cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the reaction of the ethylene oxide radical cation with neutral ethylene oxide

Abstract The gas-phase reaction between the ethylene oxide radical cation and neutral ethylene oxide, when performed in the high-pressure source of a tandem mass spectrometer, forms a C 4 H 8 O 2 radical cation adduct. The adduct ion was formed with varying degrees of collisional damping within the ion source so that the ion structure, in successive experiments, could be evaluated as a function of internal energy. The adduct ion structure changes with energy. When formed with maximum damping (minimum energy), the adduct is proposed to be an acyclic distonic ion. The adduct formed in the absence of collisional damping (maximum energy) possesses a high-energy collisional-activated dissociation (CAD) mass spectrum that is nearly identical to that of the 1,4-dioxane radical cation. The most likely mechanism for the reaction is a step-wise process involving a long-chain distonic radical cation intermediate that subsequently forms a non-distonic cyclic radical ion. Computational investigations at the MP2/6-31G ∗ level support the proposed mechanism. An enthalpic driving force of ca. 23 kcal mol −1 exists for the cyclization of the long-chain distonic radical cation.
Effect of Brooding with 2.3 and 3.0 Micron Wavelength Radiant Heat Sources on Gonadal Weights in 5-Week-Old Coturnix

Abstract THEORETICALLY, radiant energy for brooding has an advantage over the usual energy sources, in that it permits greater ventilation rates and hence dilution of the air and infective materials. A complicating factor could be the gonadal stimulation not present with convective or conductive heat sources. Light periods in excess of 12 hours stimulate gonad development, as established by Wilson et al. (1962) and Mather and Wilson (1964). Tanaka et al. (1965) agree with this work and also point out differences in ovary weights of coturnix grown under 14L: 10D compared to a 24LL light regime. Differences in sexual maturity were noticed by Woodward et al. (1968), Price and Davis (1968), and Foss and Arnold (1968) in coturnix and chickens exposed to varying wavelengths of light. Population density had no effect on sexual maturity in coturnix according to Ernst and Coleman (1966). Kato and Konishi (1968) reported that low temperature and. . .
A crowdsourcing platform for the construction of accessibility maps

We present in this article a crowdsourcing platform that enables the collaborative creation of accessibility maps. The platform provides means for integration of different kind of data, collected automatically or with user intervention, to augment standard maps with accessibility information. The article shows the architecture of the platform, dedicating special attention to the smartphone applications we developed for data collection. The article also describes a preliminar experiment conducted on field, showing how the analysis of data produced by our solution can bring novel insights in accessibility challenges that can be found in cities.
Sequential blanking effects with matrix displays

The present study demonstrates sequential blanking effects can easily be obtained with matrix-type displays as well as linear displays, as shown in earlier work.
Do worker's compensation patients with neck pain have lower SF-36 scores?

Poorer outcomes of treat- ment are reported in patients with spinal disorders who receive worker's compensation. The reason for their suboptimal outcomes is un- clear. No study has examined the re- lationship between worker's com- pensation and SF-36 health status of patients with neck pain. The aim of our study was to compare the self- perceived health status of patients with neck pain receiving worker's compensation, with that of patients not receiving worker's compensa- tion. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 2356 patients with neck pain who were evaluated at the 27 centers comprising the National Spine Network, between January 1998 and April 2000. The outcome measures used were the eight indi- vidual and two component scores of the SF-36 health survey. Of the 2356 patients, 171 (7%) were receiving worker's compensation. Bivariate analyses revealed seven individual scores (except General Health) and two summary scores of the SF-36 were significantly lower in patients receiving worker's compensation. After controlling for confounding covariates, worker's compensation status was a significant predictor of lower SF-36 scores for Physical Functioning (P<0.05). The results of this study indicate that worker's compensation status is associated with poorer Physical Functioning in patients presenting with neck pain. Another significant finding of the study is that confounding factors can exert major effects on the SF-36 scores obtained on normal validated instruments.
Mobile code paradigms and security issues

Programs are no longer constrained to execute on the nodes where they reside, and many systems therefore support code mobility. Although mobile code has yet to fully realize its promise of increased system flexibility, scalability, and reliability, the marketplace has embraced mobile code implementations such as Java.Jini, PostScript, and .NET. Several mobile code paradigms exist, and mobile code use raises many security concerns. Here, we map a taxonomy of mobile code paradigms to a taxonomy of network security vulnerabilities, revealing that many important security issues are being ignored.
Microscopic manipulation of materials by atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) (1) developed as an alternative technique to scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) for scanning the topology of a surface with atomic resolution, is emerging as a new tool for probing mechanical properties of a material. AFM, unlike STM, which images by means ofthe tunneling current between the surface and scanning probe, does not require the samples to be conducting. Images of the sample surface are obtained by measuring the force between atoms at the surface and atoms at the microscopic tip of the probe. The resolution of the technique can be as good as 1011 Newtons (2). The ability ofAFM to scan the topography of a sample on an atomic scale is possible because the probe is attached to a cantilever with a spring constant weaker than that corresponding to the typical forces between atoms (3). The atomic force microscope is essentially a force balance (4) with a pictorial output. In the contact mode, short range, interatomic forces are measured. By positioning the tip tens ofnm from the surface, long range magnetic, electrostatic, and attractive van der Waals forces are resolvable. In addition to mapping out topographical features ofthe sample, the frictional properties of a surface can be studied using the lateral forces on the cantilever (5), and the elastic properties studied by indenting the sample with the tip (6). The paper by Brandow, Turner, Ratna, and Gaber in this issue demonstrates the use ofAFM as a microscopic peel tester. They use the tip to ablate a lipid bilayer from its substrate, thereby measuring adhesion between the two surfaces on a microscopic scale. Brandow and her colleagues are among the first investigators to modify an organic surface in a controlled manner by varying the force of the microscope tip on the atoms at the surface (7). Their results, on bilayers formed from lipid tubules collapsed onto graphite substrates, teach us about the adhesion of lipid bilayers to a graphite surface and the fluidity of the lipids on that surface. Beyond fundamental material properties of lipids, their work is one of the first attempts to use AFM for lithographic definition ofa pattern in an organic film. "Soft" samples such as organic and biomolecules, be-
Safety and efficacy of sonographic-guided random real-time core needle biopsy of the liver

Purpose. To determine the safety and efficacy of real-time, sonographic-guided, random percutaneous needle biopsy of the liver in a tertiary medical center. Method. From an IRB-approved biopsy database, all patients who had random liver biopsy performed over a 24-month period were selected. In 350 patients, 539 random percutaneous needle biopsies of the liver were performed under real-time sonographic visualization. The following were recorded from the electronic medical record: patient demographics, indication for biopsy procedure; radiologist's name; needle type and gauge and number of passes; use and amount of IV sedation or anesthesia; adequacy of the specimen; and complications following the procedure. Result. Of 539 biopsies, 378 (70%) biopsy procedures were performed on liver transplant recipients. Of the biopsy procedures in nontransplant patients, 81/161 (50%) concurrently underwent biopsy of a focal liver mass. An 18-gauge automated core biopsy needle was used in 536/539 (99%). Median number of passes per biopsy procedure was 1 (mean, 1.7; range, 1–6). Sedation using midazolam and fentanyl was used in 483/539 (90%). There were only 8 inadequate specimens (1.5%, [2.3, upper 95% confidence limit, fully described in Statistical Analysis]). Complications were identified in 11/539 biopsy procedures (2.0%, [2.6, upper 95% confidence limit]): 5 with severe postprocedural pain, 3 with symptomatic hemorrhage, 2 with infection, and 1 with a rash. There were no sedation-related complications and no deaths related to the procedure. Conclusion. Real-time, sonographic-guided, random core-needle liver biopsy is a safe and highly effective procedure. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 2009
Pararenal aortic aneurysms: the future of open aortic aneurysm repair.

Abstract Purpose: As endovascular stent graft repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) becomes more common, an increasing proportion of patients who undergo open operation will have juxtarenal aneurysms (JR-AAAs), which necessitate suprarenal crossclamping, suprarenal aneurysms (SR-AAAs), which necessitate renal artery reconstruction, or aneurysms with associated renal artery occlusive disease (RAOD), which necessitate repair. To determine the current results of the standard operative treatment of these patterns of pararenal aortic aneurysms, we reviewed the outcome of 257 consecutive patients who underwent operation for JR-AAAs (n = 122), SR-AAAs (n = 58), or RAOD (n = 77). Methods: The patients with SR-AAAs and RAOD were younger (67.5 ± 8.8 years) than were the patients with JR-AAAs (70.5 ± 8.3 years), and more patients with RAOD were women (43% vs 21% for JR-AAAs and SR-AAAs). The patient groups were similar in the frequency of coronary artery and pulmonary disease and in most risk factors for atherosclerosis, except hypertension, which was more common in the RAOD group. Significantly more patients with RAOD had reduced renal function before surgery (51% vs 23%). Supravisceral aortic crossclamping (above the superior mesenteric artery or the celiac artery) was needed more often in patients with SR-AAAs (52% vs 39% for RAOD and 17% for JR-AAAs). Seventeen patients (7%) had undergone a prior aortic reconstruction. The most common renal reconstruction for SR-AAA was reimplantation (n = 37; 64%) or bypass grafting (n = 12; 21%) and for RAOD was transaortic renal endarterectomy (n = 71; 92%). Mean AAA diameter was 6.7 ± 2.1 cm and was larger in the JR-AAA (7.1 ± 2.1 cm) and SR-AAA (6.9 ± 2.1 cm) groups as compared with the RAOD group (5.9 ± 1.7 cm). Results: The overall mortality rate was 5.8% (n = 15) and was the same for all the groups. The mortality rate correlated ( P P Conclusion: These results showed that pararenal AAA repair can be performed safely and effectively. The outcomes for all three aneurysm types were similar, but there was an increased risk of loss of renal function when preoperative renal function was abnormal. These data provide a benchmark for expected treatment outcomes in patients with these patterns of pararenal aortic aneurysmal disease that currently can only be managed with open repair. (J Vasc Surg 1999;29:902-12.)
Laboratory Measurement of Hydraulic Fracture Conductivities in the Barnett Shale

The Mississippian Barnett shale of the Fort Worth Basin is one of the most successfully developed shale gas plays in North America by applying multistage hydraulic fracturing stimulation techniques in horizontal wells. The fracturing design involves pumping low viscosity fluid with low proppant concentrations at high pump rate, commonly known as “slick water fracturing”. Direct laboratory measurement of both natural and induced fracture conductivity under realistic experimental conditions with the Barnett shale samples is needed for reliable well performance analysis and fracturing design optimization. During the course of this study a series of static conductivity experiments was completed. The goal was to measure the conductivity of propped and unpropped natural and induced fractures using a modified API conductivity cell at room temperature. The cementing material present on the surface of the natural fractures was preserved during the initial unpropped conductivity tests and removed for subsequent propped fracture conductivity measurements. The induced fractures were artificially created by breaking the shale rock along the bedding plane to account for the effect of the irregular fracture surface on conductivity. Proppants of various sizes were manually placed between rough fracture surfaces at realistic concentrations. The two sides of the induced fractures were cut in a way to represent either an aligned or a displaced fracture face with a 0.1 inch offset. The effect of proppant partial monolayer was also studied by placing proppants at ultra-low concentration. The results from the experiments show that unpropped induced fractures can provide a conductive path after removal of free particles and debris generated when cracking the rock. The aligned induced fractures have conductivities one order of magnitude lower compared to displaced induced fractures when unpropped. Poorly cemented natural fractures are effective flow paths. Unpropped fracture conductivity depends strongly on the degree of shear displacement, the presence of free debris and particles during fracture generation, and the amount of cementing material removed. The propped fracture conductivity is weakly dependent on fracture surface roughness at higher proppant concentrations because the proppant pack is the dominant contributor to fracture conductivity. Moreover, propped fracture conductivity increases with larger proppant size and higher areal concentration in the testing range of this study. Results also show that proppant partial monolayers cannot survive higher closure stress. Therefore, proppant packs with multiple layers of proppant are more beneficial than a partial monolayer by maintaining the conductivity at elevated closure stresses.
Mutualism in a community context: the positive feedback between an ant-aphid mutualism and a gall-making midge

Although mutualisms are widespread and often described in natural history accounts, their ecological influences on other community members remain largely unexplored. Many of these influences are likely a result of indirect effects. In this field study, we investigated the indirect effects of an ant-aphid mutualism on the abundance, survival rates and parasitism rates of a co-occurring herbivore. Rabdophaga salicisbrassicoides (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) induces rosette galls on the developing shoots of Salix exigua trees, and populations can reach outbreak densities (up to 1,000 galls/stem) in central Washington State (USA). Ant-tended aphids feed on these same stems and often feed on gall tissue. In this study we used a combination of manipulative experiments and observational surveys to test the hypothesis that the abundances of aphids, ants, and galls have positive and reciprocal effects on one another, in a manner that would create a positive feedback loop in population growth. In addition, we examined whether the combined presence of ants and aphids reduces parasitism rates for the gallers. In support of the positive feedback loop hypothesis, aphids enjoyed higher population growth rates in the presence of ants and galls, the presence of ants and aphids resulted in increased abundance of galls, and the abundances of ants, aphids and galls were all positively correlated with one another. However, the mechanism underlying the positive effect of ants and aphids on galler density remains unknown, as the mutualism did not affect parasitism rates. More broadly, this study demonstrates that mutualisms can have significant and complex indirect effects on community and population ecology.
Response of upland rice to phosphorus in an Ultisol in the humid forest zone of West Africa

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the major limiting factor for crop production in highly weathered soils in the humid tropics. Field experiments were conducted for two years (1992 and 1993) to determine P response and efficiencies of upland rice cultivars in an Ultisol, low in available P, in the forest zone of Cote d'Ivoire. The rice cultivars tested were selected from a large number of entries tested earlier for acidity tolerance.
Waning of the crayfish escape response as a result of repeated stimulation.

Abstract 1. 1. The tail-flip escape reflex of the crayfish is very difficult to elicit reliably. The most reliable stimulus we could find was a brief lateral compression of the abdomen. 2. 2. About 36 per cent of the crayfish tested would not respond at all when tested with this stimulus (under moderate restraint), whereas about 2 per cent responded to each of 10 stimuli delivered at 4-min intervals. Individual differences in escape reflex excitability were consistent over several weeks of testing. 3. 3. Repetition of the stimulus at 5-min intervals caused failure of the reflex within ten trials in most animals. 4. 4. During rest after repetitive stimulation, recovery of reflex excitability occurred gradually. Only a small amount of recovery had occurred after two hr, and excitability was probably still subnormal after more than six hr. 5. 5. When stimuli leading to reflex failure were confined to one abdominal segment, the excitability of other segments became depressed but not to the same degree as did that of the stimulated segment. 6. 6. The failure of the reflex is not efferent to the giant axons which mediate the tail-flip response and is unlikely to be due to sensory accommodation. 7. 7. The above properties are typical of the habituation processes which can be demonstrated in most escape and startle reflexes. They are of special interest, however, because the crayfish escape reflex is unusually amenable to detailed electrophysiological analysis.
Observation of the singlet oxygen dimol emission from neodymium laser pumped oxygen in the gas phase and in 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane solution

Dimol emission 2O2(1Δg) → 2O2(3Σg−) + hν633nm has been observed from neodymium glass laser pumped oxygen in the gas phase and in 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane solution. The emission lifetime is dependent on quenching by ground state oxygen, and the quenching rate constants determined in this work are consistent with literature values.
Thinking animals, disagreement, and skepticism

According to Eric Olson, the Thinking Animal Argument (TAA) is the best reason to accept animalism, the view that we are identical to animals. A novel criticism has been advanced against TAA, suggesting that it implicitly employs a dubious epistemological principle. I will argue that other epistemological principles can do the trick of saving the TAA, principles that appeal to recent issues regarding disagreement with peers and experts. I conclude with some remarks about the consequence of accepting these modified principles, drawing out some general morals in defending animalism.
A Self-Stabilizing O(k)-Time k-Clustering Algorithm

A silent self-stabilizing asynchronous distributed algorithm is given for constructing a k-dominating set, and hence a k-clustering, of a connected network of processes with unique IDs and no designated leader. The algorithm is comparison-based, takes O(k) time and uses O(k log n) space per process, where n is the size of the network. It is known that finding a minimum k-dominating set is NP-hard. A lower bound is given, showing that any comparison-based algorithm for the k-clustering problem that produces clusters of average size more than 2 in the worst case takes Ω(diam) time, where diam is the diameter of the network.
FEA modeling of the low profile coupled inductor with non-uniform flux distribution

The high frequency 3-dimension (3D) integrated Point-of-Load (POL) module has been demonstrated with more than 800W/in3 power density, in which the low profile inductor serves as the substrate carrying the active components. The performance of the magnetic substrate can be further improved by inversed coupling two single-phase inductors. However, the non-uniform distributed flux and permeability in the low profile coupled inductor, raises some new challenges for its inductance and core loss modeling. The accuracy of the conventional reluctance and core loss model, which usually assume uniform flux and core loss density in the core, are questionable. Therefore, the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation tool is used to develop the inductance and core loss models. With these FEA models, the coupled inductor substrates are designed and evaluated for Multi-MHz two-phase 3D integrated POL modules. The impact of the inversed coupling on the magnetic performance of the inductor substrate is also discussed. The comparison between coupled and non-coupled inductors reveals that the inversed coupling can reduce both the core volume and core loss by 40%. The analytical results are verified by the experimental data.
Seamless service composition (SeSCo) in pervasive environments

It is a challenging task to develop applications and systems that cater to the needs of ever increasing multimedia applications. Additionally, in pervasive computing environments, multimedia data needs to be delivered to heterogeneous devices with varying capabilities over a variety of communication channels. The objective of this research is to dynamically compose services by effectively utilizing the collective capabilities of resources available to deliver multimedia. Existing schemes provide composite solutions to multimedia applications, work either on a centralized system or assume that the environment is ad-hoc in nature, resulting in additional overheads during composition. Further, some of the existing composition schemes are an extension to discovery, resulting in a discover + match + coordinate scheme. Such schemes would not be effective in dynamically changing environments, due to the uncertainties involved. In this paper, we present a novel composition scheme, called Seamless Service Composition (SeSCo), that operates on automatically configurable resource hierarchies for discovery and composition. SeSCo attempts to weave necessary services by utilizing available individual services seamlessly. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our scheme over existing broadcast based schemes.
Non-Active Participles in the Aramaic of Daniel

At first sight, Aramaic appears to have two forms to express the passive of the active participle. That is, not only do the active stems possess both an active and a passive participle, but the t-stems, which can express the passive voice, also possess a participle. This article proposes that, at the diachronic stage of the language attested in the Aramaic of Daniel, the so-called passive participle is primarily a verbal adjective that is developing into a resultative participle, whereas t-stem participles are the true passive (and reflexive) counterparts to the active participle.
Estimating Transit Accessibility with an Alternative Method Evidence from Broward County, Florida

Scientists have attempted to measure accessibility in several ways—the gravity-based measure being the most widely used. A typical gravitybased model estimates accessibility on a zonal basis as being a function of the sum of total opportunities weighted by the distance, time, and cost needed to travel from the origin zone to those dispersed opportunities. The model includes a parameter that represents the distance-decay relationship and takes an exponential form. Unfortunately, most scientists have arbitrarily chosen the value of the distance-decay parameter instead of estimating it from field survey data. Also, a typical model does not have any parameter attached to the socioeconomic variables. This study uses distance-decay parameters estimated with the use of survey data in Sacramento County, California, to estimate transit accessibility to jobs in Broward County, Florida. Assuming that transferability of distance-decay parameters is possible from one geographic area to another, it then explores such t...
Selection Among Bernoulli Populations with Uniformly Distributed Sample Sizes

SYNOPTIC ABSTRACTIn this article we study the problem of selecting among k independent Bernoulli populations whose success probabilities are unknown, and the sample size for each population is assumed to follow a discrete uniform distribution with known range. We consider two goals and propose procedures for each goal: (1) selecting the best and (2) selecting the best in comparison with a standard. The “best” is defined as that having the highest success probability. We derive the probability of a correct selection and the least favorable configuration for each procedure by using the exact binomial distribution, without any approximation. Simulations and examples are provided to illustrate our procedures.
Preparation Characterization Evaluation of Miconazole-Cyclodextrin Complexes for Improved Oral Topical Delivery

□ The solubility of miconazole in water increased in the presence of cyclodextrins (CDs). The apparent K1:1 values calculated from the phase solubility diagrams of γ-CD, hydroxypropyl-β-CD, α-CD, hydroxyethyl-β-CD, hydroxypropyl-γ-CD, and s-CD were 695 ± 39.6, 363 ± 34.1, 333 ± 18.5, 312 ± 31.0, 305 ± 27.6, and 293 ± 17.6 M- 1, respectively. Solid 1:1 molar complexes were prepared by freeze-drying and kneading and characterized by UV spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and electron microscopy. The dissolution rate increased to 28-255-fold and the solubility to 9-55-fold. Oral bioavailability in rats increased to 2.3-fold by complexation with hydroxypropyl-β-CD. Human cadaver skin retained 2.6-fold more drug from the miconazole/α-CD complex and hairless mice skin retained 8.4-fold more drug from the HP-β-CD complex than from miconazole solution alone in 24 h.
The initiation of lightning by runaway air breakdown

[1] A mechanism for lightning initiation by the sustained runaway breakdown of air is presented. Unlike earlier models that rely upon large cosmic-ray air showers, this mechanism uses the runaway electrons produced by the steady background of atmospheric cosmic-rays to amplify non-uniformities in the electric field. The ionization of air from the runaway electrons creates a region of discharge that propagates in the opposite direction of the electrons, enhancing the electric field in front of it to the point where a conventional breakdown can occur. As the discharged region grows, positron feedback can become important, dramatically increasing the flux of runaway electrons and increasing the propagation speed of the discharged region up to 106 m/s. The ambient electric field strength needed for this mechanism is within the range of values observed in thunderclouds and is substantially lower than that required by most other mechanisms.
A Goal Method and a Target Method for Balancing Exhaust Ventilation Duct Systems with Dampers

This work presents and discusses two approaches to adjusting dampers, here called the Goal and Target Methods. A form of the Goal Method is commonly employed but has not been clearly described or discussed elsewhere. The Target Method is a novel variation of so-called “proportional” methods. Detailed step-by-step procedures for each are presented. It is likely that the most common method of balancing the airflows in ventilation systems is simply to adjust the damper in each branch in turn until the observed airflow for each branch duct (Q br ) equals the goal airflow (Q br−goal ). This is a simple Goal Method. It is difficult and time-consuming due to interactions among branches and with the fan. As one adjusts a damper to reduce airflow in that duct, all other airflows increase. As each damper is inserted, the overall resistance of the system increases, reducing fan output. The Target Method uses target values of centerline velocity pressure (VP cl ) or hood static pressure (SP h ) computed from the meas...
AGC Signal Modeling for Energy Storage Operations

Energy storage resources (ESRs) are being used for secondary frequency regulation in the bulk electric power grid. In order to optimize the economic scheduling of an ESR using look-ahead model predictive control, predictive models of the automatic generation control (AGC) signal and its effect on an ESR's state of charge are needed. In this letter, we suggest a straightforward and effective procedure for forecasting the next state of charge for an ESR that provides regulation service in a liberalized market setting.
DNA methyltransferase inhibitors in myelodysplastic syndrome.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) resulting from a clonal stem cell is a heterogeneous disease that complicates therapeutic decisions. Most patients are of advanced age with attendant comorbities, making treatment choices difficult. Current treatment options include bone marrow transplant, which appears to be the only curative option, and supportive care. In elderly patients, risks for transplant are high and supportive-care treatments are ineffective. However, considerable progress has been made in understanding the pathology of MDS, which results from a series of progressive chromosomal assaults that lead to a release of various cytokines, loss of tumor suppressor genes, and changes in signal transduction pathways and in immune pathways. The neoplastic clone does not appear to mature; it stays in a fixed state of differentiation beyond which these cells do not progress. Hypermethylation of specific DNA sequences, which results in silencing transcription of proteins involved, has been implicated in this lack of differentiation. New clinical discoveries include the potential to block methylation, release transcriptional inactivation, and stimulate the normal myeloid cells to resume growth and differentiation. Therapies aimed at these new findings hold promise for safer treatment protocols and improved outcomes. One of these agents, azacitidine, is a nucleoside analog that has shown promising efficacy in high-risk MDS patients. Phase III studies have shown significant improvement in survival and quality of life with minimal side effects. Prolonged administration of azacitidine results in reactivation of normal hematopoiesis by its effect on inhibiting DNA methylation
Small bowel perforation secondary to metastatic carcinoma of the lung

This is a report of small bowel perforation secondary to a metastasis from a primary adenocarcinoma of lung in a 62-year-old woman five months after resection of the primary tumor. She had received radiation therapy and corticosteroids after surgery. Features of this and five previously reported cases are discussed. Modern therapy may alter the course of pulmonary cancer resulting in more frequent observation of this rare complication.
Critical appraisal of four IL-6 immunoassays.

Background Interleukin-6 (IL-6) contributes to numerous inflammatory, metabolic, and physiologic pathways of disease. We evaluated four IL-6 immunoassays in order to identify a reliable assay for studies of metabolic and physical function. Serial plasma samples from intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTTs), with expected rises in IL-6 concentrations, were used to test the face validity of the various assays. Methods and Findings IVGTTs, administered to 14 subjects, were performed with a single infusion of glucose (0.3 g/kg body mass) at time zero, a single infusion of insulin (0.025 U/kg body mass) at 20 minutes, and frequent blood collection from time zero to 180 minutes for subsequent Il-6 measurement. The performance metrics of four IL-6 detection methods were compared: Meso Scale Discovery immunoassay (MSD), an Invitrogen Luminex bead-based multiplex panel (LX), an Invitrogen Ultrasensitive Luminex bead-based singleplex assay (ULX), and R&D High Sensitivity ELISA (R&D). IL-6 concentrations measured with MSD, R&D and ULX correlated with each other (Pearson Correlation Coefficients r = 0.47–0.94, p<0.0001) but only ULX correlated (r = 0.31, p = 0.0027) with Invitrogen Luminex. MSD, R&D, and ULX, but not LX, detected increases in IL-6 in response to glucose. All plasma samples were measurable by MSD, while 35%, 1%, and 4.3% of samples were out of range when measured by LX, ULX, and R&D, respectively. Based on representative data from the MSD assay, baseline plasma IL-6 (0.90±0.48 pg/mL) increased significantly as expected by 90 minutes (1.29±0.59 pg/mL, p = 0.049), and continued rising through 3 hours (4.25±3.67 pg/mL, p = 0.0048). Conclusion This study established the face validity of IL-6 measurement by MSD, R&D, and ULX but not LX, and the superiority of MSD with respect to dynamic range. Plasma IL-6 concentrations increase in response to glucose and insulin, consistent with both an early glucose-dependent response (detectable at 1–2 hours) and a late insulin-dependent response (detectable after 2 hours).
The civic-social media disconnect: exploring perceptions of social media for engagement in the daily life of college students

The emergence of social media tools and technologies to facilitate daily information and communication needs has called into question the relationship between these new spaces and traditional formulations of engagement in daily life. Recent scholarship has exposed both the newfound connectivity that social networks provide, and at the same time questioned the value of these spaces for meaningful participation in social and civic life. This study attempts to provide an insight into the perceptions of young adults toward their social media habits and dispositions. In the 2010/2011 academic year, a survey was administered to over 800 university students, asking about their social media habits across six categories: news, politics, privacy, leisure, education, and relationships. Additionally, focus groups conducted with 71 study participants explored how students saw the role of social media in their personal and civic lives. The results show a population that increasingly uses social media spaces and for all...
The metadata challenge: promoting discovery, access, and usability for online books

With millions of books, serials, and other documents now digitized, rich troves of information and culture can now be made available to anyone in the world with an Internet connection. But these riches are worthless if they cannot be found, accessed, and effectively used by the readers who need them. The key to unlock these treasures is metadata. Networked computing enables techniques for making metadata more effective than ever; yet in practice, online collections all too often either do not have or do not take full advantage of the best metadata they could use.
Lack of melanized keratin and barbs that fall off: how the racketed tail of the turquoise‐browed motmot Eumomota superciliosa is formed

The racket-tipped tail of the motmots is uniquely shaped and its formation has attracted much attention. Barbs that grow along the wire of the motmot's two central tail feathers are weakly attached and shed soon after development. The cause of the weak attachment of these barbs is unclear. I induced feather growth by plucking the central tail feathers from seven turquoise-browed motmots Eumomota superciliosa and then collected the regrown feathers before the barbs along the wire had fully shed. I compared the barb-rachis junction (petiole of the ramus) along the distal flag (the racket-tip of the tail) where barbs are not shed, to the barb-rachis junction along the wire where barbs would later be shed. In these two regions, I examined the size and structure of the attachment of the barb to the rachis with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). I also used a light microscope to score the grayness of the proximal rami of these two regions to estimate the amount of melanized keratin. SEM imaging showed that the barbs are attached to the rachis with a larger supporting flange along the distal flag compared to along the wire. Images from a light microscope showed that the rami along the distal flag were black, whereas rami along the wire were translucent or gray. The lower gray-scale color score of the rami along the wire is likely due to reduced melanized keratin. These data suggest that that the barbs along the wire are weakly attached due to a combination of a reduced structural attachment and a lack of structurally enhancing melanin.
Review: Statins do not increase risk for intracerebral hemorrhage

Source Citation Hackam DG, Woodward M, Newby LK, et al. Statins and intracerebral hemorrhage: collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis. Circulation. 2011;124:2233-42. 22007076
Work, community, and power : the experience of labor in Europe and America, 1900-1925

Rethinking the legacy of labor, 1890-1925 Labor insurgency and class formation / James E. Cronin -- The one big union in international perspective / Larry Peterson -- New tendencies in union struggles and strategies in Europe and the United States, 1916-1922 / David Montgomery -- Workers and revolution in Germany, 1918-1919 / Mary Nolan -- Redefining workers' control / Gary Cross -- The "new unionism" and the "new economic policy" / Steve Fraser -- Abortive reform / Melvyn Dubofsky -- The democratization of Russia's railroads in 1917 / William G. Rosenberg -- Workers' Control in Europe / Carmen Sirianni.
Colloid model of C−S−H and implications to the problem of creep and shrinkage

A model for the structure of calcium silicate hydrate (C−S−H) at the nanometer level (hereafter referred to as “nanometer structure”) is described, along with its possible contribution to the understanding of the mechanisms of drying shrinkage and creep in cement paste. The model was developed in two stages and describes C−S−H gel as an aggregation of precipitated, colloidal-sized particles. It was developed in an attempt to account for a number of physical characteristics of C−S−H in mature pastes, including density, surface area, fractal character, pore structure and size of individual particles. In this article the model is extended to include an hypothesis for the mechanisms of viscous deformation under load and/or during drying. As with the original model, the extension proposed here is intended to explain as much apparently unrelated data as possible. Aging (the part unrelated to the increasing amount of hydration products with time) is a process of increasing the number of bonds between globules of C−S−H, causing the C−S−H to become stiffer, stronger, and denser. We propose that deformation is the result of the globules moving under stress or drying, but the mechanism or type of rearrangement of the C−S−H particles [globules] depends on age and on whether or not the sample is dried or loaded or both.
Adaptive immune response of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells: A new paradigm

The role of γδ T cells in adaptive immunity remains uncertain. Recent studies have demonstrated that a unique subset of γδ T cells in primates can mount adaptive immune responses during mycobacterial infections. This Review discusses notable similarities and differences in adaptive immune responses between non-peptide-specific γδ T cells and peptide-specific αβ T cells, and discusses both the molecular basis for γδ T-cell responses and potential functions of these enigmatic cells.
Finding the dimensionality of hyperspectral data

Hyperspectral systems have significantly progressed through recent advancements in sensor technology, which have made it possible to collect data with several hundred channels. While these remote sensing technology developments hold great promise for new findings in the areas of Earth and space science, they also present many challenges. These include the need for methods of data reduction, and faster processing of such increased data volumes. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is one such data reduction technique, which is often used when analyzing remotely sensed data. For example, with land cover classification, most conventional methods require the preprocessing step of dimension reduction, which can be seen as a transformation from a high order dimension to a low order dimension to conquer the so-called curse of the dimensionality. Scientists typically produce all principal components (PCs) and then select from among them those that have significant information, which could be error prone. Using the so-called power method, the algorithm finds the eigenvalues one by one, starting from the largest and stopping when a predetermined threshold is reached. This threshold represents the desired amount of information content that corresponds to the computed eigenvalues as a percentage of the overall information content of the image. It will be shown that the algorithm presented in this paper can select accurately and compute only the needed PCs in an automatic fashion. It will be also shown that this algorithm is far more computationally efficient than existing methods.
C-QWIPs for material characterization

In this paper, we discuss the utilities of corrugated quantum well infrared photodetectors (C-QWIPs) in detector material characterization. By measuring the detector responsivity as a function of corrugation period, several important detector parameters, such as the absorption coefficient (alpha) of parallel propagating light and the energy resolved photoconductive gain g, can be directly deduced. For the QWIP material presented, (alpha) at the peak was found to be 0.21 micrometer-1 under the usual operating condition. This value of (alpha) corresponds to an absorption length of 4.9 micrometer. Instead of being a constant, the value of g also varies significantly across the excitation spectrum, and the peak value is larger than the noise gain at large bias. Our results show that the present characterization technique is capable of providing accurate and detailed information on the intrinsic properties of QWIP materials under actual operating conditions. It is extremely useful in detector optimization. In addition, we also show that the performance of C-QWIPs can be further improved by etching an additional vertical trench at the center of each corrugation.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Evaluating evolutionary changes in state TANF policies

Over the past decade narrowly focused studies have evaluated the effectiveness of state-level welfare policies. In general, they evaluate reforms within a particular state, focus on a small number of outcome variables (usually caseload levels) and/or use a very narrowly defined time period. This narrow and partial analysis is perplexing, from an institutional perspective, as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) forces states into a zero-sum funding game, where shares depend on differential relative success in achieving policy objectives metrics. This institutional structure incentivizes states to mimic and improve upon more successful counterparts to recapture a larger share of TANF block grants. Given this dynamic institutional structure, an evolutionary evaluation of state TANF programmes is warranted. This article uses cluster analysis to explore evolutionary changes in state TANF policies (as characterized by a comprehensive set of outcome variables) immediately following the imposition of T...
How “Reversible” Is Telomeric Aging?

A critical question in human health is the malleability of telomere length. Telomere length, sampled at one point during adult life, is predictive of certain types of cancer and other immune and metabolic-related diseases. We now know from basic studies that the telomere/telomerase maintenance system plays a causal role in accelerating biologic aging and promoting disease processes. One can develop short telomeres for a multitude of reasons. Historical factors such as genetics, prenatal conditions, and early adversity, contribute to adult telomere length; however, current stress and lifestyle are also associated. If these modifiable predictors are causal factors in telomere shortening, there is a tremendous opportunity to improve maintenance and possibly even lengthen telomeres with behavioral interventions. This minireview discusses our current understanding of telomere lengthening and questions facing the field. Several small-scale stress reduction/wellness studies show promising findings, suggesting that cell aging can be slowed or reversed in vivo over short periods. Moreover, possible mechanisms are discussed, that take into account actual telomeric lengthening, such as that which occurs through telomerase-mediated elongation, or mechanisms resulting in "pseudo-telomeric lengthening" as might occur from changes in cell type distribution. There is a strong need for more translational clinical to bench research to address mechanistic questions in experimental models. In addition, well-designed intervention research that examines both telomeres and potential mediators of change can further enhance our understanding of malleability, mechanism, and clinical implications of telomere lengthening. Cancer Prev Res; 5(10); 1163–8. ©2012 AACR.
Nucleation and Growth of Uniform m-ZRO2

Hydrothermal treatment of zirconyl salt solutions produces uniform m-ZrO2 powder on the order of 80 nm. This powder is porous, has a 3-nm crystallite size, and exhibits an unusually high degree of crystallographic alignment within particles. The generation of this powder occurs via a complex process involving nucleation, growth, and controlled agglomeration of primary particles. Particle formation, crystallographic alignment and particulate uniformity are explained in terms of solution reactions and colloidal behavior.
On the Performance of OFDM-Based Amplify-and-Forward Relay Networks in the Presence of Phase Noise

We investigate the performance of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based dual-hop amplify-and-forward (AF) relay networks in the presence of phase noise (PHN). We show that the use of an AF relay may not be beneficial compared to a direct transmission in the presence of PHN. Using outage probability analysis, an upper bound on the allowable PHN level is derived which ensures that the dual-hop outperforms the direct transmission. To improve dual-hop transmission performance in the presence of PHN, we propose a reduced-complexity joint channel and PHN estimator using full-pilot OFDM symbols for AF relay transmission. The proposed approach achieves a lower mean squared error compared to the conventional channel estimator. In addition, we derive a joint data detection and PHN estimation scheme for comb-type data OFDM symbols by modifying the maximum ratio combining metric to account for the effect of PHN at the destination node.