cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
"Silver effect" in gold(I) catalysis: an overlooked important factor.

Clear experimental evidence from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and 31P NMR spectroscopy has been obtained for the first time to confirm that the combination of Ag+ cation with [L-Au]+ results in the formation of different complexes in solution. Re-evaluation of literature-reported gold-catalyzed reactions revealed a significant difference in the reactivities with and without silver. In extreme cases (more than “rare”), the conventional [L-Au]+ catalysts could not promote the reaction without the presence of silver. This investigation has therefore revealed a long-overlooked “silver effect” in gold catalysis and should lead to revision of the actual mechanism.
Prevalence and characteristics of pseudohypertension in patients with “resistant hypertension”

Pseudohypertension has been described as a cause of resistant hypertension, due to medial hypertrophy of the artery from atherosclerosis. This phenomenon results in an elevated cuff pressure compared with intra-arterial measurements and is found primarily in populations with advanced age and atherosclerotic disease. The purpose of this review was to investigate the clinical picture and medical outcomes of patients with this phenomenon. We conducted a retrospective chart review between April 2009 and October 2011 of 244 patients seen in our Hypertension clinic. Baseline characteristics and outcomes of pharmacologic and lifestyle modifications were analyzed. There were 17/244 (7%) patients found to have pseudohypertension among patients enrolled. The mean number of antihypertensive medications decreased from 3.7 to 2.7, following a mean of 4.1 visits. All patients had a brachial artery bruit and triphasic blood pressure readings via Doppler. Our findings suggest that elderly patients with concomitant history of atherosclerotic disease, renal insufficiency, and diabetes mellitus have the highest risk of developing pseudohypertension. This condition should be considered in patients with resistant hypertension. Blood pressure measurement with Doppler can be considered as a noninvasive investigation. Recognition of this entity may result in potential cost reduction with fewer medications prescribed.
Contact resistance in organic thin film transistors

This letter reports on the unexpected dependence of contact resistance on the dielectric layer for pentacene thin film transistors with printed organic conducting electrodes. While the intrinsic mobility is weakly reliant on the dielectric, the contact resistance does vary considerably with dielectric layer. We show that while morphological changes are not apparent, contact resistances vary by an order of magnitude. This result suggests that the barrier to charge injection may depend not only on interactions at the complex triple interface but also on the details of the electronic structure at the semiconductor/dielectric interface.
The Limits of Bloodless Surgery

SUMMARY Bloodless surgery refers to performing surgery without the use of blood. Such programs were developed to support Jehovah's Witness patients but the principles of care that have been established should be used in the care of all patients. However, there are limits to the ability of patients to tolerate anemia. Animal experiments show that myocardial ischemia develops around 5 g/dL and death at 3 g/dL. Studies in humans undergoing surgery demonstrate a linear relationship between death and anemia and poor outcome is extremely common below 5–6 g/dL. Patients with cardiovascular disease appear less tolerant of anemia. The care of the bloodless surgery patient involves careful preoperative planning, correction of anemia, use of erythropoietin, prompt surgery to stop bleeding, and meticulous surgical technique.
Effect of Bubble Velocity and pH Step Changes on the Foam Fractionation of Sporamin

Foam fractionation can be employed to concentrate and separate sporamin (ipomoein) from a sweet potato protein−water extract. In this foam fractionation study, the bulk solution pH and the air superficial velocity, V0, were the two primary control variables. It was determined that the protein separation ratio is strongly dependent on the bulk solution pH, with the highest sporamin recovery occurring at pH 3. Two types of experiments were conducted here. The first was to hold the air superficial velocity constant and step down the pH in small increments, with 10 mL of foamate collected at each pH level. The second was to hold the pH constant and step up the air superficial velocity, V0, in small increments, again with 10 mL of foamate collected at each V0 level. The lowest feasible air superficial velocity generally corresponds to the maximum protein recovery at a given pH. One strategy for separating β-amylase from sporamin in the sweet potato extract is to first foam the bulk solution at pH 5 to concentr...
Jak-STAT pathways and transcriptional activation in response to IFNs and other extracellular signaling proteins

Through the study of transcriptional activation in response to interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), a previously unrecognized direct signal transduction pathway to the nucleus has been uncovered: IFN-receptor interaction at the cell surface leads to the activation of kinases of the Jak family that then phosphorylate substrate proteins called STATs (signal transducers and activators of transcription). The phosphorylated STAT proteins move to the nucleus, bind specific DNA elements, and direct transcription. Recognition of the molecules involved in the IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma pathway has led to discoveries that a number of STAT family members exist and that other polypeptide ligands also use the Jak-STAT molecules in signal transduction.
Electrical analogs of linear systems

THIS article is concerned with the problem of representing linear vibrating systems in terms of electric circuits. In standard works, it is shown that a system of linear differential equations with constant coefficients can be reduced to a triangular system by use of a system of multipliers with a constant determinant. The use of a transformation of this type can result in considerable simplification. It is possible to alter the essential type of coupling appearing between loops of the electrical analog circuits by this means. This transformation is particularly valuable since it does not alter the dependent or independent variables, and introduces only rational functions of the original parameters.
Direct manipulations of NURBS surfaces subjected to geometric constraints

Abstract Shape design is a complex process and requires interactive manipulations of curves and surfaces. This paper presents a deformable model for the direct manipulations of NURBS surfaces. A NURBS surface is modeled as a deformable plate subjected to specified constraints. Formulations of a deformable model results in a set of linear equations for a non-rational B-spline surface and a set of non-linear equations for a NURBS surface. A perspective mapping is introduced to convert NURBS formulations to B-spline formulations and linearize the deformable model defined for a NURBS surface. The final equations for a deformable model are similar to those obtained for the bending of a plate problem. These equations are defined by a stiffness matrix that is formulated in terms of the blending functions of a parametric surface and a force vector that is associated with the user-defined constraints. The solution of these equations results in the new locations of control points so that the deformed surface satisfies user-defined constraints. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of this approach.
Effects of a High Magnetic Field on the Solidification Behavior of Binary Al-Si and Ag-Cu Systems

To investigate the effect of high magnetic fields on the solidification behavior of binary eutectic system, solidification and quenching experiments of Al-11.8 wt.%Si and Ag-10 wt.%Cu alloys were carried out with and without an 8.8 T high magnetic field. It was found that the application of the high magnetic field could increase the concentration of Si in the primary Al and Cu in the primary Ag at their eutectic temperatures, but could not obviously affect the Si concentration in the primary Al at room temperature. The above increase can be attributed to the weakness of the solute diffusion at the liquid-solid interface during solidification caused by the high magnetic field.
MAP kinase/estrogen receptor cross-talk enhances estrogen-mediated signaling and tumor growth but does not confer tamoxifen resistance

The estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) signaling plays an essential role in breast cancer progression and endocrine therapy. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK/Erk1/2) has been implicated in ligand-independent activation of ER, resulting in the cross-talk between growth factor and ER mediated signaling. In this study, we examined the effect of the cross-talk on estradiol (E(2))-mediated signaling, tumor growth and its effect on anti-estrogen therapy. Our findings demonstrate that expression of constitutively activated mitogen activated kinase kinase (MEK1), an immediate upstream activator of MAPK in estrogen receptor positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells (MEK/MCF-7), showed an increase in ERalpha-driven transcriptional activation. In MEK/MCF-7 cells maximal transactivation levels were achieved in response to treatment with much lower E(2) concentrations (10(-10) M E(2)) when compared to MCF-7 control cells (10(-8) M E(2)). Furthermore, we have seen an increased association between ERalpha and its nuclear coactivators AIB1 or TIF-2, in MEK/MCF-7 cells relative to those seen in MCF-7 control cells. In addition, in vivo studies show that MEK/MCF-7 cell tumors are approximately threefold larger than those of MCF-7 cell, in the presence of E(2). Immunohistochemical staining demonstrates that progesterone receptor (PR) and pS2, two E(2)-regulated gene products, are significantly increased in MEK/MCF-7 cell tumors compared to those of MCF-7 control tumors, suggesting that activation of ERalpha by MAPK enhances the expression of E(2)-regulated genes and accelerates tumor growth. Remarkably, the antiestrogens tamoxifen and ICI 182,780, were shown both in vitro and in vivo studies to efficiently antagonize the stimulatory effects of E(2) on ER regulated transactivation and tumor growth in MEK/MCF-7 as well as MCF-7 cell lines. Taken together, these data suggest that MAPK/ER cross-talk enhances ERalpha-mediated signaling and accelerates E(2)-dependent tumor growth without diminishing sensitivity to the inhibitory effects of anti-estrogens.
Transforming a Traditional School Counseling Graduate Program to Distance Learning: the Student Experience

This study used a qualitative descriptive approach to explore student experiences in the process of converting a traditional classroom graduate program to an online distance learning program. The study participants are graduate students enrolled in a school counseling program that is transitioning from the traditional face to face setting to online distance learning. Open-ended questions were administered using the discussion section of Blackboard to students enrolled in an online school counseling course. Inductive content analysis was used until all data had been systematically coded, analyzed, and data saturation achieved. This process was followed by the development of patterns and themes. Findings: Analysis of the qualitative data resulted in a description of the students' view and learning experiences in online course delivery including the strengths and weaknesses. Conclusions: Overall, the strengths of online delivery outweigh the weaknesses. There is a need for improvement in tech- nology systems, and the personal interaction in online learning. Clinical Relevance: This study is relevant because there is not enough research exploring the learning experiences of graduate students in an online school counseling program.
Metalations with Group 4 Alkylmetal(IV) Halides: Expeditious Route to Metallocene and Nonmetallocene Procatalysts1

Group 4 alkylmetal(IV) halides of the type Bu2MtCl2, generated in hydrocarbon media at −78 °C by treating MtCl4 with 2 equiv of n-butyllithium, function as strong bases toward a variety of Bronsted...
RESIN BOND TO DENTAL CERAMICS, PART I: REVIEW AND SILICA‐BASED CERAMICS

Silica-based ceramics (eg, feldspathic, glass, and leucite-reinforced feldspathic ceramics) are preferred materials for conservative, highly esthetic indirect restorations such as laminate veneers, ceramic inlays and onlays, and full-coverage crowns because of their optical properties, biocompatibility, and longevity. Adhesive cementation of ceramics to the supporting tooth using resin cements has been identified as the main determinant for the excellent clinical success of bonded silica-based ceramic restorations. The first article discussed in this Critical Appraisal reviews the current evidence for the need of adhesive technologies to support ceramics. Even though review articles typically are not addressed in this section, its thoroughness and clear conclusions make this article an important contribution to the field of esthetic and restorative dentistry. Controlled clinical trials are ideal to evaluate the success of certain materials or therapeutic interventions. However, laboratory studies are necessary to compare large varieties of materials and influencing parameters and to identify superior materials and bonding techniques prior to their clinical application. Numerous in vitro studies have evaluated the ceramic-composite resin interface. The in vitro studies reviewed in this section indicate that acid-etching and silane application are ideal methods to achieve strong and durable resin bonds to silica-based ceramics. The selected articles indicate interesting trends in testing methods and interpretation of results. Earlier studies favor shear bond strength testing methods and emphasize the importance of surface microstructure and mechanical interlocking. However, some recent studies prefer modified tensile bond strength methods, and find silane application, and therefore chemical interaction, to be the main contributor to reliable resin-ceramic bonds. Unfortunately, direct comparisons between different studies are difficult owing to the variations in methods and materials and the lack of standard protocols.
Pressure-volume-temperature relations in liquid and glassy selenium

Abstract The PVT properties of amorphous selenium are studied experimentally and theoretically in the temperature range 0–70°C and for pressures up to 200 MPa. PVT surfaces are determined for the metastable liquid and for a glass formed by a pressurization and cooling procedure. Its liquid—glass intersection line T g † (P) is compared with the glass transition line Tg (P), here obtained by pressurizing the liquid isothermally at a rate of 2 MPa/min. Analytical expressions based on the PVT data are compared with the predictions of the Simha-Somcynsky hole theory originally formulated for open chainmolecular fluids. The agreement for the liquid, although satisfactory, is not as good as for amorphous organic polymers thus far studied, possibly because selenium contains both open-chain and Se8 ring molecules. The theoretical scaling parameters for the best fit to experiment are compared with those obtained for polymers. A very high characteristic pressure and thus cohesive energy density are noted. The theoretical hole fraction is found to be nearly constant along the T g † (P) line for low pressures. For the glass, a theoretical equation of state obtained from that for the liquid by freezing the hole fraction, compares favorably with experiment. The Prigogine-Defray ratio ΔκΔCp/TV(Δα)2 at atmospheric pressure, calculated using literature values of ΔCp, is found to be about 2.0.
Television Tourism, Primitivist Media, and the Subjectivity of the Filmmaker

One direction this soul-searching [about the nature of anthropological knowledge] has taken has been a concern with the parallels between anthropology and tourism; nobody, of course, dislikes a tourist more than another tourist.
Energy and Exergy Performance of Building HVAC System With Cogeneration Plant in Subtropical Climate

This paper presents an efficiency analysis, from both first law and second law of thermodynamics point of view, of a building HVAC system with on-site natural gas driven co-generation energy system. The building used for the case study is a university teaching and research complex located in Miami, Florida. The building’s original service centrifugal chiller plant and natural gas boiler are compared with the proposed cogeneration system based on energy and exergy performance. Because of the complexity of the system configuration and control schemes, building energy simulation code EnergyPlus is used as the primary tool to solve the energy balance equations. Further mathematical model for individual process exergy destruction, i.e. space cooling, dehumidification, VAV box reheating, mechanical ventilation, cooling tower evaporation, etc. are developed. To address both the processes of space cooling and dehumidification, the reference state which is associated with ambient temperature and humidity ratio is used throughout the analysis. The simulation results meet well with on-site measurement of energy usage. It is found that at whole system level, exergy efficiency is generally much lower than that of energy. The performance of chiller plant, natural boiler, air handling unit is far from thermodynamic ideal operation. By comparing different chiller plant modification scenarios, the cogeneration energy system with centrifugal chillers demonstrate the ability to increase both energy and exergy efficiencies for the overall system. The system with single-effect absorption chiller exergy efficiency is the lowest among all the candidate scenarios. The implication between exergy efficiency and sustainable building is discussed. To further improve the exergy efficiency, low exergy resources such as geothermal and solar heating should be used.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
The Swallowing Side Effects of Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection in Spasmodic Dysphonia

Botulinum toxin type A (BOTOX) injection of the thyroarytenoid muscle is used to control speech symptoms in patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Transient difficulty in swallowing liquids is a common treatment side effect. Laryngeal movement durations were measured during swallowing in 13 adductor spasmodic dysphonia patients undergoing treatment and in 6 normal control subjects in order to determine the following: 1. whether, prior to the injection, laryngeal movement durations were longer in the spasmodic dysphonia patients than in the control subjects; 2. whether movement durations increased following the injections; 3. whether preinjection swallowing difficulties related to postinjection swallowing measurements and postinjection patient reports of swallowing problems. A piezoelectric movement transducer was shown to be accurate for noninvasive measurement of laryngeal movement duration in relation to muscle onset and offset for hyoid elevation and relaxation. Before botulinum toxin type A injection, no significant differences in swallowing duration were found between the patient and control groups. Four patients with swallowing complaints prior to injection had longer laryngeal movement durations than the other spasmodic dysphonia patients and the control subjects. Following injection, laryngeal movement durations increased in the patients with spasmodic dysphonia, and eight patients reported dysphagia for an average of 2 weeks. Relationships were found between the patients' initial reports of swallowing problems and increased laryngeal movement durations before and after botulinum toxin type A injection. Those patients initially reporting swallowing difficulties had severe dysphagia for 2 weeks after the injection. Patient reports of dysphagia prior to injection may indicate a greater likelihood of significant dysphagia following thyroarytenoid injection with botulinum toxin type A.
The FMIT Facility Control System

The control system for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) Facility, under construction at Richland, Washington, uses current techniques in distributed processing to achieve responsiveness, maintainability and reliability. Developmental experience with the system on the FMIT Prototype Accelerator (FPA) being designed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is described as a function of the system's design goals and details. The functional requirements of the FMIT control system dictated the use of a highly operator-responsive, display-oriented structure, using state-of-the-art console devices for man-machine communications. Further, current technology has allowed the movement of device-dependent tasks into the area traditionally occupied by remote input-output equipment; the system's dual central process computers communicate with remote communications nodes containing microcomputers that are architecturally similar to the top-level machines. The system has been designed to take advantage of commercially available hardware and software. The use of national and international standards in both hardware and software has minimized the design staff and maximized the flexibility and maintainability of the system.
Effects of joint hospital admission and couples treatment for hospitalized alcoholics: A pilot study

Abstract In a pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of joint hospitalization and couples treatment for alcoholics and alcohol abusers, 33 persons hospitalized with alcohol problems and their nonalcoholic spouses were randomly assigned to one of three experimental treatment groups: joint (husband and wife) hospitalization followed by couples and individual outpatient treatment for both spouses: couples and individual outpatient treatment for both without joint admission: or individual inpatient and outpatient treatment for the patient alone. Couples were evaluated at 6–8 weeks and 6–8 months after hospital discharge. All groups showed significant decreases in number of reported marital problems, depression, anxiety, other psychological symptoms and decreased impairment from use of alcohol. Only the joint admission and couples groups showed significant decreases in quantity of alcohol consumed although the individuals group also decreased markedly. There were no other significant differences among the three groups, and no significant differences between the joint admission and combined couples and individual groups. Implications for a marital treatment approach to alcoholism are discussed.
Über die Chemie der Senecio‐Alkaloide und verwandter Verbindungen

Die Senecio-Alkaloide sind Ester, die zumeist aus einem basischen, ein oder zwei alkoholische OH-Gruppen tragenden Pyrrolizidin (Necin) und aliphatischen ein- oder zweibasischen Carbonsauren (Necinsauren) aufgebaut sind. Die Isolierung der Senecio-Alkaloide, ihr Abbau, die Konstitutions- und Konfigurations-Bestimmungen der Necine und Necinsauren sowie die Konstitution der Alkaloide selbst werden mitgeteilt. Der interessanteste Typ liegt in der grosen Gruppe von Senecio-Alkaloiden vor, die sich aus einer Molekel eines zwei Hydroxyl-Gruppen tragenden Pyrrolizidins und einer zweibasischen Saure aufbauen. Diese Alkaloide enthalten 12- oder 13-gliedrige Ringe.
Evaluation of the predictive capabilities of Landsat 7 ETM+ on 50-cm mean annual soil temperature in the Transylvanian Plain, Romania

Summary Mean annual soil temperature has important implications for crops as well as for soil classification and formation. Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) band-6 was analysed to determine its relationship with mean annual soil temperature (MAST) at 50 cm in the Transylvanian Plain, Romania. Band-6 is available in both high and low gain formats from the United States Geological Survey; for our study only high gain was evaluated because of the increased resolution that it provides. Both of the gain levels of band-6 are measured at 10.4‐12.5 μm (thermal infrared), at 60-m spatial resolution. Four different months of Landsat 7 ETM+ data were used to predict MAST and compared with 50-cm soil temperature data measured on-site with in situ sensors and data logging stations. Despite no correction for land cover differences across the plain, strong relationships were found between the Landsat-predicted and field measured MAST with a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) for July, August, December and February of 0.63. Multiple regression analysis (MASTRegression) provided a weaker relationship, when compared with MASTin situ, with a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) of 0.42. Significant differences existed between urban and agricultural land covers, as identified by Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) data. The use of Landsat 7 ETM+ could reduce the time and expense of large field studies for determining MAST. These data could then be used for temperature models of entire regions, for a range of land management options.
Information systems effectiveness: research designs for causal inference

Abstract. This paper examines the capacity of the research designs of 37 empirical studies of information systems (IS) effectiveness to provide a basis for the development of theories about behaviour related to IS effectiveness. The power of each study to support causal inference was evaluated in terms of (a) its handling of the time dimension, (b) its ability to weigh differences and (c) its resistance to internal validity threats that pose alternative explanations for its reported findings. Of the reviewed studies, 29.7% could account for the time dimension, 32.4% employed a comparison group and 16.2% were not susceptible to any internal validity threats. Only 13.5% of the studies combined an accounting for the time dimension with the use of a comparison group. Of these, however, only 5.4% were also invulnerable to internal validity threats. The research designs of nearly 95% of these published studies were deficient in supporting causal inference. In those studies, suggestions that one variable was causally related to another variable could not be substantiated. Encouragement for the future capacity of IS effectiveness research to support causal inference was found in a trend towards the use of quasiexperimental designs. Recommendations are made regarding ways to increase the inferential capacity of research designs employed in the study of IS effectiveness.
A non-invasive telemetry system for obtaining heart rate from free-ranging swine

Abstract A vest made of four-way stretch heavy duty nylon spandex was developed to hold telemetry equipment and permit the use of body surface electrodes for obtaining heart rate data on free-ranging or confined domestic swine (Sus scrofa). The vest was laced on sows with a reinforcing 7.5 cm elastic belt encircling the heartgirth on the posterior edge of the vest. Nylon spandex from the ventral side of the vest with 5 cm×0.7 m elastic tabs sewn on each end extended between the front legs. The tabs were threaded through pockets on the edges of the side panels of the vest and tied together on the back of the sow. Velcro-sealed pockets sewn on the inside of the vest held the heart rate transmitters. The vest protected the equipment and helped maintain contact between the sow and electrodes glued onto her dorsal and ventral sides. The system was much less traumatic to the sow, provided a more rapid turn-around of the telemetry equipment, and was easier to repair, than previously used surgical implantation of the transmitters.
Surgical technique and outcomes in the treatment of spinal cord ependymomas: part II: myxopapillary ependymoma

Background Myxopapillary ependymomas usually occur in the filum terminale of the spinal cord. Objective This report summarizes our experience treating myxopapillary ependymomas. Methods The records of 34 patients (14 men, 20 women; mean age 45.5 years; age range, 14-88 years) who underwent resection of a myxopapillary ependymoma between 1983 and 2006 were reviewed for age, sex, tumor location, symptoms at diagnosis, duration of symptoms, treatment before presentation, extent of surgical resection, adjuvant therapy, length of follow-up, evidence of recurrence, and complications. Neurological examinations performed at presentation, immediately after surgery, and last follow-up were graded according to the McCormick grading scale. Results The average duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 22.2 months. The most common symptom was pain followed by weakness, bowel/bladder symptoms, and numbness. The rate of gross total resection was 80%. All patients with a subtotal resection (20%) underwent postoperative radiation therapy. Presentation and outcomes of patients who underwent subtotal resection followed by radiation therapy were compared with those who underwent gross total resection. There was no significant difference in neurological grade between the groups at presentation or final follow-up. The overall recurrence rate was 10% (3/34 patients). Conclusion The goal of surgical treatment of myxopapillary ependymomas is resection to the greatest extent possible with preservation of function. In cases of subtotal resection, postoperative radiation therapy may improve outcome. If neurological function is maintained at treatment, these indolent lesions allow years of good function.
Rigid band analysis of heavily doped semiconductor devices

The conventional carrier transport equations used in device analysis must be modified for heavily doped semiconductor regions. The modifications to Shoekley's auxiliary equations relating the carrier densities to their corresponding quasi-Fermi levels are derived for the rigid band model. We include the effects of asymmetric bandgap narrowing and of carrier degeneracy (Fermi-Dirac statistics). Emphasis is placed on writing the equations in a simple form that indicates the effect of changes in the band structure due to heavy doping. In this form they can serve as a basis for computer-aided analysis and design. We show that, in general, the effective intrinsic carrier density n ie as well as the electron and hole current densities depend on the asymmetry in bandgap narrowing. However, for the special case of low-level injection, n ie and the minority current density depend only on the total bandgap narrowing \DeltaE_{g} . Furthermore, we indicate that interpretation of experiments with theory using Boltzmann statistics, instead of Femi-Dirac statistics, will underestimate \DeltaE_{g} in degenerate material.
Attention and information processing as indicators of vulnerability to schizophrenic episodes

As A DESCRIPTIVE model, we find it useful to distinguish between vulnerability to schizophrenia which is a relatively permanent, enduring trait, and episodes of schizophrenic disorder that are waxing and waning states. According to this model, episodes of schizophrenia ensue when endogenous and exogenous challengers surpass a threshold set by the individual’s dispositional level of vulnerability. When such challenging events subside, the patient shows at least some degree of recovery, and sometimes even reattains his premorbid level of functioning. However, even when a schizophrenic’s state has normalized, his vulnerability persists and leaves him at risk for future episodes of schizophrenia. The various etiological models of schizophrenia have been presented elsewhere.1 Here it will suffice to suggest that vulnerability to schizophrenia may originate in many ways. Biological models emphasize etiological forces arising from an individual’s internal makeup: his genes, biochemistry, and neurophysiology. Field theory models stress the role of exogenous forces impinging on the maturation, learning and immediate behavior of the individual. The different etiological models often agree in predicting that a particular group of individuals will be vulnerable to schizophrenia, although these predictions are based on different rationales. Most models predict that siblings of schizophrenics represent a group at some risk for schizophrenia, since they share numerous possible sources of vulnerability with the schizophrenic probands. These include a shared gene pool, similar intrauterine environments, common family and community interaction experiences, exposure to the same diseases, die s, physical environments, etc. Because of the evidence that disturbed sensation, perception and attention may be central characteristics of the schizophrenic syndrome,2-4 our selection of potential vulnerability indicators has been influenced by the neurophysiological model of schizophrenia, This model seeks the causes of schizophrenic symptoms in disorders of central nervous system functioning and the capacity to take in and process information. Disturbances of information processing have a prima-facie link with schizophrenic psychopathology because
Role of base addition in the liquid-phase hydrodechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol over Pd/Al2O3 and Pd/C

The aqueous-phase batch hydrodechlorination (HDC) of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), over 1 wt/wt% Pd/Al2O3 and Pd/C has been investigated with/without the addition of NaOH, NH4OH, LiOH, KOH, RbOH, and CsOH; bulk solution pH spanned the range 1.5–13. The reaction was operated in the kinetic-controlled regime with 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) as the only intermediate partially dechlorinated product which reacts further to yield phenol; cyclohexanone was formed over Pd/Al2O3, but not Pd/C, prior to the completion of dechlorination. An increase in fractional dechlorination with the addition of base was observed and can be attributed to a suppression of HDC inhibition due to the HCl that is generated. The initial HDC activity and selectivity delivered by both catalysts were pH dependent and differences in response to bulk solution pH variations are discussed in terms of the nature of the reactive species in solution and the amphoteric behavior of the Pd supports. The Pd/Al2O3 catalyst is characterized by a high surface charge density while Pd/C bore a low basic functionality density on a high surface area carrier. A maximum initial HDC rate over Pd/Al2O3 was attained at pH 7–9 while a higher pH (⩾9) results in more effective HDC for Pd/C, effects that are linked to chloroarene dissociation and surface charge effects. In the case of Pd/C, the initial HDC rate with the addition of alkali metal hydroxide (0.074 moldm−3) increased in the order Li+≈Na+<K+≈Rb+<Cs+, a sequence that matches the adsorption affinity on a negatively charged carbon surface; HDC over Pd/Al2O3 was insensitive to the nature of the alkali metal cation. The action of NH4OH, as a weak base, is also considered.
DEVELOPMENT OF A RESISTANCE-BASED SENSOR FOR DETECTION OF WETNESS AT THE SOIL–AIR INTERFACE

Many microbes, including several fungal plant pathogens, often reside at or very near the soil surface. Survival, reproduction, and development of these pathogens are influenced by moisture in the environment. There are currently no efficient means to continuously monitor wetness conditions at the soil-air interface. A project was initiated to develop a sensor for continuous monitoring of soil-surface wetness and to be used in conjunction with data-logging equipment. Sensors were developed and tested for consistency and durability through replicate trials conducted on synthetic sponges and on thin soil layers. Field trials were then conducted to test sensor durability and response to field environments. Under greenhouse conditions, sensors were calibrated against tactile estimates of wetness on thin layers of three soil textures (sandy loam, clay loam, and silt loam) over a range of known moisture levels. In laboratory tests, sensors were evaluated for uniformity of response. Sensors were shown to be uniform in response under laboratory and field conditions. They worked well to indicate wetting events in the field and allowed for determination of wetness duration, a parameter of great interest to plant pathologists. The sensors, in conjunction with automatic data-logging devices, may be able to provide estimates of wetness duration for incorporation into disease predictive models.
Removal of Nosocomial Pathogens from the Contaminated Glove: Implications for Glove Reuse and Handwashing

Study objective To evaluate the effectiveness of three different types of handcleansing agents in decontaminating gloved hands that were inoculated with a series of four nosocomial pathogens. Design A controlled, experimental trial. Setting Tertiary care referral center. Patients or other participants Five healthy volunteers participated in all portions of the study. Interventions A standard concentration of one of four representative nosocomial pathogens was placed on the gloved hand, spread, and allowed to dry. One of three different handcleansing agents--a nonmedicated soap, a 60% isopropyl alcohol preparation, or 4% chlorhexidine gluconate--was used to cleanse the gloves, which were cultured using a broth-bag technique. The gloves were then removed and the hands were cultured in a similar manner. Measurements and main results The handwashing agents reduced the median log10 counts of organisms to 2.1 to 3.9 after an inoculation of 10(7) colony forming units. The proportion of positive glove cultures for Staphylococcus aureus, 8% to 100%; Serratia marcescens, 16% to 100%; and Candida albicans, 4% to 60% varied greatly after use of the different handcleansers (P less than 0.001), and varied considerably for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 20% to 48% (P = 0.085). After the gloves were removed, the differences among the observed proportions of hands contaminated with the test organisms varied from 5% to 50%, depending on the handcleansing agent used (P less than 0.001). Conclusions In the era of universal precautions these data suggest that it may not be prudent to wash and reuse gloves between patients. Further, handwashing is strongly encouraged after removal of gloves.
Refractive errors and corrections for OCT images in an inflated lung phantom

Visualization and correct assessment of alveolar volume via intact lung imaging is important to study and assess respiratory mechanics. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a real-time imaging technique based on near-infrared interferometry, can image several layers of distal alveoli in intact, ex vivo lung tissue. However optical effects associated with heterogeneity of lung tissue, including the refraction caused by air-tissue interfaces along alveoli and duct walls, and changes in speed of light as it travels through the tissue, result in inaccurate measurement of alveolar volume. Experimentally such errors have been difficult to analyze because of lack of ’ground truth,’ as the lung has a unique microstructure of liquid-coated thin walls surrounding relatively large airspaces, which is difficult to model with cellular foams. In addition, both lung and foams contain airspaces of highly irregular shape, further complicating quantitative measurement of optical artifacts and correction. To address this we have adapted the Bragg-Nye bubble raft, a crystalline two-dimensional arrangement of elements similar in geometry to alveoli (up to several hundred μm in diameter with thin walls) as an inflated lung phantom in order to understand, analyze and correct these errors. By applying exact optical ray tracing on OCT images of the bubble raft, the errors are predicted and corrected. The results are validated by imaging the bubble raft with OCT from one edge and with a charged coupled device (CCD) camera in transillumination from top, providing ground truth for the OCT.
Recovering semantics of tables on the web

The Web offers a corpus of over 100 million tables [6], but the meaning of each table is rarely explicit from the table itself. Header rows exist in few cases and even when they do, the attribute names are typically useless. We describe a system that attempts to recover the semantics of tables by enriching the table with additional annotations. Our annotations facilitate operations such as searching for tables and finding related tables.To recover semantics of tables, we leverage a database of class labels and relationships automatically extracted from the Web. The database of classes and relationships has very wide coverage, but is also noisy. We attach a class label to a column if a sufficient number of the values in the column are identified with that label in the database of class labels, and analogously for binary relationships. We describe a formal model for reasoning about when we have seen sufficient evidence for a label, and show that it performs substantially better than a simple majority scheme. We describe a set of experiments that illustrate the utility of the recovered semantics for table search and show that it performs substantially better than previous approaches. In addition, we characterize what fraction of tables on the Web can be annotated using our approach.
Dynamic traffic control: decentralized and coordinated methods

ALLONS-D is a decentralized real-time traffic control scheme. Through simulations, the scheme is shown to be suitable for adaptive control of an isolated intersection. An efficient tree searching algorithm, constrained only by a maximum and minimum green time per phase, is used to find a traffic signal plan that minimizes delay. Differences between ALLONS-D and other real-time traffic control schemes, such as OPAC, are described. The scheme can also be used to reduce travel times on transit routes. For arterial networks of intersections, ALLONS-D is capable of inducing a level of coordination that results in progressive signal plans. An extension of the scheme to provide network-wide optimization of traffic signals is explained in the form of a two-layer scheme. Simulation experiments are performed with a newly developed simulator called STNS.
Framing Comparison of The Li Gang Incident and The Diaoyu Island Dispute between Social Networking Sites and Mainstream Media in China

vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 Media and Democracy 5 Media System in China 6 Online Blogs, SNSs, and BBSs as Alternative Media 8 The Development of Internet and Social Media in China 10 The Development of SNSs 12 Blogs and Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) 13 Framing Differences 17 Framing Theory 18 Disparity between Rich and Poor 21 Public Uproar of the Li Gang incident 23 The Diaoyu Island Dispute 24 Nationalism and Chinese Media 26 Sources 30 CHAPTER 3: METHOD 32 The Sample 32
Intra-household differentials in women's status: household function and focus as determinants of children's illness management and care in rural Mali*

In West Africa, health-seeking behaviour can be better understood by assessing how women differ from each other, rather than how they differ from men, in terms of their socioeconomic and political power within the domestic environment. Anthropological and demographic data were collected among rural Malian Fulani and Dogon populations who possess similar health beliefs and who live in the same ecological area. However, real differences between the two ethnic groups were reflected in variations in maternal status defined according to women's support and/or autonomy in their households. When a child becomes sick, status obligations result in limited degrees of co-operation between marital female relatives. By contrast, on a day-to-day basis such assistance is rarely forthcoming and women rely on their own unmarried daughters or on external kin networks for surrogate child care. It is concluded that variations in health behaviour and mortality outcomes within these populations reflect not simply 'ethnic' differences in beliefs or culture, but rather real differences in mothers' social positions within their family environments and in their access to household resources for children's treatment and care.
Throughput optimal scheduling in the presence of heavy-tailed traffic

We investigate the tail behavior of the steady-state queue occupancies under throughput optimal scheduling in the presence of heavy-tailed traffic. We consider a system consisting of two parallel queues, served by a single server. One of the queues receives traffic that is heavy-tailed (the “heavy queue”), and the other receives light-tailed traffic (the “light queue”). The queues are connected to the server through time-varying ON/OFF links. We study a generalized version of max-weight scheduling, called the max-weight-α policy, and show that the light queue occupancy distribution is heavy-tailed for arrival rates above a threshold value. We also obtain the exact ‘tail coefficient’ of the light queue occupancy distribution under max-weight-alpha scheduling. Next, we show that the policy that gives complete priority to the light queue guarantees the best possible tail behavior of both queue occupancy distributions. However, the priority policy is not throughput optimal, and can cause undesirable instability effects in the heavy queue. Finally, we propose a log-max-weight (LMW) scheduling policy. We show that in addition to being throughput optimal, the LMW policy guarantees that the light queue occupancy distribution is light-tailed, for all arrival rates that the priority policy can stabilize. Thus, the LMW scheduling policy has desirable performance on both fronts, namely throughput optimality, and the tail behavior of the light queue occupancy distribution.
Clindamycin hypersensitivity appears to be rare.

Background A patient developed a generalized confluent erythematous papular rash after a single injection of clindamycin preoperatively. The literature from two small studies suggested a 10% incidence of cutaneous eruptions to clindamycin which seemed too high. Objective Describe a patient with clindamycin hypersensitivity and determine the incidence of hospital-wide adverse drug reactions from clindamycin from 1995-1997. Methods At a tertiary care center, utilizing the Department of Pharmacy records, the incidence of adverse drug reactions was determined with (1) voluntary physician reporting, (2) Health Information Management chart reviews and adverse drug reaction coding, and (3) chart reviews by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of adverse drug reactions. Results (1) A 50-year-old patient developed a generalized raised, erythematous rash that worsened over 3.5 days until hydrocortisone was administered. Immediate skin tests with clindamycin were negative. (2) From 3,896 administrations of clindamycin from April 1995 to October 1997, 14 (0.47%) adverse drug reactions occurred but 7 were confounded by other medications also being administered. Conclusion (1) Adverse drug reactions to clindamycin are much lower than reported 25 years ago with an incidence