cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deep-UV antireflective coating: ellipsometry and XPS characterization

Oxynitride deep-ultraviolet antireflective coating (DARC) of Si wafers is used to get better lithography at 248 nm. The thickness and the optical parameters of these films have to be optimized to get good and reproducible results. In this context, DARC layers with different N2O flows have been processed and characterized by ellipsometry and XPS in order to determine the optical parameters n (refractive index) and k (absorption index), the stoichiometry and the nature of the Si bonds. The DARC layers appear to be homogeneous, although short-range variations (1 nm) could hardly be detected by XPS. The correlation between XPS and ellipsometry results is fairly good and confirms that absorption is directly correlated to the amount of Si–Si bonds. A ‘three-component mode’ assuming that the DARC layer constitutes Si, SiO2 and Si3N4 has been used to calculate the refractive index. The agreement between this calculated index and the one determined by ellipsometry is fairly good. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Atoms for Peace, Atoms for War: Probing the Paradoxes of Modernity*

Macrostructural analyses have long dominated the field of social theories of modernity, with the work of Habermas, Giddens, and Beck providing influential cases in point. Empirical studies, however, have raised questions about the applicability and empirical soundness of macrostructural approaches to risks, technology, and nature, and U.S.-based sociologists have offered alternative theories that have been identified in some studies as providing better predictions and explanations than the macrostructural analyses. Informed by all of the above theories, this article examines the "Atoms for Peace" program, which established the civilian uses of nuclear energy, providing one of the central scientific and technological achievements of modernity. Given the mixed results of nuclear technology development, the mid-range, structurally informed perspectives of Short and other U.S.-based sociologists do appear to provide the best interpretations, both for the "Atoms for Peace" program and for the broader legacy of the technological and environmental risks of modernity.
Magnetic properties of tetra-n-butylammonium bis(maleonitriledithiolato)iron(III)

Abstract The magnetic susceptibility of tetra-n-butylammonium bis(maleonitriledithiolato)iron(III) has been measured in the temperature range 77 − 371° K. The compound was found to be antiferromagnetic, and the data are interpreted in terms of coupling of pairs of ferric ions of spin 5 2 or 3 2 to form a singlet (S = O) ground state and a manifold thermally acessible excited states.
No association between very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDL-R) and Alzheimer disease in American Caucasians.

Abstract The very low density lipoprotein receptor gene (VLDL-R) is a receptor for apolipoprotein-e (APOE)-containing lipoproteins, and thus has been suggested as a possible risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD). Recently, Okuizumi et al. [Nature Genet., 11 (1995) 207– 209] reported an association between the 96 by allele at the VLDL-R locus and AD in a Japanese population. The association resulted in a two-fold increase of risk that decreased with increasing age. We have examined this association in 316 Caucasian sporadic AD patients, comparing their findings to 160 Caucasian AD spouse controls. We also investigated 53 late-onset Caucasian AD families for association and linkage. Our data failed to confirm linkage and/or association to the VLDL-R locus. Stratification by age at onset or APOE genotype also failed to show significant results.
Small black holes on branes: Is the horizon regular or singular?

We investigate the following question: Consider a small mass, with {epsilon} (the ratio of the Schwarzschild radius and the bulk curvature length) much smaller than 1, that is confined to the TeV brane in the Randall-Sundrum I scenario. Does it form a black hole with a regular horizon, or a naked singularity? The metric is expanded in {epsilon} and the asymptotic form of the metric is given by the weak field approximation (linear in the mass). In first order of {epsilon} we show that the iteration of the weak field solution, which includes only integer powers of the mass, leads to a solution that has a singular horizon. We find a solution with a regular horizon but its asymptotic expansion in the mass also contains half integer powers.
Solid-phase DNA binding detection by EPR spectroscopy

We show here that spin probe labeled oligonucleotides coupled with EPR detection can be used to detect oligonucleotide binding, to optimize conditions used for annealing, and provides a highly selective method for oligonucleotide hybridization detection under conditions that model DNA biochips.
The asymptotic curvature at droplet separation

Abstract An analysis of motion pictures indicated that the curvature at the apex of a droplet does not change significantly during the final stages of the separatory process. If this is true in general, the cube of the asymptotic value for the initial curvature should be closely related to that portion of the volume of a hanging droplet which detaches from a tip. The data of Harkins and Brown were used to show that the relationship between these two quantities was essentially linear over the entire range of the data reported.
Note-The Impact of Inspection Delay on Process and Inspection Lot Sizing

Models in which process quality and lot sizing interact have recently been developed. Lot sizes should be reduced to compensate for poor quality if no effective inspection is possible. This note introduces an inspection delay time, measured in units produced after an inspection is made until results are known. If the inspection delay is negligible, then the problem reduces essentially to two separate lot sizing problems: the classical EOQ lot sizing problem and an inspection lot sizing problem. If the delay is great, then only one inspection should be made and the lot size is as given by Porteus, and Rosenblatt and Lee. This note seeks the optimal production and inspection lot sizes for the full spectrum of inspection delays. The impact of the results is illustrated numerically. The value of automated defect control with 100% inspection and immediate production stoppage upon detection of a defect is discussed.
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays a role in mediating impaired intestinal transit after gut ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)

Introduction: We have shown that gut I/R impairs intestinal transit. Schwartz et al have shown that COX-2 mediates impaired transit after bowel manipulation (Gastroenterology121:1354, 2001). We, therefore, hypothesized that COX-2 inhibition would abrogate impaired transit after gut I/R. Methods: Rats were pretreated with NS-398 (COX-2 inhibitor) 30 mg/kg IP or vehicle 1 hr prior to 60 min superior mesenteric artery occlusion (SMAO) or sham laparotomy. After 6 hrs reperfusion, transit was determined by quantitating % tracer in 10 segments of small intestine 30 min after injection into the duodenum (expressed as mean geometric center). Ileum was harvested for measurement of COX-1 and COX-2 mRNA by RT-PCR and PGE2 and 6-keto PGF1α levels by ELISA at 2 and 6 hrs reperfusion. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, ANOVA (n = 6/group). Means with different superscripts are significantly different. Significance equals p < 0.05. Results: COX-1 mRNA did not increase at 2 hr (0.0 9 ± 0.03) or 6 hrs (0.09 ± 0.03) compared to sham (0.14 ± 0.04). COX-2 mRNA was significantly increased at 2 hr (0.47 ± 0.06), but not at 6 hrs (0.18 ± 0.08) compared to sham (0.04 ± 0.01). PGE2 levels were significantly elevated at 2 hr (19,625 ± 5,150 pg/mg protein), but not at 6 hrs (2,760 ± 715) compared to sham (5,337 ± 1,480). Similarly, 6-keto PGF1α levels were significantly elevated at 2 hrs (17,360 ± 2,201) pg/mg protein), but not at 6 hrs (5,013 ± 822) compared to sham (5,947 ± 2,522). NS-398 did not effect transit in sham, but significantly improved transit after SMAO (Fig). Conclusion: COX-2 plays a role in mediating impaired intestinal transit after gut I/R. Download high-res image (89KB) Download full-size image
Past and Future

Although few practicing historians consider themselves futurists, the study of the future is in effect the history of the future, a continuation of the historian's effort to reconstruct the past by projecting what may come next. Postmodernist theory, however, suggests that just as historians cannot literally reconstruct the past, so futurists cannot literally predict the future. Rather, historians engage the evidence of the past by telling stories about it; futurists, by the same token, engage whatever evidence of the past may bear upon the future by writing scenarios of times to come. The future, like the past, will consist of all people everywhere doing all the things that people do. The article concludes with examples of how the author has sought to apply these perspectives in teaching futures studies courses since 1974 in the Department of History at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Impacts of urban form on future US passenger-vehicle greenhouse gas emissions

Abstract Urban form – for example, sprawl versus infill development – impacts people's daily travel patterns and annual vehicle-kilometers traveled (VKT). This paper explores how urban form impacts greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from passenger-vehicles, the largest source of urban transportation GHG emissions. Our research uses a recently published urban scaling rule to develop six scenarios for high- and low-sprawl US urban growth. We develop and apply a Monte Carlo approach that describes ensemble statistics for several dozen urban areas rather than forecasting changes in individual urban areas. Then, employing three vehicle- and fuel-technology scenarios, we estimate total passenger VKT and resulting GHG emissions for US urban areas. Our results indicate that comprehensive compact development could reduce US 2000–2020 cumulative emissions by up to 3.2 GtCO2e (15–20% of projected cumulative emissions). In general, vehicle GHG mitigation may involve three types of approaches: more-efficient vehicles, lower-GHG fuels, and reduced VKT. Our analyses suggest that all three categories must be evaluated; otherwise, improvements in one or two areas (e.g., vehicle fuel economy, fuel carbon content) can be offset by backsliding in a third area (e.g., VKT growth).
Defensive Addenda to the Problem of the Utrecht Psalter

My “retirement” around 1960 from research in early mediaeval art in order to concentrate on some problems in modern art which I had been cultivating collaterally for the past thirty years was disturbed first by the belated and mysterious appearance of Wormald's booklet and then by Engelbregt's recent book on the Utrecht Psalter—both challenging my views on the origin of its style and iconography.1 In an Appendix to my small book on that famous manuscript I commented reluctantly and inadequately on the former publication.2 The latter I would have disposed of in a brief review as being unworthy of extended evaluation, but since it has the appearance of a semi-official publication commemorating and “critically” reviewing a century of scholarly investigation on the nature and origin of the psalter I decided to take this opportunity to reveal some new evidence that will, I hope, silence any future attempts at proving that its miniatures were original creations of the ninth century. First I shall concentrate on...
Laboratory Bioassay Evaluating Peanut Seedlings for Resistance to the Southern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract The objective of this study was to develop a laboratory bioassay that consistently distinguishes peanut genotypes (Arachis hypogaea L.) based on their potential susceptibility or resistance to the southern corn root-worm (SCR), Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, a major soil insect pest of peanut in North Carolina, Virginia, and other states. The susceptibility or resistance of a peanut genotype to the SCR was characterized by the survival, development, and mean weight of the pest after feeding for 14 d on seedlings of different peanut genotypes. An initial 14 d seedling bioassay demonstrated the ability of the technique to separate a susceptible cultivar (NC 7) from a resistant cultivar (NC 6) based on the percentage of SCR that survived after 14 d, the percentages and mean weight of surviving SCR in larvae, prepupae, and pupae. Subsequently, two 14 d seedling bioassays evaluated five additional peanut genotypes that were believed to have some resistance to the SCR (N97059N, N92069L, VA ...
Teratoma of the Testis with Tridermal Metastases: A Case Report

Metastases from testicular teratomata commonly are composed of but one type of tissue. Very rarely, however, they may contain derivatives of all three germ layers. Ewing (1) described a case of teratoma of the testis in which several elements metastasized, but each secondary tumor contained only one type of tissue. Steinert (2) recorded the only testicular teratoma in which individual metastatic nodules contained structures derived from the three germ layers. His case was that of a male twenty-one years of age who had an egg-sized tumor in the testicle and a large mass in the abdomen. The latter proved to be a group of metastatic tumors in the retroperitoneal nodes. There were also metastases in the liver, lungs, bronchial nodes, and small intestine. Microscopically, the primary tumor contained cysts or ducts lined with various types of epithelium, including low cuboidal, stratified columnar, squamous, and even columnar epithelium with goblet cells; smooth muscle, cartilage, and tissue resembling chorionepithelium were also seen. The retroperitoneal mass contained all of these tissues, and in addition was made up of bone, epithelial cells which appeared carcinomatous, and connective-tissue cells which seemed to have undergone a sarcomatous transformation. The pulmonary and bronchial node metastases consisted of smooth muscle, cartilage, squamous epithelium, and cysts lined by columnar epithelium with some goblet cells. One metastatic tumor in the liver contained the same elements as the pulmonary metastases with the addition of bone and nervous tissue. Other liver metastases and the one observed in the intestine were composed entirely of chorionepithelioma. The following case closely resembles that of Steinert.
Artifacts of the Spanish Colonies of Florida and the Caribbean, 1500‐1800. Volume 1: Ceramics, Glassware, and Beads

Artifacts of the Spanish Colonies of Florida and the Caribbean, 1500-1800. Volume 1: Ceramics, Glassware, and Beads. Kathleen Deagan. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1987. xx+222 pp., color plates, figures, tables. $35.00 (cloth), 19.95 (paper). ISBN 0-87474-392-3, ISBN 0-87474-393-1.
Institutional Strength, Social Control and Neighborhood Crime Rates

While the systemic model that today's theories of social disorganization are based on acknowledges that neighborhood-based institutions may vary in their ability to contribute to effective social control, relatively little attention has been given to their role in understanding neighborhood rates of crime. At the same time, there is contradictory evidence about the role of social networks, which have been the focus of much research attention. This article builds upon past work to present a model of neighborhood-based institutional social control to address this lack of attention. The model centers on a conceptualization of institutional strength that distinguishes between the dimensions of institutional strength, and the causes and effects of variation in institutional strength.
Thermocapillary convection in an axi-symmetric pool

Abstract Steady thermocapillary flow in an axi-symmetric pool has been studied for a liquid of low Prandtl number. The liquid is heated along its top free surface and the bottom surface, which is also taken to be free, is adiabatic. The flow is analyzed for Grashof and Reynolds numbers ranging from 0 to 10 5 . The surface tension is assumed sufficiently large that in these ranges the free surfaces can be assumed to be flat. For the parameter ranges considered thermocapillar forces are seen to dominate buoyancy. A boundary layer develops along the free surface and the analysis of its scales shows that they remain the same as in the corresponding boundary layer in a cartesian geometry. However, some differences are observed in the flow structure in this axi-symmetry geometry and these are reported.
The air quality debate in California should gasoline be banned

Abstract California has made great strides in the regulation of photochemical smog. Political constituencies favouring change in the gasoline market include regulatory agencies and regional interest groups; some have attempted to mandate methanol use in the USA's second largest city. Anxious to forestall mandatory methanol use, oil companies have introduced ‘reformulated gasolines’ in major urban areas of the USA. Photochemical smog regulation has forced changes in the automobile fuel market. Recent proposals by regional regulators and a statewide referendum seeking to add greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide) to the regulatory agenda may bring about more aggressive emission control efforts.
The synthesis of oxalate from hydroxypyruvate by isolated perfused rat liver the mechanism of hyperoxaluria in L-lyceric aciduria

Abstract Hydroxypyruvate and glycolate inhibited the oxidation of [U- 14 C]glyoxylate to [ 14 C]oxalate in isolated perfused rat liver, but stimulated total oxalate and glycolate synthesis. [ 14 C]Oxalate synthesis from [ 14 C]glycine similarly inhibited by hydroxypyruvate, but conversion of [ 14 C 1 ]glycolate to [ 4 C]oxalate was increased three-fold. Pyruvate had no effect on the synthesis of [ 14 C]oxalate or total oxalate. The inhibition studies suggest that hydroxypyruvate is a precursor of glycolate and oxalate and that the conversion of glycolate to oxalate does not involve free glyoxylate as an intermediate. [ 14 C 3 ]Hydroxypyruvate, but not [ 14 C 1 ]hydroxypyruvate, was oxidized to [ 14 C]oxalate in isolated perfused rat liver. Isotope dilution studies indicate the major pathway involves the decarboxylation of hydroxypyruvate forming glycolaldehyde which is subsequently oxidized to oxalate via glycolate. The oxidation of serine to oxalate appears to proceed predominantly via hydroxypyruvate rather than glycine or ethanolamine. The hyperoxaluria of L -glyceric aciduria, primary hyperoxaluria type II, is induced by the oxidation of the hydroxypyruvate, which accumulates because of the deficiency of D -glyceric dehydrogenase, to oxalate.
NUCLEIC ACID-FUNCTIONALIZED NANOMATERIALS

Nucleic acid (NA)-functionalized nanomaterials (NMs) have received considerable attention in recent years. The use of nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) for surface functionalization of NMs offers the ability to directly address desired targets and coat NMs with biocompatible polymers, such as poly [(ethylene)] glycol (PEG) and polyacrylamide (PA), enhancing the utility of these complexes in biomedicine. In particular, the target-specific recognition capacity of surface-functionalized NMs has opened up new avenues for disease diagnosis and therapy. This review focuses on the biological applications of a special type of nucleic acid, termed aptamer, conjugated with a variety of NMs for a wide spectrum of applications in nanobiomedicine.
Sequence of the sheep fetal β globin gene and flanking region

Abstract The sheep β F globin gene has been sequenced completely, including 829 bases of 5′ flanking region and 1368 bases 3′ to the stop codon. In evolutionary terms, this gene is a homolog of the adult β-like globin genes, including human β. Over the course of evolution of Bovidae (comprised of sheep, goats, and cattle) the expression of β F has become restricted to the fetal compartment of development. Comparisons between β F and other closely related Bovidae β globin genes indicate repetitive sequences that were inserted in these genes over the course of their divergence and a region which may be functionally significant to the developmentally regulated expression of β F .
Test validation from a conceptual and legal perspective: Issues and trends

A little-explored issue in the psychological and legal literature involves test validation. This article discusses issues of test validation from both psychological and legal perspectives. Areas of inconsistency are noted and probable future directions are high-lighted.
Inhibition of Intercellular Communication in Cultures of Chinese Hamster V79 Cells by 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid and 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

Using the Chinese hamster V79 in vitro cell system designed to measure intercellular communication, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), and several mixtures of these compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit this biological process. The ability of these chemicals to inhibit colony-forming ability of these cells was tested prior to the studies to measure intercellular communication. 2,4-D was less cytotoxic than 2,4,5-T. Both 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D were able to inhibit intercellular communication at their respective noncytotoxic dose ranges. Various mixtures of both chemicals were also able to inhibit intercellular communication, showing some kind of additivity. No-effect levels were also noted in the intercellular communication assay. These results were interpreted as being consistent with the hypothesis that these compounds might be teratogenic by their ability to inhibit intercellular communication during development.
Cytoskeletal and motor proteins facilitate trafficking of AQP1-containing vesicles in cholangiocytes.

Background information. We have previously showed that: (i) cholangiocytes contain AQP1 (aquaporin 1) water channels sequestered in intracellular vesicles; and (ii) upon stimulation with choleretic agonists such as secretin or dibutyryl-cAMP (dbcAMP), the AQP1 vesicles move via microtubules to the apical cholangiocyte membrane to facilitate osmotically driven, passive water movement (i.e. ductal bile secretion). The aim of the present study was to determine which proteins and mechanisms regulate AQP1 trafficking in cholangiocytes. Results. Using polarized cultured NMCs (normal mouse cholangiocytes) or NRCs (normal rat cholangiocytes) and affinity-purified antibodies, we performed immunofluorescent confocal microscopy on fixed cells or immunoblotting on cell lysates for actin, tubulin, kinesin and dynein, proteins known to regulate intracellular vesicle trafficking. By immunostaining, the appropriate orientation of the actin (i.e. sub-apical) and tubulin (i.e. generalized) cytoskeleton was apparent; kinesin and dynein displayed a homogeneous punctate distribution. Immunoblotting showed kinesin and dynein to be present in both cholangiocyte lysates and in isolated AQP1-containing vesicles. We utilized real-time fluorescence confocal microscopy of NMCs transfected with a GFP (green fluorescent protein)–AQP1 fusion construct in the presence and absence of dbcAMP. Conclusions. Our results provide additional insights into the potential molecular mechanisms of ductal bile secretion.
Application of singularity expansion method in estimating size of a stent implanted in the artery

A stent is a metallic structure with meshes used to treat arteries blocked by plaque. The stent's role is to restore physiologic flow conditions and vascular health. Over-expansion or under-expansion of the stent during implantation in the artery can have serious health risks; thus having a real-time and non-invasive measure of size of stent during implantation is important. In this paper, we propose to apply the singularity expansion method to remotely estimate the size of stent during implantation in the artery.
Bank Competition and Financial Stability

Under the traditional "competition-fragility" view, more bank competition erodes market power, decreases profit margins, and results in reduced franchise value that encourages bank risk taking. Under the alternative "competition-stability" view, more market power in the loan market may result in greater bank risk as the higher interest rates charged to loan customers make it more difficult to repay loans and exacerbate moral hazard and adverse selection problems. But even if market power in the loan market results in riskier loan portfolios, the overall risks of banks need not increase if banks protect their franchise values by increasing their equity capital or engaging in other risk-mitigating techniques. The authors test these theories by regressing measures of loan risk, bank risk, and bank equity capital on several measures of market power, as well as indicators of the business environment, using data for 8,235 banks in 23 developed nations. The results suggest that - consistent with the traditional "competition-fragility" view - banks with a greater degree of market power also have less overall risk exposure. The data also provide some support for one element of the "competition-stability" view - that market power increases loan portfolio risk. The authors show that this risk may be offset in part by higher equity capital ratios.
Slow and fast pathways in the human rod visual system: electrophysiology and psychophysics.

Under most conditions, increasing the intensity of a flickering light makes the flicker more conspicuous. For a light flickering at 15 times per second, however, increasing the intensity can cause the flicker to disappear before reappearing again at higher intensities [ Vision Res.29, 1539,( 1989)]. This flicker disappearance or null is also evident in human electrophysiological recordings at the same intensity levels. These results point to a duality within the rod visual pathway, in which flicker signals travel through a slow and a fast pathway and then recombine at a later stage. At 15 Hz the slow rod flicker signals are delayed by half a cycle relative to the fast signals. Thus, when the two signals are recombined, they destructively interfere and diminish the perception of flicker. The dual-pathway interpretation is supported by both electroretinographic and psychophysical evidence showing a phase difference of half a cycle between 15-Hz rod signals just below and just above the null region. These effects are apparent not only in the normal observer but also in an achromat observer who lacks functioning cone vision.
Uridine Addition After MicroRNA-Directed Cleavage

One of the important roles of microRNA (miRNA) is to direct the cleavage of messenger RNA (mRNA). However, the mechanisms of decay of the cleaved mRNA products is not well understood. We show that miRNA-directed cleavage products in organisms as diverse as Arabidopsis, mouse, and Epstein-Barr virus have at their 3' ends a stretch (1 to 24 nucleotides) of oligouridine posttranscriptionally added downstream of the cleavage site. This 3' uridine addition, as shown for Arabidopsis, is correlated with decapping and 5' shortening of the cleaved products, suggesting a mechanistic step in the miRNA-directed mRNA decay mechanism.
Advantages of laparoscopic resection for ileocecal Crohn's disease.

PURPOSE: Elective laparoscopic-assisted resection of terminal ileal Crohn’s disease is slowly gaining acceptance as an alternative to conventional surgery, based on the advantages of earlier return of bowel function, reductions in length of stay, and smaller wounds in a population likely to require reoperation. There is limited documentation of the cost-effectiveness of this approach, particularly with the reported longer operating times. The purpose of this study was to compare laparoscopic and open resections for terminal ileal Crohn’s disease. METHODS: We compared contemporaneous cohorts of patients undergoing initial elective laparoscopic or open resection for ileocecal Crohn’s disease between June 1, 1999 and October 31, 2000 at a single institution. Operative approach was at the discretion of the surgeon. Data collected included age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, indication for surgery, morbidity, mortality, conversion (laparoscopic-resection group only), operating-room time, length of hospital stay, direct cost per case, 30-day readmission, and return to work. All data are presented as medians and interquartile ranges. Data analysis was performed with the Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher’s exact test, and Student’s t-test where appropriate. Significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: There were 45 evaluable patients (laparoscopic-resection group, 21; open-resection group, 24). One procedure was considered a conversion because of the 13-cm incision required to exteriorize the phlegmon (conversion rate, 4.8 percent). The median age (laparoscopic-resection group, 31 years; open-resection group, 39 years) and gender distributions (male/female: laparoscopic-resection group, 12/9; open-resection group, 9/15) were significantly different between the two groups. Resumption of oral intake (operating-room day vs. second postoperative day; P < 0.05) and resumption of intestinal function (2 vs. 4 days; P < 0.05) were significantly faster in the laparoscopic-resection patients. The median length of hospital stay was significantly shorter for the laparoscopic-resection patients (3 (2–3) vs. 5 (4–6) days; P < 0.05). The 30-day readmission rate in the laparoscopic-resection group was 9.6 percent (2/21), whereas none of the open-resection patients required rehospitalization. The overall complication rates were comparable for the laparoscopic-resection and open-resection patients (14.3 vs. 16.7 percent; P not significant), although there was one anastomotic leak and one intra-abdominal abscess in the laparoscopic-resection group, requiring readmission and reintervention (9.6 percent; P not significant). The direct cost per case was significantly lower for the laparoscopic-resection group ($2,547 vs. $2,985; P < 0.05, Student’s t-test). CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic-assisted approach to ileocecal Crohn’s disease results in a shortened length of stay and seems economically advantageous to open surgery.
The Relationship between Imagery and Creativity

Sixty-seven university students completed three tests representing three dimensions of creativity in addition to tests of imagery and verbal abilities. Regression analysis showed that imaging abili...
Digital Background Correction of Harmonic Distortion in Pipelined ADCs

Pipelined analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are sensitive to distortion introduced by the residue amplifiers in their first few stages. Unfortunately, residue amplifier distortion tends to be inversely related to power consumption in practice, so the residue amplifiers usually are the dominant consumers of power in high-resolution pipelined ADCs. This paper presents a background calibration technique that digitally measures and cancels ADC error arising from distortion introduced by the residue amplifiers. It allows the use of higher distortion and, therefore, lower power residue amplifiers in high-accuracy pipelined ADCs, thereby significantly reducing overall power consumption relative to conventional pipelined ADCs
Kinetics of finite dose absorption through skin 2: Volatile compounds

A diffusion model to account for the disposition of an arbitrary dose of a (potentially) volatile compound applied to skin from a volatile vehicle is presented. In its most general form, the model allows for variable diffusivity of the permeant in the stratum corneum (SC) and must be solved numerically. However, for permeants having a constant diffusivity, absorption, and evaporation is characterized in terms of four dimensionless parameters-a reduced time tau, a fractional deposition depth in the SC f, a ratio of membrane capacity for the permeant to the applied dose beta, and a ratio of evaporative mass transfer coefficient to diffusive permeability chi. An important combination of these parameters arises as the reduced dose M(r) = (fbeta)(-1). Two cases are distinguished. In Case 1, corresponding to M(r) 1, absorption and evaporation approach steady-state values as the dose is increased. Numerical evaluations of this behavior are shown. Limiting behavior for the case of a highly volatile solvent applied to skin is discussed. A companion paper discusses the application of the model to the absorption and evaporation of benzyl alcohol from human skin in vitro.
Kurdish nationalists and non‐nationalist Kurdists: rethinking minority nationalism and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, 1908–1909

Recent scholarship has begun to nuance the idea of Ottoman decline, but few works have attempted to see nationalism outside of the dominant decline paradigm. By addressing the emergence of Kurdish nationalism in the late Ottoman period, this paper questions the idea that imperial disintegration and nationalism were inherently intertwined; and challenges not only the mutually causal relationship that has been emphasised in literature to date, but also the shape that the 'nationalist movement' took. Using archival sources, the Kurdish-Ottoman press, travel literature and secondary sources in various languages, the present paper will illustrate how the so-called Kurdish nationalist movement' was actually several different movements, each with a differing vision of the political entity its participants hoped to create or protect through their activities. The idea of Kurdish nationalism, or Kurdism, may have been present in the minds of these activists, but the notion of what it meant was by no means uniform. Different groups imbued the concept with their own meanings and agendas. This study demonstrates that most 'nationalists' among the Kurds continued to envision themselves as members of the multi-national Ottoman state, the temptingly powerful rise of nationalism in their day notwithstanding. The suggestion has important implications for students and scholars of nationalist movements among other non-dominant groups, not only in the Ottoman Empire but in contemporaneous empires such as the Habsburg, and in later states like Iraq, Rwanda and Sudan. The present study further questions the received wisdom that multi-ethnic entities are a recipe for disaster. It proposes that a joint effort to rethink what we know about minority nationalism may involve not only a reconceptualisation of the very terms we use, but perhaps an accompanying shift in approach too.
Registration of images with topological change via riemannian embedding

In this paper, we develop a new deformable registration algorithm for images with pathology-induced topological changes. In this algorithm, 3D images are embedded as 4D surfaces in a Riemannian space and the registration is conducted as a surface evolution process. Our algorithm differs from existing methods in the sense that it takes an a-priori estimation of areas with topological change as an additional input and generates dense deformation vector fields which are free of false deformation. In particular, the output of our algorithm is composed of a diffeomorphic deformation field and an intensity displacement which corrects the intensity difference caused by the topological changes. The experiments demonstrate that our proposed algorithm is capable of accurately registering images with considerable topological changes. More importantly, the resulting deformation field is not impacted by topological changes, i.e., there is no false deformation.
Hydroxyapatite cement to repair skull base defects : Radiologic appearance

PURPOSE To describe the radiologic appearance of hydroxyapatite cement (HAC), which, when mixed with liquid, forms a paste that can be contoured to osseous defects and, over time, becomes "osseointegrated" (native bone grows into the pores of the HAC and forms a strong chemical bond with the substance). METHODS Between March 1992 and June 1993, 24 adults (16 men, eight women) underwent skull base surgery that included reconstruction or closure with HAC. Fourteen patients had HAC placed in the paranasal sinuses or facial bones, and 10 had HAC placed in the mastoid cavity. RESULTS HAC is homogeneously radiopaque on CT scans and plain radiographs. Large amounts (ablating a frontal sinus or mastoid air cells) are readily seen; small amounts are inconspicuous. On MR images, HAC is a signal void. Infected HAC in one patient was surrounded be enhancing soft tissue on MR images, separated from native bone by an irregular radiolucent cleft on CT scans. CONCLUSIONS HAC is a valuable addition to the surgical armamentarium for the repair of skull base defects. More experience will determine the time course for normal osseointegration, as well as the typical appearance of infection.
Cytostellin: a novel, highly conserved protein that undergoes continuous redistribution during the cell cycle

Cytostellin, a 240 kDa protein, has been purified from mammalian cells by immunoaffinity chromatography using monoclonal antibody H5. Immunofluorescence microscopy shows diffuse and punctate cytostellin immunoreactivity in interphase nuclei. Nuclease digestion and salt extraction are not required to expose the epitope. The onset of prophase is marked by the appearance of multiple intensely immunofluorescent cytostellin-containing ‘bodies’ within the nucleus. Nuclear disassembly is heralded by the movement of cytostellin bodies from the nucleus to multiple positions throughout the cell. Cytostellin bodies in metaphase, anaphase and telophase cells are widely dispersed, including some in cell processes far removed from the mitotic spindle apparatus. However, a distinct subset of larger, more intensely staining bodies surrounds the mitotic spindle apparatus. Cytostellin bodies remain in the cytoplasm of the daughter cells and disappear after the appearance of nascent nuclei. Cytostellin is immunologically distinct from other nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, and it has been detected by immunoblot analysis in all species tested from yeast to humans. Based upon these findings, we postulate that cytostellin has a cell cycle-dependent function which is conserved in higher and lower eukaryotic cells.
A higher ratio of beans to white rice is associated with lower cardiometabolic risk factors in Costa Rican adults.

Background: A high intake of white rice is associated with the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Costa Ricans follow a staple dietary pattern that includes white rice and beans, yet the combined role of these foods on cardiometabolic risk factors has not been studied. Objective: We aimed to determine the association between intake of white rice and beans and the metabolic syndrome and its components in Costa Rican adults (n = 1879) without diabetes. Design: Multivariate-adjusted means were calculated for components of the metabolic syndrome by daily servings of white rice and beans ( 1) and by the ratio of beans to white rice. The OR for the metabolic syndrome was calculated by substituting one serving of beans for one serving of white rice. Results: An increase in daily servings of white rice was positively associated with systolic blood pressure (BP), triglycerides, and fasting glucose and inversely associated with HDL cholesterol (P-trend <0.01 for all). An increase in servings of beans was inversely associated with diastolic BP (P = 0.049). Significant trends for higher HDL cholesterol and lower BP and triglycerides were observed for 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1 ratios of beans to white rice. Substituting one serving of beans for one serving of white rice was associated with a 35% (95% CI: 15%, 50%) lower risk of the metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Increasing the ratio of beans to white rice, or limiting the intake of white rice by substituting beans, may lower cardiometabolic risk factors.
An Alternate Method of Fabricating Multilayer-Multichip Ceramic Substrates

In the IBM Corporation, packaging designs have evolved from single-sided circuitry on pinned ceramics to complex, multilayer structures with internally interconnected wiring produced with "punch and fill" via technology. The transverse via, a unique method of forming multilevel-multichip substrates without employing the via punching and filling process to form the interplane and input/output (I/O) communication paths, is described.
Integrated Planning and Control for Convex-bodied Nonholonomic systems using Local Feedback Control Policies

We present a method for defining a hybrid control system capable of simultaneously addressing the global navigation and control problem for a convex-bodied wheeled mobile robot navigating amongst obstacles. The method uses parameterized continuous local feedback control policies that ensure safe operation over local regions of the free configuration space; each local policy is designed to respect nonholonomic constraints, bounds on velocities (inputs), and obstacles in the environment. The hybrid control system makes use of a collection of these local control policies in concert with discrete planning tools in order to plan, and replan in the face of changing conditions, while preserving the safety and convergence guarantees of the underlying control policies. This work is validated in simulation and experiment with a convex-bodied wheeled mobile robot. The approach is one of the first that combines formal planning with continuous feedback control guarantees for systems subject to nonholonomic constraints, input bounds, and non-trivial body shape.
Individual Patient Data Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials: Impact of Black Race on Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Outcomes

Abstract Background Population data suggest that black men have a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer (PCa) than other racial ethnicities. Objective To examine the impact of black race on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among men with metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC) enrolled in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Design, setting, and participants A pooled analysis was performed on individual patient data from five modern PCa RCTs available from Project Data Sphere. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to compare black and white race regarding PFS and OS. Subgroup analyses of mCRPC trials were performed based on the control arm treatments (mitoxantrone or docetaxel). Relevant covariates were used for adjustment in all analyses. Results and limitations A total of 1613 patients were included; 77 were black (4.7%). No significant differences between black and white men's baseline characteristics were noted regarding age, performance status, or pretreatment prostate-specific antigen. The pooled HRs for black race for OS and PFS were 1.01 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–1.35) and 1.29 (95% CI, 0.95–1.76), respectively. The median OS for black compared with white men was 254 versus 238 d ( p =0.92), respectively, with mitoxantrone and 581 versus 546 d ( p =0.53), respectively, with docetaxel. The primary limitation was the relatively small number of black men enrolled in mCRPC clinical trials. Conclusions In the context of RCTs, in which patients receive generally uniform treatment, a significant difference in OS for black men could not be detected in mCRPC. Black men continue to be dramatically underrepresented in RCTs, and efforts are needed to increase minority accrual to these trials. Patient summary We looked at the outcomes of men treated in randomized controlled trials to determine the impact of black race on survival. We found that in the context of modern clinical trials, there does not appear to be a significant difference in survival between black and white races; however, a trend for greater progression in black men was noted.
The allotetraploidization of maize : Part 3: Gene segregation in trisomic heterozygotes.

Allotetraploidization is the creation of artificial allotetraploids. Allotetraploidization of maize can be accomplished by concentrating differential pairing affinity (DPA) factors into lines by a recurrent selection breeding system. Selection will be based on changes in genetic ratios which are the result of changes in the relative frequencies of various pairing configurations caused by DPA. Part 1 of this series gave extensive data on gene segregation in trisomic and tetraploid heterozygotes. Some of these tetraploids behaved like segmental allotetraploids. Part 2 presented a model for gene segregation in segmental allotetraploids. This paper presents an analogous model for gene segregation in trisomic heterozygotes. The pairing configurations of trisomes are analyzed by considering pairing in single arms which then are combined to obtain pairing configurations for whole chromosomes. The chromosome disjunction patterns of the various pairing configurations are hypothesized and expected genetic ratios are given that result from different levels of DPA expressed in several hypothetical trisomes. The model analyzes the effect of random pairing in one arm and non-random pairing in the other arms. Also, the effect of crossing over is taken into account. Because crossing over rates are affected by the environment, part of the variability in the data (Part 1) is explained. In addition, an hypothesis is advanced to explain the frequent enhancement of pairing affinity following x-irradiation.
Making the criminal addict: Subjectivity and social control in a strong-arm rehab:

The mandatory, state-subsidized treatment opened up by drug courts and other jail and prison diversion programs have massively expanded the numbers of the nation’s poor and working class who are la...
Cerebral Blood Flow Imaging with Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging

Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is a technique for dynamic visualization of blood flow on tissue surfaces. LSCI produces images of blood flow in real-time using very simple instrumentation without the need for exogenous contrast agents, and has been widely used both in pre-clinical studies of neurological disease as well as clinical applications for monitoring of perfusion. One of the limitations of LSCI is the challenge of obtaining quantitative blood flow information. An extension to LSCI called multi-exposure speckle imaging (MESI) overcomes some of these limitations and enables repeated blood flow measure ments to be performed reliably. This chapter describes MESI imaging and the use of LSCI in humans during neurosurgery.
Continuous operation of high-power (200 mW) strained-layer Ga1−xInxAs/GaAs quantum-well lasers with emission wavelengths 0.87 ≤ λ ≤ 0.95 μm

Separate confinement single-quantum-well lasers with 100–120 A-thick strained Ga1−xInxAs/GaAs active layers have been grown on (100) GaAs substrates by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition. Ten-stripe proton-implanted arrays with 90 μm-wide aperture and 250μm cavity length emit 200 mW CW optical power at wavelengths 0.87 ≤ λ ≤0.95 μm. Lifetest data on an uncoated device emitting 90 mW/facet at 50°C and λ = 0.95 μm suggest a mean-time-to-failure in excess of 2500 h at room temperature. The performance of lasers with strained Ga1−xInxAs quantum wells is comparable to that of unstrained AlxGa1−xAs/GaAs quantum-well lasers without facet coating.
“I'M Just as Indian Standing before you with no Feathers Popping Out of my Head”: Critiquing Indigenous performativity in the YouTube performances of the 1491s:

This article analyzes two YouTube videos by the 1491s, a Native American sketch comedy troupe. By using the interpretive framework of social media and film studies, which considers the role of viewership and fan participation in shaping reception, this article argues that the 1491s challenge Indigenous people to resist becoming complicit in the processes of simulation through an assertion of “visual sovereignty”. Additional analysis examines a representative range of viewers’ responses to the videos to flesh out how the 1491s’ work is understood and valued by various viewers, many of whom take the opportunity to self-identify as Native American. Taken together with additional insights provided by the performers themselves, this article assesses how comedy is used to draw attention to the ironic situation of Native people “redfacing,” of fabricating false and stereotypical identities, to appeal to non-Native peoples, particularly consumers, but also to enact critiques.