cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Place-Based Learning, Geospatial Literacy, and Maps

The pedagogy of place-based learning is applicable across disciplines and emerged from several different fields. To be effective, these experiences require a thoughtful pedagogy that anchors student learning in a specific place and facilitates the connections between conceptual material and geospatial location. In order to make these learning environments meaningful, a clear synergy needs to be created between out-of-classroom and in-classroom or online experiences. Otherwise, students become academic tourists, passing through their destinations without making connections or gaining an appreciation for the significance of place. The ability to use mobile devices on location to conduct mapping activities advances the potential for engaging students and structuring their experience with place-based learning.
Household use of autonomous vehicles with ride sourcing

Abstract The prospect of autonomous vehicles (AVs) offers the possibility that a household could reduce household owned vehicles to a single vehicle. At the same time, with AVs, a Shared Autonomous Vehicle (SAV) system will rise as a primary mode of serving travel demands. This study aims to model households’ activity/travel decisions using both household owned AVs as well as readily available SAVs to perform daily activities. We formulate the Household Activity Pattern Problem with Autonomous Vehicles and Ride Sourcing (HAPPAV-RS), as a mixed integer linear program. The model generates an optimal activity/travel patterns for household members under spatial and temporal constraints. The model can capture driverless operations such as AV pick-up and drop-off, parking availability, empty trips and ridesharing among household members, as well as the use of SAVs with the request waiting time. A decomposition method is used to solve the NP-hard problem HAPPAV-RS. scenarios on using AVs and SAVs with different travel mode availability, AV/SAV cost and SAV waiting time are designed to enable sensitivity analysis. Various travel metrics such as activity pattern feasibility, household’s total travel disutility, travel mode VMT and AV-SAV trip coverage are reported.
Undergraduates’ Motivation Following a Zoo Experience: Status Matters but Structure Does not:

Background: Free-choice learning, which often takes place in settings such as zoos, is where the learner has autonomy to choose what, where, how, and with whom to learn. Currently, little is known ...
The Clinical Significance and Biological Function of PCDH7 in Cervical Cancer.

Purpose Cervical cancer is a common cancerous tumor in women that is prone to recurrence and metastasis. Recently, many people have explored the role of protocadherin 7 (PCDH7) in cancer and found that PCDH7 is abnormally expressed in many cancers. The purpose of this study is to explore the expression and mechanism of PCDH7 in cervical cancer and evaluate its clinical prognostic significance. Materials and methods The expression of PCDH7 in cervical cancer and cells was measured by qRT-PCR. The relationship between PCDH7 expression and the clinical prognosis was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analyses. Effects of PCDH7 on cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were studied by MTT assay and transwell assays. Results The expression of PCDH7 in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines was notably downregulated compared with the corresponding control. Low PCDH7 expression was associated with a low survival rate. PCDH7 expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis, cell differentiation, and FIGO staging. PCDH7 can be used as an independent prognostic factor for cervical cancer. Up-regulation of PCDH7 significantly inhibited the proliferation ability, migration potential, and invasion capacity of cancer cells. Conclusion PCDH7 may be used as a prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer patients.
The Role of Model Selection in Preference Learning.

Learning preferences of an agent requires choosing which preference representation to use. This formalism should be expressive enough to capture a significant part of the agent's preferences. Selecting the right formalism is generally not easy, as we have limited access to the way the agent makes her choices. It is then important to understand how ``universal" particular preference representation formalisms are, that is, whether they can perform well in learning preferences of agents with a broad spectrum of preference orders. In this paper, we consider several preference representation formalisms from this perspective: lexicographic preference models, preference formulas, sets of (ranked) preference formulas, and neural networks. We find that the latter two show a good potential as general preference representation formalisms. We show that this holds true when learning preferences of a single agent but also when learning models to represent consensus preferences of a group of agents.
Noise Evaluation of Various High-gain, Very-low-noise Current Sense Amplifier Circuits

We report an evaluation of three different electronic topologies for a high-gain, very-low-noise current sense amplifier (CSA) for use in remote sensing applications. The circuits in question were built from commercially available parts and were evaluated for their performance in an interface to a photo detector used in NASA's Lunar Flashlight infrared spectrometer spacecraft. Through constraints on the test environment, we were able to reduce the impact of systematic noise sources by making them common mode to the measurement. The parts compared were based on the ADA4530-1, the LTC6240, and the LSK389A. We determined which of the three different versions of the CSA had superior noise performance for selection for use on the instrument. Two tests and simulations of each board compare and contrast functionality and performance, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and based on those results, we show that the ADA4350-1 outperformed the opposing components.
A distributed set-membership estimator for linear systems with reduced computational requirements

Abstract In this paper, a distributed set-membership estimator for linear full-coupled systems affected by bounded disturbances is presented. The estimator uses a multi-hop staircase decomposition, capturing the locally unobservable subspaces in a cascaded fashion with the information incoming from other agents involved in the network. Each agent has to find different sets for each subspace, that are mathematically described by zonotopes. The observer gains that minimize the size of those sets, i.e. the estimation uncertainty, can be designed in independent distributed steps by means of simple algebraic equations . Simulations are given to compare the proposed solution with others in the field. An important benefit of the proposed structure is the reduction of the computational requirements with respect to existing solutions.
Elevated Cranial Sutural Complexity in Burrowing Dicynodonts

Relationships between the complexity of the cranial sutures and the inferred ecology of dicynodont synapsids are explored. Simple complexity indices based on degree of sutural interdigitation were calculated for 70 anomodont species and indicate that the naso-frontal sutures of Cistecephalidae, a clade inferred to be dedicated fossors based on aspects of postcranial morphology, are substantially more complex than those of other dicynodonts. The elevated complexity of the naso-frontal suture in this clade is interpreted as being related to compressive forces sustained during burrowing, paralleling the condition in some other fossorial vertebrate groups (e.g., amphisbaenians). The most highly interdigitated sutures in the cistecephalid skull are those oriented transversely to its long axis, which would experience the greatest longitudinal stresses from contact with the substrate. Although it is uncertain to what degree cistecephalid burrowing was based on scratch vs. head-lift digging, it is argued that the head played an important role during locomotion in this group. Increased sutural complexity, rather than cranial fusion, as an adaptation to resisting compressive forces during burrowing may be related to indeterminate growth in dicynodonts.
Breast cancer incidence trends in Asian women aged 20 or older as compared to other ethnic women in the United States from 2000 to 2018 by time period, age and tumor stage.

BACKGROUND After new cancer data are released in April 2021, it is important to update the incidence trend in breast cancer from 2000 to 2018 and focus on ethnic disparities in the risk of developing breast cancer. METHODS We identified 1129,564 women who were diagnosed with incident breast cancer at age ≥ 20 in 2000-2018 from 18 SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) registries. We utilized the SEER*Stat software to calculate age-adjusted incidence rates. RESULTS Overall age-adjusted incidence rate of breast cancer was the highest in non-Hispanic white (NHW) women (190.4 cases per 100,000 women), followed by NH-black (NHB) (178.4), Asian/Pacific-Islanders (API) (141.3), Hispanic (133.3) and American-Indians/Alaska-Native (AIAN) women (128.8). Annual percentage change (APC) from 2000 to 2018 showed that annual increase was statistically significant for API (APC: 1.0, 95% CI: 0.8-1.3), NHB (APC: 0.5, 0.2-0.7), AIAN (1.6, 1.1-2.2), and Hispanic women (0.4, 0.2-0.7), but annual percentage of incidence did not significantly decrease for NHW (-0.1, -0.4 to -0.1). Incidence rates of hormone-receptor positive breast cancer increased from 2000 to 2018 in all ethnic women, while incidence rates of hormone-receptor negative breast cancer decreased. NHW and NHB women had a significantly higher risk of having breast cancer than API women. In 2012-2018, the risks of having local stage and distant stage breast cancer for NHW (1.31, 1.29-1.33 and 1.19, 1.16-1.21) and NHB (1.09, 1.07-1.11 and 1.31, 1.28-1.35) women were significantly higher than that of API women. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of hormone-receptor positive breast cancer increased in all ethnic women from 2000 to 2018 while the incidence of hormone-receptor negative breast cancer decreased. There were still substantial racial disparities in breast cancer incidences.
Role of the Gut Microbiome in Cardiovascular Drug Response: The Potential for Clinical Application

Response to cardiovascular drugs can vary greatly between individuals, and the role of the microbiome in this variability is being increasingly appreciated. Recent evidence indicates that bacteria and other microbes are responsible for direct and indirect effects on drug efficacy and toxicity. Pharmacomicrobiomics aims to uncover variability in drug response due to microbes in the human body, which may alter drug disposition through microbial metabolism, interference by microbial metabolites, or modification of host enzymes. In this review, we present recent advances in our understanding of the interplay between microbes, host metabolism, and cardiovascular drugs. We report numerous cardiovascular drugs with evidence of, or potential for, gut-microbe interactions. However, the effects of gut microbiota on many cardiovascular drugs are yet uninvestigated. Finally, we consider potential clinical applications for the described findings.
The chemical degradation of folic acid. Photolysis of 2,4,7-trihydroxypteridine.

2,4,7-Trihydroxypteridine is readily accessible from folic acid and other naturally occurring pteridines by way of 2-amino-4-hydroxypteridine-6-carboxylic acid, 2-amino-4-hydroxypteridine, and isoxanthopterin (2-amino-4,7-dihydroxypteridine). After irradiation with ultraviolet light and brief acid hydrolysis, 2,4,7-trihydroxypteridine gives rise to glyoxylic acid coming from carbon atoms 6 and 7 of the pteridine ring. A detailed method is described suitable for use on a micro scale in the study of the biosynthetic origin of these carbon atoms in pteridines.
Global asymptotic behavior of solutions of a semilinear parabolic equation

We study the large time behavior of solutions for the semilinear parabolic equation ∆u+V up−ut = 0. Under a general and natural condition on V = V (x) and the initial value u0, we show that global positive solutions of the parabolic equation converge pointwise to positive solutions of the corresponding elliptic equation. As a corollary of this, we recapture the global existence results on semilinear elliptic equations obtained by Kenig and Ni and by F.H. Lin and Z. Zhao. Our method depends on newly found global bounds for fundamental solutions of certain linear parabolic equations.
Global Digital Divide

Despite rapidly falling costs of hardware, software and telecommunications services, a wide gap persists between rich and poor nations in terms of their capabilities of accessing, delivering, and exchanging information in digital forms. This chapter provides an assessment of three computer networks that redefine the conventional definition of market value by allowing developing nations and communities (Brooks 2001) reap the benefits of modern ICTs: Global Trade Point Network (GTPNet) and Little Intelligent Communities (LINCOS).
Design and control of minimum-phase flexible arms with torque transmission mechanisms

A flexible arm with a special transmission mechanism is analyzed, and a method for integrated design of the arm structure and controller is presented. Control of flexible arms is a difficult problem because of the complicated dynamic coupled with the nonminimum-phase nature which is due to the noncollocated construction of sensor and actuator. The transmission mechanism developed relocates the torque-actuation point on the arm and modifies the flexible arm to a minimum-phase system. The resulting flexible arm is analyzed in terms of poles and zeros that are changed by relocating the torque-actuation point. A simple prototype arm is designed and compared with a nonminimum-phase arm. The effectiveness of the special transmission is discussed with regard to control performance, and an integrated structure/control design methodology is proposed. >
Testing Materiality Under the Unfair Practices Acts: What Information Matters When Collecting Time-Barred Debts?

Should creditors and debt collectors be required to disclose the fact that a debt is time-barred when attempting to collect from a consumer? This article describes an empirical study that compares how consumers react to two different collection letters, one in which the recipients are told explicitly that the debt being collected is time-barred, and one in which they are not given this information. The study measures whether consumers are equally willing to pay the debt, when they are told that the debt is time-barred. Appended to the article are the survey questions asked of the study participants.
The Integration of World Capital Markets

This paper discusses the extent to which national capital markets have become linked, and identifies several of the more important consequences of that increased degree of integration. Alternative approaches to the measurement of capital market integration are reviewed, including deviations from the law of one price, differences between actual and optimally diversified portfolios, correlations between domestic investment and domestic saving, and cross-country links in consumption behavior. Two recent episodes of large-scale international capital flows--namely, the turmoil in the European Monetary System in the fall of 1992, and the surge of capital inflows into Latin America during the last three years--are examined for insights into the workings of today`s global capital market. Finally, the paper offers some concluding remarks on the future development of international capital markets, on exchange rate management, on alternative approaches to living with larger and more influential financial markets, and on the financing of investment in the formerly centrally planned economies.
Functional Mapping and Ca2+ Regulation of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Channels in Rat Hippocampal CA1 Neurons

Diverse subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), including fast-desensitizing α7-containing receptors thought to be Ca 2+ -permeable, are expressed in the CNS, where they appear to regulate cognitive processing and synaptic plasticity. To understand the physiological role of nAChRs in regulating neuronal excitability, it is important to know the distribution of functional receptors along the surface of neurons, whether they can increase [Ca 2+ ] i , and/or are regulated by Ca 2+ . We mapped the distribution of receptors on the membrane of rat hippocampal CA1 stratum radiatum interneurons and pyramidal cells in acute slices by recording nAChR-mediated currents elicited by local UV laser-based photolysis of caged carbachol in patch-clamped neurons. The local application (∼7 μm patches) allowed mapping of functional nAChRs along the soma and dendritic tree, whereas the fast uncaging minimized the effects of desensitization of α7-containing nAChRs and allowed us to measure the kinetics of responses. The α7-containing nAChRs were the predominant subtype on interneurons, and were located primarily at perisomatic sites ( 2+ ] i , indicating that these native receptors in acute slices are significantly Ca 2+ -permeable, consistent with previous observations made with recombinant receptors. In addition, they exhibited strong desensitization, the rate of recovery from which was controlled by [Ca 2+ ] i . Our results demonstrate the strategic location and Ca 2+ regulation of α7-containing nAChRs, which may contribute to understanding their involvement in hippocampal plasticity.
Periodate oxidation of carbohydrates.

Publisher Summary The oxidation with periodate ion, resulting in 1,2-glycol scission, is one of the most widely used reactions in carbohydrate chemistry. The mild conditions of the reaction are especially well adapted for application to the sensitive carbohydrate structures. The development and wide application of the reaction have been occasioned by a number of factors, the principal one being the high degree of selectivity shown by the periodate reaction when applied under the proper conditions. Thus, the oxidation can be limited to 1,2-glycols, 2-amino alcohols, α-hydroxy ketones and aldehydes, α-amino aldehydes, 1 2-diketones, and certain activated methylene groups. Another feature contributing to the wide usage of the periodate reaction is its simplicity of application. The aqueous solvent conditions called for in periodate oxidation lend themselves very nicely to use with the water-soluble carbohydrates. The insoluble nature of many inorganic salts of the periodate and iodate ion simplifies their removal from reaction mixtures, thus facilitating isolation of the organic products.
The effect of urea on subunit interactions of ß-galactosidase from Escherichia coli K12

Abstract The effect of increasing concentrations of urea on sedimentation velocity, enzymatic activity, antigenicity, and protein fluorescence of s-galactosidase (s- d -galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.23) indicates that the enzymatically active tetramer is completely dissociated into inactive monomer in 6 M urea. Removal of urea by dialysis results in reaggregation to the active tetramer together with a return to normal values of those properties which have been studied. Protein which is immunologically related to s-galactosidase but incapable of forming an enzymatically active tetramer was added to wild-type enzyme in the presence of 8 M urea. After renaturation, the enzymatically active tetramer was found to be a hybrid consisting of mutant and wild-type subunits containing full enzymatic activity.
Electron trapping and paramagnetic defect density measurements in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Abstract Electron deep-trapping mobility-lifetime (μτ) products were measured in a series of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) specimens using the transient photocurrent charge-collection technique. A logarithmic dependence of the resulting μτ estimate upon the collection time was observed. The correlation of μτ with independent electron spin resonance spectroscopy determinations of the D 0 defect density N s was studied. The data are roughly distributed as μτ ∝ N s −1 for specimens prepared from pure silane at varying deposition temperatures. The correlation supports the proposal of Street that the predominant deep trap for electrons is the D 0 defect.
The Spindle: An Irradiated Disk and Bent Protostellar Jet in Orion

We present Hubble Space Telescope observations of a bent, pulsed Herbig-Haro jet, HH 1064, emerging from the young star Parenago 2042 embedded in the H II region NGC 1977 located about 30' north of the Orion Nebula. This outflow contains eight bow shocks in the redshifted western lobe and five bow shocks in the blueshifted eastern lobe. Shocks within a few thousand AU of the source star exhibit proper motions of {approx}160 km s{sup -1} but motions decrease with increasing distance. Parenago 2042 is embedded in a proplyd-a photoevaporating protoplanetary disk. A remarkable set of H{alpha} arcs resembling a spindle surround the redshifted (western) jet. The largest arc with a radius of 500 AU may trace the ionized edge of a circumstellar disk inclined by {approx}30 Degree-Sign . The spindle may be the photoionized edge of either a {approx}3 km s{sup -1} FUV-driven wind from the outer disk or a faster MHD-powered flow from an inner disk. The HH 1064 jet appears to be deflected north by photoablation of the south-facing side of a mostly neutral jet beam. V2412 Ori, located 1' west of Parenago 2042 drives a second bent flow, HH 1065. Both HH 1064 and 1065 are surroundedmore » by LL Ori-type bows marking the boundary between the outflow cavity and the surrounding nebula.« less
Numerical, Hydraulic, and Hemolytic Evaluation of an Intravascular Axial Flow Blood Pump to Mechanically Support Fontan Patients

Currently available mechanical circulatory support systems are limited for adolescent and adult patients with a Fontan physiology. To address this growing need, we are developing a collapsible, percutaneously-inserted, axial flow blood pump to support the cavopulmonary circulation in Fontan patients. During the first phase of development, the design and experimental evaluation of an axial flow blood pump was performed. We completed numerical modeling of the pump using computational fluid dynamics analysis, hydraulic testing of a plastic pump prototype, and blood bag experiments (n = 7) to measure the levels of hemolysis produced by the pump. Statistical analyses using regression were performed. The prototype with a 4-bladed impeller generated a pressure rise of 2–30 mmHg with a flow rate of 0.5–4 L/min for 3000–6000 RPM. A comparison of the experimental performance data to the numerical predictions demonstrated an excellent agreement with a maximum deviation being less than 6%. A linear increase in the plasma-free hemoglobin (pfHb) levels during the 6-h experiments was found, as desired. The maximum pfHb level was measured to be 21 mg/dL, and the average normalized index of hemolysis was determined to be 0.0097 g/100 L for all experiments. The hydraulic performance of the prototype and level of hemolysis are indicative of significant progress in the design of this blood pump. These results support the continued development of this intravascular pump as a bridge‐to‐transplant, bridge‐to‐recovery, bridge-to-hemodynamic stability, or bridge-to-surgical reconstruction for Fontan patients.
Student pharmacists' use and perceived impact of educational technologies.

Objective. To assess the frequency of use by and perceived impact of various educational technologies on student pharmacists.Methods. Data were obtained using a validated, Web-based survey instrument designed to evaluate the frequency of use and impact on learning of various technologies used in educating first-, second-, and third-year student pharmacists. Basic demographic data also were collected and analyzed.Results. The majority (89.4%) of the 179 respondents were comfortable with the technology used in the academic program. The most frequently used technologies for educational purposes were in class electronic presentations, course materials posted on the school Web site, and e-mail. The technologies cited as having the most beneficial impact on learning were course materials posted on the Web site and in-class electronic presentations, and those cited as most detrimental were video-teleconferencing and online testing. Compared to the course textbook, students reported more frequent use of technolog...
A new species of Tapirira (Anacardiaceae) from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico

Tapirira chimalapana is a new species of tree common in the rain forests and lower montane forests of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the Mexican states of Veracruz and Oaxaca. It is most similar to the AndeanT. guianensis Aubl. subsp.subandina Barfod & Holm-Niels. but differs from this and all other congeners by having larger petals on pistillate flowers than on staminate flowers and by pubescence features. Details of field characteristics, distribution, ecology, phenology, germination, and local names and uses are included.
Long-Term Effects of Fetal Exposure to Low Doses of the Xenoestrogen Bisphenol-A in the Female Mouse Genital Tract

Abstract Developmental exposure to estrogenic chemicals induces morphological, functional, and behavioral anomalies associated with reproduction. Humans are routinely exposed to bisphenol-A (BPA), an estrogenic compound that leaches from dental materials and plastic food and beverage containers. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of in utero exposure to low, environmentally relevant doses of BPA on the development of female reproductive tissues in CD-1 mice. In previous publications, we have shown that this treatment alters the morphology of the mammary gland and affects estrous cyclicity. Here we report that in utero exposure to 25 and 250 ng BPA/ kg of body weight per day via osmotic pumps implanted into pregnant dams at Gestational Day 9 induces alterations in the genital tract of female offspring that are revealed during adulthood. They include decreased wet weight of the vagina, decreased volume of the endometrial lamina propria, increased incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine int...
Numerical Analysis of Rapid Micromixers Utilizing Magnetic Particles

Performances of a magnetic particle driven micromixer are predicted numerically. This micromixer takes advantages of mixing enhancements induced by alternating actuation of magnetic particles suspended in the fluid. Effects of the magnetic actuation force, switching frequency and channel’s lateral dimension have been investigated. Numerical results show that the magnetic particle actuation at an appropriate frequency causes effective mixing. The optimum switching frequency depends on the channel’s lateral dimension and the applied magnetic force. The optimum switching frequency obtained from the present numerical prediction is in good agreement with the theoretical analysis. The proposed simple mixing scheme not only provides an excellent mixing, even in simple microchannel, but also can be easily applied to “lab-on-a-chip” applications with a pair of external electromagnets.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Writing cosets of a convolutional code to increase the Lifetime of Flash memory

The goal of this paper is to extend the lifetime of Flash memory by reducing the frequency with which a given page of memory is erased. This is accomplished by increasing the number of writes that are possible before erasure is necessary. Redundancy is introduced into the write process to decrease the number of memory cells that are impacted by a given write, and to even out the impact of writing across an entire page of memory. Improvements are expressed in terms of write efficiency and lifetime gain. Write efficiency is the ratio of cells written to cells available, and lifetime gain is the ratio of coded writes to the baseline of uncoded writing. We use a physical model that allows multiple writes to a given region of memory. This can be realized with single level cells or with multi-level cells. Data is written to memory in the form of a coset of a convolutional code. The coset is represented by a binary vector that is selected by the Viterbi algorithm to minimize the number of cells impacted by the write (Hamming weight) and to even out the number of writes to each cell within a given page. Several different Viterbi metrics are evaluated. It is shown that page write efficiencies of over 85% and lifetime gains of over 500% are possible with only modest encoding and decoding complexity. It is also straightforward to integrate lifetime extension with standard methods of error correction by requiring that the coset representative be drawn from an error correcting code. An example is provided where single error correction is provided using a Hamming code.
Distribution and binding of the carcinogens 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea and 1-methyl-3-nitro-l-nitrosoguanidine in the guinea pig after oral administration

Guinea pigs were given radioisotopic 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea (MNU) or 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) as a single oral dose of 0.1 mmol/kg and uptake into TCA-precipitable material, whole tissue protein and 7-methyl-guanine and O6-methylguanine were determined in brain, kidney, liver, pancreas, small intestine and stomach after 2, 4 and 24 h. The labeling of TCA-precipitable material and the formation of methylated bases by methyl-labelled MNU clearly exceeded that by MNNG in extra-intestinal tissues such as brain, liver, kidney and pancreas. In the stomach, there was greater DNA methylation by MNNG than by MNU. Labelling of TCA-precipitable material and whole tissue protein by the carbonyl group of MNU was greater than that by the guanidino group of MNNG in brain, liver, kidney and pancreas, while MNNG exceeded MNU in the stomach. These data are consistent with the concept that orally administered MNU would be an effective carcinogen in extra-intestinal tissues, while MNNG would be a locally acting gastric carcinogen.
Real-time determination of interconnect metrology

Poor control of wire geometry can result in unacceptable variations in signal propagation velocity and cross-talk. A novel laser diffraction technique for the real-time determination of global interconnect metrology is presented and tested on several different types of chips. Analysis of the diffraction patterns produced by He-Cd (lambda equals 442 nm) and He-Ne (lambda equals 633 nm) laser irradiation of the interconnect structure is shown to reveal global information on variations in wiring parameters. The diffraction intensity profile for a commercial microprocessor fabricated using 2 micrometer design rules is used to test the validity of the approach. Standard diffraction theory reveals that the process variation in wire pitch is of the order of 9%, a value confirmed by examination under a phase contrast microscope. In addition to wire pitch variations the diffraction technique is also used for the measurement of the characteristic fractal dimension of the wiring. Initial results indicate that these measurements may provide an extremely rapid method of assessing important wiring figures of merit, such as the on- chip Rent exponent.
The Establishment and Decline of a Token Reinforcement Program with Three Emotionally Disturbed Preschool Children

ABSTRACT This paper describes the initiation and evaluation of a behavioral program designed to increase command following and to decrease out‐of‐seat behavior in three emotionally disturbed preschool children. The children were two girls and a boy, each 4 years of age, attending a private facility for retarded children, but the children in this study were of average intelligence. The program succeeded in increasing command following to 95% compliance, and in reducing out‐of‐seat behavior to 1.5 times per 15 minute session. The children were then transferred to a public school and the behaviors targeted deteriorated to only slightly better than initial base rate. Some reasons for regression in behavior of the children based upon observational data are presented and possible ways of correcting the problems are posited.
Dissolution of renal calculi with dicloxacillin

A patient with multiple left renal calculi and Staphylococcus epidermidis urinary tract infection is described. Subsequent treatment consisted of dicloxacillin which resulted in complete dissolution of all renal calculi. The rationale, supporting data, and potential therapeutic uses are reported.
Rates of photosynthesis of two lichens and of their isolated algal components

Abstract The rate of photosynthesis of two lichen species (Peltigera leucophlebia and Ramalina farinacea) was found to be 30 to 40% that of spinach leaf dises and 20% that of the free-living alga Chlorella when the results were expressed on a per mg chlorophyll basis. When the algae were isolated from the thalli, the rate of photosynthesis per mg chlorophyll increased for Ramalina farinacea and decreased for Peltigera leucophlebia. Product analysis indicated that the products of photosynthesis depended on the association of the alga with the fungus: algae isolated from the thalli showed a «shift» in products from sugars and sugar alcohols. to compounds such as organic acids. The results suggest that a symbiotic relationship with a fungus alters both the rate and products of algal photosynthesis.
Measurement of level-specific dielectronic-recombination cross sections of heliumlike Fe xxv

The strengths of individual 1{ital s}2{ital l}2{ital l}{prime} resonances for dielectronic recombination of heliumlike iron are measured on an electron-beam ion trap using high-resolution x-ray spectroscopy. An energy resolution {Delta}{ital E}/{ital E} of better than 0.1% is achieved by monitoring the exit channel of the recombination process. Dielectronic-resonance strengths are measured relative to the cross section for nonresonant radiative electron capture of heliumlike Fe XXV, and an overall uncertainty of 20% is achieved. Good agreement with theory is found for the strongest resonances; however, less good agreement is found for the weaker resonances. The results indicate that further theoretical and experimental efforts are necessary to reliably use weak dielectronic satellite lines in plasma diagnostics.
Endovascular chimney technique versus open repair of juxtarenal and suprarenal aneurysms

Objective To compare early outcomes of endovascular repair of juxtarenal and suprarenal aneurysms using the chimney technique with open repair in anatomically-matched patients. Methods Between January 2008 and December 2009, 21 patients underwent endovascular repair of juxtarenal and suprarenal aortic aneurysms with chimney stenting (Ch-EVAR) of 1 or 2 renal and/or superior mesenteric artery (SMA) vessels. These were compared with 21 anatomically-matched patients that underwent open repair (OR) during the same time period. Primary end points were 30-day mortality, chimney stent patency, and type Ia endoleak. Secondary end points included early complications, renal function, blood loss, and length of stay (LOS). Results Despite a higher proportion of women, oxygen-dependent pulmonary disease and lower baseline renal function, 30-day mortality was identical with one death (4.8%) in each group. Blood loss and total LOS were significantly less for Ch-EVAR. Six patients (29%) in the chimney group had acute kidney injury (AKI) compared with the open group, in which there were one (4.8%) AKI and four (19%) acute renal failures, of which two (9.5%) required chronic hemodialysis. Renal function at 12 months demonstrated similar declines in the overall estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in the Ch-EVAR and OR groups (11.1 ± 19.6 vs 10.4 ± 25.2, P = NS, respectively). There was one asymptomatic SMA stent occlusion at 6 months and partial compression of a second SMA stent which underwent repeat balloon angioplasty. Primary patency at 6 and 12 months was 94% and 84%, respectively. There was one type Ia endoleak noted at 30 days which resolved by 6 months. Conclusions Ch-EVAR may extend the anatomical eligibility of endovascular aneurysm repair using conventional devices. It appears to have similar mortality to open repair with less morbidity. Long-term durability and stent patency remain to be determined.
An update on the efficacy of ciprofloxacin in animal models of infection

Although animal models of infection are associated with certain limitations in interpretation, properly performed studies provide important information for evaluating the efficacy of new antimicrobial agents in the treatment of human disease. The antibacterial efficacy of the newer quinolones, particularly ciprofloxacin, has undergone extensive evaluation in several animal models. Efficacy has been demonstrated in animal models of pneumonia, endocarditis, meningitis, skin and soft-tissue infections, septic arthritis, burn wound sepsis, empyema, intra-abdominal abscess, osteomyelitis, prostatitis, sinusitis, urinary tract infection, chronic gastroenteritis, granuloma pouch infection, and Pseudomonas septicemia. More recent studies have evaluated the efficacy of ciprofloxacin in animal models of tuberculosis and syphilis, as well as in infections caused by the intracellular pathogens Salmonella typhimurium, Legionella pneumophila, and Listeria monocytogenes.
Questioning textbook truth: Suicide rates and the Hawthorne effect

Advocacy and interest groups routinely make fantastic and shocking claims in an effort to motivate the public to respond to what these groups perceive to be important but neglected social problems and/or incipient “crises.” When closer scrutiny impeaches these claims, these groups lose a measure of credibility, and the general public grows increasingly cynical of them and of the social sciences whose data and research presumably support the claim. Similar temptations and dangers may face sociology. I raise the possibility that the teaching of discredited findings and discoveries and the use of gimmicks that challenge conventional wisdom and common sense may turn our students off and trigger the same distrust and cynicism engendered by advocacy groups. Ironically, giving in to the temptation to shock and surprise rather than to inform and enlighten may foreclose the very real opportunities that exist for engaging our students and the public in the enterprise of sociology.
High removal rate grinding of titanium alloys with electroplated CBN wheels

This paper is concerned with an experimental study on the grinding of a titanium alloy using electroplated CBN wheels with water-based grinding fluid and wheel surface cleaning fluid applied at high pressures. The objective is to explore the approaches and conditions to grind titanium alloys with enhanced material removal rates. Straight surface grinding experiments were conducted on titanium alloy blocks in both shallow depth of cut and creep-feed modes. Grinding power, forces, surface roughness, and radial wheel wear were measured. Specific material removal rates of 8 mm2/s in shallow cut mode and 3 mm2/s at a depth of cut as high as 3 mm in creep-feed mode were achieved without burning and smearing of ground surfaces. An average G-ratio of about 155 was obtained with a shallow depth of cut grinding condition. It was showed that it is feasible to grind titanium alloys with electroplated CBN wheels at enhanced removal rates by applying grinding and wheel cleaning fluid at high pressures.
Fully Digit On-Line Networks

Research in computer architecture in the last decade has been driven largely by the motivation to overcome the "von Neumann" bottleneck. This paper describes the design and use of one such architecture—fully digit on-line networks. First, digit on-line algorithms and processing are defined. The key advantage to digit on-line processing is that it allows a digit serial, most significant digit first, type of data flow. Processing of the most significant operand digits starts immediately and generation of the most significant result digits soon follows. The minimum set of primitive logic operations required to implement a digit on-line processing component in VLSI are outlined. Then, digit on-line networks consisting of many of these digit on-line components are examined. Finally, two different network configurations are discussed and compared.
Second messengers in thrombin‐stimulated bone resorption

Characterized human thrombins and two commercial bovine thrombin preparations were examined for their effects on bone resorption and on the cyclic AMP and phosphoinositide second messenger systems in bone. Human alpha- and gamma-thrombins, as well as both bovine thrombin preparations, stimulated bone resorption in vitro, whereas catalytically inactivated human diisopropylfluorophosphate (DIP)-alpha-thrombin did not significantly stimulate resorption. Human alpha-thrombin and a commercial bovine thrombin preparation increased cyclic AMP production in fetal rat limb bones, but another bovine commercial thrombin preparation and gamma-thrombin did not. Except for DIP-alpha-thrombin, all thrombins increased production of inositol phosphates in fetal rat limb bones at concentrations that stimulated resorption. In time course studies, bovine thrombin increased label in inositol trisphosphate at 30 s, with decreasing effects at later times. Inositol monophosphate increased progressively over 30 min. Our results are consistent with thrombin-stimulated bone resorption being mediated at least partially through the inositol phosphate pathway.
Strategic Deterrence Thirty Years Later: What has Changed?

The first, and perhaps the most important, question about nuclear weapons is whether, or to what degree, they are truly different from others. There was not much doubt on this point in July 1945 at Alamogordo, and the reactions of statesmen and soldiers to the first private reports of that event show that one did not have to be present to be impressed. It was Churchill who called it ‘the Second Coming in Wrath’ and MacArthur who said, ‘This will completely change all our ideas of warfare.’ We have even earlier evidence, from those who worked on Tube Alloys in Britain and on the ‘Manhattan’ Project in the United States, that the special character of the prospective bomb was a crucial element in their extraordinary performance. Going even further back, we meet the powerful mixture of fear, hope and intense concern with which the small world of those who understood its meaning reacted to the discovery of fission by Hahn and Strassman in 1938.
Three peptides from the atrial natriuretic factor prohormone amino terminus lower blood pressure and produce diuresis, natriuresis, and/or kaliuresis in humans.

BACKGROUND Three peptides consisting of amino acids 1-30, 31-67, and 79-98 of the 126-amino acid atrial natriuretic factor prohormone (proANF), which have blood pressure-lowering, diuretic, natriuretic, and/or kaliuretic properties in animals, were investigated to determine if they have similar properties in humans. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty-six healthy, normotensive human volunteers (18 men and 18 women, ages 20 to 58 years) were divided into six similar groups based on age, sex, weight, blood pressure, and heart rate. After a 60-minute baseline period, 100 ng of proANFs 1-30, 31-67, 79-98, or ANF/kg body wt per minute was given intravenously for 60 minutes followed by a 3-hour postinfusion data collection period. Each of the atrial natriuretic peptides decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P CONCLUSIONS ProANFs 1-30, 31-67, and 79-98, as well as ANF have significant blood pressure-lowering and diuretic properties. ProANFs 1-30 and 31-67 also have natriuretic properties in humans that are significantly (P
Distributed storage allocations and a hypergraph conjecture of Erdős

We study two variations of the distributed storage allocation problem. The goal is to allocate a given storage budget in a distributed storage system for maximum reliability. It was recently discovered that this problem is related to an old conjecture in extremal combinatorics, on the maximum number of edges in a hypergraph subject to a constraint on its maximum matching number. The conjecture was recently verified in some regimes. In this paper we assume that the conjecture is true and establish new results for the optimal allocation for a variety of parameter values. We also derive new performance bounds that are independent of the conjecture, and compare them to the best previously known bounds.
Thermal stability of plasminogen activators and plasminogen activation in heated milk

Abstract Thermal stabilities of bovine plasminogen (PG) activators, tissue and urokinase type (t-PA and u-PA), and their impact on activation of PG, were studied after application of various heating conditions (65, 75, 85, or 90 °C for 15, 20, or 30 s), in both milk and buffer systems. Both t-PA and u-PA were thermally stable in milk heated at ⩽75 °C. However, almost half of the t-PA activity and 30% of u-PA activity was lost after heating milk at 85 °C for 30 s. A lower heat stability of both t-PA and u-PA was observed in buffer than in milk. The decrease in level of PG was more pronounced than that of active plasmin in milk heated at ⩾85 °C for 30 s; however, the residual level of PG was considerably higher than the residual level of active PL. Overall, results indicated that u-PA plays a more significant role than t-PA in the activation of PG during storage of heated milk.
Effects of UV light on DNA chain growth and replicon initiation in human cells.

Abstract Exposure of mammalian cells to 254 nm UV light produces lesions that block DNA polymerases at least on the leading strand. For rodent cells the extent and duration of this blockage is both cell line- and fluence-dependent. Using DNA fiber autoradiography we report here similar findings for human cells. Wild-type human cells did not exhibit significant blockage following exposure to 2.5 J/m 2 . After exposure to 5.0 J/m 2 , there was significant blockage immediately after exposure, but by 5 h segment lengths returned to control values. Excision-deficient human cells, on the other hand, exhibited significant blockage both immediately and 5.0 h after exposure to 2.5 J/m 2 . Exposure of rodent cells to UV light is also known to activate alternative sites of replication. Such activation would enable cells to replicate areas of DNA which do not contain a ‘normal’ site of initiation, yet contain blocking lesions both upstream and downstream. We have previously shown (Griffiths and Ling, 1987) that this activation is more pronounced and long-lived in excision-deficient Chinsese hamster ovary (CHO) cells than it is wild-type CHO cells. We report here that excision-deficient human cells also exhibited a marked and prolonged activation of alternative sites of replicon initiation. Wild-type human cells, on the other hand, exhibited little if any activation.