cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Antifungals in Children and their Clinical Implications

Invasive fungal infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Successful management of these systemic infections requires identification of the causative pathogen, appropriate antifungal selection, and optimisation of its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties to maximise its antifungal activity and minimise toxicity and the emergence of resistance. This review highlights salient scientific advancements in paediatric antifungal pharmacotherapies and focuses on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies that underpin current clinical decision making. Four classes of drugs are widely used in the treatment of invasive fungal infections in children, including the polyenes, triazoles, pyrimidine analogues and echinocandins. Several lipidic formulations of the polyene amphotericin B have substantially reduced the toxicity associated with the traditional amphotericin B formulation. Monotherapy with the pyrimidine analogue flucytosine rapidly promotes the emergence of resistance and cannot be recommended. However, when used in combination with other antifungal agents, therapeutic drug monitoring of flucytosine has been shown to reduce high peak flucytosine concentrations, which are strongly associated with toxicity. The triazoles feature large inter-individual pharmacokinetic variability, although this pattern is less pronounced with fluconazole. In clinical trials, posaconazole was associated with fewer adverse effects than other members of the triazole family, though both posaconazole and itraconazole display erratic absorption that is influenced by gastric pH and the gastric emptying rate. Limited data suggest that the clinical response to therapy may be improved with higher plasma posaconazole and itraconazole concentrations. For voriconazole, pharmacokinetic studies among children have revealed that children require twice the recommended adult dose to achieve comparable blood concentrations. Voriconazole clearance is also affected by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 genotype and hepatic impairment. Therapeutic drug monitoring is recommended as voriconazole pharmacokinetics are highly variable and small dose increases can result in marked changes in plasma concentrations. For the echinocandins, the primary source of pharmacokinetic variability stems from an age-dependent decrease in clearance with increasing age. Consequently, young children require larger doses per kilogram of body weight than older children and adults. Routine therapeutic drug monitoring for the echinocandins is not recommended. The effectiveness of many systemic antifungal agents has been correlated with pharmacodynamic targets in in vitro and in murine models of invasive candidiasis and aspergillosis. Further study is needed to translate these findings into optimal dosing regimens for children and to understand how these agents interact when multiple antifungal agents are used in combination.
Reverse osmosis pre-treatment techniques in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Off the shelf RO systems have proved to be expensive to operate on brackish waters in Saudi Arabia unless proper pre-treatment techniques were employed. The main categories of concern were: corrosion, scale, temperature, hydrolysis and bacteria. Some of the initial problems begin at the well and are compounded as the water moves from the well through the pre-treatment system to the eventual user Effective pre-treatment techniques involved epoxy coated well casings, risers and submersible pumps; sealed water wells with nitrogen blankets or meta bi-sulfite injection; PVC and/or fiberglass piping; down-flow multi-media sand filters; closed cooling towers or heat exchange chillers; inline mixers for acid and HMP injections; redundant systems engineering for filtration, cooling towers, chemical injection, booster pumps, and high pressure pumps; vacuum decarbonization and lime bed post-treatment to neutralize and flavor enhance the final product; chlorination for bacteria control and, in special instances, phosphonates to reduce iron corrosion and control scale. Improper pre-treatment can raise the operational/maintenance costs of RO systems from $0.65/1000 gal. to $11.57/1000 gal. for the worst operational instance. In terms of membrane sales this may be great, but users are disenchanted with inadequate systems engineering relative to pre-treatment hence they blame the RO manufacturers.
Direct gap Group IV semiconductors for next generation Si-based IR photonics

This paper presents synthesis and optical properties of mono-crystalline Ge1-y Sny and Ge1-x-y Six Sny semiconductor alloys grown on Si/Ge platforms via purposely designed CVD routes using highly reactive Si/Ge/Sn hydrides including Ge3H8, Ge4H10 Si4H10 and SnD4. The Ge1-y Sny materials are shown to exhibit strong and tunable photoluminescence induced by the substitution of sizable Sn concentrations in the Ge diamond lattice ultimately leading to an indirect-to-direct band gap crossover at y= 0.08-0.09. The optical data indicate that the IR coverage of the alloy extends well beyond that of elemental Ge into the broader long wavelength range suggesting a variety of applications in Si-based photonics. Ge1-x-y Six Sny alloys represent the first viable ternary semiconductor among group IV elements with independently tunable lattice parameter and electronic structure. Studies of the compositional dependence of direct and indirect edges in these alloys using photoluminescence and photocurrent measurements are reviewed. The optical results show band gap variation over a wide range above and below that of Ge from 1.1 to 0.5 eV and provide the first demonstration of direct gap behavior in this semiconductor system.
A stepper motor controlled microdrive for recording from unanesthetized animals.

Abstract A stepper motor controlled microdrive designed for isolation of single neurons in unanesthetized animals is reported here. The microdrive permits vertical microelectrode movements in 1.07 μ steps, and multiple penetrations of the recording area. The microdrive also permits the recording electrode to be left in situ between recording sessions and its use is consistent with sterile technique.
Thickness-direction thermal-expansion measurements

Thermal expansivity in the thickness direction for three commercially synthesized and processed polyimide films, PMDA–ODA, BPDA–ODA, and BPDA–PDA, have been measured. The expansivity in the thickness direction is significantly higher than that in the in-plane direction. The observed anisotropy is explained by the orientation texture of the films. The differences in the expansivity is explained by the molecular conformation of the chain. The latter is calculated by energy minimization excluding the entropic effects. The conformation analysis reveals a helical-like conformation for ether-linkage-containing chains, which explains, which explains the higher expansivity in PMDA–ODA as opposed to BPDA–PDA. The possibility of helical conformation in PMDA–ODA and BPDA–ODA is novel. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Assessing Muscle Imbalannces in the Lower Back

The study is focus on modeling muscle effort from VMG signals from the lower back using wavelet packages. From careful research and repeated experimentation, the location of the sensor for obtaining the most consistent and clear VMG signal has abstained. For the further study, the investigation will look for a relatively accurate wavelet package to find a more accurate way to proportionally estimate muscle effort.
The Connecting Threads of War, Torture, and Pain in Mary Shelley’s Valperga

This essay examines Mary Shelley’s Valperga: Or, the Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca (1823) in terms of how Shelley weaves together issues of violence, war, torture, and pain. In order to develop my claims, the author analyzes three important sequences of events in the novel: Castruccio’s passage from hero to tyrant, Euthanasia’s critique of warfare, and Beatrice’s account of her imprisonment and torture. Against the backdrop of war and power that marks Castruccio’s rise to “glory,” Euthanasia’s condemnation of war and Beatrice’s captivity tale read as counter‐narratives that locate the ways in which power can be abused when unrestrained and unchecked. Additionally, Shelley’s own observations about Europe, recorded in History of a Six Weeks’ Tour, pre‐figure one of the central themes of Valperga, the devastation of war, while also allowing her to comment on the destruction left in Napoleon’s wake. Shelley essentially demonstrates a more pacifist stance on war than critics have previousl...
Study of the spatial correlation between neuronal activity and BOLD fMRI responses evoked by sensory and channelrhodopsin-2 stimulation in the rat somatosensory cortex.

In this work, we combined optogenetic tools with high-resolution blood oxygenation level-dependent functional MRI (BOLD fMRI), electrophysiology, and optical imaging of cerebral blood flow (CBF), to study the spatial correlation between the hemodynamic responses and neuronal activity. We first investigated the spatial and temporal characteristics of BOLD fMRI and the underlying neuronal responses evoked by sensory stimulations at different frequencies. The results demonstrated that under dexmedetomidine anesthesia, BOLD fMRI and neuronal activity in the rat primary somatosensory cortex (S1) have different frequency–dependency and distinct laminar activation profiles. We then found that localized activation of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) expressed in neurons throughout the cortex induced neuronal responses that were confined to the light stimulation S1 region (<500 μm) with distinct laminar activation profile. However, the spatial extent of the hemodynamic responses measured by CBF and BOLD fMRI induced by both ChR2 and sensory stimulation was greater than 3 mm. These results suggest that due to the complex neurovascular coupling, it is challenging to determine specific characteristics of the underlying neuronal activity exclusively from the BOLD fMRI signals.
Is the ``missing mass'' really missing?

We have no experimental evidence for the validity of the inverse square law for gravitation at distances significantly larger than the diameter of the solar system. This raises the very real possibility that the “missing mass” (“dark matter”) may not exist. Instead, the inverse square law may be breaking down at distances of the order of tens of kiloparsecs. I discuss this possibility within the framework of Scalar-Vector-Tensor (SVT) theories of gravity. It appears to be relatively easy to account for up to approximately 10% of the galactic halo dark matter via SVT theories of gravity. With some fine-tuning of parameters, it is conceivable that all of the dark matter can be accounted for in this way.
Effect of urea on enzyme activity of the choroid plexus.

SummaryIntravenous urea has been administered in cats. The flow rate of CSF is radically reduced but the activity of 3 enzymes of the choroid plexus (alkaline phosphatase, succinic dehydrogenase, and carbonic anhydrase) is unaltered.
Dismantling the Digital Dollhouse: Will Wright's The Sims and Virtual Consumption

In his essay “Answering the Question: What is Postmodernism?,” Jean-Francois Lyotard offers a useful paradigm with which to elucidate the practice of consumption within an ever- expanding framework...
Bringing the adopter back into the adoption process: A personal construction framework of information technology adoption

This paper proposes an integrative theoretical framework for studying the personal construction processes underlying information technology adoption. Questioning simplistic assumptions of extant theory, we argue that explicit consideration of such processes offers better understanding of technology adoption. An exploratory study provides empirical evidence and motivates insights for future research.
A note on the construction of asymptotically linear estimators

Abstract So far general procedures for constructing asymptotically linear estimators require that the estimates of the influence function are based on parts of the sample only. This paper presents conditions under which asymptotically linear estimators can be constructed using estimates of the influence function based on the entire sample.
Complete His-Purkinje block produced by carotid sinus massage. Report of a case.

A case of complete heart block (CHB), localized in the His-Purkinje system, induced by carotid sinus massage (CSM) is presented. A 63-year-old male with right bundle branch block and left anterior hemiblock was evaluated for recurrent syncope. Right or left CSM produced brief periods of CHB with presyncopal symptoms. His bundle (HB) studies during normal sinus rhythm revealed normal conduction times (A-H interval = 80 msec; H-V interval = 48 msec). Carotid sinus massage produced progressive slowing of the sinus rate, and complete heart block below the HB occurred whenever the sinus rate fell below 42 beats/min. During atrial pacing at 70 beats/min, CSM produced 2:1 block above the HB with an effective rate to the HB of 35 and complete block below the HB. Atrial pacing at rates above 93 beats/min resulted in 2:1 block below the HB. Administration of intravenous atropine produced an apparent junctional tachycardia with 2:1 block below the HB. Thus, complete heart block related to both bradyCardia (phase 4) ...
Ca lectin gene insertion has the structural features of a transposable element

The single gene Le1, coding for soybean seed lectin, was compared to le1, a naturally occurring mutant allele containing a 3.4 kb insertion within its coding region. Le1 is devoid of introns and produces a 1.0 kb mRNA. It codes for a signal sequence of 32 amino acids and a mature protein of 253 amino acids. With the exception of six single-base substitutions, the coding and flanking sequences in le1 are identical with those in the uninterrupted gene. The insertion termini are imperfect inverted repeats flanked by a 3 bp duplication of lectin target DNA. Inverted repeats within the lectin gene are located symmetrically with respect to the insertion site and are homologous to a region of the insertion termini. These molecular traits conform with the structural aspects of transposable elements in other organisms and imply some degree of site specificity.
Overcoming the doping legacy: Can London's winners outperform the drugs of 1988?

The 1988 Olympics were followed by anti-doping measures. Performances then diminished. Ray Stefani examines the rate of improvement in various events to see whether clean athletes can overcome the barriers set by suspect records of the past. He also predicts the number of medals that Britain will win in 2012.
An integrated empirical and modeling methodology for analyzing solar reflective roof technologies on commercial buildings

Abstract Buildings impact the environment in many ways as a result of both their energy use and material consumption. In urban areas, the emission of greenhouse gases and the creation of microclimates are among their most prominent impacts so the adoption of building design strategies and materials that address both these issues will lead to significant reductions in a building's overall environmental impact. This report documents the energy savings and surface temperature reduction achieved by replacing an existing commercial building's flat roof with a more reflective ‘cool roof’ surface material. The research methodology gathered data on-site (surface temperatures and reflectivity) and used this in conjunction with the as-built drawings to construct a building energy simulation model. A 20-year cost benefit analysis (CBA) was conducted to determine the return on investment (ROI) for the new cool roof construction based on the energy simulation results. The results of the EnergyPlus™ simulation modeling revealed that reductions of 1.3–1.9% and 2.6–3.8% of the total monthly electricity consumption can be achieved from the 50% cool roof replacement already implemented and a future 100% roof replacement, respectively. This corresponds to a saving of approximately $22,000 per year in energy costs at current prices and a consequent 9-year payback period for the added cost of installing the 100% cool roof. The environmental benefits associated with these electricity savings, particularly the reductions in environmental damage and peak-time electricity demand, represent the indirect benefits of the cool roof system.
Identification of ICR170‐induced XPD mutations in UV‐sensitive CHO cells

We highlight selected contributions of Dr. Richard Setlow that contributed to our earlier understanding of excision repair processes and set the stage for dissecting nucleotide excision repair (NER) in mammalian cells through molecular genetics. More than 20 years ago, large-scale screens for UV-sensitive mutants of hamster CHO cells isolated approximately 200 mutants, many of which were assigned to the XPD/ERCC2 complementation group, but the nature of the mutations was not determined. The XPD protein performs not only an essential viability function as a structural component of transcription initiation factor TFIIH, but also an NER function as a 5' to 3' DNA helicase within TFIIH that unwinds DNA on the 3' side of bulky lesions. Alterations in these XPD functions are responsible for three UV-sensitivity genetic disorders that have distinguishable clinical features. In this study, we sequenced six UV-sensitive ICR170-induced Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutants that previously were assigned to the XPD complementation group to determine whether they carry frameshift mutations. All six mutants show 3- to 5-fold increased hypersensitivity to UV irradiation, similar to the XPD mutant prototype UV5. Even though ICR170 is a strong frameshift mutagen, all six cell lines contain base substitution mutations, five of which are unique among all mutations identified so far in human and rodent cells. The sixth mutation was identical to the R75W mutation previously found in CHO UVL-1. The results presented here contribute to a mutation database that should prove useful in structure-function studies of this unique DNA-structure-specific helicase and its complex mutant phenotypes.
The synthesis and structural analysis of the new high nuclearity platinum-ruthenium cluster complex Pt2Ru8(CO)18(μ3−EtC2Et)2(μ4−EtC2Et) containing three alkyne ligands

The ten metal cluster complex Pt2Ru8(CO)23(µ3−H)2, 1 was found to react with EtC2Et to form a new ten metal tris-alkyne complex Pt2Ru8(CO)18(µ3−EtC2Et)2 (µ4−EtC2Et),2 in 35% yield. Complex 2 was characterized by IR,1H NMR , and single crystalx-ray diffraction analyses. The cluster can be viewed as a dodecahedron of eight metal atoms capped with two ruthenium carbonyl groups, two triply bridging EtC2Et ligands and one quadruply bridging EtC2Et ligand. Application of the standard electron counting procedures indicate that this is an unusual complex in which the 18 electron rule applies and the polyhedral skeletal electron pair theory does not. Crystal Data for 2 2.0.5 CH2CI2: space group = P21,a = 12.759(2) A,b=18.438(2)A,c = 20.197(3) A,β = 91.59(1)°, Z. = 4, 6394 reflections,R = 0.037.
Spinal cord metabolic response to noxious radiant heat stimulation of the cat hind footpad

The 2-deoxy[14C]glucose (2-DG) method was used to study glucose utilization in the cat lumbar spinal cord during noxious thermal stimulation to the hind footpad. Spinal cord glucose utilization in stimulated cats was twice that of control animals. Diffusely increased metabolic activity was seen in the ipsilateral dorsal horn. The highest levels of 2-DG were seen in the ipsilateral ventral horn, while a moderate increase was seen in the contralateral ventral horn.
Intra-aneurysmal superselective pharmacologic testing in a child

Treatment options for complex intracranial aneurysms with branch vessels originating from the fundus or neck are limited, because these arteries frequently supply eloquent brain territory. A 9-year-old boy presented with a recurrent proximal middle cerebral artery intracranial aneurysm. Sodium amobarbital was slowly injected through a microcatheter directly into the aneurysm fundus and an incorporated prominent lenticulostriate vessel for provocative functional testing. Serial neurologic examinations identified no new neurologic deficit. We proceeded with endovascular coiling of the aneurysm and inevitable sacrifice of the perforator vessel. The patient remained free of new neurologic symptoms with no angiographic evidence of aneurysm recurrence. To our knowledge, this is the youngest patient with a proximal intracranial aneurysm who has undergone superselective intra-aneurysmal provocative testing and subsequent successful endovascular treatment.
Conservation genetics of the Critically Endangered Saint Croix ground lizard (Ameiva polops Cope 1863)

The Saint Croix ground lizard (Ameiva polops) is a Critically Endangered species endemic to Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Although it is completely extirpated from Saint Croix Island (last seen in 1968), two small natural satellite populations survive on two islets off St. Croix: one on Protestant Cay (estimated at ~30 individuals in 2002); and one on Green Cay (estimated at ~180 individuals in 2002). Two additional small populations exist that were founded with individuals translocated from the two surviving natural populations. One is on Ruth Island, a man-made islet off St. Croix, founded in 1990 with 10 individuals from Protestant Cay. The other is on Buck Island, ~2.5 km from Saint Croix, founded in 2008 with 57 individuals from Green Cay. All populations are vulnerable to catastrophic events such as hurricanes, sea level rise, introduction of exotic species, and landscape transformation. Herein, we used mitochondrial and nuclear-microsatellite markers to examine levels of genetic diversity within extant populations of A. polops and the degree of genetic differentiation among them. We also conducted analyses to search for signatures of recent bottlenecks in these populations and to estimate their effective population size (N e ). We found low genetic variability within populations of this lizard, comparable to that observed in other threatened vertebrates. We also found significant genetic differentiation among the three populations examined, as well as signatures of recent bottlenecks and critically low N e values in all populations. Based on our results, we suggest two different conservation units for A. polops: (1) Green Cay and its replicate population at Buck Island; and (2) Protestant Cay and its replicate population at Ruth Island. We discuss the implications of our findings on the conservation and management of A. polops.
Relational Dependency Networks

Recent work on graphical models for relational data has demonstrated significant improvements in classification and inference when models represent the dependencies among instances. Despite its use in conventional statistical models, the assumption of instance independence is contradicted by most relational data sets. For example, in citation data there are dependencies among the topics of a paper's references, and in genomic data there are dependencies among the functions of interacting proteins. In this paper, we present relational dependency networks (RDNs), graphical models that are capable of expressing and reasoning with such dependencies in a relational setting. We discuss RDNs in the context of relational Bayes networks and relational Markov networks and outline the relative strengths of RDNs---namely, the ability to represent cyclic dependencies, simple methods for parameter estimation, and efficient structure learning techniques. The strengths of RDNs are due to the use of pseudolikelihood learning techniques, which estimate an efficient approximation of the full joint distribution. We present learned RDNs for a number of real-world data sets and evaluate the models in a prediction context, showing that RDNs identify and exploit cyclic relational dependencies to achieve significant performance gains over conventional conditional models. In addition, we use synthetic data to explore model performance under various relational data characteristics, showing that RDN learning and inference techniques are accurate over a wide range of conditions.
The five-level model: A new approach to organizing body-composition research

Body-composition research is a branch of human biology that has three interconnecting areas: body-composition levels and their organizational rules, measurement techniques, and biological factors that influence body composition. In the first area, which is inadequately formulated at present, five levels of increasing complexity are proposed: I, atomic; II, molecular; III, cellular; IV, tissue-system; and V, whole body. Although each level and its multiple compartments are distinct, biochemical and physiological connections exist such that the model is consistent and functions as a whole. The model also provides the opportunity to clearly define the concept of a body composition steady state in which quantitative associations exist over a specified time interval between compartments at the same or different levels. Finally, the five-level model provides a matrix for creating explicit body-composition equations, reveals gaps in the study of human body composition, and suggests important new research areas.
Lumped Element Modeling of Piezoelectric-Driven Synthetic Jet Actuators

Abstract : This paper presents a lumped element model of a piezoelectric-driven synthetic jet actuator. A synthetic jet, also known as a zero net mass-flux device, uses a vibrating diaphragm to generate an oscillatory flow through a small orifice or slot. In lumped element modeling (LEM), the individual components of a synthetic jet are modeled as elements of an equivalent electrical circuit using conjugate power variables. The frequency response function of the circuit is derived to obtain an expression for Q(sub out)/V(sub AC), the volume flow rate per applied voltage. The circuit is analyzed to provide physical insight into the dependence of the device behavior on geometry and material properties. Methods to estimate the model parameters are discussed, and experimental verification is presented. In addition, the model is used to estimate the performance of two prototypical synthetic jets, and the results are compared with experiment.
nab-Paclitaxel in Combination With Weekly Carboplatin With Concurrent Radiotherapy in Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lessons learned The concomitant use of weekly nab-paclitaxel and carboplatin with concurrent radiotherapy was demonstrated to be a safe therapeutic approach in this phase I trial of 10 evaluable patients with stage III NSCLC.Despite the lack of systemic glucocorticoids, there were no reported infusion reactions or cases of peripheral neuropathy in this trial, both of which are known to occur with the use of paclitaxel. Background Unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a 5-year survival rate of 20%, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy results in significant toxicity with the use of current chemotherapeutic agents. nab-Paclitaxel was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2012 for use along with carboplatin in advanced NSCLC. This study was undertaken to determine the maximum tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of weekly nab-paclitaxel given in combination with carboplatin and concurrent radiotherapy in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC. Methods Escalating doses of once-weekly nab-paclitaxel were given along with once-weekly carboplatin area under the plasma concentration time curve (AUC) of 2 and concurrent radiotherapy 66 Gy in 33 fractions, followed by 2 cycles of carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel consolidation chemotherapy. Results Eleven patients were enrolled and received treatment per protocol, with 10 evaluable for efficacy and toxicity. At dose level 1 (nab-paclitaxel 60 mg/m(2)), 2 DLTs were observed: esophagitis and radiation dermatitis. Six patients were enrolled at dose level 0 (nab-paclitaxel 40 mg/m(2)) with no DLTs. Nine of 10 evaluable patients had a partial response. Conclusion Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with nab-paclitaxel 40 mg/m(2) and carboplatin AUC 2 is a safe and well-tolerated therapeutic regimen in patients with stage III NSCLC. A separate phase I/II study to evaluate the efficacy of this regimen is under way.
Transgender Identities and Public Policy in the United States: The Relevance for Public Administration

This article examines an emerging issue within the field of governance, the intersection of public policy with transgender identity. It is important that administrators better understand this issue given the lack of consistency in the current policy framework. This article addresses transgender identity's intersection with employment law, marriage, hate crimes, and the current legal framework for sex reassignment in the United States. The article also addresses how transgender identity contrasts with gay and lesbian identities with regard to public policy. Given widespread bias against this population, administrators are called to ensure that these individuals receive equal and equitable policy treatment.
Conjugate gradient method for adaptive direction-of-arrival estimation of coherent signals

A method for the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of coherent signals is proposed, based on the adaptive version of Pisarenko's harmonic retrieval method. It is known that for the DOA estimation of coherent signals, the computed covariance matrix of the sensor array must be spatially smoothed to preserve its full rank. Adaptive algorithms using the conjugate gradient (CG) methods can take advantage of this pre-processing by incorporating the available smoothed matrix into the algorithm. The proposed algorithm uses the CG algorithm presented previously (see IEEE ICASSP, p.2279-82, 1996) in combination with spatial and temporal smoothing techniques. Our simulations show that the proposed algorithm has a fast convergence rate even when the input signals are coherent. Due to the use of an updated covariance matrix at each time instant, no internal iterations are used as in regular CG methods, resulting in a more efficient algorithm than previously proposed CG methods.
Francisco de Toledo, admirador y émulo de la 'tiranía' inca

Viceroy Francisco de Toledo (1569-81) both reviled and admired the Incas. Surprisingly, he identified exactly the same aspects of their rule to praise and to condemn. To supply a legal justification for the Spanish conquest of Tawantinsuyu, Toledo and his advisers set out to prove that the Incas met the definition of tyranny in Castilian law, as explained by Aristotle and codified in the Siete Partidas. Tyranny was defined by specific elements: state surveillance and control, a climate of fear, the destruction of civil society, social leveling, and a monopoly by the state over its subjects’ time, labor, and property. But even while condemning the Inca regime for these methods, Toledo came to believe that these methods had enabled the Incas to rule well and to create a prosperous society in the Andes. The viceroy self-consciously emulated the same aspects of Inca rule that he invoked to prove that they were tyrants.
Towards Reaching the Theoretical Limit of Porosity in Solid State Metal Foams: Intraparticle Expansion as A Primary and Additive Means to Create Porosity**

porosity has typically been limited to � 40%. These relatively low porosity levels (compared to liquid state processes) constrain the applications of metal foams produced via solid state foaming. To extend the capabilities of solid state foaming, we have developed an additive means of creating porosity by intraparticle expansion. The current limitation of solid-state expansion by gas entrapment is dictated by voids formed between solid particles during consolidation. In this model, the initial gas pressure and foaming temperature determine the resulting porosity. However, if the expanding gas is not limited to just that which is trapped between particles, but is also located within particles, solid state foaming may assume a character more akin to expandable polymers which foam from the constituent pellets. This concept is a paradigm shift in terms of the solid state foaming process and the achievable levels of porosity. On the basis of this simple, powder feedstock expansion, there is universal application to powder metallurgy methods for foaming. In this work, we examine the microstructure and morphology of a Cu–Sb alloy that expands to porosities of close to 40% within individual particles, resulting in absolute porosity of 69% in sintered samples. The Cu–Sb alloy powder was formed by mechanically alloying Cu and Sb (Alfa Aesar, 99.9 and 99.5%, respectively) at cryogenic temperature(� 196°C) for 4h using a modified SPEX 8000M Mixer/Mill. The elemental powders were combined to achieve 5 at% Sb in Cu. The as-milled powders contained no appreciable porosity. Ball milling was used as a means to intimately mix the elements and refine and distribute preexisting oxides. Although oxygen exposure was controlled during milling and storage of powders, the manufacturersupplied precursors did contain appreciable oxygen content. The importance of this will be detailed later. The alloyed powder was annealed at 600°C for a period of 1h under 3% H2 (bal. Ar). During annealing, the powders underwent pore formation and expansion. When annealing was done in the absence of H2, it did not produce any expansion. Microscopic examination of the loose powders was carried out using an FEI Nova Nano Lab 600 dual beam microscope using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cross-sectional analysis was performed using a focused ion beam (FIB). The grain size and grain orientations were measured using focused ion beam
Improving the resiliency of Ariadne

Ariadne is a popular secure ad hoc routing protocol based on the dynamic source routing (DSR) protocol. While Ariadne was designed to be capable of detecting attacks by non colluding attackers, it does not include measures to identify or narrow down perpetrators responsible for such attacks. We propose some modifications to Ariadne to improve its resiliency, by affording the ability to identify and route around malicious nodes.
Multi-resolution H-cost motion planning: A new framework for hierarchical motion planning for autonomous mobile vehicles

This paper summarizes some recent developments on a new motion planning framework for autonomous vehicles. The main novelties of the current work include: a provably complete multi-resolution path planning scheme using wavelet-based workspace cell decompositions; a general technique for incorporating vehicle dynamic constraints in the geometric path planner; and a local trajectory generation scheme based on model predictive control.
Dependence of Peierls stress on lattice strains in silicon

Several non-Schmid effects of plasticity in Si are discussed in this article. The contribution of shear strain applied in the direction of the Burgers vector and normal to it in the glide plane, and of strain applied normal to the glide plane to defining the Peierls stress are analyzed. The analysis is performed using a combination of atomistic simulations and the Peierls–Nabarro model based on generalized stacking faults. It is shown that a shear strain acting in the direction of the Burgers vector decreases the Peierls stress and the effect is due to the reduction of the shear modulus. Bonding across the glide plane has the most important contribution to the Peierls stress, but the elastic non-linearity of the surrounding material contributes to reducing the instability threshold. A shear strain acting perpendicular to the Burgers vector has no effect on the Peierls stress. A compressive strain normal to the glide plane reduces the Peierls stress for shuffle dislocations and has a weak increasing effect on the critical stress of glide-set dislocations.
Weed suppression in a broccoli–winter rye intercropping system

Abstract Interseeded cover crops have the potential to maintain and improve soil quality, reduce the incidence of insect pests, and suppress weeds in vegetable production systems. However, the successful use of interseeded cover crops has been limited by their tendency to either inadequately suppress weeds or suppress both weeds and the crop. We hypothesized that in irrigated broccoli production, winter rye could suppress annual weeds through rapid emergence and shading, without adversely affecting the taller transplanted broccoli crop. In field experiments conducted in New York from 1999–2001, broccoli was cultivated at 0, 10, or 10 and 20 d after broccoli transplanting (DAT), with or without rye at the final cultivation. Rye interseeded at 0 DAT suppressed weeds and improved yields relative to unweeded controls but resulted in broccoli yield losses relative to weed-free controls in 2 of 3 years. Rye seeded at either 10 or 20 DAT did not reduce broccoli yields but had little effect on weeds for a given l...
Sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with depression in epilepsy

The impact of mood disorders on patients with epilepsy is an important and growing area of research. If clinicians are adept at recognizing which patients with epilepsy are at risk for mood disorders, treatment can be facilitated and morbidity avoided. We completed a case-control study (80 depressed subjects, 141 nondepressed subjects) to determine the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with self-reported depression in people with epilepsy. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to determine clinically significant depression. In multivariate analyses, depressed subjects with epilepsy were significantly less likely than nondepressed subjects to be married or employed and more likely to report comorbid medical problems and active seizures in the past 6 months. Adjusted for all other variables, subjects with epilepsy reporting lamotrigine use were significantly less likely to be depressed (OR=0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8) compared with those not reporting lamotrigine use.
Help Wanted: Postsecondary Education and Training Required

This chapter argues that postsecondary competencies and awards have become the threshold requirement for middle-class earnings and status.
Subnanosecond emitter-coupled logic gate circuit using Isoplanar II

Describes a 650-ps propagation delay voltage and temperature compensated emitter-coupled logic dual-gate circuit using a new and significantly improved transistor structure. The transistor structure is an improvement over standard Isoplanar and is called Isoplanar II. Isoplanar II transistors eliminate the need for base region diffusion beyond the emitter ends, and for a given emitter size the collector-base junction area is less than 40 percent of the area otherwise needed for the conventional Planar transistor. The total silicon area per transistor is reduced by more than a factor of 2 over conventional IC techniques. These features reduce the collector-base and collector-isolation capacitances significantly. The result is significant improvement in switching performance without any sacrifice in voltage levels and voltage supply tolerances.
Internetwork Protocol Approaches

The motivation for interconnecting networks is to provide one or more consistent services to the set of users of the interconnected networks. To provide these services either new end-to-end service protocols must be defined or the service protocols of the individual networks must be made to interwork. In either case the issues of addressing, routing, buffering, flow control, error control, and security must be considered. Two examples of interconnection strategy are examined: the interconnection of X.25 networks, and the interconnection of ARPA research networks. The models for interconnection of networks and the role of internetwork protocols are discussed.
Methods for maintaining a stable datum in a sea level monitoring system

The Indo-Pacific Sea Level Network includes an array of automated near-real time satellite telemetering gauges installed in harbors or lagoons of tropical islands and along the continents of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Most stations were installed and are maintained by the University of Hawaii Sea Level Center, which also collects, processes, and archives the data. The group's activities include research in sea level measurement techniques and the development of new procedures and equipment. One such area of active research is that of maintaining a stable datum. The University of Hawaii has developed a robust array of instruments that emphasizes redundancy of measurements including an automated switch that produces reference level information. This system and the steps essential to link sea level data to a stable datum are reviewed. >
Involvement of Dopamine D2 Receptors in the Suppressive Effect of the Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Analog TA-0910 on Alcohol Intake in Alcohol-Preferring Rats

Pharmacological experiments were conducted to determine the neuronal mechanisms involved in the suppressive effects of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone analog TA-0910 on alcohol intake in alcohol-preferring (P) rats. We previously reported that single intraperitoneal injections of TA-0910 dose-dependently reduced alcohol intake in P rats without altering fluid or total calorie intake; however, after several consecutive, once-daily injections, P rats developed tolerance to the suppressive effects of TA-0910 on alcohol intake and cross-tolerance to like effects of the dopamine D 2 agonist bromocriptine, but not to like effects of the serotonin uptake inhibitor fluoxetine. In the present study, rats were injected with vehicle or different doses of the D 2 antagonist s (-)-eticlopride (0.01 to 0.05 mg/kg) or the D 1 antagonist R(+)-SCH23390 (0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg) and 20 min later with TA-0910 (0.75 mg/kg). Alcohol and water intakes were measured at 2, 4, 6, and 24 hr, and food was measured every 24 hr. Both s(-)-eticlopride and R(+)-SCH23390 produced modest reductions in alcohol intake alone; however, only s(-)-eticlopride antagonized the suppressive effect of TA-0910 on alcohol intake. In related experiments, it was confirmed that the dopamine D 3 agonist 7-hydroxy-N,N-di-n-propyl-2-aminotetralin reduced alcohol intake in P rats, and it was found that tolerance to this effect did not develop during or after seven consecutive once-daily injections. Furthermore, this effect of 7-hydroxy-N,N-di-n-propyl-2-aminotetralin was not diminished in rats made tolerant to the effect of TA-0910 on alcohol intake. These data, those of previous studies, and recent preliminary findings support involvement of dopamine D 2 , but not D 1 or D 3 receptors in mediating the suppressive effect of TA-0910 on alcohol intake of P rats.
Three year follow-up of coping power intervention effects: evidence of neighborhood moderation?

The Coping Power program is an indicated prevention program for at-risk aggressive preadolescent children, and has had demonstrated short-term effects on antisocial outcomes. This study provided a longer-term 3-year follow-up for a sample of 245 fourth grade children who had been randomly assigned to Coping Power or to a care-as-usual Comparison condition. Intervention took place during the fifth and sixth grade years, at the time of transition to middle school. Growth curve analyses indicate that Coping Power had linear effects through the 3 years after the end of intervention on reductions in children’s aggressive behavior and academic behavior problems, children’s expectations that aggression would lead to positive outcomes, and parents’ lack of supportiveness with their children. Participants’ homes were geocoded into census tracts, and neighborhood qualities which may have moderated outcomes involved neighborhood disadvantage based on census tract information, and parent-reported social organization of neighborhoods. There was limited support for the hypothesis that intervention effects would be greater in less problematic neighborhoods. Intervention produced the greatest improvement in parental supportiveness for families living in communities with less neighborhood disadvantage, but there were no similar effects for the behavioral and social cognitive outcomes, or in analyses using neighborhood social organization as a moderator. Counter the hypothesis, intervention produced the greatest reduction in children’s aggression in neighborhoods characterized by poor social organization.
Evaluating Consumer Response To Labels And Packaging In The Market For Baby Foods

The landscape of the baby food industry in the United States has evolved significantly in recent years. Demand for organic baby food continues to grow rapidly, and in addition, non-GM labels, and the new packaging innovation, pouch, are very popular among baby food consumers. Previous studies on baby food have been focused on determining the consumers’ willingness to pay for the organic and other nutrition attributes. This study firstly uses hedonic pricing model to investigate the premiums that purchasers are willing to pay for the organic label, the non-GM label, and the pouch packaging. Second, I use a Tobit regression to explore the relationships between the organic, non-GM, pouch baby food purchasing shares and household characteristics and purchasers’ shopping behavior. The results from the hedonic pricing model show that baby food purchasers paid a premium of 2.6 cents per ounce for the organic label, and 2.9 cents per ounce for non-GM label. It is interesting to see that the price premium for the non-GM was higher than organic. And baby food purchasers paid a premium of 13.8 cents per ounce for the new pouch packaging compared with the plastic tub packaging. The results from the Tobit regression models show that younger purchasers, those with high incomes, those with fewer children, and those with more free time are more likely to purchase organic and non-GM baby food. Higher education would increase consumers’ preference for organic baby food, but has no significant effects on consumers’ preference for non-GM baby food. In terms of geographic factors, consumers from the Pacific region have strong preference for both organic and non-GM baby food.
Atomic layer lithography of plasmonic nanogap structures for sensing and spectroscopy

This presentation will focus on template-stripping methods for making ultra-smooth patterned metals and atomic layer lithography for making sub-nanometer-wide gaps. Applications of these optical nanostructures for plasmonic sensing and surface-enhanced spectroscopies will be demonstrated.
Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration. A clinical and CT study.

Six patients developed a pancerebellar syndrome with symptoms preceding the diagnosis of neoplasia in five (median - 4 months) and following in one (2 years). In all patients, the initial cranial computed tomographic (CT) scans were normal. Five patients had repeat CTs and of these three were abnormal; cerebellar atrophy appearing 7 to 25 months following the initial CT. Median follow-up was 31 months (range 12–84 months) without evidence of CNS metastatic disease. In five of six patients the neurologic impairment did not progress. One patient's neurologic signs improved markedly with mantle radiation therapy of her Hodgkin's disease. An initially negative CT does not preclude the diagnosis of remote effect cerebellar atrophy. Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is a self-limited nonprogressive process in the majority of patients.
Transmission of Phoma oleracea var. helianthi-tuberosi by the Adult Stage of Apion occidentale

Adults of Apion occidentale Fall were shown to transmit the causal agent of the disease Phoma black stem, Phoma oleracea var. helianthi-tuberosi Saccardo, of the sunflower. Helianthus annuus L., under greenhouse conditions. Phoma spots formed around the feeding punctures on the leaves of sunflower plants in the Phoma -inoculated Apion treatments. After these spots enlarged to encompass either the lateral veins or the mid-vein of the leaf, the discoloration moved down the vein and petiole of the leaf to the axillary region. The characteristic Phoma lesion subsequently was formed on the stem. P. oleracea var. helianthi-tuberosi was reisolated from infected plants. The feeding of one A. occidentale adult was sufficient to induce severe expression of this disease by sunflower plants in the 1.2–2.7 stage of development under these conditions.