cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contributions of OMERACT to rheumatic disease research.

The goal of our editorial entitled Development of Classification and Response Criteria for Rheumatic Diseases, published in a recent issue of Arthritis Care & Research, was to help move forward rheumatic disease research (1). We regret, however, that in so doing we failed to acknowledge the many seminal contributions of OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology) towards this end. Since its inception in 1992, OMERACT has met biennially to address issues of measurement of outcome in the rheumatic diseases. These meetings have produced many key publications closely related to the topic of our editorial (2–4). We want to publicly acknowledge the important contributions of OMERACT, and continue to build collaborations that will enable the science and practice of rheumatology to advance.
A Learning Shell for Iterative Design (L’SID): Concepts and Applications

A software shell called Learning Shell for Iterative Design,' L'SID, has been developed in conjunction with a simple data matrix, the learn table.' Histories of design are utilized in aiding the acceleration of routine design problems. The class of problems addressed are non-convex, noninvertible and with multiple performance criteria. The design parameters can be of any definable type; continuous, integer or nonordered feature based. L'SID is domain independent and highly modular. The ability of L'SID to aid deterministic methods is shown statistically with two example problems (extrusion die and airfoil). Results also show the ability of the technique to surmount nonconvexity in design space and computational noise related to roundoff.
Free fuzzy modules and their bases

Abstract The notions of a basis for fuzzy modules, and of a free fuzzy module, are defined, and the elementary properties of both are studied. It is shown that a fuzzy module possesses a basis if and only if it is free. Results on the existence of a basis are obtained.
Kinect technology for hand tracking control of surgical robots: technical and surgical skill comparison to current robotic masters

Current surgical robots are controlled by a mechanical master located away from the patient, tracking surgeon’s hands by wire and pulleys or mechanical linkage. Contactless hand tracking for surgical robot control is an attractive alternative, because it can be executed with minimal footprint at the patient’s bedside without impairing sterility, while eliminating current disassociation between surgeon and patient. We compared technical and technologic feasibility of contactless hand tracking to the current clinical standard master controllers. A hand-tracking system (Kinect™-based 3Gear), a wire-based mechanical master (Mantis Duo), and a clinical mechanical linkage master (da Vinci) were evaluated for technical parameters with strong clinical relevance: system latency, static noise, robot slave tremor, and controller range. Five experienced surgeons performed a skill comparison study, evaluating the three different master controllers for efficiency and accuracy in peg transfer and pointing tasks. da Vinci had the lowest latency of 89 ms, followed by Mantis with 374 ms and 3Gear with 576 ms. Mantis and da Vinci produced zero static error. 3Gear produced average static error of 0.49 mm. The tremor of the robot used by the 3Gear and Mantis system had a radius of 1.7 mm compared with 0.5 mm for da Vinci. The three master controllers all had similar range. The surgeons took 1.98 times longer to complete the peg transfer task with the 3Gear system compared with Mantis, and 2.72 times longer with Mantis compared with da Vinci (p value 2.1e−9). For the pointer task, surgeons were most accurate with da Vinci with average error of 0.72 mm compared with Mantis’s 1.61 mm and 3Gear’s 2.41 mm (p value 0.00078). Contactless hand-tracking technology as a surgical master can execute simple surgical tasks. Whereas traditional master controllers outperformed, given that contactless hand-tracking is a first-generation technology, clinical potential is promising and could become a reality with some technical improvements.
Nanoparticle effects on rat alveolar epithelial cell monolayer barrier properties

Inhaled nanoparticles have been reported to contribute to deleterious effects on human health. In this study, we investigated the effects of ultrafine ambient particulate suspensions (UAPS), polystyrene nanoparticles (PNP; positively and negatively charged; 20, 100, 120 nm), quantum dots (QD; positively and negatively charged; 30 nm) and single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) on alveolar epithelial cell barrier properties. Transmonolayer resistance (R(t)) and equivalent short-circuit current (I(eq)) of primary rat alveolar epithelial monolayers were measured in the presence and absence of varying concentrations of apical nanoparticles. In some experiments, apical-to-basolateral fluxes of radiolabeled mannitol or inulin were determined with or without apical UAPS exposure and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was analyzed after UAPS or SWCNT exposure. Results revealed that exposure to UAPS decreased R(t) and I(eq) significantly over 24 h, although neither mannitol nor inulin fluxes changed. Positively charged QD decreased R(t) significantly (with subsequent recovery), while negatively charged QD did not. R(t) decreased significantly after SWCNT exposure (with subsequent recovery). On the other hand, PNP exposure had no effects on R(t) or I(eq). No significant increases in LDH release were observed after UAPS or SWCNT exposure. These data indicate that disruption of alveolar epithelial barrier properties due to apical nanoparticle exposure likely involves alteration of cellular transport pathways and is dependent on specific nanoparticle composition, shape and/or surface charge.
A puzzling case of hyperkalaemia

Correspondence to: Dr Milford Fulop (e-mail: fulop@aecom.yu.edu) A 70-year-old man was admitted to hospital in November, 1999, after being found to have a serum K of 6·2 mmol/L in clinic where he was being followed for insulin-treated diabetes, coronary and peripheral vascular disease, and chronic bronchitis. He was not acutely ill, his BP was 175/80 mmHg, pulse was 76, temperature 36·4oC and his ECG was normal. His treatment included NPH insulin 40 u/day and lisinopril 40 mg/day, a dose he had taken for more than 2 years. Serum K had usually been around 5 mmol/L during the preceding months. Other laboratory findings on this admission included serum Na136, C1 100, CO2 19, serum urea 15, creatinine 0·18, glucose 20·8 mmol/L and calculated osmolarity 308 mOsm/L. He was treated with sodium polystyrene sulphonate, serum K declined to normal, and he was discharged on his previous medication. He was readmitted a few weeks later with a serum K of 8·6 mmol/L. Other routine laboratory findings were similar to those on the previous admission and the calculated serum osmolarity was the same. An early morning cortisol level was 458 nmol/L (normal range 138–635); aldosterone 55·5 pmol/L (supine normal range 28–446); and renin 0·36 ng/L per s (normal range 0·18–0·89). On re-treatment with sodium polystyrene sulphonate his serum K again returned to normal.
Analysis of Trends in Construction Research: 1985-2002

This paper provides a historical perspective on construction research trends as reflected in the American Society of Civil Engineer's Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (JCEM). The paper reports the results of an 18-year analysis of JCEM between 1985 and 2002. The analysis focused on such data as author information (affiliations and home countries), as well as the research topics of the technical papers. The paper summarizes the data extracted from the journal and use it to analyze construction research trends. Construction trends reveal that U.S. writers contributed the most papers by that there has been an increasing number of international submissions to the journal. The top research topical areas relate to scheduling, productivity, constructability, simulation, cost control, planning, safety, and computer systems as described in this paper show that research is increasing throughout the world and topics are changing as current needs change. However, there is a need to increase research collaboration between industry and academia, government and academia, and industry and government to advance the construction industry.
Embedding Field Research on Mentored Inclusive Recreation in an Urban Population—The Evolution of Opening Doors: Project Adventure

Community-based interventions have greater relevance and a greater chance of success and sustainability when the community is collaboratively involved in the research process. Opening Doors: Project Adventure is a research project designed to evaluate the impact of community-based inclusive recreation, using supportive mentoring, on children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs (CYDS). The project has a central goal of engaging CYDS who are members of underrepresented minorities, including those who face linguistic, cultural, and/or financial barriers to participation. In this article we describe the process of working with community partners and the lessons learned in the development and implementation of Project Adventure.
Knowledge-generation epistemology and the foundations of engineering

This paper suggests that the purpose (goal) and manner (method) of knowledge application and generation usefully distinguishes engineering and scientific knowledge. This method could be significantly useful in distinguishing the scientific and engineering components of engineering education, as well as underscored the centrality of social context to engineering work, and engineering values. This paper presents a brief exploration of the epistemology of knowledge, specifically distinguishing the development of scientific knowledge from the development of engineering knowledge. It outlines a pragmatic theory of knowledge which provides a means by which to reliably distinguish, particularly in a learning environment, the critical terms of `science', `engineering science' and `engineering.'
Five steps in the conversion of a large precursor RNA into bacteriophage proline and serine transfer RNAs.

We describe the nucleotide sequence derivation of the precursor RNA to bacteriophage T4 proline and serine transfer RNAs. Large oligonucleotide fragments obtained by limited digestion of the precursor RNA define the arrangement within the precursor RNA as 5′-proline tRNA-serine tRNA-3′. The nucleotide sequences of the transfer RNAs are also derived, in the Appendix for proline tRNA and in the accompanying paper by McClain et al. (1975) for serine tRNA. Comparisons of nucleotide sequences show that the precursor RNA lacks 3′ CCAOH residues of both transfer RNA species, indicating that these residues must be added enzymatically during precursor RNA maturation. The precursor RNA to bacteriophage T2 proline and serine tRNAs is nearly identical in nucleotide sequence to the T4 precursor RNA. The only difference is at the 3′ terminus where the CCAOH residues of serine tRNA are present in the T2 precursor RNA and are believed to be synthesized during transcription. We have characterized the enzymatic steps involved in the conversion of precursor RNA into proline and serine tRNAs. The studies rely on nucleotide sequence determinations of incompletely matured precursor RNAs that accumulate in Escherichia coli cells deficient in the enzymes associated with precursor RNA maturation. The combined results of previous and present studies permit us to propose the following pathway for the appearance of the transfer RNAs. The process is initiated by the addition of CCAOH to the 3′ terminus of the T4 precursor RNA through the combined action of an exonuclease and tRNA nucleotidyltransferase. Both enzymes are of host origin. The T4 precursor RNA intermediate generated by these reactions is identical to the T2 precursor RNA. T2 and T4 precursor RNAs terminating in CCAOH are then cleaved twice by the host enzyme ribonuclease P to yield two transfer RNA-size products that contain the 5′ termini of the transfer RNA species. The cleavage product derived from the 3′ end of the precursor RNA and terminating in CCAOH is serine tRNA; addition of a 2′-O-methyl group to this transfer RNA species represents the terminal step in the biosynthesis of serine tRNA. The second ribonuclease P cleavage product is a species of immature proline tRNA that lacks its 3′ CCAOH residues. Proline tRNA is then formed by the combined action of the exonuclease and tRNA nucleotidyltransferase.
Prolonged Bedrest During Pregnancy: Does the Risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis Warrant the Use of Routine Heparin Prophylaxis?

This is the first study to assess the risk of clinically apparent DVT in pregnant women placed in the hospital at prolonged bedrest. The outcome is discussed with reference to the risks associated with heparin. Information, including delivery data, length of hospital stay, and discharge diagnoses were extracted from a prospectively collected computerized data bank of all deliveries that occurred over a 5.5-year period at Long Beach Memorial Women's Hospital in Long Beach, California, and at St. Joseph's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One group consisted of all pregnant women who had been hospitalized at prolonged antepartum bedrest, as defined by 3 weeks or more. The other group consisted of the remaining population of women whose deliveries occurred during the same time period. There were 48,525 deliveries during the study period, and 266 (0.5%) women were hospitalized at prolonged antepartum bedrest. The mean number of days in the hospital for these women was 34.6 ± 14 (range 21–82 days). Of these women, one received prophylactic heparin for a prior history of DVT. There were no cases of DVT in the 265 women who did not receive heparin, risk = 0.0 (CI = 0.00–0.99). Of these 265 women, 234 were hospitalized up to the day of delivery. Of these 234 women, 154 (65.8%) underwent cesarean section and no case of DVT occurred in the postoperative period, risk = 0.0 (CI = 0.0–1.7). Out of the remaining 48,259 women who were not hospitalized at prolonged bedrest, there were 18 cases of clinically apparent DVT, and the longest antepartum hospitalization was 4 days. A conservative risk of complications with prophylactic heparin therapy is 1.0% or greater. Although the risk of DVT in pregnant women hospitalized at prolonged bedrest is not zero, our study indicates that it is very low (<1.0%). Whereas a risk of DVT of at least 1.0% could warrant heparin prophylaxis, even with 265 patients at prolonged bedrest and 48,525 controls, this risk could not be demonstrated. Using a power analysis with an alpha of 0.05 and a power of 80% to demonstrate this risk, one would need 247 cases and ∼49,000 controls, which were clearly achieved in this study. In view of the risks associated with heparin, routine antenatal prophylaxis is not recommended unless other risk factors for DVT are present. J. Matern.–Fetal Med. 6:264–267, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Epithelioid leiomyoma (Leiomyoblastoma) of the stomach

Two instances of gastric epithelioid leiomyoma (leiomyoblastoma) are reported, causing life threatening gastrointestinal haemorrhage in two elderly female patients. The surgical treatment, pathology and prognostic difficulties are presented.
Renal Ablation by Histotripsy—Does it Spare the Collecting System?

Purpose: The feasibility of histotripsy (transcutaneous nonthermal mechanical tissue fractionation) was previously demonstrated in an in vivo rabbit renal cortex model. We explored the spectrum of histotripsy bio-effects on different tissue types in an in vitro porcine kidney model.Materials and Methods: Using an 18 element focused annular array ultrasound system we performed histotripsy treatments in 5 in vitro porcine kidneys, targeting 7 cortical volumes and 17 tissue volumes bridging the cortex, medulla and/or collecting system. Treated areas were observed using ultrasound. In 5 lesions methylene blue was infused into the collecting system to evaluate the preservation of collecting system integrity. Kidneys were sectioned and examined grossly for evidence of tissue fractionation, ie the presence of histotripsy paste, or fixed in formalin and prepared for histological analysis.Results: Histotripsy of renal cortical tissue created tissue defects in the cortical area treated. Histotripsy targeting the re...
Effects of repeated TFM applications on riffle macroinvertebrate communities in four Great Lakes tributaries

As part of the sea lamprey control program in the Great Lakes, a suite of about 150 sea lamprey producing streams have been regularly treated with the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) every 3 to 5 years since 1958. State, provincial, and tribal agencies in the basin supported the use of TFM and urged that the risk to nontarget organisms be minimized. To determine the response of riffle macroinvertebrate communities to repeated TFM treatments over several years, paired samples were taken at control and treatment sites during 1986 to 1995 on four Great Lakes tributaries: the Bois Brule, West Branch Whitefish, Boardman, and Sturgeon (tributary to Cheboygan River system) rivers. Macroinvertebrates were collected in spring and fall by a standard traveling kick method. The communities were described with several metrics, and general linear models were used to test for different patterns of response in the paired control and treatment sites. Relative abundance of the class Oligochaeta, relative abundance of the genus Ephemerella, the Bray-Curtis similarity index (at the taxonomic level of order), EPT genus richness (the number of genera in the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera), and total genus richness all increased more at the treatment sites than at the control sites after TFM application. The greater increase in abundance, similarity, and richness at the treatment sites was an indication of recovery in the treatment sites, where a short-term response to TFM was followed by a several-year rebound. TFM treatments in this study during the 1980s and 1990s had no long-lasting effects on riffle macroinvertebrate communities.
Recent developments in weekly paclitaxel therapy in lung cancer.

Paclitaxel has undergone a remarkable evolution of schedule and dosage based on observed schedule-dependent toxicity and consequent improvement of therapeutic index. A weekly schedule of administration was originally developed to exploit opportunities for radiation synergy and was subsequently explored without radiation to evaluate the potential for reduced toxicity. Three weekly schedules have emerged: paclitaxel 50 mg/m2/wk with concurrent radiation, paclitaxel 80 to 90 mg/m2/wk as a dose-dense schedule without radiation, and paclitaxel 150 to 175 mg/m2/wk as a doseintensive schedule. The efficacy of these schedules, their integration as combination treatment with chemotherapy and nonchemotherapeutic agents, and their role are the subjects of substantial investigation.
Intermarriage of Frontier Immigrant, Religious and Residential Groups: An Examination of Macrostructural Assimilation

Intermarriage among heterogeneous social groups has often been studied as a process of assimilation. The present paper extends this research through a unique application of macro-structural propositions of intermarriage (Blau et al., 1982) to a nineteenth century American frontier population. Variants of these propositions are presented, used to address age patterns of nuptiality, and tested through a longitudinal application. Results support the utility of macro-structural theories in analyses encompassing initial community formation as well as assimilation of later arriving immigrants. Analyses illustrate both the assimilation of initially arriving immigrant groups on the frontier and the initial emergence of new heterogeneities in the established native population and later arriving immigrants.
Public Perceptions of Compact Suburbia in Progressive, Burgeoning Communities

Northwest Arkansas has a burgeoning population, and its suburbs need to become denser to accommodate in-migration sustainably. A sample of the region's public responded to housing development at 10 units per acre, as demonstrated by a physical model. Only around a quarter reacted favourably but, at the same time, the respondents were uniformly supportive of regional sustainability objectives that require greater suburban density. Recognition of the link between greater suburban density and regional sustainability tended to be associated with support for compaction, and acceptance of the spatial characteristics of denser suburbs was strongly associated with support for its implementation. Public support for denser suburbs in this region, and burgeoning areas elsewhere, could be improved if the link to regional sustainability is clarified and exemplars are used to demonstrate liveable, high quality precedents.
Height Distribution of Locust Borer Attacks (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Black Locust

Black locust trees ( Robinia pseudoacacia L.) of variable age and height were studied in relation to vertical distribution of larval tunnels made by the locust borer, Megacyllene robiniae (Forster), in Maryland. Tunnel concentrations were negatively correlated with height above ground level and with bolt diameter. With greater tree size, attacks were concentrated higher on the main trunks. However, upper extremities of trees of all sizes and ages were lightly attacked.
Natural frequencies of a beam considering support characteristics

Abstract The effect of support compliance on the natural frequencies of a built-in beam are investigated. Upper and lower bounds for the dynamic support stiffness are prated. The results obtained by using these bounds are compared to experimentally obtained results. The dynamic effect of support mass is also investigated.
Quantification of tumor changes during neoadjuvant chemotherapy with longitudinal breast DCE-MRI registration

Imaging plays a central role in the evaluation of breast tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Image-based assessment of tumor change via deformable registration is a powerful, quantitative method potentially to explore novel information of tumor heterogeneity, structure, function, and treatment response. In this study, we continued a previous pilot study to further validate the feasibility of an open source deformable registration algorithm DRAMMS developed within our group as a means to analyze spatio-temporal tumor changes for a set of 14 patients with DCE-MR imaging. Two experienced breast imaging radiologists marked landmarks according to their anatomical meaning on image sets acquired before and during chemotherapy. Yet, chemotherapy remarkably changed the anatomical structure of both tumor and normal breast tissue, leading to significant discrepancies between both raters for landmarks in certain areas. Therefore, we proposed a novel method to grade the manually denoted landmarks into different challenge levels based on the inter-rater agreement, where a high level indicates significant discrepancies and considerable amounts of anatomical structure changes, which would indeed impose giant problem for the following registration algorithm. It is interesting to observe that DRAMMS performed in a similar manner as the human raters: landmark errors increased as inter-rater differences rose. Among all selected six deformable registration algorithms, DRAMMS achieves the highest overall accuracy, which is around 5.5 mm, while the average difference between human raters is 3 mm. Moreover, DRAMMS performed consistently well within both tumor and normal tissue regions. Lastly, we comprehensively tuned the fundamental parameters of DRAMMS to better understand DRAMMS to guide similar works in the future. Overall, we further validated that DRAMMS is a powerful registration tool to accurately quantify tumor changes and potentially predict early tumor response to chemotherapy. Therefore, future studies that aim at examining if DRAMMS can generate valuable biomarkers for tumor response prediction during chemotherapy become feasible.
Opportunistic beamforming in a downlink distributed antenna system with linear receivers

Distributed antenna systems provide efficient utilization of the spatial degrees of freedom by processing signals on geographically separated remote radio units. In such systems, the heterogeneous large scale channel effects caused by the distributed located nature complicate the design of opportunistic scheduling schemes and the related issues of limited feedback and exploitation of multiuser diversity. In this paper, we propose and analyze opportunistic beamforming schemes with linear receiver design in a downlink distributed antenna system where the remote radio units serve as virtual transmit antenna array. When each user is equipped with one receive antenna, a single-beam scheme and a multi-beam scheme are proposed and the closed form sum rate is derived. When multiple receive antennas are available, we analyze the multi-beam opportunistic scheme jointly in conjunction with receiver design approaches such as selection combining and linear MMSE receiver. The asymptotic (in users) approximations of the sum rate with linear receivers are derived using asymptotic analysis.
Effect of Pituitary Adrenotropic Hormone on Cholesterol Content of Rat Adrenal Glands.

SummaryPituitary adrenotropic hormone produces a distinct lowering of the adrenal cholesterol level 3 hours after injection of 2 mg into 24-day-old male rats; repeated injections over a period of 3 days results in an increase in adrenal cholesterol concentration above that of control animals.
Genetics of reproductive lifespan

Five genome-wide association studies of the timing of menarche and menopause have now taken us beyond the range of candidate gene and linkage studies. The list of new genetic associations identified for these two traits should shed light on the mechanisms of ovarian aging, as well as breast cancer and other diseases associated with reproductive lifespan.
Functional expression of mammalian myosin I beta: analysis of its motor activity.

The motor function of vertebrate unconventional myosins is not well understood. In this study, we initiated the baculovirus expression system to characterize a novel myosin I from bovine adrenal gland that we had previously cloned [Zhu, T., & Ikebe, M. (1994) FEBS Lett. 339, 31−36], which is classified as myosin Iβ. The expressed myosin Iβ was well extracted when calmodulin was coexpressed in Sf9 cells. The recombinant myosin Iβ cosedimented with actin in an ATP dependent manner. The purified myosin Iβ was composed of one heavy chain and three calmodulins. The electron microscopic image of myosin Iβ confirmed its single-headed structure with a short tail, which is similar to that of brush border myosin I (BBMI). Myosin Iβ showed high K+,EDTA−ATPase activity (∼0.14 μmol/min/mg) and Ca2+-ATPase activity (∼0.32 μmol/min/mg), and the KCl/pH dependence of these activities was different from that of conventional myosin. Mg2+-ATPase activity of myosin Iβ alone was increased above pCa 6, while the actin dependent...
Modeling workflow to design machine translation applications for public health practice

Display Omitted Participatory design was used to model translation processes and inform the design of a public health translation tool.Time and language limitations are barriers to providing multilingual materials for limited English proficiency groups.Translation work is distributed, episodic and involves multiple quality assurance steps.A collaborative machine translation system may provide an efficient way to create public health multilingual materials. ObjectiveProvide a detailed understanding of the information workflow processes related to translating health promotion materials for limited English proficiency individuals in order to inform the design of context-driven machine translation (MT) tools for public health (PH). Materials and methodsWe applied a cognitive work analysis framework to investigate the translation information workflow processes of two large health departments in Washington State. Researchers conducted interviews, performed a task analysis, and validated results with PH professionals to model translation workflow and identify functional requirements for a translation system for PH. ResultsThe study resulted in a detailed description of work related to translation of PH materials, an information workflow diagram, and a description of attitudes towards MT technology. We identified a number of themes that hold design implications for incorporating MT in PH translation practice. A PH translation tool prototype was designed based on these findings. DiscussionThis study underscores the importance of understanding the work context and information workflow for which systems will be designed. Based on themes and translation information workflow processes, we identified key design guidelines for incorporating MT into PH translation work. Primary amongst these is that MT should be followed by human review for translations to be of high quality and for the technology to be adopted into practice. ConclusionThe time and costs of creating multilingual health promotion materials are barriers to translation. PH personnel were interested in MT's potential to improve access to low-cost translated PH materials, but expressed concerns about ensuring quality. We outline design considerations and a potential machine translation tool to best fit MT systems into PH practice.
The Four-Electrode Resistivity Technique as Applied to Cardiac Muscle

Cardiac tissue consists of two conducting regions, the intracellular and the interstitial, which are separated by a plasma membrane. It therefore constitutes a bidomain, as distinct from a single (monodomain) conducting region. Each cardiac domain is anisotropic.
Observation of the Formation of the 0 π Pulse

We have measured with 0.5-psec resolution the reshaping of small-area 7-psec laser pulses to $0\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulses due to their passage through an optically thick sodium cell. The reshaped pulses have a picosecond oscillatory structure characteristic of $0\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulses that extends over more than 100 psec. These observations are compared in detail with the predictions of theory and good agreement is obtained
Global Issues in Curriculum Development

(1994). Global issues in curriculum development. Peabody Journal of Education: Vol. 69, Our Evolving Curriculum, Part II, pp. 131-140.
Using Final Ends for the Sake of Better Policy-Making

AbstractThis paper argues that in order responsibly to make and to evaluate public policies, including development policies, we should think in terms of final ends. This means going beyond simply listing the important goods (or dimensions of goodness or well-being) that we are about by laying out, as best we can, which of them we seek for the sake of which. The paper analyses what it is to seek something for the sake of something else, and thereby the idea of a final end, sought for its own sake, and distinguishes that idea from that of intrinsic (unconditional) goodness. It then illustrates the deliberative power of thinking in terms of final ends in three disparate development-related contexts: that of developing an overall, capabilities-based indicator of well-being; that of project evaluation; and that of addressing a broad policy issue. Reasonable debate about what is to be sought for the sake of what is possible. Only if we attempt to settle what is to be sought for the sake of what do we begin to a...
Determination of nitrogen-fixing phylotypes in Lyngbya sp. and Microcoleus chthonoplastes cyanobacterial mats from Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico.

In many environments, biological nitrogen fixation can alleviate nitrogen limitation. The high rates of N2 fixation often observed in cyanobacterial mats suggest that N2 fixation may be an important source of N. In this study, organisms expressing nifH were identified in a Lyngbya sp.- and two Microcoleus chthonoplastes-dominated cyanobacterial mats. The pattern of nitrogenase activity was determined for the Lyngbya sp. mat and a Microcoleus chthonoplastes mat sampled directly in Guerrero Negro, Mexico. Their maximum rates were 23 and 15 μmol of C2H4 m−2 h−1, respectively. The second Microcoleus mat, which was maintained in a greenhouse facility, had a maximum rate of 40 μmol of C2H4 m−2 h−1. The overall diel pattern of nitrogenase activity in the three mats was similar, with the highest rates of activity occurring during the dark period. Analysis of nifH transcripts by reverse transcription-PCR revealed that several different organisms were expressing nifH during the dark period. nifH phylotypes recovered from these mats were similar to sequences from the unicellular cyanobacterial genera Halothece, Myxosarcina, and Synechocystis, the filamentous cyanobacterial genera Plectonema and Phormidium, and several bacterial nifH groups. The results of this study indicate that several different organisms, some of which were not previously known to fix nitrogen, are likely to be responsible for the observed dark-period nitrogenase activity in these cyanobacterial mats.
Cyclostratigraphic record of the Triassic: a critical examination

High frequency (fourth- and fifth-order) cyclicity is a common feature of sedimentary sequencesinalldepositionalsettings.Whiletectonismandautocyclicprocessesare clearlyrespon- sible for this cyclicity in some instances, many cases are interpreted as resulting from orbitally forced variations in solar insolation at the Milankovitch frequencies, that is, the precession and short and long eccentricity cycles at scales of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. This forcing is presumed to have controlled sedimentation through periodic changes in climate or sea-level. Examples of interpreted Milankovitch-frequency cyclicity occur throughout the Triassic record, and include much of the German Triassic, the Alpine Triassic and the Newark Supergroup of North America. The cyclostratigraphy of these sections has been used as a tool for intrabasinal and interbasinal correlation, and for chronostratigraphy. These interpretations are not always without controversy, however, as conceptual arguments and radio-isotopic age data have called some of these conclusions into question. The stratigraphic record is inherently cyclical, but the scale of this cyclicity varies in scale from the outcrop to the continental. The largest scale, or first- order cycles are those that are truly continental in scope, as they are thought to record changes in sea- level caused by the operation of the Wilson cycle at a scale of hundreds of millions of years (Prothero 1990; Jacquin & Graciansky 1998). Second-order cycles, corresponding to the sedimentary sequences of Sloss (1963), last from tens of millions up to one hundred million years, and are generally considered the result of long-term trends in eustasy, potentially in direct proportion to the activity of the mid-ocean ridges. The cause of the third-order sea-level cycles, of millions of years duration, is not well understood; these cycles are often apparent at the basin scale and may be related to short-term tectonic activity. Higher frequency fourth- and fifth-order cycles frequently are evident at the outcrop scale. Fourth-order cycles include the classic cyclothems of the Carboniferous (e.g. Heckel 1986) and have periods in the range of hundreds of thousands of years,whilefifth-order cyclesoperate at frequencies of tens of thousands of years. These high-frequency (fourth- and fifth-order) cycles are often referred to as Milankovitch cycles due to the match of their interpretedperiodswiththecalculatedMilankovitch orbital frequences. It is these high-frequency cycles thatarethefocusofmuchmoderncyclostratigraphy, and the record and application of these cycles in the Triassic system is the focus of this chapter.
Application of Crystal Lattice Disintegration Criteria to Compute Minimum Shock Induced Reactive Conditions in Solid Explosives and Inert Materials

A threshold particle velocity criteria derived by E.R. Fitzgerald for the beginning of crystal lattice breakup and disintegration has been applied to shocked explosives and an inert material. In shocked explosives, reactions leading to detonation occur above a certain “threshold” magnitude. The computed crystal lattice breakup shock pressures compare rather well with observed experimental “threshold” shock pressures for six high explosives. The six explosives are: Comp-B3, Comp-B, TNT, PBX-9404, Tetryl, and H-6. In addition, the crystal lattice breakup criteria provides an explanation for the observed lowering of the detonation “threshold” shock pressure as the explosives are made more porous or less dense. Finally, the shock pressures, at which output from thermocouples embedded in shocked materials (PBX-9404 and Plexiglass) increases dramatically, compare favorably with predictions based on crystal lattice disintegration criteria. Consequently, it is tentatively concluded that crystal lattice breakup, or self-sustained phonon fission as Fitzgerald calls it, is responsible for the initiation of detonation in shocked explosives and enhanced thermocouple output in shocked materials. It is also postulated that the lattice breakup phenomena is also responsible for phase changes, increased chemical reactivity, and anomalous electrical activity which are observed in certain inert materials under relatively low level shock loading.
Palivizumab for respiratory syncytial virus prophylaxis in high-risk infants: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Abstract Background: Prophylactic therapy with palivizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, has been shown to reduce the number of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—related hospitalizations in preterm infants. The cost-effectiveness of this therapy has not been evaluated from the provider's perspective using cost data. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the cost per RSV infection episode avoided by using prophylactic palivizumab therapy in a high-risk infant population and to determine whether certain subgroups of infants derived greater benefit from prophylactic therapy. Methods: A decision-analytic model simulating an RSV infection episode was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of palivizumab prophylaxis from the perspective of the health care system (provider). Data to populate the model were gathered from the medical literature (identified through a MEDLINE® search of studies on the incidence of RSV infection) and the IMpact-RSV clinical trial. Data included incidence of RSV infection and the associated health care resource use and costs. Costs to the provider were determined using a university-affiliated hospital cost-accounting system. Cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated over a range of RSV infection incidence rates in a control population. Sensitivity analyses were performed for the cost of palivizumab therapy, the cost of RSV-related hospitalization, and the number of emergency department, physician office, and home health care visits. For the subgroup analysis, infants were classified by gestational age ( Results: The cost per additional RSV infection episode avoided ranged from $0 (cost savings) to $39,591 for palivizumab prophylaxis costs of $2500 and from $2702 to $79,706 for palivizumab prophylaxis costs of $4500. The model was insensitive to changes in the number of emergency department, physician office, and home health care visits. The difference in RSV incidence between the treatment and control groups was greater among infants ≥32 weeks' gestational age than among infants Conclusions: The incremental cost-effectiveness of palivizumab compared with no prophylactic therapy was sensitive to changes in the incidence of RSV infection in control infants, the average cost of RSV hospitalization, and the cost of palivizumab. Clinicians may use this information along with additional factors to determine whether palivizumab is cost-effective in their clinical setting and geographic area.
Faith-Based Organizations as Service Providers and Their Relationship to Government

The welfare reforms initiated in the 1990s prompted increased discussion of the use of faith-based organizations for the provision of social services. This is the second of two articles examining t...
Parallel EST clustering

Expressed sequence tags, abbreviated ESTs, are DNA fragments experimentally derived from expressed portions of genes. Clustering of ESTs is essential for gene recognition and understanding important genetic variations such as those resulting in diseases. In this paper, we present the design and development of a parallel software system for EST clustering. The novel features of our approach include 1) space efficient algorithms to keep the space requirement linear in the size of the input data set, 2) a combination of algorithmic techniques to reduce the total work without sacrificing the quality of EST clustering, and 3) use of parallel processing to reduce the run-time and facilitate the clustering of large data sets. Using a combination of these techniques, we report the clustering of 50,000 maize ESTs in 16 minutes on a 32-processor IBM SP. To our knowledge, this is the first effort in building a parallel software system for EST clustering.
The setting of the Mt. Carmel caves reassessed

Abstract Four caves on the SW flank of Mt. Carmel, es Skhul, el Wad, el Jaml and et Tabun, were first excavated in the 1930s by a team led by Dorothy Garrod. They yielded human remains whose age and evolutionary status remain controversial partly because the complexity of the cave deposits invites conflicting interpretations. The abrasion of artefacts and pebbles in el Wad and es Skhul, which was originally ascribed to spring flow within the caves, is explained here by wave action, with the implication that during part of the Middle Palaeolithic the caves were on the shoreline rather than being separated from it—as they now are—by several kilometres of coastal plain and a height difference of some 45 m. U-series, thermoluminescence (TL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) dating suggests that this occurred about 120,000 years ago, when sea level in the eastern Mediterranean stood 5–6 m above its present position. It follows that Mt. Carmel has subsequently undergone some 40 m of uplift. During the period of maximum submergence, the coastal route between Africa and the northern Mediterranean would have been partly blocked, but the loss of the coastal plain for transit and as a source of animal food was offset by easier access from the caves to marine resources.
Restrained domination in graphs

Abstract In this paper, we initiate the study of a variation of standard domination, namely restrained domination. Let G =( V , E ) be a graph. A restrained dominating set is a set S ⊆ V where every vertex in V − S is adjacent to a vertex in S as well as another vertex in V − S . The restrained domination number of G , denoted by γ r ( G ), is the smallest cardinality of a restrained dominating set of G . We determine best possible upper and lower bounds for γ r ( G ), characterize those graphs achieving these bounds and find best possible upper and lower bounds for γ r (G)+γ r ( G ) where G is a connected graph. Finally, we give a linear algorithm for determining γ r ( T ) for any tree and show that the decision problem for γ r ( G ) is NP-complete even for bipartite and chordal graphs.
Analysis of responses to angiotensin II in the mouse.

Responses to angiotensin II (Ang II) were investigated in anaesthetised CD1 mice. Injections of Ang II caused dose-related increases in systemic arterial pressure that were antagonised by candesartan. Responses to Ang II were not altered by PD 123319. At the lowest dose studied (20 µg/kg i.v.), the inhibitory effects of candesartan were competitive, whereas at the highest dose (100 µg/kg i.v.), the dose-response curve for Ang II was shifted to the right in a non-parallel manner. The inhibitory effects of candesartan were selective and were similar in animals pretreated with enalaprilat to reduce endogenous Ang II production. Pressor responses to Ang II were not altered by propranolol, phentolamine or atropine, but were enhanced by hexamethonium. Increases in total peripheral resistance were inhibited by the AT1-receptor antagonist (ARB) but were not altered by AT2-receptor, alpha- or beta-receptor antagonists. These results suggest that pressor responses to Ang II are mediated by AT 1-receptors, are buffered by the baroreceptors, are not modulated by effects on AT2receptors, and that activation of the sympathetic nervous system plays little role in mediating rapid haemodynamic responses to the peptide in anaesthetised mice.
Effect of lidocaine administered intravenously during ether anesthesia.

SUMMARY Twenty patients were anesthetized with ether to a level of plane 3 of surgical anesthesia. Lidocaine (150 mg) was administered intravenously 27 times to these patients, and resulted in apnea on eight occasions. In the other 19 observations the lidocaine administration produced a reduction of mean alveolar ventilation from 136% to 70% of the calculated requirements. The apparent improvement in respiratory pattern which had been observed following lidocaine administration during ether anesthesia was not due to increased ventilation, but rather due to the quiet respiration resulting from further respiratory depression. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG 20 Patienten wurden mit Ather in die dritte Stufe des Toleranzstadiums narkotisiert. 150 mg Lidocain wurde 27-mal intravenos an diese Patienten verabreicht, wobei 8-mal eine Apnoe resultierte. Bei den anderen 19 Beobachtungen verursachte die Lidocainverabreichung eine Herabsetzung der mittleren Alveolarventilation von 136% auf 70% des kalkulierten Wertes. Die scheinbare Verbesserung der Atmung, die nach Lidocainverabreichung wahrend der Athernarkose beobachtet worden war, entspricht also nicht einer vermehrten Ventilation, sondern eher einer ruhigen Atmung als Folge einer weiteren Atemdepression.
Biology of human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancer.

Recent data show that human papillomavirus–positive oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) has a distinct biological and clinical behavior compared with human papillomavirus–negative OPC. As this subset of head and neck cancer represents an increasing public health concern, a thorough understanding of the causative and mechanistic differences between these diseases and how these distinctions impact clinical treatment is required. In this review, we will summarize recent data in epidemiology, the mechanism of viral carcinogenesis and differences in tumor biology that may provide insights to improve the clinical management of patients with human papillomavirus–positive OPC.
Severe impairment of leukocyte rolling in venules of core 2 glucosaminyltransferase–deficient mice

Leukocyte capture and rolling are mediated by selectins expressed on leukocytes (L-selectin) and the vascular endothelium (P- and E-selectin). To investigate the role of core 2 beta1-6-N-glucosaminyltransferase (C2GlcNAcT-I) for synthesis of functional selectin ligands in vivo, leukocyte rolling flux and velocity were studied in venules of untreated and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha)-pretreated autoperfused cremaster muscles of C2GlcNAcT-I-deficient (core 2(-/-)) and littermate control mice. In untreated core 2(-/-) mice, leukocyte rolling was dramatically reduced with markedly increased rolling velocities (81 +/- 4 microm/s vs 44 +/- 3 microm/s). The reduced rolling in core 2(-/-) mice was due mainly to severely impaired binding of P-selectin to P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1). Some rolling remained after blocking PSGL-1 in controls but not in core 2(-/-) mice. In TNFalpha-pretreated mice, rolling was markedly reduced in core 2(-/-) mice owing to impaired P-selectin- and E-selectin-mediated rolling. Rolling velocities in core 2(-/-) mice treated with an E-selectin-blocking monoclonal antibody (59 +/- 4 microm/s) were significantly higher than in controls (14 +/- 1 microm/s), which provides further evidence for the severe impairment in P-selectin-mediated rolling. In conclusion, P-selectin ligands including PSGL-1 are largely C2GlcNAcT-I dependent. In addition, E-selectin-mediated rolling in vivo is partially dependent on the targeted C2GlcNAcT-I. (Blood. 2001;97:3812-3819)