cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Carbon Dioxide Insufflation During Endoscopy in Children as Safe and as Effective as We Think

Objectives Distension of the gastrointestinal lumen is crucial for visualization and advancement during endoscopic procedures. An increasing number of pediatric centers now use carbon dioxide (CO2) preferentially over air as many adult studies and a few pediatric studies have concluded that CO2 is better tolerated than air, especially for colonoscopy. Aims The aim of the study was to determine if CO2 is as safe and as effective as air and if it reduces abdominal discomfort and distension in children undergoing upper endoscopy and colonoscopy. Methods Double blinded, prospective, randomized clinical study. Patient- and nursing-reported outcomes of pain and distension were recorded. End tidal CO2 (EtCO2) was monitored continuously with a CO2-sampling nasal cannula for patients undergoing procedural sedation and via the endotracheal tube for those who were intubated. Results One hundred seventy-eight patients with 180 procedures were enrolled, 91 procedures were randomized to receive CO2, and 89 to air. Groups did not differ significantly with respect to nursing-assessed abdominal discomfort, change in girth from baseline, or endoscopist-perceived ease of inflation. Use of CO2 was associated with transient spikes in the EtCO2 (≥60 mmHg) in a significant number of patients during sedated upper endoscopy without endotracheal intubation. There was a reduction of bloating and flatulence for all procedures in the CO2 group. Conclusions The benefits of using CO2 for insufflation were minimal in our patients. The observed transient elevations of EtCO2 during sedated upper endoscopy raise concerns of possible systemic hypercarbia. The wisdom of its routine use for all pediatric endoscopic procedures is questioned.
Two-dimensional scanning mi ero lenses for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) offer many advantages for optical interconnect and smart pixel applications.
Cosmopolitanism, modernity and youth in the 1960s: the transnational wanderings of teen idols from Argentina, Mexico and Spain

This essay traces the tri-continental flows of youth films and music between South America (Argentina), North America (Mexico and the United States) and Europe (Spain and Italy) in the mid-late 196...
Effects of insulin on stress hyperglycemia in drowning infant rats.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of insulin on stress hy-perglycemia in the drowning rats. Methods Stress hyperglycemia rat model was induced by drowning. Thir-ty-two rats were randomized into control, drowning, air resuscitation and air-insulin resuscitation groups. Insu-lin was injected into the air-insulin resuscitation rats via abdomen. The glucose,insulin, TNF-α level of serum were determined during the drowning and resuscitation. 3H-D-glucose was used to measure the glucose uptake rate (GUR) of skeletal muscles. Results Compared with those in the control group, the GUR decreased,in-sulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) increased significantly in drowning group. Compared with those in the air resuscitation group, the blood glucose and TNF-α were decreased, the GUR increased significantly in air-insu-lin resuscitation group. Conclusion Insulin therapy may decrease the blood glucose and TNF-α level, in-crease the GUR of stress hyperglycemia,and the mortality of drowning rats can be decreased. Key words: insulin; drowning; stress; pancreas islets function
Development of a Novel Intravascular Oxygenator Catheter: Oxygen Mass Transfer Properties Across Non‐Porous Hollow Fiber Membranes

Despite hypoxic respiratory failure representing a large portion of total hospitalizations and healthcare spending worldwide, therapeutic options beyond mechanical ventilation are limited. We demonstrate the technical feasibility of providing oxygen to a bulk medium, such as blood, via diffusion across non-porous hollow fiber membranes (HFM) using hyperbaric oxygen. The oxygen transfer across Teflon® membranes was characterized at oxygen pressures up to 2 bars in both a stirred tank vessel (CSTR) and a tubular device mimicking intravenous application. Fluxes over 550 mL min-1 m-2 were observed in well mixed systems, and just over 350 mL min-1 m-2 in flow through tubular systems. Oxygen flux was proportional to the oxygen partial pressure inside the HFM over the tested range and increased with mixing of the bulk liquid. Some bubbles were observed at the higher pressures (1.9 bar) and when bulk liquid dissolved oxygen concentrations were high. High frequency ultrasound was applied to detect and count individual bubbles, but no increase from background levels was detected during lower pressure operation. A conceptual model of the oxygen transport was developed and validated. Model parametric sensitivity studies demonstrated that diffusion through the thin fiber walls was a significant resistance to mass transfer. Promoting convection around the fibers should enable physiologically relevant oxygen supply. This work indicates that a device is within reach that is capable of delivering greater than 10% of a patient's basal oxygen needs in a configuration that readily fits intravascularly. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Partition-Based Task Mapping for Communication Energy Minimization in 3D Network-on-Chip

Network-on-Chip designs have experienced a rapid development during the last decade and is a becoming a de-facto technique for communication among cores. 3D integration using Through-Silicon-Via (TSV) has received much attention recently as an alternative solution to overcome the bottleneck of wiring. Integrating 3D TSVs with the conventional 2D NoC takes full advantage of the characteristics TSV such as lower power consumption and much smaller delay. In this paper, an efficient task mapping algorithm to target reducing communication energy of 3D NoC, in which the procedure is decomposed into balanced min K-way partitioning algorithm and a heuristic partition arrangement to 2D plane. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed algorithm consumes much less communication energy than the previous approaches.
Modeling Updates of Scholarly Webpages Using Archived Data

The vastness of the web imposes a prohibitive cost on building large-scale search engines with limited resources. Crawl frontiers thus need to be optimized to improve the coverage and freshness of crawled content. In this paper, we propose an approach for modeling the dynamics of change in the web using archived copies of webpages. To evaluate its utility, we conduct a preliminary study on the scholarly web using 19,977 seed URLs of authors’ homepages obtained from their Google Scholar profiles. We first obtain archived copies of these webpages from the Internet Archive (IA), and estimate when their actual updates occurred. Next, we apply maximum likelihood to estimate their mean update frequency (λ) values. Our evaluation shows that λ values derived from a short history of archived data provide a good estimate for the true update frequency in the short-term, and that our method provides better estimations of updates at a fraction of resources compared to the baseline models. Based on this, we demonstrate the utility of archived data to optimize the crawling strategy of web crawlers, and uncover important challenges that inspire future research directions.
Time-Out During Alternative Reinforcement Does Not Reduce Resurgence: An Exploratory Study

Resurgence of previously suppressed behavior can occur when differential reinforcement is discontinued. Recent research has investigated strategies to mitigate resurgence, including punishing the target response during alternative reinforcement. A punishment strategy consisting of reinforcer loss contingent on the target response (response cost) does not appear to attenuate resurgence, but these effects had not been replicated with other negative-punishment procedures, such as timeouts. This study investigated effects of timeouts on subsequent resurgence when adults responded to earn points during a computer task. Timeouts did not affect subsequent resurgence. These findings, in combination with previous research, suggest that negative punishment may not reduce the likelihood of subsequent resurgence.
“Running like the Mischief”: Civil War Louisiana in the Southern Magazine

Baltimore’s Southern Magazine (1868–75), which relocated after more than a year of reprinting transatlantic fare in postwar Richmond, never wracked up the hefty subscription lists of New York’s Har...
Postpartum contraceptive uptake and fertility desires following obstetric anal sphincter injury

Our primary objective was to compare rates of contraceptive use among postpartum heterosexual primiparous women with and without obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS). The secondary objective was to compare fertility desires among women with and without OASIS. This was a planned secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of postpartum sexual function among primiparous postpartum women. Women with a history of vaginal delivery with and without OASIS completed online surveys at baseline and 3 months postpartum. Sixty-nine women completed baseline and 3-month surveys. Forty-one percent of women with OASIS and 36% without OASIS were not using contraception at 3 months postpartum. One-third of women in either group reported using at least moderately effective contraception (P = 0.9), defined as using hormonal contraception or an intrauterine contraceptive device, and excluding condoms. Most women with OASIS (54%) desired to wait 1 to 2 years before attempting another pregnancy. One fifth of women with and without OASIS desired another pregnancy within the next year (P = 0.4). A minority of postpartum primiparous women in the present cohort reported using moderately effective contraception 3 months postpartum, regardless of whether they sustained OASIS. The discrepancy between current contraceptive use and desired birth spacing suggests an unmet contraceptive need within our population and an opportunity for improved contraceptive counseling consistent with patients’ family planning goals, as well as national and international guidelines on birth spacing. Larger prospective studies are needed to further understand the unmet contraceptive need among women with OASIS.
Calibrating a long-term meteoric 10Be accumulation rate in soil

[1] Using 13 samples collected from a 4.1 meter profile in a well-dated and stable New Zealand fluvial terrace, we present the first long-term accumulation rate for meteoric 10 Be in soil (1.68 to 1.72 × 10 6 at/(cM 2 ·yr)) integrated over the past ~18 ka. Site-specific accumulation data, such as these, are prerequisite to the application of meteoric 10 Be in surface process studies. Our data begin the process of calibrating long-term meteoric 10 Be delivery rates across latitude and precipitation gradients. Our integrated rate is lower than contemporary meteoric 10 Be fluxes measured in New Zealand rainfall, suggesting that long-term average precipitation, dust flux, or both, at this site were less than modern values. With accurately calibrated long-term delivery rates, such as this, meteoric 10 Be will be a powerful tool for studying rates of landscape change in environments where other cosmogenic nuclides, such as in situ 10 Be, cannot be used.
Reducing Rapid Eating in Adults with an Intellectual Disability

Rapid eating is a frequent problem among individuals with developmental disabilities that can pose a threat to health. This study sought to reduce the rate of eating behaviors in two adults diagnosed with moderate intellectual disability. Assessment of eating rate took place in the participants' group homes during lunch or dinner meals. Procedures included the use of vibrating pagers with and without verbal prompts to prompt eating and prevent rapid eating behaviors. Results demonstrate a clear reduction in rate of eating when using vibrating pagers and verbal prompts for both participants. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cognitive misperceptions as determinants of drug misuse / Errores cognitivos como determinantes del abuso de drogas

Este articulo describe el papel de cuatro tipos de variables relacionadas con errores cognitivos en el ambito del abuso de drogas: errores cognitivos-informativos, limitaciones en los procesos cognitivos que ocurren durante periodos de experimentacion con consumo de drogas, mantenimiento de la congruencia creencia-conducta y distorsion situacional/contextual. Diversas estrategias de prevencion actuales tienen como objetivo neutralizar estas variables relacionadas con errores cognitivos. El abordaje de dichas variables permitiria el desarrollo de nuevas estrategias preventivas del abuso de drogas. Abstract This paper describes the role of four types of cognitive misperceptionrelated variables in the arena of drug misuse: cognitive-information errors, limitations in cognitive processes occurring during a period of experimentation with drug use, belief-behavior congruence maintenance, and situational/contextual distortion. Several current prevention strategies are provided aimed to counteract these misperception-related variables. By addressing each of these variables, novel drug misuse preventive strategies might be uncovered.
Mechanical trapping of fine particles in a medium of mono-sized randomly packed spheres

SUMMARY Mechanical trapping (or straining) of fine particles is a key mechanism in many filtration systems. For example, the performance of rapid sand filters depends in part on mechanical trapping of larger fine particles, while relying on adsorptive processes to trap very small fine particles and microbes. The ability to trap these particles is directly related to the construction of the packed bed used for filtration in this system. Thus, the ability to model the effect of the inner structure of the packed bed can lead to more efficient design for improved filtration. Because of its significant efficiency, gravitational sphere packing is employed in this work to simulate a bed of mono-sized randomly packed spheres. The simulated bed provides a way to visualize the pore network and estimate the pore size distribution associated with the void space between particles. Furthermore, by subsequently introducing fine particles into the bed, we evaluate the mass-rate of fine particles passing through and possibly saturating the packed bed. Results show that fine particles between 15% and 25% of the coarse particle size can be physically strained within the randomly packed bed. These results differ significantly from the results obtained assuming a periodically spaced bed. The technique therefore provides an efficient yet accurate alternative for understanding how fine particles pass through a coarse particulate medium. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dechlorination of Chloroform by Methanosarcina Strains

Dehalogenation of carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and bromoform in pure cultures of Methanosarcina sp. strain DCM and Methanosarcina mazei S6 was demonstrated. The initial dechlorination product of chloroform was methylene chloride (dichloromethane), which accumulated transiently to about 70% of the added chloroform; trace amounts of chloromethane were also detected. The amount of chloroform dechlorinated per mole of methane produced was approximately 10 times greater than the ratio observed previously for tetrachloroethene dechlorination by these strains. The production of 14CO2 from [14C]chloroform and the absence of 14CH4 imply that processes in addition to reductive dechlorination operate.
The development of a new condom use expectancy scale for at-risk adults

Abstract Rationale Engaging in risky sexual behavior increases transmission of HIV. Objective The present study used previously elicited salient outcomes of condom use to examine the factor structure and test the predictive utility of a condom use expectancy scale. Methods Participants were drug offenders from court ordered drug diversion programs in Southern California. The condom use expectancy scale consisted of three factors: positive condom outcome items, negative condom outcome items, and safe sex items. Results The factor analysis confirmed the three-factor structure. Positive condom use expectancies were a significant predictor of both condom use and intentions to use condoms, and negative condom use expectancies predicted non-use of condoms. Conclusion Understanding conditions of condom use can aid public health researchers and practitioners to better identify those in need of HIV prevention and how to target those needs.
Improved dose-volume histogram estimates for radiopharmaceutical therapy by optimizing quantitative SPECT reconstruction parameters

In radiopharmaceutical therapy, an understanding of the dose distribution in normal and target tissues is important for optimizing treatment. Three-dimensional (3D) dosimetry takes into account patient anatomy and the nonuniform uptake of radiopharmaceuticals in tissues. Dose–volume histograms (DVHs) provide a useful summary representation of the 3D dose distribution and have been widely used for external beam treatment planning. Reliable 3D dosimetry requires an accurate 3D radioactivity distribution as the input. However, activity distribution estimates from SPECT are corrupted by noise and partial volume effects (PVEs). In this work, we systematically investigated OS-EM based quantitative SPECT (QSPECT) image reconstruction in terms of its effect on DVHs estimates. A modified 3D NURBS-based Cardiac-Torso (NCAT) phantom that incorporated a non-uniform kidney model and clinically realistic organ activities and biokinetics was used. Projections were generated using a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation; noise effects were studied using 50 noise realizations with clinical count levels. Activity images were reconstructed using QSPECT with compensation for attenuation, scatter and collimator–detector response (CDR). Dose rate distributions were estimated by convolution of the activity image with a voxel S kernel. Cumulative DVHs were calculated from the phantom and QSPECT images and compared both qualitatively and quantitatively. We found that noise, PVEs, and ringing artifacts due to CDR compensation all degraded histogram estimates. Low-pass filtering and early termination of the iterative process were needed to reduce the effects of noise and ringing artifacts on DVHs, but resulted in increased degradations due to PVEs. Large objects with few features, such as the liver, had more accurate histogram estimates and required fewer iterations and more smoothing for optimal results. Smaller objects with fine details, such as the kidneys, required more iterations and less smoothing at early time points post-radiopharmaceutical administration but more smoothing and fewer iterations at later time points when the total organ activity was lower. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of using optimal reconstruction and regularization parameters. Optimal results were obtained with different parameters at each time point, but using a single set of parameters for all time points produced near-optimal dose–volume histograms.
The quantitation of parasite-specific human IgG and IgE in sera: evaluation of solid-phase RIA and ELISA methodology.

Abstract We have developed a non-competitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA) to quantitate both human IgE and IgG antibodies against soluble adult antigens of Brugia malayi (B.m.) , a filarial parasite causing extensive infection throughout the topics. Previously enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) had been used to detect μg/ml levels of IgG anti- B.m. , but IgE antibodies were difficult to detect in this system. Since the SPRIA successfully quantitates both IgG and IgE anti- B.m. , we sought to examine the reasons for the SPRIA's apparent superiority in detecting IgE anti- B.m. by extracting specific IgG from sera with high levels of IgE and IgG anti- B.m. antibodies. IgE anti- B.m. was then quantitated in these sera using both the SPRIA and ELISA methods. Results indicate that IgG anti- B.m. does not interfere with detection of specific IgE antibody in the SPRIA but does interfere in the ELISA. While ELISA permits detection of IgE anti- B.m. in the absence of competing IgG anti- B.m. , as levels of specific IgG increase, the IgE is no longer detectable. These differences between SPRIA and ELISA can be explained by the SPRIA's antigen excess conditions which assure that there are sufficient antigens both to detect all anti- B.m. antibodies present in the serum and to adequately represent all antigen specificities in the crude B.m. extract. Our findings commend the use of SPRIA methods over ELISA in assessment of B . m .-specific IgE antibody in filariasis and indicate a potential role for SPRIA methods in absolute quantitation of specific serum antibodies.
Carbon atom adsorption on and diffusion into Fe(110) and Fe(100) from first principles

We employ spin-polarized periodic density functional theory (DFT) to examine carbon atom adsorption on, absorption in, and diffusion into Fe(110) and Fe(100). We find that carbon atoms bind strongly with Fe surfaces and prefer high coordination sites. The carbon atom is predicted to adsorb on the long-bridge site on Fe(110) and the fourfold hollow site on Fe(100). Due to the very short distance between the carbon atom and the subsurface Fe atom of Fe(100), the carbon atom binds more strongly with Fe(100) than with Fe(110). In the subsurface region, the carbon atom prefers the octahedral site, as in bulk Fe. We find that the carbon atom is more stable in the subsurface octahedral site of Fe(110) than that of Fe(100), since the strain caused by the interstitial carbon atom is released by pushing one surface Fe atom towards vacuum by 0.5 \AA{} in Fe(110), while the distortion in Fe(100) propagates far into the lattice. Diffusion of carbon atoms into Fe(110) and Fe(100) subsurfaces goes through transition states where the carbon atom is coordinated to four Fe atoms. The barriers to diffusion into Fe(110) and Fe(100) are 1.18 eV and 1.47 eV, respectively. The larger diffusion barrier into Fe(100) is mainly due to the stronger bonding between carbon and the Fe(100) surface. We predict that the rate-limiting step for $\mathrm{C}$ incorporation into bulk Fe is the initial diffusion to subsurface sites, while the rate-limiting step for absorbed carbon segregation to the surface is bulk diffusion, with no expected difference between rates to segregate to different surfaces. Lastly, we predict that graphite formation will be more favorable on $\mathrm{C}$-covered Fe(110) than $\mathrm{C}$-covered Fe(100).
William Osler's views on malignant endocarditis from an “Unknown” report

A mong the scientific institutions of Victorian England there was none more curious than the Society of Medical Phonographers. Founded by the eminent British neurologist William Gowers in 1894, the Society’s purpose was “to promote the use of shorthand in medicine, especially by the publication in shorthand of useful medical literature. . .and to form a bond of union among medical phonographers.“1-3 Membership in the society was open to all practitioners and students with an interest in shorthand. The main efforts of the Society were directed toward publication and to this end The Phonographic Record of Clinical Teaching and Medical Science was established as the official organ4 (Figure 1). This medical journal first appeared in 1894 and was published through 17 volumes until it ceased in 1912. Gowers was the Society’s first president and served as co-editor of the Phonographic Record.= Gowers (1845-1915) had a lifelong passion for shorthand using the system developed by Issac Pitman (18 131897), a British educator. Gowers’ magnum opus, A Manual of Diseases of the Nervous System,5 was translated into 7 languages and became known as the “bible of neurology.” Once, entertaining a friend at his home, he pointed to the hundreds of volumes of notes that formed the basis for his great work, stating, “these are my personal notes in shorthand on more than 20,000 cases of nervous diseases. A human lifetime would scarcely be long enough to allow them to be taken in ordinary writing.“6 In recognition of his many contributions to medicine, Gowers received numerous honors, including election to the Royal Society and knighthood. During his later years, Gowers’ interest in shorthand became something of an obsession and over half of his 100 or so works during the years 1894 to 1902 were published in shorthand in the Phonographic Record.4 Contributors to the first volume included some notable physicians, such as William Jenner, Frederick Treves and Gowers’ good friend, William Osler. To Osler, Gowers was “that brilliant ornament of British medicine.” Their long friendship began in 1878 when Osler visited England to take the examination for membership in the Royal College of Physicians and to obtain
The reaction of allenylsilanes with α,β-unsaturated acylsilanes: new annulation approaches to five and six-membered carbocyclic compounds

Abstract The reaction of α,β-unsaturated acylsilanes with allenylsilanes can be directed to produce either five or six-membered carbocyclic compounds.
Open architecture test system: not why but when!

Due to rapidly escalating semiconductor manufacturing test costs, leading consumers (chip manufacturers) are urging the ATE industry to identify new test systems and business models that can significantly lower test costs. We examine the shifting consumer needs and identify attributes of a test system that can effectively meet the requirements of the consumer. Open test systems have the potential to reduce test costs, but they also result in seismic changes in the ATE industry. We discuss the effect of these changes on consumers, incumbent ATE vendors and new entrants. We conclude that benefits of open test systems are now visible within leading ATE vendors, but an industry-wide open test system is necessary to realize meaningful cost reductions for the semiconductor chip manufacturer.
Sexual and seasonal differences in the vomeronasal epithelium of the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

Sexually dimorphic behaviors often are associated with sexually dimorphic neural structures. Perinatal hormonal levels influence structural sexual dimorphism, and seasonal structural changes also can be the result of seasonal hormonal fluctuations. We compared the volume of vomeronasal organs of male and female red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) throughout the year. Odorants are delivered to vomeronasal receptors through nasolabial grooves when salamanders touch the bases of these grooves to objects (nose tapping). Males may locate and identify potential mates through nose tapping during the prolonged breeding season that lasts from October through May. We compared vomeronasal organ data through multiple regression by using total body size, sex, and season as variables that may influence vomeronasal organ volume. Gonads also were examined as an indicator of reproductive status. Total body size and sex significantly affect vomeronasal organ volume; as body size increases, so does vomeronasal organ volume, and males have significantly larger vomeronasal organs than females at all times of the year. During the summer, both males and females have larger vomeronasal organs than at any other time of the year. Summer also is a period of intense foraging and the initiation of a new cycle of gametogenesis. Previous studies of circulating hormone levels in amphibians have shown that the initial stages of gametogenesis correspond to a period of low estradiol and testosterone levels but high gonadotropin-releasing hormone levels. The functional significance of sexual and seasonal differences in the vomeronasal organs of P. cinereus may relate to the neurogenesis of specialized receptors for courtship and mating. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Annexation as a factor in the growth of U.S. cities, 1950--1960 and 1960--1970.

The incidence of annexation, the growth in the original area and in the area annexed, and the proportion of growth due to annexation between 1950 and 1970 are analyzed for U.S. cities grouped by size, metropolitan status, and region of the country. Over this period, annexation was a principal means of population growth for incorporated places outside the Northeast. Though often associated with metropolitan growth, annexation was even more important in the growth of nonmetropolitan cities. Overall growth differences by size of place, metropolitan status, and decade (1950–1960 or 1960–1970) could not be explained by the incidence and nature of annexation.
Electrophysiologic evaluation of lumbosacral radiculopathies: Electromyography, late responses, and somatosensory evoked potentials

We compared the diagnostic utility of EMG, F wave and H-reflex studies, and peroneal and dermatomal SEPs in evaluating 28 patients with clinically unequivocal L-5 or S-1 compressive root lesions. The single most useful electrophysiologic technique was EMG, which often provided evidence of denervation in a myotomal pattern when other electrophysiologic findings were normal. We found abnormal late responses in 14 patients, but always in association with EMG abnormalities. Peroneal-derived SEPs were always normal. Dermatomal SEPs confirmed the diagnosis in seven patients, including two in whom other electrophysiologic studies were normal.
Chirp encoded joint transform correlators with input scale search

Abstract An architecture for implementing the chirp encoded joint transform correlator (JTC) with input scale search is proposed. In the proposed system, the input plane and reference plane are placed behind the Fourier transform lens to obtain a joint power spectrum, instead of placing both planes before the transform lens in the previous chirp encoded joint transform correlator. Theoretical analysis and optical experimental result are presented.
Animal welfare judging teams—a way to interface welfare science with traditional animal science curricula?

Abstract Animal evaluation courses have been part of animal science curricula for over 80 years in the US. A need for skills in the visual evaluation of conformation traits and the appraisal of productivity potential laid the foundation for animal judging courses. Eventually, these courses developed into competitions for students to compare their skill level. Following a similar framework, we propose that developing teams to educate young people about animal welfare, then establishing competitions to assess these skills will be a successful way to integrate animal welfare science into the mainstream of animal science curricula. Using traditional judging programs as a model, a paradigm for establishing animal welfare judging/assessment teams has been developed. Students take a background course in understanding evolutionary biology, biological needs, behavioral and physiological indicators of differing levels of welfare, and how to holistically evaluate facilities, stockmanship and management schemes. It should be noted that while the assessment of various aspects of animal welfare can be objective and quantifiable, judgment decisions of which area will be acceptable in the continuum between very poor and very good welfare still comes down to an ethics-based choice. Animal welfare assessment will teach students to integrate science-based knowledge with ethical values for an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving. The competition unfolds as follows: CD-ROM scenarios are prepared with indicators of animal welfare ranging from physiological data, video and still clips, to behavioral responses and time budgets. Students evaluate competition scenarios for each species being judged, prepare their analysis, then make an oral presentation of why they assess one scenario as demonstrating a higher level of welfare than another. The knowledge of welfare science in making the assessment, as well as the persuasion in the presentation, are key factors in scoring the students. A pilot competition was held March 1, 2002, at Michigan State University. Eighteen student participants from the University of Wisconsin, University of Guelph, Purdue University and Michigan State University competed in this pilot endeavor. Post-contest surveys demonstrated that 100% of the students felt the development of animal welfare judging teams was a good idea and that they would recommend the course to fellow students.
Psychophysiological Responses of Sport Fans

The present study investigated psychophysiological differences in identified sport fans within the context of the biphasic theory of emotion (P. J. Lang, 1985). Forty participants, grouped into three levels of identification with the local university athletic teams, viewed five pictures from each of two categories (team-relevant sport and team-irrelevant sport). Self-identified sport fans rated team-relevant pictures as more pleasant and arousing compared to team-irrelevant pictures. The P3 component of the event-related potential to an irrelevant startle probe was diminished and heart-rate deceleration was enhanced during team-relevant pictures as a function of fan identification level, suggesting that these pictures evoked a motivated attentional state. Neither probe-P3 nor heart rate differed for team-irrelevant pictures. Lastly, increased positivity for slow cortical potentials was evident for team-relevant compared to team-irrelevant pictures, regardless of fan identification level. These results suggest the utility of psychophysiological measures in the study of sport fans, and for other positive emotions as well.
General framework for configuration design: Part 1—methodology

SUMMARY Configuration design is a type of conceptual design activity in which physical systems are synthesized from a set of predefined components that can be combined only in certain ways. A general framework for automated configuration of systems is presented in this paper. In this framework, design specifications are separated into functions, performance goals and constraints. Starting with design specifications, a skeletal design comprising essential functions is first configured. The process of mapping functions to physical devices is interleaved with the function decomposition process. The level at which a function is mapped to a physical device is directly related to the stringency of performance goals and constraints. Configuration design issues, such as function sharing, detail resolution of the building blocks and the possible explosion of the number of feasible permutations, are also discussed. This paper ( Part 1) describes organization of the design knowledge and the design methodology. Based...
In-hospital cost of percutaneous coronary revascularization. Critical determinants and implications.

Background Hospital charges associated with percutaneous transluminal coronary revascularization (PTCR) in the United States exceeded $6 billion in 1994 and are likely to be constrained in some manner in the near future. Despite this high cost to the public, little is known about the major determinants and sources of variability of PTCR. Methods and Results From a consecutive series of 1258 procedures with attempted PTCR at a single tertiary referral center, we analyzed 65 clinical, angiographic, physician, and outcome variables as potential correlates of total (hospital and physician) cost. Direct and indirect costs, both hospital and physician, were determined on the basis of resource utilization using “top-down” methodology and were available for 1237 procedures (1086 patients) (98.3%). Mean (±SD) patient age was 62±11 years, 76% were male, 3% had acute myocardial infarction, 71% had unstable angina, 58% had multivessel disease, left ventricular ejection fraction was 54±12%, 26% had use of at least one nonballoon revascularization device, and median length of stay was 4.4 days. Procedural success was obtained in 89%, and major complications (death, bypass surgery, or Q-wave myocardial infarction) occurred in 3.8%. The median cost was $9176, but it was asymmetrically distributed, and the interquartile and total ranges were wide ($7333 to $13 845 and $3422 to $193 474, respectively). Analyses of independent correlates of cost and log e (cost) were performed using multivariate linear regression in training and test populations. Modeling found 15 independent preprocedural correlates of log e (cost) ( R 2=.37) and 23 overall correlates ( R 2=.65), excluding length of stay per se. Addition of length of stay to the model increased the explanatory power of the model to R 2=.82. Preprocedural variables most predictive of log e (cost) included presentation with acute myocardial infarction, decision delay (>48 hours between admission and diagnostic angiography and/or >24 hours between angiography and intervention), weekend delay, use of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, intention to stent, creatinine ≥2.0 mg%, and lesion complexity (modified American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association score) (all P <.001). In the model that included postprocedural variables as well, length of stay, noncardiac death, urgent bypass surgery, use of the Rotablator, Q-wave myocardial infarction, rise in creatinine ≥1.0%, and blood product transfusion were all strong independent correlates of log e (cost) ( P <.001). Conclusions The range of total hospital costs associated with percutaneous intervention is extraordinarily wide. Baseline patient characteristics account for nearly half of the explained variance, but procedural complications and system delays account for much of the remainder. Quantification of the determinants of cost may promote more economically efficient care in the future.
Covering Kids: Variation In Health Insurance Coverage Trends By State, 1996–2002

We estimated state-specific changes in health insurance coverage rates for children between 1996–1998 and 2001–2002. We found considerable variation in the changing distribution of health insurance coverage for children across states, with significant increases in public program coverage in twenty-nine states and significant decreases in uninsured children in twenty-seven. Children in families with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level were the most likely to enroll in public programs. We provide an overview of state outreach and administrative simplification efforts and raise concerns about the persistent variation in children’s health insurance coverage across states.
Correlation of gamete shedding with presence of neurosecretory granules in asteroids (Echinodermata)

Abstract Seawater extracts with low concentrations ranging from 3 to 70 mg/100 ml prepared from the radial nerve complex, tube feet, body wall, and cardiac stomach induced spawning in two species of asteroids. Nervous regions of these tissues contained intensely stained fuchsinophilic granules.
Treatment of experimental Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia with analogs of pentamidine.

Seven analogs of pentamidine were tested for their activity against an immunosuppressed rat model of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Structural alterations of the pentamidine molecule included variations of the alkyl chain linking the two p-amidino phenoxy moieties and relocation of the amidine groups from the para to the meta position on the phenoxy rings. All analogs of pentamidine were active against P. carinii pneumonia when compared to a saline-treated control group. One derivative, 1, 4-di(4′-amidinophenoxyJbutane, proved to be statistically more active than the parent drug.
Susceptibility of hypertrophied rat hearts to ventricular fibrillation during acute ischemia

This study compared arrhythmias induced by acute ischemia in Langendorff preparations of normal and hypertrophied rat hearts. Left ventricular pressure overload was induced by partial ligation of the abdominal aorta 6 to 8 weeks prior to study. The ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight (LVW/BW) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were significantly higher in two groups of rats with hypertrophied hearts (moderate hypertrophy: 2.68±0.06 mg/g, 182±3 mm Hg; severe hypertrophy: 3.31±0.03 mg/g, 238±5 mmHg) than in normal hearts (2.18±0.03 mg/g, 125±3 mmHg), while there were no differences in body weights. During 30 min of ischemia produced by left coronary artery occlusion in the Langendorff preparations, ventricular fibrillation occurred in six of 20 (30%) normal, six of nine (67%) moderately hypertrophied, and 14 of 14 (100%) severely hypertrophied preparations ( P
Recycling lead-based paint contaminated deconstructed masonry materials as aggregate for Portland cement concrete—A cost effective and environmental friendly approach

Abstract Four lead-based paint (LBP) contaminated deconstructed masonry materials (two types of concrete blocks and two types of clay bricks) were crushed and used to replace all natural aggregate in conventional concrete. To reduce cost, the crushed materials were neither sieved nor re-graded. After their physical properties and lead-leaching ability were characterized, these masonry materials were used for concrete with various mix proportions. The workability, lead-leaching ability and compressive strength of the concrete were studied. A cost-savings analysis was conducted to compare such a masonry deconstruction method with tradition ones (including LBP removal, hazardous and non-hazardous material disposal) for three hypothetical buildings. The results indicated that after being used as aggregate in Portland cement concrete, the lead is sequestered, or rendered non-leachable, due to the high alkalinity of Portland cement, and the concrete no longer has the toxicity characteristic for lead. Well-designed and well-manufactured concrete made with all LBP-contaminated, recycled aggregates can have satisfactory workability and strength for a variety of constructions, including roadways, parking lots and foundations. The savings from eliminating LBP removal and waste material disposal as well as minimizing the use of secure landfills range from approximately $4.63 to $412.80/m 2 , depending on the size of the deconstruction project and the applicable environmental protection regulations. Recycling such masonry materials as concrete aggregate is a cost effective and environmentally friendly approach.
Ni(II)·Xaa-Xaa-His Induced DNA Cleavage: Deoxyribose Modification by a Common “Activated” Intermediate Derived from KHSO5, MMPP, or H2O2

Ni(II) chelated peptides of the form NH2-Xaa-Xaa-His-CONH2 (Ni(II)·Xaa-Xaa-His) mediate deoxyribose damage through C4‘−H abstraction of a targeted nucleotide when activated with KHSO5 (oxone), MMPP (magnesium monoperoxyphthalate), or H2O2. The products released and identified in comparison to the authentic C4‘−H oxidant Fe(II)·bleomycin included fragmented DNA terminating in 5‘-phosphates, 3‘-phosphates, and 3‘-phosphoglycolates; upon treatment of Ni(II)·Xaa-Xaa-His cleavage reactions with NaOH or NH2NH2, fragmented DNA 3‘-termini were released consistent with the intermediate formation of keto-aldehyde abasic (alkaline-labile) sites. In addition, nucleobases and nucleobase propenals were detected in proportions consistent with abasic site and 3‘-phosphoglycolate termini formation, respectively. These results indicate that Ni(II)·Xaa-Xaa-His metallopeptides, like Fe(II)·bleomycin, degrade DNA through two pathways resulting from an initial C4‘−H modification. Importantly, the partitioning between these two...
Magnetic Ceramics: I, General Methods of Magnetic Ferrite Preparation

Various methods of preparing the technically important ferrospinels are discussed; particular attention is given to the reactivity and homogeneity of the final mixture. The reactivity and intimacy of mixing of the initial components may be improved by the use of chemical methods of comminution and mixing, viz., thermal decomposition of the mixed chemicals, chemical precipitation of the components, or ignition of the components in a fine state of division. The use of controlled partial pressures of oxygen (CO2-CO mixtures) for the preparation of magnetite and manganese ferrite is discussed. The feasibility of the application of these methods on a commercial scale is outlined.
Self‐reinforced polypropylene/LCP prepregs and laminates

Polypropylenes (PPs) of various molecular weights were mixed with a thermotropic liquid crystal polymer (LCP) to prepare unidirectional sheets (prepregs), quasi-isotropic and unidirectional laminates. The mechanical properties and the morphology of the prepregs and the laminates at 0° and 90° with respect to the machine direction were investigated as a function of draw ratio, LCP concentration and molecular weight of the PP. The results for prepregs and laminates showed that both drawing and LCP concentration generally enhanced modulus and tensile strength in machine direction. The morphology of LCP changed from spherical or ellipsoidal droplets to elongated fibrils as the draw ratio increased. The diameter of LCP fibrils decreased with increasing molecular weight of the PP matrix, indicating more effective droplet breakup and better mixing in the case of high molecular weight PP.
Origin of cometary nuclei as rubble piles

COMETS are extremely fragile objects. Observations of outbursts and splitting have inspired suggestions that their nuclei are 'rubble piles', consisting of components that are weakly bonded, perhaps held together by mutual gravity1,2. This structure was confirmed in spectacular fashion by comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which disintegrated into about 20 fragments after passing near Jupiter; the tidal stresses induced by the planet were only of the order of 10-4 bar (ref. 3). Attempts to explain the formation of comets in the outer Solar System have emphasized either collisional coagulation1 or gravitational collapse of a layer of dust particles4,5. Here I argue that the observed sizes and structure of comet nuclei are better explained by a two-stage process, involving elements of both models-collisional coagulation in the solar nebula, followed by gravitational instability of a layer of macroscopic bodies.
Steady-state fluorescence emission from the fluorescent probe, 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein, bound to hemoglobin

Abstract In the past, fluorescence emission from an extrinsic fluorophore bound to heme-proteins would only be studied with the removal of the heme since fluorescence from the flurophore could not be detected using right-angle optics. Using front-face fluorometry, a significant steady state emission signal originating from the probe bound to hemoglobin is detected. This is the first report of the detection of extrinsic fluorescence of a probe bound to a heme-protein. We also demonstrate that the extrinsic probe, 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein, is covalently bound to hemoglobin, specifically at β93 Cysteine. Ligand binding results in a change in the fluorophore fluorescence intensity as predicted by hemoglobin crystallographic studies. Efficiency of energy transfer measurements are made.
A Transient Electrothermal Analysis of Three-Dimensional Integrated Circuits

A transient electrothermal simulation of a 3-D integrated circuit (3DIC) is reported that uses dynamic modeling of the thermal network and hierarchical electrothermal simulation. This is a practical alternative to full transistor electrothermal simulations that are computationally prohibitive. Simulations are compared to measurements for a token-generating asynchronous 3DIC clocking at a maximum frequency of 1 GHz. The electrical network is based on computationally efficient electrothermal macromodels of standard and custom cells. These are linked in a physically consistent manner with a detailed thermal network extracted from an OpenAccess layout file. Coupled with model-order reduction techniques, hierarchical dynamic electrothermal simulation of large 3DICs is shown to be tractable, yielding spatial and temporal selected transistor-level thermal profiles.