cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis and measurement of carbon nanotube dispersions: nanodispersion versus macrodispersion

Because of their unique mechanical, optical, thermal and electrical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) form the basis for a wide variety of multifunctional devices and materials; many of these applications require that CNTs be dispersed and processed in liquids such as organic solvents, polymer melts or surfactant solutions. One of the most problematic issues affecting the CNT research community is the lack of standards and uniform characterization methods for CNT dispersion. A 2005 NASA-NIST workshop aimed to address this issue and made a clear distinction between ‘nanodispersion’ of individual CNTs and ‘macrodispersion’ of CNT bundles. Unfortunately, this distinction has yet to percolate through the CNT dispersion literature. The present article seeks to elucidate and commend these concepts, identify the situations where this difference is most critical, note some scenarios where these concepts have been underutilized and posit experimental and computational characterization methods for quantifying the degree of nanodispersion. Particular attention is devoted to the controversial claims of complete nanodispersion and how such claims may be verified. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Estimation of p K a for organic oxyacids using calculated atomic charges

A method for the estimation of pKa from empirically calculated atomic charges has been developed and tested on a diverse set of organic oxyacids. The approach involves a comparison of the atomic charges calculated for both the acid and the negative ion that is formed after loss of the acidic proton. These charges have been used in conjunction with the familiar concepts of induction and resonance to develop an accurate formula to predict pKa. Results for a set of 135 compounds, including alcohols, phenols, and carboxylic acids, yielded a fit of pKa with r = 0.993 and an rms error of 0.455. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effects of molecular structure on kinetics and dynamics of the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay with ABTS(

Reaction kinetics in the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay between ABTS+• [2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) cation radical] and compounds with different structure, molecular weight, number of OH groups, and redox potential were investigated by recording loss of ABTS+• absorbance (734 nm) continuously over time. Curves showed six distinguishable kinetic patterns, including both immediate and extended reaction components. Radical quenching rates in the immediate component most relevant to reactions in foods and tissues depended on phenol structure and steric accessibility to the hindered radical, while reaction stoichiometry correlated with the number of phenol groups (>0.81) but not redox potential. Current assay procedures measure antioxidant capacity under conditions not relevant to actual applications and do not determine radical quenching rates. Results raise serious questions regarding the ability of reactions with the hindered ABTS+• to rank actual radical quenc...
A landscape level comparison of pre-European settlement and current soil carbon content of a forested landscape in upper michigan

Abstract A large forested landscape (18 640 ha) located in Michigan's central Upper Peninsula was examined to estimate current and pre-European mineral soil carbon (C) content. Utilizing current forest stand information and pre-European settlement forest data, a landscape level soil C estimate was made for each time period and the change in soil C over the 150-year interval was quantified. Soil, forest type, and age class information were entered into a geographical information system (GIS); high medium, and low C levels were assigned to soils based on forest type and age class groupings. Using organic matter data from soil surveys of the area, a range of mineral soil C values was determined for each soil mapping unit and vegetation combination, and a percent C value was estimated based on previously assigned C levels. Estimates of average percent C were calculated for both current and pre-European landscapes to be 9.7% and 11.7%, respectively. Overall, there appears to be a decrease in soil C content since European settlement as a result of changes in forest cover and land use. Due to the strong relationship between forest type and soil C content, an increase of urban/brush areas, and a shift from hemlock and conifer forest types to hardwoods and mixed pine/hardwood forests since European settlement, there has been a reduction of the average landscape level soil C on a g/m2 basis. The net reduction in mineral soil C content on this landscape is estimated to be approximately 0.3 to 0.8 Tg C (in the upper 10–25 cm of mineral soil) over the 150 years since European settlement of the area.
PROBABILISTIC APPROACH FOR TRANSPORT OF CONTAMINANTS THROUGH POROUS MEDIA

SUMMARY The channels formed between individual particles in porous media have variable dimensions and orientations. The porosity, permeability and its anisotropy exhibit random spatial distributions. The probabilistic approach can effectively describe the transport of contaminants through porous media and is analysed in this paper. Numerical results are obtained by considering (I) random dispersion coefficients without and with spatial structure, (11) random time distribution of concentration at the inlet boundary, (111) random velocity distribution in the flow field without and (IV) with variable dispersion coefficient, (V) non-linearity of the governing equation and (VI) anisotropy of the dispersion coefficient. Two methods are used for probabilistic predictions: (1) Gaussian field approach in conjunction with Monte Carlo method and (2) random walk method. The input random parameters are assumed to have normal and log-normal distributions according to available experimental data. The probability distribution functions of the contaminant concentration at different locations within the flow domain are calculated and compared with the input distributions as a function of the mean and fluctuation Peclet numbers. The one-dimensional case is analysed in detail and the illustrative numerical predictions are compared with analytical and experimental results. The extension to a two-dimensional domain is discussed in the last part of this paper.
The functional adaptations of primate molar teeth

Measurements were taken on the upper and lower molars of 37 species of primates and one tupaiid to assess the relative importance of shearing, crushing and grinding features. Significant correlations were found between pairs of allometrically standardized dimensions which measure the same molar function (shearing, crushing, or grinding). Correlations between pairs of dimensions which do not measure the same function are not significant. Second molar adaptations for shearing, crushing, and grinding, as well as the length of the second lower molar, and the total surface of the post-canine dentition are negatively allometric with respect to metabolic rate. Species which take different proportions of fruit, leaves, and insects in their diets have different molar structure. Frugivores have small teeth for their adult body size with poorly developed shearing, crushing, and grinding features on their molars. By contrast, leaf-eating species tend to have large teeth for their adult body size with well developed shearing, crushing, and grinding. The second molars of insectivorous species were found to parallel closely those of leaf-eating species. The two groups are clearly distinguishable from the former on the basis of body size alone: the smallest living primate leaf-eater is on order of magnitude larger than the largest living primate insectivore.
Significance of Organizational Culture in Perceived Project and Business Performance

For today's project-based organization, understanding of culture is increasingly important. This study examined how an organization's culture contributes to perceived project and business performan...
Platelet and neutrophil activation in cardiopulmonary bypass

My colleagues and I have employed a simulated extracorporeal circuit to help define blood cell changes during clinical cardiopulmonary bypass. Platelet count decreases sharply due to temporary adhesion to the circuit. Platelets degranulate, synthesize and release thromboxane A2, and lose the ability to aggregate with adenosine diphosphate and epinephrine. These changes are also due to the loss of alpha 2-adrenergic and fibrinogen receptors. The neutrophil count decreases to a lesser extent, but neutrophils also are stimulated to secrete lactoferrin and elastase concomitant with activation of plasma kallikrein. Although lidocaine can inhibit the neutrophil activation and prostacyclin can inhibit the platelet stimulation, prostaglandin E1 appears to prevent both neutrophil and platelet alterations.
Determinants of Infant-Feeding Choice Among Young Women in Hilo, Hawaii

Our multicultural island community is unique in that many young mothers live in multigenerational households. In this qualitative study, we examined the factors that influenced young mothers' infant-feeding practices in Hilo, a small rural town in the Hawaiian Islands. The study participants consisted of young mothers, health care professionals, and educators. Our findings suggest that both the young mother's mother and her partner are very influential in the infant-feeding decision. Many young women in our study bottle fed to obtain assistance in caretaking, and to facilitate public breastfeeding. Additionally, we explored young mother's views of sexuality and breastfeeding, and their health promotion implications.
Impurities and solid electrolyte failure

Abstract A thermodynamically based model is used to assess the effects of the formation of a layer of lowered ionic conductivity and increased electronic conductivity on the applied voltage at which solid electrolyte failure is to be expected. Such a layer can result from electrolyte contamination with electrode impurities. It is found that when a significant electrolyte resistivity increase is produced, electrolyte failure can be initiated by a mechanism that deposits sodium internally in the solid electrolyte. The results stress the necessity of operating solid electrolyte cells, such as Na/S, in a manner that minimizes electrode contamination.
Fundamental considerations for biomaterial selection

The human body is the result of millions of years of evolution during which countless variations and trials driven by a commanding environment occurred. The result is a magnificent display of efficiency, robustness, and complexity. Trying to introduce incredibly simple instruments into such a complex structure is challenging. Because of the complex nature of the human body, specific problems with biomaterial biocompatibility and function are almost impossible to predict without extensive testing in cell cultures as well as in living systems. Because of the extensive nature of these tests, strict regulatory protocols are required to ensure that reliable products are produced. The considerations for the selection of biomaterials presented in this article are fundamental. Before proceeding to the advanced stages of instrument design and implementation, it is imperative that a biomaterial prove itself in regard to these primary issues. As the field of biomechanical engineering progresses and new biomaterials are needed for exciting new designs, these fundamental considerations for biomaterials selection may change. However, the basic principals guiding them will remain paramount to any person wishing to design a functional instrument
Structural dependence of Mn complexation by siderophores: Donor group dependence on complex stability and reactivity

Abstract Siderophores traditionally have been viewed as solely being involved in the biogeochemical cycling of Fe(III). This paradigm, however, ignores the diverse roles siderophores may play in the cycling of other trace metals, such as Mn, Co, Mo, and V. Recent work has shown that siderophores form complexes with high stability constants with Mn(III), which are in some cases higher than that of the corresponding Fe(III) complex. Herein, we report on a structural analysis of the dissolved Fe(III)- and Mn(III)–siderophore complexes of rhizoferrin and two pyoverdin-type siderophores using X-ray spectroscopic techniques. Additionally, the stability constants of the Mn(III)–pyoverdinPaA and Mn(III)–rhizoferrin complexes have been quantified as log β111 = 47.5 ± 0.3 and log β110 = 29.8 ± 0.3, respectively. Comparisons of thermodynamic stability and solution structures of Fe(III)- and Mn(III)-complexes with a variety of siderophores demonstrate the relationship between donor group identity, siderophore structure, and strength of complex formation. Rhizoferrin and two mixed-moiety pyoverdins bind with a higher affinity for Mn(III) than Fe(III), possibly because of binding moiety composition which makes them better able to accommodate Jahn–Teller distortion. In contrast, Fe(III) forms complexes of higher relative stability with siderophores that contain hydroxamate and catecholate moieties, more rigid donor groups that form five-membered chelate rings.
Theoretical Perspectives on Chicano Personality Development

The vast majority of the empirical research dealing with personality development in Mexican-Americans has focused on the measurement of specific variables like cognitive style, cooperation-competit...
Molecular Modeling of Defect Structures in Pentacene

We have studied defect structures in the crystalline organic molecular semiconductor pentacene. Our investigations included the calculation of free surface energies on low index planes. It was found that that the (001) surface had the lowest energy ∼50 mJ/m2, roughly half that of the other low index planes, (100) and (010) ∼120 mJ/m2 and ∼140 mJ/m2 respectively. These calculations were then compared to experimental data from vapor grown crystals using optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). We also modeled dislocations dipoles of varying Burgers vector and dipole length. It was found that dislocations were accommodated by extensive molecular deformation near the defect core, as well as a well defined stacking fault that occurred down the length of the dipole. Finally, we investigated low angle tilt grain boundaries. It was seen that low angle boundaries relaxed through molecular deformation in the first layer of molecules at the boundary as well as bending of the (001) planes.
Toward acquiring comprehensive radiosurgery field commissioning data using the PRESAGE®/ optical-CT 3D dosimetry system

Achieving accurate small field dosimetry is challenging. This study investigates the utility of a radiochromic plastic PRESAGE® read with optical-CT for the acquisition of radiosurgery field commissioning data from a Novalis Tx system with a high-definition multileaf collimator (HDMLC). Total scatter factors (Sc, p), beam profiles, and penumbrae were measured for five different radiosurgery fields (5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mm) using a commercially available optical-CT scanner (OCTOPUS, MGS Research). The percent depth dose (PDD), beam profile and penumbra of the 10 mm field were also measured using a higher resolution in-house prototype CCD-based scanner. Gafchromic EBT® film was used for independent verification. Measurements of Sc, p made with PRESAGE® and film agreed with mini-ion chamber commissioning data to within 4% for every field (range 0.2–3.6% for PRESAGE®, and 1.6–3.6% for EBT). PDD, beam profile and penumbra measurements made with the two PRESAGE®/optical-CT systems and film showed good agreement with the high-resolution diode commissioning measurements with a competitive resolution (0.5 mm pixels). The in-house prototype optical-CT scanner allowed much finer resolution compared with previous applications of PRESAGE®. The advantages of the PRESAGE® system for small field dosimetry include 3D measurements, negligible volume averaging, directional insensitivity, an absence of beam perturbations, energy and dose rate independence.
Concanavalin A-mediated in vitro activation of lymphocytes primed against syngeneic SV40-induced tumor-associated antigens in mice into secondary effector cells capable of specifically preventing tumor growth.

Abstract Spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized against a syngeneic SV40-induced tumor, mKSA, prevented specifically the growth of the corresponding tumor in the tumor cell neutralization assay following preincubation for 5 days with mitogenic concentrations of concanavalin A. This reactivity was shown to be T cell dependent, independent of remaining concanavalin A, and was detected at least up to 60 days following in vivo antigenic immunization. A similar reactivity was obtained with mitogenic concentrations of phytohemagglutinin but not with the B-cell mitogen lypopolysaccharide. Since this reactivity was indistinguishable from that obtained upon in vitro secondary antigenic stimulation with SV40-transformed cells, it is suggested that activation of precytotoxic cells against a syngeneic tumor by concanavalin A into cytotoxic cells may be mediated by the same or similar receptors triggered by the stimulating tumor-associated antigens.
States of Imagination: Ethnographic Explorations of the Postcolonial State

States of Imagination: Ethnographic Explorations of the Postcolonial State. Thomas Blom Hansen and Finn Stepputat. eds. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2001. vii. 423 pp., bibliography, index.
Models of metabolic utilization predict limiting conditions for sustained power from conditioned skeletal muscle.

Application and development of muscle powered cardiac assist devices is limited by the ability to predict the sustainable power output of in situ conditioned muscle under the expected loading conditions and geometrical constraints. Empirical definition of the sustained power limits and representative models of the bounding conditions where continuous power can be obtained are needed for device design and optimization. The latissimus dorsi muscles of four goats were chronically conditioned for 11 weeks with an implanted myostimulator. The ability to sustain power under isotonic conditions was evaluated across a range of contraction durations (100–600 ms) and rates (10–120 contractions/min). Muscles were characterized both biomechanically and myothermically to develop and evaluate three increasingly complex empirically-based models of metabolic utilization per contraction based on (1) the duty cycle, (2) a linear function of activation time, and (3) a multivariate-derived function of contraction duration, muscle load, and shortening distance. A clearly defined boundary for sustainable stimulation conditions was observed and was best represented by the linear metabolic model. These data provide both an empirical measure of chronically sustainable muscle power and predictive metabolic models that may be used to optimize the power harnessed for skeletal muscle actuated devices.
Role of corticosterone in the behavioral effects of central interleukin-1β

Abstract To investigate the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in behavioral responses to infection, we studied the effects of corticosterone on depressed social behavior induced by peripheral and central interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the rat. Intact and adrenalectomized (ADX) rats were injected IP with IL-1β (500 ng) and their motivation to investigate a juvenile conspecific was assessed. Whereas ADX rats showed a marked depression in social behavior following IP IL-1β, intact controls did not. To verify that corticosterone was responsible for inhibiting the effects of IL-1β, corticosterone pellets or placebos were implanted IP in ADX rats. Following IP injection of IL-1β, ADX rats with placebos experienced depressed social behavior. Corticosterone replacement, however, reversed this effect in ADX rats, confirming that corticosterone modulates the behavioral effects of peripheral IL-1β. To determine if corticosterone modulates sickness behavior directly in the CNS, intact and ADX rats were injected ICV with IL-1β or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Although centrally administered IL-1β depressed social behavior to a similar extent in intact and ADX rats, the depression was prolonged in ADX rats. However, social behavior of ADX rats injected ICV with LPS was depressed more than in intact controls, and this effect was reversible by corticosterone replacement. These results are interpreted to indicate that corticosterone inhibits the behavioral effects of IL-1β in the periphery and, perhaps, in the CNS. That the behavioral effects of central LPS were inhibited by corticosterone suggests that HPA axis may modulate behavior by regulating cytokine synthesis in the CNS.
Mapping Mussolini : Ritual and cartography in public art during the Second Roman Empire

Abstract The four map tablets prominently displayed on the Via dell'Impero in the heart of ancient Rome have been either ignored or ridiculed by modern historians, urban planners and archaeologists. However, the creation of the maps and their installation in 1934 on a wall overlooking a newly created thoroughfare in the heart of Rome offer an opportunity to examine the interplay between maps and ritual, antiquity and imperialism, in the public art of Fascist Rome. The maps, the spectacles conducted around them, and the design of the road itself were all powerfully linked by the themes of commemoration and re‐creation to stress the geopolitical objectives of the Fascist state, objectives underlined by the addition of a fifth map in 1936.
Design of a lightweight telescope with highly stable line of sight

The weight and line of sight (LOS) stability are very critical in telescopes used for remote sensing and imaging in the presence of high dynamic loads and vibrations. A high stiffness and low-density material such as beryllium is ideally suited for such applications in spite of its high cost. This paper presents the design of an all-beryllium off-axis telescope in which the three diamond-machined mirrors are pinned and bolted to an extremely lightweight and stiff support structure. A number of design and fabrication techniques were employed to minimize the cost of material and fabrication. The importance of machining tolerances for optimizing the cost and yield of mirrors is also described.
Absence of damage to human chromosomes by spray adhesives

Summary Examination of metaphase chromosomes of cultured leukocytes from six individuals exposed in some degree to spray adhesives compared to II control subjects showed no significant elevations of aberration frequencies. No consistent increase in abnormal chromosome numbers nor in incidence of true breaks, achromatic gaps, or other structural aberrations was revealed by pooling of data obtained. Incidental to the lack of any effect upon human chromosomes due to use of spray adhesives, the following indicates the absence of any relation to birth anomalies. A dysmorphic chromosoinally abnormal child was born to control parents in the study and a stillborn fetus with no congenital anomalies was spontaneously aborted by a subject whose husband had been exposed to spray adhesives.
A fast recursive algorithm for the maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters of a periodic signal

Describes a new recursive algorithm for the estimation of the parameters of a periodic signal in additive Gaussian white noise. These parameters are the period, and the complex amplitudes of the harmonics present. The proposed algorithm is based on recursive maximum likelihood (ML) algorithms for incomplete data as described by Titterington (1985) and others. These algorithms are of complexity O(NM), where N is the number of harmonics, and M is the signal length. The performance of the method is compared to that of the extended Kalman filter with the aid of simulations. >
Quantum Monte Carlo calculation of the finite temperature Mott-Hubbard transition

We present clear numerical evidence for the coexistence of metallic and insulating dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) solutions in a half-filled single-band Hubbard model at finite temperature. The quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) method is used to solve the DMFT equation. We discuss important technical aspects of the DMFT-QMC method, which should be properly dealt with in order to obtain reliable DMFT solutions at low temperatures. Among these technical aspects are the critical slowing down near the boundaries of the coexistence region, the convergence criteria for the DMFT iterations, and the correct interpolation of the discretized Green's functions.
Horse-parts, White-parts, and Naming: Semantics, Ontology, and Compound Terms in the White Horse Dialogue

In this article I argue against Chad Hansen’s version of the “White Horse Dialogue” (Baimalun) of Gongsun Longzi as intelligible through writings of the later Moists. Hansen regards the Baimalun as an attempt to demonstrate how the compound baima, “white horse,” is correctly analyzed in one of the Moist ways of analyzing compound term semantics but not the other. I present an alternative reading in which the Baimalun arguments point out, via reductio, the failure of either Moist analysis; in particular they point out how neither analysis accounts for ordinary, acceptable inferences like “There is a white horse; therefore there is a horse.” At issue for Gongsun Longzi is a fundamental problem with atomic terms: none of them seems capable of referring to a particular, “stand-alone” individual.
Gender, Sickness, and Healing in Rural Egypt: Ethnography in Historical Context

Gender, Sickness, and Healing in Rural Egypt: Ethnography in Historical Context Soheir A. Morsy Boulder, CO: Westvlew Press, 1993. xiv + 237 pp. tables, notes, references.
Optimized convergence for multiple histogram analysis

We propose a new algorithm for solving the weighted histogram analysis method (WHAM) equations to estimate free energies out of a set of Monte Carlo (MC) or molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The algorithm, based on free-energy differences, provides a more natural way of approaching the problem and improves convergence compared to the widely used direct iteration method. We also study how parameters (temperature, pressure, etc.) of the independent simulations should be chosen to optimize the accuracy of the set of free energies.
Optimal simulations between mesh-connected arrays of processors

Let G and H be two mesh-connected arrays of processors, where G = g1, X g2 X … X g1, H = h1 x h2 x … x hd, and g1 … g1 ≤ h1 … hd. The problem of simulating G by H is considered and the best possible simulation in terms of the gi's and hi's is characterized by giving such a simulation and proving its optimality in the worst-case sense. Also the same bound on the average cost of encoding the edges of G as distinct paths in H is established.
Cyclic double struck capital F q-linear double struck capital F q t -codes

In Calderbank, self-orthogonal additive codes over double struck capital F 4 under the traceinner product were connected to binary quantum codes; a similar connection was given in the non-binary case in Rains. In this paper, we consider a natural generalisation of additive codes to double struck capital F q-linear double struck capital F q t-codes. We develop the theory of these codes when they are cyclic and count them. Then, we place two different trace inner products on these codes and decide precisely when the cyclic ones are self-orthogonal under these two inner products. We examine the case t = 2 in detail giving specific bases for the self-orthogonal and self-dual cyclic codes. When t ≥ 2, we present counts for the number of self-orthogonal and self-dual cyclic codes under each of the inner products.
Heat flow measurements in East Africa

Abstract All heat-flow measurements in East Africa until 1971 have been obtained from relatively deep rift valley lakes by oceanographic techniques. Twenty values from Lake Malawi range over more than an order of magnitude (Von Herzen and Vacquier, 1967), although the average is similar to that obtained from South African shield measurements, about 1.1 μcal.cm -2 .sec -1 (H.F.U.). The values appear systematically distributed geographically over the lake area, with a possible correlation with localized tectonic activity. Except for one high value (3.5 H.F.U.), values from 12 locations in Lake Tanganyika range from low to normal (0.4-1.4 H.F.U.), with no apparent systematic geographical distribution (Degens et al., 1971). Similarly, some recent values from Lake Kivu have a range of 0.4-4.4 H.F.U., but most are above normal. The higher heat flow in Lake Kivu seems consistent with the recent volcanic activity in this region. The effects of the local environment, particularly high sedimentation rates and past changes in lake water temperature, have probably affected many of the measurements. An unfavorable combination of these effects at some stations may imply equilibrium values which are 2 to 3 times larger than those measured. These could make some values comparable to high values measured on oceanic rifts. However, other geophysical measurements, particularly gravity, imply a continental rather than oceanic crustal structure beneath the lakes, suggesting that the tectonic mechanisms responsible for the anomalous heat flux are different from those thought to be associated with oceanic rifts, i.e., cooling of a spreading lithospheric slab.
A novel delta check method for detecting laboratory errors

Investigating the variation of clinical measurements of patients over time is a common technique, known as delta check, for detecting laboratory errors. They are based on the expected biological variations and machine imprecision, where the latter varies for different concentrations of the analytes. Here, we present a novel delta check method in the form of composite thresholding, and provide its sufficient statistics by constructing the corresponding discriminant function, which enables us to use statistical and learning analysis tools. Using the scores obtained from such a discriminant function, we statistically study the performance of our algorithm on a labeled data set for the purpose of detecting lab errors.
Spectral measurements of imaging plate backgrounds, alpha-particles and beta-particles

Abstract Background radiation and radioactive sources have been measured with laser-scanned phosphor imaging plates using an image processing method that produces spectra. This enables distinction between ambient background radiation, alpha and beta radionuclides and provides a means for quantitation. The background counts span a broad spectral continuum, whereas counts resulting from alpha and beta activity are restricted to certain regions within the background continuum spectrum. The alpha-counting spectral region has a background count rate of −2 h −1 . The beta-counting region has a count rate of −2 h −1 . One region of the background spectrum is attributed to heavy ions from cosmic rays and has a count rate of −2 day −1 . With regard to imaging spectrometry, beta-particles from 3 H ( E max =0.0186 MeV) could be distinguished from higher energy beta-particles such as those from 14 C ( E max =0.157 MeV) and 40 K ( E max =1.33 MeV). Beta-particles can be distinguished from alpha-particles, and radionuclide counts can be distinguished from the background. The spectral characterization of the background, alpha-particles and beta-particles is expected to support applications in cosmic ray, heavy ion, radionuclide and electron studies.
A DRY MEDIUM SYNTHESIS OF 1-CYCLOHEXENE-1-CARBOXALDEHYDE

(1978). A DRY MEDIUM SYNTHESIS OF 1-CYCLOHEXENE CARBOXALDEHYDE. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 9-11.
Impact of gastroenterology consultation on the outcomes of patients admitted to the hospital with decompensated cirrhosis.

Managed care has strongly discouraged generalists from referring patients to specialists in an effort to reduce the costs of health care. The aim of this study was to compare patient outcomes when generalists work together with gastroenterologists or alone in the management of patients admitted to the hospital with decompensated cirrhosis. Consecutive patients admitted to the hospital with decompensated cirrhosis over a 1-year period were identified. We compared the length of stay, cost of hospitalization, incidence of hospital readmission, and mortality for patients who did and those who did not have a gastroenterology (GI) consultation. A GI consultation was requested for 107 of the 197 patients (54.3%). Patients who had a GI consultation had a significantly shorter length of stay (5.6 [plusmn] 3.5 vs. 10.1 [plusmn] 5.8 days, P [lt ] .001) and a lower cost of hospitalization ($6,004 [plusmn] $4,994 vs. $10,006 [plusmn] $6,183, P [lt ] .001) than those patients who were managed by generalists alone. The 30-day incidence of readmission (13.3% vs. 27.8%, P = .01) and mortality (7.5% vs. 16.7%, P = .045) were significantly lower in the GI consultation group. During a median follow-up of 618 days (range, 2-970), patients who had a GI consultation during hospitalization had a significantly longer time to hospital readmission (P [lt ] .001) and improved survival (P = .02) compared with those who were managed by generalists alone. In conclusion, for patients admitted to the hospital with decompensated cirrhosis, individuals who were managed by generalists in conjunction with gastroenterologists had better outcomes than those who were managed by generalists alone. (HEPATOLOGY 2001;34:1089-1095.)
Quality assessment of selected commercially available whitefly and aphid biological control agents in the United States.

Abstract This study assessed the quality of three commercially available natural enemies used for pest management in greenhouses: the whitefly parasitoid Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), the aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and the aphid predatory midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Shipment packaging was consistent for all natural enemies. However, there was high variability in delivery punctuality, product cost, and product information provided by each of the six selected companies. Product quantity, percentage of emergence upon arrival, percentage of total emergence, percentage of females, and percentage of flying insects were assessed using International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) recommended procedures. The parameters with greatest variability between companies were percentage of emergence upon arrival (0.9–10.5%) and percentage of flying insects (35.4–85.0%) for E. formosa; product quantity (623.3–833...
Synthesis of N-Fmoc-(2S,3S,4R)-3,4-dimethylglutamine: An application of lanthanide-catalyzed transamidation.

N-Fmoc-(2S,3S,4R)-3,4-dimethylglutamine (6) was synthesized from tert-butyl N-Boc-(2S,3S,4R)-dimethylpyroglutamate (13). This synthesis involved selective deprotection of a Boc group from a lactam nitrogen in the presence of a tert-butyl ester, Fmoc protection of the lactam, and a lanthanide-catalyzed transamidation reaction of the Fmoc-protected lactam, using ammonia and dimethylaluminum chloride. The scope of Lewis acid-catalyzed transamidation of acylated lactams was explored through the variation of lanthanide, lactam, acyl group, amine, and aluminum reagent. The reactivity of various metal triflates was found to vary in the following qualitative order: Yb ∼ Sc > Er ∼ Eu ∼ Sm > Ce ∼ AgI > CuII ∼ Zn. Intriguingly, catalysis was only observed when ammonia was the nitrogen nucleophile; addition of other amidoaluminum complexes to acyl lactams was found to be insensitive to the addition of lanthanides.
Space, Evolution, and Function in the Houses of Chaco Canyon

The prehistoric cultural landscape of Chaco Canyon is made up of monumental great houses and small houses. The Chaco Canyon architectural record has been extensively studied, yet the relationship between great and small houses remains a fundamental problem of Southwest archaeology. By using space syntax access analyses, I examine in this research the spatial organisation of great and small houses and compare the two structures in terms of form and function. Space syntax is used to analyse twenty small houses and eleven discrete room blocks from three great houses. Access graphs are constructed and used to generate syntactic data. These data are examined by: (1) exploratory data analyses to identify temporal patterning in spatial integration and control; (2) difference factor analyses; (3) the identification of spatial phenotypes; and (4) analyses of inequality or functional genotypes. Statistically significant differences among integration values for both small and great houses over time are demonstrated....
Effect of stress on drug hypersensitivity.

The phenomenon of drug allergies has long puzzled medical practitioners and scientists alike. As a highly individual response it represents an unpredictable factor in drug development, which may not be noticed until several years after a new drug has been released for use in the general population. To date, it is not known what predisposes an individual to develop hypersensitivity to a certain drug. The focus of this article is to examine the role of stress as a possible contributing factor in drug hypersensitivity
The behavior of some aldoses with 2,2-dimethoxypropane-N,N-dimethylformamide-p-toluenesulfonic acid. II. at 80°

Abstract Four aldohexoses were individually subjected to the reagent mixture and temperature cited in the title; in each case, the 2,2-dimethoxypropane was present in only a small molar excess and the p-toluenesulfonic acid was used in trace amounts. D -Mannose (1) afforded the known 2,3:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene- D -mannofuranose (2) in significantly higher yield than when the reaction was conducted at room temperature. The other three aldoses, however, gave products markedly different from those formed under the milder conditions. 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy- D -mannose (3) gave a mixture of products from which methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-2,3-N,O-isopropylidene-5,6-O-isopropylidene-α- D -mannofuranoside (4), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-2,3-N,O-isopropylidene-5,6-O-isopropylidene- D -mannofuranose (5a), and methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-5,6-O-isopropylidene-α- D -mannofuranoside (6a) were isolated. 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy- D -galactose (11) gave compounds identified as methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-5,6-O-isopropylidene-β- D -galactofuranoside (12a) and methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4,6-O-isopropylidene-β- D -galactopyranoside (13a). 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy- D -glucose (16) afforded methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-5,6-O-isopropylidene-β- D -glucofuranoside (17a) and methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4,6-O-isopropylidene-β- D -glucopyranoside (18a). Evidence in support of the structures assigned to these new derivatives is presented.
Chemoenzymatic Preparation of Novel Cyclic Imine Sugars and Rapid Biological Activity Evaluation Using Electrospray Mass Spectrometry and Kinetic Analysis

Cyclic imine sugars were prepared by a novel chemoenzymatic strategy in which azido-sugars, constructed by enzymatic aldol reactions, were hydrogenated under acidic conditions. These cyclic imine sugars were found to be potent inhibitors of glycoprocessing enzymes having Ki's in the nanomolar and micromolar range for a variety of glycosidases. In comparison with their fully hydrogenated counterparts the cyclic imine sugars generally showed comparable or better inhibition against the glycosidases tested. Because these cyclic imines are so readily available and since imines are key intermediates in a variety of cycloadditions, condensations, and nucleophilic additions, they are valuable as versatile synthetic intermediates for the preparation of novel iminocyclitols and derivatives. An example of such synthetic utility is demonstrated by the synthesis of amino-iminocyclitol 24 via a three-center, two-component Strecker reaction. A novel method for rapidly screening glycosidase inhibitors using electrospray ...
Foucha v. Louisiana: when must the state release insanity acquittees?

Few legal doctrines have been as durably contentious as the defense of “not guilty by reason of insanity.” Widely publicized trials of defendants who plead the insanity defense-for example, mass murderer Jeffrey Dahmer and John Hinckley, the would-be assassin of President Reagan-periodically rivet the public’s attention on the question of whether mental disorder should cxcuse offenders from punishment for their crimes. However difficult the solution to this question may be, the issue of avoiding punishment by no means exhausts the moral and legal conundrums associated with the insanity defense. In its last term, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed one of the less visible, but no less important, questions raised by a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity: when must the state release a person confined to a psychiatric facilityafter being found not guilty by reason of insanity? Specifically, if a defendant acquitted by reason of insanity is no longer displaying symptoms of mental illness, can the state continue to hold that person indefinitely, on the basis that he or she continues to represent a danger to the public at large?
Can Focal Species Planning for Landscape Connectivity Meet the Needs of South American Temperate Rainforest Endemics

Although reliance on ‘focal species’ for conservation planning has been criticized, it is often the most practicable approach available, and its use continues to increase. We, and other researchers, have suggested the chucao tapaculo (Scelorchilus rubecula Kittlitz) as a potentially useful focal species regarding landscape connectivity for a select group of endemic understory birds and mammals in the South American Temperate Rainforest (SATR) biome. Each of these species is a forest understory specialist that is potentially dispersal limited. Because knowledge about dispersal ability for the chucao is better than for any other vertebrate in the biome, it has also been suggested as a focal species for connectivity planning at larger-scales and for a larger suite of species. While we are confident that landscapes designed to meet the connectivity requirements of the chucao would be permeable to movement by most SATR vertebrates, we caution that large-scale applicability of design strategies based on local-scale movement studies for this bird requires close examination. In the context of regional-scale conservation networks, we argue that the connection/corridor, itself, should be designed to sustain a continuous viable (meta)population. In this paper we: (1) review the body of research on landscape connectivity for the chucao and other SATR understory-birds; (2) suggest some possible strategies for scaling-up corridor designs to function at larger spatial scales, by addressing (meta)population viability in addition to habitat permeability; and (3) critically evaluate the degree to which these designs may, and in many cases may not, meet the conservation needs of other vertebrates in the SATR biome.
The Wave-Zonal Mean Flow Interaction in the Southern Hemisphere

This study examines the wave‐zonal mean flow interaction in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) and in an SHlike model atmosphere. During the SH winter, when there exist both subtropical and polar front jets, growing baroclinic waves are found between the two jets as well as along the polar front jet. These baroclinic waves between the two jets pump westerly momentum into the interjet region flanked by the subtropical and polar front jets. As a result, these baroclinic waves blend the two jets, preventing the longtime occurrence or establishment of two well-defined jets. It is also shown that during the SH winter, the deceleration of the westerlies on the equatorward side of the subtropical jet is mostly associated with the above baroclinic waves in the interjet region, rather than with eddies that originate along the polar front jet. A set of idealized numerical model experiments shows that as the value of the surface friction is increased, the direction of the baroclinic wave momentum flux in the interjet region changes, resulting in a drastically different climatological flow.
Podiatric health needs of homeless populations as a public health concern.

Background: Foot and ankle health among the homeless is an important public health concern. There are limited studies done thus far on foot and ankle conditions and the podiatric medical needs of homeless populations. A literature review was undertaken to evaluate any studies published about the lower-extremity health needs among the homeless. Methods: We did a literature search through PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s database of biomedical citations and abstracts for relevant publications from 1988 through 2008. We also searched the references cited in the articles found for any studies relevant to podiatric needs for homeless populations. Results: We found three relevant articles that addressed the needs of podiatric care for the homeless. The articles highlighted the community health importance of foot care for homeless populations, especially in helping prevent potentially limb-threatening pathologies. Conclusions: The small number of studies published so far all emphasize the major publ...
Simplifying the writing of specifications: a language and its interface

The user interface for the TQ specification language is described, and how its syntax-directed editing capabilities simplify the writing of TQ specifications for the ordinary user is shown. The user interface is just one of the components of the TOAD system, which is able to generate dBASE programs from these specifications. Preliminary results with computer professionals unfamiliar with the TQ language seem to indicate that the interface does indeed help to make the TQ language easy to use. >
A Weighted Voting and Sequential Combination of Classifiers Scheme for Human Face Recognition

In this paper, we examine the performance of a weighted voting classification strategy for human face recognition. Here, local template matching is used, but instead of summing the local distance measures, a weighted voting scheme based on rank information is used to combine the results of the local classifiers. This strategy can be used with any suitable features; for example, simple pixel features, or Gabor features, etc. If multiple features are available, we show how a sequential combination strategy can be devised to efficiently and reliably compute the final classifier output. Test results are presented for the problem of human face recognition on a large database of faces.
Ex vivo ureteroscopic treatment of calculi in donor kidneys at renal transplantation.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of ex vivo ureteroscopy (ExURS) as a means of rendering the donated kidney stone-free at live donor renal transplantation.Materials and Methods: A total of 10 suitable kidney donors with small, unilateral nonobstructive calculi underwent live donor nephrectomy (8 open flank, 2 hand assisted transperitoneal). Immediately after cold perfusion, ExURS was performed in an iced saline solution. Access to the collecting system was via the ureteral stump. Calculi were either removed with endoscopic baskets and/or completely fragmented with Holmium laser lithotripsy.Results: Access to the renal collecting system was technically successful in all cases. A total of 10 stones, ranging in largest diameter from 1 to 8 mm (average 5.2) were visualized. Of the kidneys 6 had solitary stones, 2 had 2 stones and 1 had no stone. Of 10 stones 9 were successfully removed and/or fragmented with an average procedure time of 6.5 minutes (range 3 to 28). Indwelling ureteral ste...