cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Property Taxation, Capitalization, and the Economic Implications of Raising Property Taxes

This study applies a hedonic pricing model to provide further empirical evidence whether, in the spirit of Tiebout (Journal of Political Economy 64(1):416–424, 1956), Oates (Journal of Political Economy 77(6):957–971, 1969), and Tullock (Journal of Political Economy 79(5):913–918, 1971), property taxes in particular have been capitalized into housing prices in the city of Savannah, Georgia housing market. There were sufficient data in this context to study a total of 2,888 single-family houses for the six-year period 2000–2005; 591 of these houses were located in the Savannah Historic Landmark District. Estimating the model in semi-log form reveals (after allowing for a variety of factors, including 12 spatial variables, four of which are de facto Tiebout type variables) that the natural log of the real sales price of a single-family house in the city of Savannah environment was in fact negatively affected by the city and county property tax level. This study is prompted by the fact that city and county governments are facing serious financial challenges and are searching for viable revenue sources. Increasing property taxes is one of the potential revenue sources being considered by elected officials. In providing current evidence on the effects of property tax in particular and on the Tiebout hypothesis in general, we seek to alert city and state governments of the potential consequences and perils of property tax hikes.
A planned neck dissection is not necessary in all patients with N2-3 head-and-neck cancer after sequential chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose To assess the role of a planned neck dissection (PND) after sequential chemoradiotherapy for patients with head-and-neck cancer with N2–N3 nodal disease. Methods and Materials We reviewed 90 patients with N2–N3 head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma treated between 1991 and 2001 on two sequential chemoradiotherapy protocols. All patients received induction and concurrent chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorocuracil, with or without tirapazamine. Patients with less than a clinical complete response (cCR) in the neck proceeded to a PND after chemoradiation. The primary endpoint was nodal response. Clinical outcomes and patterns of failure were analyzed. Results The median follow-up durations for living and all patients were 8.3 years (range, 1.5–16.3 year) and 5.4 years (range, 0.6–16.3 years), respectively. Of the 48 patients with nodal cCR whose necks were observed, 5 patients had neck failures as a component of their recurrence [neck and primary ( n = 2); neck, primary, and distant ( n = 1); neck only ( n = 1); neck and distant ( n = 1)]. Therefore, PND may have benefited only 2 patients (4%) [neck only failure ( n = 1); neck and distant failure ( n = 1)]. The pathologic complete response (pCR) rate for those with a clinical partial response (cPR) undergoing PND ( n = 30) was 53%. The 5-year neck control rates after cCR, cPR→pCR, and cPR→pPR were 90%, 93%, and 78%, respectively ( p = 0.36). The 5-year disease-free survival rates for the cCR, cPR→pCR, and cPR→pPR groups were 53%, 75%, and 42%, respectively ( p = 0.04). Conclusion In our series, patients with N2–N3 neck disease achieving a cCR in the neck, PND would have benefited only 4% and, therefore, is not recommended. Patients with a cPR should be treated with PND. Residual tumor in the PND specimens was associated with poor outcomes; therefore, aggressive therapy is recommended. Studies using novel imaging modalities are needed to better assess treatment response.
Low temperature electrical resistance of thin film AuIn2

Abstract The temperature dependence of the electrical resistance of a 4.4 cm long, 2.5 μm wide and 20 nm thick AuIn 2 film has been measured from 10 K to 5 mK in a 600 Oe magnetic field. Below 3 K the resistance increases with decreasing temperature and above 150 mK is in quantitative agreement with two-dimensional localization theory. However below 150 mK we observe for the first time a crossover to a more slowly increasing resistance with decreasing temperaturature that is in quantitative agreement theories based on Coulomb-interaction effects.
Radiographic technique factors and imaging performance in digital mammography

Simulated mass lesions were superimposed onto an anthropomorphic breast phantom and x-rayed using a small field of view digital mammography system. Digital radiographs were acquired at a range of x-ray tube potential (constant detector exposure), and a range of x-ray tube current-time product values (constant x-ray tube potential). Twelve readers assessed the probability of a simulated mass being present in specified regions of interest, with the resultant data used to determine the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Az). The mean Az value obtained at 28 kVp/72 mAs was 0.69. At the same x-ray tube potential, the Az score fell to 0.63 (p less than 0.05) at 32 mAs, whereas the mean Az score of 0.71 was not significantly different for the image acquired at 144 mAs. At a constant detector exposure, reducing the x-ray tube potential to 22 kVp (320 mAs) resulted in a mean Az value of 0.72, whereas increasing the x-ray tube potential to 34 kVp (28 mAs) resulted in a mean Az value of 0.69. For the detection of simulated mass lesions in an anthropomorphic breast phantom, changing the kVP at a constant detector exposure had no significant effect on imaging performance, whereas halving the mAs at a constant kVp reduced the Az value by approximately 10%.
Adaptation Processes among Young Immigrants: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT The population of children and teenagers who are either immigrants themselves or children of immigrants has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Young immigrants have a significant impact on the social and cultural makeup of many American communities, and on the education system in particular. In light of this, this paper provides a review of studies that were conducted on the adaptation processes among this new “second generation youth.” Studies are classified into those that examined the issues of young immigrants' adaptation from the psychological/social-psychological and sociological perspectives. Subsequently, theoretical research on adolescent immigrants' adaptation is reviewed.
Characterisation of n-channel germanium MOSFET with gate insulator formed by high-pressure thermal oxidation

N-channel Ge MOSFETs are fabricated with the use of a double-layer gate oxide consisting of electron beam evaporated SiO2 over a native GeO2 oxide, formed by highpressure thermal oxidation. Interface properties of the MOS structure, determined by capacitance/voltage and mobility measurements, are shown to be suitable for FET devices.
Divergent effects of two different doses of intranasal oxytocin on facial affect discrimination in schizophrenic patients with and without polydipsia

Rationale Hyponatremia and dexamethasone resistance in polydipsic schizophrenic patients are attributable to changes in hippocampal-modulated antidiuretic and stress hormone activity, respectively. The relationship of the neuroendocrine findings to the psychiatric illness, however, is unknown. An impaired ability to identify facial emotions has been linked to core features of schizophrenia and to diminished levels of the closely related hormone, oxytocin, in the polydipsic subset. Intranasal oxytocin enhances facial affect discrimination in healthy subjects. Objective The aim of this study is to explore if oxytocin reverses impaired facial affect discrimination in schizophrenic patients with, relative to that in patients without, polydipsia. Methods Intranasal oxytocin (10 or 20 IU) and placebo were administered on three occasions to five polydipsic schizophrenic patients, eight nonpolydipsic patients, and 11 healthy controls. Subsequently, subjects rated the presence and intensity of six facial emotions. Results Emotion recognition fell in both patient groups following 10 IU of oxytocin due to an increased propensity to identify all emotions regardless of whether they were displayed. By contrast, emotion recognition improved following 20 IU in polydipsic relative to nonpolydipsic patients due primarily to divergent effects on the bias to identify fear in nonfearful faces. Conclusion The effects of 20 IU oxytocin support the hypothesis that altered neuroendocrine function in polydipsic patients contributes to their psychiatric illness. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings and assess if oxytocin treatment improves social functioning in this subset. This is the first psychopharmacologic study to compare different doses of oxytocin in the same subject, thus the significance of the opposing responses is unclear.
The current status of recertification and relicensure.

Abstract There is a growing interest by state medical societies, state medical boards, medical specialty societies and medical specialty boards in assuring the continuing competence of medical practitioners. The approaches to the problem vary from voluntary educational efforts at one extreme to mandatory re-examination at the other. Concern about this issue stems from an effort by physician organizations to maintain control of medical practice. In the article, the present status of the problem is discussed.
IEP goals for school-age children with speech sound disorders.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the current study was to describe the current state of practice for writing Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals for children with speech sound disorders (SSDs). Method IEP goals for 146 children receiving services for SSDs within public school systems across two states were coded for their dominant theoretical framework and overall quality. A dichotomous scheme was used for theoretical framework coding: cognitive-linguistic or sensory-motor. Goal quality was determined by examining 7 specific indicators outlined by an empirically tested rating tool. In total, 147 long-term and 490 short-term goals were coded. Results The results revealed no dominant theoretical framework for long-term goals, whereas short-term goals largely reflected a sensory-motor framework. In terms of quality, the majority of speech production goals were functional and generalizable in nature, but were not able to be easily targeted during common daily tasks or by other members of the IEP team. Short-term goals were consistently rated higher in quality domains when compared to long-term goals. Conclusions The current state of practice for writing IEP goals for children with SSDs indicates that theoretical framework may be eclectic in nature and likely written to support the individual needs of children with speech sound disorders. Further investigation is warranted to determine the relations between goal quality and child outcomes. Learning outcomes: (1) Identify two predominant theoretical frameworks and discuss how they apply to IEP goal writing. (2) Discuss quality indicators as they relate to IEP goals for children with speech sound disorders. (3) Discuss the relationship between long-term goals level of quality and related theoretical frameworks. (4) Identify the areas in which business-as-usual IEP goals exhibit strong quality.
THE EFFECT OF CORTISONE ON DNA CONTENT OF RAT HEPATOCYTES

Rats were treated with cortisone, x-radiation, and both agents in combination, and the effect noted on the DNA content of hepatocytes. Nuclei were enumerated both in whole liver homogenates and following isolation. The incorporation of P32 into DNA was also studied in relation to these agents. The following observations were made:— 1.The DNA content of nuclei fell both during cortisone administration and following x-radiation. In the former instance, the fall was progressive with continuing administration of hormone; in the latter instance, there was a return to normal 5 days after radiation. 2. Cortisone administration to x-radiated rats caused a fall in DNA/nucleus and prevented the return to normal at 5 days. 3. There was no evidence that the effects of cortisone and x-rays were additive in reducing DNA/nucleus. 4. These data indicate an alteration in DNA/nucleus, but simple changes in ploidy cannot be excluded. Either explanation requires that the agents used affect the DNA of non-regenerating nuclei. 5. Cortisone interfered with the incorporation of P32 into the DNA of regenerating liver. Only a small effect on DNA synthesis in resting liver was observed with cortisone or x-radiation. 6. DNA content of nuclei returned to normal 5 days after x-radiation and 3 days after discontinuance of cortisone. Slight increase in the incorporation of P32 by DNA was observed during recovery phases. 7. The hypothesis is proposed that the apparent losses and increases in DNA/nucleus were due to depolymerization and repolymerization of DNA. Following x-radiation and/or cortisone administration, it is proposed that some DNA is depolymerized and becomes cold acid-soluble and dissociated from organized chromatin. Later, conditions are such that this degraded DNA is repolymerized. 8. These data might be interpreted to indicate that a portion of the DNA is not essential to cell integrity; alternatively, there may be two or more species of DNA, one of which is more readily affected by the agents investigated in the present report.
Neuropsychological Analyses of Comorbidity Between Reading Disability and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: In Search of the Common Deficit

Measures of component reading and language skills, executive functions, and processing speed were administered to groups of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 113), reading disability (RD; n = 109), both RD and ADHD (n = 64), and neither RD nor ADHD (n = 151). Groups with RD exhibited pronounced deficits on all measures of component reading and language skills, as well as significant weaknesses on measures of verbal working memory, processing speed, and response inhibition. Groups with ADHD exhibited weaknesses on all response-inhibition and processing speed tasks and were impaired on some measures of component reading skills and verbal working memory. The group with comorbid RD and ADHD exhibited the combination of the deficits in the RD-only and ADHD-only groups, providing evidence against the phenocopy and cognitive subtype hypotheses as explanations for the co-occurrence of RD and ADHD. Slow and variable processing speed was characteristic of all 3 clinical groups, suggesting that measures of this domain may be useful for future studies that search for the common genes that increase susceptibility to RD and ADHD.
Electric field effects on intersubband transitions in quantum well structures

Abstract We report on a Raman scattering study of the electric-field dependence of c 0 → c 1 intersubband transitions of photoexcited electrons in a 264 A GaAs- Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As quantum-well structure. The measured Stark shifts are in very good agreement with theoretical predictions. The intensity of the intersubband peak increases rapidly with applied field due to parity-mixing. In contrast to the enhanced broadening shown by excitation resonances, the width of c 0 → c 1 is nearly independent of the field. This feature is attributed to effects of structural disorder.
Linking Material Flow Analysis and Resource Policy via Future Scenarios of In-Use Stock: An Example for Copper

A key aspect to achieving long-term resource sustainability is the development of methodologies that explore future material cycles and their environmental impact. Using a novel dynamic in-use stock model and scenario analysis, I analyzed the multilevel global copper cycle over the next 100 years. In 1990, the industrialized world had an in-use copper stock about twice as large as the developing world and a per capita in-use stock of about six times as large. By 2100, the developing world will have an in-use copper stock about three times as large as the industrialized world, but the industrialized world will maintain a per capita stock twice that of the developing world. Under a scenario of no material substitution or technological change in copper products, global in-use stock in 2100 will be about as large as currently known copper resources. However, current scrap recycling trends and exploration will alleviate absolute supply pressure but not environmental impacts from decreasing copper are grades. Additionally, unexpected emergent properties of dematerialization are observed from the in-use stock model that arise solely from the properties of stock dynamics, an infrequently discussed cause of dematerialization in the literature.
Screening colonoscopy in the asymptomatic 50- to 59-year-old population

Background: In an effort to decrease the death rate from colorectal cancer, a multitude of medical societies and task forces recommend routine screening for colorectal cancer beginning at age 50. Yet, there is no consensus as to the best and most cost-effective screening method. Medicare now pays for screening colonoscopies for its average risk beneficiaries [3]. Many insurance companies, however, will not cover this test in younger patients. We therefore reviewed our institution’s colonoscopy experience with asymptomatic 50- to 59-year-olds, with negative fecal occult blood tests and negative family histories. Methods: Between January 1999 and January 2002, 4779 colonoscopies were performed at our institution. The charts for 619 persons 50–59 years of age were retrospectively reviewed, with 91 patients meeting the strict requirements of this study. We defined polyps with high-grade neoplasias as those with villous or tubulovillous components, and cancerous lesions included those with carcinoma in situ. The distal colon was defined as the rectum and sigmoid colon. Results: There was a 58% incidence of neoplastic polyps in this younger asymptomatic population. More than 4% of our subjects had high-grade neoplasias or cancerous lesions. In the absence of any distal findings, flexible sigmoidoscopy would have missed up to 38% of these polyps. Conclusions: The findings generally support the recommendations by the American College of Gastroenterology for average-risk patients to preferentially undergo a screening colonoscopy at age 50 in lieu of other methods.
PIP kinases define PI4,5P2 signaling specificity by association with effectors

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI4,5P₂) is an essential lipid messenger with roles in all eukaryotes and most aspects of human physiology. By controlling the targeting and activity of its effectors, PI4,5P₂modulates processes, such as cell migration, vesicular trafficking, cellular morphogenesis, signaling and gene expression. In cells, PI4,5P₂has a much higher concentration than other phosphoinositide species and its total content is largely unchanged in response to extracellular stimuli. The discovery of a vast array of PI4,5P₂ binding proteins is consistent with data showing that the majority of cellular PI4,5P₂is sequestered. This supports a mechanism where PI4,5P₂functions as a localized and highly specific messenger. Further support of this mechanism comes from the de novo synthesis of PI4,5P₂which is often linked with PIP kinase interaction with PI4,5P₂effectors and is a mechanism to define specificity of PI4,5P₂signaling. The association of PI4,5P₂-generating enzymes with PI4,5P₂effectors regulate effector function both temporally and spatially in cells. In this review, the PI4,5P₂effectors whose functions are tightly regulated by associations with PI4,5P₂-generating enzymes will be discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Phosphoinositides.
Application of Miniature Ring-Core and Interferometric Strain/Slope Rosette to Determine Residual Stress Distribution With Depth—Part II: Experiments

The principle of an interferometric strain/slope rosette (ISSR) is based on interference of laser beams reflected from three microindentations on a specimen surface. The ISSR can simultaneously measure the in-plane strains and the out-of-plane slopes. Ring-core cutting is a mechanical stress relief method. When used with the ISSR technique for residual stress measurement, the ring core can be made much smaller than used with the resistance strain rosette. Thus, more localized residual stresses can be measured. The theories of the ISSR/ring-core cutting method are described in this paper. Both mechanical and finite element models are developed for the incremental ring-core cutting process with the application of the ISSR technique. The stress-strain coefficients of the ISSR/ring-core method are calculated and nondimensionalized for general applications. A test example is given to demonstrate how residual stress distribution is determined by using the stress-strain coefficients and the ISSR data.
Soil chemistry and shale weathering on a hillslope influenced by convergent hydrologic flow regime at the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory

Soil chemistry data (major and REEs) are presented from a swale transect for comparison to similar measurements on a planar transect published previously for the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. Similar reaction fronts are observed: plagioclase dissolution is indicated by Na and Ca depletion and a negative Eu anomaly; clay dissolution followed by particle loss is accompanied by depletion of Mg, K, Fe, Al and Si. However, in contrast to the planar transect, soils along the swale transect, especially in the topographically depressed site, do not show smooth elemental profiles. This documents both residuum soils and accumulation of colluvium sediments. The soils in the swale transect are thicker and on average wetter than those along the planar transect; however, the Ce anomaly observed in the swale soils is consistent with a generally oxic environment. Thus, preferential flowpaths are an important mechanism for water transport, preventing swale soils from water saturation.
Vibration with Non-Gaussian Noise

Three methods are introduced for generating realizations of time histories with a specified auto-spectral density while controlling the kurtosis. One of the methods also allows the skewness to be specified. A second method allows large excursions (that produce large kurtosis) to be randomly distributed or almost periodic. In addition, the second method allows the average number of large excursions per unit of time to be specified. All the methods are variations of the inverse Welch method. The shape of the discrete Fourier magnitude is specified for a frame of data, thus controlling the shape of the auto-spectral density. The phase of the frame of data or the magnitude of the amplitude spectrum is modified to control the kurtosis or the skewness. The frames of data are multiplied by a window and overlapped and added to produce the realization.
Disaggregating local knowledge: the effects of gendered farming practices on soil fertility and soil reaction in SW Hungary

Soil sampling and analysis of hydromorphic meadow soils were combined with semi-structured interviews to discern the multiple forms of local agricultural practices and knowledge in a community located in SW Hungary. Particular attention was extended to the role of gender in affecting soil management and knowledge and thereby soil reaction and fertility. The findings suggest that gender-specific forms of soil management directly alter soil status with lowered pH and macronutrient values in male-controlled cash-crop plots and excessive amounts of P2O5 on female-controlled subsistence plots. General soil classification likewise varied according to gender. To determine soil productivity potential, women mostly relied on a conventional economic index (the Gold Crown system) and general descriptive terminology, while men tended to be sensitised to soil texture. As the study is not based on an extensive survey, the results presented here should be considered preliminary and further expansion of interviews and soil sampling will be attempted in the future. These results nevertheless indicate that examining variability within local soil management systems is crucial to understanding anthropogenic impacts on soil dynamics.
Probabilistic Modeling for Ceramic Lined Gun Barrels

Designers of advanced gun systems have been tasked with increasing barrel life in the face of the extreme erosion and wear of the interior ballistics environment. The addition of refractory metal coatings, such as chromium or tantalum, have greatly boosted service life, but even with these applications the erosion resistance of the underlying gun steel is the service-life limiting factor. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is currently undertaking an effort to determine the feasibility of ceramic gun barrels. Ceramics are attractive for liner materials because of their high-temperature performance and erosion-resistance characteristics. Unfortunately, their drawbacks are low tensile strength, low fracture toughness, and brittle fracture. Previous research into the replacement of metals with a ceramic liner has met with limited success, at best, but advances in ceramic manufacturing technology, probabilistic design, and sheathing technology have led to renewed interest in this area. The work at ARL has focused on developing a material property database of commercially available ceramics, extensive finite element and analytic modeling, experimental verification, and, ultimately, demonstration of the ceramic gun barrel technology. This body of work will focus on the derivation of analytic models for an N-layered tube to calculate the Weibull failure probabilities for a ceramic liner. Model results are verified through high-pressure burst testing of blank and sheathed ceramic tubes. The application of the models as a design tool is explored by generating failure surface plots to investigate optimal geometries and prestress levels for a variety of different liner and sheath materials across various caliber systems.
A harsh environment, multi-plasma microsystem with pressure sensor, gas purifier, and chemical detector

A system for gas phase chemical detection in harsh environments has been developed that utilizes three microplasma-based devices: pressure sensor, gas purifier, and optical emission sensor. The devices all utilize microplasmas between thin-film electrodes and occupy a combined active area of 10.5 mm2. They are fabricated on glass chips and enclosed in a 0.33 cm3 ceramic package. The optical emission sensor operates by fractionating and exciting gas species for chemical spectral detection. The pressure sensor measures the change in microplasma current distribution with pressure, and achieves a sensitivity of 9800 ppm/Torr at 200degC. The gas-purifying microscale sputter ion pump purifies the environment by selectively removing nitrogen and oxygen, and achieves a 56.5times reduction in nitrogen concentration relative to helium. This purification enhances the ability to detect trace amounts of gases. As a validation of this system, a spectral enhancement of 8times at 200degC for carbon line emission intensity relative to nitrogen has been demonstrated.
Near Maximal 2-D Sinusoid Identification From Limited Data

We describe a novel method to identify a large number of two-dimensional (2-D) sinusoids from very limited data. Starting with the noiseless exponential superposition model, we derive the 2-D linear prediction equations for the data, and present a general 2-D exponential identification algorithm based on one-dimensional (1-D) rooting techniques. Then we enhance this general algorithm for the special case of 2-D sinusoid identification by using conjugate-reverse data to increase the number of identifiable sinusoids and by using FFT to avoid polynomial rooting. Noise is handled by least-squares solutions of the linear prediction equations and the polynomial equations. Numerical simulations demonstrate that our algorithm provides a competitive alternative to existing algorithms
Polybenzimidazoles/Phosphoric Acid Solid Polymer Electrolytes: Mechanical and Electrical Properties

Poly (2,2’-(m-phenylene) 5,5’-bibenzimidazole), PBI and poly (2,5-benzimidazole), ABPBI, were cast into films and doped with phosphoric acid. Their mechanical properties were studied as a function of inherent viscosity and phosphoric acid content. The commercial PBI with an I. V. of 0.8 to 0.9 had relatively low elongation at break. It was fractionated; the higher the inherent viscosity the higher the modulus and elongation. At low phosphoric acid doping the modulus rose because a crystalline phase developed, and then dropped as more phosphoric acid was added. A second doping method produced films with high crystallinity and higher conductivity (0.02-.03 vs. 0.06-.08 S/cm) but poorer elongation than those made by doping a cast film in phosphoric acid. In order to get higher molecular weight films that could have better mechanical properties, we decided to polymerize 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid to ABPBI, an AB polymer for which I. V.’s of~16 have been reported. After learning how to purify and polymerize the monomer, I. V.’s of 6-8 were easily obtained. Conductivities of the doped ABPBI films were as high as those of the best PBI films. With their high viscosities, the ABPBI films were much tougher and had better elongation than the doped PBI films.
A Review of “A Rain of Words: A Bilingual Anthology of Women's Poetry in Francophone Africa”

This original French-English anthology provides welcome refreshment for a literary landscape that during the past century has remained somewhat parched. As the African continent struggled to overco...
ELF: an efficient log-structured flash file system for micro sensor nodes

An efficient and reliable file storage system is important to micro sensor nodes so that data can be logged for later asynchronous delivery across a multi-hop wireless sensor network. Designing and implementing such a file system for a sensor node faces various challenges. Sensor nodes are highly resource constrained in terms of limited runtime memory, limited persistent storage, and finite energy. Also, the flash storage medium on sensor nodes differs in a variety of ways from the traditional hard disk, e.g. in terms of the limited number of writes for a flash memory unit. We present the design and implementation of ELF, an efficient log-structured flash-based file system tailored for sensor nodes. ELF is adapted to achieve memory efficiency, low power operation, and tailored support for common types of sensor file operations such as appending data to a file. ELF's log-structured approach achieves wear levelling across flash memory pages with limited write lifetimes. ELF also uniquely provides garbage collection capability as well as reliability for micro sensor nodes. A performance evaluation of an implementation of ELF based on TinyOS and MICA2 sensor motes is presented.
The chromium tungsten nitride system: evidence of a disorder-order phase transformation

Abstract A detailed investigation of the synthesis of CrWN 2 from a chemical precursor has revealed that it forms via an intermediate disordered nitride. The kinetics of this disordered to ordered phase transformation have been determined and suggest that the layered compound nucleates and grows epitaxially out of the disordered nitride via a two-dimensional transformation mechanism in which cation ordering takes place at the interface between the two structures. Results from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis were used to identify the interfacial relationship between the disordered and ordered phases. In combination with our kinetic data, this information implies that ordering occurs through a short-range, interfacially controlled diffusional process.
Spatial and Spectral Unmixing Using the Beta Compositional Model

This paper introduces the beta compositional model (BCM) for hyperspectral unmixing and four algorithms for unmixing given the BCM. Hyperspectral unmixing estimates the proportion of each endmember at every pixel of a hyperspectral image. Under the BCM, each endmember is a random variable distributed according to a beta distribution. By using a beta distribution, spectral variability is accounted for during unmixing, the reflectance values of each endmember are constrained to a physically realistic range, and skew can be accounted for in the distribution. Spectral variability is incorporated to increase hyperspectral unmixing accuracy. Two BCM-based spectral unmixing approaches are presented: BCM-spectral and BCM-spatial. For each approach, two algorithms, one based on quadratic programming (QP) and one using a Metropolis-Hastings (MH) sampler, are developed. Results indicate that the proposed BCM unmixing algorithms are able to successfully perform unmixing on simulated data and real hyperspectral imagery while incorporating endmember spectral variability and spatial information.
Micro‐Raman Analysis of Carbon Inclusions in Heavy‐Metal Fluoride Glasses

While vitreous carbon crucibles can be used to produce high-quality heavy-metal fluoride glasses using low concentrations of SF 6 gas (15%), pure SF 6 gas produces low-quality and high-scattering glasses. This has been attributed to contamination by vitreous carbon particles by a fallback mechanism due to reaction of SF 6 gas with the crucible walls above the melt. The detrimental effect of carbon particles is further highlighted by their high scattering efficiency factor which indicates that only 37 particles of 1-μm diameter can be tolerated in an optical fiber for attaining 0.01 dB/km loss
Heel stick test for obtaining blood samples in neonates: both swaddling and heel warming may help, but heel warming appears to provide greater pain reduction

Commentary on : Shu SH, Lee YL, Hayter M, et al. Efficacy of swaddling and heel warming on pain response to heel stick in neonates: a randomised control trial. J Clin Nurs 2014;23:3107–14.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] An impressive body of research has found that neonates, including preterm infants, possess the ability to detect, perceive and respond to pain. … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ%2BClin%2BNurs%26rft.volume%253D23%26rft.spage%253D3107%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1111%252Fjocn.12549%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24476226%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1111/jocn.12549&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24476226&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F18%2F4%2F118.atom
Goodness-of-fit Criteria for Broadband Synthetic Seismograms, with Application to the 2008 Mw 5.4 Chino Hills, California, Earthquake

Broadband synthetics obtained from scenario simulations of earthquakes with a frequency content between 0 and 10 Hz, referred to hereafter as “BBSs,” are playing an increasingly important role in seismic hazard analysis. An example is the Great Southern California ShakeOut, the largest disaster response exercise in U.S. history and an annual event since 2008 (Jones et al. 2008). The drill was the first to be based on BBSs, in this case for an M 7.8 scenario earthquake on the southern San Andreas fault. Another example of the important role of synthetic ground motions is the increasing awareness of the advantages of using site-specific ground-motion time series, rather than empirical intensity measures or scaled time series from different sources or locations, for more realistic non-linear dynamic analysis of buildings and performance-based earthquake engineering. BBSs appear to be one of the only viable alternatives to the very limited amount of strong-motion time series, particularly in the near-field from large earthquakes. Effectively meeting demands of this sort for realistic BBSs requires careful validation against recorded data. BBSs are currently achieved by combining deterministic low-frequency (LF) synthetics up to a maximum frequency ( fmax) of typically 1–2 Hz with high-frequency (HF) stochastic synthetics above this upper cutoff frequency (see, for example, Graves and Pitarka 2004; Liu et al. 2006; Mai et al. forthcoming). Visual inspection has been used for decades to claim success or failure of the ability of simulations to match observations (or synthetics derived from an alternative numerical method). However, at shorter periods such visual waveform fits are not practical, likely due to chaotic source and path variability. For example, specific intensity measures tend to be more practical and relevant than actual waveform fits at higher frequencies. Candidates for metrics to measure the misfit for BBSs include commonly used ground-motion intensity …
Learning to extract text-based information from the World Wide Web

There is a wealth of information to be mined from narrative text on the World Wide Web. Unfortunately, standard natural language processing (NLP) extraction techniques expect full, grammatical sentences, and perform poorly on the choppy sentence fragments that are often found on web pages. This paper1 introduces Webfoot, a preprocessor that parses web pages into logically coherent segments based on page layout cues. Output from Webfoot is then passed on to CRYSTAL, an NLP system that learns text extraction rules from example. Webfoot and CRYSTAL transform the text into a formal representation that is equivalent to relational database entries. This is a necessary first step for knowledge discovery and other automated analysis of free text.
Degradation of RDX by various advanced oxidation processes: I. Reaction rates

Abstract 1, 3, 5-trinitrotriazacyclohexane (C3H6O6N6) or RDX is a heterocyclic nitramine compound that has been widely used as an explosive since the early 1900 s. There is substantial interest in removing this compound from groundwater and other environmental media. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are currently being tested as a treatment process for this compound. In this research five types of oxidation processes (UV, UV/H2O2, ozone, ozone/H2O2, and UV/ozone) were used to degrade RDX. Samples were collected at various times during these processes and tested for residual RDX. Degradation rates of RDX by various AOPs were determined and the effect of some process parameters on the degradation rates examined. Oxidation of RDX was observed to be enhanced under conditions where hydroxyl radical formation could be maximized by adjusting the process parameters. Carbon and nitrogen balances were performed during RDX oxidation by the ozone/H2O2 process. While no mineralization of organic carbon was noted, approximately 50% of organic nitrogen was converted to nitrate during this process. This suggests that the carbon and nitrogen in the heterocyclic ring structure of RDX were oxidized to organic byproducts, while the nitro groups were oxidized to nitrate.
Clofarabine in the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Older Adults

OBJECTIVE:To review the literature evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of clofarabine, a second-generation purine nucleoside analogue, for the treatment of previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in older adults.DATA SOURCE:A literature search of the PubMed database (1972-October 2011) using the search terms clofarabine and acute myeloid leukemia was performed.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:All relevant English-language articles were reviewed, and clinical trials with patients aged 50 years or older who were newly diagnosed with AML were included.DATA SYNTHESIS:Two studies evaluating clofarabine as monotherapy and 2 studies evaluating clofarabine in combination with cytarabine were reviewed. Clofarabine demonstrated activity in older adults with previously untreated AML. Response rates and median overall survival (OS) for patients receiving clofarabine were similar to those reported for conventional intensive chemotherapy regimens. Responses to the 2 types of treatment remained similar...
Longitudinal changes in intracardiac repolarization lability in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

Background─While it is known that elevated baseline intracardiac repolarization lability is associated with the risk of fast ventricular tachycardia (FVT) /ventricular fibrillation (VF), the effect of its longitudinal changes on the risk of FVT/VF is unknown. Methods and Results─Near-field (NF) right ventricular (RV) intracardiac electrograms (EGMs) were recorded every 3-6 months at rest in 248 patients with structural heart disease (mean age 61.2±13.3; 185[75%] male; 162[65.3%] ischemic cardiomyopathy) and implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) [201 (81%) primary prevention]. Intracardiac beat-to-beat QT variability index (QTVINF) was measured on NF RV EGM. During the first study phase (median 18 months), participants made on average 2.4 visits. Then remote follow-up was continued for an additional median period of 3 years. Average QTVINF did not change during the first year after ICD implantation (-0.342±0.603 at baseline vs. -0.262±0.552 at 6 months vs. -0.334±0.603 at 12 months); however, it decreased thereafter (-0.510±0.603 at 18 months; P=0.042). Adjusted population-averaged GEE model showed that the odds of developing FVT/VF increased by 75% for each 1 unit increase in QTVINF. (OR 1.75 [95%CI 1.05-2.92]; P=0.031). However, individual patient–specific QTVINF trends (increasing, decreasing, flat) varied from patient to patient. For a given patient, the odds of developing FVT/VF were not associated with increasing or decreasing QTVINF over time (OR 1.27; [95%CI 0.05–30.10]; P = 0.881). Conclusion─While on average the odds of FVT/VF increased with an increase in QTVINF, patient-specific longitudinal trends in QTVINF did not affect the odds of FVT/VF.
Exploring the role of HIF-1 in early angiogenesis and response to radiotherapy

The objective of this review is to examine the role that HIF-1 plays in the initiation of angiogenesis and in radiotherapy response. Although these two phenomena may at first seem unrelated, there are parallelisms to be drawn associated with the importance of reactive oxygen species in controlling the transcriptional activity of HIF-1, independently of its main driving force, hypoxia. Knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the control of HIF-1 leads to rationale for its inhibition in a range of clinical scenarios.
Exploiting use of a new performance metric for construction of robust and efficient wireless backbone network

In order to improve transmission throughput of a multi-hop wireless network, many efforts have been made in recent years to reduce traffic and hence transmission collisions by constructing backbone networks with minimum size. However, many other important issues need to be considered. Instead of simply minimizing the number of backbone nodes or supporting some isolated network features, in this work, we exploit the use of algebraic connectivity to control backbone network topology design for concurrent improvement of backbone network robustness, capacity, stability and routing efficiency. In order to capture other network features, we also provide a general cost function and introduce a new metric, connectivity efficiency, to tradeoff algebraic connectivity and cost for backbone construction. We have designed both centralized and distributed algorithms to build more robust and efficient backbone infrastructure to better support the application needs. Our performance studies demonstrate that, compared to peer work, our algorithms could achieve much higher throughput and delivery ratio, and much lower end-to-end delay and routing distances under all test scenarios.
Determination of the solution structure of nucleic acid double helices using NOE difference NMR spectroscopy, chemical shift calculations, and computer modeling

A procedure involving the combined use of NOE measurements, chemical shift shielding calculations, and stereochemical model building is discussed to determine the solution conformation of nucleic acids. Using this procedure it is shown that the DNA, poly(dA)-poly(dT), and the RNA-DNA hybrid, poly(rA)-poly(dT), in solution exist as right-handed B structures and that the heteronomous model is not true for them in solution. Even though both the DNA and the hybrid have the gross morphology of the B form, there are significant differences in the ultimate details such as base displacement, tilt, and twist.
On the existence of a unique correlated equilibrium in Cournot oligopoly

Abstract In this paper, I provide sufficient conditions under which the unique pure-strategy Nash equilibrium of the Cournot oligopoly model (with or without product differentiation) is also the unique correlated equilibrium. My conditions are (1) the demand function is linear, and (2) the cost function is weakly convex.
Harmonic balance FEA of synchronous machines using a traveling-wave airgap model

A novel harmonic balance finite element method suitable for the analysis of synchronous machines is presented. A traveling-wave description of the airgap magnetic vector potential is utilized along with a reference frame transformation to account for periodic motion of the rotor. A frequency domain boundary condition is developed which allows the meshed portion of the stator to be reduced to a third of a pole. The computational efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method is compared to an existing time-domain steady-state analysis strategy which has previously been shown to be an improvement over standard transient analysis. The new technique is demonstrated to produce accurate results significantly faster than existing methods.
Multiseeded segmentation using fuzzy connectedness

Fuzzy connectedness has been effectively used to segment out an object in a badly corrupted image. We generalize the approach by providing a definition which is shown to always determine a simultaneous segmentation of multiple objects. For any set of seed points, the segmentation is uniquely determined by the definition. An algorithm for finding this segmentation is presented and its output is illustrated. The algorithm is fast as compared to other segmentation algorithms in current use. We also report on an evaluation of the accuracy and robustness of the algorithm based on experiments in which several users were repeatedly asked to identify the seed points for the algorithm in a number of images.
Incipient fault detection in mechanical power transmission systems

This paper presents a novel method for anomaly detection in a helical gear box, where the objective is to predict incipient faults before they become catastrophic. The anomaly detection algorithm relies on symbolic time series analysis and is built upon concepts from automata theory, information theory, and pattern recognition. Early detection of slow time-scale anomalous behavior is achieved by observing time series data at the fast time-scale of machine operation.