cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microstrip antenna coupling for quantum-well infrared photodetectors

Abstract We computed the expected performance of microstrip antennas as optical couplers in quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) by the finite-difference time-domain technique. The microstrip antenna consisted of a metal square that is placed on one side of a thin QW stack, across from a continuous ground plane on the other side of the stack. The size of the square was one-half wavelength in the QW material, or ∼1.2 μm for a long-wavelength GaAs/AlGaAs QWIP. An array of these antennas can be used to couple to an arbitrary-size pixel. Unlike the elements of a diffraction grating, each antenna in the array acts as a nearly independent coupler whose peak wavelength is determined by the dimensions of the antenna, not by the period of the antenna array. Because of this local coupling, the array of microstrip antennas maintains absorption in small pixels much more effectively than do grating couplers. Furthermore, the microstrip antenna yields moderately high absorption over a useful spectral bandwidth with a very thin QW stack. Such a stack has a high photoconductive gain, which is useful for many applications.
Gettering of the metal impurities in image sensors: An evaluation of heated carbon implants

A number of schemes have been proposed in the literature to getter the metal impurities, which are detrimental to the device performance and yield (DPY), in silicon. These schemes vary from segregation based gettering, to extended defect clusters to magic denuded zones. While some of these are empirical and others being expensive to implement, they often contradict with each other. It is the purpose of this paper to propose a scheme that is simple and inexpensive yet firmly based on the principles governing effective gettering of the metal impurities. Further implant capability for sub-micron technology nodes is also discussed.
Electrophilic chemistry of propargylic alcohols in imidazolium ionic liquids: Propargylation of arenes and synthesis of propargylic ethers catalyzed by metallic triflates [Bi(OTf)3, Sc(OTf)3, Yb(OTf)3], TfOH, or B(C6F5)3

Metallic triflates M(OTf)3 (M = Bi, Sc, Yb), immobilized in imidazolium ionic liquids [BMIM][BF4], [BMIM][PF6] and [BMIM][OTf] are efficient systems for one-pot reactions of propargylic alcohols 1,3-diphenyl-2-propyn-1-ol Ia, 1-methyl-3-phenyl-2-propyn-1-ol Ib, and 2-pentyn-1-ol Ic, with a wide range of arenes bearing activating substituents, under mild conditions. The [BMIM][PF6]/B(C6F5)3 and [BMIM][PF6]/TfOH systems were superior in propargylation with Ib and Ic, while reaction of 3-phenyl-2-propyn-1-ol Id with activated aromatics resulted in the formation of diaryl-propanones instead. Propargylation of anisole with Ib under M(OTf)3 catalysis is highly para selective, but with TfOH or B(C6F5)3 as catalyst the ortho isomer was also formed. Steric influence of the propargylic moiety on substrate selectivity is reflected in the lack of ortho propargylation for phenol and ethylbenzene by using propargylic alcohol Ia, and notable formation of the ortho isomer employing alcohol Ib. In the later case para selectivity could be increased by running the reaction at r. t. for 10 h. The Bi(OTf)3-catalyzed reaction of 1,3-dimethoxybenzene with Ia led to minor formation of dipropargylated derivative, along with the monopropargyl product. Propargylation of the less reactive arenes (mesitylene, ethylbenzene, toluene), using Sc(OTf)3 as catalyst, led increasingly to the formation of dipropargylic ethers and propargyl ketones, with no ring propargylation product with toluene. Concomitant formation of dipropargylic ether was also observed in Yb(OTf)3-catalyzed propargylation of β-naphthol, whereas propargylation of 2-nitro and 4-nitro-aniline led to N-propargylation. The recycling/reuse of the IL was demonstrated in representative cases with no appreciable decrease in the conversions over 3 cycles. It was also shown that recycled IL could be used to propargylate a different aromatic compound. The efficacy of IL/M(OTf)3 and IL/TfOH systems for cross-breeding two propargylic alcohols or a propargylic alcohol with a non-propargylic alcohol and/or self-coupling, to form a wide variety of functionalized ethers is also demonstrated.
ESD improvements for familiar automated handlers

Many older models of automated test handlers still in common usage were not designed with static prevention in mind and can present a severe ESD hazard to sensitive devices. This paper presents a set of upgrades to materials and grounding techniques to minimize the static environment associated with specific handlers.
Performance evaluation for implementations of a network of proxy caches

In a network of proxy-level caches, such as IRCache (www.ircache.net), nodes collaborate with one another to satisfy object requests. However, since collaboration in current implementations of proxy cache networks is typically limited to sharing cache contents, there may be unnecessary redundancies in storing objects. It is expected that a mechanism that considers the objects cached at every node in the network would be more effective for reducing user delays. In this study we construct algorithms for different implementations of such a mechanism using the theoretical approach of Tawarmalani et al. [Tawarmalani, M., Karthik, K., and De, P., Allocating Objects in a Network of Caches: Centralized and Decentralized Analyses, (2007) Purdue University Working Paper] that investigate caching policies where nodes do consider objects held by their neighbors. The caching implementations are also compared and contrasted with numerical computations using simulated data. The performance results should provide useful directions for computer network administrators to develop proxy caching implementations that are suited for differing network and demand characteristics. There is a significant potential for deploying proxy cache networks in order to reduce the delays experienced by web users due to increasing congestion on the Internet. Therefore we believe that this study contributes to network caching research that is beneficial for Internet users.
Differences in long-term disease activity and treatment of adult patients with childhood- and adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective To compare differences in long-term outcome between adults with childhood-onset (age at diagnosis <18 years) systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and with adult-onset SLE. Methods Data were derived from the University of California Lupus Outcomes Study, a longitudinal cohort of 885 adult subjects with SLE (90 childhood-onset [cSLE], 795 adult-onset [aSLE]). Baseline and 1-year followup data were obtained via structured 1-hour telephone interviews conducted between 2002 and 2006. Using self-report data, differences in organ involvement and disease morbidity, current disease status and activity, past and current medication use, and number of physician visits were compared, based on age at diagnosis of SLE. Results Average disease duration for the cSLE and aSLE subgroups was 16.5 and 13.4 years, respectively, and mean age at followup was 30.5 and 49.9 years, respectively. When compared with aSLE subjects, cSLE subjects had a higher frequency of SLE-related renal disease, whereas aSLE subjects were more likely to report a history of pulmonary disease. Rates of clotting disorders, seizures, and myocardial infarction were similar between the 2 groups. At followup, cSLE subjects had lower overall disease activity, but were more likely to be taking steroids and other immunosuppressive therapies. The total number of yearly physician visits was similar between the 2 groups, although cSLE subjects had a higher number of nephrology visits. Conclusion This study demonstrates important differences in the outcomes of patients with cSLE and aSLE, and provides important prognostic information about long-term SLE disease activity and treatment.
NEW TRENDS IN USING TECHNOLOGY IN THE LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

Language teachers actively seek to provide their students with classroom opportunities to engage in collaborative interactions. Similar opportunities for such interactions can also be created within the context of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and, in particular, in the area of computer-mediated communication (CMC)—whether in real time (synchronous, SCMC) or deferred time (asynchronous, ACMC)—working together with other nonnative- (NNS) or native-speaker (NS) partners. Recent advances in intelligent CALL (iCALL) are also beginning to empower students to engage in online activities with computer applications that provide at least limited levels of feedback, if not some palpable degree of interactivity. This article will review the reported benefits of online language study with particular emphasis on the importance of providing a sound pedagogical framework for the tasks and activities that students are asked to accomplish. In pursuit of effective CALL, researchers have previously stressed the role of online negotiations of meaning via CMC, intercultural communicative competence, and electronic literacy and identity. Although these topics continue to be of great interest for the CALL field, other areas are attracting attention as well: iCALL, distance learning, and teacher training. CALL researchers are increasingly finding that teachers' lack of experience with using technology—that is, their inability to take into account its affordances as well as its engrained cultures of use—can often present the most serious barrier to its successful integration into the language curriculum.
The effects of N-hexyl-O-glucosyl sphingosine on normal cultured human fibroblasts: a chemical model for Gaucher's disease.

Abatract Normal human skin fibroblasts were grown in the presence of N-hexyl-0-glucosyl sphingosine (HGS), an inhibitor of aryl glucosidase and glucocerebrosidase. Tests of the cells with aryl glycosides showed that &glucosidase activity in the cells was drastically reduced while other enzyme activities (a-glucosidase, &galactosidase, and N-acetyl+?-hexosaminidase) were normal or elevated. Exposure of cells to HGS for 28 days resulted in increased values for cell weight per plate, glucocerebroside concentration, and galactosylgalactosylglucosyl ceramide concentration. The concentrations of total lipid, cholesterol, and protein were unchanged, as was the fatty acid distribution within the glycolipids. Chemically, the inhibitor-treated cells exhibited a model form of Gaucher’s disease. Although many membranous cytoplasmic inclusions were induced by HGS, they were unlike the characteristic inclusions seen in individuals with the genetic disorder. Skin fibroblasts from a Gaucher patient showed no abnormalities in composition or appearance. Gaucher’s disease is a recessively inherited disease characterised chemically by a deficiency of the enzyme, glucocerebrosidase, which normally releases the /3-linked glucose of glucocerebroside, or GGla (1). As a result of this deficiency, GL-la accumulates in the tissues of affected individuals. The accumulated lipid is associated with morphological lesions in tissue histiocytes, consisting of inclusions which appear by electron microscopy as membrane-bound secondary lysosomes tilled with tubular structures (2).
BAY11 enhances OCT4 synthetic mRNA expression in adult human skin cells

The OCT4 transcription factor is involved in many cellular processes, including development, reprogramming, maintaining pluripotency and differentiation. Synthetic OCT4 mRNA was recently used (in conjunction with other reprogramming factors) to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells. Here, we discovered that BAY 11-7082 (BAY11), at least partially through an NF-κB-inhibition based mechanism, could significantly increase the expression of OCT4 following transfection of synthetic mRNA (synRNA) into adult human skin cells. We tested various chemical and molecular small molecules on their ability to suppress the innate immune response seen upon synthetic mRNA transfection. Three molecules - B18R, BX795, and BAY11 - were used in immunocytochemical and proliferation-based assays. We also utilized global transcriptional meta-analysis coupled with quantitative PCR to identify relative gene expression downstream of OCT4. We found that human skin cells cultured in the presence of BAY11 resulted in reproducible increased expression of OCT4 that did not inhibit normal cell proliferation. The increased levels of OCT4 resulted in significantly increased expression of genes downstream of OCT4, including the previously identified SPP1, DUSP4 and GADD45G, suggesting the expressed OCT4 was functional. We also discovered a novel OCT4 putative downstream target gene SLC16A9 which demonstrated significantly increased expression following elevation of OCT4 levels. For the first time we have shown that small molecule-based stabilization of synthetic mRNA expression can be achieved with use of BAY11. This small molecule-based inhibition of innate immune responses and subsequent robust expression of transfected synthetic mRNAs may have multiple applications for future cell-based research and therapeutics.
Pacific Interdecadal Climate Variability: Linkages between the Tropics and the North Pacific during Boreal Winter since 1900

This study examines the tropical linkages to interdecadal climate fluctuations over the North Pacific during boreal winter through a comprehensive and physically based analysis of a wide variety of observational datasets spanning the twentieth century. Simple difference maps between epochs of high sea level pressure over the North Pacific (1900‐24 and 1947‐76) and epochs of low pressure (1925‐46 and 1977‐97) are presented for numerous climate variables throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region, including rainfall, cloudiness, sea surface temperature (SST), and sea level pressure. The results support the notion that the Tropics play a key role in North Pacific interdecadal climate variability. In particular, SST anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean and southeast Pacific Ocean, rainfall and cloudiness anomalies in the vicinity of the South Pacific convergence zone, stratus clouds in the eastern tropical Pacific, and sea level pressure differences between the tropical southeast Pacific and Indian Oceans all exhibit prominent interdecadal fluctuations that are coherent with those in sea level pressure over the North Pacific. The spatial patterns of the interdecadal tropical climate anomalies are compared with those associated with ENSO, a predominantly interannual phenomenon; in general, the two are similar with some differences in relative spatial emphasis. Finally, a published 194-yr coral record in the western tropical Indian Ocean is shown to compare favorably with the twentieth-century instrumental records, indicating the potential for extending knowledge of tropical interdecadal climate variability to earlier time periods.
Break point estimators for a slope shift: levels versus first differences

Summary This paper analyses two break point estimators: one for a univariate slope-shift model under unit root errors, the other for its first difference (a mean shift model). The asymptotic theory is developed for the estimators under a specific Pitman drift, assuming the break magnitude is within a T−1/2 neighbourhood of zero. Compared to the existing asymptotics assuming a fixed break magnitude or a shrinking one converging at a slower rate than T1/2, the limiting distributions here closely resemble the finite sample distributions of the break point estimators, especially the tail behaviours. Though with a lower convergence rate, the break point estimator from level model concentrates more around the true break point when the break magnitude is small relative to the noise magnitude. With the new limiting distributions, thresholds are provided for empirical researchers to choose the break point estimator based on a mean squared error criterion.
The Möbius function of partitions with restricted block sizes

The purpose of this paper is to compute the Mobius function of filters in the partition lattice formed by restricting to partitions by type. The Mobius function is determined in terms of the descent set statistics on permutations and the Mobius function of filters in the lattice of integer compositions. When the underlying integer partition is a knapsack partition, the Mobius function on integer compositions is determined by a topological argument. In this proof the permutahedron makes a cameo appearance.
Enforcement of communications policies in software agent systems through mobile code

We introduce the use of mobile agents as the mechanism for policy enforcement in multiagent multidomain systems. The focus is on the effective application of communication policies in the setup and maintenance of spanning data streams that cross multiple hosts in different domains. We have designed and implemented a mobile agent based framework (FlexFeed) that works in concert with the KAoS framework for policy management.
The Regulation of Sovereign Wealth Funds: The Virtues of Going Slow

Any symposium on private-equity firms and the going private phenomenon would be incomplete without discussion of Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs). These government owned investment vehicles have and will continue to play an important role in the going private phenomenon. SWFs have not only helped fuel that phenomenon through their participation as limited partners in private-equity funds and hedge funds, but their massive capital infusions into ailing financial institutions and private-equity firms in the wake of the subprime mortgage crisis may, in a very real sense, save it. It is not hyperbolic to suggest that the future of private equity - including the going private phenomenon - and the future of SWFs are inescapably intertwined. Misguided regulation of the latter will, quite foreseeably, operate to the detriment of the former. And the scope of potential mischief is broad. SWFs have existed for decades, but today they face heightened scrutiny due to their recent rapid growth and a concomitant shift in their investment strategy from primarily conservative debt instruments to higher risk/reward equity investments. This shift in strategy has stoked fears in the United States and Europe that these funds - which find home primarily in the Middle East and Asia - will use their economic clout to pursue political goals. This type of rhetoric has led some to call for increased regulation of SWFs. In this Article we argue against imposing any additional burdens on investments by SWFs in the United States, at least at present. In our view, at this point a policy of watchful waiting is preferable to any immediate effort to impose special restrictions on SWFs. On the one hand, the nightmare scenarios painted by SWF critics often involve activities that would be caught by existing laws, either as they relate to national security or to various forms of business regulation under the securities and antitrust laws. On the other hand, we do not possess perfect foresight and cannot say that every possible permutation of SWF investment should escape a regulatory response in the future. What we do know, however, says that the burden of proof lies on those who think that further prophylactic regulation is in order at this juncture. To date, SWFs have acted as model investors, and the risk that they may act strategically in the future is significantly mitigated by existing safeguards. A far greater danger to America’s economy and security inheres in taking unnecessary action that would encourage SWFs to redirect their investments elsewhere, or to harbor resentment toward the United States that could express itself in a wide range of hostile actions.
Syndrome of occipitoatlantoaxial hypermobility, cranial settling, and Chiari malformation Type I in patients with hereditary disorders of connective tissue

Object. Chiari malformation Type I (CM-I) is generally regarded as a disorder of the paraxial mesoderm. The authors report an association between CM-I and hereditary disorders of connective tissue (HDCT) that can present with lower brainstem symptoms attributable to occipitoatlantoaxial hypermobility and cranial settling. Methods. The prevalence of HDCT was determined in a prospectively accrued cohort of 2813 patients with CM-I. All patients underwent a detailed medical and neuroradiological workup that included an assessment of articular mobility. Osseous structures composing the craniocervical junction were investigated morphometrically using reconstructed 3D computed tomography and plain x-ray images in 114 patients with HDCT/CM-I, and the results were compared with those obtained in patients with CM-I (55 cases) and healthy control individuals (55 cases). Results. The diagnostic criteria for Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome and related HDCT were met in 357 (12.7%) of the 2813 cases. Hereditability was generally compatible with a pattern of autosomal dominant transmission with variable expressivity. The diagnostic features of HDCT/CM-I were distinguished from those of CM-I by clinical stigmata of connective tissue disease, a greater female preponderance (8:1 compared with 3:1, p , 0.001), and a greater incidence of lower brainstem symptoms (0.41 compared with 0.11, p , 0.001), retroodontoid pannus formation (0.71 compared with 0.11, p , 0.001), and hypoplasia of the oropharynx (0.44 compared with 0.02, p , 0.001). Measurements of the basion‐dens interval, basion‐atlas interval, atlas‐dens interval, dens‐atlas interval, clivus‐ atlas angle, clivus‐axis angle, and atlas‐axis angle were the same in the supine and upright positions in healthy control individuals and patients with CM-I. In patients with HDCT/CM-I, there was a reduction of the basion‐dens interval (3.6 mm, p , 0.001), an enlargement of the basion‐atlas interval (3.0 mm, p , 0.001), and a reduction of the clivus‐axis angle (10.8°, p , 0.001), clivus‐atlas angle (5.8°, p , 0.001), and atlas‐axis angle (5.3°, p , 0.001) on assumption of the upright position. These changes were reducible by cervical traction or returning to the supine position. Conclusions. The identification of HDCT in 357 patients with CM-I establishes an association between two presumably unrelated mesodermal disorders. Morphometric evidence in this cohort—cranial settling, posterior gliding of the occipital condyles, and reduction of the clivus‐axis angle, clivus‐atlas angle, and atlas‐axis angle in the upright position—suggests that hypermobility of the occipitoatlantal and atlantoaxial joints contributes to retroodontoid pannus formation and symptoms referable to basilar impression. (DOI: 10.3171/SPI-07/12/601)
Constraints on neutrino and dark radiation interactions using cosmological observations

Observations of the CMB and large-scale structure provide a unique opportunity to explore the fundamental properties of the constituents that compose the cosmic dark radiation background (CDRB), of which the three standard neutrinos are thought to be the dominant component. We report on the first constraint to the CDRB rest-frame sound speed, ${c}_{\mathrm{eff}}^{2}$, using the most recent CMB and large-scale structure data. Additionally, we report improved constraints to the CDRB viscosity parameter, ${c}_{\mathrm{vis}}^{2}$. For a noninteracting species, these parameters both equal $1/3$. Using current data we find that a standard CDRB, composed entirely of three noninteracting neutrino species, is ruled out at the 99% confidence level (C.L.) with ${c}_{\mathrm{eff}}^{2}={0.30}_{\ensuremath{-}0.026}^{+0.027}$ and ${c}_{\mathrm{vis}}^{2}={0.44}_{\ensuremath{-}0.21}^{+0.27}$ (95% C.L.). We also discuss how constraints to these parameters from current and future observations (such as the Planck satellite) allow us to explore the fundamental properties of any anomalous radiative energy density beyond the standard three neutrinos.
Five-day dirithromycin therapy is as effective as seven-day erythromycin therapy for acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis

In a meta-analysis of two identically designed, well-controlled, randomized, double-blind clinical trials, we compared 5 days of dirithromycin with 7 days of erythromycin for acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. Five hundred and thirty-one patients were randomized to receive dirithromycin (500 mg od) for 5 days and 526 patients were randomized to receive erythromycin (250 mg qid) for 7 days. Clinical and bacteriological responses were assessed 3-5 days after therapy and at termination from the study. Adverse events were collected from both groups and compared with each other, before and after treatment. Of the 690 patients clinically appraisable at the post-therapy visit, 298 (84.2%) dirithromycin-treated patients and 270 (80.4%) erythromycin-treated patients showed a favourable response. At termination, 273 (77.1%) dirithromycin-treated patients and 243 (72.3%) erythromycin-treated patients showed a favourable response. The microbiological cure was equivalent in the two groups (75% of dirithromycin-treated patients and 74.1% of erythromycin-treated patients showed a favourable response at termination). After therapy, dirithromycin was as effective as erythromycin in eradicating Streptococcus pneumoniae (77.8% vs 90.9%), Haemophilus influenzae (71.7% vs 72.2%), Moraxella catarrhalis (93.3% vs 88.9%) and Staphylococcus aureus (81.8% vs 82.1%). Although not statistically significant, fewer dirithromycin-treated patients reported adverse events than did erythromycin-treated patients. Nausea (6.8% vs 7.8%), headache (7.3% vs 8.2%) and diarrhoea (6.6% vs 9.5%) were the most frequently reported adverse events in both groups. In the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, 5 days of dirithromycin is as effective as 7 days of erythromycin.
Suffering and Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia Syndrome

SUMMARYObjectives: To describe the plight of the person with fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS], the psychosocial and behavioral factors that contribute to the extent of suffering experienced, and the heterogeneity of patient subgroups that characterize adaptation and response to treatment.Findings: People diagnosed with FMS are confronted with a range of factors the influence there perception, adaptation, and response to treatment. Three subgroups of FMS patients have been identified using cluster analytic procedures. One subgroup is characterized by high levels of pain, perceived interference of symptoms with life, affective distress and social support, and low levels of perceived control and activity– “Dysfunctional.” The unique characteristics of a second subgroup, relative to other FMS patients, relates to their perceptions of little support from significant others and a high degree of negative responses to their reports of symptoms– “Interpersonally Distressed.” Compared to the other two groups, the third ...
Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension Produced by Surgical and Chemical Denervation of the Pulmonary Vasculature

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that balloon distention of the main pulmonary artery (MPA) induces pulmonary hypertension that is produced by a neural reflex and to investigate the possible efferent components of its reflex arc. Using a specially designed triple-lumen balloon catheter, positioned under fluoroscopy in the MPA, the hemodynamic responses to MPA distention were studied before and after the following: surgical denervation of the bifurcation of the MPA, chemical sympathectomy (6-hydroxydo-pamine), 100 percent oxygen breathing, and vagotomy. Our findings suggest that the experimental pulmonary hypertension caused by distention of the MPA is produced by excitation of stretch receptors in or near the bifurcation of the MPA and that the efferent limb of this reflex is predominantly mediated via the adrenergic nervous system.
Surface Initiated Polymerization (SIP) on Nanoparticle Surfaces: Demonstration of First Principles and Preparation of Nanocomposite Materials

To investigate the grafting of polymer chains onto nanoparticles (metal, semi-conductor, inorganic, etc) and nanostructured (patterned) surfaces, we have investigated anionic surface initiated polymerization (SIP) on a variety of surfaces. Understanding the surface chemistry issues involved is critical for future applications and protocols. SIP of polystyrene from Silicate and clay nanoparticles surfaces have been made by the living anionic polymerization method with 1,1-diphenylethylene (DPE) initiation sites attached to nanoparticle surfaces using chlorosilane and amino functional groups. Model studies were initially done on flat Si-wafer surface and recently with Au surfaces. For the nanoparticles, the grafted polymers were cleaved and characterized by FTIR, NMR, AFM, TGA and SEC. Polymers grafted from nanoparticle surfaces show higher polydispersity and lower molecular weight than those formed in solution. We observed that diffusion of the monomer, stability of the initiator attachment to the surface, and aggregation of the particles controls the properties of the grafted polymers on particle surfaces. On the other hand, the use of the anionic polymerization method on surfaces allows the possibility of combining a variety of polymers (organic) with various nanoparticle and surfaces (inorganic) for the preparation of hybrid nanocomposite materials.
High-temperature series expansion for the correlation function in disordered binary alloys

Abstract The spatial correlation function for a substitutionally disordered binary alloy of arbitrary composition and of arbitrary range of static two-body potentials is given up to and including the term proportional to (Tc/T)5, where Tc is that temperature at which the system first begins to show any long-range order. In the spirit of the Clapp-Moss approximation, and using techniques previously developed by Tahir-Kheli, a suitable series inversion is performed in order to express the Warren-Cowley short-range order (SRO) parameter. For the simplest cases of separating binary alloys on simple cubic and face-centered cubic lattices, the critical temperature is calculated as a function of concentration for nearest-neighbour interactions. In addition, for the simple cubic lattice, the influence of next-nearest-neighbour interactions is also considered.
On the Theory and Practice of Data Recovery with Multiple Versions

Replication and error-correction are standard mechanisms to cope with data corruption. We consider how these two approaches can be combined for preservation of digital data. We provide an information-theoretic model and theoretical framework, and discuss how recent breakthroughs such as the development of Raptor codes may play a part in future practical systems.
Improving the characteristics of streamflow modeled by regional climate models

The introduction of complex land surface parameterization schemes into regional climate models (RCMs) has been focused on improving the modeling of land surface feedbacks to the atmosphere. As such the modeling of streamflow was considered a by-product of the water balance and until recently it received relatively little attention. Comparison of four RCMs (RegCM2, MM5/BATS, MM5/SHEELS and MM5/OSU) and a simple hydrology model, Catchment Moisture Deficit ‐Identification of unit Hydrographs And Component flows from Rainfall, Evaporation and Streamflow data (CMD-IHACRES) demonstrates the improvement in the characteristics of the streamflow prediction, which may be achieved using CMD-IHACRES. The conceptual structure of CMD-IHACRES allows it to be ‘incorporated’ into the RCMs, improving their streamflow predictions, as is demonstrated for the FIFE region of central USA. q 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Trachoma and antibiotic use: the ’A‘ in SAFE

Trachoma, a chronic conjunctivitis caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. In recognition of this public health problem, the World Health Assembly has targeted the year 2020 to eliminate blinding trachoma, and a multifaceted strategy (SAFE) is recommended, including antibiotics for treatment of infection. Trachoma is a disease of entire communities, and the pool of infection resides largely in preschool age children. Thus, for endemic communities, mass treatment with antibiotics annually for at least 3-5 years is carried out. The antibiotics used, the effectiveness of this approach, and the challenges of antibiotic treatment of communities are discussed, concluding with a view towards the elimination of trachoma in the future.
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF CRYSTALLINE C60

The electronic structure and optical properties of crystalline C60 and their pressure dependence have been studied by first-principles local density calculations. It is shown that fcc C60 has a low dielectric constant and an optical spectrum rich in structures. The spectrum shows five disconnected absorption bands in the 1.4 to 7.0 eV region with sharp structures in each band that can be attributed to critical point transitions. This is a manifestation of the localized molecular structure coupled with long range crystalline order unique to the C60 crystal. At a sufficient high pressure, the structures in the optical spectrum start to merge due to the merging of the bands. These results are in good agreement with some recent experimental measurements.
Wandering in Search of a Sign A Contemporary Version of the Vision Quest

The vision quest was practiced in earlier societies, especially among some of the tribes of the Plains and Plateau Indians, as a method of gaining psychological and spiritual insight. The person would wander into the wilderness, alone, in search of a vision that would reveal a truth. Drawing on questionnaire data and the personal accounts of people who undertook a contemporary, modified version of the vision quest, this paper describes the essential ingredients of this practice. It explores the therapeutic qualities of wandering, relating self to world during the wandering, and attaining insights via the appearance of signs. The vision quest offers the opportunity to tap an archetypal form of consciousness that fosters individuation and activates the subjective experience of unity with the transcendental realm that nourishes the self.
Branched dart leaders preceding lightning return strokes

This study describes the occurrence of branches in lightning dart leaders, based on data acquired in Florida using a high-speed video camera and electric field change sensors. More than half (57%) of 72 flashes with analyzable dart leaders show at least one successful branched dart leader (BDL), and 9 flashes have two successful BDLs. Overall, 18% of 282 visible successful dart leaders are branched. Most (42 of 50) cases of BDLs occur in the first dart leader after a stepped leader/return stroke sequence, and the data indicate 55% of first dart leaders are visibly branched. Compared to first dart leaders in the 31 flashes without any branched dart leaders, BDLs tend to follow stepped leader/return strokes with significantly larger average peak currents (-31.3 vs. -20.6 kA) and shorter average interstroke intervals (71.94 vs. 94.64 ms). Average peak current of BDL strokes is 62% larger (-17.8 vs -11.0 kA) than for unbranched first dart leader strokes. Branched dart leaders generally travel in the some of the most recently used lightning channels, but they are not always within the main channel of the prior return stroke. Successful BDLs may dart all the way to ground when in a prior stroke channel, or they may become stepped leaders when they reach the lower end of the prior stroke branch. Electric field change data for all the BDL cases exhibit an erratic pulse character for at least part of the leader duration; in some cases, the erratic character ends when the branches vanish. This paper is based on Stolzenburg et al. (2014).
The Potential of Metabolic Imaging

Metabolic imaging is a field of molecular imaging that focuses and targets changes in metabolic pathways for the evaluation of different clinical conditions. Targeting and quantifying metabolic changes noninvasively is a powerful approach to facilitate diagnosis and evaluate therapeutic response. This review addresses only techniques targeting metabolic pathways. Other molecular imaging strategies, such as affinity or receptor imaging or microenvironment-dependent methods are beyond the scope of this review. Here we describe the current state of the art in clinically translatable metabolic imaging modalities. Specifically, we focus on PET and MR spectroscopy, including conventional (1)H- and (13)C-MR spectroscopy at thermal equilibrium and hyperpolarized MRI. In this article, we first provide an overview of metabolic pathways that are altered in many pathologic conditions and the corresponding probes and techniques used to study those alterations. We then describe the application of metabolic imaging to several common diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiac ischemia, and infection or inflammation.
A Rhetoric of Warning Defects

Scholars have applied a number of theoretical approaches to their critique of the law of defective products instructions and warnings. This article applies theories from rhetoric, in particular technical communication, to synthesize those approaches and add new dimensions. It then addresses when the duty to instruct and warn arises.
Welfare States and Social Trust

This article tests the linkage between institutional configuration and social trust, highlighting the role of the welfare states in coordinating interests among different labor market actors. This study initially builds a theoretical framework distinguishing training-supplemented welfare regimes from transfer-based welfare regimes. Evidence from descriptive and multivariate analyses of World Values Survey based on 17 advanced industrial democracies supports my argument that public investment in skill provision prevalent in training-supplemented welfare states leads to higher accumulation of social trust, whereas passive social transfers result in lower social trust. Especially, high investment in public skill provision leads to a decreased gap in social trust between employers and low-skilled workers, as well as among different occupational groups. In addition, the negative effect of passive social transfers on trust is greatly ameliorated when it is jointly configured with high active labor market polici...
Clinical Reasoning: Childhood-onset atrophy and spasticity

A 46-year-old woman who had been adopted presented with progressive weakness. Motor development had been normal until age 10 years. At that time, she had noted difficulty walking, imbalance, falls, and urinary frequency. By middle school, she had developed weakness and atrophy in her hands. In her mid-30s, she noted progressive bilateral foot drop. She had begun to use a walker 10 years ago. She recently had more trouble going upstairs, with frequent falls. After a fall 1 year ago, she began having sharp pain radiating into both thighs, with numbness and tingling.
Study on the population carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae,Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in children at the age of 12～18 months in Dongguan city

Objective:The study was intended to research the epidemiology of the infection of Streptococcus pneumoniae,Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis,and to provide essential information for looking for the methods of preventing and controlling the three pathogens.Methods:600 cases of normal children at the age of 12~18 months from the five surveillance points in Dongguan city were investigated.The nasopharyngeal specimens were cultured and separated on the Blood media and Chocolate media.The pure strains were indentified by biochemical reactions.Results:The detection rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae,Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis were 19.2%(115/600),4.2%(25/600) and 17.3%(104/600),respectively.Conclusion:The detection rate of Moraxella catarrhalis is 7.0%(21/300) in the summer,and 27.7%(83/300) in the winter.It is different remarkably in different seasons.The difference of the three pathogens in the different place is not observably.
Age-related alterations in thyroid hormone binding properties of porcine skeletal muscle cytosol.

Thyroid hormone binding properties were evaluated in cytosol prepared from semitendinosus muscle of 1-d, 3-wk and 5-mo-old Yorkshire-Duroc crossbred pigs. Optimum thyroxine (T4) binding was obtained with 35 ug cytosolic protein in a solution containing 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.4, and 25 mM KCl and 10 mM MgCl2. The half-time of maximum T4 binding was approximately 10 min. Protease digestion of cytosol eliminated specific T4 binding. Muscle cytosol preferentially bound T4 over triiodothyronine (T3). At equimolar concentrations the amount of T3 binding relative to T4 was .1, 50 and 10% at 1 d, 3 wk and 5 mo, respectively. Scatchard analysis of T4 binding revealed a similar high-affinity, low-capacity component in all age groups. However, at 3 wk of age the concentration of the low-affinity, high-capacity binding component for T4 was 12-fold greater than at either 1 d or 5 mo of age. The affinity of this high-capacity binding component did not change with age. The function of thyroid hormones in regulating skeletal muscle growth and metabolism have not been elucidated. These data demonstrate that thyroid hormone binding properties of skeletal muscle do change with age and further research is needed to investigate the possible relationship of these findings to growth regulatory mechanisms.
Isopropyl N-Phenylcarbamate Affects Spindle Microtubule Orientation in Dividing Endosperm Cells of Haemanthus Katherinae Baker

The mitotic inhibitor isopropyl N-phenylcarbamate (IPC) effects changes in the ultra-structure of the dividing endosperm cells of Haemanthus katherinae. In cells treated with 10 p.p.m. IPC for 0.5-2 h the microtubules lose their parallel alignment and become oriented in radial arrays. These radial arrays are interpreted as micropoles of the spindle apparatus and are thought to be the focal points for the chromosomes as they aggregate into micronuclei. Thus, IPC has a markedly different effect on the structure of the spindle apparatus than colchicine, which is observed at concentrations of 50 p.p.m. for 1 h to destroy the microtubules in Haemanthus. The structure of the microtubules appears unaffected by IPC since those from control and treated cells are similar in diameter (22 nm), in degree of staining, and in sensitivity to the fixation. In addition, the chromosomes and cytoplasmic components such as mitochondria, plastids, dictyosomes, elements of the endoplasmic reticulum, and ribosomes are not structurally modified by treatment with IPC.
Enhanced Superconductivity in the Tl1−XBiXBa2Ca2Cu3Oy System

Compounds of the system, Tl1−xBixBa2Ca2Cu3O9, were synthesized and studied. Bi substitutes at the Tl-site for values of x up to x=0.2. The superconducting transition temperature, Tc, increases from 110K for x=0.0 to 116K for x=0.2. SEM images reveal a plate-like morphology which is highly suitable for powder-in-tube processing. M-H loops show that the Bi-substituted phase has significantly better low temperature flux pinning properties than the pristine Tl-cuprate, and exhibits only a weak dependence on temperature and field when compared to that of unsubstituted phase. The Jc values calculated using the Bean model are: 3 × 107 A/cm2 at 10K,1T and 2 × 104 A/cm2 at 77K.1T. Substitution of 20% of Bi in TlBa2Ca2Cu3O9 makes the compound an excellent choice for magnet wire applications at relatively low temperatures.
A Shared Mechanism of Linguistic, Cultural, and Bodily Relativity

What's special about the way language influences thought? In some cases, the answer may be: nothing at all. Language influences nonlinguistic cognition via numerous mechanisms. Other forms of experience can also influence our thinking via some of the same mechanisms. This article illustrates how separable streams of linguistic, cultural, and bodily experience can influence the way people think, feel, and make decisions by strengthening some implicit associations in long-term memory while weakening others. As a result, people with different experiences think differently, in predictable ways. Distinct kinds of physical and social experiences can shape our minds via similar processes, suggesting continuity between different facets of experiential relativity: linguistic relativity, cultural relativity, and bodily relativity.
Overview: Mucosal Immunity and Infections

Section C contains a comprehensive survey of mucosal responses to infection at mucosal surfaces, including infection by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. As such, it offers a “real world” review of mucosal immune processes as they relate to host defense against infection. In this overview we confine ourselves to comments on chapters focusing on bacterial infection since such infection illustrates the broad patterns of host immune responses marshaled in relation to all infections.
Efficacy and Safety of Treating Glioblastoma With Tumor-Treating Fields Therapy.

Background Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive astrocytoma with a dismal prognosis. Since 1976, only three chemotherapeutic agents have been approved for the treatment of GBM. Tumor-treating fields (TTFields) therapy, delivered via a noninvasive device, is a new therapy approved for use in patients with recurrent GBM and in combination with temozolomide for the treatment of newly diagnosed GBM. Objectives This article reviews the mechanism of action and findings from preclinical and clinical studies supporting the use of TTFields for patients with newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM. Methods This article provides an overview of published literature on the efficacy and safety of treating GBM with TTFields. Findings For the first time in more than a decade, patients with GBM have a noninvasive treatment option that has been shown to increase progression-free survival and overall survival with minimal adverse events.
Functional and molecular identification of a TASK-1 potassium channel regulating chloride secretion through CFTR channels in the shark rectal gland: implications for cystic fibrosis

In the shark rectal gland (SRG), apical chloride secretion through CFTR channels is electrically coupled to a basolateral K+ conductance whose type and molecular identity are unknown. We performed ...
Possible protective role of silybin against polymyxin E-induced toxic effect in rat kidneys: A biochemical approach.

AIMS Polymyxin E was used for treating gram-negative bacterial infections but not recently for fear of its nephrotoxicity. Silybin has potential to counteract nephrotoxicity; however, few studies have investigated its protective effect on the kidney in an animal model. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether silybin could decrease elevated urine and serum renal biochemical markers induced by polymyxin E in rat kidney. METHODS Forty rats were divided randomly into four groups of 10 rats: control (I), vehicle (II), treatment (III, using polymyxin E), and protection (IV, using silybin and polymyxin E). Urine was collected daily for 7 days to test for N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG). Serum was collected after euthanizing the rats on day 7 to test kidney functions. RESULTS Group III had significant increases in NAG (all P < 0.001) compared with the other groups, but no differences were found between the other groups. Significant differences in kidney functions were found between Group III and Groups I and II, and between Group IV and Groups I and II (all P < 0.001). No differences were found between Groups III and IV. CONCLUSIONS Group III results suggested an affection of the renal glomeruli and tubules, and Group IV results suggested a possible protective effect of silybin against polymyxin E-induced nephrotoxicity. Additional studies are recommended that use different doses of silybin for Groups III and IV to test for statistical differences for kidney functions and that test the protective effect of silybin against nephrotoxicity induced by polymyxin E in humans.