cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methane Activation by Transition-Metal Oxides, MOx (M = Cr, Mo, W; x = 1, 2, 3)

Recent experiments on the dehydrogenation−aromatization of methane (DHAM) to form benzene using a MoO3/HZSM-5 catalyst stimulated us to examine methane activation by the transition-metal oxide molecules, MOx (M = Cr, Mo, W; x = 1, 2, 3). The present studies use hybrid density functional theory (B3LYP). The reactivity trend is rationalized in terms of changes in the electrophilicity of MOx, the strength of the M−O π bond, and the bonding properties of MOx to methyl or hydrogen as M and x are varied. It is found that σ-bond metathesis to the metal hydride product (H−MOx-1−OCH3) occurs preferentially over the high oxidation state form (MO3) of the heavier metals, as well as all chromium oxides (CrOx). Instead, oxidative addition of MOx leading to methyl metal hydride (H−M(Ox)−CH3) is more favorable over the low oxidation state of MOx (M = Mo, W, x = 2, 1). In particular, it is found that WO2 can undergo oxidative addition with negligible activation barrier and is predicted to be the most reactive compound of...
A nanoemulsion formulation of dacarbazine reduces tumor size in a xenograft mouse epidermoid carcinoma model compared to dacarbazine suspension.

Abstract Dacarbazine (DAC) is an anticancer drug that has been used to treat various types of cancers. The aim of the current study was to test whether there is an increased efficacy of DAC as a nanoemulsion on reducing tumor size in an epidermoid carcinoma xenograft mouse model. Tumors were induced in 5-week-old nude mice by subcutaneous injection. The mice were untreated or treated with a suspension of DAC (0.1 mg/kg), a nanoemulsion of DAC (0.1 mg/kg), or Nano-Control (same composition as the suspension and nanoemulsion but no DAC), every 2 days by either intramuscular injection (IM) or topical application. After 40 days, the final tumor size of mice receiving the nanoemulsion of DAC IM (0.83 ± 0.55 mm 3 ) was significantly reduced compared to the suspension of DAC IM (4.75 ± 0.49 mm 3 ), Nano-Control IM (7.63 ± 0.91 mm 3 ), and untreated (10.46 ± 0.06 mm 3 ). The final tumor size of mice receiving the nanoemulsion of DAC topically (3.33 ± 0.63 mm3) was also significantly reduced compared to the suspension of DAC topically (7.64 ± 0.68 mm 3 ). This increased efficacy maybe partially attributed to: 1) the reduced particle size of the nanoemulsion in comparison with suspension (111 versus > 6000 nm), 2) reduction in zeta potential of the nanoemulsion compared to suspension (−3.2 versus −89.1 mV), 3) production of a stable water dispersion relative to unstable suspension, 4) decreased polydispersity index of the nanoemulsion compared to suspension, and 5) greater stability of drug with the nanoemulsion in comparison with the suspension. From the Clinical Editor In this clinically relevant study, the anti-tumor efficacy of dacarbazine was found to be significantly increased as a nanoemulsion in epidermoid carcinoma xenograft mice, both with IM and topical administration.
Intermediate range order in elemental amorphous and liquid semiconductors

Abstract Intermediate range order is reviewed in those elemental systems for which experimental evidence is strong, including group 5, 6 and 7 systems. In contrasting diffraction and Raman scattering results, the former is suggested to prpvide sufficient, but not necessary evidence for IRO.
Synthesis of reverse‐osmosis networks for waste reduction

The purpose of this work is to introduce the novel notion of synthesizing reverseosmosis networks (RONs) for waste-reduction applications. The RON design task aims at synthesizing a network of reverse-osmosis units, booster pumps and energy-recovery devices that can separate a set of waste streams into lean (product) streams and rich (retenate) streams at minimum total annualized cost. A systematic and generally applicable procedure for tackling RON synthesis problems is developed. First, a structural representation is devised to embed all potential network configurations
Immunodiffusion and complement fixation assays with sera from mucormycotic-infected mice.

Results using homogenate antigens of Rhizomucor pusillus against immunized rabbit sera, mouse ascites fluid and sera from mucormycotic-infected mice, detected by immunodiffusion and complement fixation assays are presented. Using immunodiffusion techniques, common antigens and unique antigens from Rh. pusillus, Rhizopus oryzae and Absidia corymbifera were observed. Complement fixation titers of >256 and 128 were obtained in immunized rabbit sera and mouse ascites fluid, respectively. However, no appreciable titers of antibody were measured from mucormycotic-infected animals by either immunodiffusion or complement fixation.
The theory of magnetohydrodynamic wave generation by localized sources. III: Efficiency of plasma heating by dissipation of far-field waves

The fraction of radiation emitted by Alfven waves is calculated by using two separate methods to determine whether the Alfven flux generated in the photosphere is sufficient to heat the corona. One method employs a set of scaling laws for the fluxes as functions of plasma and source parameters; the second method consist of a procedure for calculating the flux in each waveband from the interaction of vector-harmonic components of an arbitrary applied forcing. Both methods indicate that the Alfven flux accounts roughly for half of the total emission. The need to reexamine estimates of the amount of Alfven flux reaching the corona based on observations of plasma disturbances in the photosphere is emphasized.
The ordered assembly of the phiX174-type primosome. II. Preservation of primosome composition from assembly through replication.

Abstract Gel filtration chromatography was used to isolate both preprimosomal and primosomal complexes formed on single-stranded DNA-binding protein-coated ϕX174 DNA by the combination of PriA, PriB, PriC, DnaT, DnaB, DnaC, and DnaG. The presence and relative amounts of primosomal proteins in these complexes were determined by Western blotting. Protein-DNA complexes isolated (i) after assembly in the presence of 10 μM ATP, (ii) after preprimosome movement in the presence of 1 mM ATP, (iii) after priming in the presence of the four ribonucleoside triphosphates, or (iv) after complementary strand DNA replication in the presence of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme all had the same protein composition; preprimosomes contained PriA, PriB, PriC, DnaT, and DnaB, whereas primosomes included DnaG. The stable association of DnaG with the protein-DNA complex could be attributed partially to its ability to remain bound to the primers synthesized. In the absence of PriC, the efficiencies of priming and replication were reduced by one-third and one-half, respectively, even though PriC was not required for the formation of stable protein-DNA complexes on a 304-nucleotide-long single strand of DNA containing a primosome assembly site (Ng, J. Y., and Marians, K. J. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 15642-15648). We hypothesize that maintenance of the primosome on the replicated DNA may provide a mechanism to allow primosomes to participate in the resolution of recombination intermediates and intermediates formed during double strand break repair by permitting the re-establishment of a replication fork.
Huffmanela cf. carcharhini (Nematoda: Trichosomoididae: Huffmanelinae) from skin of a sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in the Pacific Ocean

Abstract: Eggs of Huffmanela cf. carcharhini from the skin of an aquarium-held, juvenile sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, from the Pacific Ocean were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. Grossly, eggs imparted a scribble-like skin marking approximately 130 × 60 mm on the right side of the shark's snout adjacent to its eye and nostril. Fresh (unfixed) eggs were elliptical, 75–95 µm long (x¯ = 85 µm, SD = ±4.5; n = 75), 48–63 µm wide (53 ± 3.4; 75), 8–10 µm in shell thickness (9 ± 1.3; 27), 45–68 µm in vitelline mass length (52 ± 6.9; 8); had a smooth shell surface and nonprotruding polar plugs 8–13 µm wide (10 ± 1.5; 73); lacked thin filaments, superficial envelope, and shell spines; sank in 35 ppt artificial seawater; and did not spontaneously hatch after 12 hr in 35 ppt artificial seawater. Formalin-fixed eggs measured 193 days postfixation were 75–95 µm long (84 ± 3.9; 150), 45–60 µm wide (50 ± 2.2; 150), 5–10 µm in shell thickness (8 ± 1.2; 87), 45–60 µm in vitelline mass le...
Verbal fluency and creativity: General and specific contributions of broad retrieval ability (Gr) factors to divergent thinking

Abstract The Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) model of intelligence views creativity as a first-level factor within the second-level factor of broad retrieval ability (Gr), alongside other first-level abilities such as ideational fluency and word fluency. Traditional methods of measuring creativity, however, confound idea quality with idea quantity, which might exaggerate the relationship between creativity scores and verbal fluency factors. Participants ( n = 131 adults) completed two divergent thinking tasks (unusual uses for a rope and a box), which were scored using newer methods that effectively separate creativity (scored via subjective ratings) and fluency (scored as number of responses). They then completed 16 verbal fluency tasks that assessed six lower-order Gr factors: word fluency, associational fluency, associative flexibility, ideational fluency, letter fluency, and dissociative ability. Viewed singly, many of the lower-order factors significantly predicted creative quality and fluency. General Gr had substantial effects on creative quality (standardized β = .443) and fluency (β = .339) in a higher-order model as well as in a bifactor model (quality β = .380, fluency β = .327). Moreover, general Gr was the only significant predictor in the bifactor model, suggesting that it, not the specific factors, was most important. All effects were essentially the same after controlling for typing speed and vocabulary knowledge. The findings thus support the CHC view of creativity/originality as a lower-order component of Gr, illuminate the relationships between creativity and first-level Gr factors, extend the study of creativity and intelligence beyond fluid intelligence, and further indicate that creativity is more closely tied to cognitive abilities than creativity research has yet recognized.
Erratic behavior of superconducting loops with Josephson junctions.

An analysis of the transitions between quantum states of a superconducting loop is presented. On the basis of the simple equivalent circuit model, it is argued that the system's behavior should be erratic for very small damping. This corrects an oversight in the work of Smith and Blackburn, and brings it into agreement with previously published material.
Selenium deficiency and cardiomyopathy

Dr Barbaro (January 2002 JRSM1) questions whether dilated cardiomyopathy due to selenium deficiency (Keshan disease, named after Keshan County, Heilongjiang Province, China where the disease was first discovered in 19352) can be reversed by selenium replacement and further states that ‘controlled prospective clinical trials are lacking’. As early as 1964, Gu from China noted the existence of a coincidence between the endemic distribution of Keshan disease and that of the white muscle disease of domestic animals2. In 1965 a farm hospital physician from Shanxi Province administered Na2SeO3 to patients with Keshan disease with promising results2. Subsequently investigators from Xian Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Institute of Geography of Chinese Academy of Sciences collaborated to confirm the aetiological relation between selenium deficiency and Keshan disease3,4. To evaluate the efficacy of Na2SeO3 in Keshan disease, a prospective study was carried out under strict control among children in the endemic districts of Sichuan Province from 1974 to 1977. The results clearly showed that Na2SeO3 could not only reduce the morbidity and mortality of Keshan disease but also alleviate its clinical course5. Oral selenium supplementation had been shown to reverse the biochemical evidence of the selenium deficiency state in patients with6 or without7 cardiomyopathy in the United States.
Behavioral and receptor binding studies of phencyclidine (PCP) and lithium interaction in the rat.

Abstract Three groups of female Sprague-Dawley rats (n=4) were conditioned to drink water during a daily 2 hr session. The water was then changed to a solution of 1.0 mg/ml lithium chloride producing average doses between 62.9 and 72.1 mg/kg/day for Groups I and II. These rats were challenged with 4 mg/kg PCP i.p. before and during lithium treatment. Group I was tested for spontaneous locomotor activity in the open field apparatus. Lithium alone did not affect activity. After 1, 2, and 3 weeks of chronic lithium, PCP-induced activity increased 2.1, 1.7, and 2.8 fold, respectively, relative to PCP-induced activity during limited access to water only. Whole brain homogenates from Group II, after one week of chronic lithium, were used for receptor binding experiments using [ 3 H] PCP; Group III served as water controls. The K d (nM ± S.E.M.) was not different in untreated (146.39 ± 18.95) and lithium-treated (181.22 ± 14.35) rats. The B max (pmole/mg protein ± S.E.M.), however, was increased 48% (p
A REGIONAL ECONOMY, LAND USE, AND TRANSPORTATION MODEL (RELU-TRAN©): FORMULATION, ALGORITHM DESIGN, AND TESTING*

RELU is a dynamic general equilibrium model of a metropolitan economy and its land use, derived by unifying in a theoretically valid way, models developed by one of the authors [Anas (1982), Anas–Arnott (1991, 1997), Anas–Kim (1996), Anas–Xu (1999)]. RELU equilibrates floor space, land and labor markets, and the market for the products of industries, treating development (construction and demolition), spatial interindustry linkages, commuting, and discretionary travel. Mode choices and equilibrium congestion on the highway network are treated by unifying RELU with the TRAN algorithm of stochastic user equilibrium [Anas–Kim (1990)]. The RELU-TRAN algorithm's performance for a stationary state is demonstrated for a prototype consisting of 4-building, 4-industry, 4-labor-type, 15-land-use-zone, 68-link-highway-network version of the Chicago MSA. The algorithm solves 656 equations in a special block-recursive convergent procedure by iterations nested within loops and loops within cycles. Runs show excellent and smooth convergence from different starting points, so that the number of loops within successive cycles continually decreases. The tests also imply a numerically ascertained unique stationary equilibrium solution of the unified model for the calibrated parameters.
Optimum Design of Short-Channel 4H-SiC Power DMOSFETs

We describe an optimized design for the 1 kV short-channel 4H-SiC power DMOSFET, obtained from numerical simulations using the Taguchi method. Three new structural features are employed: (1) a current spreading layer (CSL) below the p-well, (2) a heavily-doped, narrow JFET region, and (3) a segmented p-well contact.
Electron-spectroscopy studies of clean thorium and uranium surfaces. Chemisorption and initial stages of reaction with O/sub 2/, CO, and CO/sub 2/

The adsorption of O/sub 2/, CO, and CO/sub 2/ on the thorium (111) crystal face and on polycrystalline ..cap alpha..-uranium has been investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) at 300 K. Oxygen adsorption on both metals resulted in the formation of the metal dioxide. CO and CO/sub 2/ adsorption on Th(111) produced species derived from atomic carbon and oxygen; the presence of molecular CO was also detected. Only atomic carbon and oxygen were observed on uranium. Elemental depth profiles by AES and SIMS indicated that the carbon produced by the dissociation of CO or CO/sub 2/ diffused into the bulk of the metals to form a carbide, while the oxygen remained on their surfaces as an oxide.
Unique features and capabilities using quantum wells for infrared detection and imaging

This paper presents a few unique features and capabilities using quantum wells for infrared detection and imaging. We first review the basics and key shortcomings of quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), and point out the possible directions for improvement. We then present the idea of the integrated QWIP and LED for optically readout imaging device. Discussions of different schemes of fabricating multicolor QWIPs follow. Finally, we present the high frequency capabilities of QWIPs.
Microsatellite analysis and telomerase activity in archived tissue and urine samples of bladder cancer patients

We performed microsatellite analysis and tested telomerase activity in paired tissue and urine of bladder cancer patients from frozen archived samples. DNA obtained from microdissected tumor and urine sediment was analyzed and compared to peripheral lymphocytes for microsatellite alterations (loss of heterozygosity [LOH] or instability) using a panel of 20 microsatellite markers in 15 patients with transitional or squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary tract. Additionally, telomerase activity was determined in 12 microdissected tumor specimens and corresponding frozen urine pellets. Tumor cell DNA was detected by microsatellite analysis (LOH or shift) in at least one marker in 14/15 microdissected tumor specimens and in 13/15 DNA samples obtained from urine sediments. Telomerase activity was present in 11/12 tumor samples but could not be detected in any of the corresponding urine sediments. Frozen archived urine samples are useful for retrospective studies utilizing microsatellite analysis or other PCR-based approaches after DNA extraction. However, the evaluation of telomerase protein activity in stored urine samples appears to be unsuitable.
Relation of lean body mass to height in children and adolescents.

Extract: Lean body mass (LBM) was estimated by 40K counting in 609 normal boys and girls 7.5–20.5 years of age. This component of the body is shown to be related to stature, but the quantitative nature of the relation varies with age and sex. Boys have a higher LBM/height ratio in adolescence than do girls, and the slope of the LBM-height regression is also greater, whereas before adolescence there is no appreciable sex difference. Age also affects LBM independently of stature. This effect is first seen during adolescence, and it is more pronounced in boys. When the entire age span for this group of subjects is considered, the relation between LBM and height is exponential, LBM = b·ek·ht, b and k being constants. This means that the relative, or percentage, growth in LBM is a linear function of height growth at this time of life. Speculation: The relations developed from these data emphasize the need to gear nutritional requirements to the speed of height growth. On the average, the adolescent boy has greater needs than does the girl, merely to satisfy the demands of the growth process. The changing pattern of the LBM-height relation during adolescence lends support to the concept that androgens facilitate the growth of the LBM with its large component of muscle.
Statistical inference: A comparison of hypothesis testing and estimation

Abstract We compare two types of statistical inference: null hypothesis significance testing and estimation with confidence intervals. We discuss four advantages of confidence intervals versus null hypothesis significance testing procedures. An argument is presented to encourage researchers to adopt confidence intervals whenever possible.
Sex Differences and Practice Effects on Two Visual-Spatial Tasks

Sex differences on visual-spatial tasks have been assumed to be present in young children, and performance on visual-spatial tasks has been assumed to be resistant to modification. Third and fifth graders were pretested on embedded and successive figures. Half of the 110 children then received limited feedback after which both groups were posttested. Grade, time of testing, and type of task significantly affected visual-spatial performance. Additional study might indicate whether amount of practice influences final level of performance for girls and boys and the asymptote on visual-spatial tasks is similar.
Retropharyngeal and Bowel Hematomas in an Anticoagulated Patient

As the indications for oral anticoagulation therapy increase, the number of patients being treated with anticoagulants and at risk for complications also will rise. Major bleeding episodes have been reported to occur in approximately 2–4% of patients being treated with oral anticoagulants. The case report of a patient with concurrent spontaneous retropharyngeal and small-bowel hematomas from overanticoagulation with warfarin is presented. The authors review the subtle presentation of retropharyngeal hematomas, common medications that may enhance warfarin anticoagulation, and therapy of potentially life-threatening hematomas. Airway management and possible surgical therapies to treat the complications of hematomas are discussed. Depending upon the indication for the initial anticoagulation, interim anticoagulation with heparin may be indicated. Acad. Emerg. Med. 1994; 1:67–72.
Giant thermopower effects from molecular physisorption on carbon nanotubes.

Results are presented of in situ studies of the thermoelectric power and four-probe resistance of single-walled carbon nanotube films during the adsorption of cyclic hydrocarbons C6H2n (n � 3-6). The size of the change in these transport parameters is found to be related to theelectron population of the molecule, suggesting the coupling between theseelectrons and those in the nanotube wall may be responsible for the observed effects. A transport model for the SWNT film behavior is presented, incorporating the effects of a new scattering channel associated with the adsorbed molecules. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.166801 PACS numbers: 73.50.Lw, 61.48.+c, 72.80.Rj, 81.05.Tp In this Letter, we report the results of a systematic study of the changes in the thermopower (S) and four- probe resistance (R) of vacuum-degassed mats of nano- tube bundles induced by the adsorption of six-membered ring molecules C6H2n, where n � 3-6 .A sn increases from 3 (benzene) to 6 (cyclohexane), � electrons are re- moved from the molecule. For n � 6, cyclohexane, only � bonds remain. Thus the C6H2n:SWNT (single-walled carbon nanotube) system is an interesting model system to study the coupling between a molecule and a nanotube, as regulated by the � -electron character of the adsorbed molecule.
Progress on Integrated Compound Concentrator Design

Abstract Nonimaging optics has been playing an important role in both tracking and non-tracking devices used for solar applications. We will report on our progress on implementing the integrated design within a glass vacuum tube for a non-tracking solar thermal collector. Such a design allows a thermodynamically efficient concentrator to be used for any convex shaped absorber. The acceptance angle of the design is also optimized for the seasonal change of sun. To minimize the material cost of our design, the reflector is integrated with the shape of the evacuated tube. Compared to from the conventional parabolic trough receiver which utilizes bellows and double end seals, our design uses a single end metal glass seal and allows the other end to freely expand. A 0.7 meter prototype is constructed as a prototype. The optical efficiency and incident angular modifier are simulated using a ray tracing program to show that within the designed acceptance angle, the collector performs at around 78% optical efficiency.
Relation of Maternal Anti-Ro/La Antibodies to Aortic Dilation in Patients With Congenital Complete Heart Block

An association between congenital complete atrioventricular block (cCAVB) and aortic dilation during childhood has recently been reported. We sought to further explore this relation with particular emphasis on the natural history of aortic abnormalities over time. The relation of maternal anti-Ro/La antibody status to the aortic size of children affected with cCAVB was also assessed. The patients were evaluated longitudinally with serial echocardiography. During a 15-year period, 62 patients at our institution were diagnosed with cCAVB, of whom 40% were exposed to maternal autoimmune antibodies and 35% were not. The antibody status in the remaining patients was unknown. The patients underwent 9.3 ± 6.5 echocardiograms during the follow-up period. Dilation of the ascending aorta, defined as a z score >2.0, was present on the initial echocardiogram in all patients exposed to maternal antibodies and persisted during long-term follow-up in 96% of these patients. In contrast, 5% and 10% of patients without exposure to maternal autoimmune antibodies had aortic dilation on the initial and follow-up studies, respectively (p <0.001 and p <0.001, respectively). In conclusion, patients with autoimmune-mediated cCAVB merit periodic echocardiographic monitoring into adulthood to assess persistent or progressive aortic dilation and its attendant complications.
Robert H. Whittaker (1920–1980): The man and his work

R. H. Whittaker enlivened many fields within ecology, systematics and evolution with his insights. Perhaps his most significant contributions to ecology lie in the development of the theories and methods of gradient analysis. Through the verification of the individualistic hypothesis with field data from many regions, and the subsequent development and dissemination of methods for studying species distributions along continua, he helped replace the Clementsian paradigm with a Gleasonian one. His extensive field data on primary production, nutrient cycling patterns and species diversity established new standards for documentation in synecology and helped clarify the basis for site-to-site variation in these variables. Through his broad command of the ecological literature, his writings and his contact with ecologists throughout the world he fostered international understanding of the diversity of approaches to vegetation study.
Viscosity correlation for aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solutions

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is characterized by its K-value, which is a function of the average molecular weight, the degree of polymerization, and the intrinsic viscosity. The viscosity was measured for aqueous PVP solutions with K-values ranging from 92.1 to 95.4 and with concentrations from 2 to 3 weight percent. A correlation was determined that relates solution viscosity to the K value and weight percent PVP, which is particularly useful in its use as a photoresist in the manufacture of high resolution display screens. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 1153–1155, 2003
A virtualization architecture for wireless network cards

This doctoral dissertation describes the design and applications of a new virtualization architecture for wireless network cards, called MultiNet. MultiNet virtualizes a single wireless card to appear as multiple virtual wireless cards to the user. Each virtual card can then be configured separately on a physically different network. The goal of MultiNet is to provide a user-level illusion of simultaneous connectivity on all virtual cards although the network card is on a single network at any instant. MultiNet achieves this transparency using intelligent buffering and switching algorithms. The switching and buffering mechanisms are implemented as a kernel driver, while the policies are implemented as a user-level service. The MultiNet system has been implemented over Windows XP and has been operational for over two years. It is agnostic of the upper layer protocols, and works well over popular IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN cards. Further, MultiNet enables a new class of applications, which were earlier only possible with multiple wireless cards in the device. This dissertation describes two such applications: Slotted Seeded Channel Hopping (SSCH) and Client Conduit. SSCH is a new channel hopping protocol that works over MultiNet, and utilizes frequency diversity to increase the capacity of IEEE 802.11 wireless networks. Each node using SSCH switches across channels in such a manner that nodes desiring to communicate overlap, while disjoint communications do not overlap, and hence do not interfere with each other. To achieve this, SSCH uses a novel scheme for distributed rendezvous and synchronization. Simulation results show that SSCH significantly increases network capacity in several multihop and single hop wireless networking scenarios. Client Conduit is a novel technique for providing connectivity to disconnected wireless clients with the help of nearby connected clients. It is based on MultiNet and takes advantage of the beaconing and probing mechanisms of IEEE 802.11 to ensure that connected clients do not pay unnecessary overheads while helping disconnected clients. Client Conduit has been implemented over Windows XP as part of an architecture for diagnosing faults in wireless networks.
The ABCs of Accurate Volumetric Measurement of Cerebral Hematoma

Background and Purpose—Both initial hematoma volume and hematoma growth are independent predictors of clinical outcomes and mortality among intracerebral hemorrhage patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of different computed tomography image acquisition protocols and hematoma volume measurement techniques. Methods—We used plastic and cadaveric phantoms to determine the accuracy of different volumetric measurement techniques. We performed both axial and spiral computed tomography scans with 0.75-, 1.5-, 3.0-, and 4.5-mm-thick transverse sections (with no gap). Different measurement techniques (planimetry, ABC/2, and 3D rendering) and different window width/level settings (I, 150/50 versus II, 587/−321) were used to assess generated errors in volumetric calculations. Results—Both axial and spiral computed tomography scans yielded similar percent errors for different slice thicknesses and different measurement techniques. Comparison of different measurement techniques revealed a si...
Rehabilitation of the Older Lower Limb Amputee: A Brief Review

OBJECTIVE: To review outcomes, over the last 25 to 30 years, of prosthetic rehabilitation in the older patient with a major lower limb amputation. DESIGN: Literature review of articles and reports about lower limb amputation, using key words elderly amputee, rehabilitation, and lower limb amputation, through a computerized Medline Search. CONCLUSIONS: Age alone should not determine prosthetic rehabilitation. Comorbidities and general health are important determinants. The more proximal the amputation, the more energy is demanded from the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems for prosthetic gait. Changes in surgical technique and revascularization procedures have allowed preservation of the knee, which decreases energy demands and allows more older patients a chance to undergo rehabilitation for ambulation. Although the ratio of below knee (transtibial) amputations to above knee (trans-femoral) amputations has increased, overall postsurgical mortality (10–30%), long term survival (40–50% @ 2 years, 30–40% @ 5 years), and risk of loss of the contralateral leg (15–20% @ 2 years) has not changed significantly since the 1960s. Despite the lack of improvement in survival as a result of the systemic vascular disease, the older patient can benefit from rehabilitation efforts with goals of prosthetic ambulation or simply cosmesis. The shortened longevity emphasizes the need for timely rehabilitation to enhance the quality of the remaining years. The geriatrician can add to the presurgical care and preprosthetic phase of rehabilitation by attention to the problems common to the older patient, i.e., multiple comorbidities, polypharmacy, immobility, and depression. Postoperatively, early mobilization is crucial to avoid the deleterious effects of immobility in the older person. Further investigations into the psychosocial issues and cost benefits of limb loss and prosthetic rehabilitation are needed. In addition, comparison of the various rehabilitation protocols and the impact of cardiac testing before rehabilitation are needed. J Am Geriatr Soc 44:1388–1393, 1996.
Why the Rational Paradigm Persists — The Resistance of Professional Education and Practice to Alternative Forms of Planning

For thirty years planners and critics of planning alike have confronted inadequacies in the traditional model of comprehensive rational planning. Despite this intellectual acknowledgement of the ne...
Engaging a specific, not general, public: the use of ethnographic film in public scholarship

Ethnographic filmmakers have long considered and debated the role of ethnographic films as tools for public scholarship. Perhaps because of their presumed accessibility, ethnographic films have bee...
A QoS guaranteeing MAC layer protocol for the "underdog" traffic

With the tremendous boom in the wireless local area network arena, there has been a phenomenal spike in the web traffic which has been triggered by the growing popularity of real-time multimedia applications. Towards this end, the IEEE 802.11e medium access control (MAC) standard specifies a set of quality-of-service (QoS) enhancement features to ensure QoS for these delay sensitive multimedia applications. Most of these features are unfair and inefficient from the perspective of low priority (non-real time) traffic flows as they tend to starve the non-real time flows depriving them of appropriate channel access, hence throughput. To that extent, this article proposes a MAC protocol that ensures fairness in the overall network performance by still providing QoS for real-time traffic without starving the "underdog" or non-real-time flows. The article first presents analytical expressions supported by Matlab simulation results which highlight the performance drawbacks of biased protocols such as 802.11e. It then evaluates the efficiency of the proposed "fair MAC protocol" through extensive simulations conducted on the QualNet simulation platform. The simulation results validate the fairness aspect of the proposed scheme.
Effects of pre-heat treatment of CdS on MOCVD CdTe/CdS solar cell performance

Preheat treatment of CdS/SnO/sub 2//glass substrates prior to CdTe growth was investigated to improve the CdTe/CdS cell performance. The substrates were annealed in an H/sub 2/ atmosphere range of 300 to 450 degrees C. N-i-p cells fabricated on these substrates showed a reduction of interface states with increasing annealing temperature. This may be associated with a reduction in oxygen concentration at the surface of CdS. Cells fabricated on substrates without any heat treatment had poor device performance with V/sub oc/=0.55 V, fill factor (ff)=0.49, and an efficiency of 5.6%. Cell parameters improved with increasing annealing temperature, and the best values, V/sub oc/=0.68 V, ff=0.59, and efficiency = approximately 8%, were obtained at an annealing temperature of 450 degrees C. In spite of the improved performance due to reduced interface states, thermal treatment also results in some detrimental effects, like a nonuniform Cd/Te ratio on the surface of CdS and a Cd-deficient CdS layer near the junction, which tend to limit the cell performance. >
A fast and secure framework for over-the-air wireless software download using reconfigurable mobile devices

OTA software download is an enabling technology that leverages on the flexibility of radio hardware. With dynamic OTA download, mobile devices can connect to any type of wireless network, download the required radio software, and reconfigure on demand. This article covers two key system design issues: delta compression and security
Repolarizing cardiac potassium channels: multiple sites and mechanisms for CaMKII-mediated regulation.

Marked reductions in the densities of the fast, transient voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) current, Ito,f, and of the inwardly rectifying (Kir) K+ current, IK1, are routinely observed in the hypertrophied and failing human heart and in experimental models of pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Attenuation of these prominent repolarizing K+ currents results in action potential prolongation and increased dispersion of repolarization, both of which are arrhythmogenic. Cardiac hypertrophy and failure are also associated with increased expression and activity of the multifunctional calcium (Ca2+) calmodulin (CaM) dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and several lines of evidence suggest that CaMKII activation can (directly or indirectly) lead to changes in the functional cell surface expression and the biophysical properties of cardiac Ito,f and IK1 channels.
Influence of pH on the tribocorrosion behavior of CpTi in the oral environment: synergistic interactions of wear and corrosion.

Dental implants made of titanium alloys have been used as a predictable therapy approach to replace missing teeth. The oral environment subjects titanium implants to varying conditions like changes in pH, temperature, and saliva contamination leading to chemical corrosion together with mastication process. Objective: In this study, the combined effect of chemical corrosion and wear (so-called tribocorrosion) in the degradation of dental implant material (CpTi) under varying pH oral environment was investigated. Methods: Titanium (CpTi) discs were subjected to sliding tests in artificial saliva at varying pHs: 3.0, 6.0, and 9.0. A custom made tribocorrosion apparatus was used to perform the tests. The tribological system consisted of a ceramic ball of 28 mm diameter articulating against the flat face (titanium). Results: Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicated an increase in electrochemical double layer capacitance (Cdl) at pH 3.0 and 6.0 after sliding. Surprisingly, in the presence of tribological stresses, the measured current evolution was highest and fluctuated the most at pH 6.0. In addition, the greatest weight loss was measured at pH 6.0. Conclusions: Despite reports of CpTi being electrochemically stable down to pH 2.0, this study suggests degradation peaks at near neutral pH values in the presence of motion. At pH 6.0, the passive film layer, typically protecting the surface of titanium may not be reformed cohesively, resulting in more tribocorrosion products at the surface, which are easily sheared off. These findings elevate concern with regard to dental implants because the average pH of the oral cavity is 6.3. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 100B: 1662–1671, 2012.
Millimeter and Submillimeter Wave Dielectric Properties of Tumorous and Non-tumorous Breast Tissues

The refractive index, absorption coefficient, complex real and imaginary permittivity, and loss tangent of normal (non-tumorous) and tumorous breast tissues have been obtained from 0.2 to 0.9 THz. Dispersive Fourier transform spectroscopy was utilized to acquire the broadband millimeter and submillimeter wave dielectric properties and unique resonance signatures of breast tissues for the first time. Results indicate a significant difference in the electrical characteristics of tumorous and non-tumorous breast tissues.
Family Perspectives on the Hospice Experience in Adult Family Homes

Growing numbers of terminally ill older adults receive hospice services in adult family homes (AFHs); however, little is known about the provision and receipt of end-of-life care in such environments. This article reports findings from a qualitative exploration of family members' perspectives of the hospice experience in AFHs. Analysis of data obtained during interviews of 15 residents' family members exposed significant challenges associated with transition to an AFH, highlighted the importance of AFH and hospice staff in family members' assessment of overall quality of care, and emphasized the critical nature of communication in AFH settings.
Efficient whole-genome association mapping using local phylogenies for unphased genotype data

Motivation: Recent advances in genotyping technology has made data acquisition for whole-genome association study cost effective, and a current active area of research is developing efficient methods to analyze such large-scale datasets. Most sophisticated association mapping methods that are currently available take phased haplotype data as input. However, phase information is not readily available from sequencing methods and inferring the phase via computational approaches is time-consuming, taking days to phase a single chromosome. Results: In this article, we devise an efficient method for scanning unphased whole-genome data for association. Our approach combines a recently found linear-time algorithm for phasing genotypes on trees with a recently proposed tree-based method for association mapping. From unphased genotype data, our algorithm builds local phylogenies along the genome, and scores each tree according to the clustering of cases and controls. We assess the performance of our new method on both simulated and real biological datasets. Availability The software described in this article is available at http://www.daimi.au.dk/~mailund/Blossoc and distributed under the GNU General Public License. Contact: mailund@birc.au.dk
Flexible Consistency for Wide Area Peer Replication

The lack of a flexible consistency management solution hinders P2P implementation of applications involving updates, such as read-write file sharing, directory services, online auctions and wide area collaboration. Managing mutable shared data in a P2P setting requires a consistency solution that can operate efficiently over variable-quality failure-prone networks, support pervasive replication for scaling, and give peers autonomy to tune consistency to their sharing needs and resource constraints. Existing solutions lack one or more of these features. In this paper, we described a new consistency model for P2P sharing of mutable data called composable consistency, and outline its implementation in a wide area middleware file service called Swarm. Composable consistency lets applications compose consistency semantics appropriate for their sharing needs by combining a small set of primitive options. Swarm implements these options efficiently to support scalable, pervasive, failure-resilient, wide-area replication behind a simple yet flexible interface. Two applications was presented to demonstrate the expressive power and effectiveness of composable consistency: a wide area file system that outperforms Coda in providing close-to-open consistency over WANs, and a replicated BerkeleyDB database that reaps order-of-magnitude performance gains by relaxing consistency for queries and updates
Federal Policy, Banking Market Structure, and Capital Mobilization in the United States, 1863–1913

The success with which capital funds are mobilized and transferred to industrial and related activities is widely regarded as a critical determinant of both the timing and the pace of industrialization in the modern era. Gerschenkron, for example, has suggested that institutional developments which increased this type of capital mobility played an important role in the varying degrees of industrial progress of nineteenth-century European countries. A functionally similar development, resulting from government intervention at the time of the Civil War, occurred in American banking and provided a powerful capital-supply stimulus for the United States's postbellum industrialization. This study deals with the origins of this banking development, presents an analysis of its potential effects on patterns of capital movement, and tests the hypotheses arrived at in the theoretical analysis using banking data derived primarily from the Reports of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Psychometric Intelligence and Achievement: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis.

Abstract There has been considerable debate regarding the causal precedence of intelligence and academic achievement. Some researchers view intelligence and achievement as identical constructs. Others believe that the relationship between intelligence and achievement is reciprocal. Still others assert that intelligence is causally related to achievement. The present study addressed this debate with a cross-lagged panel analysis of WISC-III and achievement test scores of 289 students assessed for special education eligibility with a test–retest interval of 2.8 years. The optimal IQ–achievement model reflected the causal precedence of IQ on achievement. That is, the paths from IQ scores at time 1 to IQ and achievement scores at time 2 were significant whereas the paths from achievement scores at time 1 to IQ scores at time 2 were not significant. Within the limits imposed by the design and sample, it appears that psychometric IQ is a causal influence on future achievement measures whereas achievement measures do not substantially influence future IQ scores.
The National Biomedical Imaging Archive: A repository of advanced imaging information

1009 Learning Objectives NBIA is ideal for researchers who what to capture images from their own nuclear medicine imaging system and store them in a separate searchable research repository. The key functions are a single point of access to images to support development and validation of analytical software for lesion detection and classification, accelerate diagnostic imaging decision making and quantitative imaging assessment of drug response. The core functions of NBIA allow end users with proper security clearance to download imaging studies, series or individual images after specifying the type of images that are desired as well as the ability to save a recurring query and measurements made on selected images. In NBIA one is able to view image thumbnails or use cine mode display and then create an “image download basket” before downloading images. The RSNA and NCI have collaborated in the creation and testing of Clinical Trial Processing software that is used to transfer images from nuclear medicine and radiology image management systems to a centralized repository after de-identifying them in a manner consistent with the DICOM standard in a manner that can be customized to a particular study or clinical trial. Additionally, the Web-based visualization and annotation capabilities include immediate on-screen visualization of DICOM images integrated with NBIA query results, persistence of annotations from client to NBIA archive, and illustration of virtual central read functionality
Medical Considerations and Assessment

The notion of what underlies learning and attentional disabilities has ranged from frank brain damage to subtle biological differences in temperament. We have known for years that children with documented brain damage often have learning and attentional difficulties. Hence, it has been assumed that other children with isolated learning and/or attentional difficulties were similarly harboring brain impairments that were not as severe—dysfunction rather than damage—even though there was little or no hard evidence for it. Most children with Specific Learning Disabilities and a smaller portion of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder most likely fit into this notion of dysfunction.