cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low temperature Si 2 H 6 epitaxy in-situ doped with AsH 3 /SiH 4

The use of disilane (Si2H6) as a silicon source for epitaxial deposition was investigated for both very low pressure chemical vapor deposition (thermal CVD) and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from 600 to 800° C. The growth rates observed for temperatures at or below 750° C were at least an order of magnitude higher than those observed for silane (SiH4) using similar deposition conditions. An argon plasma was used to sputter clean the silicon surface, in-situ, immediately before the deposition. It was found that a low dc bias on the substrate during the argon sputter cleaning process helped remove carbon and oxide from the surface of the silicon substrate. A 16 min Ar sputter clean at 650° C, 2.5 W rf power, and •50 V dc bias resulted in a carbon and oxygen concentration at the epilayer-substrate of less than 4 × 1018/cm3 and 2 × 1018/cm3, respectively. In situ arsenic doping during disilane epitaxial growth was carried out by thermal CVD and PECVD using arsine (AsH3) diluted in silane (SiH4) at 800° C. The results were compared to similar experiments using only SiH4 as the silicon source. Up to 500 ppm of arsine was diluted in the reactant gas and it was found that the Si2H6 growth rates were insensitive to the arsine concentraton in the gas phase.
Aldehyde Decarbonylation by a Cobalt(I) Pincer Complex

The cobalt(I) pincer complex, [Co(N2)(CyPNP)] (CyPNP = anion of 2,5-bis((dicyclohexylphosphino)methyl)pyrrole), reacts with aromatic, vinylic, and aliphatic aldehydes to produce the corresponding hydrocarbon products and [Co(CO)(CyPNP)]. The pathway for aldehyde decarbonylation is found to involve initial coordination of the aldehyde to Co(I), followed by oxidative addition of the C–H bond to produce a cobalt(III) acyl hydride. The acyl hydride species then undergoes CO deinsertion, followed by reductive elimination to afford the decarbonylated product and [Co(CO)(CyPNP)]. Reactions of [Co(N2)(CyPNP)] with other carbonyl containing groups such as carboxylic acids and amides also proceed via oxidative addition to give Co(III) intermediates arising from activation of the X–H (X = O or NH) bond. In these cases, however, the Co(III) species extrude molecular hydrogen to produce Co(II) species of the form [Co(X{O}CR)(CyPNP)] (X = O or NH). The ability of [Co(N2)(CyPNP)] to undergo facile oxidative addition is ...
Heat capacity of Mg3Sb2, Mg3Bi2, and their alloys at high temperature

Abstract The thermoelectric figure of merit reported for n-type Mg3(Sb,Bi)2 compounds has made these materials of great engineering significance, increasing the need for accurate evaluations of their thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity is typically derived from measurements of thermal diffusivity and determination of the specific heat capacity. The uncertainty in this method (often 10% or more) is frequently attributed to measurement of heat capacity such that estimated values are often more accurate. Inconsistencies between reported thermal conductivity of Mg3(Sb,Bi)2 compounds may be attributed to the different values of heat capacity measured or used to calculate thermal conductivity. The high anharmonicity of these materials can lead to significant deviations at high temperatures from the Dulong-Petit heat capacity, which is often a reasonable substitute for measurements at high temperatures. Herein, a physics-based model is used to assess the magnitude of the heat capacity over the entire temperature range up to 800 K. The model agrees in magnitude with experimental low-temperature values and reproduces the linear slope observed in high-temperature data. Owing to the large scatter in experimental values of high-temperature heat capacity, the model is likely more accurate (within ±3%) than a measurement of a new sample even for doped or alloyed materials. It is found that heat capacity for the solid solution series can be simply described (for temperatures: 200 K ≤ T ≤ 800 K ) by the polynomial equation: c p [ Jg − 1 K − 1 ] = 3 N R M W ( 1 + 1.3 × 10 − 4 T − 4 × 10 3 T − 2 ) , where 3 N R = 124.71 J mol − 1 K − 1 , M W is the molecular weight [ g mol − 1 ] of the formula unit being considered, and T is temperature in K. This heat capacity is recommended to be a standard value for reporting and comparing the thermal conductivity of Mg3(Sb,Bi)2 including doped or alloyed derivatives. A general form of the equation is given which can be used for other material systems.
Veterans' Likelihood of Reporting Cardiovascular Disease.

Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common chronic health condition affecting Americans. One important group of Americans that health researchers have noted as key to understanding general population health and wellbeing are veterans of the US military. The healthy soldier effect has been used to explain the health benefits of military service during and for a period of time after service. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of CVD in a national sample with specific attention paid to reported CVD across ages. Methods: A total of 153,556 veteran and nonveteran respondents from the National Health Interview Survey were examined for the likelihood of reporting the type and number of cardiovascular conditions. Results: Veterans report higher rates of certain CVD conditions and report a higher number of CVD conditions than nonveterans. Veterans also reported higher numbers of CVD conditions at younger ages (ages 25 to 70 years) than nonveteran counterparts. At older ages (ages 70 to 85+ years), nonveterans reported higher numbers of CVD conditions than veterans. Discussion: Our findings are consistent with the studies that indicate a waning healthy soldier effect for young veterans potentially due to the unique circumstances of the current conflicts.
Directed Self-Assembly in Diblock Copolymer Thin Films for Uniform Hemisphere Pattern Formation

Directed self-assembly of block copolymers has shown to be an effective bottom-up approach to creating periodic nanoscale surface patterns. This work offers a computational study of sphere-forming ...
Work in Progress: Towards an Immersive Robotics Training for the Future of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Workforce

Advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technology, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), and Robotic Automation is transforming jobs in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries. However, it is also expected that these technologies will lead to job displacement, alter skill profiles for existing jobs, and change how people work. Therefore, preparing the workforce for an economy defined by these technologies is imperative. This ongoing research focuses on developing an immersive learning training curriculum to prepare the future workforce of the building industry. In this paper we are demonstrating a prototype of a mobile AR application to deliver lessons for training in robotic automation for construction industry workers. The application allows a user to interact with a virtual robot manipulator to learn its basic operations. The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of the AR application by gauging participants’ performance using pre and post surveys.
Comparison of MPI and Spark for Data Science Applications

Data Science applications represent a growing fraction of the scientific computing workload, many of them written in Python. The goal of this paper is to compare two popular parallel programming models, namely MPI and Apache Spark for Python based Data Science applications. The paper presents communication and file I/O microbenchmarks to evaluate the MPI support for Python applications, and uses two applications use-cases from Natural Language Processing to compare the performance of the MPI and the Spark versions. Our results indicate that the MPI version shows better scalability and performance than the PySpark version of the code. On the other hand, the MPI applications are significantly larger than their PySpark counterparts, and took significantly longer to develop due to the necessity to implement some of the built-in functionality provided by Spark.
Treatment of nonunions of the humeral shaft with nonvascularized fibular strut allograft: postoperative outcomes and review of a surgical technique

Hypothesis Persistent humeral shaft nonunions result in continued pain and disability of the affected arm and are difficult to treat even with several surgical procedures and locked plating. A fibular allograft provides bony purchase for fixation as well as rotational stability and bridging of nonunion defects. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of a single surgeon's clinical practice between July 1995 and January 2011. The inclusion criteria were patients aged ≥ 18 years who underwent revision surgery for a humeral shaft nonunion by open reduction and revision internal fixation with a supplementary fibular strut allograft. Results Thirteen patients who met the inclusion criteria were evaluated with physical examinations, validated functional outcome measures, and radiographs to assess union rates. The mean follow-up period was 7.5 years (range, 0.5-15.6 years); there were 11 women (85%) and 2 men (15%). Of the patients, 3 (23%) had proximal-third nonunions, 7 (54%) had middle-third nonunions, and 3 (23%) had distal-third nonunions. After revision surgery with fibular allograft, 10 of 13 patients went on to achieve healing, giving a union rate of 76.9%. The mean postoperative Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score was 38.1 points (standard deviation [SD], 27.6 points). The mean Constant score was 55.2 points (SD, 24.0 points), representing a 62% return of function compared with the contralateral side. The mean postoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score was 65.4 points (SD, 28.5 points), and the average visual analog scale pain score (out of 10) was 2.1 (SD, 3.3) at final follow-up. Conclusion Fibular allograft is an effective and straightforward option for treating humeral midshaft and distal-shaft nonunions; however, treatment of proximal-third nonunions remains challenging.
MOCVD growth and characterization of conductive homoepitaxial Si-doped Ga2O3

Abstract Epitaxial Ga2O3 films were grown by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) on native substrates at growth rate of 1 µm/hour. The electron conductivity was introduced in the films through Si doping during deposition and the growth and doping parameters were optimized to control the electrical transport properties. The films were characterized in terms of structure, surface morphology, electrical transport properties, dopant concentrations and trapping defects. It was found that electron densities are not solely dependent on dopant concentrations and the use of metal organic precursor seems to induce additional donors of carbon. The work shows that the electron density and conductivity of MOCVD Ga2O3 films are mainly governed by the interplay between dopant concentration, C concentration and the presence of trapping defects in the films, which is most likely applicable for other oxide films grown by MOCVD. Conductive films of Ga2O3 with resistivity in the order of 0.07 Ω.cm were successfully grown. The electron density in most of these films was in the range of 1019 cm−3 but the mobility was limited to 1.5 cm2/V⋅s. Higher mobility of 30 cm2/V⋅s was obtained in some films at the expense of carrier concentration by reducing Si doping level resulting in resistivity in the order of 0.3 Ω.cm. This range of conductivity and mobility is relevant for field-effect transistors (FET) and the applications of Ga2O3 as transparent FET in Deep Ultra-Violet (DUV) technology.
Compilation of superlinker vectors.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the compilation of superlinker vectors. There are 64 possibilities for uninterrupted palindromic hexameric restriction enzyme recognition sequences. Enzymes for 52 of those sequences are commercially available. Many of the remaining 12 will follow over the coming years. A large polylinker has been synthesized that accommodates all the above 64 restriction sites, as well as 2 octameric (NotI and Sill) and a few interrupted palindromic and non palindromic hexamer sites. Several variants of the linker have been inserted into a number of popular multifunctional cloning and expression vectors. These vectors will facilitate many cloning and subcloning applications because of their potential to accommodate restriction fragments irrespective of the enzymes by which they have been generated. In most cases, these restriction sites will be preserved.
Studies on the mechanisms of histidase development in rat skin and liver. II. Alterations in enzyme levels and synthetic rates during development.

Abstract The divergent postnatal developmental courses of histidase catalytic activity in rat liver and skin of the same animals, viz., a progressive rise in hepatic enzyme activity and a simultaneous decline in epidermal activity, has been shown to be accompanied by corresponding alterations in the quantities of the same enzyme protein. These tissue specific developmental changes in enzyme amount have been shown, furthermore, to be a result of selective parallel alterations in histidase synthetic rates. Rates of [ 3 H]leucine incorporation into histidase, isolated by immunoprecipitation, relative to incorporation rates into total soluble tissue protein, increase in liver, while simultaneously decreasing in skin of the same animals during postnatal development.
Ozonolytic Cleavage of Cyclohexene to Terminally Differentiated Products: Methyl 6‐Oxohexanoate, 6,6‐Dimethoxyhexanal, Methyl 6,6‐Dimethoxyhexanoate

Ozonolytic cleavage of cyclohexene to terminally differentiated products: Methyl 6-oxohexanoate, 6,6-dimethoxyhexanal, methyl 6,6-dimethoxyhexanoate product: 6,6-dimethoxyhexanal product: methyl 6-oxohexanoate product: methyl (6,6-dimethoxy)hexanoate Keywords: acetal (and thioacetal) formation; acetal (and thioacetal) formation; oxidation, miscellaneous; oxidation, miscellaneous; oxidation, miscellaneous; ozonolysis; ozonolysis; ozonolysis; ring opening reactions; ring opening reactions; ring opening reactions; acetic anhydride; dichloromethane (methylene chloride); methanol; triethylamine; ozonolysis reactions; peroxides
Assessing and Monitoring the Health of Western Rangeland Watersheds

The most important function of watersheds in the western U.S. is the capacity to retain soil and water, thereby providing stability in hydrologic head and minimizing stream sediment loads. Long-term soil and water retention varies directly with vegetation cover. Data on ground cover and plant species composition were collected from 129 sites in the Rio Grande drainage of south-central New Mexico. This area was previously assessed by classification of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometry (AVHRR) imagery. The classification of irreversibly degraded sites failed to identify most of the severely degraded sites based on size of bare patches and 35% of the sites classified as degraded were healthy based on mean bare patch size and vegetation cover. Previous research showed that an index of unvegetated soil (bare patch size and percent of ground without vegetative cover) was the most robust indicator of the soil and water retention function. Although the regression of mean bare patch size on percent bare ground was significant (p < 0.001), percent bare ground accounted for only 11% of the variability in bare patch size. Therefore bare patch size cannot be estimated from data on percent bare ground derived from remote sensing. At sites with less than 25% grass cover, and on sites with more than 15% shrub cover, there were significant relationships between percent bare soil and mean bare patch size (p < 0.05). Several other indicators of ecosystem health were related to mean bare patch size: perennial plant species richness (r = 0.6, p < 0.0001), percent cover of increaser species (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001) and percent cover of forage useable by livestock (r = 0.62, p < 0.0001). There was no relationship between bare patch size and cover of species that are toxic to livestock. In order to assess the ability of western rangeland watersheds to retain soil and water using remote sensing, it will be necessary to detect and estimate sizes of bare patches ranging between at least 0.5 m in diameter to several meters in diameter.
Kuhn's Evolutionary Social Epistemology

List of figures and table Acknowledgements Introduction: Kuhn's insight Part I. Revolutions, Paradigms, and Incommensurability: 1. Scientific revolutions as lexical changes 2. The Copernican revolution revisited 3. Kuhn and the discovery of paradigms 4. The epistemic significance of incommensurability Part II. Kuhn's Evolutionary Epistemology: 5. Kuhn's historical perspective 6. Truth and the end of scientific inquiry 7. Scientific specialization 8. Taking stock of the evolutionary dimensions of Kuhn's epistemology Part III. Kuhn's Social Epistemology: 9. Kuhn's constructionism 10. What makes Kuhn's epistemology a social epistemology? 11. How does a new theory come to be accepted? 12. Where the road has taken us: a synthesis Bibliography Index.
Structural and functional assembly of rat intestinal cytochrome P-450 isozymes: Effects of dietary iron and selenium

We have reported previously that both dietary iron and selenium regulate intestinal cytochrome P-450 content by modulating the synthesis of its prosthetic heme moiety. Whether these elements are required for synthesis and/or viability of its apocytochrome moiety is unknown. We have examined the effects of intraluminal deprivation of these elements on the apocytochrome moieties of the constitutive (P-450) and the beta-naphthoflavone inducible (P-448) intestinal isozymes. The relative content of intestinal apocytochrome P-450 moieties generated by dietary deprivation of iron and/or selenium was assessed indirectly by complexing with exogenous heme in vitro, to reassemble the holocytochromes which could be monitored spectrally and catalytically. We now report that, whereas both intraluminal iron and selenium are required for maintenance of the prosthetic apocytochrome moiety of the constitutive intestinal isozyme, only intraluminal selenium is required for the viability of apocytochrome P-448. The latter apparently survives in the absence of intraluminal iron and can be assembled to the holocytochrome, with exogenously added heme. The mechanistic basis of the critical requirement of intestinal apocytochromes for intraluminal selenium is unclear. It is intriguing, however, that the deleterious effects of selenium deprivation are principally exerted in cell systems actively synthesizing protein and inexorably dependent on their extracellular milieu for their nutriment.
An Illusive Cyst: Should My Mother Have Had Her Surgery?

No abstract available. Image: Arthur A Dugoni School of Dentistry. San Francisco, CA, USA
How Citizens Learn and Use Scientific and Technical Information in Environmental Decision Making

There is concern that laypersons participating in environmental or natural resource decision making cannot or do not engage the scientific and technical information sufficiently to integrate that information into the decisions and reach a high-quality, science-based decision. This study examined how thirteen citizens participating in two Superfund clean-up decisions learned and used complex information. Citizens learned and engaged in discussion about scientific and technical issues, managed their learning and the use of information, and directed public decisions about risk and clean-up technology. Citizens needed access to multiple methods and techniques to learn, time and commitment to invest, and control over their learning. Multiple learning opportunities supplied a wide range of educational approaches conducive to the diverse learning styles and background knowledge of the citizens. Ramifications are discussed for public education and communication professionals, particularly the Technical Outreach Services for Communities (TOSC) and Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB) programs.
Interpreting pesticide residue data at the analytical level.

The natures, locations, and quantities of pesticide residues in foodstuffs are important in the realm of the public health; these residues in animal feeds are important, also, in animal husbandry, for they conceivably could affect the health and well-being of the animal as well as of the ultimate consuming public through possibly pesticide-contaminated edible animal products. Properly used under the now legalized aegis in many countries of “good agricultural practice,” with all the constraints attached thereto, there should be no nutritional or other health-related adverse effects from pesticide or pesticide-derived residues persisting in the agricultural environment. It is the occasional misuse or illegal use of pesticide chemicals,1 however, which could result in possibly deleterious residues persisting from attempted pest-control applications into human foodstuffs or animal feeds. It is not the intent here to dwell on the many complications that can result from over-contamination with pesticide chemicals of the nonedible agricultural environment such as soil, runoff and other initially agricultural waters, nontarget plants, wild animal and aquatic life, and air.
Influence of zirconia surface treatment on veneering porcelain shear bond strength after cyclic loading.

Statement of problem The influence of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal surface treatment on veneering porcelain shear bond strength after cyclic loading is not fully understood. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal surface treatment on veneering porcelain shear bond strength and cyclic loading on the shear bond strength between the 2 materials. Material and methods A total of 48 cylinder-shaped yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal specimens were fabricated with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), sintered for 8 hours at 1500°C, ground with 320-grit diamond paper, and divided into 4 groups (n=12) according to surface treatment as follows: no treatment/control; heat treatment of 650°C to 1000°C at 55°C/min; airborne-particle abrasion with 50-μm alumina at 0.4 MPa pressure for 10 seconds; or heat treatment after abrasion. A veneering porcelain cylinder was built and fired on the prepared yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal specimens. The shear bond strength was tested with a universal testing machine. Six specimens from each group were subjected to cyclic loading (10000 cycles, 1.5 Hz, 10 N load) before testing. Results The mean ±SD ranged from 10.7 ±15.4 to 34.1 ±10.0. Three-way ANOVA found no statistically significant ( P >.05) effect of surface treatment and cyclic loading on shear bond strength. The Sidak multiple comparisons procedure found that cyclic loading specimens had significantly lower shear bond strength than noncyclic loading specimens after airborne-particle abrasion without heat treatment ( P =.013). Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, the shear bond strength between yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal and veneering porcelain was not significantly affected by surface treatment. Airborne-particle abrasion without subsequent heat treatment should be avoided as a surface treatment in fabrication methods.
Reduced O2 and elevated ROS in sea urchin embryos leads to defects in ectoderm differentiation.

The sea urchin oral-aboral (OA) axis is established in part by Nodal signaling. The OA axis is also influenced by treatments affecting respiration and Nodal transcription is influenced by redox-dependent transcription factors. This suggests that intracellular redox state plays a role in OA axis specification. Since cellular redox state can be altered by the formation of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), and hypoxia and paraquat generate ROS in cells, we asked whether these treatments affected specification of the OA axis and Nodal expression. Embryos cultured under conditions that elevate ROS, demonstrate perturbed ectoderm specification, but other territories are not affected. Immunohistochemical and Q-RT-PCR analyses revealed that both oral and aboral ectoderm genes are downregulated. Our results argue that elevating ROS in sea urchin embryos by these treatments blocks early steps in ectoderm differentiation preceding the polarization of the ectoderm into oral and aboral territories. Developmental Dynamics 238:1777–1787, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Modeling of Certain Electrode Parameters on the Electrochemical Noise Response

Electrical circuit analogs of electrochemical corrosion processes were used to investigate the electrochemical noise (EN) behavior of electrodes. The Simulation Program with Integrated-Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) was used to solve the equations that describe the current-vs-potential transient response of the electrical circuits. Results provided insight into the effects of electrode area, solution conductivity, coatings, and instrumentation on the measurement and interpretation of EN events in one- and two-electrode configurations. A technique was suggested to permit measurement of the current and potential noise for polarized electrodes.
Two Counseling Interventions to Reduce Teacher-Child Relationship Stress

This article discusses a study investigating the impact of two school counseling interventions, child-centered play therapy (CCPT) and teacher consultation, on teacher-child relationship stress. CCPT and teacher consultation were conducted with 93 (pre-kindergarten to fifth grade) elementary school students across three elementary schools deemed to be at risk and ethnically diverse. Students were divided into three treatment groups: CCPT only, teacher consultation only, and a combined CCPT and teacher consultation group. Results demonstrated significant differences between pretesting and posttesting on the Index of Teaching Stress. All treatment groups were found to have statistically significant reduction in teacher and student problem characteristics with large effect sizes for total stress.
Spontaneously Bi decorated carbon supported Pt nanoparticles for formic acid electro-oxidation

Abstract This work presents carbon supported Platinum (Pt) nanoparticles decorated with a submonolayer of Bismuth (Bi) to enhance the anodic electro-oxidation efficiency for a Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cell (DFAFC). The coverage of Bi adatoms, as measured by cyclic voltammetry was controlled in the range of 15–75%. This ex situ study of the Bi decorated Pt/C catalysts was done using a three electrode electrochemical cell at room temperature to access formic acid electro-oxidation performance and durability. Two commercial Pt/C catalysts were investigated of varying average size: 2.4 nm and 3.4 nm. An optimal Bi coverage was observed to be 54% coverage or greater for both catalyst sizes, resulting in a favorable decrease in the formic acid onset potential by greater than 0.1 V. The 3.4 nm catalyst demonstrated higher performance over that of 2.4 nm, with a 23-fold current density increase at 0.2 V vs. RHE. The results indicate that Bi decorated Pt nanoparticles have excellent electrochemical properties for the electro-oxidation of formic acid (high electro-catalytic activity and excellent stability) due to a combination of the electronic effect and third-body effect, thereby promoting the non-poisoning direct electro-oxidation reaction pathway. Based on position of CO stripping peak for 15% Bi coverage, Pt–COads bond strength decreased for 3.4 nm Pt/C whereas no shift was observed in the Pt–COads bond strength for 2.4 nm Pt/C. Chronoamperometry results show much better long-term electro-catalytic activity for Bi decorated Pt nanoparticles.
Concluding Remarks: Playing by the Numbers

Advances in available computing facilities, judiciously employed by our colleagues, have undoubtedly enhanced our understanding of the processes by which stars (and planets) form, from very diffuse gas to something you could almost live around. Nevertheless we remain very far from being able to describe (let alone explain) what is going on in many cases. And this is likely to remain true even as Moore's Law growth begins to hit its head against energy and power considerations. A large fraction of long-standing questions appear to have honest answers of the general form, yes and no, all of the above, or some of them are and some of them aren't. This includes many of my favorites, like triggering, formation of binary populations, and the role of magnetic fields. Rather few questions have actually been retired from the universe of discourse in recent years. © 2011 International Astronomical Union.
Using redundant wavelet transform in video watermarking

This paper presents a scheme that apply the pixel-wise masking technique used in image watermarking into video sequence. The proposed algorithm deploys the video watermarking in the redundant discrete wavelet transform (RDWT) domain. The advantages of using an overcompleted wavelet transform instead of the traditional critically subsampled discrete wavelet transform (DWT) are discussed. The redundancy in the transform domain facilitates a better detection of the video texture characteristics in a video sequence. Thus leads to an efficient watermark casting scheme, in which more strength of watermark can be embedded into the video sequence, but still not perceivable. Different methods of using RDWT or DWT coefficients to add the watermarking are compared. Experimental results show that RDWT domain video watermarking offers greater robustness than DWT domain method.
Factors Associated with Discontinuation of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion

ABSTRACT Fifty-five patients who had been started on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSU) more than 1 year previously were surveyed to determine the difference between those who had continued and those who had discontinued CSU. These retrospective results were used to determine characteristics that predict a suitable candidate for CSU which could be tested in a future prospective study and would guide our clinical choice of candidates for CSU. Twenty patients had discontinued CSU (Group D) and 35 patients had continued CSII (Group C). Group D contained younger patients, more likely to be women who had had a shorter duration of diabetes, more frequent antecedent episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and more frequent doctor visits. The major rationale for starting CSII in Group D was poor control with keotacidosis whereas Group C started CSII for poor control with hypoglycemia. The reasons for stopping CSII in Group D were interference with lifestyle (40%), needle site abcesses (40%), psychological rejection (10%), and poor insulin absorption (10%). Group D patients had a significantly higher incidence of psychological rejection of CSII, dermatological problems, and needle site abcesses. For patients in Group D, glycosylated hemoglobin levels during CSII were similar to those prior to CSII. Group C patients had improved glycosylated hemoglobin levels and were more satisfied with CSII despite a slightly higher incidence of pump runaway. Group C patients had a trend toward more frequent hypoglycemia while on CSII; however, in patients who had reported severe hypoglycemia before starting CSII, there was a significant decline in the frequency of severe hypoglycemia. Even though they rejected the pump, Group D patients were found to have increased the frequency of insulin injections and home monitoring and to have decreased the frequency of DKA and doctor visits following CSII.
Fluorescence Detection in Hydrodynamically Focused Sample Streams: Reduction of Diffusional Defocusing by Association of Analyte with High-Molecular-Weight Species:

Fluorescence methods have been developed for ultra-low-level detection down to the single molecule level. In ultra-low-level analysis, one successful approach to background reduction is to use hydrodynamically focused sample streams coupled with focused laser excitation to reduce detection volumes. However, low-molecularweight analytes such as fluorescent dyes or fluorescently tagged nucleotides can diffuse radially out of the sample stream before detection, which can cause a significant reduction in the detection efficiency. Diffusional spreading can cause sample stream mixing in multiplexed analyses. Also, axial diffusion can cause misordering of analyte molecules in DNA sequencing at high analysis rates. A new method is presented for reducing diffusion effects by incorporating a high-molecular-weight species that has a strong binding affinity for the analyte (anchor) into the sheath fluid. As the analyte starts to diffuse out of the sample stream, it associates with the anchor and effectively assumes the anchor's molecular weight. This association reduces the analyte's mobility to that of the anchor. Consequently, both radial and axial diffusion are reduced. Further, in favorable cases, this adduct can have significantly increased luminescence yields and photostability compared to the free analyte. Examples of several dye polymer combinations involving electrostatic and other binding modes are given that show the very beneficial effects of this approach. Extension to other systems is described.
Environmental Impact of Invertebrates for Biological Control of Arthropods: Methods and Risk Assessment

F. Bigler, D. Babendreier, U. Kuhlmann. Environmental Impact of Invertebrates for Biological Control of Arthropods: Methods and Risk Assessment 2006 CABI Publishing Wallingford, Oxon, United Kingdom 299 0-85199-058-4 $126.00 Since the methodology of classical and augmentative arthropod biocontrol became formally recognized by pest managers at the beginning of the 20th century, concerns about the environmental impacts of natural enemy releases (also termed "nontarget effects") have persisted. It was not until the late 1990s that these nontarget concerns were extensively debated among biocontrol practitioners, conservation biologists, and other public interest groups. Many studies and reviews addressing nontarget effects of biocontrol programs have since been published (Follett and Duan 2000, and reference therein). However, nontarget impact assessments for biocontrol have proven both technically and practically challenging. To date, there have been no standard methods and procedures to regulate and assess the risk of exotic invertebrate natural enemies (INEs) associated with arthropod biocontrol programs (van Driesche et al. 2001). This multi-authored book compiles 16 chapters and attempts to address the procedural and methodological issues related to regulation and environmental impact assessment of INEs for arthropod biocontrol programs. Specifically, this book addresses (1) prediction of host specificity of INEs; (2) assessment of indirect effects of INEs on target ecological communities through competition and secondary interactions such as interbreeding with existing natural enemy complexes; (3) determination of the dispersal and establishment potential at both field and regional scales; (4) prevention of …
Specific cell-mediated immunity and infections with herpes viruses in cardiac transplant recipients

Abstract Immune responses and infections with herpes viruses were studied prospectively in 36 cardiac transplant reclpients. Specific lymphocyte transformation and interferon production in response to viral antigens, viral culture results, antibody levels, responses to phytohemagglutinin, and T-cell numbers were determined. Responses to phytohemagglutinin and T-cell numbers were depressed for six to 12 weeks. Cytomegalovirus infection occurred in 100 percent of seropositive patients and in 62 percent of seronegative patients. Primary infection was more frequently symptomatic. Heart implantation from a seropositive patient was significantly correlated with subsequent infection in seronegative patients. Depression of transformation in response to cytomegalovirus correlated with prolonged shedding. Herpes simplex infection occurred in 95 percent of seropositive patients but decreased after 12 weeks. Asymptomatic shedding was rare, and primary infection did not occur. Return of transformation in response to herpes simplex was associated with decreased Infection. Herpes zoster occurred in 22 percent during the first year, and transformation responses to varicella-zoster returned thereafter. Depression of interferon production in response to viruses did not correlate with infection as well as did lymphocyte transformation.
Stimulation of brain serotonin synthesis by dibutyryl-cyclic AMP in rats.

Cyclic AMP and dibutyryl-cyclic AMP, a derivative of cyclic AMP resistant to phosphodiesterase inactivation, were injected into the lateral ventricles of rats. These nucleotides did not change the level of brain 5-HT but increased the brain level of its principal metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. Cyclic AMP was less potent than dibutyryl-cyclic AMP. Butyrate and 5′-AMP were inactive. The effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP on 5-HT metabolism was studied both in vivo and in vitro. The rate of synthesis of 5-HT was measured by the rate of accumulation of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid after the transport of this acid out of the brain was blocked with probenecid. The rate of synthesis of brain 5-HT increased from 0-38 μg/g/h in control rats to 0-65 μg/g/h after dibutyryl-cyclic AMP. In addition cyclic AMP and dibutyryl-cyclic AMP markedly increased brain tryptophan, while AMP was inactive. Since brain tryptophan hydroxylase has a Km for its substrate that is much higher than the concentrations of tryptophan normally present in the brain, it is likely that the increase in the rate of synthesis of brain 5-HT is secondary to the cyclic AMP induced increase in the levels of brain tryptophan. In vitro studies revealed that dibutyryl-cyclic AMP increased the uptake of radioactive labelled tryptophan into slices of rat brain stem and the formation of 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid.
Regulatory Components of the Alternative Complement Pathway in Endothelial Cell Cytoplasm, Factor H and Factor I, Are Not Packaged in Weibel-Palade Bodies

It was recently reported that factor H, a regulatory component of the alternative complement pathway, is stored with von Willebrand factor (VWF) in the Weibel-Palade bodies of endothelial cells. If this were to be the case, it would have therapeutic importance for patients with the atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome that can be caused either by a heterozygous defect in the factor H gene or by the presence of an autoantibody against factor H. The in vivo Weibel-Palade body secretagogue, des-amino-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP), would be expected to increase transiently the circulating factor H levels, in addition to increasing the circulating levels of VWF. We describe experiments demonstrating that factor H is released from endothelial cell cytoplasm without a secondary storage site. These experiments showed that factor H is not stored with VWF in endothelial cell Weibel-Palade bodies, and is not secreted in response in vitro in response to the Weibel-Palade body secretagogue, histamine. Furthermore, the in vivo Weibel-Palade body secretagogue, DDAVP does not increase the circulating factor H levels concomitantly with DDAVP-induced increased VWF. Factor I, a regulatory component of the alternative complement pathway that is functionally related to factor H, is also located in endothelial cell cytoplasm, and is also not present in endothelial cell Weibel-Palade bodies. Our data demonstrate that the factor H and factor I regulatory proteins of the alternative complement pathway are not stored in Weibel-Palade bodies. DDAVP induces the secretion into human plasma of VWF —- but not factor H.
“Trafficking” Parenting: Migration, Motherhood, Forced Labor and Deportability in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to look at how parenthood can often place or keep migrant women in situations of force, fraud, or coercion that characterize human trafficking; and, second, to look at how becoming a parent (or the possibility of reproducing) while in the host country structures a discourse and series of actions that can lead migrant women into trafficking-like situations of becoming undocumented and illegal, being detained, abused, or deported. Drawing on four years of ethnographic research in the UAE between 2007 and 2011, I contrast women’s experiences of parenthood while in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with conversations and discourses constructed about migrant women’s bodies, reproductive capabilities, and sexualities. Beyond looking at the question of intimate labor, I aim to look at the intimate lives of those engaging in intimate labor, asking: what of the personal, affective, and emotional ties of those working in spheres of intimate labor?
Acid β-mannosidase of human plasma: Influence of age and sex on enzyme activity

Optimum conditions for assay of human plasma β-mannosidase activity were determined. Maximum activity was observed at pH 3.0–3.4, the apparentKm was 0.9 mmol L−1 and enzymatic hydrolysis was linear for at least 60 min. Assays were performed on plasma from two siblings with the recently described condition β-mannosidosis and their parents and controls. Both β-mannosidosis patients showed a marked deficiency of β-mannosidase activity. Control samples showed no variation between sexes (p>0.05) but enzyme activity varied significantly with age (p<0.05). Highest activity was observed in the 0–1 year age group, activity then decreasing to adulthood, Both mother and father of the affected individuals showed reduced activity (34% and 53%, respectively) compared to age-matched controls. This suggests that heterozygote detection in this condition is possible using plasma, provided the variation of activity with age is taken into consideration.
Timing of diaphyseal femur fracture nailing: is the difference night and day?

Abstract Introduction Most hospitals are faced with reduced personnel, resources, and provider fatigue or shift changes when day turns to night. For these reasons, some have suggested that diaphyseal femur fractures should be fixed during the daytime. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the time of surgery affects the post-operative difference in femoral version (DFV) and femoral length (DFL) between the fixed and uninjured sides following intramedullary nailing (IMN). Materials and methods Over a 10-year period, 340 patients underwent IMN of a diaphyseal femur fracture (AO types 32-A to C) with a post-operative computed tomography scanogram for version measurement. Demographic and surgical data, including time operated was collected. “Daytime” was defined as 7:00 AM to 6:59 PM, while the remainder of the clock was “nighttime”. Additionally, the night hours were split into 3 consecutive 4-h categories for further analysis. Stepwise, multivariate regressions were used to evaluate any effect of time of surgery on post-operative DFV or DFL. Other variables included in these statistical models were age, sex, mechanism of injury, open vs. closed fracture, trauma vs. non-trauma surgeon, and AO and Winquist classifications. Results Overall, 22.4% (76/340) of all fractures were fixed at night. The mean post-operative DFV and DFL from the uninjured side in these patients was 8.9° and 4.1 mm, respectively, compared to 9.0° and 4.8 mm in those treated during the daytime. This difference was not statistically significant when accounting for other factors ( p > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in patients with >10 mm limb length discrepancy or >15 degrees DFV ( p = 1.0 for both). Conclusion The time of day at which diaphyseal femur fractures are treated does not have an impact on post-operative femoral version or length. While certain other injuries may be better handled during daytime hours, acceptable IMN of mid-shaft femur fractures may be achieved during all hours at a level 1 trauma centre.
The case for Zostavax vaccination in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Data published thus far demonstrate that the HZ vaccine has been well tolerated by most individuals, immunocompetent and immunocompromised. It is currently licensed for healthy adults ≥ 50 years old. In the healthy population, advancing age is the greatest risk factor for the development of HZ, with highest rates seen in those ≥70 years of age, likely due to age-related diminution of CMI. HZ incidence is higher in SLE patients compared to healthy people at all ages. Hence, SLE patients, even as young adults, have higher reported HZ incidence than 80 year-old healthy adults, and should be considered a similar high-risk population who are most likely to derive meaningful benefit from vaccination. Even if the efficacy of vaccination in the SLE population proves to be less than seen in the immunocompetent elderly population, the reduction in incidence and severity of both acute HZ and PHN will provide benefit. Until results of randomized clinical trials of Zostavax in SLE patients are reported, we must rely on clinical assessment of potential risks and benefits of vaccinating this population. Risks of complications directly attributible to zoster vaccination, including the theoretic possibility of vaccine-induced infection, can be mitigated by several means. First, prior exposure to VZV can be easily confirmed by commercially available serology, thereby avoiding the introduction of live-attenuated VZV into naive patients. In these subjects, the varicella vaccine (Varivax (Merck) or Varilrix (GlaxoSmithKline)), which has significantly lower potency than Zostavax and is intended for primary prevention of varicella, may be considered. Vaccination should be delayed until acute flares have resolved and induction therapy has been completed and patients are receiving only maintenance immunosuppressive therapy. Discontinuing disease modifying therapy for the sole purpose of vaccination should only be undertaken after careful consideration of the risks of inducing flare of underlying disease after withdrawal of therapy. Finally, the OKA vaccine strain was attenuated by serial passages in cell cultures and is avirulant as compared to wild type strains. Furthermore, it is susceptible to standard antiviral therapy, shall any vaccine-induced infection occur. Clinical trials addressing the safety and efficacy of Zostavax in SLE will provide more definitive information upon which to base vaccination decisions. However, results remain years away. In the mean time, vaccination among stable SLE patients ≥50 years old should be strongly considered.