cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Child Welfare Design Teams: An Intervention to Improve Workforce Retention and Facilitate Organizational Development

Workforce turnover in public child welfare is a national problem. Individual, supervisory, and organizational factors, individually and in combination, account for some of the turnover. Complex, comprehensive interventions are needed to address these several factors and their interactions. A research and development team is field testing one such intervention. The three-component intervention encompasses management consultations, capacity building for supervisors, and a cross-role, intra-agency design team (DT). DTs consist of representative workers from pilot child welfare systems. A social worker from outside the agency facilitates team problem solving focused on retention of workers. DT problem solving combines action research and learning. DTs and their facilitators rely on specially designed tools, protocols, and social work research as they address retention-related priorities. Intervention research findings as well as successful examples of retention-related problem solving indicate the DT intervention's potential contributions to social work education, research, and practice.
Far-red-induced mitotic delay and the apparent increase of X-ray induced chromatid aberrations in Tradescantia microspores

Abstract Experiments have been carried out that show that far-red radiation when given in conjunction with X-rays to Tradescantia microspores induces a mitotic delay that shifts the arrival of cells at metaphase. Since S and G2 are parts of the cell cycle that are not uniformly sensitive to X-rays, the shifts can lead to an apparent synergistic effect of far-red radiation and X-rays in the induction of chromatid aberrations. This is only true, however, if cell samples are taken at a fixed time after X-irradiation. When many samples are taken at successive times to characterize the changes in sensitivity, the apparent synergism is seen to be merely a reflection of the shift. The use of far-red radiation to delay mitosis and, thus, to allow a recovery from X-ray-induced pycnosis has allowed the characterization of the changes in radiation sensitivity as the cells progress through the cell cycle towards metaphase. There are two peaks of sensitivity. The one closer to metaphase is usually not seen because of the radiation-induced pycnosis.
Percentage points of the studentized range test for dispersion of normal means

Consider k (≥ 2) independent populations such that observations obtained from πi are independent and normally distributed with unknown mean μiand a common unknown variance σ2, Let the standardized difference of the means be measured by is the maximum (minimum) of . In this paper, we provide tables for testing an interval hypothesis is a predetermined constant. The null hypothesis thus stipulates that the population means fall into a zone of indifference of size δ (standard units). As a test statistic for this hypothesis the studentized range is proposed and the least favorable configuration (LFC) for the test under H0 is determined. umerical quadrature is employed to obtain percentage points of the test statistic under the LFC for testing the interval hypothesis H0. These tables can also be used to construct a lower confidence bound for d(μ) if δ is not specified.
Interference by Cyclodextrins in Protein Determination by the Bradford Method

Abstract Cyclic glucose oligomers known as cyclodextrins were found to interfere in the quantitation of micro amounts of protein by the Bradford method. Formation of an inclusion complex between cyclodextrin and reagent dye led to enhanced absorbance at the measuring wavelength. However, protein values were inhibited in samples containing cyclodextrin. The extent of interference was difficult to predict since it was dependent on the amount of protein as well as the concentration and type of cyclodextrin present in the sample. All three commonly used cyclodextrins (α-, hydroxypropyl-β-, and γ-cyclodextrin) caused significant interference in the microassay procedure. The use of cyclodextrin blanks were not helpful in correcting for this interference, which was probably due to a three-way interaction between dye, protein, and cyclodextrin molecules. Preliminary results showed a similar interference by cyclodextrins in the bicinchoninic acid and Lowry protein assays.
Cost-Effective Analysis of Hypofractionated Versus Standard 30-Fraction IMRT in Patients With Poor Prognosis Glioblastoma Multiforme

Purpose/Objective(s): We previously reported the tolerability and outcome of hypofractionated radiation therapy (HFRT) using dose painting intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) 36 Gy and 24 Gy in 6 fractions (fx) every-other-day over 2 weeks with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients with especially poor prognoses. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of radiation therapy (RT) for 6-fx HFRT compared to the standard of 30-fx RT to 60 Gy over 6 weeks, both using IMRT technique. Materials/Methods: The hospital and out-patient charges and reimbursements from Medicare and six major insurance payers for patients with GBM in RTOG RPA Class V who underwent HFRT between 2011 and 2013 were reviewed by the institution’s billing department and compared with GBM patients treated with 30-fx IMRT. Median survival (MS) time for 13 patients undergoing HFRT was defined by the KaplanMeier estimator. Based on the outcome of RPA Class V patients included in the EORTC 26981/22981 trial, MS of 10 months was used as the outcome for 30-fx RT. The reimbursed amounts per patient for each of the treatment modalities were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Cost effective ratio (CER) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were calculated for HFRT and 30-fx RT using the median reimbursed amount from the seven payers as a measure of cost-effectiveness. Results: The MS of HFRT patients was not reached at median follow up of 9 months and therefore was estimated to be at least 9 months. The costs of treatments billed per patient were approximately $35,000, resulting in reimbursement of $7,000-25,000 (median $17,000) among the seven payers. The cost billed per patient for 30-fx IMRT was approximately $96,000, resulting in reimbursement of $20,000-71,000 (median $50,000) from the same payers. The lower cost reimbursed for HFRT compared to 30-fx RT was statistically significant (p Z 0.004 by Mann-Whitney U test). CER ($/month gained) for HFRTwas $1889/mo while with 30 fx RT was $5000/mo. The ICER for 30 fx RT was similarly calculated to be $33,000, meaning an additional $33,000 was spent on RT alone per patient to improve MS by 1 month from 9 to 10 months, while also putting patients through 24 additional daily RT treatments. Conclusions: In well-selected GBM patients with especially poor prognosis, HFRT may be a more cost-effective therapy compared to standard RT, providing equivalent or near-equivalent outcome with nearly a third of the cost in RT alone and a shorter, more convenient treatment schedule (6 fx in 2 weeks vs 30 fx in 6 weeks) for the patients. Author Disclosure: J.C. Ye: None. M. Yondorf: None. S.C. Pannullo: None. J.A. Boockvar: None. P.E. Stieg: None. T.H. Schwartz: None. R.J. Scheff: None. B. Parashar: None. D. Nori: None. K. Chao: None. A. Wernicke: None.
Assessing professional ethics in tax: A case on uncertain tax positions

Abstract We develop and present an ethics case dealing with an uncertain tax position. The case can be used to assess professional ethics as part of an assurance-of-learning (AOL) plan as well as a component of a course grade. We present data on student performance on this case over a 5-year period. Students consider existing ethical frameworks to identify and frame the potential ethical “dilemmas” they might face in addressing whether to countenance a client’s suggested treatment and disclosure of an uncertain tax position. In addition, students evaluate the AICPA guidance and U.S. Treasury standards on taking and reporting uncertain tax positions in the tax return and the FASB and PCAOB standards on reporting and auditing uncertain tax positions in the financial statements. The case allows faculty to assess students’ ability to frame potential ethical dilemmas when clients engage in aggressive tax behavior, to recognize with whom and with what professional reference documents they should consult when an uncertain tax position arises, and to choose among alternative actions when faced with client/preparer conflicts.
Chemistry of π-complexes derived from [(Ph3P)2Pt(η3-CH2CCPh)](O3SCF3). Interconversion between η3-alkoxoallyl and η3-oxoallyl complexes and between η3-aminoallyl and η3-iminoallyl complexes

Abstract The η3-alkoxoallyl complexes of platinum (2a–c: RMe (a), Et (b), i-Pr (c)) derived from [(Ph3P)2Pt(η3-CH2CCPh)]+ (1) and ROH are dealkylated by OMe− to form the η3-oxoallyl complex (Ph3P)2Pt(η3-CH2C(O)CHPh) (3). Reactions of 3 with Et3O+ and (MeO)2SO2 regenerate the η3-alkoxoallyl complexes 2a,b. Treatment of 1 with H2O affords binuclear [((Ph3P)2Pt(η3- (CH2)(CHPh)C))2O]2+ (4), which is converted to 3 upon treatment with two equivalents of OMe−. The η3-aminoallyl complexes [(Ph3P)2Pt(η3-CH2C(NHR)CHPh)]+ (6), obtained from 1 and RNH2 (Rp-MeC6H4NH2, p-O2NC6H4NH2), react with LiPh to afford the η3-iminoallyl complexes (Ph3P)2Pt(η3-CH2C(NR)CHPh) (7). Complexes 7 are protonated by HBF4 and alkylated by (MeO)2SO2 to yield 6 and [(Ph3P)2Pt(η3-CH2C(NRMe)CHPh)]+ (8), respectively. The complex [(Ph3P)2Pt(η3-CH2C(NMe2)CHPh)]+ (5) undergoes fluxional behavior at ambient temperatures in solution, and this behavior is ascribed to rotation about the CNMe2 bond. The reported chemistry is rationalized by η3-allyl and metallacyclic resonance hybrid properties of 2–8.
LCT Revisited: Corrigenda to 1Yi-co-e sacen

This is a revision of "LCT: Corrigenda and Addenda", Korean Linguistics 5:131-8. Newly added lines are marked with | in the left margin. The other lines contain the same information as before, with minor corrections and editing. A raised double dot ·· (the dieresis or umlaut) now marks the low rising tone, instead of the colon used earlier.
Confounding definitions: using a continuum to understand interactivity

The term interactivity is used in many disciplines, including communication, professional/technical writing, new media, computer science, and marketing to describe a specific feature of different types of texts. However, little consensus has been achieved as to what interactivity actually is or can be. Using and categorizing definitions of interactivity from the fields of new media, computer science, communication, and advertising in order to begin to conceptualize interactivity, this paper will argue that rather than coming up with a single definition of interactivity that can be used in multiple disciplines, interactivity should be conceptualized along a continuum. By conceptualizing the term interactivity along a continuum, practitioners and instructors can be better able to use the term interactivity more productively, which can help practitioners and instructors who create or who teach others how to create interactive documents have a more generally agreed upon meaning that will further the ability to produce texts appropriate for an audience, purpose, and context.
Emergency department treatment of migraine, tension, and mixed-type headache

The complaint of headache is frequently encountered in the emergency department, but most patients with cephalalgia have a benign etiology for their pain. At least 90% of patients presenting with headache are diagnosed as suffering from benign vascular or muscle-tension (for example, migraine, tension, or mixed-type) headache. There is no consensus on the ideal therapeutic approach to these patients. Classically utilized narcotic therapy suffers from problems with efficacy, relapse, and potential for abuse and addiction. However, other agents have successively proved to be imperfect as well, despite the many therapeutic approaches that have been suggested in the medical literature. While no one drug has emerged as clearly superior for treatment of acute benign headache, recent investigations have clarified the role of certain therapies. This review is intended to familiarize emergency physicians with the latest information on most recommended therapeutic approaches to the patient with headache.
Finite Volume Model for Nonlevel Basin Irrigation

A finite volume model for unsteady, two-dimensional, shallow water flow is developed and applied to simulate the advance and infiltration of an irrigation wave in two-dimensional basins of complex topography. The fluxes are computed with Roe's approximate Riemann solver and the monotone upstream scheme for conservation laws is used in conjunction with predictor-corrector time-stepping to provide a second-order accurate solution. Flux-limiting is implemented to eliminate spurious oscillations and the model incorporates an efficient and robust scheme to capture the wetting and drying of the soil. Model predictions are compared with experimental data for one- and two-dimensional problems involving rough, impermeable, and permeable beds, including a poorly leveled basin.
High-temperature mechanical, physical and Thermal properties of granitic rocks— A review

Abstract The knowledge of high-temperature mechanical and transport properties of granitic rocks is required to understand and model a number of processes in the earth's crust such as: folding, geothermal activity, magmatic intrusions, and plate tectonics. The temperature range of interest goes well beyond the 250°C limit considered in conventional high level nuclear waste disposal, and exceeds the melting point of the rocks. An extensive literature review was performed to assemble data on the following properties: modulus, Poisson's ratio, tensile strength, compressive strength, viscosity, thermal expansion, density, permeability, melting temperature, heat of fusion, specific heat, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity. It is expected that this information will facilitate an assessment of future research needs in the thermomechanical characterization of granitic rocks, and will be of immediate use to scientists involved in the modeling of several geological phenomena.
A Randomized Study of Serial Telephone Call Support to Increase Adherence and Thereby Improve Virologic Outcome in Persons Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy

Background. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is difficult, and methods to increase it are needed. Methods. We tested the impact of supportive telephone calls in an adherence substudy of a treatment trial. Subjects initiating antiretroviral therapy received either each site's usual adherence support measures or usual support measures and scripted serial telephone calls (16 calls during 96 weeks). Results. A total of 282 subjects enrolled: 140 in the usual support measures group and 142 in the calls group. A total of 75% of expected calls were completed. Virologic failure occurred in 97 (34%) subjects: 52 (37%) of those in the usual support measures group and 45 (32%) of those in the calls group; time to virologic failure was not different (P = .32). In each group, >72% of subjects reported ≥95% adherence, with no difference between groups. Independent predictors of higher rates of virologic failure were <95% adherence, receiving the 4-drug regimen with nelfinavir, and female sex; older age was associated with decreased likelihood of virologic failure. Receiving the 4-drug regimen with nelfinavir, higher stress scores, older age, and higher call completion rates were independently associated with higher adherence. Conclusions. Serial telephone calls did not improve virologic outcome but had an impact on self-reported adherence.
Architects' Reasoning with Structures and Functions:

Although there is a visible increase in the number of publications in the area of design thinking and signs that it is becoming a serious area of research, there is a lack of theoretical approaches that directly address its domain-specific characteristics. This study is an attempt to develop such a theory directed towards design reasoning based on a protocol study and formal notation, among other things. Three domains of reasoning are described: construction, object, and representation. Inference making within and between these domains is described in terms of operations called functions and states called structures in a state-space representation of design. Five types of mapping which are illustrated by the protocol study are described by means of structures and functions. Shortcomings and strengths of the proposed theoretical formalisms are both discussed. Future work is indicated.
Definability by deterministic and non-deterministic programs (with applications to first-order dynamic logic)

We make explicit a connection between the “unwind property” and first-order logics of programs. Using known results on the unwind property, we can then quickly compare various logics of programs. In Section 1, we give a sample of these comparative results, which are already known but established differently in this paper. In Sections 2 and 3, given an arbitrary deterministic regular program S (with or without parameterless recursive calls), we show how to construct a first-order structure where S will unwind. Based on this construction, we then prove that the logic of regular programs (with or without parameterless recursive calls) is more expressive than the logic of deterministic regular programs (with or without parameterless recursive calls, respectively).
2D layered insulator hexagonal boron nitride enabled surface passivation in dye sensitized solar cells.

A two-dimensional layered insulator, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), is demonstrated as a new class of surface passivation materials in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to reduce interfacial carrier recombination. We observe ∼57% enhancement in the photo-conversion efficiency of the DSSC utilizing h-BN coated semiconductor TiO2 as compared with the device without surface passivation. The h-BN coated TiO2 is characterized by Raman spectroscopy to confirm the presence of highly crystalline, mixed monolayer/few-layer h-BN nanoflakes on the surface of TiO2. The passivation helps to minimize electron–hole recombination at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interfaces. The DSSC with h-BN passivation exhibits significantly lower dark saturation current in the low forward bias region and higher saturation in the high forward bias region, respectively, suggesting that the interface quality is largely improved without impeding carrier transport at the material interface. The experimental results reveal that the emerging 2D layered insulator could be used for effective surface passivation in solar cell applications attributed to desirable material features such as high crystallinity and self-terminated/dangling-bond-free atomic planes as compared with high-k thin-film dielectrics.
Rapid Cycling of Potato Tuber Generations by Overcoming Dormancy

Dormancy hinders progress in attempts to fast track potato tuber generations. In this study, we evaluated the ability of gibberellic acid (GA) to overcome dormancy in freshly harvested tubers of 11 potato cultivars in 2 years of field trials. Tubers were wounded and dipped in 0, 10, 100, and 1,000 ppm GA. Then they were planted in the field 5 days later. Vine length and stem number were measured throughout the season. Tubers were also harvested and weighed. Cultivars varied in their response to GA treatment. However, for all cultivars, wounding followed by treatment with 10 or 100 ppm effectively overcame dormancy. The 1,000 ppm treatment produced excessive vine growth and lower yield compared to the lower concentrations. Consequently, wounding of freshly harvested tubers, followed by a dip in 10 or 100 ppm GA is recommended to overcome tuber dormancy in programs interested in rapid cycling.
The effect of diet on vitamin E intake and oxidative stress in response to acute exercise in female athletes.

Vitamin E is the major lipid-soluble antioxidant found in foods, and its bioavailability is affected by the presence of dietary fats. Athletes often consume low-fat diets and may be more susceptible to the oxidative stress produced by exercise due to the low availability of vitamin E. In this study, the effects of a low-fat diet on vitamin E intake and oxidative stress markers were assessed in collegiate female rowers. All subjects habitually consumed either a low-fat (LF; 60 g fat · day−1) diet. Subjects ran downhill for 45 min at 75% of their age-predicted maximal heart rate. Blood samples were collected immediately pre- and post-exercise, and at 6, 24, and 48 h post-exercise. Subjects in the LF group consumed significantly less vitamin E (2.9 mg vitamin E · day−1) than advised by the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA; 8.0 mg vitamin E · day−1) and than those in the HF group (9.8 mg vitamin E · day−1; P < 0.05). Plasma concentrations of vitamin E, malondialdehyde, and conjugated dienes were not significantly different between LF and HF before or after exercise. Creatine kinase became significantly elevated above baseline at 6 h and 24 h post-exercise in both groups (P < 0.05). We can conclude from these data that although the subjects in the LF group were not consuming the recommended amount of vitamin E in their diets, their vitamin E intake appears to be sufficient to protect against the oxidative stress produced by this moderate-intensity exercise.
THERMOMECHANICAL FATIGUE OF A LEAD ALLOY

The effects of superimposing a thermal cycle onto a strain-controlled fatigue cycle have been studied for a lead-base alloy containing a minor amount of tin. These tests have been conducted at temperatures near half the melting point under conditions of cycling which included strain ranges from 0.3 to 3 pct and periods between 184 and 1040 seconds per cycle. Cracks were seen to initiate rapidly as grooves along grain boundaries and grow inward until a drop in the load-carrying capacity of the sample was observed when a significant fraction of the crack population exceeded approximately 300 μm in depth. The presence of an in-phase thermal cycle was seen to substantially reduce the number of cycles to failure relative to a reference isothermal test at the highest temperature of the thermomechanical cycle. For a given set of test conditions, the number of cycles to failure increased with the angle of phase lag of the mechanical cycle with respect to the thermal cycle. Decreasing frequency was found to increase the number of cycles to failure in thermomechanical fatigue (TMF), while the opposite was observed for the isothermal reference tests. Hold time was found to reduce the number of cycles to failure in TMF.
Transaction Costs and Property Rights: Or Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors?

This essay takes off on the famous phrase "good fences make good neighbors" from Robert Frost's poem "The Mending Wall" to explore the function of boundaries in setting up property rights. The first section of the paper begins by exploring how boundaries create spaces where individual decisions can be made without the costs of collective action. It then examines how this extreme separation can lead to the duplication of resources, which in turn prompts customary practices that allowed for shared space at the boundary lines which work to the mutual advantage of the two (or more) parties who share common boundaries. It gives illustrations from customary agricultural practices and the law of nuisance to explain why common law boundaries should be understood to be semi-permeable instead of absolute.
High level fault modeling of asynchronous circuits

A method is proposed for high level fault modeling of asynchronous circuits which are described by the signal transition graph. Transitional fault models are introduced. It is shown that the transitional faults are the direct mappings of most of the low level faults.
Development of Quantum dot Reporters for Immunoassay Applications

Multi-pathogen biosensors that take advantage of sandwich immunoassay detection schemes usually rely on spatial resolution patterns of capture antibodies on a detector plate for pathogen recognition, and typically utilize fluorescent, organic dyes as optical labels to identify captured pathogens. An immunoassay-based, fiber optic detector that utilizes varying sized fluorescent semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) as the reporter labels for different antibodies would have the ability to detect multiple pathogens within a single fiber, using a single excitation source. Such a detector requires that QDs be attached to antibody proteins, such that the specificity of the antibody is maintained. We have been involved in efforts to develop a reproducible method for attaching QDs to antibodies for use in such a biosensor. We synthesized CdSe/ZnS core-shell QDs of differing size, functionalized their surfaces with several types of organic groups for water solubility, and covalently attached these functionalized QDs to rabbit anti-ovalbumin antibody protein. We also demonstrated that these labeled antibodies exhibit selective binding to ovalbumin antigen. We characterized the QDs at each step in the overall synthesis by UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy and by picosecond (psec) transient photoluminescence (TPL) spectroscopy. TPL spectroscopy measurements indicate that QD lifetime depends on the size of the QD, the intensity of their optical excitation, and whether or not they are functionalized and conjugated to antibody. We describe details of these experiments and discuss the impact of our results on our biosensor program.
A Longitudinal Comparison of Day Program Services and Outcomes of People Who Left Institutions and Those Who Stayed

This study provides longitudinal analysis of day program and work activities of 61 individuals leaving Minnesota state institutions and a comparison group of 71 people remaining institutionalized. ...
The brewing industry views the drunk-driving problem.

A survey of executives in the largest U.S. and Canadian brewing companies reveals acknowledgment of a drunk-driving problem in which their product is implicated through misuse. It is thought that the industry can and should endorse countermeasures premised on the responsibility of the driver and drinker, which leads to active cooperation with the anti-drunk-driving movement in North America. However, the industry can and should oppose drunk-driving countermeasures premised on a negative view of the product; this stance is likely to result in future conflict with the movement.
Trailblazer: enabling blind users to blaze trails through the web

For blind web users, completing tasks on the web can be frustrating. Each step can require a time-consuming linear search of the current web page to find the needed interactive element or piece of information. Existing interactive help systems and the playback components of some programming-by-demonstration tools identify the needed elements of a page as they guide the user through predefined tasks, obviating the need for a linear search on each step. We introduce TrailBlazer, a system that provides an accessible, non-visual interface to guide blind users through existing how-to knowledge. A formative study indicated that participants saw the value of TrailBlazer but wanted to use it for tasks and web sites for which no existing script was available. To address this, TrailBlazer offers suggestion-based help created on-the-fly from a short, user-provided task description and an existing repository of how-to knowledge. In an evaluation on 15 tasks, the correct prediction was contained within the top 5 suggestions 75.9% of the time.
TYPES OF NEURONAL ACTIVITY IN THE MEDIAL VESTIBULAR NUCLEUS

A study of the responses of 128 neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus to ipsilateral and contralateral cold caloric stimulation revealed that 70% of those found responded to stimulation of both ears, which indicates that there is considerable crossed representation in the medial vestibular nucleus. Approximately two-thirds of the binaurally responsive neurons were reciprocally active, which suggests the influence of a crossed inhibitory arc between the two sides of the vestibular system. Other neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus appear to have representation from one side only of the vestibular system, and others appear to be nonvestibular in function.
Gene Flow and Isolation among Populations of Marine Animals

Successful dispersal between populations leaves a genetic wake that can reveal historical and contemporary patterns of connectivity. Genetic studies of differentiation in the sea suggest the role of larval dispersal is often tempered by adult ecology, that changes in differentiation with geographic distance are limited by disequilibrium between drift and migration, and that phylogeographic breaks reflect shared barriers to movement in the present more than common historical divisions. Recurring complications include the presence of cryptic species, selection on markers, and a failure to account for differences in heterozygosity among markers and species. A better understanding of effective population sizes is needed. Studies that infer parentage or kinship and coalescent analyses employing more markers are both likely to spur progress, with analyses based on linkage disequilibrium potentially bridging results from these studies and reconciling patterns that vary at ecological and evolutionary timescales.
Estrogen Receptor in Rat Liver: Translocation to the Nucleus in Vivo

Following in vivo ethinyl estradiol (EE2) administration (100 μg sc) to adult female rats, the estradiol-specific binding sites (ESBS) of liver cytosol were markedly reduced at 30 and 60 min. The reduction at 30 min was to one-quarter of that found in rats treated with vehicle alone. Coincident with this reduction, nuclear ESBS were increased. The ESBS of partially purified cytosol and of dense sucrose-purified nuclei were determined by gel filtration after incubations with tritiated estradiol using exchange assay conditions. An elevated temperature during the exchange assay incubations was necessary to demonstrate most of the ESBS in purified nuclei of EE2-treated rats and suggested that estrogens are attached at these sites. Following administration of 5 μg EE2, the decrease in cytosol ESBS and the increase in nuclear ESBS were smaller. In contrast, 5 μg EE2 was as effective as 100 μg EE2 in substantially increasing the ESBS observed in uterine nuclear fractions. The low level of ESBS found in whole bra...
Diastolic Function in Pregnant Patients with Cardiac Symptoms

Objective. Dyspnea on exertion and peripheral edema occur routinely during normal gestational stage, making early diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF) during pregnancy difficult. Abnormal left ventricular (LV) diastolic function may be associated with dyspnea on exertion and peripheral edema, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) correlates with volume overload in nonpregnant populations. We tested the hypothesis that abnormal echocardiographic diastolic parameters and elevated BNP correlate in symptomatic pregnant patients. Methods. Sixty-six gravidas presented to an Obstetric Cardiology Clinic were analyzed. Data including symptoms of CHF, BNP, and maternal and gestational ages were recorded. Echocardiograms were reviewed to measure the diastolic parameters E, A, e′, and a′ wave velocities and left atrial volume index (LAVI). Logistic regression was performed to characterize the relationship between diastolic parameters and BNP. Results. Among the 66 pregnant patients included in the analysis, only...
Nikola Tesla: The Man Behind the Magnetic Field Unit

The magnetic field strength of both the magnet and gradient coils used in MR imaging equipment is measured in Tesla units, which are named for Nikola Tesla. This article presents the life and achievements of this Serbian-American inventor and researcher who discovered the rotating magnetic field, the basis of most alternating-current machinery. Nikola Tesla had 700 patents in the United States and Europe that covered every aspect of science and technology. Tesla's discoveries include the Tesla coil, AC electrical conduction, improved lighting, newer forms of turbine engines, robotics, fluorescent light, wireless transmission of electrical energy, radio, remote control, discovery of cosmic radio waves, and the use of the ionosphere for scientific purposes. He was a genius whose discoveries had a pivotal role in advancing us into the modern era.
Toxic war and the politics of uncertainty in Iraq

The long American war on Iraq is not over. In a country ravaged for more than two decades by crippling sanctions and military occupation, the social, cultural, and political-economic legacies of war seem unending. Perhaps even more disturbing, Iraqis now face widespread environmental destruction and a dystopian environmental future. The ecological wages of America's long war in Iraq are partly the consequence of “routine” violence, resulting from the systemic destruction of vital electrical, water, and sewage infrastructure over two decades. It is possible to imagine that Iraq's cities and villages can be rebuilt. But even if it finds its way to the kind of political accommodation that makes reconstruction possible, parts of the country face other pernicious long-term environmental threats, among the most dangerous being the hidden toxic and radiological dangers that have settled in Iraqi bodies and deep in its landscape.
“You Can Read This Text—I'll Show You How”: Interactive Comprehension Instruction

Shared reading with think-alouds provides adolescent students with the modeling they need to become successful readers and writers. This article provides a sample of this type of interactive comprehension instruction in a science classroom. The authors then focus on the dimensions of effective shared readings with think-alouds that can be used across content areas to develop students' comprehension of texts.
The Wildland-Urban Interface: Evaluating the Definition Effect

The wildland– urban interface (WUI) is the area where human-built structures and infrastructure abut or mix with naturally occurring vegetation types. Wildfires are of particular concern in the WUI because these areas comprise extensive flammable vegetation, numerous structures, and ample ignition sources. A priority of federal wildland fire policy in the United States is to help protect communities threatened by wildfire, creating a demand for maps of the WUI. In this study, five models of the WUI are compared for four counties in the United States. The models are all based on the widely cited characteristics of the WUI published in the Federal Register, although they differ slightly in their focus (vegetation or housing) and implementation (the details of the WUI definition). For models that differ in focus, I describe how the purpose of the map led to different results. For conceptually similar models, I assess how different effects—the “dasymetric effect,” the “settlement representation effect,” and the “merging buffer effect”—influence the extent of the WUI in different counties. The differences between the WUI maps can be more or less pronounced depending on the spatial distribution of housing, vegetation, and public land. No single mapping approach is unequivocally superior, and each has tradeoffs that need to be fully understood for use in management.
Time Scales: From Nabla Calculus to Delta Calculus and Vice Versa via Duality

In this note we show how one can obtain results from the nabla calculus from results on the delta calculus and vice versa via a duality argument. We provide applications of the main results to the calculus of variations on time scales.
Ordered and Dynamic Assembly of Single Spliceosomes

The spliceosome is the complex macromolecular machine responsible for removing introns from precursors to messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). We combined yeast genetic engineering, chemical biology, and multiwavelength fluorescence microscopy to follow assembly of single spliceosomes in real time in whole-cell extracts. We find that individual spliceosomal subcomplexes associate with pre-mRNA sequentially via an ordered pathway to yield functional spliceosomes and that association of every subcomplex is reversible. Further, early subcomplex binding events do not fully commit a pre-mRNA to splicing; rather, commitment increases as assembly proceeds. These findings have important implications for the regulation of alternative splicing. This experimental strategy should prove widely useful for mechanistic analysis of other macromolecular machines in environments approaching the complexity of living cells.
Recognition of kidney glomerulus by dynamic programming matching method

Dynamic programming was applied to locate the glomeruli in microscopic images of kidney tissue section. The glomeruli were modeled by a polygon whose sides could be varied within a given range of lengths. The objects were located by determining the best match of the model according to a so-called optimum criterion in which all possible shapes were evaluated at all possible positions in the input image. The best model was selected according to the maximum average gray level. To increase the probability of obtaining a closed contour, a distance criterion was added and the maximum gray-level requirement was relaxed somewhat. The optimum criterion was modified to include a directionality constraint in which the difference in angle between model segments and the edge values in the image was minimized, thereby increasing the performance of the method. A hierarchical multiresolution strategy was used to reduce calculation time. The cyclical property of a contour is also taken into account. >
Mechanism of Irregular Firing of Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Neurons in Rat Hypothalamic Slices

The mechanisms of irregular firing of spontaneous action potentials in neurons from the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) were studied in hypothalamic slices using cell-attached and whole cell reco...
Replacement of histidine 340 with alanine inactivates the group A Streptococcus extracellular cysteine protease virulence factor

Streptococcus pyogenes expresses a highly conserved extracellular cysteine protease that is a virulence factor for invasive disease, including soft tissue infection. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to generate a His340Ala recombinant mutant protein that was made as a stable 40-kDa zymogen by Escherichia coli. Purified His340Ala protein was proteolytically inactive when bovine casein and human fibronectin were used as substrates. Wild-type 28-kDa streptococcal protease purified from S. pyogenes processed the 40-kDa mutant zymogen to a 28-kDa mature form, a result suggesting that the derivative protein retained structural integrity. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that His340 is an enzyme active site residue, an idea confirmed by recent solution of the zymogen crystal structure (T. F. Kagawa, J. C. Cooney, H. M. Baker, S. McSweeney, M. Liu, S. Gubba, J. M. Musser, and E. N. Baker, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:2235-2240, 2000). The data provide additional insight into structure-function relationships in this S. pyogenes virulence factor.
Wild Bees Visiting Cucumber on Midwestern U.S. Organic Farms Benefit From Near-Farm Semi-Natural Areas

Wild bees that provide pollination services to vegetable crops depend on forage resources, nesting sites, and overwintering sites in the agricultural landscape. The scale at which crop-visiting bees use resources in the landscape can vary regionally, and has not been characterized in the Midwestern United States. We investigated the effects of seminatural land cover on wild bee visitation frequency to cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and on wild bee species richness on 10 organic farms in Indiana. We estimated the spatial scale at which the effects of land cover were strongest, and also examined the effects of nonlandscape factors on wild bees. The visitation frequency of wild bees to cucumber was positively related to the proportion of seminatural land in the surrounding landscape, and this relationship was strongest within 250 m of the cucumber patch. The species richness of wild cucumber visitors was not affected by land cover at any spatial scale, nor by any of the nonlandscape factors we considered. Our results indicate that wild, crop visiting bees benefit from seminatural areas in the agricultural landscape, and benefit most strongly from seminatural areas within 250 m of the crop field. This suggests that setting aside natural areas in the near vicinity of vegetable fields may be an effective way to support wild, crop-visiting bees and secure their pollination services.
Application of robust sequential edge detection and linking to boundaries of low contrast lesions in medical images

An algorithm for the optimal edge contour estimation in medical images without a priori shape models is described. The proposed method is an intermediate-level approach compared with the usual low-level edge-detection operators. An optimal and robust contour estimator is derived by the minimization of a risk function which measures the error from both an inappropriate choice of edge contour and an inappropriate choice of the noise model in the image. The result includes Huber's function. If a parametric statistical noise model and the Neyman-Pearson criterion are used, the result is an extension of maximum-likelihood function. A recursive formulation can be implemented by assuming an independent random field and a Markov path model. The assumption of independent statistics can be satisfied by the use of an autoregressive moving-average preprocessor. The problem of varying edge strength is lessened using an adaptive trimmed mean. The robust algorithm is implemented using a priority-tree (stack) structure. The system's performance is illustrated by estimation of lesion boundaries in medical images. >
Space time block code for cdma2000 with pilot channel estimation

The space time block code (STBC) has attracted much attention for its ability to achieve significant diversity gain. And most of the papers related to the STBC have discussed in its applications to the wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) system. Only a few papers have studied its application to cdma2000 system. The paper in Wu et al. (2001) is one of them. Each user in a forward link employs a STBC encoder and the number of the STBC encoders is equal to the number of users, and the channel estimation is not discussed in Wu et al. However, this paper employs only one STBC encoder for the multiple users at a base station, and provides a practical channel estimation scheme using the STBC and the pilot channel in cdma2000 together. For the sake of simplicity, we consider two transmit antennas and one receive antenna. No error correction coding is employed. Also Jakes' model is employed for the Rayleigh fading channel simulation. Multiple access interference is modeled as additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). A RAKE receiver of three fingers is employed for three unequal strength multipaths, based on ITU-R M.1225. The simulation results show that the STBC can improve bit error rate (BER) significantly. For example, the STBC with the channel estimation can make improvement of 4 dB in signal-to-noise ratio at BER=10/sup -2/, compared to the one transmit antenna system without STBC.
Periodic Markets Now and Then

Is there anyone who is not fascinated by the swirling colors and pungent smells of the market place? Whether it is the fish markets of the Caribbean or the cloth markets of India, the covered souks of Fez, or the farmers markets of New York City, travelers’ tales have long included descriptions of the wonders found in the local markets.
The Application of Miller's Elastic Stain to Glycol Methacrylate Tissue Sections

The application of Miller's dilute elastic stain followed sequentially by Gill's III hematoxylin and a fast green counterstain produced a reliable and consistent method for differentially staining elastic fibers, nuclei, muscle and collagen in glycol methacrylate tissue sections. Evaluation of different methods of fixation and conditions of staining on animal tissue sections showed that elastic fibers in both perfusion and immersion fixed tissues can be intensely stained. The stability of Miller's elastic stain offers the potential of a commercially available histological stain reagent for coarse and fine elastic fibers in glycol methacrylate tissue sections.
Consumer Economists in Glass Houses

CCORDING TO a recent estimate by h[\ Professor Alpheus R. Marshall,' "There has been at least a ten-fold increase in the number of consumption economics courses during the last ten years." He comments that he has a record of 112 institutions that offer 388 courses in consumption economics, and that this is probably not a complete list. Doubtless there has been an equally great increase in the amount of consumer literature. Textbooks are obviously needed for the courses and a substantial number of new ones have been published recently. However, a larger percentage of consumer books were written for other purposes. Some of them are frankly propaganda for consumers' advisory services which are sold for cash, and are in that sense commercial. (Usually they are organized on a cooperative basis, which enables them to maintain that they are non-commercial, because not profit-making.) Others of the books are also propaganda, but less avowedly so, since the aim of the authors is to discredit the so-called capitalistic system and gain converts for a nebulous "production for use" system. (Usually there is no endorsement of communism, fascism, or any other actually existing system of authoritarian control.) Practically all the propaganda books have a strong anti-advertising bias. This is to be expected. To induce consumers to pay for advice on what to buy, it is necessary to make them distrustful of free advice. And to convert them to some new ism, it is necessary to convince them
Microstructure and Chemical Ordering in UHV-Deposited, Polycrystalline Coxpt1−x Alloy Films for Magneto-Optical Recording

We report magneto-optical recording with 62 dB CNR (carrier-to-noise ratio) at 488 nm for quadrilayer structures comprising polycrystalline CoxPt1-x (x = 0.28) alloy films deposited on ungrooved, silicon nitride -coated glass discs, held at 300°C, by UHV evaporation. The key parameter controlling magnetic anisotropy of the films is substrate temperature during deposition. Polycrystalline films grown on amorphous silicon nitride have a large coercivity and full perpendicular remanance when grown at 300°C. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction data for polycrystalline films grown at 300 and 600°C confirm the presence of short-range compositional order, to the CoPt3-L12 phase in both cases. Such ordering can introduce an anisotropy in the distribution of Co-Co pairs in the alloy and is a possible source of the magnetic anisotropy.
Clinical and histologic evaluation of laser reanastomosis of the uterine tube

Conventional microsurgical reanastomosis was compared with laser microsurgical reanastomosis of previously ligated uterine tubes in 14 rabbits. A final laparotomy was performed to determine adhesion formation and uterine tube patency, and a histologic examination was done of the anastomosis sites using four histologic indices for grading. Laser microsurgery produced significantly less adhesions (mean ± standard error of the mean adhesion score, 0.79 ± 0.24) than conventional microsurgery (2.29 ± 0.13, P 2 laser was found to be unable to weld uterine tubes successfully. Thus, the CO 2 laser can significantly reduce postoperative adhesions in microsurgical uterine tube reanastomosis but without any significant histologic difference in tissue reunion, compared with conventional microsurgery.