cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inductively coupled wireless RF coil arrays

As the number of coils increases in multi-channel MRI receiver-coil arrays, RF cables and connectors become increasingly bulky and heavy, degrading patient comfort and slowing workflow. Inductive coupling of signals provides an attractive "wireless" approach, with the potential to reduce coil weight and cost while simplifying patient setup. In this work, multi-channel inductively coupled anterior arrays were developed and characterized for 1.5T imaging. These comprised MR receiver coils inductively (or "wirelessly") linked to secondary or "sniffer" coils whose outputs were transmitted via preamps to the MR system cabinet. The induced currents in the imaging coils were blocked by passive diode circuits during RF transmit. The imaging arrays were totally passive, obviating the need to deliver power to the coils, and providing lightweight, untethered signal reception with easily positioned coils. Single-shot fast spin echo images were acquired from 5 volunteers using a 7-element inductively coupled coil array and a conventionally cabled 7-element coil array of identical geometry, with the inductively-coupled array showing a relative signal-to-noise ratio of 0.86 +/- 0.07. The concept was extended to a larger 9-element coil array to demonstrate the effect of coil element size on signal transfer and RF-transmit blocking.
Monte Carlo simulation of microwave devices

Particle Monte Carlo techniques provide a stochastic solution of the Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE). While the main disadvantages of the approach are the computational cost and the presence of statistical noise, Monte Carlo methods are much more mature than direct numerical approaches for the BTE and allow the inclusion of detailed bandstructure models for the semiconductor. The use of full Monte Carlo simulations is necessary when the goal is to understand the physical details of the transport, especially when hot electron effects are dominant. Heterojunctions are easily included and some quantum effects can also be incorporated. We review here the state-of-the-art of large scale Monte Carlo device simulations, focusing on aspects which are relevant for microwave applications. Examples will cover transient and steady-state simulations of important microwave devices. Issues relevant for the coupling of Monte Carlo simulation to field equations will be discussed.
On a Cluster of Nebulae in Hydra.

Clusters of nebulae are the largest known aggregations of matter which possess definite individual characteristics. In preparation of a theoretical study of the large scale distribution of matter in the universe we propose to analyze some simple structural features of a number of clusters of nebulae. Most of the observational data used were obtained with the 18-inch Schmidt telescope on Palomar Mountain. Photographs taken with this instrument, because of their excellent and uniform definition over a field of about seventy square degrees are well suited for a survey of a number of the more near-by clusters of nebulae. In the present report we shall be concerned with a cluster of nebulae in Hydra. The three nebulae NGC 3285, 3309 and 3312, the apparent magnitudes of which according to the Shapley-Ames catalog are m = 13.2, 12.7 and 13.1, respectively, lie near the line of sight of the center of the cluster (at about R.A. 10h 34m, Decl. -27° 16', epoch 1950). The distribution of the nebulae brighter than about the apparent magnitude m = 16 is shown in figure 1.
Thermal, morphological, and electrical characterization of microwave processed natural fiber composites

Experiments to investigate the effectiveness of microwave curing of natural fiber reinforced composites have been performed. Hemp, flax, kenaf, henequen and glass (15 wt.%) reinforced epoxy composed of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) and diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) composites were studied. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), and swept frequency diagnostic method were used to investigate material properties. Samples were processed using both microwave and thermal curing. Glass and flax composites reached a higher final extent of cure with microwave curing than with thermal curing. Glass, flax, and hemp cured faster in the microwave than their convection oven counterparts. Natural fibers and their composites degraded at lower temperatures than glass and glass fiber composites. ESEM micrographs, used to investigate fiber morphology, indicated a lack of bonding at the interfaces between the fibers, natural and glass, and matrix.
Use of baseband phase structure to improve the performance of current speech enhancement algorithms

Abstract In this study we propose a noise estimation technique based on spectral sparsity, detected by using the harmonic property of voiced segments of the speech. We estimate the frame to frame phase difference for clean speech, in the baseband Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) domain, from corrupted speech. This estimated frame-to-frame phase difference is used as a means of detecting the noise and harmonic dominant frequency bins in voiced frames. In the unvoiced frames noise is estimated using a Voice Activity Detector (VAD). Using this approach gives better noise estimation for the highly non-stationary noises like babble, restaurant and subway noise. The proposed noise estimation algorithm along with the phase difference as an additional prior is used to extend the standard spectral subtraction algorithm. Estimated baseband phase difference is used to prevent over-suppression of harmonic dominant speech in the voiced frames by adjusting the over-attenuation factor of the spectral subtraction algorithm. We verify the effectiveness of the proposed noise estimation technique when used with the log-Minimum Mean Squared Error Short Time Spectral Amplitude Estimator (log-MMSE STSA) speech enhancement algorithm. Finally, spectral subtraction and log-MMSE STSA are combined to achieve better noise suppression with minimum musical noise and speech distortion. This combination results in further improvement of speech quality.
Early European–Polynesian contact reenacted

This article recounts an incident in which many of the dynamics of early contact between European sailors and Pacific Islanders appear to have played out. The event occurred in 1973 on Anuta, a remote Polynesian enclave in the eastern Solomon Islands. Over a three-day period, islanders acquired highly valued commodities from a Taiwanese fishing boat through a combination of extortion and some very tough negotiations. This incident, I argue, helps to supply a missing piece in the puzzle of early contact.
Molekulare Früherkennung in der Endokrinologie – auf dem Weg zur differenzierten Behandlung komplexer Hormon- und Stoffwechselstörungen

Genetische Analysen spielen im Fachgebiet der Endokrinologie eine zunehmend wichtige Rolle in der klinischen Diagnostik: Genetische Tests ermoglichen eine exakte Diagnosestellung auf molekularer Ebene, eine fruhzeitige Identifikation von Tragern und eine gezielte Fruhbehandlung, und sie sind wichtig fur eine gezielte genetische Beratung. Das bessere Verstandnis der Pathogenese von endokrinen Malignomen auf molekularer Ebene ist zudem relevant fur die Entwicklung neuer, zielgerichteter Therapien. Der praktische Arzt sollte mit wichtigen Prinzipien und Indikationen fur genetische Analysen vertraut sein. Die potenziellen Grenzen genetischer Analysen mussen jedoch jederzeit im Auge behalten werden und Patienten und Angehorige sind entsprechend zu informieren. Der folgende Beitrag vermittelt einen kurzen, auf die Belange des Praktikers zugeschnittenen Uberblick uber genetische Untersuchungen im Fachgebiet der Endokrinologie.
Software transactional memory for implicitly parallel functional language

During the last decade, software transactional memory (STM) gained wide popularity in many areas of parallel computing. In this paper, we introduce LISP-derived language equipped with automatic parallel execution and mutations based on software transactional memory. The novel idea is that we do not incorporate transactions as a language construct but rather use them as a mean of runtime environment to run each computation in a consistent memory and thus provide correct results. STM enables us to efficiently manage concurrent object updates and resolve collisions. In this paper, we describe a variant of deferred lockless STM mechanism with direct updates that enables us to use mutations with minimal costs.
In vitro measures used to predict anticancer activity of apple cultivars and their comparison to outcomes from a rat model of experimentally induced breast cancer.

Experiments reported herein tested the hypothesis that cultivars of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) would demonstrate anticancer activity in vivo as predicted by in vitro measures. Freeze dried powders of Red Delicious (RD), Fuji (FJ), Golden Delicious (GD), and Granny Smith (GS) apple cultivars were evaluated. Significant differences were noted among cultivars in total phenolics (P < 0.0001), flavonoids (P < 0.0003), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (P < 0.0001), and growth inhibition in the MDA-MB-468 human breast cancer cell line relative to vehicle-treated cells (P < 0.0001). These findings were extended to predict inhibition of the postinitiation phase of 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea-induced mammary carcinogenesis by freeze-dried whole apple powders of the same cultivars. Although rats fed apple-containing diets did not have lower incidence or multiplicity of cancers than rats fed control diet, a finding consistent with epidemiological reports on fruit and breast cancer risk, differences among cultivars w...
Continuous upgrading of a plastics pyrolysis liquid to an environmentally favorable gasoline range product

A residual liquid from plastics pyrolysis was upgraded to a gasoline range product using a three-step sequential process consisting of hydrotreating, hydrocracking and distillation. Two sequences of treatments were performed in nominal 100-h continuous runs, with overall gasoline range product yields of 46% and 53% based on the total liquid feed. The gasoline range product produced from upgrading the residual plastics pyrolysis liquid, when compared to a mid-grade commercial gasoline, was characterized by higher paraffins, lower aromatics, olefins and nitrogen, with comparable research octane number. These properties, evidenced by the gasoline fraction produced from the pyrolysis liquid, indicate a potentially more favorable gasoline from an environmental viewpoint.
Urinary cotinine concentration confirms the reduced risk of preeclampsia with tobacco exposure.

Abstract Objective: We assessed tobacco exposure in nulliparous women with preeclampsia compared with that in control subjects by measuring urinary cotinine to confirm the reduced risk of preeclampsia associated with tobacco exposure during pregnancy. Study Design: A case-control study group of 50 women with preeclampsia after 35 weeks of gestation and a group of 50 control subjects matched for gestational age, date of delivery, and body mass index were selected from the project database. Urine obtained on admission was assayed for cotinine. Self-reported smoking information was blinded during patient selection and laboratory assay. Results: Thirty-five patients had detectable urinary cotinine levels, 11 (22%) with preeclampsia and 24 (48%) control women. Mean cotinine concentrations among exposed women were 331 ng/mL for those with preeclampsia and 540 ng/mL for control subjects. The odds ratio of preeclampsia developing in an exposed woman was 0.31 (95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.79). Conclusion: These findings, obtained by using laboratory assay, confirm the reduced risk of developing preeclampsia with tobacco exposure. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;181:1192-6.)
Nonlinearities in the charge-division encoding of position-sensitive detectors

Abstract The equations governing the charge-division encoding of a position-sensitive detector, represented as a distributed resistance-capacitance line with realistic end loading, are developed and discussed. Sources of the differential nonlinearity in the position encoding are identified and related to characteristics of the dynamic load impedances, and four practical means for reducing or eliminating such nonlinearities are proposed. The various methods for reducing nonlinearities are evaluated both by numerical solution of the circuit equations and by testing with an operating position-sensitive neutron detector and encoding system. All measurements and calculations show close agreement with one another and with the theory.
Analysis of data on the medicament release from ointments.

An analysis of some recently published data on the sodium radioiodide release from hydrophilic ointment bases is presented and discussed. The release dependence on time and the value for the effective diffusion coefficient are compared with theoretical predictions. The generally good agreement between theory and data demonstrates the potential usefulness of the theoretical relationships in both experimental design and data evaluation. The simplicity of some of the theoretical equations is indicated.
Polymorphism of a CAG trinucleotide repeat within Sry correlates with B6.YDom sex reversal.

Breeding the Y chromosome from certain Mus musculus domesticus strains onto the inbred laboratory mouse strain, C57BL/6J (B6), results in hermaphroditic progeny. This strain–dependent sex reversal suggests that there may be significant allelic variation in the murine sex determining gene, Sry. We have analysed the Sry genes from several domesttcus–type Y chromosomes and show that they encode smaller proteins than the molossinus–type alleles SryB6 and Sry129. We have also identified a polymorphic stretch of trinucleotide repeats that is unique to strains causing sex reversal and show that specific changes in the predicted polyglutamine amino acid sequence at this site are associated with different degrees of sex reversal.
Computerized plastic surgery office.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Technology in general and computer capabilities in particular are growing at an exponential rate. Keeping current with the latest technological capacities and means of incorporating this technology into the facial plastic surgeon's office poses a significant challenge. This review will document the most appropriate method of incorporation and the latest available technological tools. RECENT FINDINGS Recent developments in wireless networking, systems integration, digital photography and video, powerful inexpensive computer systems, and the growth of personal digital assistant integration have all contributed to a surge in technological advances. Implementing any or all can significantly benefit the busy facial plastic surgery office. SUMMARY Keeping abreast of technological advances is a daunting task. Adaptation of these advances into the office can at times be overwhelming. This review will assist the practicing physician in incorporating selective technological tools to streamline his or her systems and increase efficiency.
U.s. government information need, awareness, and searching

Abstract Small business executives were studied to assess their need for government information, their awareness of its availability, and the extent to which government information searching was affected by factors such as their information need, availability awareness, and individual and company background characteristics. Data were collected through mailed survey questionnaires to small businesses in New Jersey. The results showed that the regulatory and legislative information was rated the most important to small businesses, and that less than one-third of respondents were fully aware that government information is available in multiple formats at local depository libraries with no user cost. Data also showed that more frequent users viewed government information of higher value, and were more aware of its availability. These executives were also more likely to perceive high industry competitiveness of their companies, to own a computer, and to have Internet access. Implications for library services and research are discussed.
Model-based control of the resistive wall mode in DIII-D: A comparison study

Abstract One of the major non-axisymmetric instabilities under study in the DIII-D tokamak is the resistive wall mode (RWM), a form of plasma kink instability whose growth rate is moderated by the influence of a resistive wall. One of the approaches for RWM stabilization, referred to as magnetic control, uses feedback control to produce magnetic fields opposing the moving field that accompanies the growth of the mode. These fields are generated by coils arranged around the tokamak. One problem with RWM control methods used in present experiments is that they predominantly use simple non-model-based proportional-derivative (PD) controllers requiring substantial derivative gain for stabilization, which implies a large response to noise and perturbations, leading to a requirement for high peak voltages and coil currents, usually leading to actuation saturation and instability. Motivated by this limitation, current efforts in DIII-D include the development of model-based RWM controllers. The General Atomics (GA)/Far-Tech DIII-D RWM model represents the plasma surface as a toroidal current sheet and characterizes the wall using an eigenmode approach. Optimal and robust controllers have been designed exploiting the availability of the RWM dynamic model. The controllers are tested through simulations, and results are compared to present non-model-based PD controllers. This comparison also makes use of the μ structured singular value as a measure of robust stability and performance of the closed-loop system.
Age, stressors, and psychosomatic disorders.

Abstract Relationships between age, stressors, and six psychosomatic disorders were explored in a sample of 2,299 Chicago adults. Age related strongly to hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis, and secondarily to colitis and stomach ulcers. Social stressors were associated with asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and hypertension. The rather weak connection between psychosomatic disorders and social stressors was noteworthy in comparison with the potent association between the psychiatric symptoms of anxiety/depression and stressors.
Validation of null model tests using Neyman–Pearson hypothesis testing theory

A long-standing question in ecology is whether interspecific competition affects co-occurrence patterns of species. Null model tests of presence–absence data (NMTPAs) constitute an important approach to address the question, but different tests often give conflicting results when applied to the same data. Neyman–Pearson hypothesis testing theory provides a rigorous and well accepted framework for assessing the validity and optimality of statistical tests. Here, I treat NMTPAs within this framework, and measure the robustness and bias of 72 representative tests. My results indicate that, when restrictive assumptions are met, existing NMTPAs are adequate, but for general testing situations, the use of all existing NMTPAs is unjustified — the tests are nonrobust or biased. For many current applications of NMTPAs, restrictive assumptions appear unmet, so these results illustrate an area in which existing NMTPAs can be improved. In addition to highlighting useful improvements to existing NMTPAs, the results here provide a rigorous framework for developing improved methods.
Clinical pharmacology of an atrasentan and docetaxel regimen in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer

Purpose This study was conducted to evaluate potential pharmacokinetic interactions between docetaxel and atrasentan as part of a phase I/II clinical trial.
Plasma acid and its applications

Summary form only given. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma applied to the surface of water can oxidize organic molecules in the solution and kill bacteria in it. Ozonation of water produce a solution that retains its oxidation potential for several minutes. We show that direct exposure of deionized water not only to ozone but to other neutral and charged species produced in plasma creates a strong oxidizer in this water which, for the lack of a better term, we can call plasma acid. Plasma acid can remain stable for much longer time than ozonated water and its oxidizing power may be linked to the significant lowering of its pH. We report experiments that demonstrate plasma acid's stability. We also show that observed pH of as low as 2.0 cannot be completely accounted for by the production of nitric acid; and that the conjugate base derived from superoxide is at least partly responsible for both, lowering of the pH and increase in the oxidizing power of the solution. Existence of a stable oxidizer created using plasma treatment of pure water not only raises interesting scientific questions and possibilities, but is likely to find many applications in situations where “on the spot” plasma treatment may be difficult to achieve.
Enhanced nitric oxide production during lead (Pb2 +) exposure recovers protein expression but not presynaptic localization of synaptic proteins in developing hippocampal neurons

We have previously reported that lead (Pb(2+)) exposure results in both presynaptic and postsynaptic changes in developing neurons as a result of inhibition of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). NMDAR inhibition by Pb(2+) during synaptogenesis disrupts downstream trans-synaptic signaling of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and exogenous addition of BDNF can recover the effects of Pb(2+) on both presynaptic protein expression and presynaptic vesicular release. NMDAR activity can modulate other trans-synaptic signaling pathways, such as nitric oxide (NO) signaling. Thus, it is possible that other trans-synaptic pathways in addition to BDNF signaling may be disrupted by Pb(2+) exposure. The current study investigated whether exogenous addition of NO could recover the presynaptic vesicular proteins lost as a result of Pb(2+) exposure during synaptogenesis, namely Synaptophysin (Syn) and Synaptobrevin (Syb). We observed that exogenous addition of NO during Pb(2+) exposure results in complete recovery of whole-cell Syn levels and partial recovery of Syn and Syb synaptic targeting in Pb(2+)-exposed neurons.
Impact of polygon geometry on the identification of economic clusters

Economic clusters have been delineated using Local Moran’s I and Getis-Ord G * because they distinguish relationships across areal unit boundaries within a specified neighborhood. A problem using spatial statistics with U.S. county data are the great variations in county sizes. We examined the relationship between the values for Local Moran’s I and G * , in groups of counties of differing size. The impact of county size on both spatial statistics using a contiguity spatial weights matrix and an inverse centroid distance matrix are assessed. In small counties, the choice in spatial weight matrices is immaterial, especially when using Local Moran’s I. For large counties the differences between the spatial weights methodologies is more apparent, due to edge effects being more prevalent. Selection of an optimal combination of spatial weight methodology and clustering statistic should depend on the study’s purpose, the distribution of county sizes, and the industry being studied.
The role of pharmacokinetics in determining the response of rodent embryos to teratogens in whole-embryo culture.

Abstract The rodent embryo's response to teratogenic insult in whole-embryo culture during the period of neurulation was characterized by determining the role of pharmacokinetics and embryonic recovery in producing abnormal growth and development. Five known teratogens, hydroxyurea, cyclophosphamide, cadmium, diphenylhydantoin, and the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate were employed. The dose and exposure times in vitro were designed to reproduce the peak serum concentrations and half-life of the compounds present following the administration of a teratogenic or maximum maternally tolerated dose of the agents in vivo . The results showed: first, that both the serum concentration and duration of exposure to an agent play a role in determining the embryonic response in vitro ; secondly, that compounds that do not produce effects during the period of neurulation or that require maternal metabolic activation are not teratogenic in culture; and thirdly, that embryos have the capacity to recover from certain teratogenic insults in vitro . Thus, both pharmacokinetics and the potential for embryonic recovery should be considered when applying the whole-embryo culture technique to studies in teratology and toxicology.
HEAVY STABLE CHARGED PARTICLE SEARCHES AT THE LHC

Several searches for heavy stable charged particles have recently been performed using data from $\sqrt{s} = 7 {\rm TeV}$pp collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This review summarizes some of the theoretical and experimental motivations for such searches, and discusses searches for stable squarks, stable gluino, stable sleptons and multiply charged heavy stable particles with the CMS and ATLAS detectors.
Incorporating Attack-Type Uncertainty Into Network Protection

Network security against possible attacks involves making decisions under uncertainty. Not only may one be ignorant of the place, the power, or the time of potential attacks, one may also be largely ignorant of the attacker's purpose. To illustrate this phenomenon, this paper proposes a simple Bayesian game-theoretic model of allocating defensive (scanning) effort among nodes of a network in which a network's defender does not know the adversary's motivation for intruding on the network, e.g., to bring the maximal damage to the network (for example, to steal credit card numbers or information on bank accounts stored there) or to infiltrate the network for other purposes (for example, to corrupt nodes for a further distributed denial of service botnet attack on servers). Due to limited defensive capabilities, the defender faces the dilemma of either: 1) focusing on increasing defense of the most valuable nodes, and in turn, increasing the chance for the adversary to sneak into the network through less valuable nodes or 2) taking care of defense of all the nodes, and in turn, reducing the level of defense of the most valuable ones. An explicit solution to this dilemma is suggested based on the information available to the defender, and it is shown how this information allows the authorities to increase the efficiency of a network's defense. Some interesting properties of the rivals' strategies are presented. Notably, the adversary's strategy has a node-sharing structure and the adversary's payoffs have a discontinuous dependence on the probability of the attack's type. This discontinuity implies that the defender has to take into account the human factor since some threshold values of this inclination in the adversary's behavior could make the defender's policy very sensitive to small perturbations, while in other situations it produces minimal impact.
Heating and cooling the Drosophila melanogaster clock

Most biological phenomena are under control of a circuit known as the ‘molecular circadian clock.’ Over the past forty years of research in Drosophila melanogaster, studies have made significant advances in our understanding of the molecular timing mechanism of this circuit, which is determined by a core inhibitory feedback loop. While the timing mechanism of the molecular circadian clock is endogenous, it is well established that exogenous cues such as light and temperature modulate its timing. In the following article, we summarize our current understanding of how temperature interacts with the molecular circadian clock in adult Drosophila.
Simulation colorimetry of the earth-atmosphere system

Abstract Luminance, dominant wavelength, and spectral purity of the sky radiation as a function of the zenith angle, and of the radiation reflected by different types of Lambert surfaces along the nadir direction, but received by observers at ground level as well as at the top, are presented for several plane-parallel models of the terrestrial atmosphere. These colorimetric parameters of the diffuse radiation are determined from the computed radiances at 23 unequally spaced wavelengths in the spectral region 0.365–0.784 μ. The diffuse radiation is evaluated after taking into account all orders of scattering. The atmospheric models used are for average cloudfree midlatitude summer situations, and vary from an aerosol-free absorption-free model at one end to a model with a large amount of aerosol and absorption by ozone and water vapor at the other. This study illustrates the manner in which the aforementioned colorimetric parameters are affected by the atmospheric conditions, solar position, direction of observation, position of observer, and the wavelength dependence of the reflectivity of the surface underlying the atmospheric model.
Opportunistic computed tomography screening shows a high incidence of osteoporosis in ankylosing spondylitis patients with acute vertebral fractures.

Advanced ankylosing spondylitis is associated with reductions in bone mineral density (BMD), contributing to pain and predisposing to fractures. Quantifying this reduction is complicated because overgrowth of bone and loss of trabecular bone occur concurrently. Traditional methods such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry struggle to generate accurate estimates of BMD in these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of computed tomography (CT) attenuation in generating estimates of BMD in patients with severe AS who had sustained vertebral fractures. Patients with severe AS and bridging syndesmophytes who presented, with acute fractures of the spine, were reviewed to assess whether they had a CT scan in the 6 mo before or after injury that included an image of the L1 vertebra; if it did, the scans were selected for analysis. A total of 17 patients were evaluated. Using a CT attenuation threshold of 135 HU balanced for sensitivity and specificity, 14 of 17 (82%) patients were osteoporotic. Using a CT attenuation threshold for higher sensitivity (160 HU), 15 of 17 (88%) patients were osteoporotic. Even using the L1 CT attenuation threshold of 110 HU for higher specificity, 14 of 17 (82%) patients were osteoporotic. CT attenuation demonstrates that a high proportion of AS patients who sustain fractures have osteoporosis. This overcomes some of the difficulties that have been encountered with the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in this group of patients. This simple and accessible method saves on time, cost, and exposure to radiation and can help in the planning of a patient's management.
Spontaneous Hierarchical Assembly of Rhodium Nanoparticles into Spherical Aggregates and Superlattices

Reduction of aqueous RhCl3 with NaBH4 in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) yields dense spherical nanostructures. The spherical aggregates, which generally have diameters between 10 and 100 nm, are built from smaller 1−3 nm Rh particles. The dense nanostructures are thermally stable beyond 100 °C, and they have a tendency to form ordered superstructures upon drying. Combining sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with PVP modifies the size and morphology of the primary 1−3 nm particles, but does not change the spherical shape of the aggregates except at high concentrations of SDS. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements show that the large aggregates are formed directly in solution from small Rh particles, consistent with TEM and AFM results. Magnetic measurements indicate that the Rh nanoparticle aggregates are Pauli paramagnetic.
Prehospital gastrointestinal decontamination of toxic ingestions: A missed opportunity

The purpose of this study was to determine if emergency medical services (EMS) providers routinely initiate field gastrointestinal decontamination of adult drug overdose patients transported to the emergency department (ED). A retrospective prehospital chart review was performed on adult patients identified as drug overdose who were transported by EMS. ED charts on patients transported to a university hospital were reviewed for follow-up data. Prehospital care records showed that gastrointestinal decontamination was initiated in only 6 of 361 (2%) patients, all of whom received ipecac. No patient received activated charcoal. The median transport time was 25 minutes (range, 5 to 66 minutes). Follow-up data on patients transported to the university hospital revealed that 30 of 43 (70%) patients who might have been suitable candidates for prehospital activated charcoal actually received activated charcoal in the ED. Median time to activated charcoal in the ED was 82 minutes (range, 32 to 329 min). Use of activated charcoal in the field appears to be deferred despite its known loss of efficacy over time. The failure to start activated charcoal in the field contributes to the delay in initiating activated charcoal therapy.
Informal Status, Formal Structure, and Job Mobility in a Commercial Organization*

(1962). Informal Status, Formal Structure, and Job Mobility in a Commercial Organization. The Sociological Quarterly: Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 220-227.
Genetically Supervised Self-Organizing Map for the Classification of Glass Samples

The self-organizing map (SOM) is a useful tool for creating abstractions of high-dimensional distributions of inputs. It computes the ideal mapping of the domain of observations, using either discrete or continuous distributions of values [1]. The SOM benefits from the coupling with a genetic algorithm (GA). GAs are optimization algorithms that allow the user to "evolve" a solution from a distribution of potential solutions [2]. The fittest candidates survive and participate in the production of future generations of new solutions. The fusion of these two techniques results in a dynamic algorithm that maps a diverse input plane in an optimizing fashion, striving towards perfection while learning from mistakes. We will detail the general principles involved and demonstrate the performance of this algorithm in the classification of glass samples.
The use of extracted teeth for in vitro bonding studies: A review of infection control considerations

Abstract Objective . Infection control concerns regarding the handling of teeth for research purposes have prompted investigators to evaluate the effects of disinfection/sterilization on extracted teeth. The objectives of this literature review were to assess the reported findings of the effect of disinfection or sterilization on teeth used for in vitro bonding studies and make recommendations on their use. Methods . A search of the literature was performed to obtain background information on infection control guidelines and current findings regarding disinfection or sterilization of extracted teeth. Published articles addressing the effects of different disinfection and sterilizing procedures on the tooth, such as structural changes of dentin and dentin permeability or effect on bond strengths, were examined and compared for agreement or disagreement of findings. The review was organized by the type of disinfection or sterilization method utilized by the investigators. These methods were evaluated in an attempt to address whether disinfection/sterilization of extracted teeth can be recommended or if the procedure simply produces another variable. Results . Formalin, chemical heat sterilization (Chemiclave), autoclave, ethylene oxide and gamma radiation methods of disinfection/sterilization have been investigated for their effects on extracted teeth. When the effect of formalin storage on dentin bond strengths was examined, investigator results were extremely varied. Autoclave and chemical sterilization were found to produce comparable dentin bond results when compared to controls. Gamma radiation did not produce structural changes in the dentin but it currently has not been investigated for its effect on dentin bond strength. And while ethylene oxide produced similar dentin bond strength results when compared to controls, its use as a sterilant was determined to be ineffective. Significance . Investigators have found formalin storage to be effective for infection control purposes. It cannot, however, be recommended as a storage medium for dentin bonding studies due to the variability in dentin bond strengths resulting from its use. Ethylene oxide is also not recommended due to its inability to effectively sterilize teeth. Chemical heat and autoclave sterilization methods are recommended for preventing cross-contamination during in vitro dentin bonding research. This recommendation is based on current research findings which examined the effect of these sterilization methods on dentin and dentin bond strengths.
Influence of tray design upon elastic impression materials

Abstract All the impression materials tested appear to be capable of clinically acceptable accuracy. Although most of the indirect techniques currently in practice recommend an attachment of the impression material to the tray, this investigation suggests that a distortion might be induced by the use of such an attachment. The matter is worthy of further investigation.
Interconnect processes and reliability for RF technology

High performance radio frequency (RF) technology is required for many communications applications, such as mobile phones. The interconnects for RF circuits are different from those for digital circuits in a number of ways, including thick wiring layers (> 3 µm), extensive use of passive devices such as thin film resistors, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors, and inductors, and use of through-silicon vias (TSVs) for ground planes. As a result, there are a number of unique reliability challenges for these devices, including controlling stress in thick wiring layers and TSVs, and ensuring reliability of MIM capacitor dielectrics. In this paper, we will describe process optimization and reliability evaluation for interconnects in RF circuits.
A review of upstream and bow shock energetic-particle measurements

Measurements of energetic electrons and protons frequently observed in the interplanetary medium upstream from the bow shock are reviewed. Bursts of electrons with energy 0.5 to 100 keV and duration 1 to 100s (termed “spikes”) appear when the spacecraft is on a field line which is tangent to the bow shock surface. The electrons move upstream in a thin, curved sheet lying nearly along the interplanetary-magnetic-field direction. The thinness of the electron sheet shows that the electrons are accelerated only in a small region about the curve of tangency of the interplanetary magnetic field and the bow shock surface. The upstream ions, on the other hand, occupy a much larger spatial region. Some of the upstream ions, particularly those at the energies above 100 keV, may have magnetospheric origin. The mechanism of the ion acceleration is still not known nor is it ruled out that acceleration in the upstream region may take place. A variety of plasma waves is excited by the upstream particles.
Characteristics and outcome of hospitalized adolescent girls with conduct disorder.

Abstract Fifty-five adolescent girls with conduct disorder from a psychiatric hospital were examined with a structured interview schedule and then reevaluated 2 to 4 years later. The majority also had depressive or anxiety disorders. The criteria used for conduct disorder were less weighted toward violent crime and differed from the criteria in DSM-III-R . Their outcome was poor; 6% had died a violent death, the majority had dropped out of school, one-third were pregnant before the age of 17, half were rearrested, and many suffered traumatic injuries. Diagnoses of depression or anxiety disorders at the index admission were not associated with a better outcome. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1991, 30, 6:973–981.
CHARACTERIZATION OF 5-HT1A RECEPTOR FUNCTIONAL COUPLING IN CELLS EXPRESSING THE HUMAN 5-HT1A RECEPTOR AS ASSESSED WITH THE CYTOSENSOR MICROPHYSIOMETER

Abstract The functional activity of a series of 5-HT 1A receptor ligands has been evaluated in a cell line expressing the human 5-HT 1A receptor (h5-HT 1A · CHO) using the agonist-stimulated increase in extracellular acidification rate, measured with the microphysiometer, as a functional assay. Both 5-CT and 8-OH-DPAT were potent agonists in stimulating an increase in extracellular acidification rate in h5-HT 1A · CHO cells with estimated EC 50 values of 1.2 and 7.8 nM, respectively. Additionally, these two 5-HT 1A receptor agonists elicited a similar maximum response. Concentration-dependent agonist activity was also observed in the presence of buspirone, ipsapirone, BMY7378, NAN-190 and WAY100135, and each of these compounds behaved as partial 5-HT 1A receptor agonists. The selective 5-HT 1A receptor antagonist WAY100635 produced a potent (IC 50 , 2.3 nM) and complete block of the 8-OH-DPAT-stimulated response. An evaluation of the inhibitory activity of a series of 5-HT 1A receptor antagonists produced the following rank order of potency; WAY100635 > LY206130 (IC 50 , 7.1 nM) > WAY100135 (30.8 nM) > pindolol (76.2 nM) > (−)UH-301 (92.8 nM). Parallel studies on the inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in h5-HT 1A · CHO cells revealed that agonist potencies were generally similar between the two functional assays and were in good agreement with the estimated 5-HT 1A receptor binding affinities. However, the relative efficacies determined for the partial agonists in the cAMP assay were substantially greater than those observed with the microphysiometer. Finally, antagonists were considerably weaker in the cAMP assay compared with the microphysiometer. The evaluation of 5-HT 1A ligands using the microphysiometer, which represents a very distinct indice of 5-HT 1A receptor function compared with the cAMP assay, results in a different profile of functional activity.
Plasma Concentrations and Safety Assessment of Voriconazole in Red-Eared Slider Turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) after Single and Multiple Subcutaneous Injections

Abstract Using ultra performance liquid chromatography, voriconazole concentrations in plasma samples from red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) were quantified after single subcutaneous (SC) injections of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, and after twice-daily SC injections for 7 days at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Voriconazole was rapidly absorbed after SC injection. Plasma concentrations obtained after the last of multiple doses (10 mg/kg SC q 12 h for 7 days) revealed a mean (SD) observed time of maximum concentration = 1.29 (1.28) h; observed maximum concentration = 7.58 (5.39) μg/ml; and time above 1.0 μg/ml = 7.43 (2.16) h. Doses of 10 mg/kg administered twice daily for 7 days resulted in trough concentrations that were subtherapeutic based on current recommendations for clinical efficacy of antifungal therapy in humans. Clinical abnormalities were seen in several turtles during and after the study, but these effects could not be definitively attributed to voriconazole administration.
Trait/set interactions in EMG biofeedback

Recently the efficacy of EMG biofeedback over other relaxation procedures has been questioned. Dispositional trait factors have been hypothesized as accounting for some of the contradictory results. The present study investigated the interactions of absorption and trait anxiety with instructional sets on levels of activity in the frontalis muscle. Subjects were given a set to relax by attending to biofeedback signals or a set to relax by letting go of all concerns and having a pleasant daydream. No biofeedback signals were provided the latter group. Both groups demonstrated reductions in activity of the frontalis muscle. No significant between-group differences and no significant interactions for absorption, trait anxiety, or experimental set were found. Both groups demonstrated pre-post decreases in state anxiety with subjects given the daydreaming set and no biofeedback showing significantly less post-treatment state anxiety than subjects who attended to biofeedback signals.
Non-isothermal curing kinetics of epoxy/mechanochemical devulcanized ground rubber tire (GRT) composites

The curing behavior of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy and specially ground mechanochemical devulcanized ground rubber tire system (GRT) in the presence of polyoxyalkyleneamine curing agent was investigated by non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry technique at different heating rates. Scanning electron microscopic-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the GRT particles. The kinetic parameters of curing process were determined by isoconversional method given by Malek. The average activation energy E a was found to be 52.3–60.7 and 45–59.2 kJ/mol for neat epoxy amine (Epo am 31) and epoxy/amine with GRT (5 Epo am 31) systems, respectively. It was observed that the presence of GRT in epoxy/amine promotes the curing. A two parameter (m, n) autocatalytic model (SB equation) was found to be the most adequate to describe the cure kinetics of the studied epoxy/GRT system. A dominant catalyzing effect of GRT on the curing reaction was observed which is attributed to the complexity of the reaction at later stages of curing, therefore, it was not possible to model the reaction over the whole range of degree of conversion.
Physiological and biochemical characteristics of a fast-growing strain of lupin rhizobia isolated from the sonoran desert

Abstract An effective, fast-growing strain of lupin rhizobia was isolated from a species of Lupinus native to the Sonoran Desert near San Felipe, Baja, Mexico (generation time, 3.6 h). Bacteria isolated from the roots of lupins are normally slow growing, however. Lupin 43 was fast-growing, possessed multiple flagella and produced acid in a denned medium. In comparison to a slow-growing lupin strain. Nitragin 96AII; Lupin 43 had a low intrinsic resistance to antibiotics and was able to utilize a wider range of C and N-sources. When compared to a fast-growing strain of Rhizobium meliloti, also isolated from the Sonoran Desert, Lupin 43 had a slightly faster growth rate, was less resistant to antibiotics and produced alkaline end products when asparagine was supplied as N-source. Based on these characteristics. Lupin 43 was more similar to other fast-growing rhizobia than the slow growing lupin rhizobia.
THE WOLFGANG MODEL: LESSONS FOR HOMICIDE RESEARCH IN THE 1990s

ABSTRACT There are a number of things that homicide research needs to do: (1) trace the volume of killing over time in various geo-political units; (2) delineate clearly the types of homicide that exist, for homicide is indeed a multidimensional, not unidimensional, phenomena; (3) specify the particular populations affected by these different types; and (4) determine the causes of each of these respective types as well as causes of increasing volume over time. Accomplishing these four objectives will allow us to reach the ultimate objective which is the development of social policies that can impact this lethal phenomena. This paper will analyze Marvin Wolfgang's classic work Patterns in Criminal Homicide to determine the contributions of his work to these overall objectives. It will do so by (1) briefly reviewing the major findings of Wolfgang's work on homicide; (2) reviewing studies of some other research scholars that have occurred since the publication of Wolfgang's work to show how homicide research...