cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resonance vibrations of buried landmines

Resonance behavior of many types of landmines was first experimentally discovered in 2000 (Donskoy et al . in Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 4394, pp. 575-582, 2001). Laboratory studies and field tests have shown that mine’s resonance response is a complex phenomenon dependent upon interaction between soil and mines and their respective properties. Although the resonance effect was successfully used by various research teams for detection of landmines, there were no thorough studies on various factors influencing buried mine's resonance response. This paper presents results of theoretical and experimental investigation of this problem including multi-modal structure of mine's vibration response, effect of burial depth and soil condition. In the modeling efforts we considered multiple modes of vibration of mine casing and represented them as oscillators with effective parameters. This approach allowed for simplification of analysis and expanding existing lump-element model to account for multiple vibration modes. The experimental tests were focused on studying the effects of burial depth and soil moisture content on resonance behavior of soil-mine system. The tests have shown that a resonance frequency initially decreases with burial depth, as expected. However, an anomalous resonance frequency increase was observed at greater depths; soil moisture even further increases the resonance frequency.
Nonlinear vibrations of a rotating pretwisted blade

Abstract An analysis for evaluation of the nonlinear modes of vibration of a pretwisted nonuniform cantilevered blade of unsymmetrical cross-section mounted on the periphery of a rotating disk, is presented. The effects of shear deformation, rotatory inertia and Coriolis forces are included. A distinct advantage of the discrete system formulation employed is that nonlinear modes other than the fundamental can also be easily generated. Numerical results for free and forced vibration are evaluated for the case of a uniform turbine blade. Since the method permits the utilization of the normal modes of the linear rotating blade in the analysis, the numerical results obtained can be considered reliable.
The structure of thermally grown noncrystalline SiO2 films on silicon

Abstract Oxygen transport during thermal growth of noncrystalline (nc) SiO2 films on silicon reveals a subtle differences in their structure as compared with silica glass. The kinetics of oxide growth demonstrated that the oxygen transport parameter increases with increasing oxide thickness and may even exceed that calculated from O2 permeation in SiO2 glass. This effect is suggested to be due to the formation of structural channels in the oxide film during its growth. Concomitant with this change the activation energy decreases from ∼ 2.2 to ∼ 0.9 eV. These values indicate that transport in thin ( ∼ 1.2 eV), whereas an essentially non-interactive transport of O2 molecules dominates in thicker (> ∼ 100 nm) films (⩽ ∼ 1.2 eV). Recent results by Rochet et al. on the intercorporation of 18O atoms into SiO2 films corroborate this conclusion as an analysis of their data reveals that the interactive component of the oxygen flux decreases with oxide thickness as this process is partially tied to the flux of O2 molecules. Remarkably, both components of the oxygen transport in nc-SiO2 films are affected by the crystallographic orientation of the Si substrate.
Oxide thin films for nanometer scale electron beam lithography

The exposure response of high resolution oxide resist materials has been examined under high intensity irradiation conditions ({similar to}1{times}10{sup 5} A/cm{sup 2}) to determine the relationships among film characteristics, exposure requirements, and ultimate resolution, and to explore further the processes responsible for ablative exposure. Amorphous films of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 3Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}{center dot}2SiO{sub 2}, and MgO{center dot}Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} were deposited by rf sputtering onto substrates cooled to {minus}196 {degree}C and found to require an exposure dose of approximately 5{times}10{sup 3} C/cm{sup 2} to complete exposure. Amorphous film structure was found to be necessary to achieve rapid removal of material during exposure. Material properties also found to influence irradiation response and help guide the selection of new materials included ionic character, heat of formation, and melting point. Film thickness was found to strongly influence both exposure requirements and resolution, an optimum thickness occurring at approximately 90 nm in amorphous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The dose requirement in 90 nm thick amorphous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was determined to be 2.5{times}10{sup 3} C/cm{sup 2}, which is two to three orders of magnitude lower than that of oxide films produced by other techniques, and the resolution ofmore » the rf sputtered oxide films allowed the production of 5.0 nm holes on 8.1 nm centers. A dedicated STEM was used for exposure studies as well as imaging, microdiffraction analysis, and monitoring of the transmitted beam current, and allowed a qualitative model of the exposure process in rf sputtered oxide resists to be developed.« less
Supercritical extraction of organic mixtures from aqueous solutions

Le but de cette etude est de determiner les coefficients de partage de chaque constituant d'un melange complexes de composes organiques ( benzene, toluene, naphtalene, parathion) entre les phases aqueuse et Co 2 supercritique et de modeliser le systeme qui predit le comportement du melange complexe.
Cover Picture: Targeting RNA with Small Molecules (ChemBioChem 10/2003)

The cover picture shows the processes involved in the search for small molecules as potent and selective RNA binders. Motivation comes from the desire to control cell function at the RNA level and to identify novel approaches to specifically combat pathogens by targeting their unique RNA sequences or RNA–protein complexes. Inspiration comes from nature; in particular, from aminoglycosides, a family of naturally occurring antibiotics that has been shown to target the bacterial ribosome. The discovery process involves identifying RNA targets (schematically shown as a ribosome or a virus), devising unique assays (e.g. a solid-phase assay), and generating the necessary knowledge and lead structures through design, synthesis, and systematic evaluation of biological activity. Further details can be found in the article by Y. Tor on p. 998 ff.
Intolerance for Smoking Abstinence Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Relationship to Tobacco Dependence and Abstinence

Abstract While smokers' ability to tolerate emotional or physical distress has been associated with length of smoking cessation, there is no measure of ability to tolerate smoking abstinence discomfort specifically, which may be more heuristic than a measure of tolerance of general emotional stress or physical discomfort. Methods Questionnaires completed by 300 smokers assessed inability to tolerate smoking abstinence discomfort (IDQ-S), general physical discomfort (IDQ-P), and general emotional discomfort (IDQ-E), so that shared variance among these measures could be assessed. Results The IDQ-S has three reliable components: withdrawal Intolerance, Lack of Cognitive Coping, and Pain Intolerance. The 14-item IDQ-P and 9-item IDQ-E each consist of one reliable component. Intercorrelations suggest only modest shared variance. Support for construct and discriminant validity was seen. Two scales of the IDQ-S showed excellent convergent validity, correlating with smoking use, dependence, motivation, and length of past smoking cessation, while IDQ-P and IDQ-E correlated with few indices of use or dependence and not with smoking cessation. Conclusions The final 17-item IDQ-S with two scales is reliable and valid, and more heuristic than measures of general physical or emotional discomfort intolerance as a correlate of motivation and past success with smoking cessation.
Wear resistant PTFE thin film enabled by a polydopamine adhesive layer

Abstract The influence of a polydopamine (PDA) adhesive layer on the friction and wear resistance of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thin films coated on stainless steel was investigated. The friction and wear tests were carried out using a ball on flat configuration under a normal load of 50 g, sliding speed of 2.5 mm/s, and stroke length of 15 mm. It is found that the PDA/PTFE film is able to withstand approximately 500 times more rubbing cycles than the PTFE film alone. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that a tenacious layer of PTFE remains adhered to the PDA layer, which enables the durability of the PDA/PTFE film. Because of the relatively low thickness of the film, PDA/PTFE shows great potential for use in applications where durable, thin films are desirable.
A [2Fe-2S] protein encoded by an open reading frame upstream of the Escherichia coli bacterioferritin gene.

An open reading frame located upstream of the bacterioferritin gene in Escherichia coli encodes a hypothetical 64-residue protein [Andrews, S. C., Harrison, P. C., & Guest, J. R. (1989) J. Bacteriol. 171, 3940−3947)]. The spacing of the four cysteine residues in this hypothetical protein is identical to that in a region of NIFU, a [2Fe-2S] protein found in nitrogen-fixing bacteria [Fu, W., Jack, R. F., Morgan, T. V., Dean, D. R., & Johnson, M. K. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 13455−13463)]. The NIFU-like E. coli gene was cloned and overexpressed with a C-terminal “His tag” in E. coli using the T7 RNA polymerase/promoter system, and the protein was purified by metal-chelate affinity chromatography. UV−vis absorption and EPR spectra together with iron and amino acid analyses conclusively established that this NIFU-like E. coli protein contains one [2Fe-2S] cluster which can exist in at least two oxidation levels: +2 for the as-purified protein, and +1 for dithionite-reduced protein. Size-exclusion chromatography...
Some effects of ammonia on species of Phytophthora.

SUMMARY Ammonia was liberated by cultures of Phytophthora heveae grown on the basal medium containing 2 g/liter of L-asparagine as the sole source of nitrogen. Approximately 60% of the total nitrogen present was collected as ammonia from aerated cultures. Normal oospores were formed by the aerated cultures, but only a few abortive oogonia were produced by nonaerated control cultures. When P. heveae was cultured in petri dishes containing the above medium, the rate of radial extension of the colonies declined sharply after 7 days of incubation; the few oogonia that were observed on the fourth day of incubation had aborted by the sixth. Ammonium nitrogen and an increase in pH were detected beneath the colonies by the third day. After longer periods of incubation, ammonium nitrogen was found in the medium not covered by the colony. The decrease in the rate of growth and the failure of oogonia to develop was attributed to the toxicity of ammonia. Exposing 14-day-old oospores of P. cactorum to 2.57 mg of ammonia/3,000 ml for 24 hr reduced germination by twothirds; oospores exposed to a higher concentration of ammonia did not germinate. Sporangia of P. cactorum did not liberate zoospores after exposure to 2.57 mg of ammonia/3,000 ml for 24 hr. The inhibitory or lethal concentration of ammonia for mycelium of three species of Phytophthora was between 0.65 and 1.55 mmoles/liter when a glucose-asparagine medium was used. When two media containing ammonium sulfate (3.303 and 0.3303 g/liter) were used, the inhibitory effect was shown to be due to the concentration of ammonia and not to the concentration of ammonia ion or to high pH values as such. Species of Phytophthora differed in tolerance to ammonia as measured by the ability to initiate growth by over two fold.
The effect of surface roughness on Triton's volatile distribution

Calculations of radiative equilibrium temperatures on Triton's rough surface suggest that significant condensation of N2 may be occurring in the northern equatorial regions, despite their relatively dark appearance. The bright frost is not apparent in the Voyager images because it tends to be concentrated in relatively unilluminated facets of the surface. This patchwork of bright frost-covered regions and darker bare ground may be distributed on scales smaller than that of the Voyager resolution; as a result the northern equatorial regions may appear relatively dark. This hypothesis also accounts for the observed wind direction in the Southern Hemisphere because it implies that the equatorial regions are warmer than the south polar regions.
Emission of volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere in the solvent sublation process. II. Volatile chlorinated organic compounds

Abstract The mass of trichloroethylene, chlorobenzene, and 1,3-dichlorobenzene removed from an aqueous solution and emitted to the atmosphere during solvent sublation was determined experimentally. It was shown that the emission of these compounds in solvent sublation was reduced by 30 to 85% over air stripping under the same experimental conditions. The efficiency of removal of these compounds from water was also studied. The reduction of emissions over air stripping was more effective for the more hydrophobic and less volatile compounds. Emissions are reduced as the thickness of organic layer on the top of the column is increased. The use of decyl alcohol as the layer compound decreases emissions to a greater extent than does paraffin oil. Removal of these chlorinated volatile organic compounds from water by solvent sublation at an elevated temperature of 45°C is significantly faster than at room temperature. However, the emissions to the atmosphere are also increased.
Detection of Karenia Brevis Blooms on the West Florida Shelf Using in Situ Backscattering and Fluorescence Data

Abstract Using shipboard data collected from the central west Florida shelf (WFS) between 2000 and 2001, an optical classification algorithm was developed to differentiate toxic Karenia brevis blooms (>104 cells l−1) from other waters (including non-blooms and blooms of other phytoplankton species). The identification of K. brevis blooms is based on two criteria: (1) chlorophyll a concentration ≥1.5 mg m−3 and (2) chlorophyll-specific particulate backscattering at 550 nm ≤ 0.0045 m2 mg−1. The classification criteria yielded an overall accuracy of 99% in identifying both K. brevis blooms and other waters from 194 cruise stations. The algorithm was validated using an independent dataset collected from both the central and south WFS between 2005 and 2006. After excluding data from estuarine and post-hurricane turbid waters, an overall accuracy of 94% was achieved with 86% of all K. brevis bloom data points identified successfully. Satisfactory algorithm performance (88% overall accuracy) was also achieved when using underway chlorophyll fluorescence and backscattering data collected during a repeated alongshore transect between Tampa Bay and Florida Bay in 2005 and 2006. These results suggest that it may be possible to use presently available, commercial optical backscattering instrumentation on autonomous platforms (e.g. moorings, gliders, and AUVs) for rapid and timely detection and monitoring of K. brevis blooms on the WFS.
Dispositions matter: Findings for at‐risk teacher candidates

Abstract This study explores the process of one teacher preparation program in the Midwest as it systematically identified attributes of teacher candidates who were at risk of not completing the teacher preparation program. The 5 years represented by these data included 92 cases of teacher candidates identified as being in jeopardy of failing the program. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were employed to determine the nature of the attributes of the at‐risk teacher candidates, who represented approximately 10% of the overall teacher education program population. The results identify commonalities among the candidates at risk for failure in the teacher education program in the domains of knowledge representation, skills, and, particularly, dispositions.
Reconstructing hv-convex polyominoes from orthogonal projections

Abstract We address the problem of reconstructing a discrete 2D object, represented by a set of grid cells, from its orthogonal projections. We focus on objects called hv-convex polyominoes, which are connected objects with the property that the cells in each row and column are consecutive. The main result of this paper is a simple, O(mn min(m2,n2))-time algorithm for reconstructing hv-convex polyominoes.
A device to correct the effect of arc wander

Abstract A compact device has been developed for maintaining a beam of light emitted from an arc discharge incident on the spectrograph slit. A photosensitive detecting system monitors the beam and operates a servo-mechanism which rotates a refractor plate. The latter repositions the beam should it begin to wander off the slit. Data are presented which show a significant increase in precision when this device is used.
A single copy, transducible system for complementation and dominance analysis in Bacillus subtilis

A complementation and dominance system for Bacillus subtilis has been designed by inserting a fragment of the SPβ prophage into the bifunctional replicon pHV14. This new plasmid, pFH7, integrates into the SPβ prophage genome upon transformation into B. subtilis. When integrated, pFH7 provides a region of homology with pBR322 related plasmids allowing integration of these plasmids within the SPβ prophage upon transformation into B. subtilis. Thus, plasmid pMB9 carrying a fragment of the B. subtilis chromosome was found to integrate either at its region of homology with its chromomal fragment or in the SPβ prophage when transformed into B. subtilis. Upon induction of SPβ from such transformants, specialized transducing particles were obtained that carried both plasmid pFH7 and plasmid pMB9 with B. subtilis insert. When induced, lysogens carrying only pFH7 give rise to viable, mature phage particles carrying the plasmid.
Welding and brazing filler metals

Abstract A description of the welding and brazing filler metals most commonly used in nuclear-oriented applications is presented. The general classes of materials discussed are carbon steels, low-alloy steels, stainless steels, nickel and high-nickel alloys, aluminum, titanium and zirconium, refractory metals, and brazing filler metals. These filler metals are further categorized into the welding process or processes to which they are applicable, that is, shielded metal-arc, gas tungsten-arc, gas metal-arc, submerged-arc, and electroslag. The various factors involved in filler metal selection, such as mechanical properties, service temperature, and corrosion are considered. A discussion of the types of brazing fluxes and atmospheres is also presented.
Non-rigid structure from motion with complementary rank-3 spaces

Non-rigid structure from motion (NR-SFM) is a difficult, underconstrained problem in computer vision. This paper proposes a new algorithm that revises the standard matrix factorization approach in NR-SFM. We consider two alternative representations for the linear space spanned by a small number K of 3D basis shapes. As compared to the standard approach using general rank-3K matrix factors, we show that improved results are obtained by explicitly modeling K complementary spaces of rank-3. Our new method is positively compared to the state-of-the-art in NR-SFM, providing improved results on high-frequency deformations of both articulated and simpler deformable shapes. We also present an approach for NR-SFM with occlusion.
Ca2+-dependent Gene Expression Mediated by MEF2 Transcription Factors

Ca(2+) induction of a subset of cellular and viral immediate-early activation genes in lymphocytes has been previously mapped to response elements recognized by the MEF2 family of transcription factors. Here, we demonstrate that Ca(2+) activation of MEF2 response elements in T lymphocytes is mediated in synergy by two Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent enzymes, the phosphatase calcineurin, and the kinase type IV/Gr (CaMKIV/Gr), which promote transcription by the MEF2 family members MEF2A and MEF2D. Calcineurin up-regulates the activity of both factors by an NFAT-dependent mechanism, while CaMKIV/Gr selectively and independently activates MEF2D. These results identify MEF2 proteins as effectors of a pathway of gene induction in T lymphocytes which integrates diverse Ca(2+) activation signals and may be broadly operative in several tissues.
Parallel solution of almost block diagonal systems on the CRAY Y-MP using level 3 BLAS

Abstract In a recent publication (1992), the authors showed how efficient a new level 3 BLAS algorithm for almost block diagonal systems could be using just one processor of a CRAY Y-MP. Here they compare the corresponding results for up to eight processors using standard CRAY Library parallel implementations of the level 3 BLAS.
Gene probe assays and their detection

The detection of specific nucleic acid sequences plays a major role in modern biology and in medicine it is involved in analyzing basic genome structure and function, identifying mutated oncogenes, infectious or genetic diseases, typing tissues before transplantation, and comparing DNA sequences in forensic situations. This review explores recent developments relating to gene probe assays and their reporter systems.
Models for seismic records, why uniformly modulated ARMA

Abstract Autogressive moving-average (ARMA) models and their uniformly modulated forms are considered appropriate for seismic records of earthquakes by a large number of investigators. This article presents a reason for this and offers some explanation. It uses a model for wave propagation in a layered media and compares the derived transfer function for transmitted and reflected waves with those for ARMA processes. It demonstrates that the ARMA behavior of records is due to the transmission path with source acting as a modulating function (envelope function).
Practical applications for peripheral blood progenitor cells in the treatment of lymphomas and solid tumours

Autologous blood progenitor cell (BPC) support is used in conjunction with high-dose chemotherapy regimens and also permits the use of increasing dose-intensity schedules of conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, our understanding of the optimal BPC support to be used in these different conditions is incomplete. These difficulties result from the use of different BPC collection procedures in different centres, to different patient populations and considerable variability between patients. For such treatment to be cost effective, greater knowledge is required about the best way of achieving mobilisation, collection, storage and engraftment of BPC. The use of G-CSF in combination with chemotherapy can yield sufficient BPC at a single apheresis to achieve haematopoietic reconstitution after high-dose therapy. This was partly achieved by accurate prediction of the optimum timing of cell collection, which coincided with the early exponential increase in white blood cells (WBC) after the chemotherapy induced nadir. BPC in apheresis product or whole blood from patients primed with chemotherapy and filgrastim (G-CSF) were found to be viable for 48 hours when stored at 4 degrees C. Patients receiving multicyclic ifosfamide, carboplatin and etoposide (ICE) chemotherapy received BPC in apheresis product or whole blood, which had been stored at 4 degrees C, on day 3 of each treatment cycle. Such an approach allowed a 200% increase in dose intensity without any increase in toxicity or the need for supportive care. Optimal use of BPC support may increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy for the common solid tumours.
A Validity Study of a Self-Anchored Scale for Measuring Self-Esteem

This article describes a study that was conducted to investigate the construct validity of a self-anchored scale for measuring self-esteem. Self-anchored scale ratings of self-esteem were correlate...
High-Fidelity Simulation: How Are We Using the Videos?

Abstract Background High-fidelity simulation equipment offers opportunities for video recordings to be used to enhance the education of student nurses. These videos are often set aside without full consideration of their potential value. Method To illustrate multiple uses of video recordings, this article reports a descriptive secondary analysis of video recordings obtained from a larger simulation study. The video recordings of 26 baccalaureate student nurses were examined for behaviors related to safety (washing hands, raising cribside rails, assuring accuracy of intravenous fluids, donning gloves to check the diaper, measuring wound drainage on abdominal dressing). Results The safety behaviors were satisfactorily performed by 34.6% to 84.6% of students. Conclusion The video recordings effectively highlighted behaviors in need of further teaching and reinforcement for best pediatric practice.
Optical Switchable Spironaphthoxazine (NISO)-derived Probes for Optical Lock-in Detection (OLID) Imaging Microscopy and OLID-FRET

An optical switch probe based on spironaphthoxazine (NISO) harboring a O6-benzylguanine (BG) functionality was synthesized and characterized for applications in optical lock-in detection (OLID) Image microscopy. NISO undergoes rapid and reversible, high-fidelity transitions between a colorless spiro (SP) state and a blue colored MC-state that serves as an acceptor probe in Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) with GFP, YFP and other green or red emitting donor probes. The transition from SP to MC is brought about with high quantum yield by exciting SP with 365 nm or 720 nm (2-photon) while the MC to SP transition is rapidly affected upon excitation of MC with 543∼632 nm light. Thus a defined waveform of optical or opto-thermal manipulations of the NISO switch provides a simple means to modulate the intensity of a donor probe via FRET. NISO was linked to BG via a polyethylene glycol (PEG) linker and this substrate was shown to efficiently label O6-benzylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) and AGT-fusion proteins. The optical switching properties BG-PEG-NISO coupled to AGT in fusion proteins with GFP (GFP-AGT/PEG-NISO) and mCherry-(mCherry-AGT/PEG-NISO) were studied. In vitro OLID-FRET imaging studies showed the suitability of NISO as an acceptor probe for GFP and mcherry. The R0 for FRET between GFP and MC-NISO is 4.7 nm and GFP-AGT fusion protein covalently labeled with BG-PEG-NISO exhibited a 55% decrease in GFP fluorescence intensity upon conversion of SP to MC. Other examples of in vitro and in vivo OLID-FRET using GFP-AGT and mcherry-AGT labeled with NISO-BG will be presented.
Residents' perceptions and the role of government

Abstract Molotch argues that cities may be conceived as growth machines designed to maximize the interests of a small, powerful elite. Future land-use and the competition for it constitute the political and economic essence of any locality. Each comprises a number of smaller (nested) communities which emerge in reaction to public policy decisions regarding land-use, with each group having a particular vision of land development. On the basis of residents' perceptions, this study identifies three nested clusters of residents from two cities located in two different countries. Attitudes toward local government's role in tourism are compared. As hypothesized, differences among nested communities are greater than differences between cities.
Metallothionein and the subcellular localization of mercury and cadmium in the California sea lion.

Abstract 1. 1. Cadmium is primarily localized in the soluble fractions of kidney (60–65%) and liver (43–58%) of the California sea lion. 2. 2. In contrast, most of the mercury is concentrated in the nuclear fractions of kidney (35–47%) and liver (59–66%) of this species. 3. 3. Two mercury (cadmium)-binding proteins with properties similar to metallothionein from other species have been isolated from sea lion kidney and liver and partially characterized.
Computer coping skills training in a jail setting

Abstract This study examined the differences between a generic computerized coping skills training program and one tailored for an incarcerated population. A commercially produced computerized coping skills training program designed for general public usage was modified to address the unique needs of a jail inmate population. The mental health status of jail inmates trained in the modified program was compared with that of those trained in the unmodified program to assess the effectiveness of the two computer coping skills training programs. The results of the research, along with a discussion of the findings and their implications are presented.
Effectiveness of oseltamivir in adults: a meta-analysis of published and unpublished clinical trials

Background Oseltamivir is widely used for the treatment of influenza. Previous systematic reviews suggest that they reduce complications, but had significant methodologic limitations. Objective To assess the effect of oseltamivir on duration of symptoms, complications and hospitalizations in adults. Methods We searched Medline without time or language restrictions, and trial registries maintained by the manufacturer. We included published and unpublished randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials of oseltamivir in adults with suspected influenza that reported duration of symptoms, complications or hospitalizations. We abstracted data regarding study quality, the duration of symptoms and rates of complications and hospitalization. Results Three published and eight unpublished studies met our inclusion criteria. For the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, the mean reduction in the duration of symptoms was 20.7 hours [95% confidence interval (CI) 13.3 to 28.0 hours]. Two large unpublished studies in the elderly and in adults with chronic disease did not find a significant reduction in the symptom duration. There was no difference in the likelihood of hospitalization in the ITT population (33/2633 patients for oseltamivir versus 20/1694 for placebo). The rate of complications in the intention-to-treat infected (ITTI) population was reduced when acute bronchitis was included (-2.8%, 95% CI -0.6 to -4.9), but not when it was excluded. The risk of pneumonia was reduced in the ITTI population (-0.9%, 95% CI -0.1 to -1.7) but not in the ITT population. Conclusions There is no evidence that oseltamivir reduces the likelihood of hospitalization, pneumonia or the combined outcome of pneumonia, otitis media and sinusitis in the ITT population.
A better best system account of lawhood

Perhaps the most significant contemporary theory of lawhood is the Best System (/MRL) view on which laws are true generalizations that best systematize knowledge. Our question in this paper will be how best to formulate a theory of this kind. We’ll argue that an acceptable MRL should (i) avoid inter-system comparisons of simplicity, strength, and balance, (ii) make lawhood epistemically accessible, and (iii) allow for laws in the special sciences. Attention to these problems will bring into focus a useful menu of novel MRL theories, some of which solve problems the original MRL theory could not. Hence we conceive of the paper as moving toward a better Best System theory of laws.
Electromigration characteristics of tungsten plug vias under pulse and bidirectional current stressing

Using Kelvin test structures, electromigration performances of selective CVD tungsten filled vias under DC, pulsed DC, and AC current signals have been studied. The metallization consists of Al-Cu/TiW multilevel metals. The via electromigration lifetime exhibits a current polarity dependence. The via AC lifetimes are found to be much longer (more than 1000*) than DC lifetimes under the same peak stressing current density. The via lifetimes under pulsed DC stress of 50% duty factor are twice the DC lifetimes at low-frequency regions ( 10 kHz). The results are in agreement with the vacancy relation model. >
Real-time, appliance-level electricity use feedback system: How to engage users?

a b s t r a c t Engage is a rapidly deployable, retrofit energy monitoring system developed for direct support of a novel energy use behavior investigation and a large-scale deployment in campus apartments. We describe the end-to-end system and report results related to web dashboard engagement during a year-long experi- ment. The objective was to determine user engagement with real-time and easily accessible information about personal energy consumption. Leveraging low-cost components, this system was designed to mea- sure separately appliance plug load, heating and cooling, and lighting electrical load in dense-occupancy building environments. We developed and used an open source technology for measurement of plug load and developed signal processing algorithms to significantly improve measurement accuracy. We also developed proxy sensors to measure heating and cooling and lighting. Our results indicate that 90% of the dashboard activity was undertaken by 50% of the participants and that website engagement was more likely in mid-day and more effective in combination with email reminders. Energy conservation was achieved when combining the dashboard with public information about energy consumption. Published by Elsevier B.V.
P-003 Intraarterial MR perfusion imaging of meningiomas: comparison to digital subtraction angiography

Purpose Meningiomas often benefit from preoperative embolization in order to reduce operative blood loss and associated morbidity. Intraarterial (IA) administration of contrast directly into the external carotid artery (ECA) and internal carotid artery (ICA) branches supplying the tumor during the embolization procedure maps out the blood vessels supplying the tumor as well as evaluating which portions of the tumor are successfully devascularized prior to surgery. Whereas IA digital subtraction x-ray angiography (DSA) is the gold standard for embolization guidance, IA perfusion MRI may offer increased sensitivity to residual areas of vascularized tumor. Materials and Methods Studies were performed in a combined “XMR” suite wherein an x-ray angiography unit (Integris V5000, Philips Medical Systems) is coupled in-line to a 1.5 T MR scanner (Intera, Philips Medical Systems), allowing easy patient movement between the two imaging modalities during endovascular procedures. We evaluated 14 patients with selective IA T2* dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion MR during preoperative embolization. Eight of these patients were also evaluated with intraprocedural IA T1 weighted perfusion MR. IA perfusion was performed with dilute Gd injected initially into the external carotid and subsequently into the common carotid. The selected carotid artery was confirmed to be providing vascular supply to the tumor by prior angiographic evaluation. The portion of the tumor demonstrated to be associated with external or internal carotid supply, based on IA MR perfusion measures, were correlated with DSA obtained during each procedure. IA perfusion assessments were additionally compared to preoperative conventional MRI and IV T2* perfusion MR studies. Results Both T2* and T1 IA perfusion MR techniques were more sensitive than DSA at detecting vascularized tumor prior to or following embolization. The T1 technique was subject to less susceptibility artifact, and thus performed better than the T2* technique at the skull base and near aerated paranasal sinuses. Both IA MR perfusion techniques demonstrated tighter arterial input functions than the IV MRI perfusion technique due to contrast administration directly into cervicocerebral arteries. Similarly, time enhancement curves for the IA MR perfusion methods demonstrated reduced mean transit time and lack of a recirculation peak as comparted to the IV MR perfusion method. IA MR perfusion methods were good at differentiating ECA from ICA supply to individual tumors. However, vascular variants such as anterior falx artery or ethmoidal artery tumor supply arising from the ophthalmic artery (ICA branches outside the blood brain barrier) presented interpretive challenges for MRI but were readily apparent on DSA. Conclusion IA MR perfusion techniques appear to be a useful adjunct to DSA in determining tumor vascularity and the source of that blood supply during DSA guided preoperative embolization procedures.
Targeting Brain Tissue Oxygenation in Traumatic Brain Injury

The management of patients with traumatic brain injury has evolved in the last several years, due to the introduction of new, invasive monitoring devices. The ability to monitor parameters other than measurements related to pressures has generated substantial interest. Brain tissue oxygenation monitoring has been consistently shown to provide prognostic information, as indicated by poor prognosis associated with low brain tissue oxygen values. Furthermore, various physiologic manipulations, including increasing the P(aO(2)), have been associated with an increase in brain tissue oxygenation. Whether brain-oxygenation-guided therapy results in improvement in outcomes is debatable. Retrospective studies suggest benefit, while prospective studies have shown a higher intensity of therapeutic interventions with no outcome differences. Data from high quality randomized trials are necessary to determine if brain-oxygenation-guided therapy is beneficial. An oxygen challenge (transient increase in F(IO(2)) to 0.6 up to 1.0) to assess the responsiveness of the monitoring and ascertain the presence of technical malfunction is an accepted practice.
SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION AT THE EARTH'S SURFACE

The biologically effective ultraviolet irradiance at the earth's surface varies with the elevation of the sun, the atmospheric ozone amount, and with the abundance of scatterers and absorbers of natural and anthropogenic origin. Taken alone, the reported decrease in column ozone over the Northern Hemisphere between 1969 and 1986 implies an increase in erythemal irradiance at the ground of four percent or less during summer. However, an increase in tropospheric absorption, arising from polluting gases or particulates over localized areas, could more than offset the predicted enhancement in radiation. Any such extra absorption is likely to be highly regional in nature and does not imply that a decrease in erythemal radiation has occurred on a global basis. The Antarctic ‘ozone hole’ represents a special case in which a portion of the earth has experienced ultraviolet radiation levels during spring that are far in excess of those which prevailed prior to the present decade.
Numerical demonstration of MEMS strain sensor

Silicon has piezoresistive property that allows designing strain sensor with higher gauge factor compared to conventional metal foil gauges. The sensing element can be micro-scale using MEMS, which minimizes the effect of strain gradient on measurement at stress concentration regions such as crack tips. The challenge of MEMS based strain sensor design is to decouple the sensing element from substrate for true strain measurement and to compensate the temperature effect on the piezoresistive coefficients of silicon. In this paper, a family of MEMS strain sensors with different geometric designs is introduced. Each strain sensor is made of single crystal silicon and manufactured using deposition/ etching/oxidation steps on a n- doped silicon wafer in (100) plane. The geometries include sensing element connected to the free heads of U shape substrate, a set of two or more sensing elements in an array in order to capture strain gradients and two directional sensors. The response function and the gauge factor of the strain sensors are identified using multi-physics models that combine structural and electrical behaviors of sensors mounted on a strained structure. The relationship between surface strain and strain at microstructure is identified numerically in order to include the relationship in the response function calculation.
A progressive approach on inactivation of bacteria using silver-titania nanoparticles.

A silver inserted metal oxide (Ag–TiO2) has been demonstrated to be an effective biocidal agent against prokaryotic microbes found in water. Transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy indicated cellular damage after co-incubation with the nanocomposite, showing concomitant leakage of ions, which are critical for cell survival.
Bronchopulmonary lavage in asthma and chronic bronchitis: clinical and physiologic observations.

Two patients with bronchial asthma and five patients with chronic bronchitis were subjected to a reproducible method of pulmonary lavage. Physiologic events were studied during the procedure, immediately afterwards, and at periodic intervals. During the lavage, arterial oxygen tensions varied between 56 and 570 mm Hg and oxygen saturations exceeded 90 percent. Partially obstructed areas were successfully irrigated by filling and emptying of the lung repeatedly. Cardiac output, pulmonary and systemic arterial blood pressures were affected very slightly. Transient respiratory acidosis and fever occurred after four procedures. Postlavage hypoxemia and hypercarbia were effectively controlled with respiratory assistance and oxygen. Five patients improved subjectively and physiologic improvement was documented in two. Signs of improvement had disappeared by seven months in all but one patient. Bronchopulmonary lavage may be effectively and safely performed in patients who have moderately severe asthma or bronchitis. The therapeutic benefit of this procedure merits further study.
Effects of emotional body language on rapid out-group judgments

article i nfo The aim of this study was to examine the influence of emotional body language (EBL) on in- and out-group face processing. In Experiment 1, White participants viewed pictures of in-group (White) and out-group (Black) faces positioned on bodies conveying either happy or angry emotions. Experiment 2 employed the same paradigm, presenting Asian faces as the out-group condition. In both experiments the task was to iden- tify the race of the face as quickly as possible. For both experiments, there was a significant interaction be- tween race of face and EBL, such that out-group faces were processed faster with angry vs. happy EBL. Furthermore, a trend was observed such that in-group faces were processed faster with happy vs. angry EBL. When considered together, the effect appears to be due to an out-group, not a stereotyping, pheno- menon. The results of both experiments provide support for the hypothesis that emotional body language
Hydraulic lift among native plant species in the Mojave Desert

Hydraulic lift was investigated among native plants in the Mojave Desert using in situ thermocouple psychrometers. Night lighting and day shading experiments were used to verify the phenomenon. Hydraulic lift was detected for all species examined: five shrub species with different rooting depths and leaf phenologies and one perennial grass species. This study was the first to document hydraulic lift for a CAM species, Yucca schidigera. The pattern of diel flux in soil water potential for the CAM species was temporally opposite to that of C 3 species: for the CAM plant, soil water potential increased in shallow soils during the day when the plant was not transpiring and decreased at night when transpiration began. Because CAM plants transport water to shallow soils during the day when surrounding C3 and C4 plants transpire, CAM species that hydraulically lift water may influence water relations of surrounding species to a greater extent than hydraulically lifting C 3 or C4 species. A strong, negative relationship between the percent sand in the study site soils at the 0.35 m soil depth and the frequency that hydraulic lift was observed at that depth suggests that the occurrence of hydraulic lift is negatively influenced by coarse-textured soils, perhaps due to less root‐soil contact in sandy soils relative to finer-textured soils. Differences in soil texture among study sites may explain, in part, differences in the frequency that hydraulic lift was detected among these species. Further investigations are needed to elucidate species versus soil texture effects on hydraulic lift.
A Built-in self-calibration scheme for pipelined ADCs

There is a strong demand for both calibrating and testing the ADC performance before and after packaging for mixed-signal SoCs and SiPs. In this paper, we propose a built-in self-calibration scheme that offers digitally-controlled calibration of a pipelined ADC without using external stimulus. We further propose a self-testing strategy that uses the effective number of bits (ENOB) derived directly from the steady-state error of the self-calibration process for go/no-go testing as well as for performance binning. This testing process will not incur any additional test time beyond that required for calibration.
Effect of Tooth-Colored Restorative Materials on Reliability of Heat-Pressed Lithium Disilicate.

Purpose Restorative material selection in complete mouth rehabilitation is an important factor in long-term management of potential technical complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the reliability (fracture resistance) of lithium disilicate fatigued with different restorative materials. Materials and Methods A step-stress accelerated life-testing model was used. Seventy disc specimens were heat-pressed. Five groups of different indenter materials fatigued the lithium-disilicate specimens: group WC (tungsten carbide served as a control), group PR (interpenetrating polymer network [IPN] resin-based denture tooth), group POM (heat-pressed leucite glass-ceramic), group LD (heat-pressed lithium disilicate), and group ZR (zirconium dioxide). Lithium-disilicate specimens were randomly divided into four groups (n = 14). Specimens were fatigued to failure according to three step-stress profiles: light, moderate, and aggressive. Use level probability Weibull plots were generated, and each group's reliability, failure rate, and mean life to failure were calculated. Results The IPN resin-based denture tooth group had the highest reliability and mean life to failure, and lowest failure rate as compared to lithium disilicate and zirconium dioxide. No significant difference existed between the reliability of the tungsten carbide and leucite glass-ceramic groups and the IPN resin-based denture tooth group. Conclusions Lithium-disilicate specimens fatigued with IPN resin-based denture teeth exhibited higher reliability than specimens fatigued with lithium disilicate and zirconium dioxide. There was a difference in fracture characteristics in lithium-disilicate specimens fatigued with tungsten carbide, lithium disilicate, and zirconium dioxide, versus those fatigued with IPN resin-based denture teeth and leucite glass-ceramic material.
Excision of subcutaneous tissue for the treatment of axillary osmidrosis

Axillary osmidrosis is a distressing problem. Medical treatment is often inadequate. Local excision of the apocrine and eccrine glands is the most effective method available but is often accompanied by significant morbidity. We report a modified surgical technique for the treatment of this condition. From January 1994 to December 1995, 46 patients (38 females, 8 males) with axillary osmidrosis have been treated by excision of the subcutaneous tissue via two transverse incisions, without removing skin. Sutures are used to anchor the skin to the axillary fascia. There is no need for a complicated tie-over dressing and postoperative arm restriction. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 6 months (average 11.6 months). The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire. The results of malodour elimination were classified as good, fair and poor. Forty-one (89.1%) of the patients had good results, four (8.7%) had fair results, and one (2.2%) had a poor result. The average convalescent time was 9.2 days. Twenty-six patients (57%) were very satisfied and recommended this procedure. Only one patient (2%) regretted having the operation. This operation has the advantages of a high success rate, low complication rate, and rapid recovery for the treatment of axillary osmidrosis.