cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thailand's solar white elephants: an analysis of 15 yr of solar battery charging programmes in northern Thailand

The use of decentralised renewable energy technologies to provide rural electrification in developing countries has been a common topic of analysis and policy debate for more than two decades. Unfortunately, a lack of empirical evidence about the field performance of these technologies is a significant barrier to making sound policy decisions about them. Compounded by minimal information sharing between stakeholders, this situation has frequently allowed duplication of inefficient policies. This issue is addressed here by providing empirical evidence gathered from field visits and interviews about the largest government subsidised solar battery charging programme in the world. This analysis highlights the different policies of departments responsible and discusses them with specific attention to their technical, social and economic components. Field study results from over 50 villages in the north of Thailand suggest about 60 per cent of these systems are no longer operational. Many of the technical failures observed are attributed to social factors, as well as flawed implementation strategies.
Secure Information Delivery through High Bitrate Data Embedding within Digital Video and its Application to Audio/Video Synchronization

Secure communication has traditionally been ensured with data encryption, which has become easier to break than before due to the advancement of computing power. For this reason, information hiding techniques have emerged as an alternative to achieve secure communication. In this research, a novel information hiding methodology is proposed to deliver secure information with the transmission/broadcasting of digital video. Secure data will be embedded within the video frames through vector quantization. At the receiver end, the embedded information can be extracted without the presence of the original video contents. In this system, the major performance goals include visual transparency, high bitrate, and robustness to lossy compression. Based on the proposed methodology, the authors have developed a novel synchronization scheme, which ensures audio/video synchronization through speech-in-video techniques. Compared to existing algorithms, the main contributions of the proposed methodology are: (1) it achieves both high bitrate and robustness against lossy compression; (2) it has investigated impact of embedded information to the performance of video compression, which has not been addressed in previous research. The proposed algorithm is very useful in practical applications such as secure communication, captioning, speech-in-video, video-in-video, etc.
CLUSTERING OF GENE EXPRESSION DATA AND END-POINT MEASUREMENTS BY SIMULATED ANNEALING

Most clustering techniques do not incorporate phenotypic data. Limited biological interpretation is garnered from the informal process of clustering biological samples and then labeling groups with the phenotypes of the samples. A more formal approach of clustering samples is presented. The method utilizes simulated annealing of the Modk-prototypes objective function. Separate weighting terms are used for microarray, clinical chemistry, and histopathology measurements to control the influence of each data domain on the clustering of the samples. The weights are adapted during the clustering process. A cluster's prototype is representative of the phenotype of the cluster members. Genes are extracted from phenotypic prototypes obtained from the livers of rats exposed to acetaminophen (an analgesic and antipyretic agent) that differed in the extent of centrilobular necrosis. Map kinase signaling and linoleic acid metabolism were significant biological processes influenced by the exposures of acetaminophen that manifested centrilobular necrosis.
Soviet aims in europe

new arms control agreement to serve as the centerpiece of a second summit meeting in the latter half of 1986 or early 1987. The extent to which compliance has become a sore point in United States-Soviet relations and has raised doubts in the United States about the reliability of the USSR as a negotiating partner, indicates that the two countries will need to pursue settlement of the outstanding compliance problems as a first step toward a new arms accord. Agreement on the issues that have emerged from the compliance d i spu te -more precise limits on LPHARs, more airtight limits on encryption and on ICBM modernization, and many other possible measures to strengthen the existing arms control regime--would provide an appropriate and convenient series of successful accords for another Reagan-Gorbachev summit meeting. Formal United States and Soviet recommitment to the ABM treaty and other accords, together with agreement on updating and rendering much more precise the provisions that have come under pressure from the two countries' military programs, appear increasingly possible today because of Soviet incentives for a new arms control agreement. Such a set of agreed interpretations of past treaties could smooth the road toward new accords. In any case, it stretches the imagination to believe that the United States and the Soviet Union will be able to conclude the comprehensive agreements both are now proposing, reaching far beyond the terms of existing treaties, in the absence of the ability to even confirm their adherence to the more modest limitations of the past. []
Multiple Length Scales and Averaging in Modelling of Long-Distance Optical Fiber Transmission

When scientists model long-distance optical fiber communication systems, we must deal with a wide range of length scales extending from 1.5 µm, which is the wavelength of the transmitted light signal, to 27 Mm, which the length of the FLAG cable network. In between, there are a host of other length scales whose values depend on the fiber parameters. These include the pulse scale lengths which are in the range of 0.3-30 cm, the polarization beat length which is 3-30 m, and the fiber polarization orientation correlation length which is on the order of 10-100 m. The attenuation scale length is 20-30 km, and the scale lengths for polarization mode dispersion and chromatic dispersion can be as small as 100 km and can be almost arbitrarily large. These scale lengths depends on both the fiber parameters and the data rate. Nonlinear scale lengths are typically on the order of 1000 km. The gap of 13 orders of magnitude between the shortest and the longest scale lengths seems like a serious challenge, and it would in fact be an insuperable challenge if we really attempted to solve Maxwell’s equations on a scale length of micrometers to determine the behavior over the many thousands of kilometers that exist in real systems. While there have been some attempts to directly solve Maxwell’s equations in optical fibers over short lengths and in special parameter regimes,1 my own view is that it does not make much sense to apply this sort of brute force approach to optical fiber transmission. Instead, we should take advantage of the very powerful mathematical averaging techniques that exist to, in effect, leap over the shortest length scales and focus on the length scales of interest. These techniques have a long and distinguished history that dates back to the 19th century,2 and the well-known slowly varying envelope approximation that is used in optics can be viewed as an application of these techniques.
Supportive Others in the Lives of College Students and Their Relevance to Hope.

This paper considers the functions of supportive individuals in the lives of community college and 4-year college students and how such support can promote hope, defined as agency and pathways thin...
Observations of solar oscillations of low and intermediate degree

Measurements are presented of solar velocity oscillations with spherical harmonic degree 1-139 and angular order approximately 0. With an amplitude sensitivity of approximately 2 cm/s, trapped acoustic wave modes of radial orders 2-26 are observed at frequencies between 1.7 and 5.5 mHz. The radial order identifications of low-degree modes previously inferred from theory are confirmed. Only marginal evidence of long-period, gravity-mode oscillations is found.
Transcriptional profiling by sequencing of oropharyngeal cancer.

Objective To compare full transcriptome expression levels of matched tumor and normal samples from patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma stratified by known tumor etiologic factors.
Single-scattering parabolic equation solutions for elastic media propagation, including Rayleigh waves

The parabolic equation method with a single-scattering correction allows for accurate modeling of range-dependent environments in elastic layered media. For problems with large contrasts, accuracy and efficiency are gained by subdividing vertical interfaces into a series of two or more single-scattering problems. This approach generates several computational parameters, such as the number of interface slices, an iteration convergence parameter τ, and the number of iterations n for convergence. Using a narrow-angle approximation, the choices of n = 1 and τ = 2 give accurate solutions. Analogous results from the narrow-angle approximation extend to environments with larger variations when slices are used as needed at vertical interfaces. The approach is applied to a generic ocean waveguide that includes the generation of a Rayleigh interface wave. Results are presented in both frequency and time domains.
Approximate solution of random integral equations: general methods

Abstract In this article we present a brief survey of some of the general methods that have been used, are being used, and will be used to obtain approximate solutions of several classes of random integral equations.
Mixed aryl–alkyl organotin compounds, ArnMeSnCl3−n (Ar = RC6H4, R = H, ethyl, i-propyl, t-butyl; n-hexyl, n-octyl) and the effect of R upon antibiotic activity†

The synthesis of a new series of arylmethyltin chlorides is reported, ArnMeSnCl3−n (Ar = RC6H4, R = H, ethyl, i-propyl, t-butyl; hexyl, octyl). The synthesis involves initial formation of triarylmethyltin compounds, Ar3MeSn, via Grignard techniques followed by HCl–Et2O aryl group cleavage, preferably in a stepwise manner. Preliminary biological activity against Staphylococcus aureus illustrates the importance of the para-alkyl substituents and reinforces that an optimal hydrophobic character is needed for maximum efficacy. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relation of physician specialty and HIV/AIDS experience to choice of guideline-recommended antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists regarding who should provide care for those with HIV/AIDS. While previous studies have found an association between physician HIV experience and patient outcomes, less is known about the relationship of physician specialty to HIV/AIDS outcomes or quality of care.
Metabolic activation of procarbazine

Abstract Procarbazine chemical degradation and rat in vitro and in vivo metabolism have been investigated. Procarbazine was rapidly oxidized to the azo derivative in aqueous solution in the presence of oxygen. In vitro rat liver supernatany and microsomal preparations oxidize the azo function to azoxy isomers and further hydroxylate these metabolites in a manner that may by analogous to 1,2-dimethylhydrazine metabolism. The hydroxylated metabolites are activated species that chemically react to give methylating and alkylating agents. An additional metabolic pathway was observed in vivo . This suggests that procarbazine may be converted to free radical intermediates that decompose to give methane and N-isopropyltoluamide. Procarbazine metabolites have been separated and identified using high performance liquid chromatography and direct probe chemical ionization mass spectrometry.
Effect of a cylindrical boundary on a fixed rigid sphere in a moving viscous fluid

In this investigation of the effect of a cylindrical boundary on a spherical particle suspended in a moving viscous fluid the pressure drop due to the motion of fluid past a stationary sphere and the drag on the sphere are independently measured, and the sphere- to-cylinder-diameter ratios varying from 0.1250 to 0.3125 are studied at different positions of eccentricity. The investigation shows that in the range of Reynolds numbers from 0.1 to 40.0, based on the approach velocity to the sphere and the diameter of the sphere, the pressure drop due to the presence of a sphere and the drag on it can be represented by a semiempirical relationship containing two terms. One term, owing to the effect of the cylindrical boundary, is derived theoretically from the creeping-motion equations which neglect inertial effects. The second term, owing to the inertial effects, is established from data on the drag coefficient of a sphere in on unbounded medium.
Carbosilane polymers with hydrogen bond acidic functionalization for chemical preconcentrator applications

Vapor collection systems, including solid phase microextraction (SPME), require the ability to selectively collect and concentrate a sample from a large volume of air. In the case of SPME, polymers are needed to adhere to the fiber for greater reproducibility and longer lasting fibers. The polymerization of carbosilanes was investigated and produced polymers with molecular weights over 500,000. This polymer class was then functionalized with hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) end groups that will selectively sorb hydrogen bond basic vapors. The results of vapor testing with these polymers utilizing a variety of platforms such as preconcentrators, Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensors, and microcantilevers will be discussed.
Collaborative action research: Teachers’ stages of development and school contexts

(1987). Collaborative action research: Teachers’ stages of development and school contexts. Peabody Journal of Education: Vol. 64, The Potential and Practice of Action Research Part 1, pp. 96-115.
Embedding C*-algebra extensions into AF algebras

Abstract Sufficient conditions are given for a C∗-algebra extension to be embeddable into an AF algebra, when it is known that the ideal and quotient algebras can be so embedded. An appliction is made to a class of type I C∗-algebras.
Heinrich Wettstein (1880), A Swiss Forerunner of Global Mobilism

Heinrich Wettstein (1831-1895) from Switzerland should be considered a forerunner of global mobilism. His 1880 book "Die Stromungen des Festen, Flussigen und Gasformigen und ihre Bedeutung fur Geologie, Astronomie, Klimatologie und Meteorologie" presented the hypothesis of westward displacement and deformation of continents under the effect of the sun's gravitational pull. According to Wettstein, mountain ranges are formed when westward creeping sedimentary sequences encounter and override obstacles on the upper surface of a rigid substratum. However, formation of mountains with related earthquakes and volcanism is only a temporary and secondary effect of a larger generalized westward creeping of the continents themselves over a similar rigid substratum. Such large-scale displacements, deformations, temporary separations, and junctions of continents across fixed climatic belts are demonstrated, said Wettstein, by variations of superposed fossil faunas and floras and by their dispersal patterns. Although t...
Kitting versus line stocking: A conceptual framework and a descriptive model☆

Abstract In this paper, based on a number of site visits we performed, we present certain fundamental differences between kitting and line stocking (i.e., no kitting), and we develop definitions which are intended to serve as a framework to study most kitting operations. We also develop a descriptive model which can be used to quantify the trade-offs in material handling, space requirements, and work-in-process between kitting and line stocking at an early decision stage. We present a numerical example to demonstrate the model and some of the insight we gained. Lastly, we discuss new research directions to further explore kitting and its impact on the shop floor.
Immersion defectivity control by optimizing immersion materials and processes

Volume production of 55nm node device using Nikon immersion lithography tool, S609B, has started. One very important issue for volume production immersion lithography is defectivity control. The mainstream resist process for the initial stage of immersion is to use a topcoat, because chip manufacturers can continue to use conventional resist whose lithographic properties are well characterized. On the other hand, because of its simplicity and cost effectiveness, a topcoat-less resist process is an attractive candidate for the second stage of immersion lithography. Intensive study and development of topcoat-less resist is being done by resist vendors. One unexpected benefit of topcoat-less resist is it is much easier to increase hydrophobicity than developer soluble topcoat. For defectivity analysis of both topcoat and topcoat-less process, a dedicated immersion cluster comprised of a volume production immersion exposure tool, S609B, with NA of 1.07 and a resist coater-developer LITHIUS i+ (TEL) is used. Excellent defectivity data obtained using various materials and processes are shown in this paper. Understanding the root cause of defects is very important to control them. Defect source analysis (DSA) revealed particles cause many types of defects. Interesting correlations between particles and other topcoat defects and resultant pattern defects are shown in this paper. In the immersion resist process, wafer edge condition is one key issue. Using topcoat-less resist, wafer edge condition and its defectivity dependency is discussed and analyzed.
Toward Accountability in the Use of the Self‐Esteem Construct

Self-esteem is a common target of intervention, and the proliferation of research on self-esteem attests to the widely held belief of its significance as a personality variable. Despite its popularity, there is limited consistency in the use of its definition, and little evidence suggests that counselors routinely assess levels of self-esteem. This indicates a lack of attention to accountability in the quality of counselor services. This article provides a step toward accountability by presenting a review of the evolution of self-esteem as a construct, offering definitions grounded in the professional literature, and discussing a compendium of self-esteem assessments. Working toward consistency and responsibility in defining and assessing self-esteem can positively influence effective self-esteem interventions.
Vibrational spectroscopic studies in the hydrolysis and condensation of chlorotrimethylsilane

Raman and infrared spectroscopy were used to study the hydrolysis and condensation of chlorotrimethylsilane (CTMC) in aqueous organic solvents. From the recorded spectra and their intensity variation with time, we were able to identify trimethylsilanol as the reaction intermediate or the hydrolysis product as well as hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) as the final condensation product. The measured Raman intensity of CTMS at different time revealed that hydrolysis of CTMS is first order in terms of the CTMS concentration. From the Raman spectra collected under different conditions, it was noted that condensation reaction rates is faster in neutral condition than in acidic condition.
Residential Adjustment of Elders: Learning from Experiences With Parents and Peers

The ways elders learn from the experiences of their parents and peers in coping with declining health can affect residential adjustments they make themselves to minimize their exposure to long-term-care risks. Experiences of parents and peers can affect predisposition toward residential options, and parental and peer experiences sometimes can have major influences in elder residential choices. Drawing on qualitative interviews with community-residing elders, we illustrate how elders critically assess how their own parents and peers responded to declining health. We then show how these assessments influence the residential thinking and adjustments of these elders in anticipation of their own declining self-care capacity.
Variation in serum insulin and glucose of rats with chronic cold exposure.

Abstract An intraocular ovarian graft from a normal or sterile androgenized rat into a normal female rat induces the transformation of the ovaries of the host animal to polycystic ovaries. Persistent estrus is observed and no corpora lutea are found in the ovaries of the host. These ovaries, once transformed into polycystic, do not need the presence of the graft any longer to be maintained as such.
Abstract 3332: Obesity drives epithelial/mesenchymal transition and tumor progression in a novel Wnt-1 mammary cancer model

Epidemiological evidence suggests a potential role of obesity in regulating clinical subtype, differentiation status, and prognosis of breast cancer. Specifically, an elevated waist-hip ratio is associated with increased risk and progression of basal-like breast cancer, an aggressive form characterized by heterogeneous tumors typically enriched in a putative breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) population. Therefore, we hypothesized that obesity regulates a plastic population of multipotent malignant cells. To test this hypothesis, we generated and characterized two distinct murine mammary tumor cell lines derived from MMTV-Wnt-1 transgenic mice. M-Wnt cells displayed a mesenchymal morphology while E-Wnt cells had an epithelial morphology. M-Wnt cells harbored a large CD44+/CD24- putative cancer stem cell population (62% +7.8), had significant mammosphere forming capacity (>30% of cells form mammospheres, p Control, p=0.011; CR Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3332. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3332
Joint spectral measurements at the Hong-Ou-Mandel interference dip

We employed a 2-channel single-photon detection system with high detection efficiency and low jitter to characterize the joint spectral probability distribution of correlated photons emerging from a Hong-Ou-Mandel interference arrangement. The high detection efficiency allows simultaneous measurement of all frequency components emerging from the source. The results show that the photons show an evolution from bunching to anti-bunching by the entangling beamsplitter of the HOM interferometer.
Canine acanthomatous epulis: The only common spontaneous ameloblastoma in animals

This article describes the acanthomatous epulis in dogs, a quite common lesion that appears to be the counterpartof human ameloblastoma. Histologically, it resembles closely the acanthomatous pattern of human ameloblastoma and like ameloblastomas in human beings, it infiltrates cancellous bone; moreover, it has no tendency to metastasize. Veterinarians have sometimes treated the acanthomatous epulis with therapeutic irradiation, providing one example when this tumor served as an animal model for human ameloblastoma. Although this treatment has cured some animals, others have developed postirradiation malignancies.
Annular Tilt as a Screening Test for Right Ventricular Enlargement in Patients with Tetralogy of Fallot

Background Right ventricular end-diastolic volume (RVEDV) greater than 150 mL/m 2 is a risk factor for sudden death in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) after repair. Because of its anterior placement and abnormal geometry, two-dimensional echocardiography is limited to a qualitative assessment of RVEDV. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are the accepted standards for quantifying RVEDV. This study evaluated the ability of a novel echocardiographic measure, the right ventricular annular tilt (RVAT), to identify patients with increased RVEDV. Methods All patients with repaired TOF with an echocardiogram and CMRI or CTA were included in this retrospective study. The RVAT was determined by measuring the angle of the tricuspid valve plane relative to the mitral valve plane at end-diastole in the apical 4-chamber view in study ( n = 38) and age-matched control ( n = 74) patients. The RVEDV measurements were obtained by CMRI ( n = 32) or CTA ( n = 6). The study and control patients' ages were no different (11.3 and 11.8 years, P = .73). Results The study group RVAT was significantly higher than the control group RVAT (17.4 vs. 0.1 degrees; P 2 , whereas RVAT less than 20 degrees had a mean RVEDV of 122 ± 25 mL/m 2 ( P = .0370). Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated an RVAT of 17.9 degrees as the cutoff for predicting a RVEDV of greater than 150 mL/m 2 with a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 73% (area under the curve=0.76; confidence interval, 0.56-0.96; P = .0063). Intraclass correlation analysis demonstrated minimal interobserver and intraobserver variability when measuring RVAT (0.99 and 0.92). Conclusion An RVAT less than 20 degrees is associated with an RVEDV less than 150 mL/m 2 . RVAT is a useful echocardiographic technique for detecting increased RVEDV in patients with TOF and may help discern which patients should undergo RVEDV quantification by CMRI or CTA.
The Uncompensated Costs of Electricity

From earliest days, employees of the Consolidated Edison Gas and Electric Company (Con Edison or Con Ed, for short) experienced a disproportionate rate of accidents, occupational disease, and death. But when a conscientious shop steward tried to get information about the hazards of radiation exposure at Indian Point, Con Ed's nuclear power plant, Utility Workers Local 1–2 lifted his steward's card and charged him with bringing willful harm to his union. In 1989, four employees of Con Edison were killed in the Gramercy Park explosion that spewed asbestos all over the neighborhood. Con Edison lied about the presence of asbestos to the union and the public. Then the union started paying attention to the asbestos their members were exposed to on the job. This is the story of “loyal oppositionists” in Local 1–2 and their efforts to get health and safety on the agenda of both the company and the union in a very dangerous and unhealthy industry.
Apixaban: a novel oral inhibitor of factor Xa.

Purpose The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of apixaban are reviewed. Summary Apixaban is an oral, direct, selective factor Xa inhibitor with a rapid onset of action. It has a plasma elimination half-life of 12 hours and has been administered in a twice-daily dosing regimen in clinical trials without the need for anticoagulation monitoring or dosage adjustment. Apixaban has multiple elimination pathways, and its pharmacokinetics is not substantially altered by patient age, sex, race, or ethnicity. The results of three Phase III trials indicated that apixaban was similar to or more effective than enoxaparin for preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement, with similar or lower rates of bleeding. Two Phase III trials found that apixaban was more effective for stroke prevention than either aspirin or warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), with a similar (versus aspirin) or improved (versus warfarin) safety profile. A Phase III trial evaluating apixaban plus antiplatelet monotherapy or dual-antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome ended early due to clear evidence of a clinically important increase in bleeding among patients randomized to apixaban without any meaningful reduction in ischemic events. The adverse-event profiles for apixaban and comparators have been similar in studies conducted to date. Conclusion Apixaban, a new anticoagulant, appears to offer an efficacy and safety profile comparable with that of enoxaparin for preventing VTE after orthopedic surgery, with the advantage of oral administration. In patients with AF, apixaban is more effective than either warfarin or aspirin for stroke prevention, with an acceptable safety profile.
Absence of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Reduces Atherosclerosis in Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor–Deficient Mice

Abstract Recruitment of blood monocytes into the arterial subendothelium is one of the earliest steps in atherogenesis. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a CC chemokine, is one likely signal involved in this process. To test MCP-1's role in atherogenesis, low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor–deficient mice were made genetically deficient for MCP-1 and fed a high cholesterol diet. Despite having the same amount of total and fractionated serum cholesterol as LDL receptor–deficient mice with wild-type MCP-1 alleles, LDL receptor/MCP-1-deficient mice had 83% less lipid deposition throughout their aortas. Consistent with MCP-1's monocyte chemoattractant properties, compound-deficient mice also had fewer macrophages in their aortic walls. Thus, MCP-1 plays a unique and crucial role in the initiation of atherosclerosis and may provide a new therapeutic target in this disorder.
Studying Surgical Disparities: It’s Not All Black and White

Over the past several years, there has been an explosion of publications describing disparities in virtually all aspects of our health care system. Surgery is no exception, with recent studies relating inequities in surgical care and outcomes based on race, gender, age, socioeconomics, education, and even location of where an individual lives. Progress, however, has remained slow and a major reason for this has been the lack of elucidation of the mechanisms that lead to disparities. Without understanding these, it is impossible to create effective solutions. Since most people who will be reading this chapter are surgeons, we would strongly recommend all of you to focus on identifying causes of disparities or on creating and testing innovative programs to reduce them.
Toward rapid and iterative development of tangible, collaborative, distributed user interfaces

Distributed, tangible, collaborative applications involve potentially complex interactions of users, computing platforms, and physical artifacts. Realizing the necessary connections for these interactions can create hardware and software dependencies early in development, resulting in a system that is difficult to adapt to design changes. The Ensemble architecture is designed to encourage exploratory development of these systems by limiting the impact of changing components. Ensemble is a product of the exploratory design process it supports, evolving through use in two distinct application domains. The experience gained from these implementations has shaped Ensemble's structure and design priorities, resulting in a component-based architecture that includes: (i) an application framework and graphical user interface support; (ii) a service framework, including service publication and discovery; (iii) local and remote event handling; (iv) distributed user and resource coordination; and (v) a structured configuration language shared by all Ensemble components.
Disparities in Periodontitis Prevalence among Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Because of adverse effects of uremia in the innate and adaptive immune systems, we hypothesized that chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients would have higher prevalence of moderate periodontitis compared with individuals without CKD. We examined this hypothesis using the NHANES III dataset, including 12,081 adults stratified by Race-Ethnicity. We followed the American Academy of Periodontology/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition for moderate periodontitis. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated based on calibrated serum creatinine levels according to the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study formula. Analyses incorporated NHANES sampling weights. Overall, 14.6% of individuals with CKD were classified as having moderate periodontitis, compared with 8.7% in the non-CKD group (p = 0.001). A significant dose-response association (p = 0.001) was observed between prevalence of moderate periodontitis and CKD stages among non-Hispanic Blacks and Mexican-Americans, but not so for non-Hispanic Whites. Prevalence of periodontitis among participants with CKD was substantially higher among non-Hispanic Blacks (38.9%) and Mexican-Americans (37.3%) compared with non-Hispanic Whites (12.9%). Multivariate logistic regression models showed that Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic Blacks with CKD were approximately 30% to 60% more likely to have moderate periodontitis compared with those without CKD, after adjustment for diabetes status and other potential confounders.
A follow-up on humanoid-mediated stroke physical rehabilitation

We report the results of standardized tests on a single subject with a stroke at 4, 20 and 28 weeks after completion of the study. These results follow from previous work [1]. The subject demonstrated sustained improvement in motor function 28 weeks after completing the study. In addition to quantitative results, the questionnaire results by the subject and the spouse testify that the subjective user experience was also positive. This further advocates the use of general purpose robots to complement human therapists.
Estimation of micromixing parameters from tracer concentration fluctuation measurements

A method of micromixing parameter estimation is proposed which is convenient and applicable to a wide variety of models. One conducts a typical tracer response test, except that in addition to the (time- averaged) mean tracer response, the variance of the tracer response is also recorded as a function of time. Micromixing parameters for a given model are determined by equating the predicted and measured values of the time response of the tracer concentration variance. The predicted tracer concentration fluctuation response has been determined for both step and pulse tracer tests, for the IEM model, the coalescence- redispersion model, and the two-, three- and four-environment models. Parameter estimates were calculated by minimizing the mismatch between predicted and measured concentration fluctuation responses. Preliminary numerical results indicate that the method provides satisfactory parameter estimates, even from moderately noisy measurements. These results also show that statistical analysis of the fit to measured response data can provide discrimination between competing mixing models.
Underwater acoustic MIMO channel capacity

The underwater acoustic channel is rich in multipath scattering, making it a promising environment for the application of MIMO communications. However, for typical underwater communications channels, there are difficulties associated with the large fractional bandwidths, significant Doppler dispersion and latencies measured in seconds. We use simulated and experimental data to estimate the channel capacity for typical shallow water MIMO channels, and motivate particular beamforming algorithms which cope with the difficult acoustic environment.
Health information technology evaluation and education: finding our way.

Health information technology (IT) has been championed as a way to improve and expand patient communication with the health care team, reduce medical errors, create disease registries, improve provider coordination, empower self-management behaviors, and improve both the quality and efficiency of care. 1-12 However, as family medicine educators, we must consider two important questions. Is health IT delivering what it promises for practice improvement? And how well are we educating our learners about the use of health IT innovations? This issue of Family Medicine is dedicated to research about health IT. It explores the perils, pitfalls, and triumphs associated with health IT implementation and with teaching our learners to use new health IT tools. We are exploring new territory as we learn about and use health IT innovations. However, many of these new technologies are understudied and can lead to unintended consequences. 13 We need to guide others into these new frontiers, while maintaining family medicine’s core values. Health IT has certainly been heralded as a way to improve communication between the patient and the health care team. Two of this issue’s articles focus on teaching residents and medical students to communicate electronically with their patients. Heather Paladine, MD, and her colleagues tackled the problem of teaching resident physicians best practices for electronic communication with their patients. They developed a novel curriculum on electronic communication and distributed it online using the STFM Resource Library (www.fmdrl.org). They report the results of their pretest and posttest assessments of resident and faculty physicians at 16 family medicine residencies. Amber Barnhart, MD, and colleagues also tackled the problem of teaching best practices for electronic communication with patients but at the medical student level. They also developed a curriculum based on best practice guidelines. They sent weekly mock patient e-mails to medical students and graded their responses. They describe the curriculum and results
Fusarisetins: Structure-function studies on a novel class of cell migration inhibitors.

Herein, we report the effects of fusarisetin A on cell morphology focusing in particular on actin and microtubules dynamics. We also report the synthesis and structure–function studies of a designed library of synthetic fusarisetins in cell-based assays.
Childhood predictors of adult criminality: are all risk factors reflected in childhood aggressiveness?

BACKGROUND: Early aggressive behaviour is one of the best predictors of adult criminality. AIM: To assess the degree to which family background variables, parental beliefs and behaviour and child intelligence predict child aggression and adult criminality. METHOD: Data were used from the Colombia County Longitudinal Study, a longitudinal study of 856 children in third grade in New York, in 1959-60. Adult measures of criminal behaviour, child measures taken at age eight, child peer-nominated aggression, child's peer-nominated popularity, child's IQ and parental measures at eight years were used. RESULTS: Aggressive children were less intelligent, less popular, rejected more by their parents, had parents who believed in punishment, were less identified with their parents' self-image and were less likely to express guilt. As adults, more aggressive children with parents who were less well educated, experienced more marital disharmony and who seldom attended church were most at risk for arrest. However, after the effect of early aggression was controlled, most effects disappeared and only parents having a strong belief in punishment added significantly to risk of arrest by age 30; the only fact that then reduced the risk of arrest was having parents who attended church often. Both parental authoritarianism and child IQ reduced the risk of conviction for arrested children. DISCUSSION: Level of aggression at age eight is the best predictor of criminal events over the next 22 years. A clear implication is that the risk for criminality is affected by much that happens to a boy before he is eight years old. Preventive interventions need to target risk factors that appear to influence the development of early aggression. Language: en
Intersectin enhances huntingtin aggregation and neurodegeneration through activation of c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase

Huntingon's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease arising from expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the protein huntingtin (Htt) resulting in aggregation of mutant Htt into nuclear and/or cytosolic inclusions in neurons. Mutant Htt affects multiple processes including protein degradation, transcription, signal transduction, fast axonal transport and endocytosis [reviewed in Ross, C.A. and Poirier, M.A. (2005) Opinion: what is the role of protein aggregation in neurodegeneration? Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell. Biol., 6, 891-898]. Here, we report that the endocytic and signal transduction scaffold intersectin (ITSN) increased aggregate formation by mutant Htt through activation of the c-Jun-NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK)-MAPK pathway. Conversely, silencing ITSN or inhibiting JNK attenuated aggregate formation. Using a Drosophila model for polyQ repeat disease, we observed that ITSN enhanced polyQ-mediated neurotoxicity. A reciprocal relationship was observed between ITSN and Htt. While ITSN enhanced Htt aggregation and toxicity, Htt, in turn, inhibited the cooperativity between ITSN and the epidermal growth factor receptor signal transduction pathway. Finally, we observed that ITSN overexpression enhanced aggregation of polyQ-expanded androgen receptor (AR) as well as wild-type versions of both Htt and AR suggesting a broader involvement of ITSN in neurodegenerative diseases through destabilization of polyQ-containing proteins.
Central Nervous System Infections in Travelers

International travelers commonly contract infections while abroad, many of which are primary neurological diseases or have potential neurological sequelae. The implications of these neuroinfectious diseases extend beyond the individual, since returning travelers may contribute to the spread of infection in novel areas. In this review, we discuss signs, symptoms, treatments, and prophylaxes for these infections, as well as emerging trends with regard to neuroinfectious diseases of the returning traveler.
Analgesia induced by localized injection of opiate peptides into the brain of infant rats.

Background Stimulation of a variety of brain sites electrically or by opiates activates descending inhibitory pathways to attenuate noxious input to the spinal cord dorsal horn and produce analgesia. Analgesia induced by electrical stimulation of the periaqueductal gray of the midbrain (PAG) or medial rostral ventral medulla (RVM) matures late, towards the end or past the preweaning period. Descending facilitation takes precedence over inhibition. Yet opiates injected ICV or directly into the PAG induce analgesia relatively early in development. Our goal was to reexamine the role of opiates specific to individual receptor types in analgesia at several supraspinal sites.
A study of BGP path vector route looping behavior

Measurements have shown evidences of inter-domain packet forwarding loops in the Internet, but the exact cause of these loops remains unclear. As one of the efforts in identifying the causes, this paper examines how transient loops can be created at the inter-domain level via BGP, and what are the major factors that contribute to duration of the routing loops. As a path-vector routing protocol, BGP messages list the entire AS path to each destination and the path information enables each node to detect, thus break, arbitrarily long routing loops involving itself. However, delays due to physical constrains and protocol mechanisms slow down routing updates propagation and the routing information inconsistencies among the nodes lead to loop formation during convergence. We show that the duration of transient BGP loops match closely to BGP's routing convergence time and the looping duration is linearly proportional to BGP's minimum route advertisement interval timer (MRAI) value. We also examine four BGP routing convergence enhancements and show that two enhancements effective in speeding up routing convergence are also effective in reducing routing loops.
The characterization and incidence of pale, soft, and exudative broiler meat in a commercial processing plant

Pale, soft, exudative (PSE) turkey meat is a growing problem for the industry of further processed poultry meat. The low pH condition due to rapid glycolysis while the body temperature is still high leads to protein denaturation, causing pale color and reduced water-holding capacity. This condition impacts product yield and quality. These studies were designed to estimate the incidence of PSE broiler meat in a commercial plant and to use response surface methodology to characterize the relationship between pH and lightness (at deboning and at 24 h postmortem), expressible moisture, drip loss, and cook loss. Pale fillets had significantly lower pH, greater L* values at 3 and 24 h postmortem, and higher expressible moisture, drip loss, and cook loss. The lower water-holding capacity of the pale fillets was characteristic of PSE meat. Additionally, L* values were measured on 3,554 boneless broiler breast fillets in a commercial processing line. By using the L* value range (>54) from the pale group of fillets as an indication of paleness, approximately 47% of the 3,554 fillets were pale and could potentially exhibit poor water-holding capacity. These results may not represent the entire industry but indicate that PSE chicken can represent a substantial proportion of commercially processed broiler meat.
Ranibizumab for Uveitic Macular Edema: Why?

N THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH UVEITIS, CYSTOID macular edema (CME) is a common sight-threatening complication for which vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors seem to be a reasonably effective therapy. The use of VEGF inhibitors for CME typifies one important feature of uveitis therapy: randomized trials are lacking, and supporting data are derived from clinical experience and a small number of clinical case series. In this issue of THE JOURNAL, Acharya and associates present their experience with ranibizumab (Lucentis; Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA) in the management of 7 patients, showing reduction in macular swelling and improvement in visual acuity (VA) at the 3 month primary endpoint. 1 This study was funded by
Arithmetic coding for memoryless cost channels

The authors analyze the expected delay for infinite precision arithmetic codes and suggest a practical implementation that concentrates on the issue of delay. >
Routing and Topology Embedding in Lightwave Networks

The need of high speed networks, for applications incorporating high performance distributed computing, multimedia communication and real time network services, has provided the impetus for the study of optical networks. Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) has been used widely for studying the throughput performance of optical networks. We studied WDM lightwave networks with tunable transceivers including designs for lightwave networks with limited tuning ranges for transceivers.
Xenophobia and Nationalism in Russia

We consider the relationship between xenophobia and nationalism in Russia, by examining multi-level determinants of xenophobia and considering how those factors speak to existing models of nationalism. We begin with a discussion of the theoretical relationship between xenophobia and nationalism, including definitions and theoretical models of contributing factors. We then conduct an original analysis of the determinants of xenophobia in Russia. In particular, using hierarchical linear models we analyze how individual and regional level characteristics affect xenophobic attitudes. We discuss the significance of these findings within the context of the Russia and in the broader evaluation of common understandings of the causes of xenophobia. We then discuss these results in light of the existing literature on nationalism in Russia and other former Soviet states.Individual level data for the xenophobia analysis were collected in 2003-2004; we compiled regional level data from Russian statistical agencies and the All-Russia 2002 Census for the 43 regions in which we had individual survey responses.
Baghdad Music Journal: A Soldier's Move toward Technology in Music

The author was deployed to Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army National Guard in April 2004. He left his acoustic piano roots and embraced electronic music as a way to stay involved with music during his deployment. While deployed in Iraq, Thompson recorded and released a CD entitled Baghdad Music Journal (BMJ) . The soldier’s recording was made and released while he was deployed to an active war zone and is a document of his experience. Describing his time in Iraq, he discusses how it has changed his musical practice.