cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photochemical desorption from chlorinated Si(100) and Si(111) surfaces — Mechanisms and models

Understanding the mechanisms controlling the anisotropy of microetching is particularly critical as the scale of semiconductor devices shrink. Defining complex, dynamic chemical systems such as halogen etching require microscopic measurements combining kinetics, dynamics, surface layer composition and micromorphology on prototypical surfaces. This study is concerned with two important variables in addition to spontaneous chemical etching, the role of electronic defects induced by high level doping in producing site-specefic reaction and the enhancement of etching by irradiation at low fluences. Substitutional defects introduced by selective doping significantly influence the rate of chlorine etching by forming shallow electronic states that are ionized at room temperature1. We have shown that chlorine sticking coeficients as well as laser-assisted etching are significantly affected by doping at very high dopant levels. Enhancement for n-type doping is consistent with the simple assumption that holes at the surface should enhance Si-Si surface bond breaking and in disagreement with the fact that heavily p-doped silicon has a higher chlorine sticking coefficient than n-doped material2. Carrier effects generated by photoirradiation with above bandgap photons are considerably more complex than simple doping. A depletion layer and associated electric field are set up at the surface and minority carriers are preferentially swept to the surface. The type of photocarrier present at the surface is determined by both the doping and the photoirradiation. Using photoinduced etching of heavily doped Si(100) and Si(111) by chlorine at low laser fluences, we studied the mechanism of photostimulated desorption using core-level photoemission and time-of-flight measurements of the photoproducts2. These results will be interpreted in terms of field-modified electron-hole transport together with carrier-modified chlorine adsorption and desorption.
Magnetic properties and critical behavior of Fe(tetracyanoethylene) 2 .x(CH 2 Cl 2 ): A high-T c molecule-based magnet

We report magnetic studies of Fe(TCNE){sub 2}{center_dot}x(CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}), a member of the family of high-T{sub c} molecule-based magnets, M(TCNE){sub x}{center_dot}y(solvent) (M=V, Mn, TCNE=tetracyanoethelyne). Based on extensive static and dynamic magnetic measurements we show that this system has a complex magnetic behavior, with a mixture of ferrimagnetic and random anisotropy characteristics. The constricted hysteresis curve with a spin-flop shape, the ac susceptibility in the presence of a dc field, consistent with the spin-flop picture, and the remanent magnetization suggest ferrimagnetic behavior. The ac susceptibility data in zero dc field have modest frequency dependence suggesting glassiness, while the field-cooling/zero-field-cooling magnetization data show irreversibilities, starting at {approx}97 K, and increasing below {approx}20 K, all consistent with the behavior of reentrant random anisotropy magnets (RAM). Ferromagneticlike scaling analyses provide a critical temperature T{sub c}=97 K and the critical exponents {beta}=0.45 and {delta}=2.5, relatively consistent with random anisotropy magnet predictions. Also, the curvature of the T<T{sub c} data in the modified Arrott plot is characteristic for RAM. Correlating the static and dynamic magnetic studies and analyzing the similarities with other members of this family of hybrid organic/inorganic compounds, we discuss the origins of anisotropy and randomness and the possible interconnections between ferrimagnetism and RAMmore » (sperimagnetism) in Fe(TCNE){sub 2}{center_dot}x(CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}). (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.« less
Scalability Analysis of Rate Adaptation Techniques in Congested IEEE 802.11 Networks: An ORBIT Testbed Comparative Study

Recent real-world measurements in dense congested radio environments have pointed out the inefficiency of frame error-based bit-rate adaptation mechanisms, which significantly reduce network capacity by misinterpreting frame errors due to collisions. These effects are likely to be amplified with the heavy use of media applications. Fortunately, traditional SNR-based rate adaptation, and the more recently proposed throughput-based, and collision-aware rate adaptation algorithms are expected to provide more robust performance in these scenarios. To our knowledge, however, their performance has never been experimentally validated in a congested environment. In this paper, we report our implementation experiences with rate adaptation in a dense, congested IEEE 802.11 network. We find that throughput-based adaptation, contrary to expectations, also suffers from poor bitrate selection. Due to an increase in physical layer capture, while using lower bitrates, nodes can increase their individual throughput at the expense of cumulative network throughput. SNR-based rate adaptation performs well in static environments but the lack of sufficient precision in RSSI measurements makes accurate rate selection in dynamic radio environments dfficult. The use of RTS/CTS, in the spirit of collision-aware rate adaptation, shows throughput improvements for frame error-based algorithms and, additionally, for throughput-based algorithms as well. However, results are below expectations likely due to RTS/CTS implementation issues on the Atheros 5212 platform.
p-values for the Discrete Scan Statistic through Slack Variables

The discrete scan statistic is used in many areas of applied probability and statistics to study local clumping of patterns. Testing based on the statistic requires tail probabilities. Whereas the distribution has been studied extensively, most of the results are approximations, due to the difficulties associated with the computation. Results for exact p-values for the statistic have been given for a binary sequence that is independent or first-order Markovian. We give an algorithm to obtain probabilities for the statistic over multi-state trials that are Markovian of a general order of dependence, and explore the algorithm's usefulness.
Characteristics of a Potyvirus of the Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus Subgroup in Sesbania speciosa Germ Plasm

A plant of Sesbania speciosa with leaf mosaic and distortion symptoms was identified in a germ plasm regeneration plot at Griffin, Georgia. The Sesbania virus produced mild or moderate mosaic symptoms on Glycine max cvs. Bragg and Tracy M, Lupinus albus, Nicotiana benthamiana, Pisum sativum cv. Perfected Wales, Phaseolus vulgaris cvs. Black Turtle, Bountiful, and Pinto, and did not infect N. tabacum. Bean yellow mosaic potyvirus (BYMV) and pea mosaic potyvirus (PMV) do not infect Perfected Wales pea and they produce mosaic, distortion, and necrosis on white lupine. The PMV strain tested produced much more severe symptoms on the three green beans, with top necrosis on Pinto. BYMV produced local latent infection of N. tabacum and BYMV and PMV produced mosaic with distortion on N. benthamiana. The Sesbania virus was seed-transmitted at a low rate in S. speciosa. Indirect-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests with a general potyvirus monoclonal antibody and BYMV and white lupine mosaic virus (WLMV) polyclonal antisera were strongly positive. Tests of the Sesbania virus against a monoclonal antibody panel suggests that it is not BYMV or any of the previously described subgroup members, but is a member of the BYMV subgroup. This is the first report of a seedborne BYMV-like virus of Sesbania spp.
Polarization of neutrons elastically scattered from 16O

Abstract A high-resolution study of the polarization of neutrons elastically scattered from 16 O has been made at nine angles between 1 and 4 MeV and a preliminary phase-shift analysis of the results has been carried out. The experiment used an intense source of polarized neutrons generated via the reactions 238 U (γ, n ) 237 U → 12 C ( n , → n ) 12 C .
Increasing Hydrophobicity of Residues in an Anti-HIV-1 Env Peptide Synergistically Improves Potency

T-20/Fuzeon/Enfuvirtide (ENF), a peptide inhibitor of HIV-1 infection, targets the grooves created by heptad repeat 2 (HR2) of Env's coiled-coil, but mutants resistant to ENF emerge. In this study, ENF-resistant mutants—V38A, N43D, N43D/S138A, Q40H/L45M—were combined with modified inhibitory peptides to identify what we believe to be novel ways to improve peptide efficacy. V38A did not substantially reduce infectivity, but was relatively resistant to inhibitory peptides. N43D was more resistant to inhibitory peptides than wild-type, but infectivity was reduced. The additional mutation S138A (N43D/S138A) increased infectivity and further reduced peptide inhibitory potency. It is concluded that S138A increased binding of HR2/ENF into grooves and that S138A compensated for electrostatic repulsion between N43D and HR2. The six-helix bundle structure indicated that E148A should increase hydrophobic interactions between the coiled-coil and peptide. Importantly, the modifications S138A and E148A in the same peptide retained potency against ENF-escape mutants. The double mutant's increase in potency was greater than the increases from the sum of S138A and E148A individually, showing that these two altered residues synergistically contributed to peptide binding. Isothermal titration calorimetry established that hydrophobic substitutions at positions S138 and E148 improved potency of inhibitory peptides against escape mutants by increasing enthalpic release of energy upon peptide binding.
Using nuclei to probe hadronization in QCD

Abstract The behavior of quasi-exclusive and inclusive ϱ and J/ψ photoproduction, electroproduction and hadroproduction in nuclei are discussed for small and large p ⊥ . In particular we argue that J/ψ production in ion-ion collisions is likely to be suppressed relative to the background lepton pair production, independent of whether or not a QCD plasma is formed. We point out that previous extractions of the J/ψ inelastic cross section do not actually measure the cross section for the interaction of physical J/ψ's with nucleons.
Achieving high detection sensitivity (14 zmol) of biomolecular ions in bioaerosol mass spectrometry.

Bioaerosol mass spectrometry (BAMS) performs single-cell analysis in real time. However, the specificity of BAMS mass signatures has been limited by low sensitivity at high masses. To increase the ...
APPROXIMATING GREEN'S FUNCTIONS ON ℙ1 POSITIVE CHARACTERISTIC

Fix a finite K-symmetric set and a K-symmetric probability vector . Let &#x1d507;v be a finite union of balls for some ah ∈ Kv and some , where the balls &#x1d505;(ah, rh) are disjoint from &#x1d51b;. Put &#x1d508;v := &#x1d507;v ∩ ℙ1(Kv). Then there exists a positive integer Nv such that for each sufficiently large integer N divisible by Nv, there are a number Rv, with , and an -function fv(z) ∈ Kv(z) of degree N whose zeros form a "well-distributed" sequence in &#x1d508;v such that is a disjoint union of balls centered at the zeros of fv(z) and for all z ∉ &#x1d507;v,
In Vitro Studies of the Coronary Arteries of Man and Swine as Demonstrated by a New Technic, Angioplethysmokymography

A new in vitro technic for the study of isolated surviving arteries and veins is described. Observations of the reactivity of 21 human and 68 swine coronary arteries to histamine, acetylcholine, l-epinephrine and l-norepinephrine are reported. Histamine and acetylcholine uniformly caused vasoconstriction of the coronary arteries of man and swine. Three potential mechanisms of coronary artery vasoconstriction in these species are suggested. The blocking action of antihistaminic drugs on vasoconstriction due to histamine, and of atropine on vasoconstriction due to acetylcholine is demonstrated. It is suggested that combined therapy with these drugs may be useful in treatment of diseases of the coronary arteries.
THEORY OF HIGH-ENERGY DIFFRACTION SCATTERING. II.

Recent theoretical results on high-energy scattering are extended. It is found that the form of the matrix elements in the high-energy limit can be readily understood in terms of energy denominators in pre-Feynman perturbation theory. On this basis, we give explicit rules to obtain the high-energy behavior of the sums of large classes of Feynman diagrams, for both the scattering of two extremely relativistic particles and that of one such particle by an external static potential. Application of these rules yields immediately all the previous results on high-energy elastic scattering, and also leads to a deeper understanding of exponentiation. These considerations suggest a simple and natural physical picture for high-energy elastic scattering and, by trivial extensions, also for diffraction and some inelastic scattering processes. We emphasize that this physical picture has the virtue of correctly yielding all the high-energy results of quantum electrodynamics.
Effects of osmotic pressure on the oxidative metabolism of Leishmania major promastigotes.

Leishmania major promastigotes were washed and resuspended in an iso-osmotic buffer. The rate of oxidation of 14C-labeled substrates was then measured as a function of osmolality. An acute decrease in osmolality (achieved by adding H2O to the cell suspension) caused an increase in the rates of 14CO2 production from [6-14C]glucose and, to a lesser extent, from [1, (3)-14C]glycerol. An acute increase in osmolality (achieved by adding NaCl, KCl, or mannitol) strongly inhibited the rates of 14CO2 production from [1-: 14C]alanine, [1-14C]glutamate, and [1, (3)-14C]glycerol. The rates of 14CO2 formation from [1-14C]laurate, [1-14C]acetate, and [2-14C]glucose (all of which form [1-14C]acetyl CoA prior to oxidation) were also inhibited, but less strongly, by increasing osmolality. These data suggest that with increasing osmolality there is an inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative capacity, which could facilitate the increase in alanine pool size that occurs in response to hyper-osmotic stress. Similarly, an increase in oxidative capacity would help prevent a rebuild up of the alanine pool after its rapid loss to the medium in response to hypo-osmotic stress.
Identification of hazards with impulsive sources

Given some observations downstream can one determine the location and intensities of point sources of a hazard (pollutant chemical or biological)? The unknown concentrations are governed by the diffusion-advection partial differential equation. The corresponding algebraic system is studied. The fixed location problem is considered using reordering, the Schur complement and nonnegative least squares. A nonlinear problem is proposed, and an iterative method is formulated based on nonnegative least squares and Newton's method. The variable location problem is tackled with simulated annealing. The complexities of controlling aquatic populations, which are nonlinear, time-dependent and have multiple sources, will be illustrated.
Sleep Duration and the Risk of Diabetes Mellitus: Epidemiologic Evidence and Pathophysiologic Insights

Evidence from well-defined cohort studies has shown that short sleep, through sleep fragmentation caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or behavioral sleep curtailment because of lifestyle choices, is associated with increased incidence of diabetes. In this report, we review epidemiologic and clinical data suggesting that OSA is involved in the pathogenesis of altered glucose metabolism. Evidence suggesting increased risk of developing diabetes resulting from curtailed sleep duration is also considered. Proposed mechanisms explaining associations between short sleep and diabetes are examined and clinical management of OSA among patients with diabetes is discussed.
Aggressiveness of Stagonospora nodorum isolates obtained from wheat in the northern Great Plains

Isolates of Stagonospora nodorum, obtained from diseased wheat leaves collected in fields in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota, were tested on detached seedling leaves of wheat and found to be pathogenic. Differences among isolates chosen at random were detected in the first phase of the inoculations. Isolates associated with severe and mild symptom severity, as measured by lesion size, were selected in phase two. Isolates associated with severe and mild symptom severity were statistically differentiated in phase three. The ability of isolates to cause significant differences in symptom severity was interpreted as differences in aggressiveness. The differences among isolates detected with detached leaf experiments was confirmed with glasshouse inoculations of seedling wheat plants. The high aggressive isolates consistently produced higher symptom severity on wheat seedlings, as measured by percentage necrosis, than low aggressive isolates. Cultivars were consistently differentiated with isolates associated with different levels of aggressiveness. With unselected isolates, the cultivar × isolate interaction was nonsignificant, indicating a lack of specificity. With high and low aggressive isolates, the cultivar × isolate interaction was significant. Considering that the magnitude of the mean squares for interactions were rather low compared to the main effects, it is speculated either that specificity is detected with the present isolates but only at a low level, or that specificity is apparent only when isolate extremes are tested. With studying isolates in phases rather than random comparisons, fungal isolates associated the high and low aggressiveness can be identified and, once identified, isolates from different hosts or geographical areas can be compared in an efficient and meaningful manner.
The use of web-based diaries in sexual risk behaviour research: a systematic review

Background An increasing number of studies have used the diary method, which provides quantitative event-level data about sexual encounters. Diaries are an attractive tool for sexual behaviour research, yet little is known about the range of uses, methodological issues and best practices associated with this technology. Objectives To conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding the use of web-based diaries in sexual risk behaviour studies. Design Systematic review. Data sources Five bibliographical databases, supplemented by references from previous reviews. Methods Eligible studies were published in English before August 2013, used the internet to transmit data from collection device to study staff, and measured behaviours affecting HIV or sexually transmitted infection transmission risk. The primary author conducted an initial screen to eliminate irrelevant articles. Both authors conducted full-text reviews to determine final articles. We abstracted data on diary methodology, validity and reactivity (behaviour change caused by diary completion). Results Twenty-three articles representing 15 studies were identified. Most diaries were collected daily for 1 month via websites, and completion was generally high (>80%). Compensation varied by study and was not associated with completion. Studies comparing diary with retrospective survey data demonstrated evidence of over-reporting on retrospective tools, except for the least frequent behaviours. Most studies that assessed reactivity as a result of diary completion demonstrated some change in behaviour associated with frequent monitoring. Conclusions Web-based diaries are an effective means of studying sexual risk behaviour. More uniform reporting and further research on the extent of reactivity are needed.
Managerial Perceptions of Project Stability

This research investigated the importance of stability (ability of schedules to absorb disrup- tion) to project outcomes. Managers involved in aviation systems development were surveyed for their perceptions of importance and useful- ness for project attributes and performance management measures. Traditional measures of cost, schedule, performance, and earned value were compared to proposed measures of stability. Stability and earned value had both importance and usefulness to the managers. Stability was perceived to be as important as the more common measures. Perceptions dif- fered depending on program size, scope, and stage of completion and between managers depending on experience and certification level.
Roadblocks on the kill curve; testing the Raup hypothesis

The documented presence of two large (-100-km diameter), possibly coeval impact craters of late Eocene age, requires modification of the impact-kill curve proposed by David M. Raup. Though the estimated meteorite size for each crater alone is large enough to have produced considerable global environmental stress, no horizons of mass mortality or pulsed extinction are known to be associated with either crater or their ejecta deposits. Thus, either there is no fixed relationship between extinction magnitude and crater diameter, or a meteorite that would produce a crater of >100-km diameter is required to raise extinction rates significantly above a -5% background level. Both impacts took place -1-2 m.y. before the "Terminal Eocene Event"(=early Oligocene pulsed extinction). Their collective long-term environmental effects, however, may have either delayed that extinction pulse or produced threshold conditions necessary for it to take place.
Motion-compensated dynamic image reconstruction for gated cardiac SPECT

In this paper we propose a unified image reconstruction procedure for dynamic images from traditional gated SPECT acquisition. We divide the cardiac cycle into a number of gate intervals as in gated SPECT, but treat the tracer distribution for each gate as a time-varying signal. By using dynamic expectation maximization and motion-compensated temporal regularization, our reconstruction procedure can produce an image sequence that shows both cardiac motion and time-varying tracer distribution simultaneously. We simulated gated cardiac perfusion imaging using the gated mathematical cardiac-torso (gMCAT) phantom with Tc99m-Teboroxime dynamics. Our experimental results show that the proposed methods can produce more accurate reconstruction of gated dynamic images than independent reconstruction of individual gate frames with spatial smoothness alone.
Integration of Multimodal Neuroimaging and Electroencephalography for the Study of Acute Epileptiform Activity After Traumatic Brain Injury

The integration of multidimensional, longitudinal data acquired using the combined use of structural neuroimaging [e.g. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT)] and neurophysiological recordings [e.g. electroencephalography (EEG)] poses substantial challenges to neuroinformaticians and to biomedical scientists who interact frequently with such data. In traumatic brain injury (TBI) studies, this challenge is even more severe due to the substantial heterogeneity of TBIs across patients and to the variety of neurophysiological responses to injury. Additionally, the study of acute epileptiform activity prompted by TBI poses logistic, analytic and data integration difficulties. Here we describe our proposed solutions to the integration of structural neuroimaging with neurophysiological recordings to study epileptiform activity after TBI. Based on techniques for TBI-robust segmentation and electrical activity localization, we have developed an approach to the joint analysis of MRI/CT/EEG data to identify the foci of seizure-related activity and to facilitate the study of TBI-related neuropathophysiology.
Trans-Fatty Acids and Sudden Cardiac Death

Der Mensch ist, was er isst (“A man is what he eats”)— German Proverb A relationship between diet and human disease has been known at least since the time of Hippocrates. Our “modern” understanding of the role of nutrition in heart disease began in 1908, when a diet of meat, milk, or eggs was found to produce atherosclerosis in rabbits; a decade later, cholesterol was identified as causing the experimental lesions. Epidemiological studies that began in the 1930s confirmed this correlation in humans, but the importance of diet in causing atherosclerosis attracted little attention until the 1950s, when a high intake of saturated fats was recognized as a major risk factor for myocardial infarction and stroke. Although the role of dietary lipids in causing vascular disease is now established, an influence of fat intake on cardiac arrhythmias is less well-appreciated.1 The potential importance of this relationship is highlighted by Lemaitre et al,2 who in this issue of Circulation , suggest that dietary trans -fatty acids cause sudden cardiac death. Trans -fatty acids differ from the natural cis -isomers in the conformation around the double bond; in the former, the fatty acyl chains are on opposite ( trans ) sides of the molecule, whereas they are on the same ( cis ) side in the latter. Most dietary trans -fatty acids are formed when unsaturated fats are “hardened” by hydrogenation and when vegetable oils become hydrogenated during frying; they occur in hardened margarines, fast foods, and some commercially baked goods …
Transforming rural health care through information technology: an interventional study in China

This article estimates the impacts of health information technology (HIT) on health-care delivery in the Wenchuan County of China, where the devastation of the 2008 Great Wenchuan Earthquake and the subsequent large-scale HIT implementation (the Healthy Wenchuan Program) offers a 'natural experiment' opportunity, enabling us to conduct a difference-in-difference evaluation of the potential benefits of HIT on accessibility, affordability and appropriateness of health-care services in the underdeveloped rural area. Based on data collected from two field surveys in township hospitals, we find that for both the inpatient and outpatient samples, the HIT system promotes access to medical care by increasing doctor referrals and encouraging within-county medical utilization, reduces patient financial burden in certain expenditure categories, and contributes to higher patient satisfaction on medical care quality. On the other hand, we also find that HIT leads to increased patient waiting time for hospital registration, reflecting the unique challenges in implementing HIT in the underdeveloped areas. Our study contributes to the growing body of literature on evaluating the impacts of HIT application in the developing regions, and provides implications on the potential role of HIT in China's national health system reforms.
Bilateral epidural empyemas in an adolescent

Epidural empyema is an unusual cause of headache that may be encountered in the emergency department. The collection of suppurative fluid usually results from local spread of sinusitis, although many other predisposing factors have also been described. Patients with epidural empyema usually present with nonspecific cephalalgia that may be accompanied by fever and leukocytosis but is unlikely to be associated with focal neurological findings. The case of an adolescent who presented to our emergency department twice in 6 days with persistent headache is reported; cranial computed tomography performed on the second visit demonstrated bilateral epidural empyema. This entity is uncommon, but may certainly be encountered by the emergency physician.
The nature of probability

The thesis of this article is that the nature of probability is centered on its formal properties, not on any of its standard interpretations. Section 2 is a survey of Bayesian applications. Section 3 focuses on two examples from physics that seem as completely objective as other physical concepts. Section 4 compares the conflict between subjective Bayesians and objectivists about probability to the earlier strident conflict in physics about the nature of force. Section 5 outlines a pragmatic approach to the various interpretations of probability. Finally, Sect. 6 argues that the essential formal nature of probability is expressed in the standard axioms, but more explicit attention should be given to the concept of randomness.
Social Protest and Contentious Authoritarianism in China

Social Protest and Contentious Authoritarianism in China Chen Xi Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 241, £60.00, ISBN 978 1 10701 486 2 Chen Xi's outstanding new book tackles big ques...
Roomware for Cooperative Buildings: Integrated Design of Architectural Spaces and Information Spaces

In this paper, we introduce the concepts of "cooperative buildings" and "roomware" and place them in the context of the integrated design of real, physical, resp. architectural spaces and virtual, resp. digital information spaces. By "roomware" we mean computer-augmented things in rooms, like doors, walls, furniture, and others. The general approach is detailed via examples from the i-LAND project where we develop several "roomware" components in order to realize an interactive information and cooperation landscape, e.g. an innovative work environment for creativity teams. We describe the current realization of i-LAND which includes an interactive electronic wall, an interactive table, computer-augmented chairs, and a mechanism for assigning physical objects as representatives of information objects in the virtual world.
Morphometrics of the tribe Merremieae Austin (Convolvulacae) from India

Sixteen species of the tribe Merremieae Austin (Convolvulaceae) from India were morphometrically analyzed with the help of Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis to explain the relationship between them. PCA showed that quantitative characters like corolla breadth, fruit breadth and length of paracot leaf play important role in bringing together all the species in the same tribe while the characters like leaf length, leaf breadth, petiole length, pedicel length, calyx length and calyx breadth play vital role in the delimitation of taxa within the tribe Merremieae . Cluster analysis and dendrogram revealed that, the genus Operculina S. Manso is segregated from Merremia Denns. ex Endlich.; genus Hewittia Wight. & Arn. is very close to Merremia, probably originated from M. aegyptia (L.) Urban and M. dissecta (Jacq.) Hall. f. cluster and genus Xenostegia Austin & Staples is isolated in the separate cluster. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v21i2.21350 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 21 (2): 121-128, 2014 (December)
Asymptotic Bounds of Information Dissemination in Power-Constrained Wireless Networks

Dissemination of common information through broadcasting is an integral part of wireless network operations such as query of interested events, resource discovery and code update. In this paper, we characterize the behavior of information dissemination in power-constrained wireless networks by defining two quantities, i.e., broadcast capacity and information diffusion rate and derive fundamental limits in both random extended networks. We find that using multihop relay, the rate of broadcasting continuous stream is thetas((log n)-alpha/2) in extended networks. Regardless of the density, information can diffuse at constant speed, i.e., thetas (1). Furthermore, we prove that a unified routing structure and MAC schedule can be devised that achieves order-optimal broadcasting performance in both delay and throughput. The theoretical bounds obtained and proof techniques are instrumental to the modeling and design of efficient wireless network protocols.
Meta-Analysis of CSF Diversion Procedures and Dural Venous Sinus Stenting in the Setting of Medically Refractory Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In medically refractory idiopathic intracranial hypertension, optic nerve sheath fenestration or CSF shunting is considered the next line of management. Venous sinus stenosis has been increasingly recognized as a treatable cause of elevated intracranial pressure in a subset of patients. In this article, we present the results of the largest meta-analysis of optic nerve sheath fenestration, CSF shunting, and dural venous sinus stenting. This is the only article that compares these procedures, to our knowledge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a PubMed search of all peer-reviewed articles from 1988 to 2014 for patients who underwent a procedure for medically refractory idiopathic intracranial hypertension. RESULTS: Optic nerve sheath fenestration analysis included 712 patients. Postprocedure, there was improvement of vision in 59%, headache in 44%, and papilledema in 80%; 14.8% of patients required a repeat procedure with major and minor complication rates of 1.5% and 16.4%, respectively. The CSF diversion procedure analysis included 435 patients. Postprocedure, there was improvement of vision in 54%, headache in 80%, and papilledema in 70%; 43% of patients required at least 1 additional surgery. The major and minor complication rates were 7.6% and 32.9%, respectively. The dural venous sinus stenting analysis included 136 patients. After intervention, there was improvement of vision in 78%, headache in 83%, and papilledema in 97% of patients. The major and minor complication rates were 2.9% and 4.4%, respectively. Fourteen additional procedures were performed with a repeat procedure rate of 10.3%. Three patients had contralateral stent placement, while 8 had ipsilateral stent placement within or adjacent to the original stent. Only 3 patients required conversion to CSF diversion or 2.2% of patients with stents. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with medically refractory idiopathic intracranial hypertension have traditionally undergone a CSF diversion procedure as the first intervention. This paradigm may need to be re-examined, given the high technical and clinical success and low complication rates with dural venous sinus stenting.
Role of n−3 fatty acids in the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia and cardiovascular disease

n-3 Fatty acids (FAs) when used in doses of 3-4 g/d eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid have profound effects on triacylglycerol (TG) concentrations. The mechanism for their TG reduction relates to their favorable effects on reducing hepatic production and secretion of VLDL and VLDL apolipoprotein B particles, along with favorable effects on plasma lipolytic activity through lipoprotein lipase-mediated clearance, as well as stimulation of beta-oxidation of other FAs in the liver. Their hypotriglyceridemic properties are related to both the dose of n-3 FAs used and the baseline TG concentrations of the population. In patients with TG concentrations >500 mg/dL, 4 g n-3 FAs have been shown to reduce TGs by 45%, VLDL by 42%, and non-HDL by 10.2%. A recent pooled meta-analysis with multiple doses of n-3 FAs ranging from 0.8 to 5.4 g revealed changes in TGs of -27 mg/dL (95% CI: -33, -20), in HDL of +1.6 mg/dL (95% CI: + 0.8, +2.3), and in LDL cholesterol of +6 mg/dL (95% CI: + 3, +8). The clinical uses of n-3 FAs include treatment of severe and moderate hypertriglyceridemia, use in statin-treated patients with elevated TG concentrations or non-HDL cholesterol (mixed hyperlipidemia), and use in the secondary and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Existing large-scale clinical trials such as the GISSI-Prevenzione Study and JELIS with low doses of n-3 FAs (1-2 g) show clinical benefit in reducing coronary heart disease without substantial changes in concentrations of TGs or other lipids. Future clinical trials need to determine whether the TG-lowering doses of n-3 FAs (3-4 g/d) result in additional risk reduction.
Delivery of peptides to the brain: emphasis on therapeutic development

Peptides and regulatory proteins hold great promise as therapeutic agents for the central nervous system (CNS). However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a major obstacle to the delivery of these potential therapeutics to their site of action. We concentrate here on the vascular BBB, which is comprised of the capillary bed of the brain specially modified to prevent the production of a plasma ultrafiltrate. For many peptides and proteins, this physical barrier is reinforced by enzymatic activities at the BBB, CNS, and peripheral tissues, short half-lives and large volumes of distribution in the blood, binding proteins in blood, and brain-to-blood efflux systems. Nevertheless, there are pathways through which substances can cross. Small, lipid soluble substances cross by the nonsaturable mechanism of transmembrane diffusion, but even water-soluble peptides can cross to some degree. Many endogenous peptides and regulatory proteins cross the BBB by way of selective, saturable transport systems. For enzymatically resistant substances with long circulating half-lives and small volumes of distribution, such as antibodies, erythropoietin, and enzymes, substances can enter the CNS in therapeutic amounts through the residual leak of the BBB, termed the extracellular pathways. Recent examples show that the BBB transporters for peptides and regulatory substances are modifiable. This provides both a therapeutic opportunity and the potential for disease to arise from BBB dysfunctions. In the last case, the BBB itself is a therapeutic target.
Response to Modeling Preeclampsia: The True Model for the Uniquely Human Disease Preeclampsia Is the Human Female Not the Pregnant Rat

We recently reported in Hypertension 1 that the elevation in arterial pressure in pregnant rats with placental ischemia was associated with significant increases in serum interleukin (IL)-6. Moreover, we found that chronic elevation in serum levels of IL-6, comparable to levels observed in our placental ischemic pregnant rat model, resulted in significant increases in arterial pressure and decreases in renal hemodynamics in pregnant rats. These results led us to conclude that IL-6 may play a role in mediating the hypertension and reduction in renal hemodynamics observed with placental ischemia in pregnant rats.1 Nama et al2 expressed concerns and indicated that “there is no adequate laboratory model of preeclampsia” and that no animal model “develops a condition during pregnancy that remotely resembles preeclampsia.” They also suggested that, “any significant progress in the field of …
Dis)Missing the Obvious Will Mainstream Management Research Ever Take Religion Seriously

Even though religion plays a significant role in the lives and interactions of individuals, societies, and nations, the management field has only lightly and narrowly explored how religion's influence manifests in the workplace. Our limited exploration and understanding in this area is particularly problematic in light of the increasingly religiously diverse U.S. workforce, the legal protections granted workplace religious expression, and the increasingly global, and therefore increasingly religiously diverse, business environment. An open discussion of often unspoken underlying reasons for the field's reluctance to investigate religion's influence in workplace dynamics is undertaken, and it is challenged as to whether the often voiced obstacles to scholarly research on religion and work are as prohibitive as many would suggest.
Importance of Tetramer Formation by the Nitrogen Assimilation Control Protein for Strong Repression of Glutamate Dehydrogenase Formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae

The nitrogen assimilation control protein (NAC) from Klebsiella pneumoniae is a very versatile regulatory protein. NAC activates transcription of operons such as hut (histidine utilization) and ure (urea utilization), whose products generate ammonia. NAC also represses the transcription of genes such as gdhA, whose products use ammonia. NAC exerts a weak repression at gdhA by competing with the binding of a lysine-sensitive activator. NAC also strongly represses transcription of gdhA (about 20-fold) by binding to two separated sites, suggesting a model involving DNA looping. We have identified negative control mutants that are unable to exert this strong repression of gdhA expression but still activate hut and ure expression normally. Some of these negative control mutants (e.g., NAC86ter and NAC132ter) delete the C-terminal domain, thought to be required for tetramerization. Other negative control mutants (e.g., NACL111K and NACL125R) alter single amino acids involved in tetramerization. In this work we used gel filtration to show that NAC86ter and NACL111K are dimers in solution, even at high concentration (NACWT is a tetramer). Moreover, using a combination of DNase I footprints and gel mobility shifts assays, we showed that when NACWT binds to two adjacent sites on a DNA fragment, NACWT binds as a tetramer that bends the DNA fragment significantly. NACL111K binds to such a fragment as two independent dimers without inducing the strong bend. Thus, NACL111K is a dimer in solution or when bound to DNA. NACL111K (typical of the negative control mutants) is wild type for every other property tested: (i) it activates transcription at hut and ure; (ii) it competes with the lysine-sensitive activator for binding at gdhA; (iii) it binds to the same sites at the hut, ure, nac, and gdhA promoters as NACWT; (iv) the relative affinity of NACL111K for these sites follows the same order as NACWT (ure > gdhA > nac > hut); (v) it induces the same slight bend as dimers of NACWT; and (vi) its DNase I footprints at these sites are indistinguishable from those of NACWT (except for features ascribed to tetramer formation). The only two phenotypes we know for negative control mutants of NAC are their inability to tetramerize and their inability to cause the strong repression of gdhA. Thus, we propose that in order for NACWT to exert the strong repression, it must form a tetramer that bridges the two sites at gdhA (similar to other DNA looping models) and that the negative control mutants of NAC, which fail to tetramerize, cannot form this loop and thus fail to exert the strong repression at gdhA.
An Overview of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Implications for Excitotoxic Vulnerability in the Hippocampus

The present paper examines the nature and function of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampal formation and the consequences of changes in its expression. The paper focuses on literature describing the role of BDNF in hippocampal development and neuroplasticity. BDNF expression is highly sensitive to developmental and environmental factors, and increased BDNF signaling enhances neurogenesis, neurite sprouting, electrophysiological activity, and other processes reflective of a general enhancement of hippocampal function. Such increases in activity may mediate beneficial effects such as enhanced learning and memory. However, the increased activity also comes at a cost: BDNF plasticity renders the hippocampus more vulnerable to hyperexcitability and/or excitotoxic damage. Exercise dramatically increases hippocampal BDNF levels and produces behavioral effects consistent with this phenomenon. In analyzing the literature regarding exercise-induced regulation of BDNF, this paper provides a theoretical model for how the potentially deleterious consequences of BDNF plasticity may be modulated by other endogenous factors. The peptide galanin may play such a role by regulating hippocampal excitability.
Specialized properties and solute transport in brain capillaries.

The capillaries in brain are formed by a specialized endothelium whose function is to regulate the movement of solutes between blood and brain. In contrast to other vascular beds, the endothelial cells in brain capillaries are sealed together by continuous tight junctions, do not contain fenestrations or transendothelial channels, and have little transcellular vesicular transport. In addition to these barrier properties, the brain capillary endothelial cells exhibit other special features that play an important role in the function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). For example, brain capillaries facilitate the entry of glucose into brain. Transport of this important energy substrate has been the subject of numerous investigations and several reviews (l0, 52, 63). Also present at the BBB are transport systems for amino acids (11,58,62), organic acids (56), amines (20), ' purines (7, 21), and nucleosides (21). Comprehensive reviews of BBB struc­ ture and function are available elsewhere (13, 14, 66). During the past decade we and others developed methods to isolate and study microvessels from brain, and to grow the endothelial cells in tissue culture. These new techniques permit a more detailed characterization of the specialized cell physiology of the brain endothelium. In this review we present selected advances in the field and relate them, when possible, to the function of the BBB.
The Complexity of Higher Education: A Career in Academics and Activism

The international dimensions of higher education were, in the 1960s, not much analyzed. Academic systems in much of the world were small and oriented toward the elites. Massification was beginning. At the same time, students were an active political force on campus and in society. Philip Altbach’s career was shaped by these developments and by a commitment, stimulated by dissertation research, to an international perspective and a focus on India. Knowledge distribution, through books and journals, and the publishing industry are also little researched topics as they relate to higher education. Altbach, who served as editor of several top academic journals, analyzes the practices and economics of scholarly publishing. In the past several decades, with the salience of globalization, Altbach has examined the concepts of globalization and internationalization in higher education. The key role of the academic profession is also discussed in the context of the development of research universities.
Oxaliplatin and capecitabine (XELOX) as first-line therapy for metastatic or relapsed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

16524 Background: Prognosis is very poor when patients with head and neck (H/N) squamous cell carcinomas (SQCC) present with systemic metastasis or disease relapse after primary therapy. (Survival ...
Mobile Health Application Solutions.

The tsunami of digital technology tools and solutions has revolutionized how the global population communicates and consumes. Social behavior, new business models, and on-demand access to information have converged to drive expectations of how to best provide services in the digital age.1 In the United States, the Affordable Care Act and widespread adoption of the electronic medical record (EMR) provide the medical consumer with new financial accountability, the ability to access and digitally transfer medical information and to engage in their medical care in ways that were previously not possible. The impact on the American physician is equally profound and brings both unprecedented scrutiny into practice patterns and enforcement levers to control physician behaviors for compliance and reimbursement mandates.2 Most physicians recognize that active patient engagement in their healthcare improves outcomes, but many are concerned that digital patient engagement means a heavier workload and potential liability risk or payment penalties for not meeting meaningful use criteria.3 Physicians themselves use mobile healthcare applications (apps) mostly to access point of care tools, like risk calculators, treatment guidelines, or prescribing information.4 Nearly 90% of physicians report that they would recommend a mobile app to their patient but only 30% have done so, mostly because of a lack of knowledge or ability to adequately assess the quality of a medical application.5,6 Academic and nonacademic healthcare institutions often lack policies or procedures for vetting mobile health applications and do not provide support to physicians to identify applications across a spectrum of disease conditions. Disruption of traditional health care has introduced new mechanisms for the medical consumer to access health care using digital tools in new and nontraditional venues. Large pharmacy chains, like CVS (Woonsocket, RI), Rite Aid (Camp Hill, PA), and Walgreens (Deerfield, IL), that already have contact …