cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using animated agents in learner‐controlled training: the effects of design control

Animated agents have the potential to increase engagement and learning during online training by acting as personalized tutors. However, little is known about the conditions that make these agents most effective. In this study, 183 e-learners completed a Microsoft Excel training course. Approximately half were assigned an agent with predetermined features. The others were allowed to choose their agent's appearance, personality, feedback style or all of the above features. Offering multiple choices increased learning. Unexpectedly, choice of feedback style alone decreased self-efficacy. Choosing the agent's appearance increased self-efficacy and the number of training modules completed. Overall, this study expands the learner control literature, identifying a new form of learner control that has some beneficial effects on knowledge acquisition.
The Effect of Employee Turnover on Hotel Profits: A Test Across Multiple Hotels

Abstract Employee turnover is generally recognized as a costly phenomenon, and hotel companies consequently have initiated various turnover-reduction programs. Despite many studies, however, it remains difficult to assess exactly what effect turnover has on operating profits—and thus to assess the return on investment for initiatives designed to reduce turnover. An analysis of gross operating profits and employee turnover rates at 98 full-service hotels at one hotel company yields an estimate of the actual dollar costs of employee turnover. In general, the cost of turnover increases with ADR. That is, the cost of a 1-point increase in turnover is greater for a hotel with a high ADR than for an economy-tier property. On average for this sample, the cost in GOP of a 1-point increase in turnover rose $525 with every dollar increase in ADR. Thus, for a hotel with a $125 ADR, each point increase in turnover cost another $32,750 per year in GOP. On the other hand, a hotel with an ADR of $65 would be losing just $1,250 for every additional point increase in turnover.
Sinewave parameter estimation algorithm with application to waveform digitizer effective bits measurement

A high-performance algorithm to estimate the four parameters (amplitude, DC offset, frequency and phase) of a sine wave from a sampled data record is presented. The estimation errors are obtained in closed form and can be controlled. The algorithm is non iterative and extremely fast. A Turbo Pascal implementation on the IBM PC/AT requires only a couple of seconds to do a 256-point fit. A method to measure a digitizer's effective bits using this algorithm is presented. Simulation results indicate that the method gives excellent estimates of the true resolution of the simulated ideal digitizer. A 10-point effective-bits plot of a waveform digitizer under test can be accomplished in seconds instead of minutes or even hours as with other iterative algorithms. >
RSI in pediatric anesthesia - is it used by nonpediatric anesthetists? A survey from south-west England.

Summary Background: Rapid sequence induction (RSI) is the ‘gold standard’ technique for preventing aspiration of gastric contents during induction of anesthesia in unfasted patients. We conducted a survey to discover whether the conduct of RSI in children varies amongst anesthetists and if practice alters in relation to the time since training or degree of ongoing experience. Methods: Six hundred and fifteen questionnaires were sent to anesthetists in the south-west of England. Results: The response rate was 61%. Preoxygenation was utilized by 83% of anesthetists for infants whereas 94% preoxygenated schoolchildren, P < 0.001. Only 59% of respondents used cricoid pressure in infants, compared with 96% in schoolchildren, P < 0.001. Propofol was the induction agent of choice for all anesthetists, although thiopentone was used more in infants (35%) than schoolchildren (9%), P < 0.001. Suxamethonium was widely used in all children. All anesthetists intubated patients for pyloromyotomy, 50% using cricoid pressure. RSI was performed by 86% of anesthetists for appendicectomy, with consultants most likely to deviate from a standard RSI. Sixty percent of anesthetists intubated for manipulation of forearm, 72% performing an RSI, 53% intubated for scrotal exploration, but only 42% performed an RSI. Conclusions: Classical RSI is used for children by most anesthetists in south-west England. RSI is modified for infants especially by more recently trained consultants. Suxamethonium is used less by consultant anesthetists. Whilst RSI is performed for appendicectomy there is a large variation in techniques for anesthetizing children for MUA and scrotal exploration which is independent of the grade of anesthetist.
Cloud Vertical Distribution across Warm and Cold Fronts in CloudSat–CALIPSO Data and a General Circulation Model

Cloud vertical distributions across extratropical warm and cold fronts are obtained using two consecutive winters of CloudSat‐Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) observations and National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis atmospheric state parameters over the Northern and Southern Hemisphere oceans (308‐708N/S) between November 2006 and September 2008. These distributions generally resemble those from the original model introduced by the Bergen School in the 1920s, with the following exceptions: 1) substantial low cloudiness, which is present behind and ahead of the warm and cold fronts; 2) ubiquitous high cloudiness, some of it very thin, throughout the warm-frontal region; and 3) upright convective cloudiness near and behind some warm fronts. One winter of GISS general circulation model simulations of Northern and Southern Hemisphere warm and cold fronts at 2 83 2.5 83 32 levels resolution gives similar cloud distributions but with much lower cloud fraction, a shallower depth of cloudiness, and a shorter extent of tilted warm-frontal cloud cover on the cold air side of the surface frontal position. A close examination of the relationship between the cloudiness and relative humidity fields indicates that water vapor is not lifted enough in modeled midlatitude cyclones and this is related to weak vertical velocities in the model. The model also produces too little cloudiness for a given value of vertical velocity or relative humidity. For global climate models run at scales coarser than tens of kilometers, the authors suggest that the current underestimate of modeled cloud cover in the storm track regions, and in particular the 508‐608S band of the Southern Oceans, could be reduced with the implementation of a slantwise convection parameterization.
Early statistical anomaly intrusion detection of DOS attacks using MIB traffic parameters

We investigate the statistical anomaly detection of DOS computer network attacks using only MIB II supplied traffic parameters of the SNMP, as carried out by MAID. MAID is a hierarchical, multitier, multiobservation-window, anomaly based network intrusion detection system, prototyped in our laboratory for the US Army's tactical Internet. MAID monitors several MIB II supplied network traffic parameters simultaneously, constructs a probability density function (PDF) for each, statistically compares it to a reference PDF of normal behavior using a similarity metric, then combines the results into an anomaly status vector that is classified by a neural network classifier. The data used here derive from many experiments that have been carried out in our network testbed facility that monitor 27 MIB traffic parameters simultaneously, focusing on the Denial of Service (DOS) class of attacks, including UDP, ICMP and TCP type flooding attacks. We further focused on the anomaly detector and specifically two issues: (a) the effectiveness of some alternative similarity metrics and (b) early detection, i.e., detection at low values of the ratio of attack to background traffic. Thus, we studied the effectiveness of five prominent and/or promising similarity metrics: a /spl chi//sup 2/ test (CST), a Kolmogorov-Smyrnov (KS) test (KST), Kupier's KS type statistic (KKS), a combined area-KS type test (AKS), and a simpler fractional deviation from the mean statistic (FDM). We present the performance of these metrics using 9 traffic intensity scenarios, as the attack traffic decreased from 10% to 0.5% of the background. It was found that the KST metric performed slightly better overall while the FDM performed surprisingly well at low traffic intensities. It was also found that an attack/background ratio as small as 1% can be detected by MAID with corresponding misclassification rates in the range of 0.5-1.0 %. These results show promise for the use of MAID in early DOS detection using MIB traffic parameters.
Demographics of cleft care providers in Africa and reported experience in training and practice: direct analysis of continent-based practitioners.

Objective: To elucidate the impact of several geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic variables on cleft care delivery in Africa, and to investigate the current status of cleft care delivery in Africa. Design: Survey of practitioners attending the second Pan-African Congress on Cleft Lip and Palate (PACCLIP). Setting: The annual PACCLIP conference in Ibadan, Nigeria, West Africa, February 2007. Main Outcome Measure: To provide an analysis of the demographics and training experience of cleft care providers in Africa by collating information directly from the continent-based practitioners. Results: Plastic surgeons and oral and maxillofacial surgeons provide the majority of cleft care. Most of the participants reported availability of formal training programs in their respective countries. The predominant practice settings were university and government-based. During training, half of the providers had encountered up to 30 cleft cases, and a quarter had managed more than 100 cases. Representation of visitin...
Hepadnavirus reverse transcription initiates within the stem-loop of the RNA packaging signal and employs a novel strand transfer

Replication of the hepadnavirus genome occurs by reverse transcription of an RNA pregenome and is mediated by the viral polymerase; the polymerase is also required for packaging of the pregenome through interaction with the RNA packaging signal, epsilon. Previous work suggested that reverse transcription of minus-strand DNA initiates within the sequence element DR1 (direct repeat 1) and that disruption of DR1 activates a cryptic initiation site in a downstream copy of epsilon. However, using active duck hepatitis B virus polymerase expressed in a yeast Ty vector system, we demonstrate that synthesis of minus-strand DNAs with 5' ends at DR1 requires the stem-loop of epsilon, whereas the production of DNAs mapping to epsilon does not require DR1. Mutations at epsilon that remove homology between epsilon and DR1 eliminate reverse transcripts with 5' ends in DR1, and restoring homology at DR1 to a mutant epsilon partially restores DNAs mapping to DR1. Insertions of one nucleotide into the bulge region of the epsilon stem-loop increase the length of minus-strand DNA whose 5' ends map to DR1 by one nucleotide. Thus, very short minus-strand primers are initiated within epsilon, rather than in DR1 as previously supposed; they are then transferred to a four-nucleotide homology in DR1. Transfer was also observed in vivo during replication of duck hepatitis B virus in avian cells; in this case, transfer is from the 5' copy of epsilon to the 3' copy of DR1. This minus-strand transfer reaction is likely to be a general feature of all hepadnaviruses.
Unkeyed jam resistance 300 times faster: The Inchworm hash

An important problem is achieving jam resistance in omnidirectional radio communication without any shared secret or shared key. The only known algorithm that solves this problem is the BBC (Baird, Bahn, Collins) concurrent code [1]. However, BBC requires the choice of a hash function. The choice of hash determines both the speed and security of BBC. Cryptographic hashes such as the standard SHA-1 hash are not well suited for this application. We propose the Inchworm hash, a new algorithm specifically designed for use in BBC. We show that this avoids a theoretical weakness for this application that is present in SHA-1 due to the Small Internal State Theorem [2], and that it passes a simple battery of empirical tests. When used in BBC, Inchworm is over 300 times faster than SHA-1. This speeds up encoding and decoding by orders of magnitude, with great benefits for practical implementations of unkeyed jam resistance, especially on small, cheap radios.1
Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis and Sintering of NZP Compounds

We have identified the high microwave susceptibility of the sodium di-hydrogen phosphate monohydrate (NHPM), NH2PO4·H2O. This acid phosphate of sodium can be heated to >900°C when exposed to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation. Using NHPM and microwave energy, a novel single-step synthesis of many important crystalline NZP compounds has been accomplished in a very short time. Interestingly, the combination of microwaves and nonstoichiometric oxide precursors for the preparation of NZP materials is found to reduce the reaction temperatures and enhance the reaction kinetics further. The microwave synthesis method is found to be simple and fast, minimizing the loss of volatile chemical species from the reaction. A microwave-assisted procedure for the rapid sintering of NZP compounds has also been demonstrated. Densification (>97%) has been achieved in <30 min at sintering temperature much lower than normally required in conventional processes. Finer microstructure and better densification are the main advantages of the microwave sintering in this study.
Pregnanediol determination as an aid in clinical diagnosis

Abstract 1.1. Pregnanediol is defined as an excretion product of the corpus luteum hormone progesterone. 2.2. Its synthesis as sodium pregnanediol glucuronidate probably occurs in the liver. Its metabolism and excretion are not dependent up-on the uterus or ovaries, as is shown by injection experiments on men and hysterectomized women. 3.3. The urine of monkeys, cats, and rabbits does not contain pregnanediol either normally, during pregnancy or after progesterone injections. 4.4. The greatest yield and purest form of pregnanediol glucuronidate occurs in the urine of pregnancy. No pregnant patients have been observed who do not excrete pregnanediol glucuronidate. Therefore the negative diagnosis of pregnancy may be made as a result of negative pregnanediol determination.Pregnanediol is present in small amounts in the urine during the latter half of the menstrual cycle in normal women. Although the excretion during pregnancy is greater than that during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, a diagnosis of pregnancy cannot be made on this basis because the quantitative determination is not sufficiently accurate. 5.5. Five cases of habitual abortion were tested for pregnanediol excretion during subsequent pregnancies. One of these patients aborted spontaneously during the course of progesterone therapy. She showed unusually low pregnanediol excretion. 6.6. Seventy-eight simultaneous pregnanediol determinations and endometrial biopsies were done on patients, most of whom were in the sterility clinic. These tests were done in order to ascertain the accuracy of these two methods of determining progestational activity. It is apparent that pregnanediol is excreted during the time that the endometrium is being activated to a secretory phase and only during that time. 7.7. There are so many factors controlling the excretion of pregnanediol glucuronidate that the quantitative result is liable to variation. Therefore diagnosis cannot be made on a basis of quantitative differences in excretion.
Focal fatty infiltration of the liver: diagnostic imaging

The authors here describe a number of imaging features which together are distinctive and may be diagnostic of focal fatty infiltration of the liver.
Fundamentals of low-noise analog circuit design

This paper presents a tutorial treatment of the fundamentals of noise in solid-state analog electronic circuits. It is written for upper division students and practicing engineers who wish to gain a basic knowledge of the theory of electronic noise and techniques for low-noise circuit design. The paper presents an overview of noise fundamentals, a description of noise models for passive devices and active solid-state devices, methods of calculating the noise performance of amplifiers, and techniques for minimizing noise in circuit design. The theory and methods are applicable to both discrete and integrated circuits. >
Lhx2, a vertebrate homologue of apterous, regulates vertebrate limb outgrowth

apterous specifies dorsal cell fate and directs outgrowth of the wing during Drosophila wing development. Here we show that, in vertebrates, these functions appear to be performed by two separate proteins. Lmx-1 is necessary and sufficient to specify dorsal identity and Lhx2 regulates limb outgrowth. Our results suggest that Lhx2 is closer to apterous than Lmx-1, yet, in vertebrates, Lhx2 does not specify dorsal cell fate. This implies that in vertebrates, unlike Drosophila, limb outgrowth can be dissociated from the establishment of the dorsoventral axis.
Review: Marlene de Laine (2000). Fieldwork, Participation and Practice: Ethics and Dilemmas in Qualitative Research

In ihrem Buch Fieldwork, Participation and Practice: Ethics and Dilemmas in Qualitative Research prasentiert DE LAINE theoretische Diskussionen und Fallbeispiele zur Feldarbeit, um an ihnen die Komplexitat ethischer Fragen – bezogen auf den ethnographischen Prozess und dessen Produkte – zu diskutieren. Sie veranschaulicht, dass eine ethische Praxis des kritischen und reflexiven Denkens der Forscher(innen) bedarf. Ihr Buch ist fur erfahrene Forscher(innen) ebenso hilfreich und empfehlenswert wie fur Noviz(inn)en. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0204185
The flow in the mixing region of a jet

The object of this work was to investigate experimentally the structure of the early shear layer of high-speed jets and its relation to the mechanism of noise generation. Of special interest was the question of the existence of periodic fluctuations in the velocity field. The experimental investigation is divided in three parts. Optical observation of the jet flow by means of the shadowgraph technique.Measurement of mean Mach number and temperature profiles.Survey by means of hot-wire of the component of the fluctuating velocity field in the mean flow direction.The shadowgraphs show very interesting features of the breakdown process of free shear layers, but fail to show any propagation of strong acoustic disturbances in the near pressure-field.Mean profile measurements show that the flow field in the range 1 [les ] x/d [les ] 4 develops in a conical fashion, i.e. the mean profiles in Mach number and temperature can be expressed in terms of a single conical variable η = (2r–d)/2x. The fluctuating velocity field is described in terms of the intensity of turbulence, its spectral distribution, and two-point space-time correlation functions. Similarity laws are given for the power spectra and the space-time correlation functions. On the cylinder r = ½d, the convection speed of the turbulent field is different for the different eddy sizes, varying from the local mean speed for small eddies to ½Uexit for the large eddies. Measurements of the angular correlation function are reported which show no correlation of the fluctuations across the jet diameter.
A new nonlinear driver model for interconnect analysis

Switching transient estimation of interconnect is becoming over more important with increasing signal speeds and smaller device sizes. Asymptotic Waveform Evaluation (AWE) is a technique which can efficiently and accurately evaluate the response of linear interconnect. A novel modeling technique has been developed to incorporate the effects of nonlinear drivers on that transient response. This technique, based on matching the current waveform of the driving gate, is load independent. The method yields efficient and accurate results. 1 Motivation
Simulation and visualization of air-side operations at Detroit Metropolitan Airport

This paper presents the simulation model and 3D animation of the airside operations at Detroit Metro Airport, Romulus, Michigan. The paper illustrates how simulation modeling and visualization can be of substantial help in studying airside airport operations, and by consequence can greatly contribute in planning and designing construction operations at airports in a way that has the least impact on airside operations. Given that construction processes modeling was studied effectively in previous research efforts, the presented example investigates only airport operations. The focus of the presented work is on evaluating the capabilities of state-of-the-art construction simulation and visualization tools in being able to accurately model and animate airside airport operations. The solution to the problem is described in detail using a simulation model developed in STROBOSCOPE and a 3D animation created using VITASCOPE.
Infection Control in the Multidrug-Resistant Era: Tending the Human Microbiome

Increasing understanding of the normal commensal microorganisms in humans suggests that restoring and maintaining the microbiome may provide a key to preventing colonization and infection with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Intact communities of commensals can prevent colonization with MDROs through both competition for space and resources and the complex immunologic and biochemical interactions that have developed between commensal and host over millennia. Current antimicrobials, however, exert tremendous collateral damage to the human microbiome through overuse and broadening spectrum, which has likely been the driving force behind the introduction and proliferation of MDROs. The future direction of infection control and anti-infective therapy will likely capitalize on an expanding understanding of the protective role of the microbiome by (1) developing and using more microbiome-sparing antimicrobial therapy, (2) developing techniques to maintain and restore indigenous microbiota, and (3) discovering and exploiting host protective mechanisms normally afforded by an intact microbiome.
Satellite Assessment of Bio-Optical Properties of Northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Waters Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

The impacts of major tropical storms events on coastal waters include sediment resuspension, intense water column mixing, and increased delivery of terrestrial materials into coastal waters. We examined satellite imagery acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) ocean color sensor aboard the Aqua spacecraft following two major hurricane events: Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall on 29 August 2005, and Hurricane Rita, which made landfall on 24 September. MODIS Aqua true color imagery revealed high turbidity levels in shelf waters immediately following the storms indicative of intense resuspension. However, imagery following the landfall of Katrina showed relatively rapid return of shelf water mass properties to pre-storm conditions. Indeed, MODIS Aqua-derived estimates of diffuse attenuation at 490 nm (K_490) and chlorophyll (chlor_a) from mid-August prior to the landfall of Hurricane Katrina were comparable to those observed in mid-September following the storm. Regions of elevated K_490 and chlor_a were evident in offshore waters and appeared to be associated with cyclonic circulation (cold-core eddies) identified on the basis of sea surface height anomaly (SSHA). Imagery acquired shortly after Hurricane Rita made landfall showed increased water column turbidity extending over a large area of the shelf off Louisiana and Texas, consistent with intense resuspension and sediment disturbance. An interannual comparison of satellite-derived estimates of K_490 for late September and early October revealed relatively lower levels in 2005, compared to the mean for the prior three years, in the vicinity of the Mississippi River birdfoot delta. In contrast, levels above the previous three year mean were observed off Texas and Louisiana 7-10 d after the passage of Rita. The lower values of K_490 near the delta could be attributed to relatively low river discharge during the preceding months of the 2005 season. The elevated levels off Texas and Louisiana were speculated to be due to the presence of fine grain sediment or dissolved materials that remained in the water column following the storm, and may also have been associated with enhanced phytoplankton biomass stimulated by the intense vertical mixing and offshore delivery of shelf water and associated nutrients. This latter view was supported by observations of high chlor_a in association with regions of cyclonic circulation.
CIG: A calorically imperfect compressible flow software element

A compressible flow utility software element, CIG, for calorically imperfect gas flows is reviewed. CIG makes possible the routine computation of one-dimensional isentropic flow, normal shock waves, and Prandtl-Meyer processes for calorically imperfect gases. Details of the formulation, discussions of the numeric procedures, and examples of applications are provided. CIG is a useful software element both for introducing students in a first compressible flow course to the effects of the calorically perfect gas assumption and for providing more advanced students with useful applications software for calorically imperfect gas flows.
A Parallel GRASP Heuristic for the 2-Path Network Design Problem

We propose a parallel GRASP heuristic with path-relinking for the 2-path network design problem. A parallel strategy for its implementation is described. Computational results illustrating the effectiveness of the new heuristic are reported. The parallel implementation obtains linear speedups on a cluster with 32 machines.
N-Domain–Specific Substrate and C-Domain Inhibitors of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme: Angiotensin-(1–7) and Keto-ACE

Abstract —We used the isolated N- and C-domains of the angiotensin I–converting enzyme (N-ACE and C-ACE; ACE; kininase II) to investigate the hydrolysis of the active 1–7 derivative of angiotensin (Ang) II and inhibition by 5- S -5-benzamido-4-oxo-6-phenylhexanoyl-l-proline (keto-ACE). Ang-(1–7) is both a substrate and an inhibitor; it is cleaved by N-ACE at approximately one half the rate of bradykinin but negligibly by C-ACE. It inhibits C-ACE, however, at an order of magnitude lower concentration than N-ACE; the IC 50 of C-ACE with 100 μmol/L Ang I substrate was 1.2 μmol/L and the K i was 0.13. While searching for a specific inhibitor of a single active site of ACE, we found that keto-ACE inhibited bradykinin and Ang I hydrolysis by C-ACE in approximately a 38- to 47-times lower concentration than by N-ACE; IC 50 values with C-ACE were 0.5 and 0.04 μmol/L. Furthermore, we investigated how Ang-(1–7) acts via bradykinin and the involvement of its B 2 receptor. Ang-(1–7) was ineffective directly on the human bradykinin B 2 receptor transfected and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. However, Ang-(1–7) potentiated arachidonic acid release by an ACE-resistant bradykinin analogue (1 μmol/L), acting on the B 2 receptor when the cells were cotransfected with cDNAs of both B 2 receptor and ACE and the proteins were expressed on the plasma membrane of Chinese hamster ovary cells. Thus like other ACE inhibitors, Ang-(1–7) can potentiate the actions of a ligand of the B 2 receptor indirectly by binding to the active site of ACE and independent of blocking ligand hydrolysis. This potentiation of kinins at the receptor level can explain some of the well-documented kininlike actions of Ang-(1–7).
EL CORAZÓN DE LOS ESTUDIOS CULTURALES: CONTEXTUALIDAD, CONSTRUCCIONISMO Y COMPLEJIDAD

Resumen es: Este articulo explica mis compromisos y pasiones por los estudios culturales. Creo que las ideas importan, que tenemos mejores formas de acercarse las va...
The Langmuir Circulation Instability as a Mixing Mechanism in the Upper Ocean

Abstract A numerical study of the fully nonlinear instability of the ocean to Langmuir circulations is reported. The extended Craik-Leibovich theory is used to compute the development of a mixed layer in an ocean of infinite depth as an initial value problem. A wind stress and surface wave field are imposed on a quiescent ocean with a linear temperature gradient. The initial response to the applied stress is a rectilinear current that is unstable to Langmuir circulations. The resulting convective motions appear to cascade energy from small-scale circulations to more vigorous ones of larger scale. Horizontal averages allow one to identify the Reynolds stress, heat flux and mixing efficiency of the Langmuir “eddies.” Mixing efficiencies several times (up to an order of magnitude) larger than those reported in laboratory experiments are possible. It is suggested that numerical experiments such as these may offer a means of parameterizing the effects of sea state and Langmuir circulations for use in one-dimen...
791 Reduced heart rate recovery in patients on stimulant medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Methods: Overall 61 patients were enrolled in the study including 30 middle-aged patients with ADHD on stable doses of stimulant medications and 31 healthy individuals as control group. After ten minute supine resting phase, HRV was calculated from one minute ECG rhythm strip. Subsequently, symptom-limited ECG exercise stress test using standard Bruce protocol including 2 rain cool-down period was performed. Resting HR less or equal 90 bpm was considered normal, normal chronotropic response was defined as achieved HR more or equal 85% of predicted age-adjusted maximum HR (220-age). HRR was calculated every minute up to fourteen minutes post-exercise. Normal value for HRR at lmin was defined as > 12 bpm and for HRR at 2rain as >22 bpm. Results: Positive markers of ANS dysfunction were found in seven patients in ADHI) group (23%) and one patient in control group (3.3%, P=NS). However, the patients in ADHD group showed significantly higher mean resting HR (754-11 vs. 624-11 bpm, P<0.001) and significantly lower mean HRR at 1 min (204-7 vs. 274-8 bpm, P<0.001), 2 min (384-11 vs. 474-10 bpm, P=0.001), 3 min (614-17 vs. 704-13 bpm, P=0.022), 4 min (664-12 vs. 764-12 bpm, P=0.005), 6 min (714-13 vs. 804-13 bpm, P=0.011) and 14 min (744-17 vs. 854-12 bpm, P=0.049) compared to patients in control group. Conclusions: 1)Patients with ADHD on stimulant medications do not have dysfunction of ANS as evaluated by traditional clinical markers compared to age-matched control group. 2)ADHD patients on stimulant medications have significantly higher resting HR and significantly decreased HRR after symptom-limited exercise stress testing compared to age-matched control group. 3)Larger trial with long-term clinical followup to assess clinical significance of observed findings is warranted.
The organization of formal training

Nowhere is the head/hand separation among software workers or its social impact better illustrated than in the way software training is organized. Although formal training, acquired in institutions specifically established for that purpose, is still new and largely ad hoc, it would be wrong to assume that it has been entirely without precedent. In fact, the training of software workers has followed a surprisingly well-worn path, particularly in light of the science-fiction aura of the machines. The relative newness of computing machines should not be allowed to obscure an important fact: computers were and continue to be made by electrical engineers, people with a long tradition of making similar, if less glamorous, machines. The original ENIAC and Mark I were electrical or electromechanical counting devices—who other than electrical engineers could have been better suited to design and build them?
Switched Ferroelectric Plasma Ionizer (SwiFerr) for Ambient Mass Spectrometry

We present the implementation of a switched ferroelectric plasma ionizer (SwiFerr) for ambient analysis of trace substances by mass spectrometry. The device utilizes the ferroelectric properties of barium titanate (BaTiO_3) to take advantage of the high electric field resulting from polarization switching in the material. The source comprises a [001]-oriented barium titanate crystal (5 × 5 × 1 mm) with a metallic rear electrode and a metallic grid front electrode. When a high voltage AC waveform is applied to the rear electrode to switch polarization, the resulting electric field on the face of the crystal promotes electron emission and results in plasma formation between the crystal face and the grounded grid at ambient pressure. Interaction with this plasma and the resulting reagent ions effects ionization of trace neutrals. The source requires less than 1 W of power to operate under most circumstances, ionizes molecules with acidic and basic functional groups easily, and has proven quite versatile for ambient analysis of both vapor phase and aspirated powdered solid samples. Ionization of vapor phase samples of the organics triethylamine, tripropylamine, tributylamine, and pyridine results in observation of the singly protonated species in the positive ion mass spectrum with sensitivity extending into the high ppb range. With acetic acid, deprotonated clusters dominate the negative ion mass spectrum. Aerodynamic sampling of powdered samples is used to record mass spectra of the pharmaceuticals loperamide and ibuprofen. Chemical signatures, including protonated loperamide and deprotonated ibuprofen, are observed for each drug. The robust, low power source lends itself easily to miniaturization and incorporation in field-portable devices used for the rapid detection and characterization of trace substances and hazardous materials in a range of different environments.
Lens-Enhanced Layered 3D Displays

We augment layered 3D displays using optical elements placed in front of or in between attenuation layers, which improves angular resolution of the display. We also significantly reduce memory requirements for layer calculations.
A Brand Loyalty Concept: Comments on a Comment

Tarpey's [11] appraisal of the Jacoby and Kyner article, "Brand Loyalty Versus Repeat Purchasing Behavior" [5], contains much that we can agree with. However, several issues in his critique, we believe, deserve comment and are addressed here in the order in which they were raised. In his very first paragraph, Tarpey writes: "The research in the article does not warrant . . . the authors' conclusion that they have developed a definition of brand loyalty which is an improvement on the many other definitions to be found in the literature" [11, p. 214].' We address the "improvement" issue more directly below and simply wish to note here that our belief that the definiton possessed value was arrived at independent of the empirical research conducted and described in our article. As noted early in that article, "definitions are arbitrary and only good to the extent that they are useful. .... In that it illustrates problems that are inherent in the strictly operational definitions, clarifies certain aspects of the phenomenon, and suggests certain measurement guidelines, the definition already demonstrates some degree of utility" [11, p. 3]. The basic definition, which had been presented in two earlier articles [3, 6], has already influenced the thinking underlying the definition of brand loyalty found in Engel, Kollat, and Blackwell [2, pp. 550-2] and, according to Sheth,2 "substantially" influenced the Sheth and Park [10] formulation. These developments suggest our definition does indeed possess value and confirms our earlier contention that "a conceptual definition of brand loyalty has been presented which, at very least, is heuristic" [5, p. 8].
Serum and plasma antithrombin.

SummaryA method of estimating the rate of natural antithrombic activity is suggested. When this method was used, dog plasma, regardless of the prothrombin level after dicumarolization, seemed to exert about the same antithrombic activity. On the other hand, dog serum antithrombin tended to vary inversely with the prothrombin content of its original plasma, and serum obtained from blood containing little prothrombin was antithrombic to about the same extent as plasma. These observations suggest that antithrombic activity be determined on plasma unless due consideration is given to the antithrombic activity already performed by serum.
KE108-conjugated unimolecular micelles loaded with a novel HDAC inhibitor thailandepsin-A for targeted neuroendocrine cancer therapy.

Neuroendocrine (NE) cancers can cause significant patient morbidity. Besides surgery, there are no curative treatments for NE cancers and their metastases, emphasizing the need for the development of other forms of therapy. In this study, multifunctional unimolecular micelles were developed for targeted NE cancer therapy. The unimolecular micelles were formed by multi-arm star amphiphilic block copolymer poly(amidoamine)-poly(valerolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol) conjugated with KE108 peptide and Cy5 dye (abbreviated as PAMAM-PVL-PEG-KE108/Cy5). The unimolecular micelles with a spherical core-shell structure exhibited a uniform size distribution and excellent stability. The hydrophobic drug thailandepsin-A (TDP-A), a recently discovered HDAC inhibitor, was physically encapsulated into the hydrophobic core of the micelles. KE108 peptide, a somatostatin analog possessing high affinity for all five subtypes of somatostatin receptors (SSTR 1-5), commonly overexpressed in NE cancer cells, was used for the first time as an NE cancer targeting ligand. KE108 exhibited superior targeting abilities compared to other common somatostatin analogs, such as octreotide, in NE cancer cell lines. The in vitro assays demonstrated that the TDP-A-loaded, KE108-targeted micelles exhibited the best capabilities in suppressing NE cancer cell growth. Moreover, the in vivo near-infrared fluorescence imaging on NE-tumor-bearing nude mice showed that KE108-conjugated micelles exhibited the greatest tumor accumulation due to their passive targeting and active targeting capabilities. Finally, TDP-A-loaded and KE108-conjugated micelles possessed the best anticancer efficacy without detectable systemic toxicity. Thus, these novel TDP-A-loaded and KE108-conjugated unimolecular micelles offer a promising approach for targeted NE cancer therapy.
A second family with CATSHL syndrome: Confirmatory report of another unique FGFR3 syndrome

Here we describe the second reported family with the CATSHL syndrome, a condition resulting from a unique mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene. Our family confirms the consistent and unique phenotype of this condition, and the specificity of the mutation in FGFR3. The CATSHL syndrome appears to be an autosomal dominant disorder with full penetrance. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantitatively Predicting the Poisoning Area of Leaky Transportable Toxicant

Objective To study a method to quantitatively predict the affected area of toxicants leakage from movable source. Methods Based on the hemisphere diffusion mode,the characteristics of toxic gas diffusion were studied. Results A mathematical model was deduced to estimate the affected area. Conclusion It could provide scientific base for policy making of appropriate emergency rescue.
Analysis of the epidemic situations on the notifiable infectious diseases occurred between 2004 and 2010 in Shiyan City of Hubei Province

OBJECTIVE Epidemiological characteristics and the trend of change of notifiable infectious diseases occurred between 2004 and 2010 in Shiyan City of Hubei Province were analyzed,and the preventive measures were explored.METHODS Reported data were obtained from the National Disease Reporting Information System,followed by statistical analysis of the reported data.RESULTS While no Class A infectious disease was reported during the 7 years,21 Class B infectious diseases,with a total of 85 502 patients,had been reported.166 cases died from Class B diseases,resulting in an annual morbidity of 370.62 per 100 000 and an annual mortality of 0.72 per 100 000.Class B diseases having the highest morbidity rates were viral hepatitis,tuberculosis,dysentery,syphilis,gonorrhea,and measles,accounting for 95.09% of the total number of reported Class B cases.8 Class C infectious diseases,with a total of 39 013 cases,were reported,resulting in an annual morbidity of 169.11 per 100 000.Mumps,infectious diarrhea,and hand-foot-and-mouth disease were Class C diseases with the highest morbidity rates,and accounted for 79.74% of the total number of reported Class C cases.CONCLUSION The trend of Class B infectious diseases rose in the first 5 years and declined in the last 3 years;and Class C infectious diseases exhibited a continuous rising trend.Prevention and control of hepatitis,tuberculosis,sexually transmitted diseases,measles,and rabies of Class B infectious diseases,as well as mumps,infectious diarrhea,and hand-foot-and-mouth disease of Class C infectious diseases,shall be considered as the primary focus for the current stage,so to establish a comprehensive longterm mechanism for the prevention and control of infectious diseases.
Evaluation of uncertainty in detecting silica content from water by ion chromatography

According to analyzing measurement process of detecting silica content from water by ion chromatography and the influencing factors of uncertainty.This thesis evaluated uncertainty in detecting silica content with ion chromatography.It can control quality of measurement process of ion chromatography,and improve the measurement result reliability.
Indications for and results of inferior vena caval ligation for thromboembolic disease.

Indications for venous ligation in the treatment of thromboembolic disease are limited to two types of cases, phlebothrombosis and suppurative thrombophlebitis. Although ligation of the superficial femoral veins is satisfactory in many instances, there is increasing evidence that ligation of the inferior vena cava is often preferable. Indications for this procedure are discussed, the technic is described, and results in 117 cases are evaluated.
Parenteral nutrition of the very low birth weight neonate: a critical view.

From the analysis of available data, the benefits and risks of total parenteral nutrition and parenteral supplementation are assessed.
Reading Affective Companionship in the Prose Lancelot

In response to gay and queer criticism (Boswell, Burgwinkle, Mieszkowski, etc.), the article examines Lancelot and Galehout's affective compaignie and possible homoerotic desires in the Old French Lancelot (c. 1220) as a radical reinvention of romance conventions and types. Taking Le roman de Thebes (c. 1150) as the main point of reference among several early romans, it argues that the signs of the companions' deep mutual affection in the Lancelot point to conventional romance postures and gestures that appear to have nothing to do with same-sex desire. Indeterminacy with respect to the companions' affection and desires is inherent in the narrative's atypical construction of gendered romance types. The article contends that readers must take into account the romance's ambiguous textuality, its relationship to other romance texts, as a factor contributing to the companions' problematic sexuality, which is not reducible to specifically homoerotic desires.
Effects of season on the maintenance requirements of mature beef cows.

Sixty mature, nonpregnant, nonlactating beef cows of two breed types, Angus and Simmental, were used in a four-period, split-plot study to determine the effects of season on maintenance requirements. Periods were chosen to represent each of the four seasons and ran consecutively from June 14, 1986 through June 20, 1987. All cows were fed at one of four feeding levels (75, 87.5, 112.5, and 125% of estimated ME required for maintenance) a cottonseed hull-based diet in each of the four seasons and were rotated such that all cows received all feeding levels during the study. Retained energy for all cows within periods was determined through changes in body composition determined initially and at the end of each period. Mean DM digestibility (DMD) was similar for both breeds (54.4%), and in both breeds DMD was similar in the summer, fall, and spring and lower (P less than .05) in the winter. Mean DE was 61.4% and also was similar between breeds. Season affected DE, which was greatest (P less than .05) for both breeds in the fall (62.5%). Simmental cows had a 16.1% greater (P less than .05) overall daily ME requirement for weight maintenance than Angus cows (123.5 vs 103.6 kcal/kg.75), and both breeds had greater (P less than .05) requirements during the summer and lower (P less than .05) requirements during the winter (122.6 vs 91.4 and 145.9 vs 109.3 kcal/kg.75 for Angus and Simmental cows, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The thermal stability of nonocrystalline FeSiNb prepared by mechanical alloying

Abstract We studied the thermal stability of nanophase Fe 3 Si, and the same alloy with an addition of niobium, (Fe 3 Si) .95 Nb .05 . Alloys were prepared by high energy ball milling, and characterized by x-ray diffractimentry, Mossbauer spectrometry, and analytical transmission electron microscopy. After milling, the materials were chemically disordered bcc solid solutions with grain sizes of about 7–9 nm. We observed three types oof instability during annealing at 450°C: an instability against grain growth, an instability against forming DO 3 order, and in the ternary alloy an instability against niobium segregation. The niobium-containing waloy was considerably more stable against grain growth than was the binary Fe 3 Si alloy. Mossbauer spectrometry showed that the niobium segregated away from the DO 3 ordered domains, probably to grain boundaries. The three processes of grain growth, ordering, and niobium segregation may be interdependent.
Prognostic Importance of Low Admission Serum Creatinine Concentration for Mortality in Hospitalized Patients.

Abstract Objective The study objective was to assess the association between low serum creatinine value at admission and in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients. Methods This was a retrospective single-center cohort study conducted at a tertiary referral hospital. All hospitalized adult patients between 2011 and 2013 who had an admission creatinine value available were identified for inclusion in this study. Admission creatinine value was categorized into 7 groups: ≤0.4, 0.5 to 0.6, 0.7 to 0.8, 0.9 to 1.0, 1.1 to 1.2, 1.3 to 1.4, and ≥1.5 mg/dL. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Logistic regression analysis was performed to obtain the odds ratio of in-hospital mortality for the various admission creatinine levels, using a creatinine value of 0.7 to 0.8 mg/dL as the reference group in the analysis of all patients and female patients and of 0.9 to 1.0 mg/dL in the analysis of male patients because it was associated with the lowest in-hospital mortality. Results Of 73,994 included patients, 973 (1.3%) died in the hospital. The association between different categories of admission creatinine value and in-hospital mortality assumed a U-shaped distribution, with both low and high creatinine values associated with higher in-hospital mortality. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, principal diagnosis, and comorbid conditions, very low creatinine value (≤0.4 mg/dL) was significantly associated with increased mortality (odds ratio, 3.29; 95% confidence interval, 2.08-5.00), exceeding the risk related to a markedly increased creatinine value of ≥1.5 mg/dL (odds ratio, 2.56; 95% confidence interval, 2.07-3.17). The association remained significant in the subgroup analysis of male and female patients. Conclusions Low creatinine value at admission is independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients.