cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utility of Portable Spirometry in a Pediatric Emergency Department in Children with Acute Exacerbation of Asthma

Objectives. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if portable spirometers can be successfully used in an emergency department (ED) in children with an acute exacerbation of asthma. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine if a validated clinical asthma score (CAS) correlates with the spirometry results in children with an acute exacerbation of asthma. Methods. Children between the ages of 6 and 17 years who presented to an urban free-standing children's hospital ED with an acute exacerbation of asthma were enrolled in our study. On arrival, the CAS was recorded and then portable spirometry was performed. Attempts were continued until acceptable and reproducible flow loop measurements were obtained or until the patient was unable to perform further attempts. Outcomes included success at spirometry and correlation of spirometry with the CAS. Results. A total of 101 patients were enrolled in this study. Of those patients, only 35 (35%) were able to successfully perform portable spiro...
Chain Conformations Of Aromatic Polvimides And Their Ordering In Thin Films.

We have investigated the conformation – order relationships of four aromatic polyimides prepared by thermal imidization of the precursor poly(amic acids) in thin films. They are: (i) PMDA-4,4′-ODA polyimide from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA) monomers; (ii) PMDA-PDA polyimide from PMDA and p-phenylene diamine (PDA); (iii) PMDA-Benzidine polyimide from PMDA and benzidine and (iv) BPDA-PDA polyirnide from biphenylene tetracarboxylicdianhydride (BPDA) and PDA. X-ray diffraction results and their analyses by molecular modeling show that all the four polyimides exhibit extended chain conformations in various smectic-type ordered structures that form monomer repeat layers but differ in the details of interchain packing. Furthermore, the polyimide chains are highly aligned along the film plane.
Thermophysical properties of tar-bonded refractories

An investigation was carried out of the thermal diffusivity of as-molded, heat-treated, and coked dolomite, magnesite and dolomite-magnesite tar-bonded refractories by the even-rate heating of flat specimens to 200–1600°C in an inert medium.
The effect of local testosterone administration on the prostate of the rat.

Pellets of crystalline testosterone or testosterone mixed with cholesterol in ratios of 1:2 or 1:5 were implanted in one lobe of the ventral prostate of castrated Sprague-Dawley rats. The weights and histological appearance of these lobes when compared to those of the contralatcral prostatic lobes provide evidence for a greater stimulation or maintenance of growth of the lobes containing the androgen pellets. Inert pellets such as cholesterol had no such effect. This demonstration of a correlation between the presence of testosterone locally and the rate of growth of a lobe of the ventral prostate provides evidence for a local action of testosterone on the prostate. The technique employed in this study should be useful in a search for, and an evaluation of, substances directly inhibiting the action of androgen on the prostate.
Research Note---Lock-In Strategy in Software Competition: Open-Source Software vs. Proprietary Software

Open-source software poses a serious challenge to proprietary software vendors. “Lock in customers” seems a tempting strategy for proprietary software vendors, who attempt to lock in customers by creating switching costs. This paper examines whether such a lock-in strategy will indeed benefit proprietary software vendors facing competition from open-source software, who can credibly commit future prices. Developing a two-period duopoly model in which software products are differentiated and customers are heterogeneous, we find that the lock-in strategy is actually counterproductive in competing against open-source software. In fact, giving customers the freedom of choice may end up benefiting the proprietary software vendor. In terms of the broader effect, we find that lock-in reduces overall social welfare, but certain customers may actually be better off with it. Finally, we show that the lock-in strategy works differently for different types of customers in the software market (i.e., foresighted versus myopic customers). This suggests that customer behavior could significantly alter the equilibrium strategy of software vendors.
Reproduction of the Antarctic fish Nototheniops nudifrons

The reproductive biology of the Antarctic fish Nototheniops nudifrons (Lonnberg, 1905) was analyzed by examination of the gonads of fish collected in March and April 1985 in trawls near Low Island, Antarctic Peninsula, and compared to direct observations of reproduction and early larval development in the laboratory from March to October of the same year. Males and females reached sexual maturity at an age of 4 to 5 yr. Mature males differed in coloration from females and immature males. Ovaries of sexually mature females contained two distinct size modes of vitellogenic oocytes, representing two separate clutches of developing eggs. Females spawned 100 to ∼ 3 500 demersal eggs, which were laid in a nest in crevices or under rocks, and guarded by the male for about 4 mo. Females did not assist in nest defense or egg care. Most spawning in the field and in the laboratory occurred in late fall and early winter (May to June). A second clutch may be spawned in spring (November and December). Eggs hatched after 124 d, and larvae were raised for 38 d. Otoliths of larvae contain internal microincrements, which are deposited in a daily fashion, and are visible by light microscopy. The otoliths of 32 adult fish were examined by scanning electron microscope, and counts of microincrements in these otoliths allowed the backcalculation of hatching dates. Estimated hatching dates were between September and May.
Isolation of aroma-bearing material from Lactobacillus helveticus culture and cheese

Abstract In whey permeate supplemented with amino acids and inoculated with Lactobacillus helveticus , methionine was necessary for good aroma development. The aroma of Lactobacillus helveticus cultures could be removed by passing the culture fluid through either acid or basic ion-exchange resins. When the ion-exchange resins were eluted with appropriate volatile acid or base and the eluates were evaporated, the residues slowly generated volatile aroma compounds. Several acetamides were identified in culture extracts. The culture eluates from acid ion-exchange resins were fractionated into a caramelized-burned and a cereal-like component. The burned component was a complex of carbonyls with amino acids, and the burned flavor was attributed to 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3[2H] furanone. The cereal component contained a number of volatile amines among which pyr-rolidine had the greatest aroma impact. Various pyrazines, indole, and skatole also were identified. Aqueous cheese extracts yielded aroma-bearing fractions that behaved like the culture aromas on ion-exchange chromatography. The cheese extracts contained aromas with the same gas chromatographic retention times as those in the cultures.
Triangle anomaly in Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals possess massless chiral quasiparticles, and they are thus affected by the triangle anomalies. We discuss the features of the chiral magnetic and chiral vortical effects specific to Weyl semimetals, and then propose three phenomena caused by the triangle anomalies in this material: (i) anomaly cooling; (ii) charge transport by soliton waves as described by Burgers' equation, and (iii) the shift of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition of superfluid vortices coupled to Weyl fermions. In addition, we establish the conditions under which the chiral magnetic current exists in real materials.
Posthypothermic Circulatory Failure I. Physiologic Observations on the Circulation

Certain aspects of cardiovascular function were studied in dogs that were cooled to 30 C. without ventilatory assistance, and rapidly rewarmed in warm water. While in the hypothermic state, the animals appeared to make an adequate cardiovascular adjustment to the lowered body temperature. Upon rewarming, however, each animal incurred an acute circulatory collapse, which was characterized by a low cardiac output, diminished ventricular work, hypotension, hyperpnea, and increased arteriovenous oxygen difference. It is uncertain whether this circulatory failure is central or peripheral in origin.
A novel polymer microneedle fabrication process for active fluidic delivery

In this article, we explore a new fabrication process for a flexible, all polymer, active fluidic delivery system, incorporating a fusion of laser micromachining and microfabrication techniques as well as rapid prototyping technology. Here, we show selective fluidic delivery from isolated microchannels through an electrochemically driven pumping reaction, demonstrate the dispensing of dose volumes up to 5.5 μl, and evaluate the device’s performance in terms of its delivery speed and ejection efficiency. Finally, we move this work toward an implantable microfluidic drug delivery device by investigating the device’s biocompatibility through a statistical approach that overviews the viability of bovine aortic endothelial cells on polyimide and silicon substrates.
A National Study of Mothers' Perceptions of Family-Focused Early Intervention.

The Family Focused Intervention Scale was completed by a sample of 503 mothers of birth to 6-year-old handicapped children who were enrolled in intervention programs throughout the United States. This study was conducted to identify the types of family intervention services mothers were currently receiving and the types of services that they would like to obtain. The results indicated that the most common services were providing parents information about their child and helping parents and families become involved in the early intervention system. Resource assistance and personal-family assistance were the least common services provided Family-focused services were reported more by mothers of children birth to 3 than 3- to 6-year-olds. In addition, programs with home-based components and programs with Individualized Family Service Plans tended to have a greater family-focused orientation. Generally, the need for family services was greater than that currently being received. However, the more family inter...
Latent mean differences in the facets of achievement motivation of undergraduate students and adult workers in the US

The multidimensional Achievement Motivation Inventory (AMI; Schuler, Thornton, Frintrup, & Mueller-Hanson, 2004) was used to compare achievement motivation of undergraduate students and working adults at the facet level. The AMI displayed measurement invariance across both groups as indicated by multiple group confirmatory factor analysis. Analysis of latent mean differences found students had higher levels of Ambition, while adults had higher levels of Self-Assurance and Self-Control. Findings suggest that multidimensional assessments of achievement motivation can reconcile contradictions in previous research regarding age differences.
Sexual and Drug Use Behavior in Perinatally HIV-Infected Youth: Mental Health and Family Influences

Abstract Objective As perinatally human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)− infected (PHIV+) youths enter adolescence, they are at high risk for poor behavioral and health outcomes. This study examines relations between youth mental health problems and sexual and substance use risk behavior, the impact of caregiver mental health and family functioning on youth mental health and risk behavior outcomes, and the role of youth HIV status in this process. Method Participants were recruited from four medical centers. Individual interviews were administered to 193 PHIV+ and 127 perinatally HIV exposed but uninfected (PHIV−) 9- to 16-year-old boys and girls and their primary caregivers. Participants were primarily African American and Latino. The interview assessed child sexual and drug risk behavior, child and caregiver mental health, and family functioning. Results Exploratory latent-variable structural equation modeling revealed no differences in rates of sexual risk behavior or substance use between PHIV+ and PHIV− youths. However, adolescent mental health was significantly associated with sexual risk behavior and substance use. Caregiver mental health was associated with youth mental health and indirectly with sexual risk behavior and drug use through its impact on youth mental health. Family functioning did not significantly predict youth outcomes. Conclusions Over and above other key environmental factors and family functioning, youth and caregiver mental health problems are related to sex and drug use risk behaviors in PHIV+ and PHIV− youths. Given high rates of youth and caregiver mental health problems in this population, family-based mental health interventions may be a key component of HIV prevention programs for perinatally HIV− exposed youth.
In vivo social comparison to a thin-ideal peer promotes body dissatisfaction: a randomized experiment.

Objective Although social comparison with media-portrayed thin-ideal images has been found to increase body dissatisfaction and negative affect, research has not yet tested whether social comparison with attractive peers in the real world produces similar effects. Method We randomly assigned 119 young women to interact either with a confederate who conformed to the thin ideal or one who conformed to the average body dimensions of women, within the context of an ostensive dating study. Results Exposure to the thin-ideal confederate resulted in an increase in body dissatisfaction but not negative affect or heart rate. Initial thin-ideal internalization, perceived sociocultural pressure, self-esteem, and observer-rated attractiveness did not moderate these effects. Discussion Results suggest that social comparative pressure to be thin fosters body dissatisfaction but may not promote negative affect. © 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Scheme for investigation of two-photon emission in sodium

We discuss the results of preliminary measurements of nondegenerate two-photon emission between two excited states of the same parity of sodium. In the presence of a strong deexcitation pulse in near resonance with one of the intermediate states, small but repeatable signals have been observed at the complementary wavelength.
The effective pyroelectric and thermal expansion coefficients of ferroelectric ceramics

We present a micromechanical analysis on the effective pyroelectric and thermal expansion coefficients of ferroelectric ceramics in terms of their microstructural information. The overall behaviors of ferroelectric ceramics are profoundly influenced by the microstructural phenomena, where the macroscopic pyroelectric effect can be induced in an originally isotropic, thus non-pyroelectric ceramic composed of randomly oriented ferroelectric grains through poling, during which the polar axes of grains are switched by the applied electric field or mechanical stress. To analyze these complicated phenomena, we will first establish an exact connection between the effective thermal moduli and the effective electroelastic moduli of ferroelectric ceramics, and then combine the exact connection with the effective medium approximation to provide an estimate on the effective pyroelectric and thermal expansion coefficients of ferroelectric ceramics in terms of the orientation distribution of grains and poling conditions, where the texture evolution as a result of domain switching during poling has been taken into account. Numerical results are presented and good agreements with known theoretical results and some experimental data are observed.
Mass and volume transport variability in an eddy-filled ocean

Eddy activity in the North Atlantic ocean produces fluctuations in ocean-wide volume transport on the order of 20×106 cubic metres per second, on multi-year timescales. Such background noise makes it impossible to detect possible trends in the ocean circulation due to a changing climate without multi-decadal observations in three spatial dimensions. The possibility that the oceanic general circulation is undergoing changes as part, or the cause, of major climate shifts is being intensely discussed1, with some published results relying on data from moorings spanning the North Atlantic Ocean2,3. The circulation is, however, extremely noisy. Here, I use existing estimates of the frequency and wavenumber content of geostrophic eddies in the ocean4 to show that variations in ocean-wide integrated transport must appear even in the absence of a true long-term trend. Expected fluctuations exceed ±20×109 kg s−1 (or ±20×106 m3 s−1) and exhibit multi-year timescales. Existing knowledge of the eddy field allows predictions of observed variability and produces lower bounds on the (multi-decadal) timescale required to detect true trends of a large magnitude. Detecting and understanding the effect of climate change on the ocean circulation requires observations in three dimensions over long periods of time.
Continuing insights into the heart as an endocrine organ: Adrenomedullin and cardiac fibroblasts

See article by Tomoda et al. [15] (pages 721–730) in this issue. In 1993, Kitamura et al. [1] discovered a novel hypotensive peptide in human pheochromocytoma by means of monitoring the ability of extracted fractions to increase platelet cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP), which they named adrenomedullin. Human adrenomedullin consists of 52 amino acids and has an intramolecular disulfide bond and C-terminal amide structure, which shows 27% homology with calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), suggesting that adrenomedullin belongs to the CGRP superfamily. Adrenomedullin immunoreactivity and its gene expression are widely distributed in cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal, cerebral and endocrine tissues. Studies have demonstrated that adrenomedullin elicits a hypotensive effect through at least two mechanisms, a direct action on vascular smooth muscle cells, to increase intracellular cAMP, and an action on endothelial cells, to stimulate nitric oxide release, both of which lead to vascular relaxation [2]. When adrenomedullin is injected intravenously, it increases flow rates predominantly in organs in which the adrenomedullin gene is highly expressed, suggesting that adrenomedullin acts as a local autocrine and/or paracrine vasoactive hormone … * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-507-284-4838; fax: +1-507-266-4710 jougasaki{at}mayo.edu
Picosecond degenerate two-wave mixing

Transient degenerate two-wave mixing is investigated in isotropic media by using picosecond pulses. Efficient two-wave mixing requires that the response time of the optical nonlinearity and the duration of the laser pulses be comparable. The magnitude and the direction of the energy transfer that are due to the coherent coupling of pump and probe are found to depend on the relative delay of the two pulses, the input intensity ratio, and the polarization of the pulses. The energy transfer can occur between equal-intensity input pulses, provided that one of the pulses is delayed with respect to the other.
Magic: A VLSI Layout System

Magic is a "smart" layout system for integrated circuits. The user interface is based on a new design style called logs, which combines the efficiency of mask-level design with the flexibility of symbolic design. The system incorporates expertise about design rules and connectivity directly into the layout system in order to implement powerful new operations, including: a continuous design-rule checker that operates in background to maintain an up-to-date picture of violations; an operation called plowing that permits interactive stretching and compaction; and routing tools that can work under and around existing connections in the channels. Magic uses a new data structure called corner stitching to achieve an efficient implementation of these operations.
Role stressors, service worker job resourcefulness, and job outcomes: An empirical analysis

Abstract This article expands upon previous research on the job resourcefulness construct by examining the influence of role stressors (i.e., role ambiguity and conflict) on job resourcefulness and by examining the influence of job resourcefulness on job satisfaction and intentions to leave the firm. Given the current focus of businesses to “do more with less”, the research highlights the importance of role stressors in improving overall organizational efficiency and work outcomes. Drawing from previous work in both hierarchical personality and fit theories, the authors propose that situational determinants play an important role in overall job resourcefulness. An empirical study which utilized data obtained from a financial services institution supports the hypothesized relationships between role stressors, job resourcefulness, and job outcomes. Implications for practitioners and suggestions for future research in the area are discussed.
The Language of Online Leadership: Gender and Youth Engagement on the Internet.

This study examines the JUNIOR SUMMIT online community, which consisted of 3,062 adolescents representing 139 countries, varying SES, and a range of experience with computers. The online forum culminated in the election of 100 delegates. By analyzing the messages posted before results of the election were announced, we explore whether language use predicts who was elected as a leader, as well as gender differences in leadership style. Results indicate that the young online leaders do not adhere to adult leadership styles of contributing many ideas, sticking to task, and using powerful language. On the contrary, while the young people elected as delegates do contribute more, their linguistic style is likely to keep the goals and needs of the group as central--by referring to the group rather than to themselves, and by synthesizing the posts of others rather than solely contributing their own ideas. Furthermore, both boy and girl leaders follow this pattern of interpersonal language use. These results reassure us that young people can be civically engaged and community minded, while indicating that these concepts themselves may change through contact with the next generation.
Serum prostate specific antigen changes in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) on a high sugar high fat diet

BACKGROUND—An inverse relationship between serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and body mass index (BMI) has been reported in men but not in any animal model. METHODS—Serum PSA in a colony of cynomolgus monkeys was assayed and correlated to body weight, prostate weight and age. In addition 15 animals were selected and fed a high sugar high fat (HSHF) diet for 49 weeks to increase their BMI and correlate it to PSA RESULTS—Serum PSA levels were positively correlated to prostate weight (r=0.515, p=0.025) and age (r=0.548, p=0.00072) but was not significantly correlated to body weight (r=−0.032, p=0.419). For the animals on the HSHF diet, body weight, lean mass, fat mass and BMI were significantly higher at 49 weeks than at baseline (p<0.01). PSA was not significantly correlated to body weight and insulin at both baseline and 49 weeks. PSA was negatively correlated to BMI and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) at 49 weeks but not at baseline. In addition we observed hepatic steatosis and increases in serum liver enzymes. CONCLUSIONS—Increases in BMI in cynomolgus monkeys as a result of consuming a HSHF diet resulted in PSA changes similar to those in humans with increased BMI. Cynomolgus monkeys are a useful model for investigating the relationship between obesity, diabetes and PSA changes resulting from prostate gland pathology.
Apparent sibling rivalry in the freshwater fingernail clam Sphaerium striatinum

In Sphaerium striatinum, a freshwater brooding bivalve, up to 97.5% of offspring that adults initially produce fail to reach independence. Marsupial sacs, specialized extensions of gill filaments that act as nurseries, initially contain multiple offspring in various sizes and stages of development. However, by the time offspring reach later stages of development, marsupial sacs typically contain only one offspring. Brood mortality is hypothesized to be the result of competition among embryos for nutrients and/or space. Sphaeriid eggs do not contain enough yolk for offspring to complete development. Adults supply additional nutrients required to reach independence. Brood capacity is limited by adult size. Adults cannot physically brood all offspring they produce. Here, we examine the validity of the competition hypothesis for brood mortality. We reared offspring, in vitro, through metamorphosis under varying nutrient levels and embryo densities. While hatching success and time to hatching were not influenced by nutrients or density, both factors had significant effects on the percentage of embryos completing metamorphosis and timing of metamorphosis. A higher percentage of offspring completed metamorphosis in higher nutrient levels and lower densities. Offspring reared with higher nutrient levels and lower densities also completed metamorphosis more rapidly. We discuss these results in relation to hypotheses for the overproduction of offspring, sibling rivalries, as well as factors that might explain brood mortality in this species.
Relevance of human vision to JPEG-DCT compression

This paper asks how the vision community can contribute to the goal of achieving perceptually lossless image fidelity with maximum compression. In order to maintain a sharp focus the discussion is restricted to the JPEG-DCT image compression standard. The numerous problems that confront vision researchers entering the field of image compression are discussed. Special attention is paid to the connection between the contrast sensitivity function and the JPEG quantization matrix.
Producing prototypes from CO-OPN specifications

The techniques and the tools developed to produce prototypes from CO-OPN (concurrent object-oriented Petri net) specifications are described. CO-OPN is a specification language for the description of concurrent aspects and data-structure aspects of computer programs in an abstract way. The concurrent part of the formalism is described with Petri nets, while the data aspects are described with algebraic abstract data types. In CO-OPN, this association is structured by the object notion. For prototyping such a formalism, a fully operational semantics is required. The semantics is given for the simulation tools that have been developed. An editor and an environment for executing CO-OPN specifications have been developed. The specifications are prototyped using a translation of the specifications into Prolog. >
Predictors of postoperative outcome after general surgical procedures in patients with congenital heart disease

This study was undertaken to evaluate factors predictive of postoperative outcome after general surgical (GS) procedures in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). All patients with a diagnosis of CHD who underwent a GS procedure under general anesthesia during a consecutive 10-year period were considered eligible for the study The congenital heart defect was classified as either simple (ASD, VSD, PDA) or complex (endocardial cushion defects, transposition of the great vessels, tetralogy of Fallot), and the GS procedure as either major (intraperitoneal, intrathoracic, or vascular reconstructive) or minor (inguinal herniorrhaphy, vascular access). The overall mortality rate for the patient population was 12% (27 deaths among 226 procedures), minor procedures being associated with a 3% mortality rate (2 of 70 procedures), and major procedures with a 16% mortality rate (25 of 156 procedures). Incremental risk factors for mortality included a preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) physical status class of IV or higher (P = .0003), a preoperative in-hospital stay of 10 or more days (P = .004), birth at a tertiary care center (P = .04), and emergency operations (P = .05). In the subgroup of patients less than 6 months old, weight of less than 2.4 kg at the time of surgery and a 1-minute Apgar score of less than 4 were additional independent risk factors (P = .04 and .01, respectively). By logistic analysis, previous corrective cardiac procedures, whether complete or palliative, did not significantly alter the postoperative outcome. The authors conclude that physiologically well-compensated patients with CHD can undergo elective operations at a low operative risk; however, poorly compensated patients undergoing urgent or emergent operations are at high risk.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Information game of public firewall rules

Firewalls are among the most important components in network security. Traditionally, the rules of the firewall are kept private under the assumption that privacy of the ruleset makes attacks on the network more difficult. We posit that this assumption is no longer valid in the Internet of today due to two factors: the emergence of botnets reducing probing difficulty and second, the emergence of distributed applications where private rules increase the difficulty of troubleshooting. We argue that the enforcement of the policy is the key, not the secrecy of the policy itself. In this paper, we demonstrate through the application of game theory that public firewall rules when coupled with false information (lying) are not only viable but actually better.
Releasing Individually Identifiable Microdata with Privacy Protection Against Stochastic Threat: An Application to Health Information

The ability to collect and disseminate individually identifiable microdata is becoming increasingly important in a number of arenas. This is especially true in health care and national security, where this data is considered vital for a number of public health and safety initiatives. In some cases legislation has been used to establish some standards for limiting the collection of and access to such data. However, all such legislative efforts contain many provisions that allow for access to individually identifiable microdata without the consent of the data subject. Furthermore, although legislation is useful in that penalties are levied for violating the law, these penalties occur after an individual's privacy has been compromised. Such deterrent measures can only serve as disincentives and offer no true protection. This paper considers security issues involved in releasing microdata, including individual identifiers. The threats to the confidentiality of the data subjects come from the users possessing statistical information that relates the revealed microdata to suppressed confidential information. The general strategy is to recode the initial data, in which some subjects are “safe” and some are at risk, into a data set in which no subjects are at risk. We develop a technique that enables the release of individually identifiable microdata in a manner that maximizes the utility of the released data while providing preventive protection of confidential data. Extensive computational results show that the proposed method is practical and viable and that useful data can be released even when the level of risk in the data is high.
Compact folded line bandstop and lowpass filters

Compact multiple-coupled folded line bandstop and lowpass filter structures are presented in this paper. A common design procedure is used to design both types of filters. The procedure for obtaining the reduced two-port network parameters is described. The effect of mutual coupling among the lines, curved-line sections, and interconnecting lengths of sections are taken into account in order to obtain the network parameters. The filter designs have been validated by using full-wave EM simulation, as well as by comparison with the measurements. The distinct advantages of the folded-line filter designs are a compact footprint and realizable physical dimensions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 42: 44–46, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20202
Contradictions at the confluence of commerce, consumption and conservation; or, an REI shopper camps in the forest, does anyone notice?

Abstract Leave No Trace (LNT) is a United States government educational program guiding outdoor recreationist behavior on public lands. The program consists of seven principles imploring outdoor enthusiasts to “enjoy the outdoors responsibly.” This essay employs a political ecology framework, comprised by critical consumption research and political economic analysis, to engage the LNT program across temporal and spatial scales. We illustrate, first, the impossibility of ’leaving no trace’ even when adhering to the program’s principles. Second, we describe how LNT minimizes local environmental impacts by displacing them to distant locations. Third, we illustrate how LNT obscures connections between the uses of outdoor products and their production and disposal impacts. Along with challenging notions of responsible recreation and ethical consumerism, a close examination of Leave No Trace reveals four mechanisms that produce and maintain program contradictions: the development of private-nonprofit alliances; the indirect enclosure of public conservation areas; the perpetuation of truncated notions of environmental citizenship; and the cultivation of ethical consumer subjects that shop at retail outlets like Recreation Equipment Incorporated (REI).
Comparison of dye dilution method to radionuclide techniques for cardiac output determination in dogs.

A study was undertaken to identify the most accurate 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceutical and to determine the accuracy of a noninvasive radionuclide technique (antecubital injection and precordial detection) for cardiac output determinations. Phase I employed sodium pertechnetate, stannous pyrophosphate with sodium pertechnetate, technetium-99m red blood cells, and technetium-99m human serum albumin as radionuclide tracers. Cardiac output was determined by the dye dilution method and then by the invasive radionuclide technique. The radiopharmaceutical was injected into the same intracardiac catheter used in the dye dilution method. Seven to 10 mongrel dogs were used to test the accuracy of each radiopharmaceutical. A paired t test and regression analysis indicated that technetium-99m human serum albumin was the most accurate radiopharmaceutical for cardiac output determinations, and the results compared favorably to those obtained by the dye dilution method. In Phase II, technetium-99m, human serum albumin was used as the radionuclide tracer for cardiac output determinations with the noninvasive technique. The results compared favorably to those obtained by the dye dilution method. Regression analysis indicated a correlation coefficient of 0.91. A paired t test demonstrated that the difference between the two methods was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The data suggest that a noninvasive radionuclide technique using an intravascular radiopharmaceutical may be safe and nontraumatic for cardiac output determinations in humans.
ATR/IR Spectroscopic Method for following Photo-Polymer Curing

A method for examining the photo-induced polymerization of photoresists and solder masks, at the substrate/photopolymer interface, using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and infrared spectroscopy is discussed. The method is especially useful for dry film photoresists and gives information concerning cure levels affected by exposure dose and photoresist thickness. The photoprocessing of Vacrel® 8100 series solder mask and Riston® 3100 series photoresists from Dupont are used as examples.
A Study in the Mechanism of the Formation of Substituted Uracils and Thiouracils

A variety of ureas and thioureas were treated with ethyl acetoacetate, ethyl n-butylacetoacetate, and ethyl di-n-butylacetoacetate under acidic, basic, and neutral conditions. Under acidic conditions, ethyl acetoacetate reacted only with urea or methylurea; under neutral conditions, it reacted only with thiourea; under basic conditions, it reacted only with thiourea, methylthiourea and ethylthiourea. Ethyl n-butylacetoacetate reacted only with thiourea in base, while ethyl di-n-butylacetoacetate failed to condense with urea or thiourea under all conditions. In the condensation reaction between acetoacetic ester and thioureas, it was found that (a) the reaction proceeded best with thiourea and ethyl acetoacetate; (b) introduction of a single alkyl group into either the thiourea or the acetoacetic ester molecular lowered the yield but did not preclude the reaction; (c) introduction of two alkyl groups distributed in any fashion between the thiourea and acetoacetic ester molecules precluded the reaction; and (d) only the 3-alkyl thiouracils were obtained from alkyl thioureas. A probable mechanism, based on the resonance theory, has been proposed.
Exploratory Studies on the Effects of a Career Exploration Group for Urban Chinese Immigrant Youth

Two studies evaluating a school-based, culturally responsive career exploration and assessment group for low-income, urban Chinese immigrant youth are described. Mixed qualitative and quantitative methods compared the treatment (CEDAR group) versus the control group (no intervention). In Study 1, CEDAR group participants reported a significant decrease in career indecision; increases in academic, career, and college help seeking; and career decision-making self-efficacy at posttest compared to the control group. In Study 2, CEDAR group participants reported a significant increase in career decision making; decreases in career counseling stigma and value, collective self esteem, and affirmation and belonging in ethnic identity at posttest compared to the control group. Qualitative data from Study 1 and 2 revealed that participants had experienced an increased sense of social support, self-regard, self-knowledge, and learned practical career skills after participating in the CEDAR group. Implications for fu...
The National Applied Mathematics Laboratories-A Prospectus

A prospectus is herein set forth for a federal center of applied mathematics, to be operated as a division of the National Bureau of Standards of the Department of Commerce. The center is to be known as the National Applied Mathematics Laboratories. It will specialize in numerical and statistical analysis, and will undertake to offer various services in these fields, and carry on a broad program of research and training. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of high-speed automatic computing machinery and the mathematical theory needed for its effective use. (1947)
A synthetic peptide blocking the apolipoprotein E/β-amyloid binding mitigates β-amyloid toxicity and fibril formation in vitro and reduces β-amyloid plaques in transgenic mice

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ). A major genetic risk factor for sporadic AD is inheritance of the apolipoprotein (apo) E4 allele. ApoE can act as a pathological chaperone of Aβ, promoting its conformational transformation from soluble Aβ into toxic aggregates. We determined if blocking the apoE/Aβ interaction reduces Aβ load in transgenic (Tg) AD mice. The binding site of apoE on Aβ corresponds to residues 12 to 28. To block binding, we synthesized a peptide containing these residues, but substituted valine at position 18 to proline (Aβ12–28P). This changed the peptide’s properties, making it non-fibrillogenic and non-toxic. Aβ12–28P competitively blocks binding of full-length Aβ to apoE (IC50 = 36.7 nmol). Furthermore, Aβ12–28P reduces Aβ fibrillogenesis in the presence of apoE, and Aβ/apoE toxicity in cell culture. Aβ12–28P is blood-brain barrier-permeable and in AD Tg mice inhibits Aβ deposition. Tg mice treated with Aβ12–28P for 1 month had a 63.3% reduction in Aβ load in the cortex (P = 0.0043) and a 59.5% (P = 0.0087) reduction in the hippocampus comparing to age-matched control Tg mice. Antibodies against Aβ were not detected in sera of treated mice; therefore the observed therapeutic effect of Aβ12–28P cannot be attributed to an antibody clearance response. Our experiments demonstrate that compounds blocking the interaction between Aβ and its pathological chaperones may be beneficial for treatment of β-amyloid deposition in AD.
A Targeting Method Based on Acoustic Backscatter for Treatment Planning in Tissue Ablation Using Focused Ultrasound

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a therapeutic modality that can produce coagulative necrosis in biological tissue, noninvasively. This technique requires the determination of the focus of a HIFU transducer before treatment. We investigated a method to localize the focus based on the change in radio-frequency (RF) signal at HIFU intensity levels below the threshold for tissue damage. 2-D RF data were collected during the HIFU exposure at subablative intensity levels in ex vivo chicken tissue. The HIFU intensity was then increased to induce necrotic lesions in tissue, visualized as hyperecho in B-mode images, and the location of hyperecho was used to represent physical lesions, as established in our prior studies. Results showed that focal RF amplitude increased immediately after HIFU started at subablative intensity. The focus was clearly visualized in a 2-D map of the average rate of change (ARC) of RF amplitude. The 2-D difference between focus locations based on RF data and hyperecho was 1.92 ± 1.02 mm (mean ± standard deviation), with no statistically significant difference (axial: p = 0.50, lateral: p = 0.07, paired i-test). Histological analysis was also performed to examine structural change in tissue after HIFU exposure. The results indicated that ARC map could be used to determine the focus of a HIFU transducer at subablative intensity, and it has the potential to be used for HIFU treatment targeting.
Strengthening Professional and Paraprofessional Contributions to Social Service and Social Development

SUMMARY Based on a long-term research project that has generated data on paraprofessional social service personnel in fourteen developed and developing countries, this paper presents some findings that, if acted upon, could strengthen the contribution of both professionals and paraprofessionals to social service and social development goals. The type of front line workers who are generally regarded as paraprofessionals have always been important participants in social service activities throughout the world. This continues to be the case in the countries studied. This article identifies conditions under which the service activities of professionals and paraprofessionals can be more productive and where their joint contribution to human well-being can be enhanced. Based on research carried out on paraprofessional social service person nel in fourteen developed and developing countries—Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, The Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Uganda, the US, and West Germany—over the last seven years, this paper presents some findings that, if acted upon by social service organizations, social work education programmes, and
Principles of Bipolar Electrochemistry

This is a tutorial on the basic concepts underlying bipolar electrochemistry. It is intended as an accompaniment to ChemElectroChem’s special issue on this topic. The guest editors of this special issue think it is worthwhile to introduce bipolar electrochemistry to a broader (electrochemistry) audience by explaining the similarities and differences between bipolar electrochemistry and normal electrochemical methods. The work presented herein has been adapted from: S. E. Fosdick, K. N. Knust; K. Scida; R. M. Crooks “Bipolar Electrochemistry” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 10438–10456 (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201300947); “Bipolare Elektrochemie” Angew. Chem. 2013, 125, 10632–10651 (DOI: 10.1002/ange.201300947).
Angiographic Narrowing Prior to ST Elevation MI. Are the Lesions Non Obstructive

In the 1980s, our group and others published studies that showed that myocardial infarction frequently arose from plaques that on angiograms prior to the event were not significantly stenotic. Over the years, this became an accepted tenet of cardiology and was even incorporated into the definition of the vulnerable plaque. However, more recently, other angiographic data performed either just before or immediately after infarction as well as intravascular data at the time of infarction assessing lesion severity have challenged this paradigm showing that the lesions were, in fact, severely stenotic. This chapter reviews these data and indicates how these two possibilities are actually not mutually exclusive.
Method for determination of 17,21-dihydroxy-20-ketosteroids in urine and plasma.

SummaryA simple, accurate method for determination of the 17,21-dihydroxy-20-ketosteroids in plasma and urine has been described. The chloroform extract is dissolved in chloroform and chromatographed on silica gel in a 1 ml serologic pipette. The 17,21-dihydroxy-20-ketosteroids are eluted with ethanol-chloroform mixtures and assayed by a micro Porter-Silber procedure.
Effect of Heparin on Corning 288 Measurement of Sodium, Potassium, and Ionized Calcium

We quantified the effect of heparin sodium as a sample anticoagulant on the measurement of sodium, potassium, and ionized calcium values in whole blood and quality control material. Twenty-five- to 100-μL volumes of heparin had a negligible effect on sample values for sodium and potassium. For ionized calcium, 50 μL or greater of 1,000 U/mL of heparin sodium ( United States Pharmacopeia ) added to the samples resulted in sufficiently large differences from the control value (up to 0.36 mmol/L for the quality control material and 0.16 mmol/L for whole blood) that could have been interpreted as clinically significant. The smallest difference from the control value (0.05 mmol/L for the quality control material and 0.02 mmol/L for whole blood) occurred with 25 μL of 100 U/mL of heparin sodium. We describe a technique for preparing heparinized syringes with a residual volume of heparin that is adequate for blood specimen anticoagulation, but insufficient to result in clinically significant effects on blood sodium, potassium, and ionized calcium measurements. The mean volume of residual heparin in syringes prepared by respiratory therapists familiar with this technique was 19±9 μL.
In Vitro Differentiation of Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes into Ookinetes

The ookinete is the motile form of the malaria parasite that invades the mosquito midgut epithelium to initiate sporogony. Differentiation of ingested gametocytes into ookinetes in the mosquito midgut lumen and the subsequent interaction with the luminal surface of the midgut epithelium in preparation for invasion are complex processes. To facilitate the study of these events in detail, it is necessary to produce sufficient numbers of pure, fully mature ookinetes. However, production of even a small number of Plasmodium falciparum ookinetes in vitro has proven to be a daunting task. Consequently, over the past four decades our collective understanding of the biology of this parasite form remains sorely deficient. Here, we describe a new culture technique, which improves the in vitro transformation efficiency of P. falciparum gametocytes into mature ookinetes and supports the complete development of ookinetes that retain the ability to infect the mosquito midgut and to produce oocysts.
The effectiveness of peer recognition on motivation.

The value of recognition as a motivator has been well documented. The difficult question today is how to establish an ongoing peer recognition program that will involve most staff members. The proc...