cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IMPACT OF SPECIALIZED CARDIAC UNITS ON ALL-CAUSE 30-DAY READMISSION RATES AMONG PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE

Readmissions following admission for heart failure (HF) continue to be a challenge for hospitals, and pose an economic burden on healthcare systems, in addition to being a quality metric for hospital performance. We evaluated the impact of admission to specialized cardiac units compared to general
Oxidative Stress, GTPCH1, and Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Uncoupling in Hypertension.

Significance: Hypertension has major health consequences, which is associated with endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-produced nitric oxide (NO) signaling in the vasculature plays an important role in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Considering the importance of NO system, this review aims to provide a brief overview of the biochemistry of members of NO signaling, including GTPCH1 [guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) cyclohydrolase 1], tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), and eNOS. Recent Advances: Being NO signaling activators and regulators of eNOS signaling, BH4 treatment is getting widespread attention either as potential therapeutic agents or as preventive agents. Recent clinical trials also support that BH4 treatment could be considered a promising therapeutic in hypertension. Critical Issues: Under conditions of BH4 depletion, eNOS-generated superoxides trigger pathological events. Abnormalities in NO availability and BH4 deficiency lead to disturbed redox regulation causing pathological events. This disturbed signaling influences the development of systemic hypertension as well as pulmonary hypertension. Future Directions: Considering the importance of BH4 and NO to improve the translational significance, it is essential to continue research on this field to manipulate BH4 to increase the efficacy for treating hypertension. Thus, this review also examines the current state of knowledge on the effects of eNOS activators on preclinical models and humans to utilize this information for potential therapy.
LEGO-PoL: A 48V-1.5V 300A Merged-Two-Stage Hybrid Converter for Ultra-High-Current Microprocessors

This paper presents a family of 48 V–1.5 V merged-two-stage hybrid-switched-capacitor converters with a Linear Extendable Group Operated Point-of-Load (LEGO-PoL) architecture for high current microprocessors. The proposed LEGO-PoL converter leverages the advantages of switched-capacitor (SC) circuits and multiphase buck circuits and can achieve soft charging, current sharing, and automatic voltage balancing. The SC circuits are connected in series to split the high input voltage into multiple stacked voltage domains, and the multiphase buck circuits are connected in parallel to split the high output current into multiple parallel current paths. The inductors of the multiphase buck converters are used as current sources to soft-charge and soft-switch the switched-capacitor circuits, and the switched-capacitor circuits are utilized to ensure current sharing among the multiphase buck circuits. The voltage balancing and current sharing mechanisms of the LEGO-PoL architecture are investigated in detail. A 450 W, 48 V–1.5 V, 300 A LEGO-PoL converter with a peak efficiency of 96%, a full load efficiency of 87.7%, and a power density of 577 W/in3 was built and tested to verify the effectiveness of the LEGO-PoL architecture.
Broken flowers: Christian spolia in a colonial Mixtec household

The embedding of pre-Hispanic decorated carved stones into the facades of colonial Mexican churches has long been a well-known phenomenon. 1 The practice bears a family resemblance to the incorpora...
Return of the Medical Model: Disease and the Meaning of Imprisonment from John Howard to Brown v. Plata, The

The Return of the Medical Model: Disease and the Meaning of Imprisonment from John Howard to Brown v. Plata Jonathan Simon 1 I NTRODUCTION : M EDICAL M ODELS OF THE P RISON Forty years after “the medical model” — as the rehabilitative-oriented penology that dominated American correctional systems from World War II until the 1970s was widely known — began to be abandoned, Brown v. Plata 2 suggests the imminent return of medicine and the problem of disease to our public imagination of the prison and our constitutional understanding of humane punishment. With its shocking portraits of prisoners afflicted with complex chronic mental and physical illnesses largely abandoned by the modern state to a chaos more reminiscent of medieval jails than modern prisons, Plata depicts a correctional system that has drifted far indeed from the old correctional medical model with its aspiration to scientifically tested penal treatments. But in Plata’s mandate that California significantly reduce its prison population in order to implement sweeping reforms in its delivery of health care, along with its exposure of the deep hold that chronic illness (both mental and physical) has on prison populations, we can forecast the emergence of a new medical model. Indeed, the historical analysis offered in this Article suggests that Plata signals the rejoining of a constitutional link (in both senses of the term) between corrections and medicine that was forged more than two centuries ago over the problem of “jail disease” — assumed to be what we now know as typhus — that regularly killed prisoners at the end of the eighteenth cen- tury. This now-largely-forgotten threat, made hugely famous at the time of the American Revolution by the writings of an Englishman, John Howard, 3 highlighted the grave injustice of the state taking forcible control over a person, separating him from the care of his family and friends, and then Adrian A. Kragen Professor of Law, U.C. Berkeley. The author wishes to thank Ian Haney Lopez, Laurel Fletcher, Michael Meranze, Tony Platt, Karen Tani, Franklin Zimring, and all the members of a Berkeley Law faculty retreat workshop for comments on earlier drafts, and my editors at the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, including Chrissy Calogero, Josh Freiman, Amanda Frye, William O’Neil, Kimberly Newberry, and Ja- son Lee, for many extremely helpful suggestions. As always the author affectionately ac- knowledges ownership of all of his errors. 131 S. Ct. 1910 (2011). For the most thorough discussion of Howard’s role in eighteenth-century prison reform, see M ICHAEL I GNATIEFF , A J UST M EASURE OF P AIN : T HE P ENITENTIARY IN THE I NDUSTRIAL R EVOLUTION , 1750–1850 44–117 (1978).
Preoperative Advance Care Planning for Older Adults Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery.

Background:Advance care planning (ACP) is recommended for older patients undergoing surgery. ACP consists of creating advance directives (ADs), identifying surrogate decision makers (SDMs), and doc...
Cold and Freezing Sets in the Digital Plane

Cold sets and freezing sets belong to the theory of (approximate) fixed points for continuous self-maps on digital images. We study some properties of cold sets for digital images in the digital plane, and we examine some relationships between cold sets and freezing sets.
AN OPEN-SOURCE CANOPY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM USING MACHINE-LEARNING TECHNIQUES WITHIN A PYTHON FRAMEWORK

Abstract. Studying deforestation has been an important topic in forestry research. Especially, canopy classification using remotely sensed data plays an essential role in monitoring tree canopy on a large scale. As remote sensing technologies advance, the quality and resolution of satellite imagery have significantly improved. Oftentimes, leveraging high-resolution imagery such as the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery requires proprietary software. However, the lack of insight into the inner workings of such software and the inability of modifying its code lead many researchers towards open-source solutions. In this research, we introduce CanoClass, an open-source cross-platform canopy classification system written in Python. CanoClass utilizes the Random Forest and Extra Trees algorithms provided by scikit-learn to classify canopy using remote sensing imagery. Based on our benchmark tests, this new canopy classification system was 283 % to 464 % faster than commercial Feature Analyst, but it produced comparable results with a similarity of 87.56 % to 87.62 %.
The Role of Myeloid Cells in Acute Kidney Injury and Kidney Repair

Acute kidney injury (AKI) remains highly prevalent, yet no optimal therapy is available to prevent it or promote recovery after initial insult. Experimental studies have demonstrated that both innate and adaptive immune responses play a central role during AKI. In response to injury, myeloid cells are first recruited and activated based on specific signals from the damaged microenvironment. The subsequent recruitment and activation state of the immune cells depends on the stage of injury and recovery, reflecting a dynamic and diverse spectrum of immunophenotypes. In this review, we highlight our current understanding of the mechanisms by which myeloid cells contribute to injury, repair, and fibrosis after AKI.
Exact Analytical Solution for Pulsed Laser Induced Photoemission from Biased Surfaces

Ultrafast laser-induced electron emission from nanostructures is fundamentally important to the development of coherent electron sources, ultrafast electron microscopy, and novel nano-vacuum devices [1] - [3] . For ultrashort pulsed laser induced photoemission, numerical simulations are typically implemented to study the emission property. Simplified Fowler-Nordheim based models are widely used to calculate the photoemission rate, but it works only in the strong optical field regime. To clearly reveal the underlying emission characteristics in different emission regimes under ultrashort pulsed condition, we construct an exact analytical solution for photoelectron emission from a dc-biased surface illuminated by laser pulses, by solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation [4] - [7] . The model is valid for arbitrary pulse length from sub-cycle to CW excitation, and for arbitrary pulse repetition rate. The single formulation is valid from photon-driven electron emission in low intensity optical fields to field-driven emission in high intensity optical fields. Our calculations reveal the coherent interaction between neighboring laser pulses on the photoelectron emission, and well recover the experimentally observed sinusoidal carrier-envelope-phase modulation to energy spectra [8] and vanishing carrier-envelope-phase sensitivity of photoemission charge in the optical-field regime [9] . We also find adding a large dc field to the photoemitter is able to greatly enhance the photoemission current and significantly shorten the electron emission pulse.
Process Simulators: What Students Forget When Using Them, Their Limitations, and When Not to Use Them

Abstract Steady state process simulators allow students to perform in-depth analyses of chemical process designs, including economic optimization, due to the ability to run multiple case studies rapidly. However, process simulators are not necessarily a panacea. The simulations should correspond to realistic equipment. Students often use them carelessly. Several typical examples of careless use of process simulators are presented. Process simulators also have their limitations in dealing with certain types of problems, like scale-up, scale-down, debottlenecking, and troubleshooting. Examples of situations in which simulation defaults should be changed and where problems might be more appropriately solved outside the simulation environment are presented.
Response Surface Maximization

One purpose of response surface methodologies is to maximize or minimize a response function. The response is a function of some input variables that are controllable, call these ξ = (ξ 1,..., ξ q )′. Denote the response function $$ \mu (\xi ) \equiv \mu ({\xi _1}, \ldots ,{\xi _q}) $$ .
Nuclear-Renewables Energy System for Hydrogen and Electricity Production

AbstractIn the future the world may have large stranded resources of low-cost wind and solar electricity. Renewable electricity production does not match demand, and production is far from major cities. The coupling of nuclear energy with renewables may enable full utilization of nuclear and renewable facilities to meet local electricity demands and export pipeline hydrogen for liquid fuels, fertilizer, and metals production. Renewables would produce electricity at full capacity in large quantities. The base-load nuclear plants would match electricity production with demand by varying the steam used for electricity versus hydrogen production. High-temperature electrolysis (HTE) would produce hydrogen from water using (a) steam from nuclear plants and (b) electricity from nuclear plants and renewables. During times of peak electricity demand, the HTE cells would operate in reverse fuel cell mode to produce power, substituting for gas turbines that are used for very few hours per year and that thus have ver...
Controller Design for Uncertain Nonlinear Systems

Controller design criteria are given for a special class of uncertain nonlinear systems. These criteria are formulated to be explicit, quantitative, and computer oriented, yielding controllers realizable as nonlinear observers and guaranteeing servo tracking consistent with specified error bounds.
Dietary lipid source alters murine macrophage/vascular smooth muscle cell interactions in vitro

This study was conducted to compare the impact of dietary lipids on the ability of macrophages to modulate vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) DNA synthesis in vitro. C57BL/6 female mice were fed six different diets (6 mice/diet) containing 10% fat from corn oil (CO), borage oil (BO), primrose oil (PO), fish-corn oil mix (FC, 9:1, w/w), fish-borage oil mix (FB, 1:3, w/w), or fish-primrose oil mix (FP, 1:3, w/w) for 2 wk. Peritoneal macrophages were isolated from these mice, stimulated with zymosan or vehicle, and subsequently co-cultured with naive mouse aortic SMC in the presence of 3H-thymidine to measure SMC DNA synthesis. In this co-culture system, macrophages were seeded on 25-mm culture inserts (upper chamber) and SMC were seeded on 35-mm culture dishes (lower chamber). The two cell types were separated by a semipermeable membrane with a 30-kD cut-off. When quiescent SMC were co-cultured with macrophages, only the PO and FP diet groups had significantly (P < 0.05) lower SMC DNA synthesis compared with the control CO group whose diet contained no gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) or (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). In contrast, when cycling SMC were co-cultured with diet-modulated macrophages, all dietary groups except for those fed FC had significantly lower (P < 0.05) SMC DNA synthesis relative to the CO group. Although the level of GLA in PO and BO diets was different (11.5 and 22.3 g/100 g fatty acids, respectively), these treatments exerted comparable inhibitory effects on SMC DNA synthesis. The FP treatment consistently exhibited the lowest SMC DNA synthetic profile among the six dietary groups irrespective of SMC growth conditions. These data suggest that BO and PO alone or in combination with fish oil influence macrophage/smooth muscle cell interactions in a manner consistent with favorable modulation of the atherogenic process.
Near-infrared Faraday rotation of Cd1-xMnxTe.

The near-infrared Faraday rotation of ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathit{x}}$Te has been measured for x=0--0.3 at 300 and 77 K for photon energies between 0.1 (12.0) and 1.5 (0.8) eV (\ensuremath{\mu}m). We have developed a multioscillator model for the Faraday rotation using an analytical expression for the refractive index that includes contributions from interband transitions at the \ensuremath{\Gamma}, L, and X points of the Brillouin zone, as well as the lattice contribution from optical phonons. The multioscillator model explains the measured behavior of the Verdet constant as a function of photon energy for all concentrations at both temperatures. This model has also been applied successfully to Faraday rotation data for ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathit{x}}$Te and ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathit{x}}$Te from previous studies.
Development and Characterization of Cermet Forms for Radioactive Waste

Cermets designed to isolate high level wastes in a solid form are a composite consisting of various ceramic phase particles uniformly dispersed in and microencapsulated by an iron-nickel base alloy matrix. The metal matrix provides this waste form with many advantageous features including excellent thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. These cermets are formed by first dissolving the waste in molten urea, precipitating and calcining all the constituents, compacting the calcine, and sintering and reducing to form the final product. The exact formulation of cermets through additions to the waste is designed to fix most of the fission products in stable leach-resistant ceramic phases which are subsequently microencapsulated by an alloy matrix. The alloy matrix, which is derived primarily from the waste itself and includes the reducible fission and activation products from the waste, can be compositionally adjusted through additions to optimize its corrosion resistance under conditions existing in various disposal environments.
Conservative Intrachromosomal Recombination between Inverted Repeats in Mouse Cells: Association between Reciprocal Exchange and Gene Conversion

Recombination in mammalian cells is thought to involve both reciprocal and nonreciprocal modes of exchange, although rigorous proof is lacking due to the inability to recover all products of an exchange. To investigate further the relationship between these modes of exchange, we have analyzed intrachromosomal recombination between duplicated herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV tk) mutant alleles arranged as inverted repeats in cultured mouse L cells. In crosses between inverted repeats, a single intrachromatid reciprocal exchange leads to inversion of the sequence between the crossover sites and recovery of both genes involved in the event. The majority of recombinant products do not display such inversion and are thus consistent with a nonreciprocal mode of recombination (gene conversion). The remaining products display the sequence inversion predicted for intrachromatid reciprocal exchange. In light of the fact that intrachromatid exchanges occur, the rarity of intrachromatid double reciprocal exchanges strengthens the interpretation that the majority of events in this and previous investigations involve gene conversion. Furthermore, in accord with prediction, one-third of the reciprocal recombinants (inversions) display associated gene conversion. This association suggests that reciprocal and nonreciprocal modes of exchange are mechanistically related in mammalian cells. Finally, the occurrence of inversion recombinants suggests that intrachromosomal recombination can be a conservative (nondestructive) process.
Noninferiority of Inhaled Epoprostenol to Inhaled Nitric Oxide for the Treatment of ARDS

Background: Inhaled nitric oxide and inhaled epoprostenol have been evaluated for the management of hypoxemia in acute respiratory distress syndrome, with clinical trials demonstrating comparable improvements in oxygenation. However, these trials have several limitations, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions regarding clinical outcomes. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the noninferiority and safety of inhaled epoprostenol compared with inhaled nitric oxide in mechanically ventilated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients with a primary outcome of ventilator-free days from day 1 to day 28. Methods: This was a retrospective, noninterventional, propensity-matched, noninferiority cohort study. Propensity score for receipt of inhaled nitric oxide was developed and patients were matched accordingly using a prespecified algorithm. Secondary objectives included evaluating day 28 intensive care unit–free days, changes in PaO2/FiO2 ratio after inhalation therapy initiation...
Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA detection in a patient with Merkel cell carcinoma and multiple other skin cancers

Further studies have demonstrated thatMCPyV is clonally integrated at various sites in the gen-ome of MCC tumors, with truncating mutations thatinterrupt viral replication; therefore, demonstrating thatthe virus is not a passenger virus that secondarily infectsMCC tumors, but is an etiological agent.
Natural amenities and rural development in new urban-rural spaces

Diverse scholars recognize that urban and rural areas have becomes increasingly blurred in function and form. Amenity-rich areas have experienced high levels of population and employment growth in North America. At the same time, rural populations have had to adjust to economic restructuring by trying to capture benefits from amenity-led development and/or commuting to urban areas for employment. We use the concept of urban-rural space to review dynamic processes that are altering rural areas, integrating them with larger urban places, and creating both challenges and opportunities for rural areas that were formerly dependent on agriculture, mining, and other forms of primary activities. To examine trends in urban-rural places, we present the case of southeast Ohio, an area of the Appalachian foothills undergoing increasing urban influence from the growing state capital, Columbus. The dynamics of this area yield insights that may be informative to policy making in other rural areas undergoing similar transitions in the modern economy. Resumen. Una serie de expertos opinan que el concepto de areas urbanas y rurales es cada vez mas difuso en cuanto a su forma y funcion. Las areas de Norteamerica con una abundancia de servicios han experimentado niveles de crecimiento de la poblacion y el empleo elevados. Al mismo tiempo, las poblaciones rurales han tenido que someterse a una reestructuracion economica a fin de atraer los beneficios derivados de un desarrollo basado en los servicios y/o desplazarse a diario a las areas urbanas en busca de empleo. El concepto de areas urbano-rurales se emplea aqui en una revision de los procesos dinamicos que estan cambiando las zonas rurales, integrandolas dentro de espacios urbanos mas grandes y creando retos y oportunidades para unas areas rurales que hasta hace poco dependian de la agricultura, la mineria y otras actividades primarias. A fin de examinar las tendencias de las areas urbano-rurales, presentamos el caso del sudeste de Ohio, un area del piedemonte de los Apalaches que esta experimentando una influencia urbana cada vez mayor debido a la expansion de Columbus, la capital del estado. Las dinamicas de esta zona aportan informacion que podria ser de ayuda en la formulacion de politicas en otras areas rurales que esten experimentando transiciones similares dentro de la economia moderna. Figure 1. Download figure to PowerPoint
Volatiles in phyllosilicate minerals

Volatiles other than water are known to occur in hydrous ring-structure silicates like beryl and cordierite1,2. However, there has been limited study of volatiles in phyllosilicates. Ammonia has been reported in micas3,4; Banks5 measured sulphur in biotite, sericite and chlorite by electron microprobe; and Norman6 reported evolution of H2S and CO2 when chlorite, sericite and kaolinite were heated to 500 °C. We have studied the thermal evolution of volatiles from phyllosilicates by mass spectrometry. The gases observed were, in approximate order of their abundance, CO2, H2S, H2, SO2, NH3, CO, CH4, N2, Ar and He. These gases represent 0.35–9 wt% of the volatiles observed; the remainder is water. Step-heating studies indicate H2S and CO2 are not generated by the thermal breakdown of sulphide and carbonate minerals. Rather, they are bound within the phyllosilicate structures in a complex way. We show here that gases in chlorite, muscovite and biotite are related to their mode of origin. Phyllosilicates from hydrothermal ore deposits evolve several times more volatiles, principally CO2 and H2/S, than phyllosilicates not from ore deposits.
A Poisson-Based Formulation for Frictional Impact Analysis of Multibody Mechanical Systems With Open or Closed Kinematic Chains

Analysis of frictional impact in a multibody mechanical system requires a friction model capable of correct detection of all possible impact modes such as sliding, sticking, and reverse sliding. Conventional methods for frictional impact analysis have either shown energy gain or not developed for jointed mechanical system, and especially not for closed-chain multibody systems. This paper presents a general formulation for the analysis of impact problems with friction in both open- and closed-loop multibody mechanical systems. Poisson s hypothesis is used for the definition of the coefficient of restitution, and thus the energy gains inherent with the use of Newton's hypothesis are avoided. A canonical form of the system equations of motion using Cartesian coordinates and Cartesian momenta is utilized. The canonical momentum-balance equations are formulated and solved for the change in the system Cartesian momenta using an extension of Routh's graphical method for the normal and tangential impulses. The velocity jumps are calculated by balancing the accumulated system momenta during the contact period. The formulation is shown to recognize all modes of impact; i.e. sliding, sticking, and reverse sliding. The impact problems are classified into seven types, and based on the pre-impact system configuration and velocities, expressions for the normal and tangential impulses are derived for each impact type. Examples including the tip of a double pendulum impacting the ground with some experimental verification, and the impact of the rear wheel and suspension system of an automobile executing a very stiff bump are analyzed with the developed formulation.
Chimpanzees and humans harbour compositionally similar gut enterotypes

Microbes inhabiting the human gastrointestinal tract tend to adopt one of three characteristic community structures, called ‘enterotypes’, each of which is overrepresented by a distinct set of bacterial genera. Here we report that the gut microbiotae of chimpanzees also assort into enterotypes and that these chimpanzee enterotypes are compositionally analogous to those of humans. Through the analysis of longitudinal samples, we show that the microbial signatures of the enterotypes are stable over time, but that individual hosts switch between enterotypes over periods longer than a year. These results support the hypothesis that enterotypic variation was present in populations of great apes before the divergence of humans and chimpanzees. Humans tend to adopt one of a limited number of different bacterial community structures in the gut, known as enterotypes. Moeller et al.now show that these microbial fingerprints are conserved in chimpanzees, and that individuals can switch between enterotypes over periods of several years.
Spatial analysis of geologic and hydrologic features relating to sinkhole occurrence in Jefferson County, West Virginia

In this study the influence of geologic features related to sinkhole susceptibility was analyzed and the results were mapped for the region of Jefferson County, West Virginia. A model of sinkhole density was constructed using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) that estimated the relations among discrete geologic or hydrologic features and sinkhole density at each sinkhole location. Nine conditioning factors on sinkhole occurrence were considered as independent variables: distance to faults, fold axes, fracture traces oriented along bedrock strike, fracture traces oriented across bedrock strike, ponds, streams, springs, quarries, and interpolated depth to groundwater. GWR model parameter estimates for each variable were evaluated for significance, and the results were mapped. The results provide visual insight into the influence of these variables on localized sinkhole density, and can be used to provide an objective means of weighting conditioning factors in models of sinkhole susceptibility or hazard risk.
Teaching parallel programming and software engineering concepts to high school students

This paper takes the stand that it is never too early to teach so-called “hard” concepts in computer science. Specifically, basic principles in parallel algorithm development and software engineering can be introduced to students first learning about computers. The key is to present ideas in a manner that is simple, fun and suited to the audience. We discuss an interactive exercise developed with this premise in mind, based on sorting algorithms, that we conducted with one hundred minority students aged 14 to 17, on March 19, 1993. Our students, relative neophytes to high level computer science notions, had fun while learning alleged difficult concepts.
Subcritical crack growth in elastic-plastic material with overshoot: Part II—numerical results

Abstract Completed in Part I of this work are the physical modelling of crack growth with overshoot and analytical description of the elastic-plastic material that could be readily incorporated into the finite element formulation. Numerical analysis of the center crack panel is carried out in Part II for different combinations of the specimen size, material type and load increment. For each case, sufficiently small load steps must be taken so that the solution would converge. The results show that the amount of subcritical crack growth would decrease with increasing pecimen size and could be overestimated by a wide margin if overshoot in crack growth is not accounted for. Smaller critical crack length is predicted when smaller load steps are taken. Tougher material could sustain a larger size crack before fracture instability. The critical load to trigger fast fracture increase is with increasing fracture toughness but would be less with overshoot. In general, the load versus crack growth relations with and without overshoot are obtained; they represent the upper and lower bound solution such that the experimental data would fall in between.
An anatomic and mechanical study of the interosseous membrane of the forearm: Pathomechanics of proximal migration of the radius

The interosseous membrane of the forearm of 12 fresh cadaver specimens was studied anatomically and mechanically to better understand its role in stabilization of the radius after radial head excision. A central band of ligamentous tissue, approximately twice the thickness of the membrane on either side was identified in all specimens. Mechanical studies determined the relative contribution to longitudinal stiffness of the forearm. The central band was responsible for 71% of the longitudinal stiffness of the interosseous membrane after radial head excision. The contribution of the triangular fibrocartilage complex was 8%. Silicone radial head implants were much less stiff than the intact interosseous membrane. Injury to the central band of the interosseous membrane may be crucial to the development of proximal migration of the radius after radial head excision.
Cortical Oscillations as a Model for Studying Cytoskeleton Regulation During Cell Spreading

Cell spreading and attachment are integral to multiple physiological processes including wound healing, immune cell-antigen recognition, and tumor cell metastasis. We have discovered that Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts and CHO cells undergo periodic oscillations of the cell body during cell spreading that last from .5 hours after attachment to 1.5 hours and longer. The amplitude and duration of the oscillating phenotype are increased when microtubules are depolymerized. Previously we developed a mechanochemical ODE model describing a possible negative feedback from actomyosin based contractility to stretch-activated calcium channels in propagating cell oscillations. Cortical oscillations provide an ideal model for studying cytoskeleton regulation because the oscillation mechanism is easily quantifiable through the relative phase, amplitude, and period of native oscillations vs. those that have experienced perturbations. Further, we examine the spatiotemporal distribution of [Ca2+i] during cell oscillations. We propose that the interplay of the calcium and Rho A pathways both contribute to the propagation of cortical oscillations, with high levels of active Rho A replacing the need for highly dynamic calcium signaling.
Transforming ligands into transcriptional regulators: building blocks for bifunctional molecules

The human body is comprised of several hundred distinct cell types that all share a common genomic template. This diversity arises from regulated expression of individual genes. The first critical step in this process is transcription and is governed by a large number of transcription factors. Small molecules that can alter transcription hold tremendous utility as chemical probes and therapeutics. To fully realize their potential, however, artificial transcription factors must be able to orchestrate protein recruitment at gene promoters just like their natural counterparts. This tutorial review surveys the discovery of small ligands (drug-like molecules and short peptides) that bind transcriptional coregulatory proteins, and thus comprise one of the two essential characteristics of a transcription factor. By joining these ligands to DNA-targeting moieties, one can construct a bifunctional molecule that recruits its protein target to specific genes and controls gene transcription.
Customer care, much more than a smile: Developing a customer service infrastructure

Abstract In the important matter of customer service, it is implementing excellence that matters. Here, the internal customer has been neglected. But long-term customer care can never be achieved by just training programmes alone. There are all sorts of barriers and gaps in providing internal customer service. Neal Thornberry and Hubert Hennessey explore these impediments and recommend a method of identifying them in the organizational infrastructure and eliminating them.
Finite procedures for sofic systems

A sofic system is a symbolic flow defined by a finite semigroup. We exhibit finite procedures, involving only the defining semigroup, for answering cetain questions about a sofic system and for constructing certain subshifts of finite type associated with a sofic system.
Path-RO: a novel on-chip critical path delay measurement under process variations

As technology scales to 45 nm and below, process variations will present significant impact on path delay. This trend makes the deviation between simulated path delay and actual path delay in a manufactured chip more significant. In this paper, we propose a new on-chip path delay measurement structure called path-based ring oscillator (Path-RO). The proposed method creates an oscillator from a targeted path for which it is used to measure path delay on-chip under the impact of process variations. To alleviate accuracy degradation caused by the architecture itself, a high-accuracy calibration process is presented. Through experimental results on Path-ROs inserted in ITCpsila99 b19 benchmark, we obtain path delay distribution under different process variations. The accuracy and efficiency of path delay measurement using Path-RO are also verified by comparing the results obtained from post-layout Hspice simulations.
TH‐E‐AUD‐06: HDR Brachytherapy of Prostate Patient in the Presence of Bi‐Lateral Hip Prostheses Using Megavoltage Cone‐Beam CT

Only a rare concern a few years ago, an increasing number of patients with hip replacements are presenting for prostate radiotherapy.Image artifacts caused by the presence of hip replacements render CTimages useless for prostate delineation and catheter definition. We report on the use of a Mega‐Voltage Cone‐Beam CT (MVCBCT) system to identify the catheters and to complement the regular CT for target definition of High Dose Rate Brachytherapy of prostate cancer patients with hip replacements. Following a routine trans‐rectal ultrasound guided catheter implant and recovery, MVCBCT and regular CT acquisitions were performed within few minutes. Metallic wires were inserted in the catheters during the MVCBCT image acquisition. A series of filters were applied on the MVCBCT image to maximise spatial resolution and image quality. The MVCBCT and CTimages were registered with the Anatomy Modelling module of the planning system using the catheters as landmarks. The fused images were used to delineate the target and organs at risk. Then, the MVCBCT and the volumes of interest were transferred to the brachytherapy planning system where catheters were identified solely from the MVCBCT image. The dose distribution was optimized by following our standard technique using the inverse planning IPSA. Fused MVCBCT‐CT images greatly facilitated target delineation. The registration precision was better than 1.5 mm in the prostate and catheter areas. Catheters were easily visible and accurately defined on MVCBCT. The same dosimetric criteria used for regular HDR prostate planning were and achieved on this patient. HDR treatment based only on CT is not possible for patients with bi‐lateral hip replacements. The use of MVCBCT for planning purpose allows to offer prostate and other pelvic patients with hip prosthesis the most advanced form of HDR brachytherapy. Research supported in part by Siemens and Nucletron.
Spectral classification of uranium I energy levels using pattern-recognition techniques.

Previously unknown uranium I energy levels have been classified according to configuration using pattern-recognition techniques. Four features, the energy level, Lande g factor, quantum number J, and /sup 235/U isotope shift, have been used to describe each level. Additionally, a fifth feature, the /sup 234/U isotope shift, has been employed to describe most levels. Thirty-seven levels have been assigned with high certainty. In addition, four-feature classification versus five-feature classification is discussed.
Civil defence against nuclear attack: An evaluation of one local plan

In order to assess the value of civil defence planning for a nuclear attack, this paper focuses on a specific local example—the official civil defence plan of Pitt County, North Carolina, USA. Pitt County has been designated a host area in which all of its 90 000 residents and 75 000 evacuees from neighbouring target areas are to be sheltered. After a brief review of this plan, three crucial questions are considered: (1) Will the evacuees designated for shelter in Pitt County arrive? (2) Will county officials be able to provide for the needs of the sheltered population? (3) If the population is sheltered as planned, will they survive a nuclear war? Doubts are expressed about whether each of these goals could be achieved. For example, it is estimated that 13.5 per cent of persons in shelters would be exposed to lethal doses of fallout radiation, but the plan makes no mention of the danger of acute radiation sickness. In view of the serious weaknesses identified in the plan, the paper concludes that efforts...
The Influence of IT-Related Beliefs on Emotional Trust for a Smartphone and Smartphone Continuance Usage: An Empirical Study

Companies and municipalities worldwide are encouraging bring your own devices (BYOD) such as smartphones to the work environment to enhance communication among all employees, job performance, system quality, product quality, and service quality. Thus, understanding factors that have direct and indirect influence on smartphone continuance usage is helpful to companies worldwide that are investing heavily on BYOD. To date, there are no published studies that have investigated both the influence of external variables (i.e. cognitive factors) and emotional trust on smartphone continuance usage. To fill this gap in the literature, the authors develop their research model. This study indicates that emotional trust in a smartphone has a positive and significant effect on smartphone continuance usage. This finding strongly supports both the theory of reasoned action and the technology acceptance model. Familiarity with a smartphone, satisfaction with a smartphone, usefulness of a smartphoneâ€™s apps/features, and smartphone functionality have a significant positive effect on emotional trust on a smartphone. The authorsâ€™ findings strongly indicate that the continuance usage of a smartphone in their daily activities and tasks involve emotion, cognition, and mental processes.
Effect of surface energy anisotropy on Rayleigh-like solid-state dewetting and nanowire stability

Abstract Nanowires and narrow wires patterned from thin films are usually subject to a Rayleigh-like instability and, when heated, will undergo evolution to particles with a characteristic size and spacing. This process can occur while the wires remain in the solid state. For materials with isotropic surface energies, the characteristic sizes and spacings of the resulting particles or islands are expected to depend only on the initial cross-sectional area of the wires. However, crystalline solids rarely have isotropic surface energy. We show that when wires are patterned from single-crystal films, the rate of particle formation and the characteristic size and spacing of the resulting particles depend strongly on the epitaxial orientation of the film and on the in-plane orientation of the patterned wires, even for wires with the same cross-sectional areas. Wires patterned with in-plane orientations that evolve to be bound by equilibrium facets that extend along the wire axis are found to be highly resistant to dewetting. These wires very slowly dewet into widely spaced particles.
Stepping Back to Look Forward

It is often said that looking into the future requires knowing where you are and where you have been. Every four years, The Reproductive Sciences Branch (RSB) of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has an opportunity to do just that. In January of 2007, the RSB presented its accomplishments (primarily grantee research advances and program initiatives) and future directions to the National Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council (NACHHD).* To aid in identifying these future directions, the RSB convened an Advisory Panel in early 2006 comprised of outstanding leaders in the field of reproductive biology and medicine. Their recommendations, coupled with staff input, resulted in the identification of 10 future directions; all equally important in their own right. This article presents some of these directions as they relate to the future vitality and, indeed, survival of the reproductive sciences at a time when increased competition for precious resources and shifting priorities could jeopardize advances in this critically important field. Before proceeding, it might be useful to review the role of the RSB at the NICHD. The RSB is the largest funding source in the Federal Government (and maybe the world) for the support of research in the reproductive sciences. In fiscal year (FY) 2007, the RSB support for research and research training activities totaled nearly US$140 million. The RSB uses a diverse portfolio of grant funding mechanisms to carry out its funding mandate. In addition to the suite of funding mechanisms used to support individual research grants (eg, R01, R03, R21, etc), the Branch provides support for institutional training grants (T32), individual and institutional career development awards (K08, K23, K24, K12), fellowships (F31, F32), and program project grants (P01). The RSB also administers a clinical trials network and centers program through the use of cooperative agreements (U10, U54). Approximately 70% of the total FY 2007 Branch budget funded research project grants including program projects, 16% went to the support of research centers, and the remaining 14% funded training and career development activities. All total, 486 awards were administered by the RSB in FY 2007.
Varenicline effects on craving, cue reactivity, and smoking reward

Varenicline is an α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist that has been found to be effective for treating tobacco dependence. However, the subjective and behavioral mediators of its efficacy are not known. Using multiple sessions of laboratory-based assessment, this double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment was designed to test if varenicline reduced both tonic and cue-provoked tobacco cravings, and if it attenuated perceived reward from smoking. Participants in the present analysis include 100 smokers who were scheduled for three assessment sessions: at baseline, before receiving medication; at mid-run-in, 5–7 days after beginning medication; and after full dosage was reached, 12–15 days. Following overnight abstinence, each session included assessment of tonic craving, reactivity (including craving) to smoking cues, expected value of a cigarette, smoking behavior, and self-reported reward following smoking. Varenicline, compared to placebo, reduced tonic craving, cue-provoked craving by the final assessment, the expected value of cigarettes, number of puffs and time spent smoking, and self-reported reward (i.e., satisfaction) from smoking. Results showing that varenicline reduced tonic craving levels and perceived reward from smoking are consistent with reports from clinical trials, strengthening the evidence in support of these subjective mechanisms of action. This is the first placebo-controlled study to demonstrate that varenicline reduced cue-provoked cravings, thereby offering another potential mediator of its therapeutic effects. Findings may aid in the development of more targeted interventions for tobacco dependence.
Affective training for teachers of psychotic children.

A group inservice training program for teachers of psychotic children is described. Special emphasis is given to the teacher's emotional needs in dealing with these very difficult children. The training is designed to enhance mutual support and the acceptance of feelings assciated with working with psychotic children. Teachers who worked alone or without the benefit of a supportive team responded most enthusiastically to the group training. All teachers felt their emotional needs for support, self-confidence, and acceptance were important factors in their functioning with their students and that the training met those needs.
Fundamental investigations of separations science for radioactive materials.

Fundamental investigations of solvent extraction and ion exchange separations of radioactive materials have been conducted within the National Laboratory system of the U. S. Department of Energy (and its predecessor agencies) for the past 50 years. Basic research conducted at Oak Ridge and Argonne National Laboratories has produced both high quality new science and important applications in nuclear technology. The present contribution is an attempt to summarize the most important scientific results arising from this research during the past 10 years, a time of great change in the nuclear separations field, and to suggest possible directions for the next stage of research and development in this field.