cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacodynamic modelling of intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis in elective colorectal surgery

Abstract Surgical-site infections are the leading cause of post-operative morbidity and mortality as well as increased costs following colorectal surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate different β-lactam antimicrobial dosing regimens currently used for prophylaxis in elective colorectal procedures with the aim of identifying optimal antibiotics and dosing regimens. Serum pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters specific to each drug for use in pharmacodynamic (PD) modelling were obtained from the published literature. Susceptibility data for Escherichia coli , Bacteroides fragilis and Staphylococcus aureus for use in modelling simulations were obtained from the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the influence of dose and dosing frequency of tested antibiotics to achieve a prophylaxis target fT >MIC (time during which the free drug concentration exceeds the pathogen minimum inhibitory concentration) of 100% for up to 4h. Ertapenem 1g, cefuroxime 1.5g and cefazolin 2g were the only antibiotic regimens that consistently yielded target fT >MIC of 100% for the entire 4-h post-dose interval and against all targeted organisms more than 90% of the time. In contrast, cefoxitin, cefotetan and ampicillin/sulbactam yielded very poor predicted PK/PD performances. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the value of, and need for, applied PD research in the area of surgical prophylaxis. Whether cefoxitin, cefotetan or ampicillin/sulbactam should continue to be advocated as first-line agents for prophylaxis during elective colorectal surgery, particularly at the standard doses currently being used, is debatable.
Evaluation of Estimation Algorithms: Credibility Tests

Assessments of estimation performance are often available. For example, many statistical estimators and filters provide assessments of the first two moments of their own estimation error (i.e., mean-square error [MSE] or error covariance matrix and bias). Are these assessments credible in that they reflect the true situation? The paper addresses this important yet little studied topic, referred to as the credibility of the assessments (or the estimators that make the assessments). We define the concept of credibility and formulate three classes of commonly encountered credibility-testing problems: MSE alone, bias alone, and MSE and bias jointly. Taking advantage of results in multivariate statistical analysis, we present several statistical tests for the credibility problems formulated and analyze and discuss in detail pros and cons of the proposed tests, contrasting with the existing test. How these tests can be used and how they perform are illustrated by representative numerical examples. For the existing MSE credibility test, we explain its underlying principle and analyze, discuss, and demonstrate its drawbacks and limitations. We also propose a test for comparing different credibility assessments.
Skin diseases in pet rabbits: a retrospective study of 334 cases seen at the University of California at Davis, USA (1984-2004).

Background Rabbits are growing in popularity as companion animals, and dermatology problems are often the presenting complaint when seeing a veterinarian. Hypothesis/Objectives To document skin diseases and their prevalence in pet domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in northern California, USA; to investigate predilections for breed, age or sex for the most common conditions over a 20 year period. Animals Three hundred and thirty-four pet rabbits from the overall hospital population met inclusion criteria. Methods A retrospective study was carried out by searching the computerized medical records of rabbits seen at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) from 1 January 1984 to 31 December 2004 using key words relevant to dermatology. Results Twenty-nine per cent of pet rabbits seen at the VMTH had skin disease. Lop-eared rabbits were over-represented, whereas mixed-breed rabbits and castrated males were under-represented in the dermatology caseload compared with the hospital population. Pododermatitis was the most common skin disease; abscesses, alopecia, otitis externa and ectoparasites also were common. Several species of bacteria other than Pasteurella spp. were isolated from abscesses. Despite the frequent mention of myxomatosis and venereal spirochetosis in the rabbit literature, few cases (three and two, respectively) were diagnosed. Castrated males were 3.7 times more likely to present with alopecia than intact males; rabbits <1 year of age were 3.6 times more likely to present with Psoroptes infestation/otitis than adult rabbits. Conclusions and clinical importance Cutaneous conditions in pet rabbits in the USA are common. Bacterial culture should be performed and antibiotic susceptibility determined in all rabbits with abscesses, particularly those not responding to typical anti-Pasteurella antibiotics.
Tlr2 is critical for diet-induced metabolic syndrome in a murine model

Obesity and its associated comorbidities, termed metabolic syndrome, are increasingly prevalent, and they pose a serious threat to the health of individuals and populations. Gene-environment interactions have been scrutinized since the kinetics of the increased prevalence of obesity would argue against a purely genetic etiology. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), widely expressed and highly conserved transmembrane receptors, are at the intersection of diet and metabolism, and may therefore be important determinants of weight gain and its sequellae. We sought specifically to determine the role of Tlr2 in the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome utilizing two dietary models that approximate contemporary diet compositions. Using C57BL/6 Hsd mice (wild type, WT) and mice with a targeted mutation in Tlr2 (Tlr2−/−), we showed that mice lacking TLR2 are substantially protected from diet-induced adiposity, insulin resistance, hypercholesterolemia, and hepatic steatosis. In adipose tissue, Tlr2 deletion was associated with attenuation of adipocyte hypertrophy, as well as diminished macrophage infiltration and inflammatory cytokine expression.—Himes, R. W., Smith, C. W. Tlr2 is critical for diet-induced metabolic syndrome in a murine model.
Orangemouth Corvina Survival in Fresh Water

(1985). Orangemouth Corvina Survival in Fresh Water. The Progressive Fish-Culturist: Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 61-63.
Electrostatic RF MEMS tunable capacitors with analog tunability and low temperature sensitivity

This work presents novel RF MEMS tunable capacitors with very low temperature sensitivity. The designs have separate and interdigitated RF and actuation electrodes which prevents dielectric charging under high actuation voltages. It also increases the capacitance ratio and the tunable analog range. Two devices with different mechanical operating principles are fabricated on a quartz substrate and result in a capacitance ratio 2.8–3.3 (C min =90–100 fF, C max =280–310 fF) and with a Q > 100 at 5 GHz. The designs also exhibit measured pull-in voltage variation of < 50 mV/°C at 20–120°C.
Exploring Challenges to Nonprofit Status Issues of Definition and Access in Community-Based Research

Individual nonprofit organizations, groups of similar organizations, or the people being served by these organizations have typically been the focus of community-based research efforts. Common research questions might include how to better identify service needs, how to improve the actual delivery of services, how to better access clients, or how to assess effectiveness in various service delivery models. While these individual organizational or client issues have dominated the community-based research methodological literature, the structure of the sector, and the degree to which structural changes might impact the capacity of individual nonprofit, community-based organizations have been neglected. This article explores the results of a research project to determine the extent of challenges to tax exempt status occurring throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Conclusions from the research effort point to not only the complexity of this particular policy issue but also the problems and constraints of community-based research involving the nonprofit sector. Suggestions for the continued improvement of community-based research are offered.
Special Section on Machine Vision for Industrial Inspection

In this special section we have the opportunity to explore the science and technology of image processing and scene analysis as applied to the field of machine vision. Machine vision can be described as the integration of sensors and optics, computers, algorithms, and robotics to automate manufacturing inspection and characterization for quality and process control.
Integration of phase transfer catalysis into aqueous transfer hydrogenation

Abstract Aqueous transfer hydrogenation using Noyori's catalyst (η6-arene)Ru(H)TsDPEN (TsDPEN = N-(p-toluenesulfonyl)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine) was found to be dependent on the substrate/catalyst ratio. The reaction was suppressed when a large amount of substrate (acetophenone) was used. To relieve this substrate inhibition problem, common phase transfer catalysts were applied to transfer the formate anion from aqueous layer to organic substrate layer. Quaternary ammonium salts with long alkyl chains were shown to enhance the hydrogenation reactivities up to 5 times. The reaction conditions, including formate loading, phase transfer catalyst loading, amount of water, temperature, stirring speed and counterions, were optimized to afford the best catalytic activities.
Fetal supraventricular tachycardias: Diagnosis and management

In the majority of cases, the diagnosis of an isolated fetal tachyarrhythmia results in a favorable perinatal outcome. Although there is general consensus on the management of fetal extrasystoles, refractory supraventricular tachycardia, and atrial flutter and fibrillation, the optimal approach to supraventricular tachycardia without hemodynamic compromise remains uncertain. The benefits of conservative management without antiarrhythmic therapy must be weighed carefully against the lack of reliable predictors for the development of fetal hydrops and associated neurologic complications.
Suppression of Jahn-Teller term-split band edge states in the x-ray absorption spectra of non-crystalline Zr silicates and Si oxynitride alloys, and alloys of ZrO2 with Y2O3

Abstract Jahn–Teller (J–T) term-split states in nanocrystalline transition metal and trivalent rare earth elemental and complex oxides reduce the band gap, and tunnelling barrier height at interfaces with crystalline Si substrates. These states are identified by x-ray absorption spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Alloys for suppression of J–T d-state degeneracy removal are identified as: (i) non-crystalline Zr/Hf silicates and Si oxynitrides and (ii) ZrO 2 –Y 2 O 3 alloys with high concentrations of randomly distributed O-vacancies that promote cubic crystalline symmetry.
POSTFIRE STAND STRUCTURE IN A SEMIARID SAVANNA: CROSS-SCALE CHALLENGES ESTIMATING BIOMASS

Algorithms relating remotely sensed woody cover to biomass are often the basis for large-scale inventories of aboveground carbon stocks. However, these algorithms are commonly applied in a generic fashion without consideration of disturbances that might alter vegetation structure. We compared field and remote sensing estimates of woody biomass on savannas with contrasting disturbance (fire) histories and assessed potential errors in estimating woody biomass from cover without considering fire history. Field surveys quantified multilayer cover (MLC) of woody and succulent plants on sites experiencing wildfire in 1989 or 1994 and on nearby unburned (control) sites. Remote sensing estimates of the woody cover fraction (WCF) on burned and control sites were derived from contemporary (2005) dry-season Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery (during a period when herbaceous cover was senescent) using a probabilistic spectral mixture analysis model. Satellite WCF estimates were compared to field MLC assessments and related to aboveground biomass using allometry. Field-based MLC and remotely sensed WCFs both indicated that woody cover was comparable on control areas and areas burned 11-16 years ago. However, biomass was approximately twofold higher on control sites. Canopy cover was a strong predictor of woody biomass on burned and control areas, but fire history significantly altered the linear cover- biomass relationship on control plots to a curvilinear relationship on burned plots. Results suggest predictions of woody biomass from ''generic'' two-dimensional (2-D) cover algorithms may underestimate biomass in undisturbed stands and overestimate biomass in stands recovering from disturbance. Improving the accuracy of woody-biomass estimates from field and/or remotely sensed cover may therefore require disturbance-specific models or detection of vegetation height and transforming 2-D vegetation cover to 3-D vegetation volume.
Diode laser spectroscopy of adsorbed gas on metal surfaces.

Electroreflectance vibrational spectroscopy (EVS) and polarization-modulated IR reflection absorption spectroscopy (PS) are compared and analyzed. Both techniques have been used with a tunable diode laser to obtain quantitative reflectance spectra of adsorbed CO on single crystal Ni. System calibration for absolute accuracy is described. The reproducibility of EVS and PS is compared by using both to study the same sample on two different days. The spectra cover the 1800–2160-cm−1 range and span the CO vibrational frequency. For spectroscopy of CO, EVS is more sensitive. The integrated IR absorption of c(2 × 2) CO on Ni(100) measured with PS agrees with previous measurement.
A contribution to the theory of egoistic and altruistic interactions

If two individuals work on the production of the same object of satisfaction and if their cooperative efforts result in an increased overall productivity, then the following statement holds: if each individual tries to maximize his own satisfaction, each individual will have less of the object of satisfaction than when each tries to maximize the sum of the satisfactions of both individuals. This theorem was demonstrated previously for the case of a rather special choice of the satisfaction function. It is now shown that it holds for a much wider class of such functions. In addition to previously studied cases of methods of sharing the object of satisfaction, several new cases are investigated. An attempt is made to give a mathematical formulation for a society in which individuals contribute according to their ability and share according to their needs. It is shown that in order for such a description to be meaningful, certain requirements must be imposed on the satisfaction function. Even with those requirements fulfilled, the possibility of such a society requires the fulfillment of an inequality between certain functionals.
Hat, shade, long sleeves, or sunscreen? Rethinking US sun protection messages based on their relative effectiveness.

Background Sun protection messages in the United States emphasize sunscreen use, although its efficacy in skin cancer prevention remains controversial.
A causality condition for Schrödinger scattering

Abstract The outgoing wave boundary condition for non-relativistic Schrodinger scattering is derived from a causality condition through the introduction of a time dependent Hamiltonian. This Hamiltonian corresponds to a realistic description of a scattering experiment. The outgoing wave boundary condition for non-relativistic Schrodinger scattering is derived from a causality condition through the introduction of a time dependent Hamiltonian. This Hamiltonian corresponds to a realistic description of a scattering experiment.
BACK TO THE FUTURE: yeltsin, stolypin and russia's agricultural revolution

Will Boris Yeltsin's liberalisation of Russian agriculture succeed Michail Dmitriev, who is a member of the parliament of the Russian Federation, reviews the problems and prospects.
Humidity Dependence of Tribocharging of Toner Surface Treated with Hydrophobic and Hydrophylic Silica

Abstract In this study, the effect of humidity on the tribocharging of toner surface treated with hydrophobic and hydrophilic silicas was compared. A normally positively charging toner was surface treated with either silica, and toner charge to mass was measured as a function of humidity and silica concentration using a set of reference carriers. The data were analyzed using an extension of the surface state model of tribocharging to assess the effect of humidity on toner work function, the density of states of charging sites, and toner surface conductivity. It was found that toner surface treated with either silica has a lower charge at high humidity. Analysis shows that both the work function and a combination of toner conductivity and the density of states of the charging sites change in the direction to decrease charge at high humidity. Therefore, even in the absence of increasing toner conductivity at high humidity, charge will be lower at high humidity for both silicas. Thus, the use of hydrophobic ...
Relationship between the ecdysteroid titres of a host and those of its parasite

Haemolymph ecdysteroids of larvae and pupae of the fruit fly Anastrepha suspensa and its endoparasitic wasp Biosteres (=Opius) longicaudatus were measured by radioimmunoassay. The ability of parasite first instar larvae to sequester and metabolize ecdysone from an artificial medium was also evaluated. From the third larval instar until the pharate pupal stage of parasitized hosts ecdysteroid titres increased from 30.9 ± 1.8 to 224 ± 5.3 pg/μl. Titres of the corresponding unparasitized stages ranged from 56 ± 9.3 to 280 ± 6.1 pg/μl. In both parasitized and unparasitized individuals titres fell sharply on the day when apolysis and pupal cuticle synthesis occurred. They increased again as pupal development progressed. Ecdysteroid levels of the parasite increased during the first larval instar and remained unchanged until the parasite's third instar. The levels fell in the newly moulted parasite fourth instar but thereafter increased sharply until the larval-pupal moult 2 days later. The predominant free ecdysteroid in parasitized and healthy A. suspensa pharate pupae was ecdysone while in the fourth instar parasite it was 20-OH-ecdysone. Parasites in vitro were able to take up [3H]ecdysone from a medium and convert it to 20-OH-ecdysone. This suggests that they may be able to sequester ecdysteroids from the hosts' haemolymph.
Growth effects of nagilactone E on cultured cells of lettuce.

Nagilactone E, a norditerpene dilactone isolated from a gymnosperm, Podocarpus nagi (Podocarpaceae), was able to stimulate the growth of cultured cells of Lactuca sativa cv. Grand Rapids at 0.1 μg ml-1 but not at 0.01 or 1 μg ml-1. Cell wet weight/unit time and cell number/unit wet weight were increased when they were recorded at the end of the 14-day incubation period. Also, the population of cells treated with that concentration of nagilactone E had a higher percentage of cells with shorter cell length compared to the control (untreated).
An Examination of Acculturative Stress, Interpersonal Social Support, and Use of Online Ethnic Social Groups among Chinese International Students

Survey data collected from Chinese international students attending college in the United States explored relationships between acculturative stress, interpersonal social support, and use of online...
A dominant negative to activation protein-1 (AP1) that abolishes DNA binding and inhibits oncogenesis

We describe a dominant negative (DN) to activation protein-1 (AP1) that inhibits DNA binding in an equimolar competition. AP1 is a heterodimer of the oncogenes Fos and Jun, members of the bZIP family of transcription factors. The DN, termed A-Fos, consists of a newly designed acidic amphipathic protein sequence appended onto the N-terminus of the Fos leucine zipper, replacing the normal basic region critical for DNA binding. The acidic extension and the Jun basic region form a heterodimeric coiled coil structure that stabilizes the complex over 3000-fold and prevents the basic region of Jun from binding to DNA. Gel shift assays indicate that A-Fos can inactivate the DNA binding of a Fos:Jun heterodimer in an equimolar competition. Transient transfection assays indicate that A-Fos inhibits Jun-dependent transactivation. Both the acidic extension and the Fos leucine zipper are critical for this inhibition. Expression of A-Fos in mouse fibroblasts inhibits focus formation more than colony formation, reflecting the ability of A-Fos to interfere with the AP1 biological functions in mammalian cells. This reagent is more potent than a deletion of either the Fos or Jun transactivation domain, which has been used previously as a dominant negative to AP1 activity.
Demonstration of a monolithic npn and pnp complementary HBT technology

The monolithic integration of complementary AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) has been accomplished using selective MOVPE to regrow an Npn HBT on a Pnp HBT waler. A non-self- aligned mesa process was used in fabricating the transistors. Pnps (Npns) with a. minimum geometry emitter of 6?m by 12?m yielded a current gain of 300 (75) which was not degraded by the regrowth process and an ft of 2.5 (22) GHz. An inverting amplifier with feedback for unity gain, a push-pull emitter follower and a complementary Gilbert Gain Cell amplifier were fabricated and tested indicating the feasibility for high speed (Al)GaAs HBT operational amplifiers (op-amps).
Spawning and Nursery Habitats of Largemouth Bass in the Tidal Hudson River

Abstract Spawning and nursery habitats of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides in the freshwater portion of the Hudson River estuary were identified and characterized. The shoreline from Troy to Peekskill, New York, was classified by habitat (exposed shoreline, shallow shoreline, creek mouths, coves, and bays), and 15 adult males, radio-tagged in March, were tracked to nesting sites. Fish moved 1.6–64 km and spawned in areas protected from wind and wave action or in areas where tidal action was mitigated. Bays and coves were the habitats selected by most nesting radio-tagged bass. Nests of 114 untagged largemouth bass were visually located; 44% of these nests were in bays, 37% in creek mouths, 18% in coves, and only 1% along exposed shoreline. Habitat types selected by nesting largemouth bass amounted to less than 25% of the total shoreline habitat available. Water temperatures over the nests when the nests were first discovered ranged from 16.7 to 20.5°C, and depth of the nests at low tide ranged from 0...
Delayed and latent postcardiotomy tamponade. Recognition and nonoperative treatment.

Abstract Cardiac tamponade developed in 6 patients eight to sixteen days after cardiac valve replacement. Recovery from the operation had been uncomplicated until the early symptoms of tamponade appeared 24 to 48 hours prior to the onset of severe cardiac decompensation. The premonitory signs and symptoms were nonspecific. Pericardicentesis proved to be effective therapy, and operative decompression was not necessary. Even the full-blown clinical picture is easily confused with failure from myocardial decompensation, and therefore the diagnosis is difficult to establish. A high index of suspicion and familiarity with this delayed type of postperfusion tamponade is crucial for diagnosis and lifesaving therapy.
Measurement-based characterization of 802.11 in a hotspot setting

We analyze wireless measurements taken during the SIGCOMM 2004 conference to understand how well 802.11 operates in real deployments. We find that the overhead of 802.11 is high, with only 40% of the transmission time spent in sending original data. Most of the remaining time is consumed by retransmissions due to packet losses that are caused by both contention and transmission errors. Our analysis also shows that wireless nodes adapt their transmission rates with an extremely high frequency. We comment on the difficulties and opportunities of working with wireless traces, rather than the wired traces of wireless activity that are presently more common.
Reaction model describing antioxidant depletion in polyethylene–clay nanocomposites under thermal aging

Abstract Antioxidants are typically added to polyethylene to extend its durability, and recently clay nanoparticles have been blended into polyethylene to improve mechanical properties. However, the clay nanoparticles also accelerate the rate of antioxidant depletion in polyethylene. This paper uses a mathematical model to describe the underlying mechanisms of antioxidant (hindered-phenol) depletion and to predict experimentally-measured antioxidant profiles in polyethylene–clay nanocomposites. The mathematical model uses a reaction kinetic scheme that includes free radical initiation and propagation reactions, antioxidant stabilization reactions and free radical termination reactions. In the model, alkyl free radicals oxidize rapidly. The role of antioxidants is to stabilize the oxidized free radicals to hydroperoxides, and interrupt propagation reactions. However, in nanocomposites, continuous depletion of antioxidant is caused by the clay acting as a catalyst to decompose hydroperoxides and regenerate alkyl free radicals. This cyclic hydroperoxide generation and decomposition leads to much faster antioxidant depletion in polyethylene nanocomposites. Phenoxyl radicals of antioxidants generated by stabilization reactions contribute to terminate polymeric free radicals and limit their accumulation. Predictions of antioxidant depletion are compared to experimental results for accelerated aging of polyethylene and nanocomposite samples.
Tracing the trajectory of behavioral impairments and oxidative stress in an animal model of neonatal inflammation.

Abstract Exposure to early-life inflammation results in time-of-challenge-dependent changes in both brain and behavior. The consequences of this neural and behavioral reprogramming are most often reported in adulthood. However, the trajectory for the expression of these various changes is not well delineated, particularly between the juvenile and adult phases of development. Moreover, interventions to protect against these neurodevelopmental disruptions are rarely evaluated. Here, female Sprague–Dawley rats were housed in either environmental enrichment (EE) or standard care (SC) and their male and female offspring were administered 50 μg/kg i.p. of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or pyrogen-free saline in a dual-administration neonatal protocol. All animals maintained their respective housing assignments from breeding until the end of the study. LPS exposure on postnatal days (P) 3 and 5 of life resulted in differential expression of emotional and cognitive disruptions and evidence of oxidative stress across development. Specifically, social behavior was reduced in neonatal-treated (n)LPS animals at adolescence (P40), but not adulthood (P70). In contrast, male nLPS rats exhibited intact spatial memory as adolescents which was impaired in later life. Moreover, these males had decreased prefrontal cortex levels of glutathione at P40, which was normalized in adult animals. Notably, EE appeared to offer some protection against the consequences of inflammation on juvenile social behavior and fully prevented reduced glutathione levels in the juvenile prefrontal cortex. Combined, these time-dependent effects provide evidence that early-life inflammation interacts with other developmental variables, specifically puberty and EE, in the expression (and prevention) of select behavioral and molecular programs.
Commercial Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution

Peter Fenn, Spon Press, London, 2011 165 pp., ISBN 978 0 415 57828 8, £19.99 (pb) A friend once told me that writing journal papers is hard, but writing a 12-chapter book is like writing 12 papers ...
Cross-modality matches suggest anticipated stage fright a multiplicative power function of audience size and status

Subjects adjusted the sound pressure level of a 1,000-Hz tone or the luminance of a 10° target on a translucent screen to match their anticipated subjective tension in performing before audiences represented by 1–16 color slides of old or young males or females. Consistent with a new theory of social impact, “tension” was a multiplicative power function of the number texponent ≅ .6) of people in the audience and their ages, with older t37-year-old) audiences generating 2–3 times the tension of younger Iteen-age) audiences. Male audiences elicited 50%-40% more tension than females.
Application of highly conductive ZnO to plasmonics

Plasmonics combines attractive features of nanoelectronics and optics enabling highly integrated, dense subwavelength optical components and electronic circuits which will help alleviate the speed-bottleneck in important technologies such as information processing and computing. The wide application of plasmonic devices hinges on practical demonstrations with low losses at standard optical wavelengths such as near infrared, visible, telecom, etc. Conventional plasmonic devices, based on noble metals, suffer from large losses in these frequency regimes and are difficult to compensate completely by simply adding gain material. Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) such as ZnO are good alternatives to metals for plasmonic applications in the optical regime since they exhibit high conductivity and relatively small negative real permittivity values necessary for practical plasmonic devices. Ga-doped ZnO layers were grown on Al2O3 at 200 °C by pulsed laser deposition in Ar ambient. The electrical properties, determined by the Hall effect, were: ρ = 2.95x 10-4 Ω-cm; μ = 25.3 cm2/V-s; and n = 8.36 x 1020 cm-3. These values of μ and n were used to predict optical properties through the Drude dielectric function. Reflection measurements confirmed the Hall-effect predictions. The optical and electrical properties of the material were used to design insulator-metal-insulator (in our case, Quartz-ZnO-polymer) waveguides for long range plasmons using full-wave electromagnetic models built with finite element method simulations. The models were used to predict the behavior of ZnO as well as examine the effect of device geometry on propagation length and losses of the plasmon mode.
A neurosurgeon speaks out.

Patrick Kelly of New York University Medical Center and a member of the Editorial Board of Surgical Neurology wrote the following letter which clearly expresses the frustrations and concerns US physicians are experiencing with progressive government control of medicine. It says what has happened in other countries as a result of socialism. I thought that it was an eloquent statement and that we should publish it.
Historical Geomorphology and Geoarchaeology in the Southwestern Makgadikgadi Basin, Botswana

Abstract Arid landscapes of the southwestern Makgadikgadi, Botswana, are dominated by sandy lacustrine plains, which are veneered by grassy stabilized dunes and small evaporite basins (pans). In addition, the exotic Boteti River delivers a nearly permanent supply of water to the region from the Angolan highlands via the Okavango marshes. The history of this unusually intricate landscape was investigated through regional geomorphological and geoarchaeological studies focused at two archaeological sites. The first site, Toromoja I, preserves residues of Later Stone Age settlement along the shore of a now-dry lake; a mid-Holocene age is suggested. At the second site, Gwi Pan West, a Later Stone Age burial was excavated. This burial appears to be only several hundred years old, and can be referred to a landscape much like the present. The spatial and environmental contexts of these archaeological residues can best be understood in terms of a dynamic historical geomorphology shaped by past climatic, tectonic, ...
Memoir: Practical State Continuity for Protected Modules

To protect computation, a security architecture must safeguard not only the software that performs it but also the state on which the software operates. This requires more than just preserving state confidentiality and integrity, since, e.g., software may err if its state is rolled back to a correct but stale version. For this reason, we present Memoir, the first system that fully ensures the continuity of a protected software module's state. In other words, it ensures that a module's state remains persistently and completely inviolate. A key contribution of Memoir is a technique to ensure rollback resistance without making the system vulnerable to system crashes. It does this by using a deterministic module, storing a concise summary of the module's request history in protected NVRAM, and allowing only safe request replays after crashes. Since frequent NVRAM writes are impractical on modern hardware, we present a novel way to leverage limited trusted hardware to minimize such writes. To ensure the correctness of our design, we develop formal, machine-verified proofs of safety. To demonstrate Memoir's practicality, we have built it and conducted evaluations demonstrating that it achieves reasonable performance on real hardware. Furthermore, by building three useful Memoir-protected modules that rely critically on state continuity, we demonstrate Memoir's versatility.
Comparison between chua-yang and hyperbolic CNNs

We compare the dynamic behavior of two CNN models: the original Chua-Yang model using the piecewise linear function and the hyperbolic model using the hyperbolic tangent. It is shown that, this two models are not topologically equivalent because in some parameter regions they exhibit a different number of equilibrium points.
iBBiG: iterative binary bi-clustering of gene sets

Motivation: Meta-analysis of genomics data seeks to identify genes associated with a biological phenotype across multiple datasets; however, merging data from different platforms by their features (genes) is challenging. Meta-analysis using functionally or biologically characterized gene sets simplifies data integration is biologically intuitive and is seen as having great potential, but is an emerging field with few established statistical methods. Results: We transform gene expression profiles into binary gene set profiles by discretizing results of gene set enrichment analyses and apply a new iterative bi-clustering algorithm (iBBiG) to identify groups of gene sets that are coordinately associated with groups of phenotypes across multiple studies. iBBiG is optimized for meta-analysis of large numbers of diverse genomics data that may have unmatched samples. It does not require prior knowledge of the number or size of clusters. When applied to simulated data, it outperforms commonly used clustering methods, discovers overlapping clusters of diverse sizes and is robust in the presence of noise. We apply it to meta-analysis of breast cancer studies, where iBBiG extracted novel gene set—phenotype association that predicted tumor metastases within tumor subtypes. Availability: Implemented in the Bioconductor package iBBiG
Process assessments in NASA

A software process assessment procedure, recently refined by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), gives managers a useful tool to identify the strengths and weaknesses of software organizations. The author discusses how process assessment techniques were introduced to NASA and how the procedure was enlarged to evaluate not just software development but also software quality assurance operations. Initially, the techniques were extended to cover contract management and especially software quality assurance organizations. A preliminary assessment tool (questionnaire) consisting of 98 items was introduced. After some revision, it demonstrated its usefulness at a series of on-site surveys. The combined surveys demonstrated that a NASA questionnaire can point a team in the right direction. >
Improved bootstrap confidence limits in large-scale phylogenies, with an example from Neo-Astragalus (Leguminosae)

Phylogenetic analyses of large data sets pose special challenges, including the apparent tendency for the bootstrap support for a clade to decline with increased taxon sampling of that clade. We document this decline in data sets with increasing numbers of taxa in Astragalus, the most species-rich angiosperm genus. Support for one subclade, Neo-Astragalus, declined monotonically with increased sampling of taxa inside Neo-Astragalus, irrespective of whether parsimony or neighbor-joining methods were used or of which particular heuristic search algorithm was used (although more stringent algorithms tended to yield higher support). Three possible explanations for this decline were examined, including (1) mistaken assignment of the most recent common ancestor of the taxon sample (and its bootstrap support) with the most recent common ancestor of the clade from which it was sampled; (2) computational limitations of heuristic search strategies; and (3) statistical bias in bootstrap proportions, especially that from random homoplasy distributed among taxa. The best explanation appears to be (3), although computational shortcomings (2) may explain some of the problem. The bootstrap proportion, as currently used in phylogenetic analysis, does not accurately capture the classical notion of confidence assessments on the null hypothesis of nonmonophyly, especially in large data sets. More accurate assessments of confidence as type I error levels (relying on iterated bootstrap methods) remove most of the monotonic decline in confidence with increasing numbers of taxa.
P53 GENE ALTERATIONS IN DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCERS

Analysis of 22 human thyroid cancers including papillary, follicular and medullary subtypes (PTC, FTC, MTC) by PCR-SSCP, and immunohistochemistry detected 4 deletions and 3 mutations. Deletions involved exons 1, 2-3 and 5-6 in 3 PTCs, mutations exons 2-3 in 2 MTCs and exons 8-9 in PTC4. p53 alterations occurred in 2/5 recurrent tumors and 2/3 tumors developing to cell lines. Immuno-histochemistry detected p53 mutations in differentiated areas of papillary thyroid cancers as frequent events occurring at stage T1 to T4 in contrast to prior findings by other authors which restrict p53 alterations to undifferentiated stages.
Visualizing vector information in ocean environments

Great efforts have been made to ensure that the field of scientific visualization lives up to its name. In particular, the challenge has become one of finding the appropriate method or suite of methods to best portray the meaning of the given data. Determining these methods relies on information such as the structure of the data, the scale of the problem, and the questions to be answered. This paper provides an overview of several vector visualization techniques in the context of visualizing global-scale ocean model data. A comparison of the techniques is given, and conclusions for appropriate uses are made.
IMAGE-GUIDED MOTION ADAPTATION IN RADIOTHERAPY

In this paper we review the engineering problems and solutions for real-time spatial tracking of radiotherapy treatment sites during free breathing. These techniques will allow the reduction and possible elimination of dose-limiting motion margins in external-beam radiation delivery plans
Bacteriological aspects of fin erosion in mullet exposed to crude oil

An investigation was undertaken to determine the effect of two types of crude oil on mullet (Mugil cephalus). The data presented in this report establishes a relationship between the exposure of the mullet to crude oils and the outbreak of fin rot. The data also indicates that the diversity of the microflora on the exterior of the mullet was reduced from 5-6 to 1-2 colonial types, one of which was consistently a species of the genus Vibrio.
Leukocyte Adhesion Molecules Deficiency: Its Structural Basis, Pathophysiology and Implications for Modulating the Inflammatory Response

Understanding the molecular basis of a rare inherited disease, Leu-CAM deficiency in humans, has underscored the importance of the cellular component of inflammation and unravelled the complex series of homotypic and heterotypic cell interactions necessary for mobilization of leukocytes to infected sites. Furthermore, this disease has shown that several apparently distinct cellular inflammatory responses (e.g. aggregation, adhesion to endothelium, directed migration and phagocytosis) are mechanistically related and mediated by a set of molecules which belong to a larger group of adhesion molecules (Integrins) mediating similar phenomena critical for immune surveillance, lymphocyte homing, morphogenesis and thrombogenesis. This disease also showed the relative biologic importance of CD11/CD18 in leukocytes. CD11/CD18 are more critical for the functions of phagocytic cells as compared to lymphocytes although similar inhibitory effects of anti-CD11/CD18 mAbs can be demonstrated in vitro. Expression and function of CD11/CD18 is regulated at several levels which include formation of stable heterodimers, qualitative changes in the receptor and quantitative changes in the levels of expression of the receptors and their ligands. We have identified inherited single amino acid substitutions on CD18 which impair heterodimer formation and cell surface expression, thus accounting for the pathogenesis of Leu-CAM deficiency. We also found a stimulus-induced phosphorylation of CD18, which is transient in nature when elicited through other surface receptors. This may be important in regulation of CD11/CD18 receptor avidity, recycling, endocytosis and cross-talk with other receptors. Finally, realization of the profound impairment in the acute cellular inflammatory response present in Leu-CAM deficiency has permitted novel ways of controlling the inflammatory response in several situations were inflammation serves an injurious rather than a beneficial role to the host.
Family Policy: The Conservative Challenge and the Progressive Response.

This article examines the question of how family professionals should respond to the conservative “profamily” movement. It is argued that the response of liberal family professionals to date—consisting largely of a defense of pluralism—has been inadequate. Instead, family professionals need to develop a concrete agenda based on what they think are the most important issues facing families currently.
Elucidating the Pathogenesis of Spores from the Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans was first described as a human fungal pathogen more than a century ago. One aspect of the C. neoformans infectious life cycle that has been the subject of earnest debate is whether the spores are pathogenic. Despite much speculation, no direct evidence has been presented to resolve this outstanding question. We present evidence that C. neoformans spores are pathogenic in a mouse intranasal inhalation model of infection. In addition, we provide mechanistic insights into spore-host interactions. We found that C. neoformans spores were phagocytosed by alveolar macrophages via interactions between fungal β-(1,3)-glucan and the host receptors Dectin-1 and CD11b. Moreover, we discovered an important link between spore survival and macrophage activation state: intracellular spores were susceptible to reactive oxygen-nitrogen species. We anticipate these results will serve as the basis for a model to further investigate the pathogenic implications of infections caused by fungal spores.
Simultaneous measurements of ku- and ka-band sea surface cross sections by an airborne Radar

The dual-frequency Airborne Precipitation Radar-2 (APR-2) was deployed during the Wakasa Bay Experiment in 2003, for validation of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS. Besides providing extensive observations of diverse precipitating systems, this Ku-(13.4 GHz) and Ka-band (35.6 GHz) cross-track scanning radar measured sea surface backscatter simultaneously. While the characteristics of the normalized sea surface cross section sigma0 at Ku-band are well understood and widely published, the existing experimental data concerning sigma0 at Ka-band are scarce and results are inconsistent. In this letter, the Ku/Ka-band sigma0 measurements collected by APR-2, together with the estimated uncertainties, are discussed. In general, the measured sigma0 at Ka-band at around 10deg incidence angle appears to be close to that at Ku-band sigma0, and Ka-band exhibits a nonnegligible difference in wind dependence with respect to Ku-band for moderate to high winds
New Empirical Relationship between Thrust Coefficient and Induction Factor for the Turbulent Windmill State

Wind turbines sometimes experience the turbulent windmill state during startup or shutdown. This rarely happens during normal operation, so it has little effect on power curves or energy production. However, for completeness we need to be able to model situations where the axial induction factor exceeds 0.5. Classical momentum theory, which shows a relationship between the thrust coefficient and the axial induction factor, is not valid in this region. Glauert plotted some experimental data taken by Lock in the 1920s against this parabolic relationship and found very poor agreement for operation in this high-induction state. He proposed a new empirical relationship to fit the experimental data. Unfortunately, the new empirical curve does not account for tip or hub losses. Others have proposed multiplying the axial induction factor by the loss factor to correct the curve, but this still leaves a mathematical no-man's-land between the classical curve and the modified version of Glauert's empirical curve. The purpose of this paper is to document the derivation of a new curve that accounts for tip and hub losses and eliminates the numerical problems of the previous approaches.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia: When to Transplant in First Complete Remission

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is commonly used to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) because it is potentially curative when other therapies have a low likelihood of success. Although most patients with newly diagnosed AML will achieve a first complete remission (CR1) with standard induction chemotherapy, obtaining a durable remission necessarily requires either further (postremission) chemotherapy or allogeneic HSCT. The decision of which of these options to choose is complex and depends on both clinical and molecular variables as well as the availability and histocompatibility of donor stem cells. Important clinical factors include the individual patient’s age, performance status, and comorbidities. Molecular and cytogenetic factors are increasingly important in stratifying patients into favorable, intermediate, and unfavorable risk categories. Whereas patients with favorable-risk cytogenetics fare better with postremission chemotherapy, allogeneic HSCT provides superior long-term survival for most non-elderly patients with intermediate-risk or unfavorable-risk AML. Because of the expanded use of umbilical cord blood as a source of hematopoietic stem cells and the use of reduced-intensity conditioning regimens, allogeneic HSCT is an option for an increasing number of patients with AML.
An implantable continuous glucose monitoring microsystem in 0.18µm CMOS

We present a fully implantable subcutaneous continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) microsystem on CMOS platform. The proposed design incorporates electrochemical sensing technique using an ultra-low-power potentiostatic system. It is wirelessly powered through an inductive coupling link at 900MHz and supports bidirectional data communication with an external reader. A low-power potentiostat and a dual-slope ADC record the on-chip sensor signal. Pt and Ag/AgCl on-chip electrodes are post-fabricated and functionalized in situ by glucose oxidase enzyme to enable glucose measurement. The 1.4×1.4×0.25mm 3 prototype fabricated in a 0.18μm CMOS technology was validated in glucose measurements. Total power consumption of the system is 6μW.