cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Individualized surgical strategy for the reduction of stroke risk in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Abstract Background . This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a protocol of systematic screening of the ascending aorta and internal carotid arteries and individualization of the surgical strategy to the ascending aorta and internal carotid arteries status in reducing the stroke incidence among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods . On the basis of a pre- and intraoperative screening of the ascending aorta and internal carotid arteries, 2,326 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were divided in low, moderate, and high neurologic risk groups. In the high-risk group dedicated surgical techniques were always adopted and the reduction of the neurologic risk was considered more important than the achievement of total revascularization. Results . The incidence of perioperative stroke in the high-risk group was similar to those of the other two groups (1.1 versus 1.3 and 1.1%, respectively; p = not significant); however, angina recurrence was significantly more frequent in the high-risk group. Conclusions . The described strategy allows a low rate of perioperative stroke in high-risk patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Whether the reduction of the neurologic risk outweighs the benefits of complete revascularization remains to be determined.
Routine low‐damage apatite U‐Pb dating using laser ablation–multicollector–ICPMS

[1] Apatite is a common U-bearing accessory mineral with a U-Pb closure temperature of ∼500°C, making U-Pb dating of apatite a potentially valuable thermochronometer. However, its low U concentration and tendency to incorporate common lead has limited widespread application to destructive isotope dilution methods. We overcome previous limitations by using a Nu Plasma multicollector ICPMS with an attached short-pulse excimer laser, and by identifying two new matrix-matched reference apatites to correct for elemental fractionation: gem-quality 485 Myr old apatite from Madagascar which we independently characterized by ID-TIMS analysis, and 523.5 Ma apatite from the McClure Mountain syenite (source of the40Ar/39Ar reference MMhb). Common Pb is corrected using measured 204Pb isobarically corrected for Hg interference and a five-step iterative process using Stacey and Kramers' common Pb model. We accurately reproduce ages of numerous independently characterized apatites, regularly achieving precision of <2% (2σ) by pooling as few as five 30 μm spot analyses. Data quality in apatite with low U concentrations, low 206Pb/204Pb values (<∼30) and young ages (<∼75 Ma) is compromised by the goal of avoiding significant grain damage. Such limitations can be overcome by using spot sizes 65 μm or greater, but at the expense of substantial grain damage. For single detrital apatite grains with ages of ∼500 Ma, precision of <4% (2σ) was achieved by pooling 2 to 3 spots per grain. The accuracy of our detrital results is supported by a good age match with similar closure temperature 40Ar/39Ar detrital hornblende ages from the same sediment.
Analysis of late lumen narrowing after excimer laser-facilitated coronary angioplasty

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this study was to analyze the quantitative angiographic factors affecting restenosis after excimer laser-facilitated coronary angioplasty. Background. Restenosis after balloon angioplasty, directional atherectomy and coronary stenting has been analyzed using both dichotomous (≥ 50% diameter stenosis) and continuous (late lumen narrowing) end points, leading to the conclusion that achieving a large lumen diameter at the time of the procedure is associated with a lower risk of angiographic restenosis. Methods. Quantitative angiographic measurements were made before treatment, after laser angioplasty, after adjunctive balloon angioplasty and at 6-month angiographic follow-up in 168 patients with 179 treated lesions. Results. The immediate increase in lumen diameter (total acute gain 1.45 ± 0.71 mm [mean ± SD]) was due to the combination of laser treatment (0.79 ± 0.61 mm) and subsequent adjunctive balloon angioplasty (0.66 ± 0.55 mm). At follow-up, the minimal lumen diameter had decreased (late loss 0.71 ± 0.84 mm), yielding an overall restenosis rate of 50% (defined dichotomously by ≥ 50% diameter stenosis). Multivariable regression analyses showed that restenosis was related to vessel diameter, as well as minimal lumen diameter, achieved immediately after the proceure. Conclusion. Although the restenosis rales for the small vessels typically treated with excimer laser angioplasty were high, the lowest restenosis rates were seen to large vessels with the largest postprocedural minimal lumen diameters. The goal of this procedure should be to safely achieve the largest lumen possible with the combination of laser treatment and adjunctive balloon dilation.
Polonius: a wizard of oz interface for HRI experiments

Polonius is a robot control interface designed for running Wizard of Oz style experiments. It is designed to be easy enough to be used by the non-programmer collaborators of roboticists. The program acts as an intermediary between the robot and a wizard interacting with a GUI based on a pre-defined script. Polonius also eliminates the need for coding the video after experiments by integrating a robust logging system.
Cholinergic agonist-antagonist interactions on neocortical and limbic EEG activation

Abstract EEG activation and behavioral arousal following acetylcholine (0.007 mg/kg) intravenously was blocked by pretreatmeat with the muscarinic (m) cholinergic antagonists methyl atropine and atropine (0·3 mg/kg). On the other hand this was not affected by the nicotinic (n) ganglionic cholinergic antagonists trimethidinium (1 mg/kg) and mecamylamine (0·7 mg/kg). EEG activation and behavioral arousal produced by arecoline (0·4 mg/kg) was reduced slightly by methyl atropine and completely blocked by atropine, but not modified by trimethidinium and mecamylamine. EEG activation and behavioral arousal produced by pilocarpine (0.15 mg/kg) was significantly reduced by methyl atropine and almost completely abolished by atropine. On the other hand, EEG activation produced by pilocarpine was not signifi- cantly blocked by then cholinergic antagonists. Pilocarpine caused a significant increase in the duration of fast wave steep. It also produced an interesting phenomenon in which fast wave sleep frequently started from the resting state or followed a short drowsy period in contrast to its usual initiation from slow wave sleep. EEG activation and behavioral arousal were observed following physostigmine. These effects were reduced by methyl atropine and almost completely blocked by atropine. Then cholinergic antagonists did not show any significant effect on physostigmine-induced EEG activation and behavioral arousal. Fast wave sleep following physostigmine was also occasionally observed starting from the drowsy state. There was no increase in fast wave sleep in comparison to saline solution injection within 50 min following physostigmine. EEG activation and behavioral arousal were pro- duced by nicotine (0.02 mg/kg). These effects were not altered significantly by methyl atropine, but moderately reduced by atropine. In addition, atropine produced a dissociation in which nicotine-induced EEG activation of the neocortex was still evident although hippocampal and amygdaloid activation were blocked. The EEG actions of nicotine were slightly reduced by trimethidinium and completely blocked by the administration of mecamylamine. It is concluded that this study provides additional evidence for the role ofm andn gang- lionic cholinergic mechanisms in EEG activation of neocortical and limbic structures.
Can improved microvascular perfusion be achieved by using both antegrade and retrograde cardioplegia

Background. The complete and uniform distribution of cardioplegia to the microvasculature of the heart is considered critical for myocardial protection. This study explores the hypothesis that enhanced microvascular perfusion can be achieved by using both antegrade and retrograde cardioplegia. Methods. Infant piglet hearts (n = 15) were arrested with antegrade blood cardioplegia, excised, and fixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde by retrograde perfusion. Hearts were then perfused retrograde with an inert intracapillary marker (NTB-2). Six of these hearts served as controls (group 1) to anatomically demonstrate the degree of capillary perfusion achieved by the retrograde delivery route. Nine experimental hearts (group 2) underwent a subsequent infusion of antegrade blood cardioplegia to wash out NTB-2 capillaries coperfused by both the antegrade and retrograde delivery techniques. Sections of the left ventricular free wall and anterior-mid interventricular septum were taken and examined by light microscopy at four separate sites (average, 126 capillaries per section). Results. In control hearts, 91.9% ± 0.9% of ventricular capillaries and 91.4% ± 5.8% of septal capillaries were perfused by retrograde cardioplegia. After antegrade blood cardioplegia washed out group 2 hearts, 14.0% ± 4.1% of capillaries in the ventricle still contained NTB-2, as did 12.5% ± 5.4% of capillaries in the septum. Conclusions. In this experimental model, antegrade blood cardioplegia did not coperfuse (and therefore washout) 12.5% to 14% ( p
From signing to strangling: Arthur Miller and the national security state

In ‘From Signing to Strangling: Arthur Miller, the Work of Art, and the National Security State’, I argue that two of Miller's major plays respond directly to trends in US Cold War politics—but in much more abstract ways than have yet been realized. Far from merely satirizing mores, Miller deployed a historically distinctive politics of authorship which sought to distinguish literary texts from the documents and archives of the security state. When The Crucible (1953) was received primarily as political allegory, Miller was incensed; by focusing on the final scene of the play, I show how John Proctor was meant less as a political, than an aesthetic, dissident. I extend my analysis to Miller's 1964 play After the Fall, which reworks the distinction between artistic and state discourses by way of a vanishing distinction between the marriage of two characters in the play, and Miller's own marriage to Marilyn Monroe. Via two scenes of strangulation, one in each play, Miller's work makes the mournful passage f...
Do Muslims Believe More in Protestant Work Ethic than Christians? Comparison of People with Different Religious Background Living in the US.

This study examines the work ethic characteristics of Protestant, Catholic, and Muslim people who are living in the US. People originally from Turkey were targeted under the Muslim group. Since a significant number of people selected “none” as their religious affiliation in the survey, this group has also been included in the final analysis. Eight hundred and three people (313 Protestants, 180 “none”, 96 Muslims, 86 Catholics, and 128 other) participated in this questionnaire study. The analyses revealed that Muslim Turks reported greater scores on four of the five Protestant work ethic (PWE) characteristics. Protestants scored higher than Catholics on all characteristics, but there was no significant difference.
Visualizing diffusion flame formation in the wake of partially premixed combustion

Results are presented on the formation of a diffusion flame in a methane nonpremixed jet following the propagation of partially premixed combustion. An initially nonreacting turbulent methane jet (Re=2700) in quiescent air is ignited at a downstream location (x/d =70). High-speed video images (125 and 250 Hz) were obtained that chart the evolution of the combustion process. Partially premixed flame propagation is witnessed as the combustion front moves upstream (downward) toward the nozzle exit. As the front propagates, the blue (premixed) character of the flame is diminished, the combustion region narrows, and the transition to diffusion-limited combustion along the stratified methane/ air layer takes place. Before reaching the nozzle exit, axial wisps of blue flame emission are witnessed along the jet-edge near the fuel/air interface (i.e., at larger radii than the eventual diffusion flame boundary). Luminosity from soot is first apparent just upstream of an axisymmetric flame bulge as the diffusion flame forms, and within 100 ms, soot attains levels present in the steady-state turbulent diffusion flame. Images are presented portraying the phenomenon, and three regimes are proposed to characterize the propagation of combustion.
How to Be a Proponent of Empathy

A growing interest across disciplines in the nature of empathy has sparked a debate over the place of empathy in morality. Proponents are eager to capitalize on the apparent close connection between empathy and altruism, while critics point to serious problems in our exercise of empathy - we are naturally biased, empathize too much or too little, and prone to making all sorts of mistakes in empathizing. The proponents have a promising response, that it is not empathy simpliciter, but empathy in some “proper” form, that does the work they claim for it. This paper aims to propose a cautiously optimistic position for the proponent by rethinking the suggested approach. I argue that empathy plays two important roles in morality, one epistemic and the other relational, but the proponent must be careful not to exaggerate the contribution that empathy, even in its “proper” form, can make to our moral life.
Patterns and consequences of vertebrate Emx gene duplications

We have cloned and analyzed two Emx genes from the lamprey Petromyzon marinus and our findings provide insight into the patterns and developmental consequences of gene duplications during early vertebrate evolution. The Emx gene family presents an excellent case for addressing these issues as gnathostome vertebrates possess two or three Emx paralogs that are highly pleiotropic, functioning in or being expressed during the development of several vertebrate synapomorphies. Lampreys are the most primitive extant vertebrates and characterization of their development and genomic organization is critical for understanding vertebrate origins. We identified two Emx genes from P. marinus and analyzed their phylogeny and their embryological expression relative to other chordate Emx genes. Our phylogenetic analysis shows that the two lamprey Emx genes group independently from the gnathostome Emx1, Emx2, and Emx3 paralogy groups. Our expression analysis shows that the two lamprey Emx genes are expressed in distinct spatial and temporal patterns that together broadly encompass the combined sites of expression of all gnathostome Emx genes. Our data support a model wherein large-scale regulatory evolution of a single Emx gene occurred after the protochordate/vertebrate divergence, but before the vertebrate radiation. Both the lamprey and gnathostome lineages then underwent independent gene duplications followed by extensive paralog subfunctionalization. Emx subfunctionalization in the telencephalon is remarkably convergent and refines our understanding of lamprey forebrain patterning. We also identify lamprey-specific sites of expression that indicate either neofunctionalization in lampreys or sites-specific nonfunctionalization of all gnathostome Emx genes. Overall, we see only very limited correlation between Emx gene duplications and the acquisition of novel expression domains.
Orconectes (Crockerinus) alluvius (Decapoda: Cambaridae), a new crayfish species from the Crawford Upland and Mitchell Plain in southwestern Indiana

Abstract A new species of crayfish, Orconectes (Crockerinus) alluvius, is described from headwater streams of the Crawford Upland and Mitchell Plain in southwestern Indiana. It occurs in small- to medium-sized sandy streams associated with leaf litter and woody debris. Orconectes (C.) alluvius can be distinguished from other species in the subgenus Crockerinus Fitzpatrick, 1987 by a combination of the following characters. First pleopod of form I male with weakly developed shoulder on cephalic surface at base of central projection; central projection corneous, constituting 18.9–32.5% (X = 24.5%, n = 59, SD = 3.39) of total length of first pleopod, straight for most of length with a slight lateral curve at tip; cephalic margins of central projection feature impressed longitudinal striations distally on both mesial and lateral margins; mesial projection non-corneous with a slight outward bend near middle, ending in a flattened tip that is wider than the tip of the central projection; length of mesial proje...
Observational and Model Estimates of Cloud Amount Feedback over the Indian and Pacific Oceans

AbstractConstraining intermodel spread in cloud feedback with observations is problematic because available cloud datasets are affected by spurious behavior in long-term variability. This problem is addressed by examining cloud amount in three independent ship-based [Extended Edited Cloud Reports Archive (EECRA)] and satellite-based [International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Pathfinder Atmosphere–Extended (PATMOS-X)] observational datasets, and models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). The three observational datasets show consistent cloud variability in the overlapping years of coverage (1984–2007). The long-term cloud amount change from 1954 to 2005 in ship-based observations shares many of the same features with the multimodel mean cloud amount change of 42 CMIP5 historical simulations, although the magnitude of the multimodel mean is smaller. The radiative impact of cloud changes is estimated by computing an o...
Pollination of red clover in Minnesota.

Observations on pollination of mammoth red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) in Roseau County of northern Minnesota indicated that honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) remained at a low level of abundance on red clover until sweetclover (Mellilotus alba Desr.) had gone out of bloom. Late-season honey bee activity on mammoth red clover was important in effecting late seed crops of 138 to 354 pounds of seed per acre. In Clearwater and Polk Counties of northwestern Minnesota, where medium red clover was the only legume grown for seed, honey bees were important pollinators of the medium red clover. Partial correlation calculated from observations on 18 fields of second-crop medium red clover indicated that honey bees were more important than bumble bees (Bombus spp.) in determining seed yields. Partial regressions of yields on average counts of honey bees and bumble bees indicated that bumble bees were more efficient than honey bees. Abundance of honey bees and seed yields decreased as the distance between red clover fields and apiaries increased. Pollination by honey bees accounted for yields of 193 to 456 pounds per acre when bees were located adjacent to the fields of medium red clover, while at distances of greater than 1 mile from the nearest apiary pollination by honey bees was insignificant.
Optical-absorption and photo emission edges in insulating solids

In this paper, the author considers in general terms the theory predicting the position of optical-absorption edges and also photoemission edges in insulating solids. It is seen that these two experimental techniques may probe fundamentally different properties of solids and that by proper analysis of these results it is possible to deduce directly the effects of "excitonic" processes in soft-x-ray spectra. By constructing appropriate limits of the general theory, it becomes possible to perform a series of model calculations for several systems to illustrate the salient features. In general, a very favorable comparison with experiment is obtained. Based upon these models, one is also able to give a quantitative size to such various effects as relaxation, correlation, and electron-hole interaction strength. Finally, we are able to resolve the controversy among Brown et al., Menzel et al., \AA{}berg and Dehmer, and Kunz et al. in favor of the excitonic model for explaining the optical absorption spectrum of LiF.
Multimedia layout adaptation through grammatical specifications

Online multimedia presentations, such as news, need to be constantly updated. Increasing demands are also being made for accessing online multimedia documents from mobile devices such as PDAs. There is an urgent need for a sound but practical formalism that supports automatic adaptation to the change of media content, display environments, and user intention. This paper presents a visual language approach to the layout adaptation of multimedia objects. The underlying theory of our approach is a context-sensitive graph grammar formalism enriched with facilities for spatial representation and specification. The paper focuses on the issues and techniques for size adaptation and style adaptation in response to the change of device requirements and user interactions.
Zinc-finger nucleases: new strategies to target the rat genome

The importance of genetic laboratory models, such as mice and rats, becomes evident when there is a poor understanding of the nature of human disease. Many rat models for human disease, created over the years by phenotype-driven strategies, now provide a foundation for the identification of their genetic determinants. These models are especially valuable with the emerging need for validation of genes found in genome-wide association studies for complex diseases. The manipulation of the rat genome using engineered zinc-finger nucleases now introduces a key technology for manipulating the rat genome, which is broadly applicable. The ability to generate knockout rat models using zinc-finger nuclease technology will now enable its full emergence as an exceptional physiological and genetic research model.
NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS IN THE NEWBORN WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE IS A POOR PROGNOSTIC SIGN. 155

NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS IN THE NEWBORN WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE IS A POOR PROGNOSTIC SIGN. 155
Internalizing MHC class II–peptide complexes are ubiquitinated in early endosomes and targeted for lysosomal degradation

As sentinels of the immune system, dendritic cells (DCs) continuously generate and turnover antigenic peptide–MHC class II complexes (pMHC-II). pMHC-II generation is a complex process that involves many well-characterized MHC-II biosynthetic intermediates; however, the mechanisms leading to MHC-II turnover/degradation are poorly understood. We now show that pMHC-II complexes undergoing clathrin-independent endocytosis from the DC surface are efficiently ubiquitinated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase March-I in early endosomes, whereas biosynthetically immature MHC-II–Invariant chain (Ii) complexes are not. The inability of MHC-II–Ii to serve as a March-I substrate is a consequence of Ii sorting motifs that divert the MHC-II–Ii complex away from March-I+ early endosomes. When these sorting motifs are mutated, or when clathrin-mediated endocytosis is inhibited, MHC-II–Ii complexes internalize by using a clathrin-independent endocytosis pathway and are now ubiquitinated as efficiently as pMHC-II complexes. These data show that the selective ubiquitination of internalizing surface pMHC-II in March-I+ early endosomes promotes degradation of “old” pMHC-II and spares forms of MHC-II that have not yet loaded antigenic peptides or have not yet reached the DC surface.
Late Ordovician trilobites from northwest Iran and their biogeographical affinities

A diverse, previously undescribed trilobite fauna from northwest Iran sheds new light on the Early Palaeozoic geography of the Alborz terrane. The structural history of the Alborz region is well known, though faunal data for the area are sparse, especially for the Ordovician. Trilobites, brachiopods, conodonts, bryozoans and echinoderms occur in a red grainstone/packstone near the village of Tatavrud, 35 km southwest of Bandar-e-Anzali. The fossils indicate a Late Ordovician age, although lithologically similar outcrops in northern Iran have previously been considered Silurian. Trilobite genera occurring include Trinodus, Geragnostus, Illaenus, Panderia, Phorocephala, Ovalocephalus, Dicranopeltis, Symphysops, Cyclopyge, and Sphaerexochus. Similar assemblages have been reported from the Late Ordovician of Ireland, Spain, Poland, Norway, northwest China, Kazakhstan and the Turkistan–Alai Ridge (Uzbekistan–Kyrgyzstan border). Reconstructions of Late Ordovician geography place the Alborz terrane near the eastern margin of Gondwana, but there is doubt as to its precise location. Some workers have considered it part of the margin while others have considered it a separate terrane. Several species present, including Mezzaluna tatavrudensis n. sp. and Phorocephala cf. ulugtana (Petrunina, 1975) are very similar to taxa described from the Turkistan–Alai Ridge. In addition, the isocolid genus Paratiresias has only been reported from Iran, the Turkistan–Alai Ridge and northwest China. The presence of these taxa indicates that the Alborz terrane was in close proximity to the eastern margin of Gondwana at this time.
Semiconductor microcavity light-emitting structures

Over the last decade considerable advances have been made in the area of semiconductor lasers as a result of tailoring the electronic structure of the active medium. This has been accomplished through the use of quantum confinement and built-in strain. There has been less emphasis on altering the photonic properties to improve laser performance. In this paper we examine the potential of a surface-emitting microcavity structure with submicron lateral dimensions for improving laser performance. We find that as the lateral dimensions are decreased, the photon density of states starts to change. In particular, strongly resonant states associated with Bragg reflection begin to dominate the photon spectrum. By placing the resonance peak close to the gain peak in the active quantum well region, a number of laser properties can be altered. The dimensions at which the changes start to be significant is about (lambda) /n a , where n a is the refractive index of the active region. A study of how the threshold current, dynamic characteristics and laser linewidth change as a function of the microcavity dimensions is presented. Our studies show that the spontaneous emission factor (beta) approaches a value of approximately equals 0.5 for small structures with high mirror reflectivities. This in turn results in essentially zero threshold lasing for a microcavity with lateral dimensions < 0.3 micrometers (for emission at 1.3 eV). The laser linewidth increases as (beta) decreases, but the increase is not proportional to (beta) , and even for small structures, the linewidth is expected to be in the range of 100 MHz to 1 GHz, which may be adequate for many applications. The -3 dB response of the 0.3 micrometers laser exceeds 40 GHz.
International Business Dynamics: Drivers of Multinational Corporations' In-Country Economic Returns

Globalization of the world economy and proliferation of multinational corporations (MNCs) has dramatically affected the power balance among international actors. On one hand, MNCs have long influenced the states in which they operate, with the consequent erosion of state sovereignty. On the other, states directly affect MNCs, in effect becoming another factor of production in addition to the economist’s traditional set of labor, land, and capital. This article introduces a theoretical model based on the interaction of the MNC, the local state, and the local market to predict and explain the economic returns that the MNC will earn on its investment in the local market.
Buoyancy induced instability of laminar flows in vertical annuli. II, Model development and analysis

Abstract A two-dimensional numerical model, based on the elliptic Navier-Stokes equations, is developed to predict the location of incipient instability, xfr, in low Reynolds number water flows in vertical annuli. Results show that neglecting the radial momentum can underpredict the values of xfr at high Grq/Re values by as much as 45%. Conversely, the axial momentum diffusion only insignificantly affects the velocity fields and, hence, the accuracy of predicting xfr. The results of a parametric analysis investigating the effects of various operating conditions and geometrical parameters is used to develop general criteria for predicting the onset of flow instability in vertical annuli. These criteria are within ± 10 and ± 15% of the experimental data for buoyancy assisted and opposed flows, respectively.
Synthesis and Structure Confirmation Of Compound D, A Proinflammatory Arachidonate Metabolite

Abstract 12( S )- and 12( R -Hydroxyeicosa-5( Z )-trienoic acids ( 7 and 8 , respectively) and their 8( E )-analogues were prepared from L -glutamic acid. Only 8 was comparable by bioassay to natural compound D isolated from corneal epithelium.
Migrating an OS Scheduler into Tightly Coupled FPGA Logic to Increase Attacker Workload

This paper explores the idea of increasing attacker workload by hiding core operating system functions within Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) logic, recently introduced within the fabric of high-performance embedded processors. The research is conducted in the context of a from-scratch micro-kernel operating system (BEAR [1]) under development at Dartmouth. This paper explains the performance costs and security enhancements associated with a rudimentary hardware scheduler on the Xilinx Zynq Z-7020 All Programmable System-on-Chip. Baseline measurements are collected for a traditional C-based software implementation. Implementations coded directly in VHDL and transformed from C to HDL via High Level Synthesis (HLS) are then compared. Performance and hardware resource utilization costs between AXI4 and AXI4-lite processor-FPGA interfaces are also evaluated.
Fairness based dynamic channel allocation in wireless mesh networks

Wireless mesh networks(WMNs) have emerged as a key technology for new wireless network technology as well as part of the next generation Internet. The capacity of a wireless mesh network is improved by equipping mesh nodes with multi-radios tuned to non-overlapping channels. By letting these nodes utilize the available channels opportunistically, we increase the utilization of the available bandwidths in the channel space. The essential problem is how to allocate the channels to these multi-radio nodes, especially when they are heterogeneous with diverse transmission types and bandwidths. Most of current work has been based on the objective to achieve maximal total bandwidths. In this paper, we propose a new bipartite-graph based model and design channel allocation algorithms that maximize the minimal channel gain to achieve relative fairness. Our model maps heterogeneous network environment to a weighted graph. We then use augmenting path to update channel allocation status and use canonical form to compare the new status with previous status to achieve better fairness. Evaluations demonstrate that our algorithms improve fairness compared with related algorithms.
The demand for unbundled elements in telephony revisited

In the December edition of the Atlantic Economic Journal, Drs. Ekelund and Ford [2002] published a paper estimating the own-price elasticity of demand for a combination of unbundled elements commonly referred to as UNE-P (or UNEPlatform). Using a constant elasticity formulation of the demand curve, Ekelund and Ford (“E-F”) estimate an own-price elasticity of –2.7 for UNE-P, indicating that regulated prices for unbundled elements have a potent effect on retail competition in local telecommunications markets.
Maximizing Utilization of Peer Specialists in Community Mental Health: The Next Step in Implementation

The successful implementation of peer support services in community mental health centers requires the maximum utilization of peer specialists in order to meet the needs of the consumer, the agency and the peer specialist so that they receive the full benefits of their employment. This study identifies factors that positively and negatively impact the referral to and utilization of peer support services by traditional providers and strategies for achieving optimal utilization.
An examination of self-perception mediation of the foot-in-the-door effect.

In 1966, Freedman and Fraser demonstrated that an individual is more likely to comply with a large request for help if that person has previously agreed to an initial small request—a phenomenon they called the "foot-in-the-door" effect. In the present survey, studies that have sought to replicate the foot-inthe-door effect are reviewed. The adequacy of a self-perception explanation for the foot-in-the-door effect is assessed by examining (a) the importance of the size of the initial request; (b) the effect of noncompliance with the initial request; (c) the impact of salient external justifications for the initial act of compliance; (d) the impact of social labels on subsequent levels of compliance; and (e) attempts at actually measuring changes in self-percepti on. Alternative explanations of the foot-in-the-door effect are considered and rejected, and directions for future research are outlined. In 1966 Freedman and Fraser tested the notion that once an individual has complied with a small, sometimes trivial request, that person will be more likely to comply with a larger and more substantial demand made in the future—an effect they christened the "foot-in-the-door" phenomenon. During the last 12 years, social psychologists have continued to be fascinated by those results. How is it that the simple act of assenting to a small request for help can dramatically increase, even double, the probability of a person's agreeing to give help in the future? Because the foot-in-the-door paradigm has become an important vehicle by which to study the link between self-concept and behavior, it is important to take a step back and ask some basic questions about the progress of this research: (a) Is the foot-in-the-door
Semi-empirical calculation of the optical spectra of silica clusters in spark-processed silicon

Abstract Substantial part of the volume of the luminescent spark-processed silicon (sp-Si) material consists of amorphous SiO 2 . The nitrogen atoms incorporated in the material substantially influence its optical properties. In order to understand the photoluminescence (PL) behavior of sp-Si, we calculated UV/visible optical absorption spectra of a large variety of silicon-oxynitride clusters and compared them with experimentally measured absorption spectra of sp-Si. All structures in our study were optimized with the AM1 method. The optical absorption spectra were calculated using the quantum-mechanical Intermediate Neglect of Differential Overlap (INDO) method together with configuration interaction, which was parameterized for Si. The experimentally measured absorption spectrum of sp-Si shows electron transitions at 245, 277, 325 and 389 nm. Our theoretical results indicate that the transition at 245 nm can be attributed to certain specific nitrogen-substituted SiO 2 structures, in which the double SiO bond plays a crucial role.
Viewpoint on “Dissolvable fluidic time delays for programming multi-step assays in instrument-free paper diagnostics”

Medical diagnostics must function in a wide range of environments: from urban hospitals in developed countries (where cost and simplicity are presently not crucial objectives) to remote settings in developing economies, where little is available in terms of infrastructure (and where low cost and great simplicity are everything). The ‘‘developing economy’’ challenge is one that is now being embraced by the microfluidics community: exactly how does one provide biomedical information when there is no electricity, refrigeration, clean water, or trained medical personnel? Although the challenges of inexpensive, self-contained medical diagnostics are often phrased in terms of medical needs encountered in, say, the rural villages and large urban slums of Africa, practical solutions to these challenges would also be widely useful in many other circumstances: examples of other types of applications that share at least some technical requirements include medical diagnosis in military field operations, detection of diseases of animals and plants, verification of food and water safety, environmental monitoring, analyses for homeland security, and chronic and point-ofcare health monitoring. In each area, specific applications require some combination of simplicity, robustness, and low cost. New methods applicable to one have the potential to be applicable to others. Making diagnostics reliable without the infrastructure usually available in a well-supported academic laboratory (where much of the LoC technology has originated) is more difficult than it seems. The characteristics that must be built into a successful system make a long list, and sometimes seem incompatible; for example: how can unskilled personnel accurately measure the intensity of color in a colorimetric assay? How can one use the reliable, workhorse reagents (e.g., common enzymes and antibodies) of bioanalysis if they are unstable in the environments in which they must be used? Because the list is so long, there will probably be no single, best solution, but rather ingenious solutions for each problem that will then be combined in packages tailored to specific applications.
EPR and NMR characterization of theS=9 excited state and spin density distribution in the single-molecule magnet Fe8Br8: Implications to theS=10 model and magnetization tunneling pathways

High-sensitivity, variable-frequency, high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements are reported for theS=10 single-molecule magnet Fe8Br8. We find that theS=10 state is nested with its first excited state, withS=9, located at only 24±2 K above. Also reported are some preliminary81Br NMR measurements of the unpaired electron spin density on the Br− sites. The results provide new insight and benchmarks for improved electronic and magnetic structural calculations and macroscopic tunneling pathways of this class of single-molecule magnets.
Morphological and functional differentiation in the lumbar spine of lorisids and galagids.

The striking contrast in positional behavior exhibited by lorisids (slow quadrupedalism/suspension) and galagids (leaping/quadrupedalism) is well reflected in their postcranial morphology, particularly in the limbs. Although they exhibit very different spinal postures and movements, vertebral adaptations have been less well explored in these taxa. This study addressed morphological and functional differentiation in the lumbar vertebrae of four species of lorisids and five species of galagids. Linear and angular measurements of lumbar vertebrae were compared among taxa using canonical variates analysis (CVA) in conjunction with pairwise comparisons among selected variables. The results were interpreted in the context of a broader comparative sample, including the addition of indriids to the CVA. Compared to galagids, lorisids have relatively shorter lumbar spinous processes that are more perpendicularly (to caudally) oriented relative to a coronal plane. Lorisids also have relatively wider laminae and more transversely oriented prezygapophyses. These features promote lumbar stability and reflect antipronogrady, multiplane spinal movements, and upside-down suspension. Within lorisids, vertebral body length and height vary with body size, reflecting the additional resistance to bending that is required for larger body sizes. Galagid lumbar shape is influenced by body size, but does not show strong variation in accordance with positional behavior differences as defined here. Galagids, indriids, and lorisids are distinct in lumbar morphology and function, but their similarities in lumbar length reduction are suggestive of antipronograde postures in the common ancestor of the galagids, including those who have shifted to a more quadrupedal locomotor repertoire. Am. J. Primatol. 69:86–102, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Layer-wise approach for the bifurcation problem in laminated composites with delaminations

Buckling of axially loaded composite beam plates with multiple delaminations is studied. The delaminations are assumed to extend through the width of the composite. A finite element method based on a layer-wise plate theory is developed to formulate the problem. Numerical results are obtained, addressing the effects of the number of delaminations , their lengths, through-the-thickness locations, and axial locations on the critical buckling load and corresponding mode shapes of the composite laminate. It is found that the proposed approach is very efficient and yields accurate solutions with significant savings in computing time compared with the commonly used plane elasticity finite element method for analyzing delamination buckling problems in composites.
Vβ repertoire in rats and implications for endogenous superantigens

Endogenous superantigens of mice, encoded by mammary tumor virus proviral integrants, induce intrathymic deletion of entire T cell populations that express specific V beta gene products, a phenomenon proposed to be important in self-tolerance and prevention of toxic responses to exogenous microbial superantigens. Evidence for the presence of V beta selecting/deleting endogenous superantigens in other species is lacking. We report here that rats do not exhibit endogenous superantigen-induced V beta clonal deletions despite their strong response to bacterial superantigens. These findings indicate that endogenous superantigens are not obligatory in V beta repertoire shaping.
Effects of physostigmine on male offspring sired by alcohol-treated fathers.

Male rats were intubated with either 3, 2, or 0 g/kg alcohol, twice daily, for 7 months and were then bred to untreated females. At 18 and 58–62 days of age, male offspring were tested for passive avoidance learning. At 82–88 days of age, another group of male offspring were tested for open field activity after receiving 0, 0.1, or 0.4 mg/kg physostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor. Offspring sired by alcohol-treated fathers required more trials to reach criterion in the passive avoidance task at 18 days of age, but did not differ significantly at 58–62 days of age. These offspring were more active in the open field compared with controls after receiving vehicle, but did not differ from controls after receiving physostigmine. These results suggest animals sired by alcohol-treated fathers are more active than controls, and this effect is cholingergically mediated. These results are of interest because of their possible relevance to the hyperactivity noted in children born to alcoholic fathers.
El Niño-like climate change in a model with increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations

SEA surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean increased on average by serveral tenths of a degree during the 1980s and early 1990s1–4, contributing to the observed global warming during this period5. Here we investigate the possible causes of this Pacific warming, using a global coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model incorporating increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. In the model, cloud cover and cloud albedo feedbacks contribute to tropical Pacific sea surface temperature increases that are greater east of 180° longitude, with attendant shifts in large-scale precipitation patterns and mid-latitude circulation anomalies in the north Pacific. These anomalies resemble some aspects of El Nino events, as well as features associated with recent observed Pacific-region climate anomalies. The resemblance to El Nino complicates the problem of detection and attribution of climate change, and suggests that depletion of freshwater resources6 may be an additional hazard of greenhouse warming for populations in the western Pacific region.
Hemolysis in immune rabbits of autologous erythrocytes modified with common enterobacterial antigen.

In Kaninchen, die mit gemeinsamem Antigen der intestinalen Bakterien immunisiert waren, sowie in nichtimmunisierte Kaninchen wurden Eigenerythrocyten, die mit dem Antigen vorbehandelt waren, intravenos injiziert.In vivo-Hamolyse-wurde nur bei den immunisiertem Tieren beobachtet. Erythrocyten, die mit heterologem Staphylokokken-Antigen vorbehandelt waren, wurden nicht hamolysiert.
Nanotribology of a Kr monolayer: A quartz-crystal microbalance study of atomic-scale friction

A quartz-crystal microbalance has been utilized to probe sliding-friction effects in Kr monolayers undergoing solidification on Au and Ag surfaces. Solid layers are observed to be far more sensitive to surface morphology than liquids. The behavior of liquid layers is consistent with a frictional force whose magnitude is a nonlinear function of the sliding velocity.
Numerical Studies on Effect of Channel Orientation in a Rotating Smooth Wedge-Shaped Cooling Channel

The increasing demands of better efficiency of modern advanced gas turbine require higher turbine inlet temperatures, which gives great challenges to turbine blade designers. However, the temperature limits of turbine blade material are not high enough to ensure its survival in such incredible operating temperature. Hence, both internal and external cooling approaches have been developed and widely used in today’s turbine blade. To internal cooling problems, a variety of cooling enhancement approaches, such as impingement and turbulators, are employed in order to meet the different needs in leading, middle and trailing region. One of the most critical parts in turbine blade is trailing edge where it is hard to cool due to its narrow shape. Pin-fins are widely used to cool the trailing edge of rotor and stator blades of gas turbine engine. Pin-fins offer significant heat transfer enhancement, they are relatively easy to fabricate and offer structural support to the hollow trailing edge region. The flow physics in a pin-fin roughened channel is very complicated and three-dimensional.In this work, we have studied the effect of channel orientation on heat transfer in a rotating wedge-shaped cooling channel using numerical methods. Qiu [1] studied experimentally heat transfer effects of 5 different angles of wedge shaped channel orientation for the inlet Reynolds number (5100 to 21000) and rotational speed (zero to 1000 rpm), which results in the inlet Rotation number variation from 0 to 0.68. They observed that compared to the non-rotating condition, there is about 35% overall heat transfer enhancement under highest rotation number. The above said results are validated using current studies with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) revealed that rotation increases significantly the heat transfer coefficient on the trailing surface and reduces the heat transfer coefficient on the leading surface. This is due to the higher velocities associated with the converging geometry near trailing surface.Copyright © 2014 by ASME