cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observation of plasmonically induced transparency by the pump-probe technique

We have studied the pump-probe spectroscopy of graphene oxide quantum dots. In the presence of gold nanoparticles, strong modifications of pump-probe spectra have been observed. We develop a theoretical model to explain the observed features of the pump-probe spectra. The model takes into account self-consistently the interaction of exciton with surface plasmonic waves excited in the gold nanoparticles, and it provides a qualitative agreement with the observed pump-probe spectra. We have demonstrated that the using gold nanoparticles can increase sensitivity, and potentially to have a broader range of applications to both spectroscopy and microscopy.
Blood Plasma Self-Separation Technologies during the Self-Driven Flow in Microfluidic Platforms.

Blood plasma is the most commonly used biofluid in disease diagnostic and biomedical analysis due to it contains various biomarkers. The majority of the blood plasma separation is still handled with centrifugation, which is off-chip and time-consuming. Therefore, in the Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) field, an effective microfluidic blood plasma separation platform attracts researchers’ attention globally. Blood plasma self-separation technologies are usually divided into two categories: active self-separation and passive self-separation. Passive self-separation technologies, in contrast with active self-separation, only rely on microchannel geometry, microfluidic phenomena and hydrodynamic forces. Passive self-separation devices are driven by the capillary flow, which is generated due to the characteristics of the surface of the channel and its interaction with the fluid. Comparing to the active plasma separation techniques, passive plasma separation methods are more considered in the microfluidic platform, owing to their ease of fabrication, portable, user-friendly features. We propose an extensive review of mechanisms of passive self-separation technologies and enumerate some experimental details and devices to exploit these effects. The performances, limitations and challenges of these technologies and devices are also compared and discussed.
Notable Partnership Articles from 2013

This article reviews several articles that appeared in student-edited law reviews in 2013. The articles cover a wide range of topics, including the allocation of partnership liabilities, tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, the definition of limited partners in the self-employment context, discounts for interests in family-controlled partnerships, and distributions from partnerships.
Extensions of the Sustained-Like and Transient-Like Effects

We report physiological and psychophysical studies that further expand and delineate two of the tests of Enoch’s Layer-by-Layer Perimetry. In the physiological studies we show that single ganglion cells give responses comparable to human responses. In the human studies we demonstrate that a corresponding sensitization response exists in the OFF-channel, that a “pure” flicker mechanism smaller than the transient-like mechanism exists, and that an orientation bias exists in the cortical properties mapped with a variation of these tests. These results offer extensions of layer-by-layer perimetry for the clinical testing of additional layers of the visual system.
Die Rolle des Produktionsmanagements auf dem Weg zur schlanken Automobilfabrik

Als die Ergebnisse der MIT-Studie vor rd. 2 Jahren bekannt wurden, schlug dies wie eine Bombe ein und verursachte einen Schock in der gesamten westlichen Automobilindustrie. So frappierend wie hier wurden die Leistungsunterschiede zwischen der japanischen Industrie und dem Rest der Welt noch nie deutlich. Danach brauchen die besten Japaner vereinfacht dargestellt von allem nur die Halfte bzw. sie sind rd. doppelt gut; in der pp so gut; Produktivitat, im Modellangebot, in der Qualitat. Vor allem aber beeindruckt das Tempo ihrer Innovation. Die MIT-Studie hat dabei folgendes deutlich gemacht: 1. Die Position der europaischen und insbesondere der deutschen Automobilindustrie ist keineswegs sicher, sondern hochgradig bedroht. 2. Eine funktional ausgerichtete Verbesserungsstrategie hilft nicht weiter, vielmehr ist eine integrierte und kybernetische Betrachtungsweise fur die Gesamtheit aller Unternehmensprozesse erforderlich. 3. Die Rolle des Mitarbeiters, eine leistungsfahige Organisation und die Unternehmenskultur stellen die eigentlichen Erfolgsfaktoren dar. Der Erfolg liegt also nicht in der Technologie, die ist weitestgehend mit der unsrigen vergleichbar. Es sind vielmehr unterschiedliche Ziele, eine unterschiedliche Logik der Prozesse und ein Denken in anderen Bahnen, die sich vor allem in einer anderen Philosophie der Zusammenarbeit widerspiegeln.
Buffer-dependent mobility and morphology of {InAs}/{(Al,Ga)Sb} quantum wells

We find that the mobility and morphology of InAs/(Al,Ga)Sb quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy on lattice-mismatched GaAs depends strongly on the composition of the buffer layers. Using atomic force microscopy we show that GaSb buffers provide atomically flat interfaces on the scale of the electron Fermi wavelength for the quantum wells. In contrast, AlSb buffers generate a very rough interface on the same scale. Van der Pauw measurements show that this results in a greatly reduced low-temperature mobility for InAs quantum wells grown on AlSb buffers. We propose that the Ga adatoms tend to be more mobile than Al adatoms and therefore smooth out the roughness generated in the nucleation layer. Using a GaSb buffer layer, we have achieved new record mobilities in InAs quantum wells.
The Patients in Recovery (PIR) Perspective: Teaching Physicians About Methamphetamine

ABSTRACT Methamphetamine dependence is an emerging epidemic confronting physicians. In an effort to improve understanding of its impact, the authors presented an educational workshop at a national meeting for general internists featuring small group discussions with patients in recovery (PIR) from methamphetamine dependence. Participants rated the workshop highly, stating it would lead to concrete change in their teaching, research, or patient care practices and they would invite the workshop to their institution for presentation. Direct interaction with PIR was the most valued aspect of the workshop. Lessons learned included patient's fear of being “turned in” limits disclosure of methamphetamine use to physicians; active users have little insight into methamphetamine-related changes in physical appearance; and a sense of productivity reinforces ongoing methamphetamine use. Workshops that include small group discussions between physicians and PIR are an innovative, practical, and acceptable method to tea...
DNA Transposition: Classes and Mechanisms

Transposons are mobile genetic elements that contribute to the dynamic nature of chromosomes. Mechanistically similar, transposable elements make up a diverse classification including bacterial insertion sequences and composite transposons and eukaryotic excision/insertion transposons and retroelements. Keywords: transposon; retrotransposon; retrovirus; transfer; integration
Catalyst and catalyst‐support durability

Automotive duty cycles impose multiple mechanisms for the loss of kinetic activity of oxygen-reduction catalysts for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Load cycling causes dissolution of Pt into the electrolyte, leading to the growth of larger Pt particles with lower specific surface area and to the permanent loss of Pt into the ionomer phase, where it is no longer active. An increase in the activity per surface Pt atom during cycling partially compensates for the former, but not the latter, loss mechanism. Higher initial activities can be achieved with Pt-alloy catalysts, but these may bring additional loss mechanisms into play. Corrosion of the carbon support can decrease both the kinetic activity of the catalyst and the ability of the fuel cell to sustain high current densities. The rates of carbon corrosion depend strongly on both the type of carbon used and the fuel cell operating conditions, but all types of carbon seem to exhibit significant fuel cell performance loss after ∼10% of the carbon is consumed. Noncarbon supports give promise of improved durability under severe conditions, but their practical use will require improved control over bulk physical properties, surface chemistry, and pore structure. Keywords: electrocatalyst; oxygen reduction activity; catalyst support; durability; particle size growth; carbon corrosion; Pt dissolution; voltage cycling; place exchange; noncarbon support
An Algorithm for Plan Verification in Multiple Agent Systems

In this paper, we propose an algorithm which can improve Katz and Rosenschein's plan verification algorithm. First, we represent the plan-like relations with adjacency lists and inverse adjacency lists to replace adjacency matrixes. Then, we present a method to avoid generating useless sub-graphs while generating the compressed set. Last, we compare two plan verification algorithms. We not only prove that our algorithm is correct, but also prove that our algorithm is better than Katz and Rosenschein's algorithm both on time complexity and space complexity.
Administering permissions for distributed data: factoring and automated inference

We extend SQL's grant/revoke model to handle all administration of permissions in a distributed database. The key idea is to "factor" permissions into simpler decisions that can be administered separately, and for which we can devise sound inference rules. The model enables us to simplify administration via separation of concerns (between technical DBAs and domain experts), and to justify fully automated inference for some permission factors. We show how this approach would coexist with current practices based on SQL permissions.
Telecommunications performance analysis and monitoring software

Jet Propulsion Laboratory flight projects and the Deep Space Network require accurate prediction of telecommunications link capability. Link capability determines spacecraft command message error rate, science data telemetry error rate, and radiometric angle, velocity, and position errors during a mission. To establish link performance capability, the analyst commonly translates these error rates into corresponding signal-to-noise ratios or received signal power levels. To validate predicted capability, the analyst compares actual (measured) signal-to-noise ratios or signal levels with previously predicted values for the same link configuration and time.
Fluid Dynamics and Science of Magnetic Liquids

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the fluid dynamics and science of magnetic liquids. Fluid media composed of solid magnetic particles of subdomain size colloidally dispersed in a liquid carrier are the basis for the highly stable, strongly magnetizable liquids known as magnetic fluids or ferrofluids. The number density of particles in suspension is in the order of lO23/m3. It is the existence of these synthetic materials that makes the study of magnetic liquid fluid dynamics (ferrohydrodynamics) possible. There are two broad ways to make a magnetic fluid: size reduction of coarse material and chemical precipitation of small particles. Size reduction has been done by spark evaporation–condensation, electrolysis, and grinding. Chemical routes include decomposition of metal carbonyls and precipitation from salt solutions. The fluid dynamics of magnetic fluids differ from that of ordinary fluids in that stresses of magnetic origin appear and, unlike in magnetohydrodynamics, there need not be electrical currents. Magnetic fluid pushes the nonmagnetic fluid in the presence of tangential applied field. The fluid motion is normal to the interfacial boundary between the two fluids.
The roles of integration time and acoustic multipaths in determining the structure of CW line spectra

A recently developed normal mode theory of the acoustic field generated by a uniformly moving time harmonic point source [K. E. Hawker, "A Normal Mode Theory of Acoustic Doppler Effects in the Oceanic Waveguide," J. Acoust. Soc. Am., scheduled for publication in March 1979] is used to study the relative importance of multipath and integration time effects in determining the structure of cw line spectra. Widths are shown to result from an interplay between three effects, acoustic multi-path (Doppler) broadening, intrinsic width due to the finite integration time, and a "range rate" or FM slide effect due to the combination of finite integration time and a time variable instantaneous frequency.
Infrared Light Field Imaging using Single Carbon Nanotube Detector

The conventional photographs only record the sum total of light rays of each point on image plane so that they tell little about the amount of light traveling along individual rays. The focus and lens aberration problems have challenged photographers since the very beginning therefore light field photography was proposed to solve these problems. Lens array and multiple camera systems are used to capture 4D light rays, by reordering the different views of scene from multiple directions. The coded aperture is another method to encode the angular information in frequency domain. However, infrared light field sensing is still widely opening to research. In the paper, we will propose micro plane mirror optics together with compressive sensing algorithm to record light field in infrared spectrum. The micro mirror reflects objects irradiation and forms a virtual image behind the plane in which the mirror lies. The Digital Micromirror (DMD) consists of millions microscale mirrors which work as CCD array in the camera and it is controlled separately so as to project linear combination of object image onto lens. Coded aperture could be utilized to control angular resolution of infrared light rays. The carbon nanotube based infrared detector, which has ultra high signal to noise ratio and ultra fast responsibility, will sum up all image information on it without image distortion. Based on a number of measurements, compressive sensing algorithm was used to recover images from distinct angles, which could compute different views of scene to reconstruct infrared light field scence. Two innovative applications of full image recovery using nano scale photodetector and DMD based synthetic aperture photography will also be discussed in this paper.
Evolution of surgical technique and patient outcomes for laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.

Abstract Objectives To review the operative technique, complication rates, and short-term oncologic efficacy of the first 60 laparoscopic partial nephrectomies performed by a single surgeon and to report changes in our technique and the associated outcomes. Methods Between January 2002 and December 2004, data regarding patient characteristics, intraoperative technique, and outcome of 60 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic partial nephrectomy were prospectively collected. Results All 60 procedures were successfully completed laparoscopically without conversion to an open or hand-assisted approach. Histopathologic examination revealed renal cell carcinoma in 60% of patients with no positive margins or recurrences at a mean follow-up of 25.3 months. The overall complication rate was 30.0%, with 8 urologic (13.3%) and 10 nonurologic (16.7%) complications. Conclusions With experience, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is a viable alternative to open partial nephrectomy for small renal masses. At present, energy technologies and surgical pharmaceuticals are helpful adjuncts, but are not reliable for primary hemostasis and collecting system closure. Adaptation of traditional open techniques, including vascular control, excision of the tumor with cold scissors, and suture reconstruction of the collecting system and parenchyma, remain necessary to consistently perform laparoscopic partial nephrectomy successfully.
The effect of wall loading limitations and choice of beta on the feasibility of advanced fuel fusion reactors

This paper investigates the effect of wall loading limitations and choice of plasma stability index beta on the feasibility of advanced fuel fusion reactors. Two new conceptual tools are introduced to facilitate this analysis: the “effective reactivity,” which includes all of the reaction-relevant parameters that determine the fusion power density, and the “critical radius,” which is the maximum allowable minor radius of a fusion reactor, beyond which the power generated in the plasma will exceed allowable loadings of radiant energy or neutrons on the first wall. It is shown that if high beta (greater than 0.2) fusion reactors are feasible, the high reactivity of the DT reaction cannot be fully exploited because of wall loading limitations. In addition, some high beta reactors with advanced fuels are also found to be wall loading limited, and to have excess reactivity, which can be traded off for lower magnetic fields, longer particle containment times, etc. Under certain circumstances, the reduced materials problems associated with some advanced fuels may outweigh the reactivity advantage of the DT reaction, and make one of them the reaction of choice for high beta fusion reactors.
Research and education at the NASA Fisk University Center for Photonic Materials and Devices

In 1992, NASA awarded Fisk University a 5 year grant to establish a center for research and education on photonic materials are synthesized, characterized and, in some cases, developed into devices with applications in the fields of radiation detectors and nonlinear optical crystals, glasses and nanomaterials. The educational components include participation in the research by 3 types of students majoring in Physics, Chemistry and Biology: 1) Fisk undergraduates participating during the academic year. 2) Fisk graduates performing their Maser Thesis research. 3) Fisk and other HBCU's and Minority Institutions' undergraduates attending a 10 week summer workshop with a very rigorous program of study, research and progress reporting. Funds are available for supporting participating students. Prerequisite, schedules of activities, evaluation procedures and typical examples of the outcome are presented.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Successive self-management strategies towards coping with night eating☆

Abstract This case study describes the development of night eating in an adult male and attempts to treat it using a variety of self-regulatory strategies. Control required continuing use of self-administered response prevention, since night eating resumed when this was omitted.
Sparse geologic dictionaries for subsurface flow model calibration: Part I. Inversion formulation

Abstract Inference of heterogeneous rock properties from low-resolution dynamic flow measurements often leads to underdetermined nonlinear inverse problems that can have many non-unique solutions. The problem is usually regularized by reducing the number of unknown parameters and/or incorporating direct or indirect prior information. In subsurface flow modeling, structural connectivity in hydraulic properties plays a critical role in determining local and global flow and displacement processes. When reliable prior information about the structural connectivity of a formation is available it can be used to discourage implausible inversion solutions. In this two-part paper, we introduce a geologically-inspired conceptual framework, geologic dictionaries , for reconstructing complex subsurface physical properties from the flow data. We evaluate the performance of our method under both reliable and highly uncertain prior knowledge and measurements. In Part I, we present inversion with sparse geologic dictionaries, learned from prior models, for estimation of complex heterogeneous subsurface hydraulic properties. We show how learning methods can be adapted to build, from a prior training library, specialized sparse geologic dictionaries that contain relevant structural elements (words) for constructing the solution of subsurface flow inverse problems. The key property of the constructed geologic dictionaries that we invoke during flow data integration is its “sparsity”; that is, we require that only a small subset of geologic dictionary elements be sufficient for accurately approximating any prior model realizations in the training library, and hence the model calibration solution. Using the sparsity property of the geologic dictionary, we formulate and solve the nonlinear model calibration as a feature estimation problem. To construct a solution, we adopt an iteratively reweighted least-squares (IRLS) algorithm to identify the important dictionary elements by minimizing a sparsity-regularized data misfit objective function. We illustrate the flexibility and effectiveness of the proposed method by applying it to a series of numerical experiments in multiphase flow systems and compare it with parameterization by truncated singular vectors.
Pushing Back the Expansion of Introns in Animal Genomes

In a recent paper in Science, Raible et al. (2005) surveyed the position of introns in 30 genes of a marine annelid and showed that over 60% of the introns occupy positions identical to those in human homologs. In contrast, both human and marine annelid genes share only 30% of their introns with other invertebrates. These observations suggest that the common ancestor of most animal phyla had intron-rich genes and reinforce the notion that introns proliferated early in the evolutionary history of eukaryotes.
Selecting malaria interventions: A top-down approach

Abstract Malaria continues to be a great burden on both morbidity and mortality as well as economic development across the world. In highly endemic areas, such as Nigeria, malaria can claim hundreds of thousands of lives and millions of dollars yearly. Typically, when selecting intervention strategies to control malaria, research is focused on the cost-effectiveness and general applicability of individual interventions. In separate studies, great care is taken to develop high-fidelity models of malaria's economic and morbidity/mortality burden. In this paper, we take a top-down approach to selecting malaria intervention strategies. Instead of studying each element of the problem separately, we combine models for intervention cost-effectiveness, disease burden, and intervention delivery to create a single large-scale geographic optimization. We illustrate our top-down approach with a case study of malaria in Nigeria. Our optimization produces detailed geographic intervention plans, identifies key budget values and specifies the locations of the supply distribution centers.
High Resolution Pulse Propagation Driven Trojan Detection in Digital Logic: Optimization Algorithms and Infrastructure

Insertion of malicious Trojans into outsourced chip manufacturing generally results in increased capacitances of internal circuit nodes that have been tapped for node controllability and observability by malicious circuitry. Current path delay measurement and side channel Trojan detection techniques are unable to detect Trojans that present low loading to such tapped circuit nodes, especially in the presence of large manufacturing process variations. In this paper, a high-resolution Trojan detection method for digital logic based on pulse propagation is developed. The method exhibits 25X--30X higher diagnostic resolution (ability to measure small capacitive loads on internal circuit nodes) as compared to current path delay based Trojan detection techniques in the presence of significant manufacturing process variations. Further, a key benefit is that theoretically, as opposed to path delay measurement based methods, the diagnostic resolution of the test approach is independent of circuit logic depth over and above the benefits already mentioned above. Test methods and test infrastructure compatible with existing scan based techniques are described. Simulation results are presented to prove the viability and effectiveness of the proposed Trojan detection scheme and especially for circuits with large logic depths (35-70 gates) suffering from worst case process variation effects.
A security analysis of Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud service

Cloud services such as Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud and IBM's SmartCloud are quickly changing the way organizations are dealing with IT infrastructures and are providing online services. Today, if an organization needs computing power, it can simply buy it online by instantiating a virtual server image on the cloud. Servers can be quickly launched and shut down via application programming interfaces (API), offering the user a greater flexibility compared to traditional server rooms. In this talk, I will explore the general security risks associated with using virtual server images from the public catalogs of cloud service providers. In particular, we investigate in detail the security problems of public images that are available on the Amazon EC2 service. I will describe the design and implementation of an automated system that we used to instantiate and analyze the security of public AMIs (Amazon Machine Images) on the Amazon EC2 platform, and provide detailed descriptions of the security tests that we performed on each image. Our findings demonstrate that both the users and the providers of public AMIs may be vulnerable to security risks such as unauthorized access, malware infections, and loss of sensitive information. The Amazon Web Services Security Team has acknowledged our findings, and has already taken steps to properly address all the security risks we present in this talk.
Dynamic single-machine-weighted absolute deviation problem: predictive heuristics and evaluation

We address a dynamic single-machine scheduling problem where the objective is to minimize the weighted absolute deviation of completion times from the due dates. This objective approximates a decisionmaker's goal in a just-in-time environment which is the primary motivation for the problem. Several heuristics are developed and tested. We use a novel approach to heuristic development by designing it in modules. At each decision epoch, the front end provides a look-ahead feature, the main theme develops a sequence, and the balancing routine determines the schedule. The performance of the heuristics as well as modules of the heuristics are tested by simulation experiments across several classes of problems. By analysing the results we develop some guidelines for operational decisions.
NOTE ON THE VOEKS FORMALIZATION OF GUTHRIE'S THEORY OF LEARNING

Ysome specified time is an increasing monotonic function (X) of the proportion (N) of the stimuli present which are at that time cues for that response (S +). P, = (N, + )" " (Voeks, 1950, p. 348). Y Among the selections from Guthrie's writing used to document this postulate is the following: "A response conditioned upon two separate stimuli on separate occasions will be . . . more certain if the two conditioners are presented together. Two conditioners generally are more effective than one" (Guthrie, 1935, p. 99). This selection could be interpreted in a manner other than the proportional sense in which it is taken by Voeks. It could mean that regardless of the number of non-cues (stimuli not associated with the response), increases in the number of cues present will result in increased probability of the response taking place. Thus, 5 cues would always be more likely to bring out the response than 4 cues, even though the difference in number of noncues might be tremendous, as in a comparison between those present in a busy city street and those present in a sound-proof isolation chamber. Another of the selections used to document the proportional postulate is one in which Guthrie discussed the fact that better learning sometimes occurs under conditions of excitement and suggested that this may be due to the greater contraction of muscles during excitement. "This greater contraction stimulates new fields of proprioceptive sense organs . . . These added stimuli - may become conditioners of movement and hence explain the increased certainty of conditioning" (Guthrie, 1935, p. 105). It is not clear if this statement implies an absolute or proportional interpretation of the role of available cues. The Voeks comment following the aforementioned discussion of excitement, "This 'explains the increased certainty' if one assumes Posrulate 3, that the more cues there are for the response the more likely is the response" (Voeks, 1950, p. 349) is of course, intended in the proportional sense, but tends to suggest an absolute interpretation. The present comments have not been intended to deny the existence of a proportional principle in Guthrie's writing but instead to point out the ambiguity of some of his statements in this regard. It is important that we do distinguish carefully between a proportional and absolute interpretation since the mo will yield the same prediction only when there is no substantial difference in the number of non-cues present on the separate occasions.
Geometric optimization of van der Pauw structure based MEMS pressure sensor

This paper characterizes a piezoresistive sensor under variations of both size and orientation with respect to the silicon crystal lattice for its application to MEMS pressure sensing. The sensor to be studied is a four-terminal piezoresistive sensor commonly referred to as a van der Pauw (VDP) structure. It is observed that the sensitivity of the VDP sensor is over three times higher than the conventional filament type Wheatstone bridge resistor. With MEMS devices being used in applications which continually necessitate smaller size, characterizing the effect of size and orientation of a VDP structure on the performance of a MEMS pressure sensor is important. In this paper, the effect of relative size and misalignment of the VDP sensor on the sensitivity is investigated using a coupled piezoresistive/stress finite element model. The mode is developed to simulate the full field stress over the deformed diaphragm in which the VDP is diffused. The change in resistivity of the VDP is then analyzed to predict the sensitivity of the VDP structure. Sensor size, position relative to the diaphragm, and angular misalignment of the VDP were varied to determine a theoretical result for the dependence of VDP output on those parameters. It is determined that the performance of the sensor is strongly dependent only on the longitudinal position of the sensor on the diaphragm, and is relatively tolerant of other errors in the manufacturing process such as transverse position, sensor depth, and orientation angle.
A randomized, clinical trial comparing oral celecoxib 200 mg, celecoxib 400 mg, and ibuprofen 600 mg for acute pain

Objective: Celecoxib is a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor used to treat pain. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacies of celecoxib and ibuprofen for the treatment of acute pain. The null hypothesis was that no difference between celecoxib and ibuprofen exists. Methods: The study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. After consent, patients rated their pain on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) and categorical intensity pain scale. Patients were then randomized to receive 200-mg or 400-mg celecoxib or 600-mg ibuprofen (all orally). Patients were contacted 5 hours after receiving study medication when a second VAS score was recorded, along with categorical pain intensity, pain relief score, side effects, and number of rescue medications taken. The main outcome measures were change in visual analog pain and categorical pain intensity scores, and pain relief scores, at five hours. Results: One hundred ten patients were evaluated and 105 were enrolled. Thirty-four received celecoxib 200 mg, 32 received celecoxib 400 mg, and 39 received ibuprofen 600 mg. Ninety-one were available for the five-hour VAS and 88 for the five-hour categorical pain intensity and pain relief analysis: The two patients who were unable to read a VAS were excluded, and two enrolled patients withdrew prior to medication. One patient was excluded because his injury was a fracture, and therefore did not meet the inclusion criteria. There was no statistical difference among the treatment groups in age, time from injury to medication, initial VAS score, percent lost to follow-up, or treatment with adjunctive therapy. There was no statistical difference in change of VAS among the groups at five hours: ibuprofen 600 mg (-23.8 mm [95% CI = -31.56 mm to -16.1 mm] [n = 32]), celecoxib 200 mg (-16.1 mm [95% CI = -24.3 mm to -7.98 mm] [n = 31]), and celecoxib 400 mg (-12.4 mm [95% CI = -23.1 mm to -1.8 mm] [n = 30]) (p = 0.16). There was no significant difference between the groups, at five hours, in change of categorical pain intensity (p = 0.11) or pain relief scores (p = 0.059), though the pain relief scale approached significance favoring ibuprofen. Conclusions: No significant difference exists among emergency department (ED) patients treated for acute pain, at five hours, with celecoxib 200 mg, celecoxib 400 mg, or ibuprofen 600 mg, though the power of the study to detect a change was low, 36%. However, the magnitude of pain relief for celecoxib, coupled with the cost of the medication, questions its use in the immediate ED setting.
The “Atopic March”: MAS study

Abstract Only longitudinal studies are able to dissect risk factors associated either with the new onset of a disease or with the severity of an illness. Furthermore, the timing of any relevant exposure prior to the onset of symptoms is difficult to assess in cross-sectional studies, considering the retrospective nature of the exposure assessment. Due to these inherent limitations of these types of studies, a number of prospective surveys such as the German Multicenter Birth cohort, the MAS Study have been carried out which have considerably advanced our understanding of the natural history of allergic sensitization and its relation to asthma. Whereas, house dust mite and cat allergen exposure was a risk factor for the development of sensitization towards that specific allergen, the incidence of wheeze, asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness was not affected by the level of allergen exposure. In contrast, early life infections such as repeated rhinitis episodes in the first year of life were inversely related to the development of asthma.
Gaussian-3X (G3X) theory using coupled cluster and Brueckner energies

Variations of Gaussian-3X (G3X) theory are presented having the quadratic configuration interaction (QCISD(T)) energy calculation replaced by either a coupled cluster (CCSD(T)) or Brueckner (BD(T)) energy. This modification is reported for several G3X methods including G3X, G3X(MP3), G3X(MP2), G3SX, and G3SX(MP3). In most cases the replacement of the QCISD(T) energy by one of these alternative energies results in a slight improvement in the accuracy of these methods as assessed on the G3/99 test set of molecules. These new G3X methods are useful alternatives to the G3X methods based on quadratic configuration interaction.
Temperature effects on the allosteric responses of native and chimeric aspartate transcarbamoylases.

Although structurally very similar, the aspartate transcarbamoylases (ATCase) of Serratia marcescens and Escherichia coli have distinct allosteric regulatory patterns. It has been reported that a S. marcescens chimera, SM : rS5'ec, in which five divergent residues (r93 to r97) of the regulatory polypeptide were replaced with their Escherichia coli counterparts, possessed E. coli-like regulatory characteristics. The reverse chimera EC:rS5'sm, in which the same five residues of E. coli have been replaced with their S. marcescens counterpart, lost both heterotrophic and homotropic responses. These results indicate that the r93-r97 region is critical in defining the ATCase allosteric character. Molecular modeling of the regulatory polypeptides has suggested that the replacement of the S5' beta-strand resulted in disruption of the allosteric-zinc interface. However, the structure-function relationship could be indirect, and the disruption of the interface could influence allostery by altering the global energy of the enzyme. Studies of the temperature-sensitivity of the CTP response demonstrate that it is possible to convert CTP inhibition of the SM:rS5'ec chimera at high temperature to activation below 10 degreesC. Nonetheless, the temperature response of the native S. marcescens ATCase suggests a strong entropic effect that counteracts the CTP activation. Therefore, it is suggested that the entropy component of the coupling free energy plays a significant role in the determination of both the nature and magnitude of the allosteric effect in ATCase.
Germination response to temperature and moisture to predict distributions of the invasive grass red brome and wildfire

The annual grasses red brome (Bromus rubens L.) and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) are associated with increased frequency and size of wildfires in the Great Basin and Mojave deserts of North America. Invasion success of these exotic grasses is driven in part by germination responses to climate fluctuations. Understanding how climate influences germination characteristics of invasive grasses is critical to predicting desert wildfire. While the germination characteristics of cheatgrass have been reported, the germination requirements for red brome, the exotic grass associated with fire in the Mojave Desert, have not. Herein we characterize germination response of red brome through hydrothermal-time modeling. The hydrothermal-time requirements were matched with historic climate data to estimate optimal germination periods for red brome and its potential association with wildfire. The optimal temperature for germination in a population of red brome seeds was 19.3 °C with a hydrothermal-time constant of 38.9 MPa °C days and a mean base water potential of −1.35 MPa. Based on the hydrothermal model, high red brome germination rates are most likely to occur in wet Octobers when optimal fall temperatures overlap with adequate moisture. Abnormally high precipitation totals in the fall of 2004 created ideal conditions for red brome germination that likely contributed to the large-scale Mojave Desert fires of 2005. Predicted intensification of fall and winter precipitation events in response to climate change will likely drive further increases in red brome abundance and subsequently more widespread fire in regions of the Mojave Desert.
Sensitivity analysis of closed-loop control systems on flexible structures

Local-velocity feedback (LVF) and linear-quadratic Gaussain (LQG) control schemes are implemented on passively tuned reaction mass actuators to control the vibrations of a flexible structure. The structure is lightly damped and possesses closely coupled low-frequency resonant modes. Both LVF and LQG controllers successfully eliminate the structure's vibrations. However, if the passive tuning parameters of the actuators are slightly mistuned, implementing LVF control actually results in an unstable system. On the other hand, LQG control proves to be insensitive to large changes in the passive tuning parameters of the actuators. In fact, the system with LQG control is never unstable, no matter what the actuator's passive tuning parameters are.
Induction of pro-renin converting enzyme mk9 by thyroid hormone in the guinea-pig liver.

Abstract Kallikreins are a group of specific serine proteases and are an integral part of kallikrein–kinin system. The kallikrein–kinin system is hypotensive in nature and counteracts with the renin–angiotensin system in the maintenance of normal blood pressure. So far, four kallikrein-like enzymes, namely, mK9, mK13, mK22, and mK26, have been known to convert the inactive pro-renin into biologically active renin. Some of these enzymes are induced by the thyroid hormone. In the proposed study, we investigated the effects of thyroid hormone on the expression of genes for mk9, mk13, and mk22 enzymes. We used guinea pigs as models because these animals share many characteristics in common to humans. Male adult guinea pigs were intramuscularly injected with 2 mg/kg body weight of thyronine. Forty-eight hours following the last injection, the liver was processed for Northern blot analysis using labeled mK9, mK13, and mK22 specific RNA probes. Only mK9 was found to be transcriptionally regulated by the hormone.
Physiochemical properties of low and high molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted poly(ethylene imine) copolymers and their complexes with oligonucleotides.

Inefficient delivery of antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) to target cell nuclei remains as the foremost limitation to their usefulness. Copolymers of cationic poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been well-studied for delivery of plasmids. However, the properties of PEG−PEI−AO polyplexes have not been comprehensively investigated. Therefore, we synthesized a series of PEG−PEI copolymers and evaluated their physiochemical properties alone and when complexed with AO. The Mw of PEG was found to be the main determinant of polyplex size, via its influence on particle aggregation. DLS measurements showed that when PEG5000 was grafted to PEI2K and PEI25K, polyplex diameters were extremely small (range 10−90 nm) with minimal aggregation. In contrast, when PEG550 was grafted to PEI2K and PEI25K, polyplexes appeared as much larger aggregates (∼250 nm). As expected, the surface charge (ζ potential) was higher for polyplexes containing PEI25K than those containing PEI2K, but decreased with i...
Structural biology of glycoprotein IIb-IIIa

Glycoprotein IIb-IIIa (GPIIb-IIIa), a calcium-dependent heterodimer whose expression is restricted to platelets and megakaryocytes, contains a binding site for protein ligands such as fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor (vWf) whose exposure by platelet stimulation is a prerequisite for platelet aggregation. GPIIb-IIIa heterodimers are assembled from nascent GPIIb and GPIIIa subunits in the calcium-rich environment of the endoplasmic reticulum, and correctly folded heterodimers are transported from the endoplasmic reticulum through the Golgi apparatus to the cell surface. Agonist stimulation of platelets produces a conformational change in GPIIb-IIIa that exposes its ligand binding site, a process termed "insideout" signaling. This signaling process, by interacting with the cytoplasmic extensions of GPIIb and GPIIIa, converts the heterodimer from an inactive to an activated state capable of binding soluble ligands.
Increased sensitivity of tropical cyclogenesis to wind shear in higher SST environments

[1] A new method for evaluating the sensitivity of tropical cyclone (TC) genesis to environmental parameters involves the simulation of tropical cyclone development with a cloud-resolving model in environments of radiative-convective equilibrium (RCE) generated by the same model. This method is extended to allow for the incorporation of mean wind shear into the RCE states, thus providing much more realistic and relevant simulations of TC genesis. The “finite-amplitude” nature of tropical cyclogenesis is reproduced, with cyclogenesis resulting only when the initial vortex strength is sufficient, which in turn depends on the environmental parameters. For fixed thermodynamic parameters, the required initial vortex strength necessary for genesis increases with the mean wind shear. However, an unexpected result has been obtained, that increasing sea surface temperature (SST) does not allow TC genesis to overcome greater shear. In fact, the opposite trend is found, that shear is more effective in suppressing TC genesis when the SST is higher. This increased sensitivity can be explained by several factors, such as the higher altitude of the developing mid-level vortex, stronger downdrafts, and increased static stability, all of which allow the shear to be more effective in disrupting the developing cyclone
Foreign Accents Revisited: The English Pronunciation of Russian Immigrants†

This study investigated factors associated with the acquisition of L2 pronunciation and methodological problems associated with the study of foreign accents. Thirty-six native speakers of Russian fluent in English read specially constructed English sentences and a prose passage, and talked spontaneously about their daily routine. They also filled out background and attitude questionnaires. The three speech samples were rated for accentedness by linguistically inexperienced native speakers of English representing “the person in the street” and by language experts. The best model of pronunciation accuracy included Age at Arrival in the U.S., Sex, Ability to Mimic, and Global Speaking Proficiency in English. Sentences “seeded” with difficult sounds were judged to be more accented than was spontaneous speech. Experienced raters were more reliable and more lenient in their assessments of accent than were inexperienced ones. Subjects who came to the U.S. between the ages of 4 and 10 years were judged to have a slight foreign accent. Results suggest that factors which affect the acquisition of L2 pronunciation depend on type of primary exposure to L2, and that perception of a foreign accent depends on language samples presented for judgment and on the linguistic experience of listeners. The study also raises the possibility that the acquisition of fully accentless speech in L2 may not be possible if L1 is maintained at a high level of proficiency, no matter how young the age at which the individual started to acquire the second language.
Synthesis of graphite-SbCl5 and optical tests of its environmental stability

Abstract Details of the synthesis of stage 2 to stage 5 graphite-SbCl 5 are presented. The samples were prepared by the reaction of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite with SbCl 5 in a closed Pyrex tube by a two-temperature technique. We characterized our samples by X-ray diffractograms of the (001) reflections. The X-ray data were analyzed for the various c axis repeat distances and we found that I c ( n ) = 9.37 + ( n − 1)3.35 ± 0.02 A where n is the stage number of the compound. This results is in good agreement with previous work. Results of optical reflectance studies on samples measured in situ and on samples exposed to laboratory air for several months are presented. These studies indicate that SbCl 5 intercalates into graphite to form an environmentally stable synthetic metal.
An Experimental Study of the Effects of Promotional Techniques in Web-Based Commerce

This paper explores the effects of two specific message delivery techniques frequently adopted by online stores: continuously animated site banners and unexpected pop-up ads. Results from 128 surveys collected in a 2x2 factorial design showed that each of the two techniques had a significant effect on perceived irritation in the hypothesized direction. This paper also confirmed that perceived irritation has a significant negative relationship with a visitorâ€™s attitude toward the website. This study fills a vacuum in academic research with respect to the negative effects of Web advertising and advises caution in the deployment of certain techniques. This paper advocates future research that links format attributes and presentation techniques to attitudinal consequences in Web advertising, as well as in the design of an entire website.
Response of periodic structures by modal analysis

Abstract A periodic structure is a structure consisting of identical substructures, coupled together in identical ways to form the complete system. The undamped response of such a system is derived by using a modal analysis technique. The procedure allows for arbitrary loads and takes full advantage of the periodic properties of the structure. The algorithm is based on a technique previously developed by the authors.