cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Location tracking in mobile ad hoc networks using particle filters

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are dynamic networks formed on-the-fly as mobile nodes move in and out of each others' transmission ranges. In general, the mobile ad hoc networking model makes no assumption that nodes know their own locations. However, recent research shows that location-awareness can be beneficial to fundamental tasks such as routing and energy-conservation. On the other hand, the cost and limited energy resources associated with common, low-cost mobile nodes prohibits them from carrying relatively expensive and power-hungry location-sensing devices such as GPS. This paper proposes a mechanism that allows non-GPS-equipped nodes in the network to derive their approximated locations from a limited number of GPS-equipped nodes. In our method, all nodes periodically broadcast their estimated location, in terms of a compressed particle filter distribution. Non-GPS nodes estimate the distance to their neighbors by measuring the received signal strength of incoming messages. A particle filter is then used to estimate the approximated location, along with a measure of confidence, from the sequence of distance estimates. Simulation studies show that our solution is capable of producing good estimates equal or better than the existing localization methods such as APS-Euclidean for the more difficult scenario when the network connectivity is low.
Outcomes of a primary prevention project for business and professional women.

This article presents the results of an alcohol abuse prevention project targeting business and professional women. Pre-, post- and follow-up surveys of alcohol use, negative consequences and uses, and knowledge of alcohol were analyzed. Although changes in self-reported negative consequences and information about alcohol occurred in both groups, changes in the experimental group occurred earlier (during the intervention period). The experimental group also showed a significant decline in three unhealthy reasons for drinking. there was no change in alcohol consumption levels. In the context of primary prevention the lack of a change in consumption, in a group of light to moderate drinkers, is not unexpected. Other, positive outcomes suggest that the prevention activities were effective. Assessment of the value of the project is considered in light of the finding that negative behaviors did not increase among members of the control group. The results suggest that business and professional women are not dev...
Annuity Markets and Retirement Security

The growing importance of defined contribution pension arrangements has drawn increased attention to the means by which retired people draw down their assets. Current UK law requires annuitisation of at least a fraction of defined contribution plan accumulations. Annuity markets have recently attracted some criticism with respect to pricing and the available range of product options. This paper describes a key feature of voluntary annuity markets: the presence of ‘adverse selection’. This is the tendency of annuitants to live longer than non-annuitants, since individuals who know that they are likely to die soon do not purchase annuities. The paper presents information that quantifies the importance of adverse selection in the setting of private annuity prices and discusses the role of compulsory annuitisation requirements in reducing it. Requiring individuals to participate in the annuity market can reduce selection effects, at the cost of reducing individuals' range of retirement income options.
Lessons from a BACE1 inhibitor trial: Off-site but not off base

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by formation of neuritic plaque primarily composed of a small filamentous protein called amyloid-β peptide (Aβ). The rate-limiting step in the production of Aβ is the processing of Aβ precursor protein (APP) by β-site APP-cleaving enzyme (BACE1). Hence, BACE1 activity plausibly plays a rate-limiting role in the generation of potentially toxic Aβ within brain and the development of AD, thereby making it an interesting drug target. A phase II trial of the promising LY2886721 inhibitor of BACE1 was suspended in June 2013 by Eli Lilly and Co., due to possible liver toxicity. This outcome was apparently a surprise to the study's team, particularly since BACE1 knockout mice and mice treated with the drug did not show such liver toxicity. Lilly proposed that the problem was not due to LY2886721 anti-BACE1 activity. We offer an alternative hypothesis, whereby anti-BACE1 activity may induce apparent hepatotoxicity through inhibiting BACE1's processing of β-galactoside α-2,6-sialyltransferase I (STGal6 I). In knockout mice, paralogues, such as BACE2 or cathepsin D, could partially compensate. Furthermore, the short duration of animal studies and short lifespan of study animals could mask effects that would require several decades to accumulate in humans. Inhibition of hepatic BACE1 activity in middle-aged humans would produce effects not detectable in mice. We present a testable model to explain the off-target effects of LY2886721 and highlight more broadly that so-called off-target drug effects might actually represent off-site effects that are not necessarily off-target . Consideration of this concept in forthcoming drug design, screening, and testing programs may prevent such failures in the future.
Conjugate Reduction of α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds Catalyzed by a Copper Carbene Complex

An N-heterocyclic carbene copper chloride (NHC−CuCl) complex (2) has been prepared and used to catalyze the conjugate reduction of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The combination of catalytic amounts of 2 and NaOt-Bu with poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMHS) as the stoichiometric reductant generates an active catalyst for the 1,4-reduction of tri- and tetrasubstituted α,β-unsaturated esters and cyclic enones. The active catalytic species can also be generated in situ from 1,3-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)-imidazolium chloride (1) CuCl2·2H2O in the presence of NaOt-Bu and PMHS.
Kinetic preference for the 3'-5'-linked dimer in the reaction of guanosine 5'-phosphorylmorpholinamide with deoxyguanosine 5'-phosphoryl-2-methylimidazolide as a function of poly(C) concentration

The formation of the internucleotide bond in diguanylate synthesis was studied in aqueous solution at pH 8 and 0.2 M Mg2+ in the presence and absence of polycytidylate, poly(C). The investigation was simplified by using guanosine 5'-phosphorylmorpholinamide, mor-pG, which can act only as a nucleophile, and deoxyguanosine 5'-phosphoryl-2-methylimidazolide, 2-MeImpdG, which can act only as an electrophile. The time-dependent product distribution was monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS). In the absence of poly(C) the reaction between mor-pG and 2-MeImpdG yielded small amounts of the dimer mor-pGpdG with a regioselectivity of 2'-5':3'-5' = 3.5. In the presence of poly(C) dimer yields increased and a reversal in regioselectivity occurred; both effects were in proportion to the concentration of the polymer. The results can be quantitatively explained with the proposition that poly(C), acting as the template, catalyzes the reaction between template-bound monomers by about a factor of 4-5 over the reaction in solution and yields dimers with a regioselectivity of 2'-5':3'-5' approximately 0.33. These findings illustrate the intrinsic preference of guanosine monomers to correctly self-assemble on the appropriate template.
On the Prospect of Identifying Adaptive Loci in Recently Bottlenecked Populations

Identifying adaptively important loci in recently bottlenecked populations – be it natural selection acting on a population following the colonization of novel habitats in the wild, or artificial selection during the domestication of a breed – remains a major challenge. Here we report the results of a simulation study examining the performance of available populationgenetic tools for identifying genomic regions under selection. To illustrate our findings, we examined the interplay between selection and demography in two species of Peromyscus mice, for which we have independent evidence of selection acting on phenotype as well as functional evidence identifying the underlying genotype. With this unusual information, we tested whether population-genetic-based approaches could have been utilized to identify the adaptive locus. Contrary to published claims, we conclude that the use of the background site frequency spectrum as a null model is largely ineffective in bottlenecked populations. Results are quantified both for site frequency spectrum and linkage disequilibrium-based predictions, and are found to hold true across a large parameter space that encompasses many species and populations currently under study. These results suggest that the genomic footprint left by selection on both new and standing variation in strongly bottlenecked populations will be difficult, if not impossible, to find using current approaches.
Making Conditional Cash Transfer Programs More Efficient : Designing for Maximum Effect of the Conditionality

Conditional cash transfer programs are now used extensively to encourage poor parents to increase investments in their children's human capital. These programs can be large and expensive, motivating a quest for greater efficiency through increased impact of the programs' imposed conditions on human capital formation. This requires designing the programs' targeting and calibration rules specifically to achieve this result. Using data from the Progresa randomized experiment in Mexico, this article shows that large efficiency gains can be achieved by taking into account how much the probability of a child's enrollment is affected by a conditional transfer. Rules for targeting and calibration can be made easy to implement by selecting indicators that are simple, observable, and verifiable and that cannot be manipulated by beneficiaries. The Mexico case shows that these efficiency gains can be achieved without increasing inequality among poor households.
Guaranteed Tender Beef: Opportunities and Challenges for a Differentiated Agricultural Product

Participants in the beef supply chain have, at best, imperfect information about some quality attributes of the product (e.g., live animals, carcasses, or cuts) they are buying, handling, and/or processing and selling to their downstream customers. In many cases, the quality of the final product, destination, and/or appropriate handling or processing of the input is contingent on these unobservable quality attributes. Assessing the quality of an input is particularly important for firms that want to move into niche markets by differentiating their products with some attribute that consumers can only assess imperfectly prior to consumption (e.g., beef tenderness or breed). The success or failure of these ventures is often dependent on whether the selling firm is seen as dependable and trustworthy by its customers. This paper provides a summary and analysis of the literature on beef tenderness assessment and its use for classifying beef according to quality in order to cash in on the premiums consumers are willing to pay for guaranteed tender beef. Opportunities afforded by product quality differentiation are explored, and insights on the challenges of designing a classification system are provided. These challenges have led to the proposal of different thresholds by different authors. However, before any economically meaningful optimal threshold is proposed, two questions need to be clearly answered: What is the objective pursued by the system? and What are the relative consequences of rejecting a product that would have been considered tender by consumers versus certifying a product that will be considered noncompliant.
Synthesis of trans-2-(trifluoromethyl)cyclopropanes via Suzuki reactions with an N-methyliminodiacetic acid boronate.

trans-2-(Trifluoromethyl)cyclopropylboronic acid N-methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA) ester 5 was synthesized as a pure diastereomer from vinylboronic acid MIDA ester and (trifluoromethyl)diazomethane in a single step. An X-ray study confirmed the trans-stereochemistry around the cyclopropyl ring. Use of 5 in Suzuki reactions, with a variety of aryl or heteroaryl coupling partners, provided trans-2-(trifluoromethyl)cyclopropyl products in moderate to excellent yields (17–90%).
Accurate de novo and transmitted indel detection in exome-capture data using microassembly

We present an open-source algorithm, Scalpel (http://scalpel.sourceforge.net/), which combines mapping and assembly for sensitive and specific discovery of insertions and deletions (indels) in exome-capture data. A detailed repeat analysis coupled with a self-tuning k-mer strategy allows Scalpel to outperform other state-of-the-art approaches for indel discovery, particularly in regions containing near-perfect repeats. We analyzed 593 families from the Simons Simplex Collection and demonstrated Scalpel's power to detect long (≥30 bp) transmitted events and enrichment for de novo likely gene-disrupting indels in autistic children.
SEARCHING WHERE THE LIGHT SHINES: Studying Democratization in the Middle East

▪ Abstract For several decades, political scientists who work on the Middle East have been asked by both disciplinary and policy audiences about the region's prospects for democratization. We encounter difficulties in answering that question because it arises from American disciplinary and policy preoccupations, not from regional political dynamics. As a result of those preoccupations, Middle East political scientists have neglected some of the major political forces in the region, while contributing to the development of general comparative theories of democracy and democratization only at the margins.
Evaluation of Stepped Care for Chronic Pain (ESCAPE) in Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Despite the prevalence and the functional, psychological, and economic impact of chronic pain, few intervention studies of treatment of chronic pain in veterans have been performed. Objective To determine whether a stepped-care intervention is more effective than usual care, as hypothesized, in reducing pain-related disability, pain interference, and pain severity. Design, Setting, and Participants We performed a randomized clinical trial comparing stepped care with usual care for chronic pain. We enrolled 241 veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn with chronic (>3 months) and disabling (Roland Morris Disability Scale score, ≥7) musculoskeletal pain of the cervical or lumbar spine or extremities (shoulders, knees, and hips) in the Evaluation of Stepped Care for Chronic Pain (ESCAPE) trial from December 20, 2007, through June 30, 2011. The 9-month follow-up was completed by April 2012. Patients received treatment at a postdeployment clinic and 5 general medicine clinics at a Veterans Affairs medical center. Interventions Step 1 included 12 weeks of analgesic treatment and optimization according to an algorithm coupled with pain self-management strategies; step 2, 12 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy. All intervention aspects were delivered by nurse care managers. Main Outcomes and Measures Pain-related disability (Roland Morris Disability Scale), pain interference (Brief Pain Inventory), and pain severity (Graded Chronic Pain Scale). Results The primary analysis included 121 patients receiving the stepped-care intervention and 120 patients receiving usual care. At 9 months, the mean decrease from baseline in the Roland Morris Disability Scale score was 1.7 (95% CI, −2.6 to −0.9) points in the usual care group and 3.7 (95% CI, −4.5 to −2.8) points in the intervention group (between-group difference, −1.9 [95% CI, −3.2 to −0.7] points; P = .002). The mean decrease from baseline in the Pain Interference subscale score of the Brief Pain Inventory was 0.9 points in the usual care group and 1.7 points in the intervention group (between-group difference, −0.8 [95% CI, −1.3 to −0.3] points; P = .003). The Graded Chronic Pain Scale severity score was reduced by 4.5 points in the usual care group and 11.1 points in the intervention group (between-group difference, −6.6 [95% CI, −10.5 to −2.7] points; P = .001). Conclusions and Relevance A stepped-care intervention that combined analgesics, self-management strategies, and brief cognitive behavioral therapy resulted in statistically significant reductions in pain-related disability, pain interference, and pain severity in veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00386243
Privacy Preserving Nearest Neighbor Search

Data mining is frequently obstructed by privacy concerns. In many cases data is distributed, and bringing the data together in one place for analysis is not possible due to privacy laws (e.g. HIPAA) or policies. Privacy preserving data mining techniques have been developed to address this issue by providing mechanisms to mine the data while giving certain privacy guarantees. In this work we address the issue of privacy preserving nearest neighbor search, which forms the kernel of many data mining applications. To this end, we present a novel algorithm based on secure multiparty computation primitives to compute the nearest neighbors of records in horizontally distributed data. We show how this algorithm can be used in three important data mining algorithms, namely LOF outlier detection, SNN clustering, and kNN classification.
Observations on measure and lowness for Δ 2 P

Assuming that k≥2 and Δ k P does not have p-measure 0, it is shown that BP · Δ k P =Δ k P . This implies that the following conditions hold if Δ 2 P does not have p-measure 0. (i) AM ∩ co-AM is low for Δ 2 P . (Thus BPP and the graph isomorphism problem are low for Δ> 2 P .) (ii) If Δ 2 P ≠ PH, then NP does not have polynomial-size circuits.
Optimizing the storage and retrieval efficiency of a solid-state quantum memory through tailored state preparation

We theoretically investigate the feasibility of using spectral hole burning in Pr 3+ :Y 2 SiO 5 to prepare an ensemble of Pr 3+ ions with a spectral distribution optimized for use as a quantum memory for single-photon states. We introduce figures of merit for the spectral distribution of the Pr 3+ ions when used as a quantum-memory node in a Duan-Lukin-Cirac-Zoller-type quantum-repeater scheme. Finally, we describe progress toward optimizing the hole-burning sequence by using a computational model of the hole-burning process to calculate these figures of merit over a wide range of parameters.
Safety of electroconvulsive therapy in patients receiving dabigatran therapy.

Received March 26, 2013; revised June 10, 2013; accepted June 11, 2013. From Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Department of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Department of Nursing, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Maria I. Lapid, M.D., Mayo Clinic Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychology, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905; e-mail: lapid.maria@ mayo.edu & 2014 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used to treat several psychiatric disorders, including depression, mania, catatonia, and psychosis. ECT is generally thought to be a very safe and effective procedure. There is an estimated mortality of 2–4 per 100,000 patients treated in the United States; complications are comparable to those expected with use of anesthesia, and there are no absolute contraindications to ECT. During ECT, there is a transient increase in systemic and intracerebral blood pressure and tachycardia. Owing to concerns for intracerebral hemorrhage, previous studies have investigated the potential for adverse events in patients who were treated with ECT and receiving the anticoagulant medication warfarin. These studies have demonstrated the safety of ECT in patients who are also taking warfarin. Also, one study demonstrated that patients treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and warfarin may be at an increased risk for bleeding, and additionally, Schellman and associates demonstrated that patients treated with warfarin with the addition of citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, amitriptyline, or mirtazapine are at an increased risk for hospital admissions for gastrointestinal bleeding. Warfarin has a narrow therapeutic range, and levels are easily influenced by food intake and drug interactions. Despite these barriers, studies have shown that patients can undergo ECT safely when anticoagulated in the therapeutic range.One case serieswith 35patients failed to show adverse events or safety concerns in those who were receiving ECT and taking warfarin. Recent developments in anticoagulation therapy include several new drugs approved and used as
Cosmological Constraints from a 31 GHz Sky Survey with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Array

We present the results of an analysis of 4.4 deg^2 selected from a 6.1 deg^2 survey for clusters of galaxies via their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect at 31 GHz. From late 2005 to mid 2007, the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Array observed four fields of roughly 1.5 deg^2 each. One of the fields shows evidence for significant diffuse Galactic emission, and is therefore excised from this analysis. We estimate the cluster detectability for the survey using mock observations of simulations of clusters of galaxies and determine that, at intermediate redshifts (z ~ 0.8), the survey is 50% complete to a limiting mass (M_(200ρ[overbar]) of ~6.0 × 10^(14) M_⊙, with the mass limit decreasing at higher redshifts. We detect no clusters at a significance greater than five times the rms noise level in the maps, and place an upper limit on σ_8, the amplitude of mass density fluctuations on a scale of 8 h^(-1) Mpc, of 0.84 + 0.04 + 0.04 at 95% confidence, where the first uncertainty reflects an estimate of additional sample variance due to non-Gaussianity in the distribution of clusters and the second reflects calibration and systematic effects. This result is consistent with estimates from other cluster surveys and cosmic microwave background anisotropy experiments.
Assessment of TVD schemes for inviscid and turbulent flow computation

A systematic study has been conducted to assess the performance of the TVD schemes for practical flow computation. The viewpoint adopted here is to treat the TVD schemes as a combination of the standard central difference scheme with numerical dissipation terms. The controlled amount of numerical dissipation modifies the computed fluxes to ensure that the solution is oscillation-free. Four variants of TVD schemes, two with upwind dissipation terms and two with symmetric dissipation terms, have been studied and compared with the conventional Beam-Warming scheme for inviscid and turbulent axisymmetric flow computations. The results obtained show that all four variants can accurately resolve the shock and flow profiles with fewer grid points than the Beam-Warming scheme. The convergence rates of the TVD schemes are also substantially superior to that of the Beam-Warming scheme. The combination of high accuracy, good robustness and improved computational efficiency offered by the TVD schemes makes them attractive for computing high-speed flow with shocks. In terms of the relative performances it is found that the symmetric schemes converge slightly faster but that the upwind schemes are less sensitive to the number of grid points being employed.
InGaAsP annular Bragg lasers: theory, applications, and modal properties

A novel class of circular resonators, based on a radial defect surrounded by Bragg reflectors, is studied in detail. Simple rules for the design and analysis of such structures are derived using a transfer matrix formalism. Unlike conventional ring resonators, annular Bragg resonators (ABR) are not limited by the total internal reflection condition and can exhibit both large free spectral ranges and low bend losses. The Bragg reflection mechanism enables the confinement of light within a defect consisting of a low refractive index medium (such as air). Strong atom-photon interaction can be achieved in such a structure, making it a promising candidate for sensing and cavity quantum electrodynamics applications. For sensing applications, we show that the ABR structure can possess significantly higher sensitivity when compared to a conventional ring resonator sensor. Lasing action and low threshold levels are demonstrated in ABR lasers at telecommunication wavelengths under pulsed optical pumping at room temperatures. The impact of the intensity and dimensions of the pump spot on the emitted spectrum is studied in detail.
Technique for reduction of truncation artifact in chemical shift images

The authors describe a technique to reduce truncation artifacts in chemical shift images taken for in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy by using boundary information available from anatomic images. In this approach, high spatial frequency components are extrapolated from the observed data by making use of the boundary information. This technique has been tested with simulations and phantom experiments. Results obtained show that the technique works very well. The authors present technical details and results of computer simulations and phantom studies. >
Cross metathesis reactions using γ,δ-unsaturated chromium carbene complexes

Abstract Cross metathesis reactions of γ,δ-unsaturated carbene complexes have been explored. Successful cross metathesis was observed in cases involving electron neutral alkenes and allylic ether/ester derivatives. Attempted metathesis reactions using ethyl acrylate were not competitive with cyclopropanation reactions.
Successes and failures with hard probes

The two major pillars of searches for the Quark Gluon Plasma have been: J/Ψ suppression, proposed in 1986, and observed at both SPS fixed target energies and at RHIC; and, more recently, the suppression of π 0 with p T ≥3 GeV/c by a factor ∼5 in Au+Au central collisions, observed at RHIC in 2001, which had been predicted in advance as a consequence of Landau-Pomeranchuck-Migdal coherent (gluon) bremsstrahlung by the outgoing hard-scattered partons traversing the medium. However, new effects were discovered and the quality of the measurements greatly improved so that the clarity of the original explanations has become obscured. For instance: J/Ψ suppression is the same at SpS and RHIC. Is it the QGP, comovers, something else? QCD provides beautiful explanations of π 0 and direct γ measurements in p–p collisions but precision fits of the best theories of π 0 suppression barely agree with the Au+Au data. Better data are needed for 10<p T <20 GeV/c, systematic errors are needed in theory calculations, the values of parameters of the medium such as $\langle\hat{q}\rangle$ derived from precision fits are the subject of controversy. Baryons are much less suppressed than mesons, leading to an anomalous $\bar{p}/\pi$ ratio for 2≤p T ≤4.5 GeV/c, but beautiful theoretical explanations of the effect such as recombination do not work in detail. Heavy quarks seem to be suppressed the same as the light quarks, naively arguing against the bremsstrahlung explanation and suggesting exotic, possible transformational explanations. Di-hadron correlations reveal a trigger side ridge, possible Mach cones on the away side, vanishing and reappearance of away jets, both wide and normal jet correlations with and without apparent loss of energy. Can this all be explained consistently? Preliminary results of direct γ production in Au+Au appear to indicate a suppression approaching that of π 0 for p T ≈20 GeV/c and a possibly thermal component for 1≤p T ≤ 3 GeV/c. What are the implications? Are fragmentation photons a problem? Regeneration of direct γ by outgoing partons is predicted, leading to negative v 2—is there evidence for or against it? STAR and PHENIX have different observations relevant to the existence of monojets in d+Au collisions. Will new data clarify the situation? When? etc. These and other issues will be discussed with a view to identify which conclusions are firm and where further progress towards real understanding is required.
Application of Kharitonov's theorem to mechanical systems

Kharitonov's theorem is used to derive a robust stability condition for proportional-integral-derivative (PID)-controlled multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical systems. The characteristic equation of such a system is given as a determinant of a third-order polynomial with matrix coefficients from which a scalar interval polynomial is obtained. A simple procedure for designing PID controllers for these mechanical systems is described, and a new Kharitonov-like result which states roughly that a controller designed for an upper bounding inertia matrix results in stable set-point regulation for all other inertias is proved. >
Comparison of Duplex Ultrasonography and Ascending Contrast Venography in the Diagnosis of Venous Thrombosis

The application of duplex ultrasonography to the diagnosis of venous throm bosis requires validation by comparison of the duplex findings with the results of ascending contrast venography. In this study, 2534 veins were examined by both methods with contrast venography results serving as the standard for com parison. In this setting, duplex ultrasonography proved to be 100% sensitive and 99% specific for venous thrombosis. Duplex ultrasonography is as reliable as venography in the diagnosis of venous thrombosis and has no associated risks or known complication. In addition, duplex ultrasonography provides informa tion regarding pathologic anatomy that is comparable to the detail provided by high-quality venography. The authors conclude that duplex ultrasonography should be the diagnostic method of choice for evaluating patients with suspected venous thrombosis.
Epitaxial Growth and Properties of Doped Transition Metal and Complex Oxide Films

The detailed science and technology of crystalline oxide film growth using vacuum methods is reviewed and discussed with an eye toward gaining fundamental insights into the relationships between growth process and parameters, film and interface structure and composition, and electronic, magnetic and photochemical properties. The topic is approached first from a comparative point of view based on the most widely used growth methods, and then on the basis of specific material systems that have generated very high levels of interest. Emphasis is placed on the wide diversity of structural, electronic, optical and magnetic properties exhibited by oxides, and the fascinating results that this diversity of properties can produce when combined with the degrees of freedom afforded by heteroepitaxy.
The conversion of α- to β-hydroxy esters by a deoxygenation/condensation reaction promoted by samarium diiodide

Abstract A mild reaction sequence begins by transforming an α-hydroxy ester to an α-benzoate ester. Next, the α-benzoate ester is both reductively deoxygenated with samarium diiodide and subsequently condensed with a ketone present in the reaction mixture to afford a β-hydroxy ester with two new alkyl appendages.
Effectiveness of a Clinical Decision Support System for Reducing the Risk of QT Interval Prolongation in Hospitalized Patients

Background—We evaluated the effectiveness of a computer clinical decision support system (CDSS) for reducing the risk of QT interval prolongation in hospitalized patients. Methods and Results—We evaluated 2400 patients admitted to cardiac care units at an urban academic medical center. A CDSS incorporating a validated risk score for QTc prolongation was developed and implemented using information extracted from patients’ electronic medical records. When a drug associated with torsades de pointes was prescribed to a patient at moderate or high risk for QTc interval prolongation, a computer alert appeared on the screen to the pharmacist entering the order, who could then consult the prescriber on alternative therapies and implement more intensive monitoring. QTc interval prolongation was defined as QTc interval >500 ms or increase in QTc of ≥60 ms from baseline; for patients who presented with QTc >500 ms, QTc prolongation was defined solely as increase in QTc ≥60 ms from baseline. End points were assessed ...
Stark tuning of donor electron spins in silicon.

We report Stark shift measurements for {sup 121}Sb donor electron spins in silicon using pulsed electron spin resonance. Interdigitated metal gates on top of a Sb-implanted {sup 28}Si epi-layer are used to apply electric fields. Two Stark effects are resolved: a decrease of the hyperfine coupling between electron and nuclear spins of the donor and a decrease in electron Zeeman g-factor. The hyperfine term prevails at X-band magnetic fields of 0.35T, while the g-factor term is expected to dominate at higher magnetic fields. A significant linear Stark effect is also resolved presumably arising from strain.
The Disability Screening Process and the Labor Market Behavior of Accepted and Rejected Applicants: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

This paper uses Social Security earnings records linked to data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the labor market behavior of rejected and accepted disability applicants prior to their application. We find that rejected applicants have substantially lower earnings and labor force participation rates during the decade prior to application than beneficiaries. Also, we find some evidence of a divergence between these groups, with re jected applicants leaving the labor force at a faster rate than beneficiaries as their appli cation date approaches. One interpretation of these results is that the disability screening process on average separates those who are at least partially motivated by adverse economic circumstances when applying for disability benefits from other applicants.
HIV envelope protein gp120-induced apoptosis in lung microvascular endothelial cells by concerted upregulation of EMAP II and its receptor, CXCR3

Chronic lung diseases, such as pulmonary emphysema, are increasingly recognized complications of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Emphysema in HIV may occur independent of cigarette smoking, via mechanisms that are poorly understood but may involve lung endothelial cell apoptosis induced by the HIV envelope protein gp120. Recently, we have demonstrated that lung endothelial apoptosis is an important contributor to the development of experimental emphysema, via upregulation of the proinflammatory cytokine endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide II (EMAP II) in the lung. Here we investigated the role of EMAP II and its receptor, CXCR3, in gp120-induced lung endothelial cell apoptosis. We could demonstrate that gp120 induces a rapid and robust increase in cell surface expression of EMAP II and its receptor CXCR3. This surface expression occurred via a mechanism involving gp120 signaling through its CXCR4 receptor and p38 MAPK activation. Both EMAP II and CXCR3 were essentially required for gp120-induced apoptosis and exposures to low gp120 concentrations enhanced the susceptibility of endothelial cells to undergo apoptosis when exposed to soluble cigarette smoke extract. These data indicate a novel mechanism by which HIV infection causes endothelial cell loss involved in lung emphysema formation, independent but potentially synergistic with smoking, and suggest therapeutic targets for emphysema prevention and/or treatment.
The Distributional Consequences of Public School Choice

School choice systems aspire to delink residential location and school assignments by allowing children to apply to schools outside of their neighborhood. However, choice programs also affect incentives to live in certain neighborhoods, and this feedback may undermine the goals of choice. We investigate this possibility by developing a model of public school and residential choice. School choice narrows the range between the highest and lowest quality schools compared to neighborhood assignment rules, and these changes in school quality are capitalized into equilibrium housing prices. This compressed distribution generates an ends-against-the-middle trade-off with school choice compared to neighborhood assignment. Paradoxically, even when choice results in improvement in the lowest-performing schools, the lowest type residents need not benefit.
Global Variability of the Wavenumber Spectrum of Oceanic Mesoscale Turbulence

AbstractThe wavenumber spectra of sea surface height from satellite altimeter observations have revealed complex spatial variability that cannot be explained by a universal theory of mesoscale turbulence. Near the edge of the core regions of high eddy energy, agreement is observed with the prediction of the surface quasigeostrophic (SQG) turbulence theory, which has fundamental differences from that of the traditional quasigeostrophic (QG) turbulence theory. In the core regions of high eddy energy, the spectra are consistent with frontogenesis that is not fully accounted for by the SQG theory. However, the observations in the vast ocean interior of low eddy energy exhibit substantial differences from the predictions of existing theories of oceanic mesoscale turbulence. The spectra in these regions may reflect the ocean’s response to short-scale atmospheric forcing and air–sea interaction. The observations presented in this paper serve as a test bed for new theories and ocean general circulation models.
Circle-valued Morse theory and Reidemeister torsion

Let X be a closed manifold with (X )=0 , and let f : X! S 1 be a circlevalued Morse function. We dene an invariant I which counts closed orbits of the gradient of f , together with flow lines between the critical points. We show that our invariant equals a form of topological Reidemeister torsion dened by Turaev [28]. We proved a similar result in our previous paper [7], but the present paper renes this by separating closed orbits and flow lines according to their homology classes. (Previously we only considered their intersection numbers with a xed level set.) The proof here is independent of the proof in [7], and also simpler. Aside from its Morse-theoretic interest, this work is motivated by the fact that when X is three-dimensional and b1(X) > 0, the invariant I equals a counting invariant I3(X) which was conjectured in [7] to equal the Seiberg{Witten invariant of X . Our result, together with this conjecture, implies that the Seiberg{Witten invariant equals the Turaev torsion. This was conjectured by Turaev [28] and renes the theorem of Meng and Taubes [14]. AMS Classication numbers Primary: 57R70 Secondary: 53C07, 57R19, 58F09
Incompressible states of negatively charged magneto-excitons

We study the system of up to four negatively charged magneto-excitons X ˇ ’s) in the spherical geometry, using the exact-diagonalization techniques. At low energies, X ˇ ’s are bound and behave like charged particles without internal
Binary Neutron Star Mergers

We review the current status of studies of the coalescence of binary neutron star systems. We begin with a discussion of the formation channels of merging binaries and we discuss the most recent theoretical predictions for merger rates. Next, we turn to the quasi-equilibrium formalisms that are used to study binaries prior to the merger phase and to generate initial data for fully dynamical simulations. The quasi-equilibrium approximation has played a key role in developing our understanding of the physics of binary coalescence and, in particular, of the orbital instability processes that can drive binaries to merger at the end of their lifetimes. We then turn to the numerical techniques used in dynamical simulations, including relativistic formalisms, (magneto-)hydrodynamics, gravitational-wave extraction techniques, and nuclear microphysics treatments. This is followed by a summary of the simulations performed across the field to date, including the most recent results from both fully relativistic and microphysically detailed simulations. Finally, we discuss the likely directions for the field as we transition from the first to the second generation of gravitational-wave interferometers and while supercomputers reach the petascale frontier.
ZigBee-Assisted Power Saving Management for Mobile Devices

WiFi transmission can consume much energy on energy-constrained mobile devices. To improve energy efficiency, the Power Saving Management (PSM) has been standardized and applied. The standard PSM, however, may not deliver satisfactory energy efficiency in many cases as the wakeup strategy adopted by it cannot dynamically adapt to traffic pattern changes. Motivated by the fact that it has been more and more popular for a mobile device to have both WiFi and other low-power wireless interfaces such as Bluetooth and ZigBee, we propose a ZigBee-assisted Power Saving Management (ZPSM) scheme, leveraging the ZigBee interface to wake up WiFi interface on demand to improve energy efficiency without violating delay requirements. The simulation and prototype-based experiment results have shown that ZPSM can save energy significantly without violating delay requirements in various scenarios.
The efficacy of mobile e-procurement: a pilot study

This paper reports on an empirical study to assess the impacts, benefits, and critical success factors of mobile applications to enhance an electronic procurement system. For different user groups, we analyze the role of the work environment for the usage and, ultimately, the benefits of the mobile applications. The study provides a basis for a broader framework to improve the design and management of business applications based on emerging technologies.
Secondary metabolites from entomopathogenic Hypocrealean fungi

Covering: up to the end of February 2010 This review surveys the natural products described from entomopathogenic Hypocrealean fungi, including their structures, biological activities, potential utilities in medicine, roles in entomopathogenesis, and known or predicted biosynthetic pathways.
Modelling and process optimization for functionally graded materials

We optimize continuous quench process parameters to produce functionally graded aluminium alloy extrudates. To perform this task, an optimization problem is defined and solved using a standard non-linear programming algorithm. Ingredients of this algorithm include (1) the process parameters to be optimized, (2) a cost function: the weighted average of the precipitate number density distribution, (3) constraint functions to limit the temperature gradient (and hence distortion and residual stress) and exit temperature, and (4) their sensitivities with respect to the process parameters. The cost and constraint functions are dependent on the temperature and precipitate size which are obtained by balancing energy to determine the temperature distribution and by using a reaction-rate theory to determine the precipitate particle sizes and their distributions. Both the temperature and the precipitate models are solved via the discontinuous Galerkin finite element method. The energy balance incorporates non-linear boundary conditions and material properties. The temperature field is then used in the reaction rate model which has as many as 10 5 degrees-of-freedom per finite element node. After computing the temperature and precipitate size distributions we must compute their sensitivities. This seemingly intractable computational task is resolved thanks to the discontinuous Galerkin finite element formulation and the direct differentiation sensitivity method. A three-dimension example is provided to demonstrate the algorithm.
Transfer Effects of Semantic Networks on Expert Systems: Mindtools at Work

Semantic networks and expert systems can support learning and critical thinking as Mindtools. Mindtools are computer-based tools that function as intellectual partners with the learner in order to engage and facilitate critical thinking and higher-order learning. Semantic networks and expert systems in particular are cognitive reflection tools that help learners to build a representation of what they know by designing their own knowledge bases. Semantic networks have been used as a knowledge elicitation tool for expert system construction; however, the effects of using these tools together has never been formally studied. This study examined the effects of building semantic networks on the coherence and utility of expert systems subsequently constructed. Subjects who constructed semantic networks first produced expert systems with significantly more rules and rule types than a control group. The task's intentional ambiguity and the differences in thinking necessary for semantic network and expert system c...
The Changing Legal Climate for Physician Aid in Dying

While once widely rejected as a health care option, physician aid in dying is receiving increased recognition as a response to the suffering of patients at the end of life. With aid in dying, a physician writes a prescription for a life-ending medication for an eligible patient. Following the recommendation of the American Public Health Association, the term aid in dying rather than "assisted suicide" is used to describe the practice. In this Viewpoint, the authors describe the changing legal climate for physician aid in dying occurring in several states.
Days of haze: Environmental information disclosure and intertemporal avoidance behavior

In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of informational regulatory approaches by analyzing the impact of smog alerts issued on consecutive days on discretionary outdoor activities in Southern California. Short-run adjustments t o transitory risk entail costs that are likely to influence the set of evasive actions pursued by those at risk. Our results confirm that the cost of intertemporally substituting activities is increasing over time: when alerts are issued on 2 successive days, any response on the first day has largely disappeared by the second day. Small reprieves from alerts, however, reset these costs.
Thermal 1,3-proton shift reaction and its application for operationally convenient and improved synthesis of α-(trifluoromethyl)benzylamine

Abstract This paper describes a synthesis of α-(trifluoromethyl)benzylamine via a novel base-free biomimetic reductive amination of α,α,α-trifluoroacetophenone with benzylamine. When the corresponding imine, derived from α,α,α-trifluoroacetophenone and benzylamine was heated at 200 °C under N2 for 1 day, the thermal 1,3-proton shift reaction took place giving rise to the N-(benzylidene)-α-(trifluoromethyl)benzylamine in quantitative yield. This thermal 1,3-proton shift reaction was used a key step in the development of new and substantially simplified, practical and operationally convenient procedure for preparation of the target α-(trifluoromethyl)benzylamine on large scale.
Probability of Failure of Composite Cylinders Subjected to Axisymmetric Loading

An investigation was performed to study the effect of uncertainty in applied loads, helix angles, and failure stresses on the probability of failure of composite cylinders. Also, the effect of the factor of safety on the probability of failure of the cylinder was studied. The probability of failure for a composite cylinder subject to axisymmetric loading was obtained using the First Order Reliability method (FORM). The failure of the cylinder was studied based on first ply failure. Ply failure was predicted using the non-smooth Hashin criterion. Hashin criterion is based on writing a different interaction equation for separate failure modes. Four failure modes are considered associated with matrix or fiber failure, in either tension or compression. The accuracy of FORM as applied to this problem was verified by comparing the FORM results to those obtained by Monte-Carlo Simulation method with importance sampling. i x µ = mean values of the design parameters i x