cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of surveillance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning in detecting recurrent brain tumors in asymptomatic children.

Background There is controversy regarding the utility of routine surveillance scanning for asymptomatic children with brain tumors. Although the role of CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning in this setting has been examined in several studies, none have focused on children followed exclusively by MRI. The purpose of this study was to determine how often recurrent brain tumors are detected by routine MRI surveillance in asymptomatic children. Methods The medical records of all children with brain tumors treated at Children's Hospital at Strong from 1990–1999 were reviewed. Recurrence was defined as an increase in size of the tumor on MRI scan. Astrocytomas and gangliogliomas were classified as low-grade tumors; high-grade astrocytomas, medulloblastomas, and ependymomas were classified as high-grade tumors. Results Of the 112 evaluable children with brain tumors during this time period, 46 (41%) suffered an MRI-documented recurrence. Of these 46 patients, 13 (28%) had low-grade tumors and 33 (72%) had high-grade tumors. Twenty-seven of the 46 recurrences (59%) occurred in asymptomatic children. Ten of the 13 children (77%) with recurrent low-grade tumors were asymptomatic compared to 17 of 33 children (52%) with recurrent high-grade tumors (p = 0.18). The median survival from time of recurrence for the symptomatic children was seven months, while the median survival from time of recurrence for the asymptomatic children has not yet been reached (p = 0.025). When the analysis was confined to children with high-grade tumors, there was no difference in median survival from the time of recurrence for symptomatic versus asymptomatic children (5 mo. versus 7 mo.) (p = 0.25). The frequency of detection of recurrences by surveillance scanning in asymptomatic children was 4.2% (one recurrence detected per 24 surveillence MRI scans). Conclusion The majority of recurrent brain tumors are detected by MRI surveillence in asymptomatic children. However, asymptomatic recurrences were detected in only a small proportion of surveillance scans and had no impact on survival in children with high-grade tumors.
A land-use and water-quality history of White Rock Lake reservoir, Dallas, Texas, based on paleolimnological analyses

White Rock Lake reservoir in Dallas, Texas contains a 150-cm sediment record of silty clay that documents land-use changes since its construction in 1912. Pollen analysis corroborates historical evidence that between 1912 and 1950 the watershed was primarily agricultural. Land disturbance by plowing coupled with strong and variable spring precipitation caused large amounts of sediment to enter the lake during this period. Diatoms were not preserved at this time probably because of low productivity compared to diatom dissolution by warm, alkaline water prior to burial in the sediments. After 1956, the watershed became progressively urbanized. Erosion decreased, land stabilized, and pollen of riparian trees increased as the lake water became somewhat less turbid. By 1986 the sediment record indicates that diatom productivity had increased beyond rates of diatom destruction. Neither increased nutrients nor reduced pesticides can account for increased diatom productivity, but grain size studies imply that before 1986 diatoms were light limited by high levels of turbidity. This study documents how reservoirs may relate to land-use practices and how watershed management could extend reservoir life and improve water quality.
PSOt - a particle swarm optimization toolbox for use with Matlab

A particle swarm optimization toolbox (PSOt) for use with the Matlab scientific programming environment has been developed. PSO is introduced briefly and then the use of the toolbox is explained with some examples. A link to downloadable code is provided.
Residual waste from Hanford tanks 241-C-203 and 241-C-204. 2. Contaminant release model.

Release of U and 99Tc from residual sludge in Hanford waste tanks 241-C-203 and 241-C-204 at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state was quantified by water-leaching, selective extractions, empirical solubility measurements, and thermodynamic modeling. A contaminant release model was developed based on these experimental results and solid-phase characterization results presented elsewhere. Uranium release was determined to be controlled by two phases and occurred in three stages. In the first stage, U release is controlled by the solubility of cejkaite, which is suppressed by high concentrations of sodium released from the dissolution of NaNO3 in the residual sludges. Equilibrium solubility calculations indicate the U released during this stage will have a maximum concentration of 0.021 M. When all the NaNO3 has dissolved from the sludge, the solubility of the remaining cejkaite will increase to 0.28 M. After cejkaite has completely dissolved, the majority of th...
Land Application of Aluminum Water Treatment Residual: Aluminum Phytoavailability and Forage Yield

Negative impacts of land‐applied aluminum (Al)–rich water treatment residuals (WTRs), which have been suggested to improve soil phosphorus (P) sorption, could include excessive immobilization of plant‐available P and Al phytotoxicity. We studied the impacts of an Al‐rich WTRs on agronomic returns and plant Al concentrations in glasshouse and field studies. The glasshouse study was a 4 × 2 × 3 factorial experiment with one control in a randomized complete block design and three replicates. Four sources of P were each applied at two agronomic rate [44 kg P ha−1, P‐based rate; and 179 kg plant‐available nitrogen (PAN) ha−1, N‐based rate] to topsoil (0–15 cm) of a sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Arenic Alaquods. Three WTR rates (0, 10, and 25 g kg−1 oven‐dry‐weight basis) were further applied, whereas the control received neither P source nor WTRs. Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluggae), ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and a second bahiagrass crop were continuously grown in succession for 18 months. Applied WTRs ...
The association between combat exposure and negative behavioral and psychiatric conditions

This study evaluated the association between cumulative combat exposures and negative behavioral and psychiatric conditions. A total of 6128 active-duty soldiers completed a survey approximately 6 months after their unit's most recent combat deployment. The soldiers self-reported combat exposures and behavioral and psychiatric conditions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between cumulative combat exposures and behavioral and psychiatric outcomes. In comparison with the referent group of soldiers not previously deployed, the soldiers categorized as having the highest cumulative combat exposures were significantly associated with self-reporting a history of behavioral and psychiatric diagnoses, problematic alcohol misuse, aggression, criminal behavior, and physical altercations with a significant other. The magnitude and the consistency of the association among the soldiers with the highest number of combat exposures suggest that the number of cumulative combat deployment exposures is an important consideration for identifying and treating high-risk soldiers and units returning from combat. Language: en
Holographic recording of large-aperture, high-efficiency, high-damage-threshold, transmission diffraction gratings

Surface-relief, holographic transmission gratings are generated in positive photoresist with excellent performance characteristics. High intrinsic grating efficiencies of 99% are obtained using an inherently fringe-stable holographic interferometer, which is maximally insensitive to incident pointing errors, to create high aspect ratio nonsinusoidal grooves. Uniform exposures are achieved over apertures of 100 mm in diameter using scanning techniques. Repeatable results are achieved by maintaining pre-exposure and post-exposure processing along with the various exposure parameters.
Effects from the charm scale in K+→π+νν̄

Abstract We consider contributions to the rare decay K + →π + ν ν which become nonlocal at the charm scale. Compared to the leading term, such amplitudes are suppressed by powers of m K 2 / m c 2 and could potentially give corrections at the level of 15%. We compute the leading coefficients of the subleading dimension eight operators in the effective theory below the charm mass. The matrix elements of these operators cannot all be calculated from first principles and some must be modeled. We find that these contributions are likely to be small, but the estimate is sufficiently uncertain that the result may be as large as the existing theoretical uncertainty from other sources.
The Role of Remittances in Determining Economic Security and Poverty in Myanmar

Myanmar has experienced growing labour outmigration and remittances during the past decade. Using data from a 2009/2010 nationwide household survey, this article examines how these remittances have impacted economic security and poverty in Myanmar. Findings suggest that while remittances help increase income and consumption directly, their impact on broader economic security turns out to be insignificant when other relevant household factors are controlled. In fact, remittance is linked to significantly lower food and total consumption expenditures, and greater incidence and degrees of poverty, resulting perhaps from the relatively small sizes of remittance from neighbouring Thailand. These and other findings have important policy implications for Myanmar’s attempt at broad-based socioeconomic development and deepening of international integration.
Prevalence of life-threatening arrhythmias in ED patients transported to the radiology suite while monitored by telemetry.

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of life-threatening arrhythmias in monitored ED patients while in the radiology suite. Methods This is a retrospective analysis at a tertiary care hospital with an ED census of 52 000 visits. The patient population consisted of 3051 adult ED patients with a chief complaint of chest pain, who were monitored with telemetry while they were sent to the radiology suite, and who were ultimately admitted to the hospital. Results Of a total of 3051 consecutive patients with a cardiac presentation who received a nonportable chest x-ray, no patients were found to have incurred a life-threatening arrhythmia while in the radiology suite. Conclusion The prevalence of a cardiac arrhythmia occurring during transport or while within the radiology suite in our study was zero. We conclude that stable patients can probably be transported to radiology safely without the use of bedside telemetry.
The European Parliament: Is It a Normal Legislature?

Democratic Politics in the European Parliament. By Simon Hix, Abdul G. Noury, Gerard Roland. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. 258 pp., $91.00 cloth (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-87288-1); $31.99 paper (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-69460-5). The conventional portrait of the European Parliament is that of a weak legislative body with little political significance (Dinan 1999; Caporaso 2000; Thomson and Stokman 2006). Most analysts see the European Parliament as simply part of the larger, decades-old struggle between Brussels and the European Union's more reluctant member states. In this struggle, the Union's central organizations (the Commission, the Parliament, and the Court of Justice) fight stealthily and jointly to grab power from national governments. According to this view, the Parliament only matters because, in the fight for “more Europe,” it grants democratic legitimacy to the European Union's quest for deeper integration. In other words, it is important only because it is a way to appease European publics, who feel left behind by the integration process. Coalitions among political parties within the Parliament, whether left or right, are seen as efforts to maximize the legitimacy of regional institutions vis-a-vis their counterparts at the national level, not as authentic coalitions designed to craft public policy (Hooghe and Marks 2001; Day and Shaw 2003). The other dominant argument in EU studies sees the Parliament as simply an extension of the European Council, which is seen as the EU's primary legislative body. It is in the Council that national governments fight out policy issues, on the basis of national interest. According to this view, political groups within the European Parliament, instead of splitting along ideological lines or joining forces to get “more Europe,” will simply fragment along national lines when the European policy agenda affects their national interests (Andeweg 1995; Moravcsik 1998). In a bold response to these two camps of skeptics, Democratic Politics in the European Parliament , by Simon Hix, Abdul Noury, and Gerard Roland, offers a masterful defense of the idea that the …
On being the right size.

The first replicating molecules were probably composed of RNA and undoubtedly small, limited in size by a self-destructing error rate. A new study shows that a relatively minor increase in replication fidelity may have had a large effect on the size, and hence complexity, of early replicators.
Slow curing of aliphatic polyisocyanate paints in automotive refinishing: a potential source for skin exposure.

Two-component, polyurethane paints containing aliphatic isocyanates are widely used in autobody spray painting. Such isocyanates can cause asthma, and skin exposure may be an important route of sensitization and may contribute to the development of isocyanate asthma. Autobody workers are frequently in contact with recently painted, dried auto parts. It is not known how fast the newly painted car surfaces are fully cured, that is, for how long unbound, isocyanate species remain on painted surfaces after initial drying. To address this question, scrap sections of auto bodies were painted and dried by autobody shop painters following regular practice. Routinely used paints were sprayed 23 different times on the parts. Drying was accomplished by baking the part in a paint spray booth by heating it with a heat lamp or air drying in the shop. The 23 sprayed surfaces were sampled at regular time intervals after drying to determine the presence of free NCO groups using the semiquantitative SWYPE technique. Quanti...
Frequency selective bolometer development at Argonne National Laboratory

We discuss the development, at Argonne National Laboratory, of a four-pixel camera suitable for photometry of distant dusty galaxies located by Spitzer and SCUBA, and for study of other millimeter-wave sources such as ultra-luminous infrared galaxies, the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect in clusters, and galactic dust. Utilizing Frequency Selective Bolometers (FSBs) with superconducting Transition-Edge Sensors (TESs), each of the camera's four pixels is sensitive to four colors, with frequency bands centered approximately at 150, 220, 270, and 360 GHz. The current generation of these devices utilizes proximity effect superconducting bilayers of Mo/Au or Ti/Au for TESs, along with frequency selective circuitry on membranes of silicon nitride 1 cm across and 1 micron thick. The operational properties of these devices are determined by this circuitry, along with thermal control structures etched into the membranes. These etched structures do not perforate the membrane, so that the device is both comparatively robust mechanically and carefully tailored in terms of its thermal transport properties. In this paper, we report on development of the superconducting bilayer TES technology and characterization of the FSB stacks. This includes the use of new materials, the design and testing of thermal control structures, the introduction of desirable thermal properties using buried layers of crystalline silicon underneath the membrane, detector stability control, and optical and thermal test results. The scientific motivation, FSB design, FSB fabrication, and measurement results are discussed.
Processing effects on the stability of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin-film transistors

Abstract Amorphous oxide semiconductors are attracting much attention due to their high electron mobility even when processed at low temperatures. One such material is indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO). At a temperature of 175 °C, an IGZO thin-film transistor (TFT) is demonstrated to exhibit an incremental channel mobility (μinc) of ∼17 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a turn-on voltage (Von) of ∼1 V. Given this performance, IGZO seems well-suited for TFT applications. We report on how decreasing oxygen partial pressure and increasing RF power during the sputtering deposition decreases Von towards 0 V and increases mobility. Two types of stability, constant bias testing conditions and idle shelf life, are explored and it is found that stress test stability is closely correlated to the initial value of Von, with an initial Von of 0 V resulting in improved stability.
The mutual interference of artesian wells on Long Island, New York

The withdrawal of water from a well necessarily produces a drop in water-level in the well. The ground-water level in the vicinity of the well from which the water is withdrawn likewise declines, but the amount of decline decreases with increasing distance from the well, so that a cone of depression of the water-surface in the vicinity of the well is produced. The cone of depression is an actual water-surface if the ground-water is not confined under pressure. If the ground-water is under artesian pressure, the cone of depression is a depression in the piezometric surface. If the cones of depression of two or more wells ending in the same formation overlap, interference of the wells occurs. In this case (the combined yield of the wells when pumped simultaneously will be less than the sum of the individual yields if the wells are pumped separately. In choosing the proper spacing of wells from the operator's point of view, it is important to know the lateral extent of the cones of depression of supply-wells ending in a given formation. In many installations two or more wells are so closely spaced that their mutual interference is excessive.
Aromatic character and relative stability of neo-confused porphyrin tautomers and related compounds

The conformations of eight neo-confused porphyrin (neo-CP) structures and seven related benzo-neo-confused porphyrins (B-neo-CPs) were minimized using DFT-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p). In addition, in order to provide contrasts to the B-neo-CP tautomers, a series of twelve benzoporphyrin (BP) tautomers and twelve benzocarbaporphyrins (BCPs) were also analyzed, and two N-confused porphyrin (NCP) tautomers were also considered. The relative stability of the tautomers for each series was computed, and the bond lengths and bond angles were calculated. Surprisingly, all of the neo-CP and B-neo-CP tautomers were near planar. The fully conjugated members of these series showed a significant degree of bond length alternation, unlike porphyrins or the aromatic forms of NCP, BP or BCP. The most stable tautomer of neo-CP was calculated to be 27.04 kcal mol−1 higher in energy than porphyrin and 9.95 kcal mol−1 higher in energy than the most favored NCP tautomer. The most stable tautomer of B-neo-CP was similarly shown to be 26.40 kcal mol−1 higher in energy than benzoporphyrin. The favored tautomers also place the internal NH opposite to the neo-confused ring to minimize steric and lone pair–lone pair interactions, and to provide improved hydrogen bonding interactions. Nucleus independent chemical shifts (NICS) demonstrated that the fully conjugated neo-CP and B-neo-CP tautomers exhibit a significant amount of diatropic character, but these values are somewhat lower than the results obtained for porphyrins, BPs or BCPs. BCPs have three internal hydrogens, but the favored tautomer places the two pyrrolic hydrogens on each side of the indene unit to maximize hydrogen bonding interactions. Tautomers with an internal CH2 unit are also feasible, but these are energetically less favorable, have reduced diatropicity, and show significant bond length alternation. The results indicate that 18π electron delocalization pathways that pass through a fused benzene ring are less favorable than alternative delocalization pathways that bypass this unit.
Synthetic aperture imaging using a lagrange based filtering technique

Synthetic aperture imaging using a catheter based, circular phased array providing high resolution, dynamic focusing has been explored. Due to the high input impedance and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a classic single element synthetic aperture system, multi-element synthetic aperture processing has been proposed with SNR improvement of about 8 dB for a 33 element aperture. Reconstruction in this case uses an optimal filtering approach based on minimizing the mean square error between filter output and desired beam pattern. This approach, however, does not directly control both mainlobe beamwidth and sidelobe levels. To overcome this problem, a Lagrange based filter design technique has been developed that not only satisfies the minimum energy criterion, but also constrains sidelobe levels under a certain threshold. The new technique provides better spatial and contrast resolution. Both the mathematical formulation and simulation results are presented.
Influence of lateral gradients of hydrologic connectivity on trophic positions of fishes in the Upper Mississippi River

SUMMARY 1. Riverscapes consist of the main channel and lateral slackwater habitats along a gradient of hydrological connectivity from maximum connection in main channel habitats to minimum connection in backwaters. Spatiotemporal differences in water currents along this gradient produce dynamic habitat conditions that influence species diversity, population densities and trophic interactions of fishes. 2. We examined the importance of lateral connectivity gradients for food web dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River during spring (high flow, moderately low temperatures) and summer (low flow, higher temperatures). We used literature information and gut contents analyses to determine feeding guilds and stable isotope analysis to estimate mean trophic position of local fish assemblages. During June and August 2006, we collected over 1000 tissue samples from four habitats (main channel, secondary channels, tertiary channels and backwaters) distributed within four hydrologic connectivity gradients. 3. Mean trophic position differed among feeding guilds and seasons, with highest values in spring. Mean trophic position of fish assemblages, variability in trophic position and food chain length (maximum trophic position) of the two dominant piscivore species (Micropterus salmoides and M. dolomieu) in both seasons were significantly associated with habitat along the lateral connectivity gradient. Food chain length peaked in tertiary channels in both seasons, probably due to higher species diversity of prey at these habitats. We infer that food chain length and trophic position of fish assemblages were lower in backwater habitats in the summer mainly because of the use of alternative food sources in these habitats. 4. A greater number of conspecifics exhibited significant among-habitat variation in trophic position during the summer, indicating that low river stages can constrain fish movements in the Upper Mississippi River. 5. Results of this study should provide a better understanding of the fundamental structure of large river ecosystems and an improved basis for river rehabilitation and management through knowledge of the importance of lateral complexity in rivers.
A Helium Series in the Extreme Ultra-Violet

I FEAR I cannot agree with the arrangement of spectral lines proposed by Dr. Hicks (NATURE, December 18, 1919). The evidence shows that the lines he has selected do not all belong to the same element. I tried to make this clear in my article which he quotes (Astrophysical Journal, vol. xliii., 1916, pp. 100–1).
Expression and secretion of type beta transforming growth factor by activated human macrophages

Alveolar macrophages activated with concanavalin A and peripheral blood monocytes activated with lipopolysaccharide secrete type beta transforming growth factor (TGF-beta). There is minimal TGF-beta secretion in unactivated monocytes, even though TGF-beta mRNA is expressed in these cells at a level similar to that in activated, lipopolysaccharide-treated cultures. U937 lymphoma cells, which have monocytic characteristics, also express mRNA for TGF-beta. Freshly isolated monocytes, both control and lipopolysaccharide-treated, secrete an acid-labile binding protein that inhibits TGF-beta action. We conclude the following: (i) that expression of TGF-beta mRNA is unrelated to monocyte activation, (ii) that secretion of TGF-beta is induced by monocyte activation, and (iii) that cosecretion of TGF-beta and its monocyte/macrophage-derived binding protein may modulate growth factor action. In contrast, monocytic expression of other growth factor genes, such as the B chain of platelet-derived growth factor, is not constitutive and requires activation.
Reply to D.R. Catchpoole et al

We substantially agree with the comments of Catchpoole et al in response to our editorial. The idea that analyses of multidimensional, highly complex datasets of cancer and host factors will lead to more precise and successful individualized therapies is immensely appealing. We agree that building the algorithms for truly personalized medicine indeed will require paradigm shifts in clinical and translational research. The path to tailored therapies in individuals will be paved in large part by a deeper understanding of the complexity and heterogeneity of cancers. Genomics has contributed much to this understanding, as exemplified by the reclassification of breast cancers into many distinct subtypes based on gene expression profiles. Our endorsement of the so-called virtue of complexity is an appeal to strengthen the scientific rigor of genomic studies in cancer. Increasing the number of patients and samples is necessary but far from sufficient. Other important factors in conducting and reporting such studies include patient stratification, integration of various highthroughput technologies, novel trial designs and bioinformatics approaches, integration of emerging concepts in cancer biology, and transparent and complete presentation of statistical analyses. Despite the limitations of reductionism, genomic signatures derived from such approaches have proved useful in defining risks for relapse and appropriate patients for adjuvant therapies in early-stage breast cancers. Moreover, the development of predictive therapeutic biomarkers based on the understanding of molecular pathways, networks, and drug mechanisms has much to contribute to the personalization of cancer therapies, as illustrated by the importance of RAS mutation status in colorectal cancers treated with epidermal growth factor receptor–targeted antibodies. Ultimately, however, we agree that the development of truly personalized therapies will require ascertaining the key differences among individuals as well as similarities between cohorts within a disease type. Proof that tailoring makes a difference, particularly in a highly curable disease like pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, is itself a major challenge in clinical trials designs.
The calculation of electron transfer probabilities in slow ion-metal surface collisions

Abstract We consider the interaction of an atomic ion colliding with a solid metal surface, resulting in electronic charge transfer and neutralization of the ion. The coupling of electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom in extended systems is described with a general methodology based on an eikonal representation of nuclear motions, and density matrices for the electronic degrees of freedom. We show how one can computationally deal with two very different time scales in the differential equation for the density operator by separating there the contributions of electronic relaxation and of driving forces. The boundary conditions of the solid perturbed by the ion are described by introducing electronically adiabatic and diabatic regimes. Electron transfer at short distances is calculated in a basis of localized surface states, and partitioning the density matrix into primary and secondary regions, to derive a reduced equation for its primary part. A substantial part of this article details the construction of generalized Wannier functions used in the calculation of electronic energy integrals. Results are presented for Hamiltonian matrix elements and for the time-evolution of atomic populations, in a model appropriate to the Na + + W(110) collisions with energies between 1.0 and 100.0 au. The calculated time-evolving populations provide a unique insight on the dynamics of electronic screening and transfer during collisions.
Photodetachment of the positronium negative ion

The photodetachment cross section of the negative positronium ion is calculated. The description of the initial bound state is simplified by representing it by an asymptotic form whose normalization comes from the most accurate Hylleraas wave function of the ion. The final state is assumed to be a plane wave.
Applications of nanosecond kilojoule lasers to the basic physics of waves in plasmas (Invited Paper)

Plasmas can sustain many normal modes of oscillation (waves), including both electromagnetic and electrostatic modes. These waves can interact by a wide variety of linear and nonlinear mechanisms, including mode coupling, mixing, and instabilities. Furthermore, such mechanisms compete, so that a given wave might be absorbed, might mode convert, or might decay by one of several instabilities, depending upon the specific circumstances in which it is produced. Moreover, such waves are important in many applications, including for example laser fusion, x-ray lasers, plasma accelerators, and ionospheric heating. Laser-produced plasmas can provide an effective medium for the studies of such waves and the related mechanisms. New opportunities will be made possible by the advent of comparatively inexpensive nanosecond, kilojoule lasers. One can now contemplate affordable experiments, not limited by programmatic constraints, that could study such the basic physics of the waves in such plasmas with unprecedented precision and in unprecedented detail.
Surface-acoustic-wave devices for communications

Surface-wave components have demonstrated performance capabilities in the VHF/UHF range which are available with no other filtering technique. The major advantages of the filters are their small size, high reliability, low cost, high Q, good reproducibility, temperature stability, wide dynamic range, and linear phase response, as well as special characteristics relevant to specific applications. Surface-acousticwave (SAW) devices are used for bandpass filtering [1], matched filtering for radar pulse compression [2], [3] or spread-spectrum signal processing [4], delay lines [5], and frequency control elements [3], [6]. Within the context of communication systems' applications, this paper reviews the state of the art for SAW components from high-performance fixed-tuned devices to tunable or programmable filters. Major technological advances discussed include unidirectional SAW filters [7] which eliminate bidirectionality loss and simultaneously suppress in-band spurious responses to achieve an insertion loss below 1 dB with a 0.04-dB peak-to-peak ripple. A novel surface-wave sub-system [8] which offers revolutionary signal processing functions through transform processing is also described.
Cross‐sectional analysis of hospitalist prevalence and quality of care in California

BACKGROUND: Hospital leaders usually provide financial support to hospitalists groups, often with an expectation of improved performance on publicly reported quality metrics. Whether the presence of hospitalists is associated with differences in hospital-level performance is unknown. OBJECTIVE: Assess the relationship between hospitalist prevalence and quality performance. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 208 California hospitals participating in a voluntary reporting initiative. INTERVENTION: Survey of hospital personnel with knowledge of the utilization of hospitalists for patient care. MEASUREMENTS: Sixteen publicly reported quality process measures across 3 medical conditions: acute myocardial infarction (AMI); congestive heart failure (CHF); and pneumonia. Using multivariable models, we assessed the relationship between the presence of hospitalists and the percentage of missed quality opportunities for each process measure. RESULTS: Of 208 eligible hospitals, 170 (82%) had hospitalist services. After adjustment, hospitals with hospitalists had similar performance for cardiac and pneumonia measures assessed at admission and fewer missed processes for CHF measures assessed at discharge. Among sites with hospitalists, every 10% increase in the estimated percentage of patients admitted by hospitalists was associated with 0.5% fewer (P < 0.001) missed quality opportunities for AMI at admission, and 0.6% (P < 0.001), 0.5% (P = 0.004), and 1.5% (P = 0.006) fewer missed quality opportunities for AMI, CHF, and pneumonia assessed at discharge, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of hospitalists in California was associated with modest improvements in performance on publicly reported process measures. Whether hospitalists directly improve quality or simply reflect a hospital's level of investment in quality remains a subject for future study. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2010;5:200–207. © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.
The Isolation and Identification of Kinetosome-Rich Fractions from Tetrahymena pyriformis

SYNOPSIS. Axenic cultures of Tetrahymena pyriformis W were used to obtain fractions rich in kinetosomes by alcoholdigitonin extraction techniques followed by centrifugation. The morphology of the kinetosomes was examined in the electron microscope at various stages during the isolation procedure, and compared to the morphology of the in situ kinetosome. In the latter preparation the well known cartwheel structure was present, and in addition 9 electron dense dots were displayed at the end of each spoke of the cartwheel. The prepared kinetosomes could easily be identified during the entire process, and there was no apparent change until after the digitonin step. However, with the further fractionation, alteration was found to have taken place in the interior and in the kinetosome wall. The inside appeared “empty,” and we were not able to find 9 triplets in the wall but only doublets. In view of the morphological alterations in the kinetosomerich fractions, chemical analysis still appears to us to be premature.
Biologically based detection systems: the time has come for use in contraband detection

Biologically-based systems are ideal candidates for contraband and explosives detection systems. Antibodies, in particular, due to their high sensitivity and high specificity, and inherent ability to be manipulated to exploit desired characteristics are ideally suited to be a 'detector'. Recent advances in their manufacture make antibodies inexpensive, with repeatable and reliable characteristics. The key element to their success as detectors for contraband and explosives is their immobilization onto substrates which facilitates their use in field applications and maximizes their 'detector' capabilities. This paper will discuss several emerging antibody and biologically-based detection systems and their potential for use in detecting contraband and explosives.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
High-shear treatment of single-walled carbon nanotube—superacid solutions as a pre-processing technique for the assembly of fibres and films

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) show great promise for use in a wide range of applications. One of the most promising avenues for attaining these applications is the dispersion of SWNTs at high concentrations in superacids, and their processing into macroscopic articles such as fibres or films. Fibres spun from SWNT/superacid dispersions indicate that the morphology of the starting SWNT material is reflected in the final morphology of the as-spun fibre. Here, we describe a method (termed disentanglement) of dispersing SWNTs in superacids and treating them using a high-shear, rotor/stator homogenizer, followed by coagulation to recover the solid SWNT material for use in fibre spinning. Several lines of experimental evidence (rheology and optical microscopy of the SWNTs in solution, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the coagulated material, and SEM of fibres spun from the coagulated material) show that this treatment radically improves the degree of alignment in the SWNTs' morphology, which in tu...
Race: a drosophila homologue of the angiotensin converting enzyme

We report the isolation and characterization of a putative angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) in Drosophila, called Race. General interest in mammalian ACE stems from its association with high blood pressure; ACE has also been implicated in a variety of other physiological processes including the processing of neuropeptides and gut peristalsis. Mammalian ACE is a membrane associated zinc binding protease that converts angiotensin I (A I) into angiotensin II (A II). A II functions as a potent vasoconstrictor by triggering a G-coupled receptor system in the smooth muscles that line blood vessels. Drosophila Race is composed of 615 amino acid residues, and shares extensive sequence identity with mammalian ACE over its entire length (over 42% overall identity and greater than 60% similarity). Evidence is presented that Race might correspond to a target of the homeobox regulatory gene, zerknullt (zen). Soon after zen expression is restricted to the dorsal-most regions of the embryonic ectoderm, Race is activated in a coincident pattern and becomes associated with the amnioserosa during germ band elongation, shortening and heart morphogenesis. After germ band elongation, Race is also expressed in both the anterior and posterior midgut, where it persists throughout embryogenesis. Race expression is lost from the dorsal ectoderm in either zen- or dpp- mutants, although gut expression is unaffected. P-transformation assays and genetic complementation tests suggest that Race corresponds to a previously characterized lethal complementation group, 1(2)34Eb. Mutants die during larval/pupal development, and transheterozygotes for two different lethal alleles exhibit male sterility. We propose that Race might play a role in the contractions of the heart, gut, or testes and also suggest that Hox genes might be important for coordinating both developmental and physiological processes.
Subtle Sexism? Examining Vote Preferences When Women Run Against Men for the Presidency

ABSTRACT. This article examines the influence of the gender of presidential candidates on perceptions of candidate qualifications and vote choice through polling data of likely Ohio voters using five candidates: Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Dole, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, and John McCain. In its examination, this study better mirrors the real‐world presidential selection process than other studies which use hypothetical or generic candidates. We found that women presidential candidates were viewed as significantly less qualified to be president when compared to male candidates with similar credentials. Although results showed that Democratic women candidates were not at a disadvantage in hypothetical primary nominee match‐ups, evidence of gender bias appeared in general election match‐ups. Candidates who were men beat the women candidates in every general election match‐up, and what is more, voters frequently switched their votes to the candidate who was a man when the opposition candidate was a woman. I...
Temporal stability of occupational interest inventories.

Test-retest reliability data gathered from 83 sources (62 independent samples) were analyzed using a multiple-regression method to estimate the effects of several factors on the temporal stability of occupational interest inventories. Seven self-report inventories were examined—the Act Interest Inventory, the Career Assessment Inventory, the California Occupational Preference System Interest Inventory, the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey, the Ohio Vocational Interest Survey, the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, and the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory, Form T325 of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank. Samples encompassed a wide range of subjects. Subjects' ages and retest intervals were significant predictors of reliability. Number of items and homogeneity had anomalous relations with stability. Subjects' sex and sample size did not significantly affect reliability. A summary table provides expected reliability coefficients tabulated for combinations of age by test-retest interval.
The International Coffee Agreement and the Production of Coffee in Guatemala, 1962—1989

From 1962 to 1989, the coffee-producing and coffee-consuming nations created a commodity agreement limiting the amount of coffee a nation could export in order to correct two structural deficiencies: global overproduction of coffee and drastic price movements associated with weather-related phenomena. During the 27 years of this quota agreement, Guatemala had a unique opportunity to get farmers to diversify from coffee to other export commodities and allow farmers to use new technology to improve their profitability. The Asociacion Nacional del Cafe (ANACAFE) administered these diversification and technification programs, while the London-based International Coffee Organization (ICO) regulated the international coffee trade. However, the ICO achieved more success in reducing overproduction of coffee and stopping downward price movements than ANACAFE did in implementing diversification and technification. Because ANACAFE failed to disseminate technification to the vast majority of the small coffee-producer...
Calculation of Compton profiles and positron annihilation matrix elements using LMTO wavefunctions

The linear muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) band method is used to calculate the electronic structure and the matrix elements for electron momentum distributions (EMD) and two-photon momentum distributions (TPMD) for use in calculations of Compton profile and positron annihilation experiments, respectively. The results are satisfactory for the first Brillouin zone (BZ) even when no corrections to the overlapping sphere geometry are made. However, an efficient method to correct for the overlapping spheres is derived and is shown to produce excellent results for Umklapp processes also. This makes the LMTO wavefunctions as accurate as the wavefunctions obtained from more costly band methods. Examples are given for alkali metals and vanadium, for which comparison with other calculations are made.
A symposium on “speech act theory in mainstream communication research”: An introduction

The referential, sequential, and inferential dimensions of discourse are explicated and discussed in order to obtain a vantage point from which to view the contributions of speech‐act theory to our understanding of human communication processes. A preview is then provided of four papers, each of which explores the intersection of two or more of these dimensions in order to enrich our understanding of speech‐act theory.
Remarks Concerning Possible Higher Resonances in the Unitary Symmetry Model

A resonance which "decays" into a meson and one of the $J={\frac{3}{2}}^{+}$ isobars may, according to the unitary symmetry scheme, belong to any one of the irreducible representations 8, 10, 27, or 35. Even if only a $Y=1$ member of the supermultiplet is detected, it is still possible to determine the dimensionality of the representation by the study of the ratios between the partial widths for decays into different isobar-meson channels.
Functional status after blast-plus-impact complex concussive traumatic brain injury in evacuated United States military personnel.

Abstract Fundamental questions remain unanswered about the longitudinal impact of blast-plus-impact complex traumatic brain injuries (TBI) from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This prospective, observational study investigated measures of clinical outcome in US military personnel evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany after such “blast-plus” concussive TBIs. Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended assessments completed 6–12 months after injury indicated a moderate overall disability in 41/47 (87%) blast-plus TBI subjects and a substantial but smaller number (11/18, 61%, p=0.018) of demographically similar US military controls without TBI evacuated for other medical reasons. Cognitive function assessed with a neuropsychological test battery was not different between blast-plus TBI subjects and controls; performance of both groups was generally in the normal range. No subject was found to have focal neurological deficits. However, 29/47 (57%) of blast-plus subjects with TBI met all criteria f...
Rapid determination of the MW of a PF resin by HPSEC using a Bondagel column

Determination de la masse moleculaire de phenoplastes (PF) par chromatographie gel (chromatographie d'exclusion sterique sous haute pression: HPSEC)
Word Retrieval Learning Modulates Right Frontal Cortex in Patients with Left Frontal Damage

Previous studies have suggested that recovery or compensation of language function after a lesion in the left hemisphere may depend on mechanisms in the right hemisphere. However, a direct relationship between performance and right hemisphere activity has not been established. Here, we show that patients with left frontal lesions and partially recovered aphasia learn, at a normal rate, a novel word retrieval task that requires the damaged cortex. Verbal learning is accompanied by specific response decrements in right frontal and right occipital cortex, strongly supporting the compensatory role of the right hemisphere. Furthermore, responses in left occipital cortex are abnormal and not modulated by practice. These findings indicate that frontal cortex is a source of top-down signals during learning.
A NEW FORM FOR THE STATISTICAL POSTULATE OF QUANTUM MECHANICS

A new type of representation of the wave function of quantum mechanics, and a new form of the statistical interpretation of the wave function, are presented. The variable in the new representation is a mapping of points of differential space, closely related to Hilbert space, but having an associated measure for suitably defined sets of points in it. In the new statistical interpretation, an eigenvalue of every observable defined in the system is associated with each point in differential space. This can be done in such a way that, for each observable, the measure (=probability) of the set of all differential-space points belonging to a given set of eigenvalues is equal to the quantum-mechanical probability, calculated in the usual way (Born statistical postulate), that an experiment will yield an eigenvalue in this set. Thus we obtain an interpretation of quantum mechanics in terms of probability densities or probabilities instead of probability amplitudes.