cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristic modes and wire grid modeling

Modeling of the radiation and scattering properties of a conducting body using the wire-grid model is addressed. In particular, the convergence of the wire grid model (relative to the grid mesh size) is examined from the viewpoint of the characteristic modes associated with the body. A quantitative description of the wire grid structure is given. It allows a minimum grid size to be associated with a given error in the radiated or scattered power for an arbitrary body excitation. This enables the sensitivity of an initial design to small changes in the antenna or body shape to be determined. The examples presented use the wire grid structure for modeling the actual body, but the fundamental approach of using the characteristic modes to formulate and gain insight into the body radiation and scattering characteristics is applicable in general. >
Seeking informed consent to Phase I cancer clinical trials: identifying oncologists' communication strategies.

Purpose: Phase I clinical trials are the gateway to effective new cancer treatments. Many physicians have difficulty when discussing Phase I clinical trials. Research demonstrates evidence of suboptimal communication. Little is known about communication strategies used by oncologists when recruiting patients for Phase I trials. We analyzed audio recorded Phase I consultations to identify oncologists' communication strategies. Patients and Methods: Subjects were consecutive cancer patients from six medical oncologists attending one of three outpatient clinics at a major Cancer Center in the United States. Sixteen patients signed informed consent for audio recording of their consultations in which a Phase I study was discussed. These were transcribed in full and analyzed to identify communication strategies. Results: Six communication themes emerged from the analysis: (1) orienting, (2) educating patients, (3) describing uncertainty and prognosis, (4) persuading, (5) decision making, and (6) making a treatment recommendation. As expected, although there was some common ground between communication in Phase I and the Phase II and III settings, there were distinct differences. Conclusions: Oncologists used persuasive communication, made explicit recommendations, or implicitly expressed a treatment preference and were choice limiting. This highlights the complexity of discussing Phase I trials and the need to develop strategies to aid oncologists and patients in these difficult conversations. Patient centered communication that values patient preferences while preserving the oncologist's agenda can be a helpful approach to these discussions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mesoamerican Writing Systems: Propaganda, Myth, and History in Four Ancient Civilizations

This is an anthropological study of the role of hieroglyphic writing in the prehispanic Aztec, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Maya states. First, Joyce Marcus compares the four systems with regard to eight major themes: calendrics, the naming of nobles, the naming of places, royal marriages, accession to the throne, divine ancestors, warfare, and the rewriting of history. Then she establishes a new theoretical framework within which to conduct further analysis. Her basic contention is that ancient Mesoamerican writing was a tool used by an elite minority in their competition for positions of leadership, prestige, territory, tribute, and advantageous marriages. Marcus convincingly demonstrates that while it may have been based on actual persons and events, this body of prehistoric writing is a deliberately created tangle of what we could call propaganda, myth, and fact, written for political purposes, and not (as many contemporary scholars have come to believe) reliable "history" in a modern sense. "This is a major contribution. The scholarship is first-rate!"--Jeremy A. Sabloff, University of Pittsburgh "A brilliant work, carefully reasoned and effectively argued, but balanced and not overstated. The scholarship is truly outstanding. Joyce Marcus is one of the great Mesoamericanists of our generation."--E. Wyllys Andrews V, Tulane University "A masterful piece of work. We are in the presence of a tour de force."--Robert L. Carneiro, American Museum of Natural History
Leukocyte-platelet aggregation, platelet surface P-selectin, and platelet surface glycoprotein IIIa after percutaneous coronary intervention: Effects of dalteparin or unfractionated heparin in combination with abciximab.

Abstract Background Plaque disruption with resultant platelet activation and leukocyte-platelet aggregation is a pathophysiologic process common to both acute coronary syndromes and percutaneous coronary interventions. Unfractionated heparin is a standard antithrombotic therapy in patients with both acute coronary syndromes and in those undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. Low-molecular-weight heparins have been reported to cause less platelet activation than unfractionated heparin. Methods Monocyte-platelet aggregates, neutrophil-platelet aggregates, platelet surface P-selectin, and platelet surface glycoprotein (GP) IIIa were measured serially by whole blood flow cytometry in 40 patients with unstable angina (randomly assigned to either unfractionated heparin 70 U/kg or the low-molecular-weight heparin dalteparin 60 IU/kg) undergoing coronary intervention with planned abciximab administration (in 2, one-half-dose boluses). Assays were performed at baseline, 5 minutes after administration of either type of heparin, 10 minutes after the first bolus of abciximab, 10 minutes after second bolus of abciximab, and 8 to 10 and 16 to 24 hours after administration of either heparin. Results No significant differences in clinical outcomes were observed between patients receiving either unfractionated heparin or dalteparin. The number of circulating P-selectin-positive platelets was increased by unfractionated heparin but not dalteparin, and abciximab reversed this increase. The number of circulating P-selectin-positive platelets was reduced below baseline levels in both treatment groups 8 to 10 and 16 to 24 hours after study drug administration. At 8 to 10 and 16 to 24 hours after administration of study drug, platelet degranulation in response to iso-thrombin receptor agonist peptide 1.5 mmol/L was significantly reduced by almost 50% (compared with immediately after study drug administration). Both unfractionated heparin and dalteparin significantly increased the numbers of circulating monocyte-platelet and neutrophil-platelet aggregates, which were subsequently reduced to baseline levels after administration of the second abciximab bolus and to below baseline at both 8 to 10 and 16 to 24 hours in all patients. After both unfractionated heparin and dalteparin administration, platelet surface GP IIIa expression was significantly increased compared with baseline at both 8 to 10 and 16 to 24 hours. Conclusions Dalteparin in combination with abciximab in patients with unstable angina undergoing coronary intervention appears to be safe. Unfractionated heparin, but not dalteparin, degranulates platelets in patients with unstable angina. Both heparins increase the number of circulating monocyte-platelet and neutrophil-platelet aggregates. Abciximab therapy during coronary interventions rapidly reduces the number of degranulated platelets and leukocyte-platelet aggregates. (Am Heart J 2001;142:790--8.)
Distinct Single-Cell Morphological Dynamics under Beta-Lactam Antibiotics

The bacterial cell wall is conserved in prokaryotes, stabilizing cells against osmotic stress. Beta-lactams inhibit cell-wall synthesis and induce lysis through a bulge-mediated mechanism; however, little is known about the formation dynamics and stability of these bulges. To capture processes of different timescales, we developed an imaging platform combining automated image analysis with live-cell microscopy at high time resolution. Beta-lactam killing of Escherichia coli cells proceeded through four stages: elongation, bulge formation, bulge stagnation, and lysis. Both the cell wall and outer membrane (OM) affect the observed dynamics; damaging the cell wall with different beta-lactams and compromising OM integrity cause different modes and rates of lysis. Our results show that the bulge-formation dynamics are determined by how the cell wall is perturbed. The OM plays an independent role in stabilizing the bulge once it is formed. The stabilized bulge delays lysis and allows recovery upon drug removal.
Humor as Safe House in the Foreign Language Classroom

Analyses of second language (L2) classroom interaction often categorize joking and other humorous talk by students as disruptive, off-task behavior, thereby rendering it important only from a classroom management perspective. Studies of language play, however, have illustrated that such jocular talk not only allows students to construct a broader and perhaps more desirable range of classroom identities, but also occasions more complex and creative acts of language use than those normally found in L2 instructional settings. Likewise, critical sociolinguists have observed that the use of humor may constitute opposition and/or resistance to monotonous, culturally insensitive, or even face-threatening classroom practices. This article presents a case for a particular communicative mode-humor-to be seen as a pedagogical safe house (Canagarajah, 1999, 2004; Pratt, 1991), extending this notion beyond spatial and temporal domains. Specifically, it draws on the notions of performance, calibration (Bauman, 2004; Rampton, 2006), and layered simultaneity (Blommaert, 2005; Kramsch & Whiteside, 2008) to understand how particular instances of classroom humor function in this fashion. It then considers how an understanding of humor as a safe house can inform recent theoretical discussions of communicative competence and L2 classroom interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Evaluation of thresholding techniques for segmenting scaffold images in tissue engineering

Tissue engineering attempts to address the ever widening gap between the demand and supply of organ and tissue transplants using natural and biomimetic scaffolds. The regeneration of specific tissues aided by synthetic materials is dependent on the structural and morphometric properties of the scaffold. These properties can be derived non-destructively using quantitative analysis of high resolution microCT scans of scaffolds. Thresholding of the scanned images into polymeric and porous phase is central to the outcome of the subsequent structural and morphometric analysis. Visual thresholding of scaffolds produced using stochastic processes is inaccurate. Depending on the algorithmic assumptions made, automatic thresholding might also be inaccurate. Hence there is a need to analyze the performance of different techniques and propose alternate ones, if needed. This paper provides a quantitative comparison of different thresholding techniques for segmenting scaffold images. The thresholding algorithms examined include those that exploit spatial information, locally adaptive characteristics, histogram entropy information, histogram shape information, and clustering of gray-level information. The performance of different techniques was evaluated using established criteria, including misclassification error, edge mismatch, relative foreground error, and region non-uniformity. Algorithms that exploit local image characteristics seem to perform much better than those using global information.
Mapping of solar energy potential and solar system capacity in Iran

Studies of the DLR Mediterranean – Concentrated Solar Project indicate Iran can be a part of the Mediterranean renewable power generation chain in 2050 to provide the electrical power demand of Europe. However, Iran as a developing country and due to its large area has some limitations on the number of synoptic stations. Hence, the aim of this study is to determine the theoretical solar irradiation potential in Iran by using an Niroo Research Institute irradiation model based on the geographical and meteorological data. Monthly, seasonal, and annual values of irradiation on the ground surface, and extracted solar energy from different tracking systems, are estimated across the country. A typical photovoltaic system, parabolic trough, and dish concentrator are considered and extracted solar energy of them is illustrated on the map. Results of this study make clear that the presented solar atlas can provide appropriate tools for primary study of solar energy potential and extracted energy in Iran.
Handling discontinuities in stereovisual alignment tasks

For more than a decade the capabilities of incompletely calibrated stereo systems have been formally characterized. These characterizations provide theoretical limits on the tasks that visually guided robotic systems can achieve. Within these limits there are several feature-alignment tasks whose image-space representations are inherently discontinuous, including collinearity and coplanarity. This paper presents smooth, locally convergent image-space approximations for such tasks. In addition, we propose the general notion of a "safe" image-based approximation to spatial tasks, in which complete image-space characterization is sacrificed in return for partial characterization along with local controllability. As a result, this article bridges the gap between theoretically specifiable tasks and locally controllable tasks for common stereovisual servoing systems.
Relation of clinical benefit to metabolic effects in lipid-lowering therapy

Abstract Studies of lipid-modifying therapy show that inhibition of cholesterol synthesis is required in at least 2 sites—in hepatic cells and in cells located in the walls of coronary arteries—if the progression of coronary atherosclerosis is to be decreased in patients with relatively normal levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is clinically important, because the majority of patients with coronary artery disease do not have severely elevated LDL cholesterol levels. Of the 2 angiographic trials of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors (“statins”) in patients with coronary artery disease and average cholesterol levels, only the Lipoprotein and Atherosclerosis Study (LCAS) of fluvastatin reported slowed angiographic progression of coronary artery disease in these patients. The change in LDL cholesterol levels during treatment with fluvastatin did not predict the extent of change in coronary atherosclerosis or incidence of clinical cardiac events. Apparently, the metabolic effects of treatment with fluvastatin were more important than the extent to which blood cholesterol levels were lowered. The clinical benefits of treatment with statins should be directly compared in randomized controlled clinical trials among patients with average cholesterol levels.
Two thresholds are better than one

The concept of the Bayesian optimal single threshold is a well established and widely used classification technique. In this paper, we prove that when spatial cohesion is assumed for targets, a better classification result than the "optimal" single threshold classification can be achieved. Under the assumption of spatial cohesion and certain prior knowledge about the target and background, the method can be further simplified as dual threshold classification. In core-dual threshold classification, spatial cohesion within the target core allows "continuation" linking values to fall between the two thresholds to the target core; classical Bayesian classification is employed beyond the dual thresholds. The core-dual threshold algorithm can be built into a Markov random field model (MRF). From this MRF model, the dual thresholds can be obtained and optimal classification can be achieved. In some practical applications, a simple method called symmetric subtraction may be employed to determine effective dual thresholds in real time. Given dual thresholds, the quasi-connected component algorithm is shown to be a deterministic implementation of the MRF core-dual threshold model combining the dual thresholds, extended neighborhoods and efficient connected component computation.
Genetic variation in litter size and 12-day weight in mice and their relationships with post-weaning growth †

Data from a random-bred population of mice were used to examine the sources of variation in litter size and 12-day body weight, and, the genetic relationships between these traits and post-weaning body weights and body-weight gain from 3 to 6 weeks of age (post-weaning gain). The genetic model included maternal genetic effects in addition to the usual direct (individual) genetic effects. Such maternal genetic effects may be important to an understanding of traits like 12-day body weight of mice, where the young depend to a large extent on the mother for early postnatal nutrition. Analysis of litter size yielded a paternal half-sib heritability estimate of 0·34±0·19, while twice the daughter-dam regression was 0·23 ± 0·08. The repeatability of litter size was 0·51±0·07. The correlation between direct genetic effects on litter size and those on 3-, 6-, and 8- week body weights and post-weaning gain were –0·18,0·36,0-34 and 0·58 respectively. The correlation between direct genetic effects on litter size and 12-day weight was positive (0·41), while the genetic correlation between maternal effects on 12-day weight and direct effects on litter size was negative (–0·37). Analysis of 12-day weight showed that direct and maternal genetic effects were important sources of variation, but there was a large negative correlation (-0·88) between these effects. The usual genetic correlations between 12-day weight and post-weaning body weights were positive while post-weaning gain yielded a negative estimate. However, there appears to be a general negative correlation between direct genetic and maternal genetic effects in this population, for all such correlations were negative except that between direct effects on 12-day weight and maternal effects on post-weaning gain.
Transparent Electrodes From Graphene/Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Composites

A transparent conductive electrode comprised of alternating layers of graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and metallic single wall nanotubes (M-SWNTs) is presented. It was found that the addition of two single-layer graphene sheets enhances the conduction pathways in the M-SWNT film, yielding up to a 75% decrease in the sheet resistance with little sacrifice in the optical transmittance. Enhancements in the electrical properties of the films were made through a heat treatment process followed by nitric acid and thionyl chloride doping, yielding a sheet resistance of 70 Ω/sq with a transmittance of 78% at 550 nm. Composite films having undergone an annealing step were found to have stable electrical properties upon exposure to atmospheric conditions while doped films demonstrated limited stability.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Compressed Wideband Sensing in Cooperative Cognitive Radio Networks

In emerging cognitive radio (CR) networks with spectrum sharing, the first cognitive task preceding any dynamic spectrum access is the sensing and identification of spectral holes in wireless environments. This paper develops a distributed compressed spectrum sensing approach for (ultra-)wideband CR networks. Compressed sensing is performed at local CRs to scan the very wide spectrum at practical signal-acquisition complexity. Meanwhile, spectral estimates from multiple local CR detectors are fused to collect spatial diversity gain, which improves the sensing quality especially under fading channels. New distributed consensus algorithms are developed for collaborative sensing and fusion. Using only one-hop local communications, these distributed algorithms converge fast to the globally optimal solutions even for multi-hop CR networks, at low communication and computation load scalable to the network size.
Life-long impairment of hypoxic phrenic responses in rats following 1 month of developmental hyperoxia

Hypoxic ventilatory and phrenic responses are reduced in adult rats (3–5 months old) exposed to hyperoxia for the first month of life (hyperoxia treated). We previously reported that hypoxic phrenic responses were normal in a small sample of 14- to 15-month-old hyperoxia-treated rats, suggesting slow, spontaneous recovery. Subsequent attempts to identify the mechanism(s) underlying this spontaneous recovery of hypoxic phrenic responses led us to re-evaluate our earlier conclusion. Experiments were conducted in two groups of aged Sprague-Dawley rats (14–15 months old) which were anaesthetized, vagotomized, neuromuscularly blocked and ventilated: (1) a hyperoxia-treated group raised in 60 % O2 for the first 28 postnatal days; and (2) an age-matched control group raised in normoxia. Increases in minute phrenic activity and integrated phrenic nerve amplitude (∫Phr) during isocapnic hypoxia (arterial partial pressures of O2, 60, 50 and 40 ± 1 mmHg) were greater in aged control (n = 15) than hyperoxia-treated rats (n = 11; P≤ 0.01). Phrenic burst frequency during hypoxia was not different between groups. To examine the central integration of carotid chemoafferent inputs, steady-state relationships between carotid sinus nerve (electrical) stimulation frequency and phrenic nerve activity were compared in aged control (n = 7) and hyperoxia-treated rats (n = 7). Minute phrenic activity, ∫Phr and burst frequency were not different between groups at any stimulation frequency between 0.5 and 20 Hz. Carotid body chemoreceptor function was examined by recording whole carotid sinus nerve responses to cessation of ventilation or injection of cyanide in aged control and hyperoxia-treated rats. Electrical activity of the carotid sinus nerve did not change in five out of five hyperoxia-treated rats in response to stimuli that evoked robust increases in carotid sinus nerve activity in five out of five control rats. Estimates of carotid body volume were lower in aged hyperoxia-treated rats (4.4 (± 0.2) × 106μm3) compared to controls (17.4 (± 1.6) × 106μm3; P <0.01). We conclude that exposure to hyperoxia for the first month of life causes life-long impairment of carotid chemoreceptor function and, consequently, blunted phrenic responses to hypoxia.
Polar cap photoionization and the ten-hour clock at Jupiter

We show that the clocklike modulation of the spectral index of energetic electrons (>2 MeV) in the outer Jovian magnetosphere is due to a periodic shift of the particle energy spectrum toward higher and lower energies. This shift results in a modulation of the spectral index when the spectrum is not a pure power law in energy. We suggest that the periodic energization is due to a periodic modulation of the magnetic field in the outer magnetosphere. This modulation is caused by a variation of the longitudinally averaged Pedersen conductivity due to the asymmetric solar illumination of the trace of the magnetodisc in the high-latitude ionospheres. Such a modulation requires the presence of a surface magnetic anomaly.
A linearly constrained adaptive FIR filter for hard disk drive read channels

The interactions between an adaptive FIR filter, the automatic gain control (AGC), and the phase-locked loop (PLL) timing recovery in hard disk read-channels can cause the adaptive process to become unstable. Sometimes simple adaptive filter tap constraints can be used to combat these adverse interactions, but tap constraints do not always work. In this paper we present a rank 2 linearly constrained adaptive algorithm that effectively eliminates the adverse interactions between the adaptive FIR filter the AGC, and the PLL in hard disk read-channel applications.
Separation, Sickness, and Depression A New Perspective on an Old Animal Model

Studies of prolonged separation from the attachment figure that were conducted with infant monkeys during the middle of the 20th century identified a passive behavioral response, termed “despair,” that appeared to model human depressive illness. Studies in guinea pigs, which exhibit filial attachment that resembles attachment in monkeys, have described a similar passive response to briefer periods of maternal separation. Recent evidence indicates that elements of the immune system mediate the passive behavioral response of guinea pigs. These findings accord well with current ideas that immune responses contribute to depressive illness, suggest new hypotheses about how maternal separation might promote depression, and give us a rodent model in which such hypotheses might be tested.
Adaptive Distributed Database Replication Through Colonies of Pogo Ants

We address the problem of optimizing the distribution of partially replicated databases over a computer network. Replication is used to increase data availability in the presence of site or communication failures and to decrease retrieval costs by local access if possible. We present a new bio-inspired replication management approach which is adaptive, completely decentralized, and based on swarm intelligence. Each node has the autonomy to start at any time, depending on the internal state of its stored data objects, a redistribution process. "Redistribution" means replicate, create, delete, update, or move data objects to other nodes of the network. The redistribution process is a dynamic load-balancing scheme which runs with lower priority in the background. The system is event-driven, but the learning process is not synchronized with the events.
Zur Entwicklung der Dip‐Pen‐Nanolithographie

Die Moglichkeit zur gezielten Manipulation der chemischen Zusammensetzung und Struktur einer Oberflache auf der Langenskala von 1 bis 100 nm ist von zentraler Bedeutung fur einen breiten Bereich der nanotechnologischen Forschung, angefangen mit Studien zur elektronischen Leitfahigkeit, uber die Katalyse hin zur biologischen Erkennung. Die Dip-Pen-Nanolithographie (DPN) ist eine neue Direktschreibmethode mit einem Kraftfeldmikroskop zur Erzeugung einer strukturierten chemischen Funktionalitat auf einer Oberflache im Sub-100-nm-Bereich. In diesem Aufsatz stellen wir das Prinzip der DPN vor und betrachten die Entwicklungen der letzten Jahre. Die Themen erstrecken sich von der Entwicklung neuer DPN-kompatibler Materialien uber experimentelle und theoretische Untersuchungen der Prozesse, die den Spitze-Substrat-Transport der Tinte steuern, bis hin zur Implementierung von mikroelektromechanischen Systemen (MEMs) fur DPN-Parallelanwendungen.
Protocols for Paget-Schroetter syndrome and late treatment of chronic subclavian vein obstruction.

Background Paget-Schroetter syndrome is a serious condition that if not treated promptly and properly leads to severe sequelae and permanent disability. In its late stage, chronic fibrous obliteration of the vein is rarely amenable to surgical treatment, except in very few select cases. Methods We treated 126 Paget-Schroetter syndrome patients (group I) by implementing an emergency protocol of thrombolysis by catheter-directed infusion, followed by immediate surgery through an anterior subclavian approach entailing (1) decompression of the thoracic inlet and (2) repairing the vein with a vein patch to reestablish its normal caliber. In addition, we treated another selective group of 81 patients (group II) for chronic fibrotic obstruction several months after their original event, but only when the inflow was adequate. Results Our acute emergency care resulted in a 100% long-term patency rate in group I, with no sequelae. The patency rate in group II was 100% as well, but in 74% a long vein patch, endovascular stents, or homograft implants were used. Conclusions Implementation of an emergency approach to treat Paget-Schroetter syndrome is highly recommended to prevent the delayed sequelae of permanent subclavian vein obliteration and disability. In chronic obstruction, when feasible, we recommend a long saphenous vein patch, followed by endovascular stent implant.
A Prototype Content-Based Retrieval System that Uses Virtual Images to Save Space

Previous research has demonstrated that space can be saved in a MultiMedia DataBase Management System (MMDBMS) by storing some of the data items virtually, meaning they are stored as sequences of editing operations. The existing approaches for performing ContentBased Retrieval (CBR) in an MMDBMS, however, typically assume that the data items are stored as large, binary objects. The result is that an MMDBMS cannot use the existing approaches without losing the space savings gained by storing the data items virtually. In our demo, we present a prototype CBR system for virtual images that avoids this problem by using the semantic information in the editing operations during retrieval. 1. Motivation
Improving Delivery Room Management for Very Preterm Infants

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Events in the delivery room significantly impact the outcomes of preterm infants. We developed evidence-based guidelines to prevent heat loss, reduce exposure to supplemental oxygen, and increase use of noninvasive respiratory support to improve the care and outcomes of infants with birth weight ≤1250 g at our institution. METHODS: The guidelines were implemented through multidisciplinary conferences, routine use of a checklist, appointment of a dedicated resuscitation nurse, and frequent feedback to clinicians. This cohort study compares a historical group (n = 80) to a prospective group (n = 80, after guidelines were implemented). Primary outcome was axillary temperature at admission to the intensive care nursery. Secondary outcomes measured adherence to the guidelines and changes in clinically relevant patient outcomes. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of the groups were similar. After introduction of the guidelines, average admission temperatures increased (36.4°C vs 36.7°C, P CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated significantly improved quality of delivery room care for very preterm infants after introduction of evidence-based delivery room guidelines. Multidisciplinary involvement and continuous education and reinforcement of the guidelines permitted sustained change.
The development of a construct for measuring an individual's perceptions of Email as a medium for electronic communication in organizations

Several information systems and computer-mediated communication studies in the literature measure user's perceptions of E-mail. The user's perceptions of E-mail were used to develop and validate the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). While a user's perceptions of E-mail play an important role in the literature, very few studies have focused solely on developing a construct for measuring these perceptions. In this paper, we develop a construct to measure an individual's perceptions of E-mail as a medium for electronic communication in organizations. Using a survey of management and nonmanagement employees in northeastern USA, we empirically test our theoretical construct. The results of our research indicate that an individual's perceptions of E-mail are a multidimensional construct with two dimensions: the individual level dimension and the organizational level. At an individual level, a person's perceptions may be impacted by E-mail's role in improving productivity, supporting team work, and providing global reach. At an organizational level a person's perceptions may be impacted by E-mail's role in making an organization vulnerable to viruses, exposing proprietary information, and/or encouraging unprofessional and illegal behavior.
Management of Localized Esophageal Cancer in the Older Patient

Most patients with gastroesophageal cancers are older than 65 years of age. The management of older patients poses challenges because they have multiple comorbidities and physiological changes associated with aging. Furthermore, data are limited on tolerance of cancer therapy and the use of combined-modality treatments in this patient population to guide their treatment. In this article, we focus on the management of older patients with localized esophageal cancer, highlighting the role of comprehensive geriatric assessment to identify and better tailor treatment approaches in this patient population. We review the literature and discuss the role of surgical resection and potential complications specific to an older patient. We review the rationale of combined-modality treatment and the potential benefits of a chemoradiotherapy-based approach in this patient population.
The effect of conflicting medication information and physician support on medication adherence for chronically ill patients

Abstract Objective This article explores the effect of conflicting information, defined as contradictory information about medication topics from different sources, on medication adherence in a sample of chronically ill patients. We specifically investigate whether conflicting information and physician support directly affect medication adherence or whether the effect is mediated by adherence self-efficacy and outcome expectations for medications. Methods Vasculitis patients ( n =228) completed two on-line questionnaires which contained measures of conflicting information, adherence self-efficacy, outcome expectations, physician support, and medication adherence. We conducted a mediation analysis using a bootstrapping approach to generate point estimates and 95% confidence intervals to test the significance of each mediated effect. Results A majority of patients (51.3%) received conflicting medication information. Conflicting information had a direct negative effect on medication adherence, which was not mediated by self-efficacy or outcome expectations. Alternatively, self-efficacy mediated the positive effect of physician support on medication adherence. Conclusion Patients who encounter conflicting medication information are less adherent to their medications. The presence of a supportive physician may counteract the negative effect of conflicting medication information. Practice implications Physicians should initiate conversations about conflicting medication information with their patients. Consensus-based guidelines that address medication discrepancies may also reduce the availability of conflicting information.
Diatomaceous earth increases the efficacy of Beauveria bassiana against Tribolium castaneum larvae and increases conidia attachment

This research tested the suppressive ability of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin alone and in combination with diatomaceous earth against the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Adults did not show a dose response to B. bassiana, and the addition of diatomaceous earth (DE) did not result in a significant increase in mortality. Against larvae, however, DE at 190 mg/kg grain enhanced the efficacy of B. bassiana at all concentrations ranging from 33 to 2,700 mg of conidia per kilogram of grain. The presence of DE resulted in 17- and 16-fold decreases in the median lethal concentration of B. bassiana at 56 and 75% RH, respectively. No significant differences in larval mortality in response to B. bassiana and diatomaceous earth alone or in combination were found between 56 and 75% RH. Conidial attachment to larvae was significantly greater with 190 mg/kg DE than without it. The partial analysis of lipids taken up by DE from the larvae revealed the removal of phospholipids and long-chain fatty acids. These results support the hypothesis that diatomaceous earth enhances the efficacy of B. bassiana against larval T. castaneum, at least in part by damaging the insect cuticle, thus increasing conidial attachment and making nutrients more available to conidia for their germination.
Decomposition of Head Related Impulse Responses by Selection of Conjugate Pole Pairs

Currently, to obtain maximum fidelity 3D audio, an intended listener is required to undergo time consuming measurements using highly specialized and expensive equipment. Customizable Head-Related Impulse Responses (HRIRs) would remove this limitation. This paper reports our progress in the first stage of the development of customizable HRIRs. Our approach is to develop compact functional models that could be equivalent to empirically measured HRIRs but require a much smaller number of parameters, which could eventually be derived from the anatomical characteristics of a prospective listener. For this first step, HRIRs must be decomposed into multiple delayed and scaled damped sinusoids which, in turn, reveal the parameters (delay and magnitude) necessary to create an instance of the structural model equivalent to the HRIR under analysis. Previously this type of HRIR decomposition has been accomplished through an exhaustive search of the model parameters. A new method that approaches the decomposition simultaneously in the frequency (Z) and time domains is reported here.
Pornographic Values: Hierarchy and Hubris

Although the radical feminist critique has been eclipsed by postmodern and liberal positions in the debate over pornography during the past two decades, that radical critique remains the best frame...
Plasmon Dynamics in Coupled Optical Microcavities

We theoretically analyze the coupling effects and the plasmon dynamics in a structure formed by a pure optical microcavity connected to a hybrid plasmonic microcavity in a silicon optical waveguide.
Morphological and ecological evidence for two sympatric forms of Type B killer whale around the Antarctic Peninsula

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are apex marine predators in Antarctica, but uncertainty over their taxonomic and ecological diversity constrains evaluations of their trophic interactions. We describe two distinct, sympatric forms sharing the characteristic pigmentation of Type B, the most common around the Antarctic Peninsula. Laser photogrammetry revealed nonoverlapping size differences among adults: Based on a body length index (BLI: blowhole to dorsal fin) adult females of the larger form (“B1”) were 20 % longer than the smaller form (“B2”), and adult males were 24 % longer on average. Dorsal fins of B1 adult females were 19 % taller than B2 females, and adult males 32 % taller. Both types were strongly sexually dimorphic, but B1 more so, including for BLI (B1 males = 1.07× females; B2 = 1.05×) and especially for dorsal fin height (B1 male fins = 2.33× female; B2 = 2.10×). The characteristically large Type B eye patch was more extensive for B1 than B2, comprising 41 and 37 % of BLI, respectively. Average group size was also significantly different, with B1s in smaller groups (mean 7, range 1–14) and B2s more gregarious (mean 36, range 8–75). Stable isotope analysis of skin biopsies indicated dietary differences: a significantly lower nitrogen 15N/14N ratio in B2s supported observations of feeding primarily on krill consumers (e.g., pygoscelid penguins), while B1s prey mainly on predators of krill consumers (e.g., Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii). These differences likely represent adaptations to distinct foraging niches, which has led to genetic divergence; their ecology now needs further study.
Pollination of Aristolochia littoralis (Aristolochiales: Aristolochiaceae) by Males of Megaselia spp. (Diptera: Phoridae)

Thirty-two flowers of Aristolochia littoralis Parodi collected in Gainesville, FL, between 29 August and 29 September 1992 contained 349 phorid flies representing seven species of the genus Megaselia: M. scalaris (Loew), M. aurea (Aldrich), M. perdita (Malloch), and four unidentified species. Experimental evidence suggests that flies are attracted to flowers by an olfactory cue, although visual cues might be used at short range. Ninety-six percent of the flies (334) were males. The reason for this male-biased sex ratio is unknown, but it is possible that the attractive olfactory cue produced by the plant is sex-specific. At least some specimens of each Megaselia species carried clumps of pollen, suggesting that they were of an appropriate size to carry out pollination. Germination tests were conducted on seeds from 10 A. littoralis fruits. The mean germination rate for seeds from the 10 fruits was 56% (range, 4–92%).
Patterns of Malignant Glioma Relapse after Discontinuing Bevacizumab Prior to Disease Recurrence (P03.138)

Objective: To investigate whether discontinuing bevacizumab prior to tumor recurrence leads to radiogrpahic "rebound", results in an invasive/multifocal recurrence, or leads to early tumor progression/poor survival. Background Bevacizumab (BEV) is an anti-angiogenic therapy approved for recurrent glioblastoma. In BEV responders, it is uncertain whether: 1.) the radiographic response represents anti-tumor effect or restoration of the blood-brain barrier; 2.) continued therapy causes a change to an invasive tumor phenotype; 3.) treatment can be stopped without compromising survival. Design/Methods: We retrospectively identified recurrent malignant glioma patients (>16 weeks after radiotherapy to minimize those with pseudoprogression) who achieved a radiographic response to BEV and discontinued BEV prior to disease recurrence. Results: 7 (5 glioblastoma, 2 anaplastic astrocytoma) were identified. Median age was 50 years. BEV was given at first (5), second (1), and fourth (1) recurrence. BEV was given in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy (4) and as a single agent (3). Patients received a median of 7 (range 4-11) BEV treatments. BEV was discontinued for toxicity (4) and patient/physician choice (3). None received dexamethasone or other tumor treatment after BEV discontinuation. After stopping BEV, median time to recurrence and six-month progression free survival were 4.6 months (range 1.4-22.1) and 43%. respectively. The pattern of tumor recurrence was local (5), distal (1), and infiltrating/multifocal (0). One glioblastoma has not recurred 22.1 months after stopping treatment. Five were re-treated with BEV at recurrence and 4 had a radiographic response. 4/5 glioblastoma patients remain alive at a median follow-up of 9 months after initial discontinuation of BEV. Conclusions: A radiographic "rebound" effect was not observed. BEV re-treatment was associated with radiographic response despite prior exposure. Although treatment recommendations cannot be made based on this small, retrospective series, the encouraging survival of recurrent glioblastoma suggests that early discontinuation of BEV may be considered. Prospective studies are necessary to define optimal BEV schedule. Disclosure: Dr. Sherman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Raizer has received personal compensation for activities with Genentech, Merck, and Enzon as a speaker and advisory board member. Dr. Raizer has received research support from Genentech Inc., Novartis, Lilly, Myriad, Arno, and Med-Immune. Dr. Grimm has nothing to disclose.
Termination of midtrimester pregnancy by serial intramuscular injections of 15(S)-15-methyl-prostaglandin F2α

Midtrimester abortion was successfully induced in 117 of 120 patients with serial intramuscular injections of 15(S)-15-methyl-prostaglandin F 2α (15-me-PGFF 2α ). The mean abortion time was 14.12 hours, and parous patients aborted in a mean of 12.85 hours—significantly faster than nulliparous patients who aborted in a mean of 15.24 hours. Ninety-four per cent of the 117 successfully induced abortions occurred in less than 24 hours and 46 per cent in less than 12 hours. Uterine activity was monitored and analyzed in nine patients. Uterine response to a single intramuscular injection of 100 μg of 15-me-PGF 2α was characterized by the appearance of low-amplitude, high frequency contractions and a rapid increase in baseline intrauterine tonus. A high level of uterine activity, 900 Montevideo Units, was observed within 30 minutes of the first intramuscular injection of 15-me-PGF 2α . This activity was not maintained and decreased fry approximately 30 per cent at the time of the second injection at 1 hour. It was not until 6 hours of 15-me-PGF 2α therapy that activity stabilized at approximately 500 Montevideo Units. Even though all patients were premedicated with antiemetic and antidiarrhea agents, 68 of 120 patients experienced gastrointestinal side effects related to the 15-me-PGF 2α administration. Vomiting was the most prevalent side effect, occurring in 65 patients, but the episodes were not severe, were well tolerated by the patients and did not necessitate the termination of prostaglandin administration in any of the patients. In this study abortion was successfully induced between weeks 9 to 27 of gestation. It was observed that patients with gestations of 16 weeks or less aborted significantly faster than patients with gestations of 17 weeks or more, which indicates that this method is highly effective in the induction of abortion within the "gray zone", 12 to 16 weeks of gestation.
Further enhancements to the analysis of spectral purity in the application of practical direct digital synthesis

In general, the output of a DDS (direct digital synthesis) system will inherently include spurious signals due to two effects: (1) phase truncation errors; and (2) phase to amplitude conversion errors. Phase truncation errors have traditionally been analyzed separately from the fundamental DDS output signal making the derivations awkward and hard to follow. We have recognized that by: (1) only dealing with the active portion of the phase accumulator; (2) carefully reformulating the instantaneous phase; and (3) including all possible initial conditions, the spectral analyses of the DDS output signal can be performed directly, exactly and in a way that is much easier to follow. Our analysis approach results in a simple formulation of the frequency locations and spacing of the phase truncation spurs. We have also recognized that, as long as the phase-to-amplitude conversion errors are "static" in nature, all possible DDS output spectra are inter-related. This is true without any a priori knowledge of the errors. The equations for this interrelationship have been derived in this paper. They show that if a specific DDS spectrum is known, all other possible spectra can be derived from it. We referred to this specific spectrum as the mother spectrum. Also from the properties of these inter-relationships, a different insight has been given to the interpretation of the phase truncation spurs. Based on our derivations, it has also been shown that observations of the DDS spectrum may be affected by using a phase-locked loop phase detector.
On the capacity of degraded MIMO Z interference channels with degraded message sets

This paper studies the capacity region of a class of MIMO Z interference channels with degraded message sets. This channel is of interest as it represents an important step in the analysis of the capacity region of the general MIMO cognitive radio channels1.
Methods in Biological Fuel Cells

This chapter details the common analytical methods used to evaluate all types of biological fuel cells. These include in situ and ex situ techniques for studying the catalyst, the bioelectrodes, and the complete biological fuel cell. Spectroscopic methods include spectrophotometric kinetic assays, product analysis assays, and electrode characterization techniques. Electrochemical methods include methods for proving bioelectrocatalysis via voltammetry, studying biocatalyst kinetics via amperometry, and performing polarization and power curve measurements on complete biological fuel cells.
Spatial frequency analysis of Heintzmann and Cremer method for super resolution

We present a numerical investigation of the structured illumination method (SIM) algorithm. It is shown that changing the frequency of the structured illumination affects the resolution of the resulting images non-uniformly in the spatial frequency domain. As the grating frequency increases, some groups of lines of higher spatial frequency became distinguishable as expected; however, certain groups of lines of lower spatial frequency that were formerly distinguishable become indistinguishable. This paper adds to the body of knowledge by showing these results in a quantitative way.