cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term hospitalization of failure-to-thrive infants: developmental outcome at three years

The present study documented later developmental outcome in a group of 29 failure-to-thrive (FTT) infants who received extended hospitalization in infancy as an intervention for their growth failure. All infants were seen at approximately 3 years of age and were given standardized assessments of intellectual and physical development. A standard interview documented demographic variables, health problems, placements subsequent to hospitalization and additional psychological and medical treatment. Infants were divided into three groups dependent on medical and treatment factors. Means and percentages of occurrence of outcome variables were compared through either one-way ANOVAS or single sample chi-square tests with post hoc analyses. Correlational analyses were used to understand the relationships between outcome and relevant demographic, medical, and treatment variables. In general, the infants manifest persistent intellectual delays at follow-up despite maintenance of weight gains achieved during early hospitalization. More than half the group suffered from chronic health problems. A large percentage of infants had been removed from parental custody at the time of follow-up. Several demographic, medical, and treatment factors bore moderate relationships to developmental outcome. Infants who achieved more optimal growth tended to be full-term at birth, later born and without a question of physical abuse in their social histories. Intellectual functioning was related only to parental and caretaker socioeconomic status. Infants placed in foster care were unlikely to return to their families of origin. The findings suggest the need for further investigation into the determinants and outcome of extended hospitalization as a treatment for FTT.
Tertiary Sector Hypertrophy during Development: An Examination of Regional Variation

Third World countries are evidencing a dramatic growth of informal services that has made the size of their tertiary sector relative to the secondary considerably larger than that observed historically in the now industrialized countries. Although this phenomenon of tertiary sector hypertrophy has received much attention in the literature, the possibility of regional variation within the Third World has been relatively unexplored. It is argued that there are strong rationales for expecting a spatial variation in the sectoral partitioning of labor and in tertiary sector hypertrophy, and that the experiences of less developed countries cannot be generalized. Empirical analysis using 1980 data from 108 countries shows that countries in Africa exhibited the highest levels of tertiary hypertrophy at a given income level, followed by Asia and Latin America. Regional differences are apparent in the income level at which the maximum hypertrophy is observed. It is suggested that analyses of structural changes in d...
WHY PHOTOGRAPHY MATTERS TO THE THEORY OF HISTORY

Georges Didi-Huberman's study is concerned with epistemological and ethical questions that arise from visual representations of the Shoah, while Michael Fried's is concerned with the ontological possibilities explored by contemporary art photography. The books have two things in common: an argument against postmodern skepticism, and an insistence that photography has become a field in which questions of history, truth, and authenticity are being explored with particular acuity. Rather than reject even the possibility that photographs have something to tell us about the Shoah, Didi-Huberman shows that they can offer important insights into the difficulties and the possibilities of apprehending some aspects of the past. Fried shows that contemporary photographic work has taken on the ambitions of high modernism by accepting the challenge of “to-be-seenness.” Photography as a “historical practice” does not escape from the difficulties of evidence and of the “constructed” nature of historical understanding; photography functions neither as a pure trace of the past, nor as a mere invitation to spectacle.
Pancreas++: automated quantification of pancreatic islet cells in microscopy images.

The microscopic image analysis of pancreatic Islet of Langerhans morphology is crucial for the investigation of diabetes and metabolic diseases. Besides the general size of the islet, the percentage and relative position of glucagon-containing alpha-, and insulin-containing beta-cells is also important for pathophysiological analyses, especially in rodents. Hence, the ability to identify, quantify and spatially locate peripheral and ‘involuted’ alpha-cells in the islet core is an important analytical goal. There is a dearth of software available for the automated and sophisticated positional-quantification of multiple cell types in the islet core. Manual analytical methods for these analyses, while relatively accurate, can suffer from a slow throughput rate as well as user-based biases. Here we describe a newly developed pancreatic islet analytical software program, Pancreas++, which facilitates the fully-automated, non-biased, and highly reproducible investigation of islet area and alpha- and beta-cell quantity as well as position within the islet for either single or large batches of fluorescent images. We demonstrate the utility and accuracy of Pancreas++ by comparing its performance to other pancreatic islet size and cell type (alpha, beta) quantification methods. Our Pancreas++ analysis was significantly faster than other methods, while still retaining low error rates and a high degree of result correlation with the manually generated reference standard.
The chemistry of gallium deposition on Si(001) from trimethylgallium: an atomically resolved STM study

Abstract The chemistry of trimethylgallium (TMG, Ga(CH 3 ) 3 ) and its dissociation fragments on the Si(001) surface has been studied using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The products of TMG dissociation are identified by their bonding location with respect to the underlying Si(001) lattice, by bias-dependent imaging and from detailed counting statistics. TMG dissociates at room temperature, yielding a methyl group and a dimethylgallium fragment which bind to the surface. The Ga(CH 3 ) 2 groups produced by TMG dissociation are somewhat mobile at room temperature but are bonded more strongly near surface defects. Further dissociation yields gallium atoms on the surface, but no additional methyl groups. It is proposed that this second stage of reaction involves an intramolecular reaction to produce ethane, which desorbs into the gas phase, and gallium atoms. The gallium atoms are observed to arrange into single rows of gallium dimers which bind epitaxially on the Si surface. Heating the surface to 150°C completely decomposes the DMG fragments, yielding Ga atoms and CH 3 groups.
Procaine Amide Against Re-Entrant Ventricular Arrhythmias Lengthening R-V Intervals of Coupled Ventricular Premature Depolarizations as an Insight into the Mechanism of Action of Procaine Amide

Nine patients with coupled ventricular premature depolarizations (VPDs) were treated with intravenous procaine amide to abolish the arrhythmia. The effect of procaine amide on the electrocardiogram was carefully observed. Seven patients were treated with intermittent intravenous therapy-100 mg of procaine amide was injected every five minutes-and two were treated by constant intravenous infusion-200 µg/min/kg body weight; blood for plasma procaine amide concentration was obtained 4.5 to 5 min after each dose. As the cumulative dose of procaine amide increased, plasma drug concentration increased and the frequency of coupled VPDs progressively decreased. Moreover, in every patient an interesting electrocardiographic phenomenon was observed: as plasma drug concentration increased, the coupling interval progressively increased until the arrhythmia was completely abolished. A hypothesis for procaine amide9s antiarrhythmic action is offered based on this new observation. This hypothesis suggests that procaine amide prolongs conduction in the depressed portion of a re-entrant pathway such that conduction is further delayed and block finally occurs, thereby terminating the arrhythmia.
An iterative method for radiative transfer is a slab with specularly reflecting boundary

The purpose of this paper is to present an iterative scheme for solving the radiative-transfer equation in a scattering, absorbing and emitting slab with specularly reflecting boundary. The medium under consideration is anisotropic, nonhomogeneous and azimuthally unsymmetric, and the boundary surface can be either transparent or reflecting. A novelty of this scheme is that it leads to an explicit recursion formula for the determination of the solution as well as an error estimate for the iterations. The recursion formula involves straightforward integrations of a well-behaved function and can be used to calculate numerical results by using a computer. It is shown that the sequence of iterations from the recursion formula converges uniformly to a unique positive solution of the problem, so that this method also gives an existence and uniqueness theorem.
Quorum sensing and multidrug transporters in Escherichia coli

Previously, we found that the quorum sensing transcription factor SdiA up-regulates AcrAB. Others found that a 4-quinolone was a quorum-sensing signal in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In Escherichia coli, there are at least three multidrug transporters (AcrAB/TolC, MdfA, and NorE) that exude fluoroquinolones. Here, we show that DeltaacrAB, tolC210, or DeltanorE mutants have the same growth rate as WT cells in exponential phase but grow to higher cell density in stationary phase. Overproduction of either pump caused cells to reach lower density. mdfA had no effect. Conditioned medium (CM) from cells overexpressing acrAB represses cell growth more than CM from WT cells. CM from pump mutant cells represses cell growth less than CM from WT cells. These results were not affected by the deletion of luxS, which synthesizes the quorum-sensing signal autoinducer 2 (AI-2). Expression of the rpoS gene encoding the stationary phase sigma factor is induced earlier in cells overexpressing acrAB and later in acrAB mutant cells. These results support a model in which a natural function of AcrAB/TolC and NorE is to export signals for cell-cell communication. Drugs exported by pumps may resemble communication molecules normally exuded.
Ether-Based Electrolytes for the Lithium/Oxygen Organic Electrolyte Battery

The practical operation of a lithium/oxygen organic electrolyte battery depends on a significant amount of dissolved oxygen transporting through the organic electrolyte permeating the carbon black cathode before its reduction occurs. The rate of oxygen transport directly influences rate capability and discharge capacity. The organic electrolyte can be tailored to maximize the transport of oxygen while still retaining the ability to form a stable solid electrolyte interface with the lithium anode, chemical stability towards the discharge products Li 2 O 2 and Li 2 O, and oxidative stability to over 3 V. We investigated an ether-based electrolyte containing four different electrolyte salts to determine how electrolyte properties such as oxygen solubility, dynamic viscosity, and conductivity change with each electrolyte salt, and how this directly affects rate capability and discharge capacity. The results indicate that discharge capacity at 0.5 mA/cm 2 is determined by dynamic viscosity alone for these electrolytes, while discharge capacity at 0.2 and 0.05 mA/cm 2 shows no correlation with either oxygen solubility, dynamic viscosity, or conductivity. Our results demonstrate that a substantial improvement in rate capability can be achieved by optimizing electrolyte viscosity.
Inhibition of histamine-induced airway constriction by ascorbic acid

Abstract We studied the effect of ascorbic acid on histamine-induced airway constriction in 17 healthy subjects; we also investigated its effect on guinea pig tracheal strips in vitro . Ventilatory function was measured by recording partial expiratory flow-volume (PEFV) curves on which maximum flow rates at 50 per cent VC and at 25 per cent VC were calculated. Following oral administration of 500 mg. ascorbic acid, the mean reductions of V max at 50 per cent VC and V max at 25 per cent VC after histamine inhalation were significantly smaller in comparison with placebo administration (P in vitro relaxations of tracheal strips by ascorbic acid were reduced by 2.5 μg propranolol. Ascorbic acid probably has a direct effect on airway smooth muscle; in the guinea pig trachea its effect may be mediated by γ-adrenergic receptors.
Effects of a Simulated Agricultural Runoff Event on Sediment Toxicity in a Managed Backwater Wetland

We examined the effects of an amended mixture of three pesticides, atrazine (72.7 g), S-metolachlor (54.5 g), and permethrin (both cis and trans isomers; 11.4 g), on 10-day sediment toxicity to Hyalella azteca in a managed natural backwater wetland after a simulated agricultural runoff event. Sediment samples were collected at 10, 40, 100, 300, and 500 m from inflow 13 days prior to amendment and 1, 5, 12, 22, and 36 days post-amendment. Background pesticide concentrations ranged from <1 to 977, <1 to 119, and <1 to 2 μg kg−1, for atrazine, S-metolachlor, and permethrin, respectively. Average post-amendment atrazine and S-metolachlor were 2,915–3,927 and 3–20 μg kg−1, respectively at 10–40 m and 538–872 and <1 μg kg−1, respectively at 300–500 m. Average post-amendment permethrin was 65–200 μg kg−1 at 10–40 m and 1–10 μg kg−1 at 300–500 m. H. azteca 10-day survival varied spatially and temporally up to 100 m from inflow. Animal growth, independent of survival, was reduced 40 and 100 m from inflow on day 36, showing continued sediment toxicity of up to 100 m from inflow more than 1 month after amendment. Animal survival and growth were unaffected at 300 and 500 m from inflow throughout the study period. Correlations of pesticide concentrations and H. azteca responses indicated that observed sediment toxicity was primarily from permethrin with potential additional synergistic toxicity from atrazine and methyl parathion. Study results indicate that natural backwater wetlands can be managed to ameliorate pesticide mixture 10-day sediment toxicity to H. azteca within 300 m of inflow and smaller wetlands (≤100 m) may require several months of effluent retention to mitigate effects.
Thrust Vectoring Design Project at Six Universities: Part II — Impact on Student Learning and Lessons Learned

Undergraduate students of six universities participated in a design and build outreach program sponsored by the US Air Force during the 2011–2012 academic year. The goal was to design and build a thrust vectoring system for a small jet engine (about 20 pounds of thrust). Student and professor exit surveys were taken with almost all participants contributing to these surveys. Based on the survey results and the professors’ insights, learning outcomes and student impact are assessed. In addition, any other lessons learned during this extensive project-based learning activity are described.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Use of a chiral surfactant for enantioselective reduction of a ketone.

Abstract The influence of a chiral surfactant and a polymer-supported chiral additive on reduction of ketones using sodium borohydride will be described. Initial preparations involved methylation of ( S )-leucinol to give (2 S )- N , N -dimethyl-2-amino-4-methyl-1-pentanol (1) (67%). The chiral surfactant (2) was synthesized by reacting (1) with bromohexadecane (71%). The functionalized styrene for the polymer-supported chiral additive (5) was synthesized by reacting (1) with 4-vinylbenzyl chloride. Polymerization was carried out with 10% of the functionalized monomer (4) , 5% cross-linking agent divinylbenzene, and 85% styrene with AIBN as the initiator. The activity of the chiral surfactant and polymeric additive were examined by using them as additives in a standard reduction of 2-pentanone with sodium borohydride to yield ( R )- and ( S )-2-pentanol (3) (20%). The resulting alcohol was analyzed by polarimetry (ee 9.5%) and also esterified with (2 S )-methylbutyric acid prior to characterization by NMR. 13 C NMR indicated an enantiomeric excess of 5.2% when the chiral surfactant was used, and 7% when the polymeric additive was used.
Evidence for long-range repulsion between bimolecular leaflets of lecithin: An examination of structural data

Abstract A thermodynamic proof is given to show that lecithin bimolecular leaflets repel each other at distances of ≲ 25 A in the liquid-crystal state. The interaction is strong enough to alter the leaflet size. As a consequence of this repulsion it appears that there may be greater variety in the orientation of polar groups than previously expected.
Neurosteroid Analogues. 4. The Effect of Methyl Substitution at the C-5 and C-10 Positions of Neurosteroids on Electrophysiological Activity at GABAA Receptors

A series of analogues of the neuroactive steroids 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one and 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 beta-pregnan-20-one were studied to elucidate the mode of binding of 5 alpha-and 5 beta-reduced steroids to steroid binding sites on GABAA receptors. Analogues which were either 3 alpha-hydroxy-20-ketosteroids or 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid-17 beta-carbonitriles and which contained various methyl group substitution patterns at C-5 and C-10 were prepared. Evaluations utilized whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiological methods carried out on cultured rat hippocampal neurons, and the results obtained with the rigid 17 beta-carbonitrile analogs were analyzed using molecular modeling methods. The molecular modeling results provide a rationale for the observation that the configuration of the hydroxyl group at C-3 is a greater determinant of anesthetic potency than the configuration of the A,B ring fusion at C-5. The electrophysiological results identify steric restrictions for the space that can be occupied in 5 alpha- and 5 beta-reduced steroid modulators of GABAA receptors in the regions of space proximate to the steroid C-5, C-10, and possibly C-4 positions. This information is useful for the development of nonsteroidal analogues that can modulate GABAA receptors via interactions at steroid binding sites.
Seasonal trends in depressive problems among United States children and adolescents: a representative population survey.

Abstract This study examined season-of-assessment differences in parent and child reports of depressive problems on well-validated instruments in 2009 U.S. children and adolescents, aged 6 to 18 years, from a nationally representative population survey. A parent completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for each participant and 1226 of the 11–18-year-olds completed the Youth Self-Report (YSR). Outcome measures were CBCL and YSR withdrawn/depressed syndrome scale scores and rates of clinically elevated scores. Overall fall/winter versus spring/summer differences were not found on the CBCL or YSR for depressive problem severity or rates of depressive problems. Age, sex, and latitude were examined as potential moderators of the association between season-of-assessment and the outcomes. Of these, the effect of season-of-assessment on CBCL depressive problem severity depended upon age. Parents of 16–18-year-old adolescents rated depressive problems as significantly more severe in fall and winter than in spring and summer. Parents also rated depressive problems as significantly more severe in 16–18-year-olds than in 6–15-year-olds, but only when assessed in the fall and winter. There were no season-of-assessment differences among 6–15-year-old children and adolescents. The overall lack of season-of-assessment differences and the finding of age as a moderator on only one of four outcomes suggest minimal seasonality effects.
Patient-Related Risk Factors as Predictors of Results Following Isolated Mitral Valve Replacement

Abstract Results following isolated mitral valve replacement in 897 consecutive patients over a twelve-year period were analyzed with regard to the influence of various preoperative patient-related risk factors. Actuarial data analysis allowed definition of major preoperative, etiological, clinical, and hemodynamic correlates to both perioperative and long-term postoperative patient survival. Patient age below 60 years, preoperative New York Heart Association Functional Class of III or less, cardiac index greater than 2.0, and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure of less than 12 mm Hg were all highly significant correlates of improved perioperative as well as long-term patient survival. Patients whose predominant functional lesion was mitral insufficiency had only a 53% five-year survival (187 of 352 patients) following mitral valve replacement as opposed to 70% (521 of 745 patients) for those who had mixed or stenotic mitral lesions. Primary ischemic mitral dysfunction was associated with only 31% five-year survival (17 of 54 patients) after mitral valve replacement in contrast to 69% (480 of 695 patients) for patients with rheumatic mitral lesions. The presence of occlusive coronary artery disease coexisting with, but not the primary cause of, mitral dysfunction was associated with decreased perioperative and late postoperative survival. Results support both earlier operative intervention and wider use of associated procedures, ie, coronary bypass grafting, with mitral valve replacement. Recognition of major preoperative patient-related risk factors should enhance survival following this procedure.
Design of a waveform tracking system for a piezoelectric actuator

In this work an adaptive model-based predictive control (AMPC) is designed for high-frequency waveform tracking by a PZT bimorph actuator in industrial vibratory feeding. Since the actuator has a narrow bandwidth and significant dynamic hysteresis, the waveform tracking process contains both linear and non-linear errors and the coupling effect between these two needs to be considered before effective compensation can be implemented to obtain a precise vibration trajectory. In the adaptive control, two parallel loops were employed, a linear compensation loop and a non-linear offset loop, to suppress the hybrid errors and let the error eventually converge to an acceptable level by iteration. Since the system varies much more slowly than the control loops, a quasi-time invariant system is assumed in the modelling process and a single-layer neural network is used to compensate the system floating adaptively. Due to the fact that in this application the smoothness of the actuator motion waveform is of critical importance to ensure the mechanical force configuration required in industrial application, each driving waveform must be adapted as a whole, not as a series of discrete input points. Therefore instead of applying a set-point tracking method, a self-tuning process is used in the predictive filter design of the current cycle, and corresponding control is delayed to waveform generation of the next cycle. The control algorithm is then implemented into experiment for vibratory feeding and the result shows satisfactory hysteresis suppression and good waveform tracking.
Measuring nonprofit marketing strategy performance: the case of museum stores

Marketing activities in museum stores offer significant opportunities to evaluate distinct strategies and their related performance in a nonprofit setting. Whereas the museum store was originally intended to provide financial support for the institution with which it was associated, it now provides an educational or mission-related opportunity as well. This research identifies financial and educational museum store strategies and then measures effectiveness in terms of those strategies, providing a measurement for perceived educational performance based on findings from museum stores in America. Implications for museum marketers, museum retailers, nonprofit marketers, and retail marketers involved with social causes are presented.
The evolution of senescence from a comparative perspective

Summary 1Comparative studies of ageing address the evolutionary lability of the rate of ageing as an indication of potential for, and constraints on, the extension of life span. 2Experimental studies on ageing have focused on damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other stresses, and on the mechanisms to prevent or repair this damage. Research on animal models has revealed genes with large effects on life span. However, the relevance of some animal models to human ageing is unclear and it is not known whether evolved differences in ageing involve such major gene effects. 3Studies on the demography of populations of vertebrates in the wild show that animals suffer from senescence in nature. Variation in the rate of ageing is consistent with evolutionary theory in that senescence is delayed in populations that suffer relatively low extrinsic mortality. 4Populations of longer-lived individuals suffer a higher proportion of ageing-related mortality, and thus stronger selection against early ageing. The presence of ageing-related deaths in these populations suggests a lack of suitable mechanisms that would further extend life span. 5Similar patterns of ageing-related mortality in wild and captive or domesticated populations indicate that most ageing-related death is caused by intrinsic factors, such as tumours and cardiovascular failure, rather than increasing vulnerability to extrinsic causes of mortality. 6Studies of several wild populations of long-lived birds suggest that ageing-related mortality is often catastrophic, with individuals maintaining high levels of condition until shortly before their demise. 7Comparative studies of many species suggest connections between early development and the pattern of ageing later in life, consistent with laboratory studies on variation within individual species. The physiological connections across the life span are not well understood. 8Comparative studies have provided important insights into the ageing process. However, we still lack information on important issues, including the causes of death in natural populations, the relationship of within- and between-population variation in the rate of ageing, the genetic basis of variation in rate of ageing in natural populations, and detailed longitudinal studies of individual health and reproductive success in relation to age at death.
Assistive technology in computer science

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how assistive technology can be incorporated into computer science as a valid method of demonstrating basic computer science principles, human-computer interaction methods, and social, legal, and ethical issues in computing.
Cavity QED with Single Atoms and Photons

Recent experimental advances in the field of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) have opened new possibilities for control of atom‐photon interactions. A laser with “one and the same atom” demonstrates the theory of laser operation pressed to its conceptual limit. The generation of single photons on demand and the realization of cavity QED with well defined atomic numbers N = 0, 1, 2,… both represent important steps toward realizing diverse protocols in quantum information science. Coherent manipulation of the atomic state via Raman transitions provides a new tool in cavity QED for in situ monitoring and control of the atom‐cavity system. All of these achievements share a common point of departure: the regime of strong coupling. It is thus interesting to consider briefly the history of the strong coupling criterion in cavity QED and to trace out the path that research has taken in the pursuit of this goal.
Site- and sex-level differences in adult feeding behaviour and its consequences to offspring quality in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) following brood-size manipulation

In species with biparental care, males tend to invest less in offspring than do females, likely because of differences in the costs and benefits associated with parental effort. Here I test for sex differences in the response of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) to a brood-size manipulation at two locations differing in food resources, Alaska and New York. I tested sex and habitat differences in how swallows responded to changes in offspring demand. At both sites, both sexes increased effort when feeding enlarged broods, although Alaskan males increased feeding less than Alaskan females. Males decreased feeding effort more to reduced broods than females, but only in Alaska. Food abundance was higher in Alaska than in New York, and Alaskan tree swallows made more feeding visits than New York tree swallows. In New York, food availability did not predict feeding rate and there was no sex difference in the response to brood manipulation. In both sites, male feeding effort was linked with ne...
Fourier Transform Emission Spectroscopy of TaO

The emission spectrum of ZrCl has been observed in the 1800-12 000 cm(-1) region using a Fourier transform spectrometer. The molecules were excited in a microwave discharge of a mixture of helium and a trace of ZrCl(4) vapor. In addition to the C(4)Delta-X(4)Phi transition reported previously, numerous new bands observed in the near infrared have been classified into two electronic transitions, [7.3](2)Delta-a(2)Phi and [9.4](2)Phi-a(2)Phi. Five new bands observed in the 6700-7400 cm(-1) region have been assigned as (2)Delta(3/2)-(2)Phi(5/2) and (2)Delta(5/2)-(2)Phi(7/2) subbands of a new electronic transition, [7.3](2)Delta-a(2)Phi. The two subbands of the [9.4](2)Phi-a(2)Phi transition were previously observed by G. Phillips, S. P. Davis, and D. C. Galehouse [Astrophys. J. Suppl. 43, 417-434 (1980)], who tentatively labeled them as (2)Pi(1/2)-(2)Pi(1/2) and (2)Pi(3/2)-(2)Pi(3/2) subbands. A number of new bands involving higher vibrational levels have been identified for these two subbands. A rotational analysis of a number of bands of both transitions has been obtained and spectroscopic constants have been determined. Global perturbations have been observed in both spin components of the a(2)Phi state. The assignment of the observed electronic states has been discussed in light of recent theoretical calculations. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
Design and fabrication of ultralight high-voltage power circuits for flapping-wing robotic insects

Flapping-wing robotic insects are small, highly ma-neuverable flying robots inspired by biological insects and useful for a wide range of tasks, including exploration, environmental monitoring, search and rescue, and surveillance. Recently, robotic insects driven by piezoelectric actuators have achieved the important goal of taking off with external power; however, fully autonomous operation requires an ultralight power supply capable of generating high-voltage drive signals from low-voltage energy sources. This paper describes high-voltage switching circuit topologies and control methods suitable for driving piezoelectric actuators in flapping-wing robotic insects and discusses the physical implementation of these topologies, including the fabrication of custom magnetic components by laser micromachining and other weight minimization techniques. The performance of laser micromachined magnetics and custom-wound commercial magnetics is compared through the experimental realization of a tapped inductor boost converter capable of stepping up a 3.7V Li-poly cell input to 200V. The potential of laser micromachined magnetics is further shown by implementing a similar converter weighing 20mg (not including control functionality) and capable of up to 70mW output at 200V and up to 100mW at 100V.
IUE investigators present findings

Astronomers, through the use of data from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), are continuing to study the ‘halo’ surrounding our Milky Way galaxy that was discovered during early observations by this satellite. The satellite is a joint project of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Space Agency. This halo material is hot (about 100,000°C), extends to 50,000 light years from the galaxy, and contains oxygen, sulfur, iron, cilicon, and carbon. These and other findings were outlined this month by Robert Wilson of the University College, London, at a scientific colloquium at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. At the 3-day international meeting, 92 papers on the satellite were presented.
RETE and chart parsing from bottom-up call-graph caching

A new mechanism is presented for graph instantiation. It is used to investigate various bottom-up data-driven AI algorithms. The author views instances as fairly autonomous objects that inherit graph information (e.g. links or relations) from their classes. Instances themselves can be instantiated. For example, a parse tree symbol is an instance of a grammar class-graph symbol, which itself is a symbol of instance. The model focuses on underlying computational processes, and makes little use of program text. Instead of transforming programs, CGC (call graph caching) is used to instantiate processes. Experimental results show that RETE matching, efficient context-free parsing, and truth maintenance are different manifestations of the same underlying computational process. >
Industrial Measurements with X-Rays

A review is made of the application of x-ray photoelectric effect and scattering to diverse problems of measurement. The basis of operation of thickness and coating weight gages, spectrographic analyzers, diffraction apparatus, and inspection equipment will thereby be shown. It is recognised that many of the measurements now being made with x-rays could be made in no other way; thus, it is especially hoped that a useful solution may be suggested for yet unsolved problems.
Imaging Spatial Variations in Resistance Along Interconnects

A non-destructive, non-contact method is described for imaging resistance variations along electrical conductors such as interconnects. In its basic implementation, an intensity modulated laser beam is scanned over the circuit carrying a d.c. current and the voltage induced in the circuit at the modulation frequency is used to vary the intensity of a synchronously scanned display. Resistance variations, such as caused by defects, produce variations in the image thereby identifying their spatial location. The voltage signal depends on a number of parameters including the temperature coefficient of resistivity of the conductor, the power of the incident laser, the absorption coefficient of the conductor and the rate of thermal diffusion to the surroundings. One advantage of the method is that it is possible to produce images of conductors below the surface. Whilst there is a degradation in contrast when imaging sub-surface features, it is still possible to identify and distinguish, for instance, tungsten vias and aluminum interconnects passivated by several microns of dielectric, as well as electromigration-induced damage. Under certain circumstances, other features in the immediate vicinity of the conductors, such as remanent photoresist and decohered interfaces, can also be imaged.
GOLD MEDALLIONS: THE ARITHMETIC CALCULATIONS OF AN ILLITERATE

[Editor Singleton provided the following introduction for this article in its original printing: One of the skills usually associated with literacy is that of arithmetic computation. We are tempted to assume, therefore, that illiterate people are necessarily incapable of computations that we perform symbolically with arithmetic notation. This study of one part of the cognitive system of an illiterate peasant demonstrates the sophisticated conceptualizations of which he is capable, independent of a writing system. For educational anthropologists, the study holds two lessons. First, it is significant as an investigation of the cognitive map of an unschooled, but not uneducated, informant that details his strategy for the symbolic manipulation of his environment. Second, it suggests that schooled individuals do not hold a monopoly on the skills usually associated with schools—even the basic conceptual skills associated with literacy.]
Insights Offered by Economic Analyses

Economic analyses may be used to describe the costs of health care programs and to ensure that value is obtained for the money spent. This issue of Diabetes Care includes three economic analyses. The first describes the incremental costs of diabetes over a lifetime and highlights how interventions to prevent diabetes may reduce lifetime costs (1). The second demonstrates that although an expensive, intensive lifestyle intervention for type 2 diabetes does not reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes over 10 years, it significantly reduces the costs of non-intervention−related medical care (2). The third demonstrates that although the use of the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria for the screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) results in a threefold increase in the number of people labeled as having GDM, it reduces the risk of maternal and neonatal adverse health outcomes and reduces costs (3). The first report highlights the enormous potential value of intervening in adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes to prevent its development. The second illustrates the importance of measuring economic outcomes in addition to standard clinical outcomes to fully assess the value of new treatments. The third demonstrates the importance of rigorously weighing the costs of screening and treatment against the costs of health outcomes when evaluating new approaches to care. Zhuo et al. (1) linked data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey with data describing survival to calculate and compare lifetime health care expenditures for people with and without diabetes. Because the NHIS includes information on age at diagnosis of diabetes, the authors were able to estimate diabetic patients’ medical spending and …
Thermal Contact Conductance for Aluminum and Stainless-Steel Contacts

In the present study, existing analytical models developed to predict the thermal contact conductance for both aluminum/aluminum and aluminum/stainless steel surfaces in contact have been evaluated. The prediction of thermal contact conductance for these contacting pairs is difficult since a thin native oxide film generally occurs naturally on the aluminum materials. Therefore, one of the objectives of this study was to determine whether elastic or plastic thermal contact models could successfully predict both published and present experimental data for these commercially important alloys. A rigorous analytical analysis was conducted to check the validity of existing models (assuming either elastic or plastic deformation a priori) to predict the thermal contact conductance for nominally flat uncoated aluminum surfaces in contact under vacuum conditions. Both elastic and plastic deformation models were compared with new unpublished experimental data for nominally flat, roughened surfaces. NOMENCLATURE A Fraction of area in real contact Aa Apparent area a Contact spot radius (m) BJH Microscopic gap number b Flux tube radius (m) Cjn Microscopic constriction number E Young's Modulus (N/m2)
Fast Non-rigid Multimodal Image Registration Using Local Frequency Maps

In this paper, we present a novel and computationally efficient multimodal image registration scheme that is capable of handling non-rigidly misaligned multi-modal data sets. The algorithm is based on a level-set based image registration algorithm applied to local frequency representations of the input images. The algorithm has been tested on several data sets and we present one of these examples.
Ethical Conflicts Between Residents and Attending Physicians

Conflicts between residents and attending physicians over ethical issues often occur and residents must attempt to navigate these perilous waters. A brief description of a conflict concerning informed consent and professional role expectations in a neonatal intensive care unit is presented. The discussion then explores contextual features that often shape such ethical conflicts and presents ways of understanding ethical conflicts that occur in the course of medical training. Constructive approaches for residents to engage in conflict resolution are offered.
Rapid reversal of acute kidney injury and hospital outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI), defined as an increment in serum creatinine level of 0.3 mg/dL or greater in 48 hours, is associated with poor outcomes. The prognosis associated with an increased creatinine level, either on admission or that develops in the hospital (ie, AKI), that rapidly returns to normal is not known. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 6,033 patients admitted to medical wards of a community teaching hospital between 2005 and 2007. Predictor AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine level of 0.3 mg/dL or greater within 48 hours. Increased serum creatinine level on admission was defined as serum creatinine greater than1.2 mg/dL on hospital admission in patients who did not subsequently meet criteria for AKI. Patients with a serum creatinine level of 1.2 mg/dL or less who had no increase of 0.3 mg/dL or greater within 48 hours during their hospital stay served as controls. Outcomes & Measurements Mortality, length of stay, intensive care unit transfer, and discharge destination were outcomes of interest. Results Of 6,033 patients, 735 had AKI. Of these, 443 (60%) had serum creatinine levels that subsequently decreased by 0.3 mg/dL or greater within 48 hours and 197 returned to normal levels within 48 hours. Overall, patients with AKI had significantly greater mortality rates (14.8%) than patients without AKI with increased serum creatinine levels on admission (2.5%) and controls (1.3%; P P Limitations Sample sizes of subgroups were small. Causes of AKI and increases in serum creatinine levels on admission were not assessed. Conclusions An increase in serum creatinine level of 0.3 mg/dL or greater during 48 hours of hospitalization predicts outcomes even if the value returns to normal. Patients who present to the hospital with an increased creatinine level that returns rapidly to normal have outcomes approaching those with serum creatinine levels consistently in the normal range.
V.I.K. (Very Important Kids): a school-based program designed to reduce teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of V.I.K. (Very Important Kids), a school-based, multi-component intervention designed to prevent teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors among fourth through sixth grade students. The effectiveness of the V.I.K. intervention was evaluated using a pre-post quasi-experimental design with one school assigned to each condition: intervention and assessment-only control. Data were collected at baseline and at 8-month post-test among 63 students at the intervention school and 57 students at the control school. The V.I.K. intervention included an after-school program, a theater program, school environment components and a family component. Process data suggest that the V.I.K. program can feasibly be implemented within a school setting and can effectively engage students, school staff and parents. Analysis of impact data revealed that the percentage of students reporting being teased decreased significantly in the intervention school relative to the control school, after controlling for baseline levels of teasing, body mass index z score and demographic factors (odds ratio = 0.22; 95% confidence interval = 0.06, 0.88; P = 0.03). These findings provide promising evidence that multi-component, school-based interventions may effectively reduce teasing in elementary schools. Future research of interventions aimed at preventing teasing using a larger sample of schools is warranted.
Effect of Chronic and Intermittent Calorie Restriction on Serum Adiponectin and Leptin and Mammary Tumorigenesis

The effect of chronic (CCR) and intermittent (ICR) caloric restriction on serum adiponectin and leptin levels was investigated in relation to mammary tumorigenesis. 10-wks old MMTV-TGF-α female mice were assigned to ad libitum-fed (AL) (AIN-93M diet), ICR (3-wks 50% caloric restriction, AIN-93M–mod diet, 2x protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals followed by 3-wks 100% AL consumption of AIN-93M), and CCR (calorie and nutrient intake matched for each 6-wks ICR cycle, ∼75% of AL) groups. Mice were sacrificed at 79 (end of restriction) or 82 (end of refeeding) wks of age. Serum was obtained in cycles 1, 3, 5, 8, 11 and terminal. Mammary tumor incidence was 71.0%, 35.4%, and 9.1% for AL, CCR and ICR mice, respectively. Serum adiponectin levels were similar among groups with no impact of either CCR or ICR. Serum leptin level rose in AL mice with increasing age but was significantly reduced by long-term CCR and ICR. The ICR protocol was also associated with an elevated adiponectin:leptin ratio. In addition, ICR-Restricted mice had increased mammary tissue AdipoR1 expression and decreased leptin and ObRb expression compared to AL mice. Mammary fat pads from tumor-free ICR-mice had higher adiponectin expression than AL and CCR mice while all tumor-bearing mice had weak adiponectin signal in mammary fat pad. Although we did not demonstrate an association of either adiponectin or leptin with individual mice in relation to mammary tumorigenesis, we did find that reduced serum leptin and elevated adiponectin:leptin ratio were associated with the protective effect of intermittent calorie restriction.
Polyamines antagonize N-methyl-d-aspartate-evoked depolarizations, but reduce Mg2+ block

This study utilized a grease-gap preparation to investigate the effects of polyamines on responses of CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and on the block of the NMDA channel by Mg2+. In the absence of added Mg2+, 1,10-diaminodecane (0.1-1 mM) non-competitively antagonized NMDA-evoked depolarizations. Its antagonism slowly progressed to a stable value, was not use-dependent and did not reverse completely upon washout. Similar results were obtained with 100 microM spermine and 1 mM diethylenetriamine. Addition of 1 mM Mg2+ to the superfusion medium greatly reduced these effects. Conversely, the polyamines attenuated the blocking action of Mg2+. Postnatal treatment with alpha-difluoromethylornithine reduced the total polyamine content of area CA1 in 10- to 15-day-old rats almost to the adult level (although spermine content was unaffected). Mg2+ less potently antagonized NMDA-evoked depolarizations in slices from 10- to 15-day-old rats than in slices from adult rats, and this difference was unaffected by the alpha-difluoromethylornithine treatment. These results suggest (1) that there are rapid and slow components to the antagonism of NMDA-evoked depolarizations by polyamines, both of which may involve permeation of the polyamine into or through the NMDA channel: (2) that polyamine release in brain could modulate the Mg2+ sensitivity of responses to NMDA; and (3) that changes in the total content of endogenous polyamine do not explain developmental differences in the sensitivity of NMDA-evoked depolarizations to Mg2+.
Synthesis of optimization algorithms by concatenating deterministic and autonomous algorithm components

This paper discusses a systematic approach to algorithm synthesis based on the use of problem model/algorithm schema pairs. A specific problem model, the intersection model, is examined, and the properties of several classes of associated algorithm schemas that employ the concatenation of deterministic algorithm components are presented. For those problems in which component algorithms can be formulated as continuous mappings, two algorithms are given in which algorithm components are utilized in a predetermined order. Two adaptive algorithms are introduced to remove the requirement for continuity. For all algorithms considered, monotonicity with respect to a surrogate map is required to insure desirable properties of convergence.