548, 1974)
Patient Selection for Liver Transplant: 1-Year Experience With 555 Patients at a Single Center

Liver transplant (LT) has revolutionized the management of end-stage liver disease in the past 2 decades. The institution of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scoring system for organ allocation has de-emphasized recipient waiting time, but its effect on patients' referral to liver transplant centers is unclear. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the outcome of patients referred for liver transplant in a 12-month period (January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2005) after the institution of the new scoring system. During the study period, 555 patients were presented 605 times to the Liver Transplant Selection Committee. Of the 295 patients initially denied LT, 150 patients (51%) were denied because they were considered too early, 29 (10%) because their tumor did not meet institutional criteria, 72 (24%) because of concomitant psychosocial issues, and 44 (15%) because of comorbid conditions. Patients considered too early and those with psychosocial reasons for denial were often re-presented and listed for LT. Our findings suggest that patients could benefit from early referral to an LT center, even if they are initially denied listing, because management of end-stage renal disease could be initiated and psychosocial issues could be addressed. Referring physicians and transplant centers need to develop a strategy to ensure optimal timing of referrals for LT.
Quaternary Ammonium Borohydride Adsorption in Mesoporous Silicate MCM-48

Inorganic borohydrides have a high gravimetric hydrogen density but release H2 only under energetically unfavorable conditions. Surface chemistry may help in lowering thermodynamic barriers, but inclusion of inorganic borohydrides in porous silica materials has proved hitherto difficult or impossible. We show that borohydrides with a large organic cation are readily adsorbed inside mesoporous silicates, particularly after surface treatment. Thermal analysis reveals that the decomposition thermodynamics of tetraalkylammonium borohydrides are substantially affected by inclusion in MCM-48. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) data show that the compounds adsorb on the silica surface. Evidence of pore loading is supplemented by DSC/TGA, XRD, FTIR, and BET isotherm measurements. Mass spectrometry shows significant hydrogen release at lower temperature from adsorbed borohydrides in comparison with the bulk borohydrides. INS data measured for partially decomposed samples indicates that the decomposition of the cation and anion is likely simultaneous. Additionally, these data confirm the formation of Si-H bonds on the silica surface upon decomposition of adsorbed tetramethylammonium borohydride.
Moral rules and moral ideals: A useful distinction in business and professional practice

The distinction between moral rules and moral ideals is presented and explained in various ways. The authors propose that people in business are required to obey the moral rules and have a choice with respect to ideals. Thus, they are not in a different position from that of anyone else in society.
Are change metrics good predictors for an evolving software product line

Background: Previous research on three years of early data for an Eclipse product identified some predictors of failure-prone files that work well for that data set. Additionally, Eclipse has been used to explore characteristics of product line software in previous research.Aims: To assess whether change metrics are good predictors of failure-prone files over time for the family of products in the evolving Eclipse product line.Method: We repeat, to the extent possible, the decision tree portion of the prior study to assess our ability to replicate the method, and then extend it by including four more recent years of data. We compare the most prominent predictors with the previous study's results. We then look at the data for three additional Eclipse products as they evolved over time. We explore whether the set of good predictors change over time for one product and whether the set differs among products.Results: We find that change metrics are consistently good and incrementally better predictors across the evolving products in Eclipse. There is also some consistency regarding which change metrics are the best predictors.Conclusion: Change metrics are good predictors for failure-prone files for the Eclipse product line. A small subset of these change metrics is fairly stable and consistent across products and releases.
Dynamically detecting and tolerating IF-Condition Data Races

An IF-Condition Invariance Violation (ICIV) occurs when, after a thread has computed the control expression of an IF statement and while it is executing the THEN or ELSE clauses, another thread updates variables in the IF's control expression. An ICIV can be easily detected, and is likely to be a sign of a concurrency bug in the code. Typically, the ICIV is caused by a data race, which we call IF-Condition Data Race (ICR). In this paper, we analyze the data races reported in the bug databases of popular software systems and show that ICRs occur relatively often. Then, we present two techniques to handle ICRs dynamically. They rely on simple code transformations and, in one case, additional hardware help. One of them (SW-IF) detects the races, while the other (HW-IF) detects and prevents them. We evaluate SW-IF and HW-IF using a variety of applica- tions. We show that these new techniques are effective at finding new data race bugs and run with low overhead. Specifically, HW-IF finds 5 new (unreported) race bugs and SW-IF finds 3 of them. In addition, 8-threaded executions of SPLASH-2 codes show that, on average, SW-IF adds 2% execution overhead, while HW-IF adds less than 1%.
Where It All Began: Peer Education and Leadership in Student Services.

The role of peer leaders in student services has evolved over time; today, student leaders play a critical role in this aspect of the college experience, particularly in orientation and residence life.
Initial Public Offerings as Lotteries: Skewness Preference and First-Day Returns

We find that initial public offerings (IPOs) with high expected skewness experience significantly greater first-day returns. The skewness effect is stronger during periods of high investor sentiment and is related to differences in skewness across industries as well as to time-series variation in the level of skewness in the market. IPOs with high expected skewness earn more negative abnormal returns in the following one to five years. High expected skewness is also associated with a higher fraction of small-sized trades on the first day of trading, which is consistent with a greater shift in holdings from institutions to individuals. The results suggest that first-day IPO returns are related to a preference for skewness. This paper was accepted by Brad Barber, Teck Ho, and Terrance Odean, special issue editors.
Specificity and accuracy of echocardiographic and clinical criteria for diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus in fluid-restricted infants

We assessed the utility of M-mode echocardiographic and clinical criteria for diagnosis of left-to-right shunting PDA in fluid-restricted newborn infants. The presence of a left-to-right shunting PDA was established in 56 infants by 103 aortic contrast echo injections. The studies were graded negative (pattern 0) if only the transverse aortic arch opacified; positive (pattern I) if both the transverse aortic arch and right pulmonary artery opacified; and very positive (pattern II) if only the right pulmonary artery opacified. Simultaneously with the injections, all infants underwent clinical examinations and echocardiography. By clinical criteria, only 72% of patients were correctly identified as having a left-to-right shunting PDA. No murmur was audible during 28 of 55 Grade I or II injections. M-mode echocardiographic measurements demonstrated increasing left atrial dimensions and decreasing LPEP/LVET with each advancing pattern of injection. However, combining these determinants yielded a discriminant analysis which correctly identified only 51% of cases. These data indicate that conventional M-mode echocardiographic and clinical criteria do not have acceptable specificity or accuracy for detection of left-to-right shunting PDA in fluid-restricted premature infants.
Illness, biography, and the interpretation of self following a stroke

Abstract Drawing on case material from interviews with a 65-year-old woman who had suffered a stroke, this article explores the concept of biography as both knowledge of the self and as an expression of part of the self that needs attention following serious illness. Using a phenomenological approach, the kinds of bio-graphical work that individuals define and face as they recover from major illness are elucidated. The goal is to explore the consequences of a stroke for biographical issues that emerge in later life.
The association between hospital margins, quality of care, and closure or other change in operating status.

BACKGROUND Hospitals face increased pressure to improve their quality of care in an environment of dwindling hospital payments. It is unclear whether lower hospital margins are associated with worse quality of care or closure.
Glomerulonephritis in a neonate with atypical congenital lupus and toxoplasmosis

The development of glomerulonephritis as a complication of neonatal lupus or congenital toxoplasmosis is extremely rare. We report a case of membranous glomerulonephritis occurring in a neonate with toxoplasmosis and atypical congenital lupus, including high-titer antinuclear antibodies and hypocomplementemia. This case illustrates that glomerulonephritis in the neonate may be induced by passively transferred maternal antibodies.
Imaging of estrogen receptor-α in rat pial arterioles using a digital immunofluorescent microscope.

Many of estrogen's effects on vascular reactivity are mediated through interaction with estrogen receptors 1, 2, 3. Although two sub-types exist (estrogen receptor -α and β),estrogen receptor-α has been identified in both the smooth muscle and in endothelial cells of pial arterial segments using fluorescent staining combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy 4. Furthermore, ER-α is located in the nuclei and in the cytoplasm of rat basilar arteries 5. The receptors are abundant and fluoresce brightly, but clear visualization of discrete groups of receptors is difficult likely due to the numbers located in many cell layers of pial vessel segments. Additionally, many reports using immunohistochemical techniques paired with confocal microscopy poorly detail the requirements critical for reproduction of experiments 6. Our purpose for this article is to describe a simple technique to optimize the staining and visualization of ER-α using cross-sectional slices of pial arterioles obtain from female rat brains. We first perfuse rats with Evans blue dye to easily identify surface pial arteries which we isolate under a dissecting microscope. Use of a cryostat to slice 8 μm cross sections of the arteries allows us to obtain thin vessel sections so that different vessel planes are more clearly visualized. Cutting across the vessel rather than use of a small vessel segment has the advantage of easier viewing of the endothelial and smooth muscle layers. In addition, use of a digital immunofluorescent microscope with extended depth software produces clear images of ten to twelve different vessel planes and is less costly than use of a confocal laser scanning microscope.
Apparent viscosity of human red cell membranes.

Abstract The apparent diffusion coefficient of methanol in the human red cell membrane may be computed from the permeability coefficient of the membrane to methanol, and the membrane-buffer partition coefficient for methanol. The apparent methanol diffusion coefficient in the human red cell membrane is 5.1 · 10−8 cm2 · s−1 at approx. 21°C. Using the Strokes-Einstein relation, this diffusion coefficient is equivalent to an apparent membrane viscosity of 1.7 P.
A retrospective study of a head and neck cancer control program

The care and management of patients who develop cancers of the head and neck frequently require the interrelated knowledge and skills of several medical disciplines. When it is possible to assemble an interested group of specialists to focus upon every patient, professional standards are under constant peer review, the quality of patient care is enhanced, continuing education is stimulated, and clinical research is encouraged. The experience of patients who were treated in an interdisciplinary program was summarized and the end results were assessed. The anatomical site of origin of the tumor, as well as the extent of disease, were closely associated with survival experience. The survival experience of patients with tumors originating in the tongue, mouth, and pharynx was better than expected. Survival was equal to that expected for tumors of the larynx, salivary glands, and thyroid gland, and lower than expected for cancers of the lip.
Unfolding of Ribonuclease A on Silica Nanoparticle Surfaces

This paper reports on the unfolding behavior of ribonuclease A (RNase A) on silica nanoparticle surfaces and quantitively demonstrates that nanoscale size and surface curvature play key roles in influencing the stability of adsorbed proteins. Urea denaturation analyses showed that the thermodynamic stability of RNase A decreased upon adsorption onto the nanoparticles, with greater decrease on larger nanoparticles. The stability changes of RNase A correlate well with the changes in the protein-nanoparticle interactions, which increase as the surface contact area and surface charge interaction increases. This study, therefore, provides fundamental information on the effect of nanoscale surfaces on protein structure and function.
The National Clearinghouse Program of the AABB.

Most blood banks operate on the principle that blood provided for transfusions should be replaced on a voluntary basis by members of the patient's family, friends or by community response. Banks also recognize that the outdating of whole blood should be kept to a minimum. The National Clearinghouse Program of the American Association of Blood Banks was established to enable the exchange of donor replacement credits between banks throughout the country and to facilitate the borrowing and lending of blood to alleviate unavoidable shortages and surplus.
A comparison of cryopreserved vein allografts and prosthetic grafts for hemodialysis access

In hemodialysis patients with insufficient vasculature for creation of a native arteriovenous fistula (AVF), a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft is commonly utilized. Because of PTFE complications, our group and others have used cryopreserved cadaver femoral vein allografts (Synergraft [SYN], CryoLife, Marietta, GA) in selected patients. Based on our experience with these allografts, we hypothesized that they were more resistant to thrombosis than PTFE grafts. The purpose of this study was to compare the thrombosis rates of SYN and PTFE grafts in a prospective, randomized fashion. Our study was interrupted when the FDA ordered CryoLife, Inc. to retain certain vascular tissue products, and patient accrual stopped in 2003. Most patients referred for hemodialysis access are evaluated with bilateral, upper extremity Doppler ultrasound. Starting in 2001, those with insufficient vasculature for native AVF were offered randomization into the PTFE or SYN groups. All accesses were placed in the upper extremity, above the elbow. Access patency and complications were recorded, and failure was defined as access removal, abandonment, or replacement of > 50% with a new conduit. Prior to FDA interruption of the study, 27 patients were randomized into each group. Patient characteristics were similar, but there were significantly more males and African-Americans in the SYN group. No significant differences were seen in primary or secondary patency, number of thrombectomies, revisions, or total interventions. Significantly more fistulagrams were performed in the SYN group (p < 0.05). No infections were seen in either group, but 2 aneurysms occurred in the SYN group. Nine (33%) patients in each group died with functioning access. Access failures: In the SYN group, 8 of 27 (30%) failed, with 5 failing from multiple access stenoses unresponsive to balloon angioplasty; in the PTFE group 4 of 27 (18%) failed, with 2 failing from multiple stenoses. In conclusion, for initial hemodialysis access in patients without sufficient vasculature for native AVF, our results do not support the routine use of SYN allografts in the general dialysis population.
On provenance and privacy

Provenance in scientific workflows is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, recording information about the module executions used to produce a data item, as well as the parameter settings and intermediate data items passed between module executions, enables transparency and reproducibility of results. On the other hand, a scientific workflow often contains private or confidential data and uses proprietary modules. Hence, providing exact answers to provenance queries over all executions of the workflow may reveal private information. In this paper we discuss privacy concerns in scientific workflows -- data, module, and structural privacy - and frame several natural questions: (i) Can we formally analyze data, module, and structural privacy, giving provable privacy guarantees for an unlimited/bounded number of provenance queries? (ii) How can we answer search and structural queries over repositories of workflow specifications and their executions, providing as much information as possible to the user while still guaranteeing privacy? We then highlight some recent work in this area and point to several directions for future work.
Interventions for hip pain in the maturing athlete: the role of hip arthroscopy?

Context:Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) alters hip mechanics, results in hip pain, and may lead to secondary osteoarthritis (OA) in the maturing athlete. Hip impingement can be caused by osseous abnormalities in the proximal femur or acetabulum. These impingement lesions may cause altered loads within the hip joint, which result in repetitive collision damage or sheer forces to the chondral surfaces and acetabular labrum. These anatomic lesions and resultant abnormal mechanics may lead to early osteoarthritic changes.Evidence Acquisition:Relevant articles from the years 1995 to 2013 were identified using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the bibliographies of reviewed publications.Level of Evidence:Level 4.Results:Improvements in hip arthroscopy have allowed FAI to be addressed utilizing the arthroscope. Adequately resecting the underlying osseous abnormalities is essential to improving hip symptomatology and preventing further chondral damage. Additionally, preserving the labrum by repairing the damaged tissue and...
Impact of local vessel curvature on the circumferential plaque distribution in coronary arteries

Plaque in native coronary arteries is hypothesized to accumulate more likely along the inner curvature of a vessel segment as compared to its outer curvature. This behavior is likely associated with differences in local shear stress, which tends to be lower on the inner bend of a curved vessel than on the outer bend. The reported in-vivo study evaluated how the circumferential plaque distribution depends on local vessel curvature in coronaries from a limited set of 12 patients. Geometrically correct models of the vessel segments were generated utilizing fusion between biplane angiography and intravascular ultrasound. The plaque thickness was derived from the 3-D borders of the lumen/plaque and media/adventitia interfaces. Within each frame, plaque thickness was classified into "below-average" and "above-average" regions. A local curvature index was defined for each point: A positive value indicates the "inner" curvature, a negative value the "outer" curvature, with the magnitude determined from differential geometry. In the majority of the examined vessels, regions of "below-average/outer-curvature" and "above-average/inner-curvature" combined outweighed the "below-average/inner-curvature" and "above-average/outer-curvature" regions. The ratio increased with the threshold to exclude lower-curvature regions, confirming the hypothesis that plaque is more likely to accumulate on the luminal surface along the inner curvature of the coronary segment.
Effects of pulse shape on rf SQUID quantum gates

Effects of control-signal microwave pulse shapes on rf SQUID quantum gates are investigated. It is shown that the gate operations are mainly affected by microwave pulse area and are independent of pulse shape in the weak field limit.
Guineafowl hind limb function. I: Cineradiographic analysis and speed effects.

Avian striding bipedalism was studied in the helmeted guineafowl, Numidameleagris. High-speed cineradiographs, light films, and videos were used to record hind limb movements across a wide range of speeds. In particular, direct visualization of the skeleton in X-ray images allowed changes in pelvic and femoral position to be quantified with great accuracy for the first time. With the exception of limb protraction angle, all stride parameters are speed-dependent. During the stance phase, guineafowl primarily employ knee flexion at very low speeds. At higher speeds, the magnitudes of hip and knee extension in the second half of stance progressively increase. Pelvic rotations are relatively small, but birds gradually pitch further forward with speed. An aerial phase is not present at speeds less than 2.0 m/sec, but discontinuities in the relationship of some parameters to speed indicate a gait transition near 0.9 m/sec. Birds are considered to be flying theropod dinosaurs, making characterization of bipedalism in living birds essential to understanding the evolution of theropod locomotion. Data from guineafowl, including the kinematic effects of speed, are informative about several aspects of locomotion in extinct theropods. However, many details of avian bipedalism evolved only within a subset of Theropoda, and are therefore not directly applicable to all members of the clade. J. Morphol. 240:115–125, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated calcium mobilization is altered in pituitary cultures from anestrous ewes.

GnRH transiently increases intracellular calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ) in pituitary gonadotrophs in culture. This effect is observed within 10 sec of GnRH treatment, lasts 1-5 min, and is thought to be an important intracellular signal leading to the secretion of LH. Recent studies with ovine pituitary cultures uncovered seasonal differences in this transient calcium response to GnRH. This finding led to the hypothesis that anestrus alters the pituitary response to GnRH and prompted this study on seasonal effects on LH secretion and [Ca 2+ ] i mobilization. Inhibin was used to enhance pituitary sensitivity to GnRH. Results showed that pituitary cultures from 16 cycling ewes secreted an average of 9% ± 2% of stored LH after treatment with 10 nM GnRH (stored LH = 470 ± 66 ng/million cells) ; 9% ± 1% of pituitary cells increased the concentration of [Ca 2+ ] i from 75-150 nM up to 400-1400 nM. When cultures were pretreated with inhibin, GnRH released an average of 15% ± 3% of stored LH (stored LH = same as above), and 38% ± 4% of cells transiently increased [Ca 2+ ] i above 400 nM. Results also showed that pituitary cultures from 11 acycling ewes secreted similar percentages of LH although the cells contained less LH to begin with (stored LH = 190 ± 24 ng/million cells), but absolutely none of these cells (500 counted) increased [Ca 2+ ] i after GnRH treatment, with or without inhibin present. Levels of GnRH receptor mRNA were unchanged by season. These data show that LH secretion and the rapid, transient increase in [Ca 2+ ] i caused by GnRH are uncoupled in the unique situation of anestrus. It is possible, in fact, that these two parameters are not necessarily coupled during estrous conditions and that the transient change in [Ca 2+ ] i is connected with LH synthesis or some other gonadotroph function. The data also show that inhibin can increase GnRH-responding cells up to 38%, a fact suggesting that inhibin may be a differentiation factor capable of transforming multipotent pituitary cells into gonadotrophs in sheep.
Evolutionary hypotheses for a constraint to life‐history resilience in depleted Salmo salar populations

Phenotypic plasticity underlies much of the variation in life-history expression in fishes. An understanding of potential constraints on life-history plasticity thus may be critical for assessing the resiliency of populations or species to environmental change. Here, several evolutionary hypotheses are formulated for why a depleted lineage of Canadian Atlantic salmon Salmo salar populations continues to express an apparently maladaptive life history in the face of severe marine mortality. These hypotheses include: (1) reduced genetic variability for expressing plasticity, (2) constraints from genetic architecture, (3) constraints from gene flow, (4) phylogenetic constraints or irreversible evolutionary transitions, (5) environmental constraints to plasticity and (6) a restriction to population rescue from evolutionary-demographic feedbacks. This S. salar lineage is intriguing to consider for understanding resilience or the lack thereof, because it has life-history attributes that should favour resilience (e.g. a high degree of iteroparity, variable age at maturity and the presence of both long- and short-distance migration ecotypes). In particular, the discussion centres on the question of why S. salar females, in contrast to males, do not adopt a non-anadromous life history and mature in fresh water, given extremely high marine mortality among anadromous individuals of both sexes. A salient implication, with possibly significant conservation ramifications, is that fishes may exhibit substantial plasticity and potential for adapting to environmental change, but still be incapable of responding to certain environmental changes due to sex-specific constraints to life-history plasticity.
Biased gene transfer and its implications for the concept of lineage

Background: In the presence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT), the concepts of lineage and genealogy in the microbial world become more ambiguous because chimeric genomes trace their ancestry from a myriad of sources, both living and extinct. Results: We present the evolutionary histories of three aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRS) to illustrate that the concept of organismal lineage in the prokaryotic world is defined by both vertical inheritance and reticulations due to HGT. The acquisition of a novel gene from a distantly related taxon can be considered as a shared derived character that demarcates a group of organisms, as in the case of the spirochaete Phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS). On the other hand, when organisms transfer genetic material with their close kin, the similarity and therefore relatedness observed among them is essentially shaped by gene transfer. Studying the distribution patterns of divergent genes with identical functions, referred to as homeoalleles, can reveal preferences for transfer partners. We describe the very ancient origin and the distribution of the archaeal homeoalleles for Threonyl-tRNA synthetases (ThrRS) and Seryl-tRNA synthetases (SerRS). Conclusions: Patterns created through biased HGT can be undistinguishable from those created through shared organismal ancestry. A re-evaluation of the definition of lineage is necessary to reflect genetic relatedness due to both HGT and vertical inheritance. In most instances, HGT bias will maintain and strengthen similarity within groups. Only in cases where HGT bias is due to other factors, such as shared ecological niche, do patterns emerge from gene phylogenies that are in conflict with those reflecting shared organismal ancestry. Reviewers: This article was reviewed by W. Ford Doolittle, Francois-Joseph Lapointe, and Frederic Bouchard.
A systematic analysis of the spectra of the lanthanides doped into single crystal LaF3

The optical spectra of the lanthanides doped into single crystal LaF3 have been interpreted in terms of transitions within 4f N configurations. Energy matrices combining free‐ion terms with a crystal field for an approximate model which assumes C2v instead of the actual C2 site symmetry were diagonalized. Excellent correlations were obtained between experimental transition energies and the computed level structures. We also report the results of previously unpublished experimental spectroscopic investigations of Nd3+ and Sm3+:LaF3, as well as predicted energy levels for Pm3+:LaF3. The spectroscopic data for each ion were independently interpreted using an effective‐operator model, then the model parameters were intercompared. Systematic trends have been identified, and a comprehensive energy level diagram is presented.
The Future of Biosocial Criminology: Beyond Scholars’ Professional Ideology

In this article we describe how the ascendency of biosocial criminology challenges the “sacred values” of the discipline, values that have in the past elevated the professional ideology of criminol...
An 8.7–13.8 GHz transformer-coupled varactor-less quadrature current-controlled oscillator RFIC

This paper presents an 8.7–13.8 GHz transformer-coupled varactor-less quadrature current-controlled oscillator (QCCO) RFIC. It incorporates a transformer-coupled technique and tuned by varying the operation current through the primary and secondary windings. Fabricated in a 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS process, the prototype QCCO achieves a 45.3% wide tuning range. With two stacked octagonal transformers the QCCO core circuit occupies 0.4 × 0.5 mm2 chip area and draws 8–18 mA current under a 1.8 V power supply. The measured phase noise is about −86.83 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset and −110 dBc/Hz at 10 MHz offset with 11.02 GHz quadrature outputs. The QCCO achieves a phase noise figure-of-merit of −154 dBc/Hz.
Acute interstitial pneumonia

The term "acute interstitial pneumonia" (AIP) describes an idiopathic clinicopathological condition, characterized clinically by an interstitial lung disease causing rapid onset of respiratory failure, which is distinguishable from the other more chronic forms of interstitial pneumonia. It is synonymous with Hamman-Rich syndrome, occurring in patients without pre-existing lung disease. The histopathological findings are those of diffuse alveolar damage. AIP radiologically and physiologically resembles acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and is considered to represent the small subset of patients with idiopathic ARDS. It is frequently confused with other clinical entities characterized by rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia, especially secondary acute interstitial pneumonia, acute exacerbations and accelerated forms of cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis . Furthermore, many authors use the above terms, both erroneously and interchangeably. It has a grave prognosis with >70% mortality in 3 months, despite mechanical ventilation. This review aims to clarify the relative clinical and pathological issues and terminology.
Top-down pairwise potentials for piecing together multi-class segmentation puzzles

Top-down class-specific knowledge is crucial for accurate image segmentation, as low-level color and texture cues alone are insufficient to identify true object boundaries. However, existing methods such as conditional random field models (CRFs) generally impose the class-specific knowledge only at the “node” level, evaluating class membership probabilities at the (super)pixels that define the random field graph. We introduce a strategy for pairwise potential functions that capture top-down information, where we prefer to assign the same label to adjacent regions when the entropy reduction that would result from their merging is high. By measuring how the certainty of the object-level classifiers changes when considering the appearance description extracted from adjacent regions, we can “piece together” objects whose heterogenous texture would prevent both the too-local node potentials and conventional bottom-up smoothness terms from recognizing the object. We show how this idea can be used as either an affinity function for agglomerative clustering, or a pairwise potential for a CRF model. Experiments with two datasets show that the proposed entropy-guided affinity function has a clear positive impact on multi-class segmentation.
Performance analysis of fast frequency-hopped DBPSK spread spectrum communications in partial-band noise jamming

The authors study the performance of a frequency-hopped spread spectrum communication system using one hop per symbol and differential binary phase-shifted-keying modulation and differentially coherent demodulation. The effects of a hop-timing tracking loop are accounted for in the analysis. Results are presented for a channel which introduces additive white Gaussian noise, partial-band noise jamming, and phase distortion due to filtering. >
Making technology accessible for the technophobe-moving social workers into the 21stcentury

By nature, the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Social Work are not users of technology for teaching. Most (not all!) use email, but many have difficulty sending or receiving attachments. When I came to the School, I was handed the task of helping a faculty, who are essentially people oriented, begin to use and embrace technology for the delivery of instruction. This paper will explore how the use of technology for teaching has been increasing as the result of: the tactical upgrading of equipment in classrooms to make it easier to access technology when teaching.the strategic upgrading of the equipment in faculty offices to make it easier for them to use technology.attention to and the strategic support of faculty leaders who are willing to try something new.the acquisition of technology "toys" for specific people or purposes.ensuring the availability of training in the use of the University-supported course management system.enabling computing technology to make it easier for the technology-challenged to accomplish tasks they never thought possible-from accessing networked file storage space from their homes to quickly and easily making documents available on the web for class.
Am I a woman? The normalisation of woman in US History

The curriculum of US History has improved substantially in its presentation of women over the 40 years since Trecker's 1971 study of US History textbooks. While studies show increased inclusions, they also suggest that women have not yet claimed their own place in the school curriculum. This paper seeks to better understand the woman who is presented to students and how she is normalised through a US History curriculum. Feminist analysis of the curriculum exposes a concept of woman attached to the domestic sphere and reified through her presentation in the political and economic realms. When considering the images of woman available to young people, it is important to examine the full context around these images that shape the deeper meaning students take from curricular encounters.
Algorithmic Aspects of Three Dimensional MCM Routing

In this paper, we present a new routing approach for MCMs in which the routing space is partitioned into several towers. The routing is carried out in three steps. In the first step, the routing density is uniformly distributed over the three dimensional routing space. In the next step, the exact locations of nets on the faces of each tower are determined. Finally, the exact paths for the nets in each tower are determined and routed. Unlike the traditional MCM routing which converts the three dimensional routing problem into a set of two dimensional routing problems, our approach decomposes the problem into a set of smaller, yet three dimensional tower routing problems. Experimental results show the validity of our methodology.
Lung transplantation in older patients with cystic fibrosis: analysis of UNOS data.

Background The lifespan for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is increasing. As a result, greater numbers of older CF patients are presenting for lung transplantation (LTx). The UNOS database provides an opportunity to examine outcomes for this population. Methods We retrospectively reviewed UNOS data to identify 1,637 first-time LTx recipients with the indication of CF between 1999 and 2007. Patients were stratified by quartile age. Our primary end-point was all-cause mortality. Post-transplant survival was compared using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results Of the patients who met the inclusion criteria, the distribution by age quartile was as follows: Quartile 1 (Q1), age 7 to 20 years, N = 408; Q2, 21 to 27, N = 470; Q3, 28 to 34, N = 365; and Q4, ≥35, N = 394. Patients in the lowest quartile had the lowest 5-year cumulative survival (43%); 19% lower than for patients in Quartile 4 (age ≥35, cumulative survival=62%; p p p = 0.02). Thirty-day and 1-year cumulative survival were not different among the four quartiles (30-day survival: Q1, 96.4%; Q2, 96.2%; Q3, 96.2%; and Q4, 95.5% [ p = 0.94]; 1-year survival: Q1, 83.7%; Q2, 83.1%; Q3, 85.4%; and Q4, 83.4% [ p 0.88]). Increasing age was associated with decreases in early post-operative infections, reduction in the cumulative hazard of developing bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) syndrome, and decreases in hospitalizations and treatment for rejection. Conclusions The UNOS database has provided a large series examining survival after LTx in older CF patients. LTx is safe in this group and older age may be protective against infection, rejection and BO syndrome.