cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Helio-hydro and helio-thermal production of hydrogen

Fossil fuels account for about 80% of the world annual energy demands. Renewables contribute 14% and nuclear some 6%. These numbers will soon change as the world's population grows, energy demand rises, cheap oil and gas deplete, global warming effects continue rising and city pollution worsens the living conditions. The development of energy sources and devices will emerge more aggressively to address the world's energy and environmental situation. A concept of using hydrogen as an energy carrier or storage as a fuel, a replacement of burning fluid fossil fuels is presented. Sources of energy from which hydrogen can be produced in a massive quantity and at a low cost are briefly surveyed. A short account of devices to be employed for hydrogen production is given. Primarily the sun, sea, runoff waters, winds and fissionable materials are to be utilized. The discussion on the inexhaustibility of naturally occurring sources utilized and/or harnessed in this process will lead to the low cost for hydrogen production. Some hydrogen rich products including hydrogen sulfide and methane accompany the oil, gas and brine, when they are pumped out of the ground. While methane is used sometimes as fuel; the hydrogen sulfide is disposed off invariably. In principle, hydrogen can be extracted from these waste products. We discuss here to produce hydrogen in economically feasible manner. The use of brine as a means of usable solar energy in the form of heat and electricity was discussed earlier. Here, we aim at discussing the production of hydrogen from the brine and hydrogen sulfide gas. The brine is proposed to be utilized for two purposes: one for salt gradient solar pond to produce usable heat and electricity, and the other as an electrolyte to produce hydrogen out of itself. The hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide can chemically be extracted.
f -electron-band-electron hybridization and the anomalous crystal-field splitting in cerium monopnictides

We demonstrate the common physical origin, lying in $f$-electron-band-electron hybridization, of the anomalous crystal-field-splitting reduction and of the two-ion interaction giving magnetic ordering, for cerium systems with moderately delocalized $f$ electrons.
Hyperspectral diffuse reflectance for determination of the optical properties of milk and fruit and vegetable juices

Absorption and reduced scattering coefficients are two fundamental optical properties for turbid biological materials. This paper presents the technique and method of using hyperspectral diffuse reflectance for fast determination of the optical properties of fruit and vegetable juices and milks. A hyperspectral imaging system was used to acquire spatially resolved steady-state diffuse reflectance over the spectral region between 530 and 900 nm from a variety of fruit and vegetable juices (citrus, grapefruit, orange, and vegetable) and milks with different fat levels (full, skim and mixed). The system collected diffuse reflectance in the source-detector separation range from 1.1 to 10.0 mm. The hyperspectral reflectance data were analyzed by using a diffusion theory model for semi-infinite homogeneous media. The absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of the fruit and vegetable juices and milks were extracted by inverse algorithms from the scattering profiles for wavelengths of 530-900 nm. Values of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficient at 650 nm were highly correlated to the fat content of the milk samples with the correlation coefficient of 0.990 and 0.989, respectively. The hyperspectral imaging technique can be extended to the measurement of other liquid and solid foods in which light scattering is dominant.
β‐Catenin is essential for ethanol metabolism and protection against alcohol‐mediated liver steatosis in mice

The liver plays a central role in ethanol metabolism, and oxidative stress is implicated in alcohol-mediated liver injury. β-Catenin regulates hepatic metabolic zonation and adaptive response to oxidative stress. We hypothesized that β-catenin regulates the hepatic response to ethanol ingestion. Female liver-specific β-catenin knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) littermates were fed the Lieber-Decarli liquid diet (5% ethanol) in a pairwise fashion. Liver histology, biochemistry, and gene-expression studies were performed. Plasma alcohol and ammonia levels were measured using standard assays. Ethanol-fed (EtOH) KO mice exhibited systemic toxicity and early mortality. KO mice exhibited severe macrovesicular steatosis and 5 to 6-fold higher serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels. KO mice had a modest increase in hepatic oxidative stress, lower expression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2), and lower citrate synthase activity, the first step in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. N-Acetylcysteine did not prevent ethanol-induced mortality in KO mice. In WT livers, β-catenin was found to coprecipitate with forkhead box O3, the upstream regulator of SOD2. Hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activities and expression were lower in KO mice. Hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 protein levels were up-regulated in EtOH WT mice, but were nearly undetectable in KO mice. These changes in ethanol-metabolizing enzymes were associated with 30-fold higher blood alcohol levels in KO mice. Conclusion: β-Catenin is essential for hepatic ethanol metabolism and plays a protective role in alcohol-mediated liver steatosis. Our results strongly suggest that integration of these functions by β-catenin is critical for adaptation to ethanol ingestion in vivo. (HEPATOLOGY 2012;)
Plasticity in pentacene thin films

We have investigated the structure, defects and plasticity of thermally evaporated thin films of the organic molecular semiconductor pentacene using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Optical microscopy (OM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Electron Diffraction (ED), and High Resolution Electron Microscopy (HREM). Using XRD the degree of (001) texturing present in the as-grown films was characterized. The nature of pentacene plasticity and deformation-induced molecular alignment was investigated using rubbing and scratching techniques, as well as nanoindentation. Rubbing of the bulk powder produced thin oriented films, and a deformation length scale dependence was seen. Under stress pentacene crystals initially fail by cracking, until they reach a critical size of about one micron, when they tend to plastically deform into thin sheets. Alignment of thermally evaporated films was achieved under a controlled load scratch, and the degree of molecular orientation inside the scratched region was directly imaged using HREM. Finally, using nanoindentation we measured pentacene's plastic hardness to be 0.25 GPa at a loading rate 0.05 mN/s. A loading rate dependence of the hardness and stiffness was measured, with thin films behaving harder and stiffer at faster indentation rates.
Creativity or creativities

Creativity is typically thought of in the singular -- as an attribute. But it may instead be multiple. This article investigates three respects in which there might be multiple creativities-- processes, domains, and styles. It considers different potential models for multiple creativities. It concludes by suggesting that the different respects in which creativity might be multiple are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
Female osteoporosis may be associated with composite endpoint of periodontal disease.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information The association between osteoporosis and alveolar crestal height in postmenopausal women. Wactawski-Wende J, Hausmann E, Hovey K, et al. J Periodontol 2005;76:2116-24. Level of Evidence 4 Purpose/Question To investigate the association between osteoporosis and the composite endpoint of alveolar crest height and periodontal tooth loss. Source of Funding Government Type of Study/Design Cross-sectional study
Assessing the Effect of Investment Barriers on International Capital Flows Using an Expert‐Driven System

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is an expert‐driven system that has been applied to numerous fields but has yet to be applied to portfolio selection. This study shows how the AHP can be modeled to effectively assess barriers to cross‐border investments. It demonstrates that it is capable of effectively contributing to the selection of an optimal investment portfolio (OIP), herein a diversified portfolio composed of national markets where barriers to capital flows are least likely to adversely affect its return.
Ultra-short fiber Bragg grating intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors for quasi-distributed strain and temperature sensing

We present an intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric fiber sensor for high density quasi-distributed temperature and strain measurement. The two internal partial reflection mirrors in such a sensor are formed by a pair of ultra-short fiber Bragg gratings. We experimentally demonstrate the multiplexing of 56 such sensors in a single fiber using a frequency-division multiplexing scheme. We show that theoretically as many as 500 sensors can be multiplexed. We demonstrated the experimental results of the multiplexed sensors for quasi-distributed temperature and strain measurement and the temperature compensation of strain sensors.
The Use of Mobile Social Presence

Two studies on the current practice of mobile context sharing and three field studies on the use of mobile context and media-sharing applications explore how people share experiences using a mobile phone and how automated context sharing in mobile environments affects communication, creating rich, new experiences and increasing feelings of social presence.
Local reflexivity of normed spaces, operators, and Fréchet spaces

A new and stronger proof of the principle of local reflexivity is given. Applications to normed spaces, local reflexivity of operators, and Frechet spaces are given. A partial answer to a question of Pelczynski is obtained. The proof is based on an unpublished proof of R. C. James.
Segmentation of Video by Clustering and Graph Analysis

Many video programs have story structures that can be recognized through the clustering of video contents based on low-level visual primitives and the analysis of high-level structures imposed by temporal arrangement of composing elements. In this paper we propose techniques and formulations to match and cluster video shots of similar visual contents, taking into account the visual characteristics and temporal dynamics of video. In addition, we extend theScene Transition Graphrepresentation for the analysis of temporal structures extracted from video. The analyses lead to automatic segmentation of scenes and story units that cannot be achieved with existing shot boundary detection schemes and the building of a compact representation of video contents. Furthermore, the segmentation can be performed on a much reduced data set extracted from compressed video and works well on a wide variety of video programming types. Hence, we are able to decompose video into meaningful hierarchies and compact representations that reflect the flow of the story. This offers a mean for the efficient browsing and organization of video.
Sensor fusion in a dynamic environment

The recent trend towards dynamic vision has led to the need for real-time performance in various vision and control algorithms. Some of the burden placed on algorithms using purely visual input can be lessened using multiple disparate sensors. Research into the integration of information from disparate sensors while moving through an environment has for the main part concentrated on static environments. Moving obstacles complicate tasks such as avoidance and path planning. In this paper we present a system which integrates range and visual sensory inputs for the dynamic analysis of motion within the field of view of an autonomous platform. The approach we follow combines some recently developed neural network motion analysis algorithms with an epipolar plane image technique. We report the results of some experiments on a synthesized visible/range sequence.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The interfacial tension between n-alkanes and poly(ethylene glycols)

Abstract Interfacial tensions and surface tensions of the equilibrated phases, and mutual solubilities, have been measured at room temperature for liquid pairs of n-alkanes and poly(ethylene glycols); the alkanes ranged from heptane to hexadecane, and the glycols had molecular weights from 106 (diethylene glycol) to 400. The interfacial tensions were found to fit a linear dependence on (molecular weight)− 2 3 for both components. It was also found, however, that the alkanes substantially reduce the surface tensions of the glycols (the glycols are practically insoluble in, and do not alter the surface tensions of, the alkanes), and for all systems examined, Antonow's rule is closely approximated. This permits prediction of the molecular-weight dependence of the sum (interfacial-tension + surface-tension lowering) from the properties of the respective pure liquids.
Liberalism, legal moralism and moral disagreement

According to "legal moralism" it is part of law's proper role to "enforce morality as such". I explore the idea that legal moralism runs afoul of morality itself: there are good moral reasons not to require by law all that there is nevertheless good moral reason to do. I suggest that many such reasons have broad common-sense appeal and could be appreciated even in a society in which everyone completely agreed about what morality requires. But I also critique legal moralism from the special perspective of liberal political justice. Liberalism requires that citizens who disagree with one another on a number of morally significant matters nevertheless coexist and cooperate within a political framework of basic rights protections. When it comes to working out the most basic terms of their political association, citizens are expected to address one another within the limits of what Rawls has called "public reason". Critics of liberalism claim that this is an essentially a-moral (or expedient) attempt to evade substantive moral issues--such as the moral status of the fetus. I argue, on the contrary, that liberalism's emphasis on public reason is itself grounded in very deep--though (suitably) "non-comprehensive"--moral considerations.
Axisymmetric transient elastodynamic analysis by boundary element method

Abstract The first formulation of an axisymmetric transient elastod) namic analysis by time domain boundary element method is presented and is implemented in a general purpose system, GPBEST. For the evaluation of boundary convolution integrals, both constant and linear variations in the time domain of displacement and traction fields are given. Transformation of 3-D dynamic kernels into cylindrical coordinates and the integration of kernels along circumferential direction leads directly to an axisymmetric analysis with only 2-D boundary discretization. The numerical integration of these kernels has been done carefully by preserving the causality so that very good accuracy and reliability of the present analysis have been achieved, as can be seen in the examples presented.
Pattern Selection in Rayleigh-Bénard Convection near Threshold

A correct long-wavelength theory for convection near onset with free-slip boundary conditions requires two fields and reversible couplings. The wavelengths for which stable rolls exist are dramatically modified when the generation of vertical vorticity is taken into consideration. For small Prandtl numbers and rigid boundaries, the skewedvaricose instability of Busse and Clever is recovered by a plausible but nonrigorous modification of our free-slip equations.
Saphenous Venous Ablation with Hot Contrast in a Canine Model

To determine the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of thermal ablation of the saphenous vein with hot contrast medium. Twelve saphenous veins of 6 dogs were percutaneously ablated with hot contrast medium. In all animals, ablation was performed in the vein of one leg, followed by ablation in the contralateral side 1 month later. An occlusion balloon catheter was placed in the infragenicular segment of the saphenous vein via a jugular access to prevent unwanted thermal effects on the non-target segment of the saphenous vein. After inflation of the balloon, 10 ml of hot contrast medium was injected under fluoroscopic control through a sheath placed in the saphenous vein above the ankle. A second 10 ml injection of hot contrast medium was made after 5 min in each vessel. Venographic follow-up of the ablated veins was performed at 1 month (n = 12) and 2 months (n = 6). Follow-up venograms showed that all ablated venous segments were occluded at 1 month. In 6 veins which were followed up to 2 months, 4 (66%) remained occluded, 1 (16%) was partially patent, and the remaining vein (16%) was completely patent. In these latter 2 cases, an inadequate amount of hot contrast was delivered to the lumen due to a closed balloon catheter downstream which did not allow contrast to displace blood within the vessel. Hot contrast medium thermal ablation of the saphenous vein appears feasible, safe, and effective in the canine model, provided an adequate amount of embolization agent is used.
Feedforward and Feedback Motor Control Abnormalities Implicate Cerebellar Dysfunctions in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sensorimotor abnormalities are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and among the earliest manifestations of the disorder. They have been studied far less than the social-communication and cognitive deficits that define ASD, but a mechanistic understanding of sensorimotor abnormalities in ASD may provide key insights into the neural underpinnings of the disorder. In this human study, we examined rapid, precision grip force contractions to determine whether feedforward mechanisms supporting initial motor output before sensory feedback can be processed are disrupted in ASD. Sustained force contractions also were examined to determine whether reactive adjustments to ongoing motor behavior based on visual feedback are altered. Sustained force was studied across multiple force levels and visual gains to assess motor and visuomotor mechanisms, respectively. Primary force contractions of individuals with ASD showed greater peak rate of force increases and large transient overshoots. Individuals with ASD also showed increased sustained force variability that scaled with force level and was more severe when visual gain was highly amplified or highly degraded. When sustaining a constant force level, their reactive adjustments were more periodic than controls, and they showed increased reliance on slower feedback mechanisms. Feedforward and feedback mechanism alterations each were associated with more severe social-communication impairments in ASD. These findings implicate anterior cerebellar circuits involved in feedforward motor control and posterior cerebellar circuits involved in transforming visual feedback into precise motor adjustments in ASD.
Dopaminergic mechanisms in withdrawal hypothermia in morphine dependent rats

Abstract The role of several putative neurotransmitters in the development of tolerance and dependence to the narcotic analgesics has been the subject of a recent review (1), which demonstrated the lack of a consensus on the precise role of the catecholamines in this syndrome. A definitive role for brain dopamine in withdrawal aggression and withdrawal hypothermia has been suggested (2,3,4), although in the case of the hypothermia few details are available. We therefore decided to assess the importance of dopamine in withdrawal using apomorphine and pimozide, drugs claimed to be specific for dopamine receptors.
ON SIMULATION OF A GAUSSIAN STATIONARY PROCESS

In this paper we study the convergence of a simulated Gaussian stationary process to the actual process. First we propose a method of simulation of a Gaussian stationary process for a given spectral density function. We prove that the sample functions of this simulated process converge to those of the actual process uniformly on any finite time interval and obtain the convergence rate. We also discuss this method and compare it with the most often used simulation method first proposed by Rice. Our simulation results show that the Rice method simulates just as well as the method studied in this paper.
Generalized multi-ethnic face age-estimation

Age estimation from digital pictures of the face is a very promising research field that is now receiving wide attention. As with any good research problem, face age-estimation is wrought with many challenging interactions that cannot easily be separated out. In general, aging patterns are well understood for all humans, however, these patterns become confounded by intrinsic factors of genetics, gender differences, and ethnic deviations and, equally as important, extrinsic factors of the environment and behavior choices (i.e. sun exposure, drugs, cigarettes, etc). This novel work focuses on the development of a generalized multi-ethnic age-estimation technique — the first of its kind. In addition to the novelty of this approach, the system's overall performance measure (MAE) is “on par” with algorithms that are tuned for a specific ethnic group. Further, the proposed system performance proves to be far more stable across age than the best published results.
How different can the bond angles be in two conformers

Abstract In our previous studies, a rule was formulated referring to how the internuclear distances and the bond angles in a second conformer differ from those in the most stable one. A test of this rule on 36 molecules (existing as two conformer mixtures) showed that it works well for the internuclear distances but is poor in predicting the bond angle changes. We undertook a systematic analysis of some of the molecules showing the highest angular changes using ab initio methods. It was found that the X–C–Y bond angles in systems like CH2X–YH, where Y=O, S and CH2X–YH2, where Y=N, P (X=CH3, F, Cl) can differ as much as 5.8° in different conformers and the direction of change mostly contradicts the above mentioned rule.
Studies on the palladium-catalysed direct alkenylation of 1,2-azoles

Electron-rich isoxazoles, isothiazoles and pyrazoles undergo palladium-catalysed direct alkenylation in moderate yields.
A high-efficiency light-collection system for energy-limited infrared emission radiometers

An optical system that combines radiation from four solid angles about an emission source into a single beam was used in conjunction with a detector-noise-limited, flame infrared emission (FIRE) radiometer to increase the optical throughput of the f/4 polychromator dispersion system. Equations for the optical layout of the four-angle, pre-dispersion optics were derived, and the performance of the system was compared with a traditional, single solid-angle lens system. The four-angle collection optics were found to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of HCI emission at 3.77 μm by a factor of 3.8, in agreement with the theoretically expected value. The signal-to-noise performance expected for detector-noise-limited conditions, background-shot-noise-limited conditions, and background-flicker-noise-limited conditions is discussed.
Correlation of serum fructosamine activity in type I diabetic children.

The serum fructosamine assay is a new commercially available test designed to measure serum glycated protein as an index of glycemic control in diabetes. The test relies on the ability of glucose bound to protein with a ketamine linkage (fructosamine) to act as a reducing agent in alkaline solution. Serum fructosamine activity was studied in 61 Type I diabetic patients attending a 2-week American Diabetes Association sponsored diabetic camp for children. The initial fructosamine level was found to correlate well with the initial HgA1C value (r = .82, p less than .001). To assess if mean blood glucose correlated with these objective parameters, the authors performed capillary blood glucoses preprandially and at bedtime on all 61 diabetic campers during the 2-week period of observation and reassessed serum fructosamine activity and HgA1C on day 14 of camp. We found the HgA1C and fructosamine correlated well with the mean daily blood glucose obtained during the preceding week (r = .45, p less than .01 and r = .58, p less than .01) respectively. Our data suggest that the serum fructosamine is as effective as the HgA1C in correlating to mean blood glucose control in this cross-sectional study of Type I diabetic patients.
Calmodulin binding to the Fas death domain. Regulation by Fas activation.

Abstract Fas (APO-1/CD95) is a cell surface receptor that initiates apoptotic pathways, and its cytoplasmic domain interacts with various molecules suggesting that Fas signaling is complex and regulated by multiple proteins. Calmodulin (CaM) is an intracellular Ca2+-binding protein, and it mediates many of the effects of Ca2+. Here, we demonstrate that CaM binds to Fas directly and identify the CaM-binding site on the cytoplasmic death domain (DD) of Fas. Fas binds to CaM-Sepharose and is co-immunoprecipitated with CaM. Other death receptors, such as tumor necrosis factor receptor, DR4, and DR5 do not bind to CaM. The interaction between Fas and CaM is Ca2+-dependent. Deletion mapping analysis with various GST-fused Fas cytoplasmic domain fragments revealed that the fragment containing helices 1, 2, and 3 of the Fas DD has the CaM-binding ability. Sequence analysis of this fragment predicted a potential CaM-binding site in helix 2 and connected loops. A valine 254 to asparagine mutation in this region, which is analogous to the identified mutant allele of Fas in lpr mice that have a deficiency in Fas-mediated apoptosis, showed reduced CaM binding. Computer modeling of the interaction between CaM and helix 2 of the Fas DD predicted that amino acids, which are important for Fas-CaM binding, and point mutations of these amino acids caused reduced Fas-CaM binding. The interaction between Fas and CaM is increased ∼2-fold early upon Fas activation (at 30 min) and is decreased to ∼50% of control at 2 h. These findings suggest a novel function of CaM in Fas-mediated apoptosis.
Differences and trends in stroke prevention anticoagulation in primary care vs cardiology specialty management of new atrial fibrillation: The Retrospective Evaluation and Assessment of Therapies in AF (TREAT-AF) study

Background Atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF, collectively) cause stroke. We evaluated whether treating specialty influences warfarin prescription in patients with newly diagnosed AF. Methods In the TREAT-AF study, we used Veterans Health Administration health record and claims data to identify patients with newly diagnosed AF between October 2004 and November 2008 and at least 1 internal medicine/primary care or cardiology outpatient encounter within 90 days after diagnosis. The primary outcome was prescription of warfarin. Results In 141,642 patients meeting the inclusion criteria, the mean age was 72.3 ± 10.2 years, 1.48% were women, and 25.8% had cardiology outpatient care. Cardiology-treated patients had more comorbidities and higher mean CHADS2 scores (1.8 vs 1.6, P P P P Conclusion In patients with newly diagnosed AF, we found large differences in anticoagulation use by treating specialty. A divergent 5-year trend of risk-adjusted warfarin use was observed. Treating specialty influences stroke prevention care and may impact clinical outcomes.
Density compensation in island avifaunas

This paper analyzes factors which determine the extent of density compensation on islands; i.e., is the summed population density of all species on an island equal to the summed mainland density? A graphical analysis allows quantitative comparisons of density compensation studies. Two hypotheses which are generally applicable predict the extent of density compensation on islands: (1) Niche theory predicts that summed population densities should be low if island species number is low. (2) The “habitat appropriateness” hypothesis predicts that summed population densities should be low if island populations occupy unfamiliar habitat. Both hypotheses successfully explain variability in the extent of density compensation on islands. Relative to the mainland, summed population densities on islands are high when islands support a large number of species and those species occupy familiar habitats. Summed population densities on islands are low when islands support few species and those species occupy novel habitats.
Replica symmetry breaking in random-field systems.

The conventional mean-field theory of random-field systems is, for large but finite dimensionalities d, found to be in error. For larger applied fields, a separate glassy phase appears in the phase diagram of the bond-diluted antiferromagnet. For large d, the diluted antiferromagnet can be mapped on the antiferromagnet with Gaussian randomness and the phase diagram of this model is shown to have a de Almeida--Thouless line, marking the onset of the glassy phase by replica symmetry breaking. In the limit d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty} we recover conventional mean-field theory.
Drug modification of silver-induced sodium transport across toad skin.

Stimulation of active Na+ transport in the toad skin by antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and p-chloromecuribenzoate (P-CMB) was blunted by the presence of silver (Ag+). Amiloride inhibited active Na+ transport, equivalently, whether Ag+ was present or not.
Crystal structure oftrans-tetrachlorobis[2-(2-1H-imidazolyl)-1H-imidazolium]cadmium(II), [Cd(H3biim)2Cl4]

The reaction between cadmium(II) chloride and 2,2'-bi-1H-imidazole (H2biim) in an acidic solution affords [Cd(H3biim)2Cl4] (H3biim=2-(2-1H-imidazolyl)-1H-imidazolium) in 63% yield. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic space groupP1, wherea=8.072(2),b=8.100(2),c=8.593(2) A, α=75.89(2), β=62.94(2), γ=63.29(1)°,V=446.4(2) A3, andZ=1. The central Cd atom exhibits an octahedral geometry composed of a Cl4N2 core. The Cd-N bond distance is 2.392(2) A. Cd−Cl distances are 2.5919(9) and 2.671(1) A.
Variational methods and positive energy in general relativity

Abstract The problem of positive-definiteness of the field energy in general relativity is analyzed and resolved by means of a variational procedure. It is shown that, among all asymptotically flat solutions of the source-free Einstein equations, only flat space extremizes the energy. That the energy is nonnegative is then established by showing that its second variation (i.e., the weak field energy) about this “point” is positive. As a corollary, any solution for which this one number—the total energy—vanishes is everywhere flat. Hence, as in other field theories, the vacuum is the lowest energy state. When usual matter sources (with positive-definite flat-space energy) are minimally coupled to gravitation, the total energy is still positive, and the lowest energy state of the interacting system is again the (combined) vacuum.
Neutron stimulated emission computed tomography: Background corrections

Neutron stimulated emission computed tomography (NSECT) is an imaging technique that provides an in-vivo tomographic spectroscopic image of the distribution of elements in a body. To achieve this, a neutron beam illuminates the body. Nuclei in the body along the path of the beam are stimulated by inelastic scattering of the neutrons in the beam and emit characteristic gamma photons whose unique energy identifies the element. The emitted gammas are collected in a spectrometer and form a projection intensity for each spectral line at the projection orientation of the neutron beam. Rotating and translating either the body or the beam will allow a tomographic projection set to be acquired. Images are reconstructed to represent the spatial distribution of elements in the body. Critical to this process is the appropriate removal of background gamma events from the spectrum. Here we demonstrate the equivalence of two background correction techniques and discuss the appropriate application of each.
Howell-Jolly Bodies: A Brief Historical Review

Understanding the process by which red cell precursors lose their nuclei developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to the identification of nuclear remnants in circulating red cells in certain pathological states, particularly absence or decreased function of the spleen. William Howell, an American, and Justin Jolly, a Frenchman, were among a number of early contributors to this field. Early on, their names were applied, singly or in tandem, to these red cell inclusions, and the eponym, Howell-Jolly bodies, has stuck. It was, however, not until after the mid-20th century that Howell-Jolly bodies were clearly differentiated from basophilic stippling and that the mechanisms of their formation and removal from red cells were understood.
Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii from Animals in Durango, Mexico

Abstract Little is known concerning the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in people and animals in rural Mexico. Serum samples and tissues from 150 dogs (Canis familaris), 150 cats (Felis catus), 65 opossums (Didelphis virginianus), 249 rats (Rattus spp.), 127 mice (Mus musculus), and 69 squirrels (Spermophilus variegatus) from the Durango area were evaluated for T. gondii infection. Using a modified agglutination test and a serum dilution of 1:25, antibodies to this parasite were found in 68 (45.3%) of 150 dogs, 14 (9.3%) of 150 cats, 11 (16.6%) of 66 opossums, 2 (0.8%) of 249 rats, 4 (3.1%) of 127 mice, and 0 of 69 squirrels. Tissues (brain and heart) of dogs, cats, opossums, rats, mice, and squirrels were bioassayed in mice for the presence of T. gondii. Viable T. gondii was isolated in tissues from 3 of 28 seropositive dogs and 5 of 8 seropositive cats, but not from the other animals. The DNA obtained from the 3 T. gondii isolates from dogs, 6 isolates from 5 cats, and 4 isolates from free-r...
Sodium Diffusion Through Aluminum-Doped Zeolite BEA System: Effect of Water Solvation

To investigate the effect of hydration on the diffusion of sodium ions through the aluminum-doped zeolite BEA system (Si/Al = 30), we used the grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) method to predict the water absorption into aluminosilicate zeolite structure under various conditions of vapor pressure and temperature, followed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate how the sodium diffusion depends on the concentration of water molecules. The predicted absorption isotherm shows first-order-like transition, which is commonly observed in hydrophobic porous systems. The MD trajectories indicate that the sodium ions diffuse through zeolite porous structures via hopping mechanism, as previously discussed for similar solid electrolyte systems. These results show that above 15 wt % hydration (good solvation regime) the formation of the solvation cage dramatically increases sodium diffusion by reducing the hopping energy barrier by 25% from the value of 3.8 kcal/mol observed in the poor solvation regime.
KVLQT1 Mutations in Three Families with Familial or Sporadic Long QT Syndrome

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a heterogeneous group of heritable disorders characterized by prolongation of the QT interval on the electrocardiogram, ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. At least four genes can, when mutated, produce this phenotype. Of these genes, the recently identified KVLQT1 potassium channel is thought to be the one most commonly responsible. In this study, we used single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis to screen two large and nine small LQTS families for mutations of the KVLQT1 potassium channel gene. We identified a novel missense mutation in two unrelated families which substitutes a serine for a conserved glycine in the putative pore region of the KVLQT1 channel. In a third family, a new alanine to valine mutation at a CpG dinucleotide resulted in the spontaneous occurrence of the long QT syndrome in monozygotic twin offspring of unaffected parents. Mutations at this same nucleotide have been observed in eight of the 19 LQTS families determined to have KVLQT1 mutations, suggesting this is a mutational hot spot. Both of these mutations alter the amino acid sequence in, or adjacent to, the pore of the channel and many diminish the channel's ability to conduct a repolarizing potassium current. To date, all KVLQT1 mutations determined to cause the LQTS are missense mutations. These data confirm the role of KVLQT1 in the LQTS and suggest that mutant KVLQT1 proteins may exert a dominant negative effect on repolarizing potassium currents by forming multimers with normal potassium channel protein subunits, dramatically reducing the number of fully-functional KVLQT1 channels.
DOA estimation in multipath: an approach using fourth-order cumulants

We consider the problem of direction of arrival (DOA) estimation in the presence of multipath propagation. The sensor elements are assumed to be linear and uniformly spaced. To perform DOA estimation, we combine two existing algorithms which are often used for other purposes. The first algorithm exploits fourth-order cumulants to perform blind estimation of the steering vectors and the second algorithm estimates the directions of arrival using the estimated vectors. We refer to this two step approach as the SV-DOA estimation algorithm. We also present an algorithm independent performance analysis for the DOA estimation problem based on fourth-order cumulants. We summarize the algorithms and present Monte-Carlo simulations demonstrating the effectiveness of the SV-DOA algorithm as well as verifying the performance analysis using an optimal (but computationally expensive) DOA estimation algorithm.
Impact of Anomalous Ocean Heat Transport on the North Atlantic Oscillation

Coupled atmosphere–ocean dynamics in the North Atlantic is studied by means of a simple model, featuring a baroclinic three-dimensional atmosphere coupled to a slab ocean. Anomalous oceanic heat transport due to wind-driven circulation is parameterized in terms of a delayed response to the change in wind stress curl due to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Climate variability for different strengths of ocean heat transport efficiency is analyzed. Two types of behavior are found depending on time scale. At interdecadal and longer time scales, a negative feedback is found that leads to a reduction in the spectral power of the NAO. By greatly increasing the efficiency of ocean heat transport, the NAO in the model can be made to completely vanish from the principal modes of variability at low frequency. This suggests that the observed NAO variability at these time scales must be due to mechanisms other than the interaction with wind-driven circulation. At decadal time scales, a coupled oscillation is found in which SST and geopotential height fields covary.
Sustaining Employee Owned Companies: Seven Recommendations

The employee owned company (EOC) might be the ideal blend of capitalism and communitarianism that vitalizes the global economy. EOCs – based on the concepts of employee participation and control – have sprung up in the United Kingdom, some parts of the European Union, the United States, Japan, and the former Eastern Bloc countries. Research has shown that they are able to compete effectively with more traditional companies. However, in addition to the pressures of business competition, EOCs face two other key problems as they strive to survive: (1) degeneration and (2) human nature and the abuse of power. After introducing the idea of the EOC and describing briefly these two key problems, this article presents seven recommendations for sustaining employee owned companies. These recommendations – grounded in sound organizational theory and the writings of experts in the field of employee ownership – are offered as hypotheses to be examined empirically by future researchers.
Negative interaction and heart disease in late life: exploring variations by socioeconomic status.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to see whether negative interaction is associated with an increased risk of having heart disease. In the process, an effort was made to see if older people ...
Successful stent-graft exclusion of a bovine patch-related carotid artery pseudoaneurysm

A 74-year-old man presented with a pulsatile right neck mass that was painful with left neck rotation. His surgical history was significant for a right carotid endarterectomy with a bovine patch angioplasty 2 years earlier. Physical examination confirmed a nontender pulsatile right neck mass without focal neurologic deficit. A carotid angiogram (anteroposterior and lateral, A [Cover] and B) revealed a 5-cm 6-cm pseudoaneurysm in the internal carotid artery arising from the distal bovine carotid patch, which corresponded to the level of the C1 vertebrae. Because of the large pseudoaneurysm size in a scarred neck region as well as the high anatomical location, an endovascular treatment was performed. Following the placement of a Shuttle sheath (Cook, Bloomington, Ind) in the right common carotid artery from a right groin approach, a 0.018-inch guidewire (Boston Scientific, Natick, Mass) was used to cross the internal carotid artery. An 8-mm 50-mm Wallgraft (Boston Scientific) was deployed across the carotid bifurcation which successfully excluded the carotid artery pseudoaneurysm. Completion angiogram showed complete obliteration of the pseudoaneurysm along with exclusion of the external carotid artery (C). No complications occurred related to the procedure, and the patient was discharged home 2 days later. Follow-up carotid duplex scan at 18 months confirmed the stent-graft patency without evidence of endoleak or restenosis. The pseudoaneurysm mass was significantly reduced in size (2 cm 2.5 cm), and the compressive symptom had resolved completely at that time.
Perspectives and opportunities in polycrystalline thin-film photovoltaic technologies

The last 2 years have seen great turmoil in photovoltaics (PV) in general and in polycrystalline thin films (PTF) in particular. Companies have left the field (e.g., AMETEK) or sustained delays or major reorganizations (Siemens Solar, Boeing); others (ACX Technologies, Energy Photovoltaics, Martin Marietta, Solar Cells, Inc. and Solarex) have entered it, and some others (Photon Energy, now Golden Photon) have found new and stronger owners. Major technical advances have occurred in PTF (solar cell efficiencies have risen by about 2% absolute, to nearly 16%; modules of substantial size (7200-cm/sup 2/, 8-ft/sup 2/) are being made at efficiencies near or above the state-of-the-art for thin films) and some major technical issues have been encountered. Recent times have seen a series of excellent performance results (as with CdTe), and have seen manufacturability issues humble the still very promising CIS technology. The challenges of developing and commercializing a successful thin film remain. This paper describes the opportunity of PTF technologies to do so and the technical and market contexts that are likely to play a decisive part in whether they succeed. >
Force displacement characteristics of the posterior cruciate ligament.

The percent force changes in the posterior cruciate ligament were calculated using a previously validated computerized knee model after the femoral insertion sites were varied 2.5 and 5.0 mm in an anterior, pos terior distal, anterior distal, and posterior distal direc tion. The tibial insertion sites were also varied 2.5 and 5.0 mm in the medial, lateral, proximal, and distal direc tions. Percent force changes were measured over a range of 0° to 90°. These insertion sites simulated potential surgical placement errors.Results of this study demonstrated that the greatest percent force changes in the posterior cruciate ligament were at full extension. The greatest absolute percent force change between 0° and 90° of flexion was with a femoral insertion of the posterior cruciate ligament placed 5 mm anterior to its normal attachment site, which resulted in a 39% change in the posterior cruciate ligament force. Distal femoral site attachment had the least effect (10% at 5.0 mm). Alterations at the tibial attac...
Accounting Program Assessment: Exit Interviews of Graduating Seniors.

Exit interviews of university graduating seniors have been used to a very limited extent when evaluating academic programs. It is our belief that developing and implementing an exit interview plan stimulates faculty dialog and improves ongoing feedback for department program assessment. From 2001 to 2007, the Accounting Department at Towson University has conducted exit interviews with all graduating seniors as part of the annual internal department assessment activities. The exit interviews have served to assist the Department of Accounting in evaluating its performance as judged by the students served. The positive comments assist to reinforce the quality activities of the department, while the negative comments permit the department to become aware of areas of perceived weakness that are in need of improvement. By receiving annual feedback from a valuable, relevant source, the department is able to continuously monitor, adjust, and improve its performance.
Plague vaccine research and development.

1. SUMMARY A fully recombinant subunit vaccine is described which provides enhanced protection against bubonic plague and a new prophylactic against the pneumonic form of the disease. The vaccine comprises two subunit antigens termed Fl and V which are individually immunogenic and protective and have additive protective effect in combination. The vaccine has been demonstrated efficacious in small animal models, including a strain of mice with a targeted gene deletion for interleukin 4 (IL4T mice). The mechanism of protection conferred by the vaccine is principally antibody-mediated and antibody titre to Fl + V in the mouse correlates with protection. Surrogate markers of efficacy in man have been identified and will be applied to support clinical trialling of the vaccine. This vaccine could be used to counter bubonic and pneumonic plague in areas of the world where the disease is endemic.
Evaluating Public Health Interventions: 1. Examples, Definitions, and a Personal Note

In the first contribution to a new section in AJPH that will address critical methodological issues in evaluations of public health interventions, I will discuss topics in study design and analysis, covering the most innovative emerging methodologies and providing an overview of best practices. The methods considered are motivated by public health evaluations, both domestic and global. In this first contribution, I also define implementation science, program evaluation, impact evaluation, and cost-effectiveness research, disciplines that have tremendous methodological and substantive overlap with evaluation of public health interventions--the focus of this section.
Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC) of Youth: An Analysis of State and Federal Efforts to Address the Issue:

Since the mid-1990s, states participating in the Federal Formula Grants Program have been required to determine whether disproportionate minority confinement (DMC) exists in secure facilities, identify the causes, and develop and implement corrective strategies. DMC, a core requirement of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, consists of four interrelated stages: identification, assessment, intervention, andmonitoring. The objective of the present research is to examine compliance with the identification and assessment stages of the DMC mandate. More specifically, the inquiry focuses on the extent of minority overrepresentation in states' juvenile justice systems and assessments of its causes. The discussion concludes with an examination of the politics and practical limitations that affect implementation of the DMC requirement.