cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The aluminum ordering in aluminosilicates: a dipolar 27Al NMR spectroscopy study.

The spatial ordering of aluminum atoms in CsAl(SiO3)2 and 3Al2O3.2SiO2 was probed by 27Al dipolar solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The 27Al response to a Hahn spin-echo pulse sequence in a series of aluminum-containing model crystalline compounds demonstrates that quantitative 27Al homonuclear dipolar second moments can be obtained to within +/-20% of the theoretical values, if evaluation of the spin-echo response curve is limited to short evolution periods (2t1 -1/2 is necessary in order to ensure quantitative results. Restriction of spin exchange affecting the dephasing of the magnetization may decelerate the spin-echo decay at longer evolution periods. Considering these restraints, the method was used to probe the spatial distribution of aluminum atoms among the tetrahedral sites in two aluminosilicate materials. Experimental 27Al spin-echo response data for the aluminosilicates CsAl(SiO3)2 (synthetic pollucite) and 3Al2O3.2SiO2 (mullite) are compared with theoretical data based on (I) various degrees of aluminum-oxygen-aluminum bond formation among tetrahedrally coordinated aluminum atoms (Al(T(d) )-O-Al(T(d) )) and (II) the maximum avoidance of Al(T(d) )-O-Al(T(d) ) bonding. Analysis of the second moment values and resulting echo decay responses suggests that partial suppression of spin exchange among aluminum atoms in crystallographically distinct sites may contribute to the 27Al spin echo decay in 3Al2O3.2SiO2, thus complicating quantitative analysis of the data. Silicon-29 and aluminum-27 magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectra of 3Al2O3.2SiO2 are consistent with those previously reported. The experimental 27Al spin-echo response behavior of CsAl(SiO3)2 differs from the theoretical response behavior based on the maximum avoidance of Al-O-Al bonding between tetrahedral aluminum sites in CsAl(SiO3)2. A single unresolved resonance is observed in both the silicon-29 and aluminum-27 MAS spectra of CsAl(SiO3)2.
Hallucinogenic drug research--if so, so what? Symposium summary and commentary.

Abstract The conference brought a critical focus both on older findings and new strategies in hallucinogenic drug research as well as on behavioral and electrophysiologic tools that correlate with neurobehavioral and neurochemical events. A number of unsolved problems to be investigated were noted. The sensitizing effects of both mescaline and LSD on other inputs at motor nuclei or at limbic sites, and effects on afferent processes were examples of important new directions as were drug discrimination tests that can determine the relative roles of aminergic systems in drug effect. Fixed ratio operant schedules can differentiate serotonin blocking agents, detect active indole psychotomimetics and demonstrate temporal and tolerance parameters relevant to drug induced neurochemical changes. Data and critique as well as pharmacokinetics no longer support the presynaptic-disinhibition model of LSD effects, nor is LSD induced “slowed turnover” of serotonin seen as an accurate description of neurochemical changes. The distinct nerve ending biochemical changes after LSD are reviewed. Subcellular compartmental analyses require a radical revision of the picture of the ratio in the nerve ending of cytoplasmic and vesicular amine as well as factors normally regulating accessibility of amine to intraneuronal MAO.
Algorithms For Radius Of Curvature Computation.

Local and global fit may be used to estimate radius of curvature. Computed radius shows high frequency noise in the local fit case and may be biased by the fitted model in the global case. Al priori knowledge may he used to impose constraints to the parametric model. To further improve radius estimation, splines are fitted to the filtered residue of the previous fit. Radius of curvature measurements by these methods, applied on cornea images, are analyzed in term of repeatability and justness.
New interface plate for microspray ionization mass spectrometry.

A new interface plate was employed in microspray ionization mass spectrometry (μESI-MS) to improve ion transmission from the sprayer into the sampling nozzle of the mass spectrometer at atmospheric pressure. Using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS), a fivefold increase in ion intensity and a sevenfold reduction in method detection limit were observed. The interface plate attenuated the dependence of the ion intensity on the sprayer position. Even when the distance between the sprayer tip and sampling nozzle was 15.0 mm, ion signals were still stronger than when the sprayer tip was positioned 3.0 mm in front of the sampling nozzle with the original interface plate. This enhancement in the performance of μESI-MS was due to the improved shapes of the equipotential lines near the sprayer tip and the long desolvation distance between the sprayer and the sampling nozzle of the MS.
Modification of TiO2 nanotubes by Cu2O for photoelectrochemical, photocatalytic, and photovoltaic devices

Abstract The current interest in developing devices for solar powered energy conversion and storage, as well as light-induced catalytic removal of pollutants has recently prompted attention to the modification of TiO 2 nanotubes with Cu 2 O, acting as a visible light sensitizer. This paper reviews the major challenges toward the implementation of efficient and reliable Cu 2 O-based devices and the efforts to overcome their drawbacks. Recent developments in the TiO 2 /Cu 2 O system for use in photovoltaics, photoelectrochemical solar cells, and photocatalysis for pollutant compound degradation are also discussed. It is shown that a plasma treatment technique improves the morphology of electrodeposited Cu 2 O on TiO 2 nanotubes, leading to an increase in the density of photoelectrochemically active particles on the surface. We also report that under intense illumination, Cu 2 O on TiO 2 degrades rapidly, leading to a decay in the photocurrent response; this instability severely limits the prospects of Cu 2 O-based photoelectrochemical devices.
Hole self trapping and recombination luminescence in AgCl at low temperatures

Abstract Experimental correlations are established among steady state optical and ESR spectra and transient luminescence and optical absorption. These correlations support the existence of self-trapped holes in the form of substitutional Ag2+ in AgCl and imply that intrinsic electron-hole recombination is the source of a strong emission band around 2.4 eV.
Minnesota experience with 85 pancreas transplants between 1978 and 1983.

We have performed 85 pancreas transplants in 79 diabetic patients since 1978 in a new clinical trial. Fifty grafts were from cadaver donors (32 segmental, 18 whole organ) and 35 (segmental) were from related donors (4 parent, 17 HLA identical and 7 non-identical siblings, 6 identical twins, 1 cousin). All the grafts from the living related donors were immediately transplanted, but 48% of the cadaver donor grafts were stored at 4°C in silica gel-filtered plasma for an average of 11.4 hours. Of the 67 recipients with HLA-DR typing, 27% were DR3, 30% were DR4, and 39% were DR3,4 (96% for one or both). Fifty-five percent of the recipients had had functioning renal allografts from 6 to 9 months earlier, while 45% were not renal recipients who had serum creatinine levels < 2.5 mg/100 ml and had not been previously immunosuppressed. Of the 75 patients transplanted, 62 (83%) are alive and 23 (32%) are insulin independent ranging from 1 to 65 months after transplant. The 1-year actuarial graft survival rate is 25% overall, 36% from related and 16% from cadaver donors. Thirteen (17%) of the 75 have been insulin independent for more than 1 year. Graft failure resulted from technical error in 22 (26%) [10 from vascular problems, 4 (open duct) from severe ascites, 3 from peritonitis, 2 (pancreatico-jejunostomy) from pancreatic leaks, and 3 from inadequate preservation]. Thirteen patients died (5 with functioning grafts): 6 from infections, 4 from cardiovascular disease, 1 from hyperkalemia, 1 from anaphylaxis to ALG, and 1 from unknown causes as a sudden death at home. One of the unresolved problems is that of the optimal technique to handle exocrine drainage. Of the 3 duct-ligated grafts, all failed technically, and the 4 prolamine-injected grafts had no long-term function. Of the 15 open-duct grafts, 53% were technical failures with 3 currently functioning. Of the 28 pancreatic-jejunal grafts, 29% failed technically with 13 functioning from 1 to 28 months. Of the 35 silicone-injected grafts, 9% technically failed with 7 currently functioning from 3 to 36 months. The 35 living related pancreatic donors have shown 2 (6%) to develop abnormal glucose tolerance tests, 2 (6%) to acquire complications requiring additional surgical correction, and 1 (3%) to show a nonoperative pancreatic complication. We favor cyclosporine A over azathioprine but the results must be individualized. Questions regarding autoimmune recurrence of disease are also raised by our studies in identical twins.
Hepatic basophil bodies and canaliculi of the frog in testosterone anaesthesia.

THE action of the liver upon circulating steroid hormone has been investigated extensively, with reports continuing from the early work of Evans and Burr (1926), Golden and Severinghaus (1938), Talbot (1939) and others through the recent studies of Vanderlind and Westerfield (1950) and Grayhack and Scott (1951). Morphological effects of hormone upon the liver have been examined less frequently, but make up a substantial body of literature. Among these, that of Korenchevsky (1941) is notable for its positive results. In a large series of experiments upon rats, he found that the basophilic granulations of the hepatic cells were depleted after gonadectomy and restored to normal number and size after administration of sex hormones. Similar investigations of liver structure after hormone treatment have been reported by Selye (1939), Mannerfelt (1947), Blackman (1944) and associates, and others; with no findings comparable to those of Korenchevsky. In these investigations, small doses of hormone have been emplo...
Converging GABA‐ and glutamate‐immunoreactive axons make synaptic contact with identified hypothalamic neurosecretory neurons

To study the neurochemical identity of axons in synaptic contact with identified hypothalamic neurosecretory neurons in rats, we combined retrograde axonal transport of a marker molecule with postembedding immunogold staining for amino acid neurotransmitters. After intravenous injections of horseradish peroxidase, neurosecretory neurons with axons in the median eminence or neurohypophysis transported the peroxidase retrogradely back to the cell body of origin. Serial ultrathin sections from the paraventricular and arcuate nuclei were immunostained with glutamate or GABA antisera. Peroxidase-labeled neurons and their dendrites received synaptic contact from colloidal gold-labeled axons immunoreactive for GABA or for glutamate. Axons which were highly immunoreactive for GABA and other axons immunoreactive for glutamate but not for GABA consistently made converging synaptic contact with the same peroxidase-labeled cell. Some of the peroxidase-labeled neurons from the arcuate nucleus which were postsynaptic to both GABA and glutamate axons were themselves identified as being GABA immunoreactive. Serial ultrathin sections revealed that multiple presynaptic axons immunoreactive for glutamate or GABA made repeated contacts with single neurons. These results suggest a widespread convergence of the major inhibitory and excitatory amino acid transmitter on the neurons which control both the anterior and posterior pituitary hormones.
Additive effects of l-arginine infusion and leukocyte depletion on recovery after hypothermic ischemia in neonatal lamb hearts

Prior experiments on hypothermic ischemia/reperfusion have shown that (1) leukocytes have an important role in the injury resulting from hypothermic ischemia/reperfusion and (2) endothelial dysfunction with reduced release of nitric oxide occurs after hypothermic ischemia/reperfusion. L-Arginine is a nitric oxide precursor, and the effects of nitric oxide released from endothelial cells include vasorelaxation and inhibition of leukocyte adhesion to endothelium. The potential roles of an interaction between endothelial dysfunction and leukocyte-mediated injury were examined in neonatal hearts. Thirty-two isolated, blood-perfused neonatal lamb hearts were subjected to 2 hours of 10 degrees C cardioplegic ischemia. Group L-arginine received a 3 mmol/L dose of L-arginine during the first 20 minutes of reperfusion. In group leukocyte depletion, leukocytes were depleted (Sepacell filter) from the perfusate before reperfusion. In group L-arginine+leukocyte depletion, leukocytes were depleted and a 3 mmol/L dose of L-arginine was infused during early reperfusion. The control group had no intervention during reperfusion. At 30 minutes of reperfusion, left ventricular maximum developed pressure, positive maximum and negative maximum first derivative of left ventricular pressure (dP/dt), developed pressure at V10 (volume that produces a left ventricular endiastolic pressure of 10 mm Hg at baseline measurement), and dP/dt at V10 were measured. Coronary blood flow was continuously monitored and oxygen consumption was also measured to evaluate the metabolic recovery. In each heart, we also tested coronary vascular resistance response to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine 10(-7) mol/L and the endothelium-independent vasodilator trinitroglycerin 3 x 10(-5) mol/L to assess endothelial function. Results are given as mean percent recovery of baseline values +/- standard deviation. Group L-arginine+leukocyte depletion showed significantly greater recovery of left ventricular function than the other three groups, and groups L-arginine and leukocyte depletion also showed better recovery than the control group (positive maximum dP/dt: control group = 68.3% +/- 8.8%, group L-arginine = 88.8% +/- 3.8%, group L-arginine+leukocyte+leukocyte depletion = 100.6% +/- 8.7%, group leukocyte depletion = 79.3% +/- 8.1%; p < 0.05). Groups L-arginine and L-arginine+leukocyte depletion had higher postischemic coronary blood flow than other groups (control group = 133.0% +/- 31.6%, group L-arginine = 203.2% +/- 32.1%, group L-arginine+leukocyte depletion = 222.0% +/- 30.4%, group leukocyte depletion = 156.3% +/- 29.0%; p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Surface morphology of evaporated polyaniline thin films

Abstract The technique of atomic force microscopy was used to study the nanometer-scale structure of thin polyaniline films prepared by direct evaporation under high vacuum conditions. Prior to protonation, the films exhibited large, micron-sized flat regions arranged in a terraced macrostructure. These large, flat regions were composed of small polymer bundles of average dimension 1000 A. After protonation, the terraced structure was lost, with the films becoming homogeneously flat. The nanometer-scale bundle structure remained intact after protonation.
Inaccuracy in the Detection of Molecules Using Two Microcantilever-Based Methods

Based on mass-loading effect on a microcantilever, there are two approaches for sensing the presence of molecules: dynamic and static methods. In this paper, we demonstrate that the two methods actually use the same form of relationships for their sensing purposes and, if the designed adhesion region of a cantilever is only partially occupied by molecules, then neither method can be applied to accurately determine the number of molecules adsorbed.
The determination of Re for the HCl molecule

Abstract In this paper the value of the isotopically independent quantity Re is obtained for the HCl molecule from the published microwave and infrared results. This is the equilibrium internuclear distance in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and its value is found to be 1.27460 ± 0.00005A.
The Changing Face of Welfare during the Bush Administration

Most scholars of American social policy do not associate significant change in welfare policy with the presidential administration of George W. Bush. No major welfare policy initiatives were passed during the first term of the Bush presidency. Welfare cash assistance caseloads have remained fairly constant since 2001. Block grant funding for state welfare programs has remained at $16.5 billion annually. The poverty rate has increased from 11.3 percent in 2000 to 12.6 percent in 2005, but the number of persons in poverty remains below the historic highs of the early 1990s (U.S. Census Bureau 2006b). 1 Compared to the War on Terror, tax cuts, budget deficits, and Medicare drug coverage, welfare and poverty simply have not been prominent issues in the minds of the public or many policymakers. 2 In fact, references to contemporary welfare reform are often associated with the Clinton administration. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), commonly referred to as welfare reform, was a key domestic policy achievement for the Clinton administration and the 104th Congress. PRWORA required work as a condition of assistance, limited lifetime welfare receipt to five years, and expanded state discretion over welfare program administration. Due to welfare reform and unprecedented economic growth, welfare caseloads decreased by 60 percent during the Clinton Presidency and the national poverty rate fell by one quarter, from 15.1 percent to 11.3 percent. The promise to ‘‘end welfare as we know it,’’ has become one of President Clinton’s most lasting domestic policy legacies. Several important shifts in welfare policy, however, have occurred under the Bush administration. Some change in welfare followed explicit policy proposals from the Bush administration, other changes started before 2001 and simply became manifest after President Bush took office. First is arguably one of the biggest changes in the history of American welfare policy: the shift from a welfare system that predominately delivered assistance through welfare checks to
Super-resolution via Transform-Invariant Group-Sparse Regularization

We present a framework to super-resolve planar regions found in urban scenes and other man-made environments by taking into account their 3D geometry. Such regions have highly structured straight edges, but this prior is challenging to exploit due to deformations induced by the projection onto the imaging plane. Our method factors out such deformations by using recently developed tools based on convex optimization to learn a transform that maps the image to a domain where its gradient has a simple group-sparse structure. This allows to obtain a novel convex regularizer that enforces global consistency constraints between the edges of the image. Computational experiments with real images show that this data-driven approach to the design of regularizers promoting transform-invariant group sparsity is very effective at high super-resolution factors. We view our approach as complementary to most recent super-resolution methods, which tend to focus on hallucinating high-frequency textures.
COLONIALISM, AMERICANIZATION, AND INDIGENOUS IDENTITY: A RESEARCH NOTE ON CHAMORRO IDENTITY IN GUAM

ABSTRACT This study explores baseline dimensions of identity among Chamorros in Guam, as a case in point of indigenous identity consciousness, in the context of U.S. colonialism, territorial relations, and Americanization. Despite the adverse effects of colonization and Americanization pressures, ethnographic findings suggest that Chamorros are conscious of their indigenous identity with respect to reference-group interaction, political awareness, cultural attitudes, and self-identification. Implications of these preliminary findings for future research on this understudied topic and population are discussed.
Multicast traffic in multi-hop lightwave networks: performance analysis and an argument for channel sharing

A local lightwave network can be constructed by employing two-way fibers to connect nodes in a passive-star physical topology, and the available optical bandwidth may be effectively accessed by the nodal transmitters and receivers at electronic rates using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). The number of channels, w, in a WDM network is limited by technology and is usually less than the number of nodes, N, in the network. Channel sharing, achievable via time-division-multiplexing, may be used to construct practical multi-hop networks under this limitation. Multicasting-the ability to transmit information from a single source node to multiple destination nodes-is becoming an important requirement in high-performance networks. Multicasting, if improperly implemented, can be bandwidth-abusive. Channel sharing is one approach towards efficient management of multicast traffic. We develop a general modeling procedure for the analysis of both unicast (point-to-point) and multicast (point-to-multipoint) traffic in shared-channel, multi-hop WDM networks. The analysis is comprehensive in that it considers all components of delay that packets in the network experience-namely, synchronization, queueing, transmission, and propagation. The results show that, in the presence of multicast traffic, WDM networks with w<N channels may actually perform better than if w=N channels are used.
Can left atrial function guide atrial fibrillation ablation

It has been over 15 years since Haissaguerre et al described successful ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) by targeting pulmonary vein triggers. In the intervening years, AF ablation has exploded to become a dominant procedure in electrophysiology. Pulmonary vein isolation remains the cornerstone of AF ablation, yet despite countless studies and an expanding arsenal of tools and techniques, the outcomes of AF ablation have never improved dramatically beyond those initially achieved by Haissaguerre. In the face of an ever-growing population of patients with symptomatic AF, better ablation strategies have proven elusive. In light of the potential complications of AF ablation, there is a clear need to improve procedure effectiveness. However, we also need better ways to predict the effectiveness of the procedure to guide patient selection. Multiple studies have demonstrated that increased left atrial (LA) size correlates with worse AF ablation outcomes and that the results of ablation of paroxysmal AF are better than those of ablation of persistent AF. In this issue of HeartRhythm, Montserrat et al evaluate markers of LA function using 2-dimensional echocardiographic speckle tracking to assess LA strain and strain rate as well as compare these markers in patients with or without recurrent AF after first or second ablation. Recently, there has been a growing literature on the evaluation of atrial strain that has demonstrated its predictive value (1) to identify the risk of AF after cardiac surgery, (2) as an additive measure to the CHA2DS2-VASc score to predict thromboembolic risk in AF, and (3) to help predict the success rates after ablation. Other work has demonstrated that LA strain and strain rate correlate with LA structural remodeling seen on magnetic resonance imaging and has also shown them to correlate with fibrosis seen on histopathology. While some studies have demonstrated that LA strain correlates with LA size, others have suggested that LA strain may be an independent, or even more sensitive, predictor of the risk of progressive or recurrent AF. This growing literature clearly demonstrates that LA function might have an important impact on AF with respect to its risk of development and persistence, susceptibility to
Congenital subglottic cyst in a term neonate

A full-term infant born via vaginal delivery developed inspiratory stridor shortly after birth. Routine resuscitation was performed at delivery without the need for intubation. He received supplemental oxygen for 1 day. His chest x ray, airway fluoroscopy, contrast oesophagram and echocardiogram were unremarkable. Laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy revealed a large left antero-laterally based subglottic cyst obstructing 95% of the airway (figs 1A,B). The remainder …
Interannual Variation in Photosynthetically Significant Optical Properties and Water Quality in a Coastal Blackwater River Plume

Surface water optical characteristics, nutrients, and planktonic chlorophyll a concentrations were analyzed in the Cape Fear River (CFR) plume over a 2-year period. CFR discharge during the dry year (109 ± 105 m3s−1) was only 25% of the wet year discharge (429 ± 337 m3s−1). Partitioning the contributions of phytoplankton pigments, non-pigmented particles, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) to the absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) indicated that CDOM was the dominant contributor to PAR absorption. Particulate absorption was relatively greater during the dry year. Pigment absorption was minor and varied little among stations or between years. Chlorophyll a concentrations were reduced at the most plume-influenced stations during the wet year, despite lower turbidity and higher nitrate concentrations. Ammonium and orthophosphate concentrations were not different between years. CDOM absorption [a CDOM (412)] ranged from 0.05 to 8.25 m−1 with highest values occurring near the CFR mouth. Our results suggest that for coastal ecosystems with significant blackwater river inputs, CDOM may exert a major limiting influence over near-shore primary production.
Active microwave imaging. I. 2-D forward and inverse scattering methods

Active microwave imaging (MWI) for the detection of breast tumors is an emerging technique to complement existing X-ray mammography. The potential advantages of MWI arise mainly from the high contrast of electrical properties between tumors and normal breast tissue. However, this high contrast also increases the difficulty of forming an accurate image because of increased multiple scattering. To address this issue, we develop fast forward methods based on the combination of the extended Born approximation, conjugate- and biconjugate-gradient methods, and the fast Fourier transform. We propose two nonlinear MWI algorithms to improve the resolution for the high-contrast media encountered in microwave breast-tumor detection. Numerical results show that our algorithms can accurately model and invert for the high-contrast media in breast tissue. The outcome of the inversion algorithms is a high-resolution digital image containing the physical properties of the tissue and potential tumors.
Measurement of quality in preschool child care classrooms: An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the early childhood environment rating scale-revised

The purpose of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) with a large sample (1313 classrooms). We explored both the seven subscales and the possibility of fewer distinct aspects of quality being measured by the scale. The large sample size allowed both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to be performed. The results showed two distinct factors, Activities/Materials (nine items) and Language/Interaction (seven items), which accounted for 69% of the variance. High internal consistency scores, a moderate correlation between the factor-based scales, and a strong correlation between the combined factor-based scales and the overall ECERS-R score suggested these were distinct factors that could serve as a proxy for the larger scale. Structural aspects of quality and teacher education were examined in relation to the new factor-based scales and the overall score. Implications for practitioners and future research suggestions are provided
Ligand identification using electron-density map correlations

A procedure for the identification of ligands bound in crystal structures of macromolecules is described. Two characteristics of the density corresponding to a ligand are used in the identification procedure. One is the correlation of the ligand density with each of a set of test ligands after optimization of the fit of that ligand to the density. The other is the correlation of a fingerprint of the density with the fingerprint of model density for each possible ligand. The fingerprints consist of an ordered list of correlations of each the test ligands with the density. The two characteristics are scored using a Z-score approach in which the correlations are normalized to the mean and standard deviation of correlations found for a variety of mismatched ligand-density pairs, so that the Z scores are related to the probability of observing a particular value of the correlation by chance. The procedure was tested with a set of 200 of the most commonly found ligands in the Protein Data Bank, collectively representing 57% of all ligands in the Protein Data Bank. Using a combination of these two characteristics of ligand density, ranked lists of ligand identifications were made for representative (Fo − Fc)exp(iφc) difference density from entries in the Protein Data Bank. In 48% of the 200 cases, the correct ligand was at the top of the ranked list of ligands. This approach may be useful in identification of unknown ligands in new macromolecular structures as well as in the identification of which ligands in a mixture have bound to a macromolecule.
CMOS cross-coupled VCO architecture comparison at 2GHz and 16GHz

This paper presents a comparison study between double-switch (DS) and single-switch (SS) cross-coupled CMOS VCO architectures at 2 GHz and 16 GHz. The oscillators are designed with optimal differential tank oscillation amplitude, which is equal to the threshold voltage of the cross-coupled transistors. Measurement data from prototype oscillators show that the DS architecture can achieve a better performance than the SS architecture at low oscillation frequencies. However, as frequency increases the single-switch architecture outperforms the double-switch counterpart. By employing the single-switch cross-coupled architecture with an optimal oscillation amplitude, a high performance 23.5 GHz VCO is designed and demonstrated with an FOM of 184 dB, which is the best compared to any reported Si-based VCO in the 20 GHz - 30 GHz frequency range.
Psychological Science, Talent Development, and Educational Advocacy: Lost in Translation?.

The talent development approach to the conceptualization of giftedness has historical precedent in the field. Examples of large-scale and longitudinal research studies from previous decades guided by the talent development approach are provided as illustrations. The implications of focusing on domain-specific talents in academics, the arts and sport, their individual patterns of development, and the use of eminence as a goal for programs and services in gifted education are discussed. The importance of linking theoretical debates and research with the realities of policies, resource allocation, and advocacy is emphasized.
Quantifying Tissue Damage from Childhood Injury: The Minor Injury Severity Scale

Described an instrument designed to quantify the extent of tissue severity damage following a minor childhood injury event. Few tools exist to allow objective assessment of injury and those which do exist are oriented toward major injuries necessitating medical intervention. The Minor Injury Severity Scale (MISS) does not require specialized medical experience to apply. It yields a 0-7 score which indexes objective parameters such as depth and length of lesion for 22 different kinds of injuries. The data reported here suggest good coder reliability, excellent test-retest stability, and acceptable correspondence between mothers' and children's reports. Data are presented on divergent validity to show that tissue damage is related to but is not the same as injury outcomes such as pain, fear, and disability. Limitations of the scale and challenges to future research are also discussed.
Standard data products from the MODIS Science Team

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument will view the Earth in 36 spectral bands ranging from 0.4 to 1.4 micrometers with spatial resolution from 250 to 1,000 meters. Its first flight will be onboard the EOS-AMI spacecraft scheduled for launch in mid'98 into a near-polar 10:30 AM descending Sun-synchronous orbit. The science instrument data will be brought to Goddard Space Flight Center for conversion from raw counts to TOA radiances supplemented with geolocation, view angle, and Sun angle information. The MODIS Science Team consists of more than thirty members, divided into four discipline groups: Atmosphere, Land, Ocean, and Calibration. The MODIS Science Team is developing algorithms to routinely produce various standard data products. This paper identifies information resources associated with the MODIS standard data products.
A Petri net representation for dynamic programming problems in management applications

Dynamic programming (DP) is a very general optimization technique, which can be applied to numerous management decision problems. In order to develop a software system that automates many of the tasks a user encounters when attempting to solve an instance of an optimization problem with discrete DP an intermediate problem representation in the form of a Petri net (PN) turns out to be useful. The specialized PN model presented in this paper captures the essential components of a DP problem instance. It uses the standard semantics of place/transition nets, a low-level PN class, whereas previous work (Lew, 2002; Lew and Mauch, 2003; and Mikoljczak and Rumbut, 1997) relied on high-level PNs. This approach is illustrated by a simple financing example, but the methodology works for a wide range of management problems and can be applied to more complex instances. Among the benefits of this representation are the possibility to perform consistency checks on the PN level and the existence of a simple procedure to translate a model instance into executable code that could be integrated into existing solvers. Also, a software system currently under development automates the task of transforming a DP functional equation into the PN model suggested in this paper. Users need not construct the PN model directly.
Zooplankton-mediated transitions between N- and P-limited algal growth1

Limitation of algal growth by nitrogen and phosphorus was assessed in three north-temperate lakes with physiological bioassays and nutrient enrichment experiments. In addition, mesocosm experiments were performed in the three lakes to examine the effects of nutrient enrichment and zooplankton biomass and size on algal nutrient status. In situ indicators of N and P availability were inversely related in magnitude and transitions between N and P limitation were abrupt. Physiological bioassay results did not indicate simultaneous limitation by N and P. However, limited responses to single-nutrient enrichment and pronounced responses to simultaneous N and P addition in enrichment experiments suggested that potential limitation by the secondary nutrient was usually in close proximity to limitation by the primary nutrient. Transitions between N and P limitation closely accompanied major shifts in the zooplankton community. The importance of the zooplankton community in regulating the relative degree of N or P limitation was confirmed by the mesocosm experiments, which demonstrated that transitions between algal N or P limitation could be induced by manipulations of zooplankton biomass or size. This result supports a hierarchical view of the function of planktonic systems, in which biotic interactions structure the response of the algal community to a given nutrient load.
Power gain singularities in transferred-substrate InAlAs-InGaAs-HBTs

Deep submicron transferred-substrate heterojunction bipolar transistors exhibit peaking and singularities in the unilateral power gain (U) at high frequencies. Unbounded U has been observed in some devices over a 20-110 GHz bandwidth. Associated with the effect are a strong decrease in collector-base capacitance with increased bias current, and negative conductance in the common-emitter output conductance G/sub 22/ and positive conductance in the reverse conductance G/sub 12/. Unbounded U is observed in devices operating at current densities as low as 0.56 mA//spl mu/m/sup 2/. A potential explanation of the observed characteristics is dynamic electron velocity modulation in the collector-base junction. A theoretical model for the dynamics of capacitance cancellation by electron velocity modulation is developed, and its correlation with experimental data examined.
The role of PET in the evaluation, treatment, and ongoing management of lung cancer

PET has gained a major role in the evaluation and treatment of lung cancer over the past two decades. Over that time span PET and treatment techniques have both evolved substantially. While technical changes in PET and PET/computed tomography have improved accuracy and reliability, the evolution toward increasingly targeted and intensive treatment has increased the reliance upon imaging of radiation treatment. This article seeks to review the current role of PET in the evaluation and treatment of lung cancer with radiation.
Effect of non-ergot dopamine agonists on health-related quality of life of patients with restless legs syndrome

BackgroundNon-ergot dopamine agonists (NEDAs) have become the gold-standard agents for the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS). While the efficacy and safety of these drugs have been widely studied, their effect on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has not been fully elucidated.ObjectiveTo better define the usefulness of NEDAs by assessing their impact on HRQoL.MethodsWe performed a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials evaluating the use of NEDAs in patients with RLS. A systematic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL was performed from the earliest possible date through July 2008. Trials were included in the analysis if they evaluated NEDAs for the treatment of RLS and reported HRQoL using any RLS disease-specific HRQoL instrument. HRQoL data were pooled and evaluated using an inverse variance weighting approach as standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence interval (CI). For trials reporting HRQoL data obtained using ...
Justifying Board Diversity

In this Article, we point out that advocates for board diversity in public companies feel pressure to justify it in terms of its contribution to shareholder value. This pressure is not surprising, insofar as the dominant social identity of boards, which itself is partly a creation of the discipline of finance, views shareholder value as the ultimate criterion for any company action, including eligibility for the board. We observe, however, that accepting this criterion poses a problem for diversity advocates, because the empirical evidence for a diverse board’s contribution to shareholder value is not strong or definitive, and the chain of causation from a diverse board to increased shareholder value is a long and tenuous one. We similarly note that there is no conclusive evidence that a diverse board addresses well-known pathologies of boards as decision-making groups and thus improves board functioning. We draw parallels between this quandary of diversity advocates in satisfying the shareholder value mandate and recent anti-discrimination law jurisprudence, which, in discriminatory impact settings, makes business necessity determinative of the outcome of cases. We believe, however, that the lack of strong empirical support for board diversity with respect to shareholder value or board performance does not necessarily doom the cause of diversity advocates. We argue that diversity advocates should endorse justifications and normative frameworks other than shareholder value to support diverse boards. Corporate law allows boards to base their decisions with respect to many matters, including board composition, on business-related grounds that are only loosely connected to shareholder value. In our view, diversity advocates should take advantage of this freedom, although we acknowledge the resistance to, and risks associated with, any questioning of shareholder value. We contend that, if diversity advocates, as well as non-diverse board members and others, justify board diversity on other grounds and norms, they could promote a transformation in the social identity of boards. This transformed identity might improve board functioning, but it is enough for us that it reflects and promotes anti-discriminatory norms.
Population dynamics of a northern-adapted mammal: disentangling the influence of predation and climate change

Community structure and interspecific interactions are particularly vulnerable to rapidly changing climatic regimes. Recent changes in both climate and vertebrate community assemblages have created a unique opportunity to examine the impacts of two dynamic forces on population regulation. We examined the effects of warming winter conditions and the reestablishment of a previously extirpated predator, the fisher (Martes pennanti), on regulatory mechanisms in a northern-adapted mammal, the porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), along their southern range boundary. Using a long-term (17-year) capture-recapture data set, we (1) quantified the impacts of climate change and increased fisher predation on the survival of adult porcupines at their regional southern terminus, (2) assessed recruitment (via both adult fecundity and juvenile survival) of porcupines, and (3) modeled the relative importance of predation and winter conditions on the demography and population growth rate (λ). Severe winters and abundant predators interacted synergistically to reduce adult survivorship by as much as 44%, while expanding predator populations led to near reproductive failure among porcupines. Increasing predatory pressure, disruptions in this community module, and more frequent extreme winter weather events led to predicted extirpation within 50 years, whereas in the absence of predators, the population was viable. Our results provide a mechanistic understanding behind distributional shifts resulting from climate change and may be broadly relevant for predicting future distributional shifts in other northern-adapted mammalian species.
Genetic mapping of pheU, an Escherichia coli gene for phenylalanine tRNA.

Abstract We report the genetic mapping of pheU , an Escherichia coli gene for phenylalanine tRNA. This gene was located near 94.5 min on the E. coli map. There are no other known tRNA or ribosomal genes in its immediate vicinity.
Breakthrough of lysozyme through an affinity membrane of cellulose‐cibacron blue

The dynamic affinity adsorption oflysozyme through stacked flat-sheet cellulose membranes with immobilized cibacron blue 3GA was studied and compared to three affinity-membrane models: diffusion model to explore the importance of axial and radial diffusion; variation model to study the effects of pore-size distribution or thickness variation; and stack model to investigate the effects of stacking flat-sheet membranes. For the diffusion model, when Per > 0.1, radial diffusional resistance is significant, but when Pez < 25, axial dispersion must be considered. For the variation model, increasing pore-size distribution or nonuniform membrane thickness greatly broadens the breakthrough curve. The stack model shows that the stacking of membranes significantly sharpens the breakthrough curves by averaging out the flow dispersion due to pore-size distribution or thickness variation.
Distributed Sensing with Java-DSP

Distributed wireless sensor networks (WSN) are being proposed for various applications including defense, security, and smart stages. The introduction of hardware wireless sensors in a signal processing education setting can serve as a paradigm for data acquisition, collaborative signal processing, or simply as a platform for obtaining, processing, and analyzing real-life real-time data. In this paper, we present a software interface that enables the Java-DSP (J-DSP) visual programming environment to communicate in a two-way manner with a wireless sensor network. This interface was developed by writing nesC code that enables J-DSP to issue commands to multiple wireless sensor motes, activate specific transducers, and analyze data using any of the existing J-DSP signal processing functions in real time. A series of exercises were developed to provide hardware experiences to signals and systems and DSP undergraduate students. The interface, the exercises, and some preliminary assessment results are discussed in the paper. 1Portions of this work were supported by the NSF Award 0443137. 0443137. Any opinions, findings, and conclusion or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.
Abstract 17393: Functional Molecular Imaging Characteristics of Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Scar Substrate and successful VT Ablation Sites using 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography

Background: Molecular imaging techniques such as 18 FDG PET enables a functional assessment of the anatomic scar substrate and may provide complementary insights in the complex scar substrate of ischemic and non-ischemic patients presenting for ablation of drug-refractory ventricular tachycardia. Method: Out of 68 patients with drug refractory VT undergoing VT ablation 10 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy with pre-procedural FDG PET/perfusion imaging and well-defined successful VT ablation sites were identified. Metabolic FDG-PET maps were normalized to perfusion maps and reconstructed as 757 segment polar plot and compared to co-registered high-resolution voltage map for each patient. Result: A total of 4194 mapping points were analyzed for metabolic activity. Voltage defined scar (<0.5mV; n=1546 mapping points) demonstrated a metabolic activity of 57±42%, which significantly increased to 72±47% in the border zone (0.5-1.5mV; n=1296 mapping points; p1.5mV; n=1352 mapping points) with 88±43% (p<0.001)...
Prevalence, predictors and economic consequences of no-shows.

Patients not attending to clinic appointments (no-show) significantly affects delivery, cost of care and resource planning. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence, predictors and economic consequences of patient no-shows. This is a retrospective cohort study using administrative databases for fiscal years 1997–2008. We searched administrative databases for no-show frequency and cost at a large medical center. In addition, we estimated no-show rates and costs in another 10 regional hospitals. We studied no-show rates in primary care and various subspecialty settings over a 12-year period, the monthly and seasonal trends of no-shows, the effects of implementing a reminder system and the economic effects of missed appointments. The mean no-show rate was 18.8 % (2.4 %) in 10 main clinics with highest occurring in subspecialist clinics. No-show rate in the women clinic was higher and the no-show rate in geriatric clinic was lower compared to general primary care clinic (PCP). The no-show rate remained at a high level despite its reduction by a centralized phone reminder (from 16.3 % down to 15.8 %). The average cost of no-show per patient was $196 in 2008. Our data indicates that no-show imposed a major burden on this health care system. Further, implementation of a reminder system only modestly reduced the no-show rate.