cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Editorial---Are Consumers Rational? Experimental Evidence?

Despite some misconceptions, consumer rationality is a property of the researcher rather than the consumer. Consumers become more rational as we are better able to predict their behavior or other important outcomes influenced by their behavior. Perfect rationality results when we achieve accurate predictions. Consequently, at least for many Marketing Science articles, consumers are becoming more rational as we find better ways to predict. However, some experimental consumer behavior articles find the opposite. The difference between experimental and statistical controls explains the divergence in conclusions. Experimental controls test rationality based on whether previously absent variables exhibit significant explanatory power holding known explanatory variables constant. Statistical controls test rationality based on the incremental explanatory power of previously absent variables after accounting for known explanatory variables. Moreover, experimental tests tend to isolate consumer behavior predictions while statistical tests check for sufficient accuracy to choose among different firm strategies. Both perspectives are correct but ask very different questions.
Septate uterus with cervical duplication and a longitudinal vaginal septum: a müllerian anomaly without a classification

Objective To report a rare uterine anomaly of a septate uterus, double cervix, and double vagina. Design Case report. Setting A university-based reproductive endocrinology center. Patient(s) A 20-year-old nulligravida with primary infertility. Intervention(s) Clinical examination and surgical resection of a vaginal septum with hysteroscopic examination of both hemicavities. Main Outcome Measure(s) Description and treatment for a rare uterine anomaly and a subsequent literature search. Result(s) Successful resection of vaginal septum and subsequent spontaneous pregnancy. Conclusion(s) This rare anomaly is not explained by classic embryologic teaching and is not described by the classification system currently used to describe mullerian anomalies.
Status epilepticus in children: update and review.

This report presents a brief description and classification of status epilepticus. This neurologic emergency occurs more frequently in young children and elderly adults, although patients of all ages may experience prolonged seizures. The pathophysiology and prognosis of the disorder are presented, as well as a review of drugs commonly used for the treatment of convulsive status epilepticus. The morbidity and mortality of status epilepticus are significant and directly dependent upon prompt and appropriate medical therapy. Advances in understanding various aspects of status epilepticus may lead to improved outcome for affected patients. (J Child Neurol 1994;9(Suppl):2S27-2S35).
Focus Groups as Qualitative Research

Introduction Focus Groups as Qualitative Method The Uses of Focus Groups Planning and Research Design for Focus Groups Conducting and Analyzing Focus Groups Additional Possibilities Conclusions
Electrochemical and ESR kinetics studies of electron transfer in the system bis(η6-Arene)Chromium(0)/bis(η6-Arene)Chromium(I)

Abstract The self-exchange rates and activation parameters in the (η6-arene)2Cr0/(η6- arene)2CrI systems (where arene = toluene, benzene, methoxylbenzene, biphenyl, ethylbenzoate and chlorobenzene) have been measured by the ESR line broaden ing technique in DMSO solvent. The one-electron reduction was investigated by cyclic voltammetry for the series of substituted complexes of (η6-arene)2CrI. A linear correlation was obtained between the measured E1/2 values and the sum of Hammett parameters, Σσm. For a series of solvents, a linear relationship between log k (the exchange rate constant of (biph)2Cr0/+1) and ( 1 n 2 -1 D s ) where n2 and Ds are the optical and static dielectric constants of the solvent medium, respectively, has been observed. This linearity is predicted by Marcus treatment for outer-sphere electron transfer process. A correlation of the oxidation stability of sandwich compounds with their gas-phase ionization potentials is evident from a linear relationship between the oxidation half- potentials E1/2 (or sum of Hammett Σσm values) and the gas-phase ionization potentials.
Mutations in a semiconserved region of the Tetrahymena intron.

The A-rich in paired region P5a of the Tetrahymena intron is a structural feature that is conserved in the sub-group Ib self-splicing introns. We have constructed a series of substitution and deletion mutations in this region of the intron. Kinetic analysis has shown that some of the mutanis have a reduced maximal extent of splicing, while others have a reduced Vmax. These mutations could be reactivated to a great extent by spermidine and high Mg2+ concentrations. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the A-rich bulge of P5a has a role in stabilizing the higher-level structure of the ribozyme.
Plastic models designed to produce large height-to-length ratio steady-state planar and axisymmetric (Radial) viscous liquid laminar flow gravity currents

Naturally occurring gravity currents include events such as air flowing through an open front door, a volcanic eruption's pyroclastic flow down a mountainside, and the spread of the Bhopal disaster's methyl isocyanate gas. Gravity currents typically have a small height-to-distance ratio. Plastic models were designed and constructed with a restricted horizontal liquid flow using a series of connected cells that produced high viscosity laminar liquid flow planar and radial gravity currents. Because these gravity currents had a large height-to-distance ratio, they were easy to observe. Incremental transfer equations were used in spreadsheets to calculate the expected gravity current profiles. The calculated profiles were in good agreement with the liquid heights in the model's cells at steady state. The steady-state profile for the planar viscous laminar flow gravity current was an x axis parabola.
Malignant papillary lesions of the endometrium

In a review of 440 patients treated for endometrial adenocarcinoma at this center since 1974, 21 patients with tumors of papillary histology were identified. Eleven (2.5%) lesions contained histologic changes characteristic of uterine papillary serous carcinoma: complex papillary architecture, high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, and irregular epithelial tufting. Ten lesions (2.3%) containing areas of papillary morphology but lacking the criteria for the diagnosis of papillary serous tumors were termed papillary endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Patient age, stage, and the presence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes were similar in both groups and reflected those characteristics well established for endometrial adenocarcinoma in general. Fewer papillary serous tumors (16.7%) and papillary endometrioid tumors (33.3%) contained progesterone receptors than did other adenocarcinomas (52.3%). In clinical stage I, surgical findings indicating a more advanced stage were present in 40% of patients with papillary serous tumors compared to 10% in papillary endometrioid tumors and 12.5% in nonpapillary adenocarcinomas (P = 0.03, Fisher's exact test). Recurrences were observed in 50% of patients with papillary serous lesions compared to 42.9% in papillary endometrioid lesions and 24.3% in other adenocarcinomas. Survival for clinical stage I papillary serous tumors was worse than that for nonpapillary grade 3 controls (P = 0.042) and survival for papillary endometrioid lesions was not different from that of the same controls. These findings support those of J. L. Chen, D. C. Trost, and E. J. Wilkinson (Int. J. Gynecol. Pathol. 4, 279-288 (1985)) that papillary serous and papillary endometrioid adenocarcinomas represent two distinct subtypes of papillary endometrial neoplasia.
Nonparametric steganalysis of QIM data hiding using approximate entropy

This paper proposes a nonparametric steganalysis method for quantization index modulation (QIM) based steganography. The proposed steganalysis method uses irregularity (or randomness) in the test-image to distinguish between the cover- and the stego-image. We have shown that plain-quantization (quantization without message embedding) induces regularity in the resulting quantized-image; whereas message embedding using QIM increases irregularity in the resulting QIM-stego image. Approximate entropy, an algorithmic entropy measure, is used to quantify irregularity in the test-image. Simulation results presented in this paper show that the proposed steganalysis technique can distinguish between the cover- and the stego-image with low false rates (i.e. Pfp < 0.1 & Pfn < 0.07 for dither modulation stego and Pfp < 0.12 & Pfn < 0.002 for QIM-stego).© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intraoperative Radiation Therapy in Gynecologic Cancer: The Mayo Clinic Experience

Nineteen patients with recurrent and two patients with locally advanced gynecologic malignancies received intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) with electrons at the Mayo Clinic. Fourteen of the patients also received external beam irradiation. Actuarial local control with or without central control at 5 years was 71%, and actuarial control within the IORT field (central control) was 80%. The distant metastases rate at 5 years was 47%. Actuarial 2- and 5-year overall survival was 58 and 33%, respectively, and disease-free survival was 47 and 40%, respectively. Patients with microscopic disease had significantly higher 5-year disease-free and overall survival (70 and 67%, respectively). In summary, IORT in combination with maximum debulking surgery with or without external beam therapy in patients with paraaortic or pelvic sidewall recurrences of gynecologic malignancies appeared to improve long-term local control and survival. The addition of hyperthermia or hypoxic sensitizers may be a consideration to further improve local control in patients with gross residual disease. The high incidence of distant metastasis warrants the search for effective systemic chemotherapy. IORT-related toxicity was acceptable.
Consumer Preferences for Seasoned Lean Ground Beef, Turkey, and Emu

This study determined the acceptability of seasoned ground emu compared with seasoned ground beef and turkey by untrained consumer panelists and assessed factors that may influence acceptability. Eighty-four untrained consumer panelists preferred seasoned ground beef and turkey over the seasoned ground emu for appearance, tenderness, flavor, texture, aftertaste, and overall acceptability. Ethnic background, education level, income, and area of upbringing did not influence acceptability of emu by the untrained consumer panelists; however, gender and level of education significantly affected meat-appearance ratings by the participants. Unfamiliarity with emu or its lower fat content may have influenced the results.
Nonparametric Estimation of Gamma-Ray Burst Intensities Using Haar Wavelets

In this article, I present a method for the nonparametric (model-free) estimation of intensity profiles underlying gamma-ray bursts. The algorithm, called TIPSH, is based on applying specially calibrated thresholds to the Haar wavelet coefficients of binned counts gathered from such bursts. Because wavelets are well-localized with respect to both time and scale, they are an ideal tool for working with the often sharp, abrupt nature of gamma-ray burst signals. When applied to an idealized signal in a small simulation study and a selection of actual gamma-ray bursts, the TIPSH algorithm was found to be well capable of simultaneously estimating the smooth, uniform background and the pulse-like structure of gamma-ray burst signals.
Challenges and Opportunities for Women: Achieving Success in Hospitality Financial Management

To date, research about women's career opportunities in the hospitality industry has looked within segments, i.e. hotels, food service, clubs. This study focuses on the functional area, surveying women executives in financial positions. Findings suggest that [1] Women working in this area are proactive; they are taking responsibility for their own career opportunities rather than relying so much on their companies; [2] While not completely erased, barriers to women's advancement appear to be slowly but surely coming down. Implications for further research are identified.
Postpartum nutritional status of Filipino women.

Postpartum weight, body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold thicknesses (TSF) and upper arm circumferences (AC) were measured bimonthly for 24 months in a large cohort of urban and rural Filipino women. Weight loss, leading to an increasing prevalence of low BMI (<18.5) is the norm in this population where dietary intakes of energy, calcium, and iron fall below WHO recommended intakes. The effects of lactation on postpartum changes in weight and TSF during 6-month intervals were examined by stratifying women into groups defined by lactation duration. In addition, multivariate models were used to examine the effects of lactation on changes in weight or TSF while controlling for other factors such as energy intake, seasonality, morbidity, pregnancy interval, parity, and age. Lactation was associated with significantly increased weight losses from birth to 18 months postpartum. Furthermore, full lactation (breast-feeding with the addition of less than 20 kcal/day to the infant's diet) also significantly increased weight loss in the first 6 months, when the overall duration of lactation in that interval was controlled. Lactation had a small but statistically significant effect on changes in TSF as well. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
FORGETTING THE ARS MEMORIAE: OVID, REMEDIA AMORIS 579–84

During his encounter with Lethaeus Amor in the Remedia amoris , in which he discusses techniques to forget a former lover, Ovid writes the following: quisquis amas, loca sola nocent: loca sola caveto; quo fugis? in populo tutior esse potes. non tibi secretis (augent secreta furores) est opus; auxilio turba futura tibi est. tristis eris, si solus eris, dominaeque relictae ante oculos facies stabit, ut ipsa, tuos. This passage has been discussed in Hardie's treatment of Lethaeus Amor, and, while he directly addresses Ovid's use of loci in this passage as I shall below, his focus is on the rich intertextuality – textual remembrances – within the Remedia rather than the use of loci in the ars memoriae proper. Hardie points out numerous intertexts in the Remedia , using the character of Lethaeus Amor to highlight the paradox of a learned reader of love poetry being unable to forget the poetry he has read, despite this specific oblivion being a precondition for curing oneself of love (as clearly directed at Rem. am . 755–66). In this case, the loca sola Ovid warns against are ‘topics of solitude’ which ‘conjure up for the experienced reader scenes of erotic despair’, thus calling to mind the lover's own lovelorn state.
Is deindustrialization good for women? Evidence from the United States

Abstract The gender wage gap in the United States narrowed considerably throughout the 1980s and then more slowly in the 1990s. Using a decomposition methodology and US Current Population Survey data, this study investigates the impact of deindustrialization's continuing shift in employment away from manufacturing to services on the US gender wage gap between 1990 and 2001. The study finds that the widening of the gender wage gap in the service sector caused a slowdown in the narrowing of the US gender wage gap. Within the service sector, two occupational elements affected the growing gender wage gap: women's entry into traditionally male occupations characterized by high wages and high gender wage differentials that resulted in the relative increase in men's wages compared to women's wages in these occupations.
Dominant lethal mutations, heritable translocations, and unscheduled DNA synthesis induced in male mouse germ cells by glycidamide, a metabolite of acrylamide

The hypothesis that acrylamide induces dominant lethal mutations and heritable translocations in male mice, not through direct adduction, but by conversion to the reactive epoxide, glycidamide, was investigated. Three studies, namely, induction of dominant lethal mutations, heritable translocations, and unscheduled DNA synthesis in spermatids, which were conducted earlier in this laboratory for acrylamide, were also performed for glycidamide to determine its mutagenic properties and to compare responses. Results of these studies are consistent with the proposal that in vivo conversion to glycidamide is responsible for the mutagenicity of acrylamide in male mice.
Fast-growing subtropical Pines as exotics

To supply the rapidly expanding needs for coniferous forest products, future growth of forest production ventures is sure to occur in South America, southern and central Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and similar subtropical areas. Many millions of acres of exotic pine plantations have been established, employing a limited number of species.
FREE RADICAL THEORY OF AGING: ORIGIN OF LIFE, EVOLUTION, AND AGING

The free radical theory of aging postulates that damage caused by free radical reactions contributes to aging and age-associated diseases. Dietary changes designed to minimize free radical reactions have been shown to: 1) increase the life span of mice, rats, fruit flies and nematodes, 2) inhibit development of some forms of cancer, 3) enhance humoral and cell-mediated immune response, and 4) slow development of the autoimmune disorders, amyloidosis and that of NZB mice. In addition, free radical reactions may play a significant role in the degradation of the cardiovascular and central nervous systems with age. Further support for the possible involvement of free radical reactions in aging comes from studies on the origin and evolution of life briefly summarized in this paper.
Personality and stress: An exploratory comparison of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Abstract Objective: To characterize and investigate the relationship between stress and personality in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to those with osteoarthritis (OA). Design: Survey of personality characteristics determined by using Cattell's 16 Personality Factor (16PF) questionnaire and stressful life events at disease onset determined by using the Social Readjustment Rating Scale of Holmes and Rahe. Setting: Inpatients of an arthritis hospital and outpatients of a clinic, both of which specialize in rheumatic diseases and musculoskeletal problems. Participants: Diagnosed as "definite" or "classical" RA (N = 128) according to the ARA Diagnostic Criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis (1958 Revision) or as OA (N = 79) according to radiological and clinical evidence; randomly selected, resulting in a close match for gender, age at disease onset, duration of disease, functional classification, and pattern of disease progress. All individuals approached participated. Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measures: Twenty personality characteristics, as well as amount of stressful life events at disease onset (Life Change Units). Results: The RA subjects had significantly ( p p Conclusions: As a group, subjects with RA exhibited more stress at disease onset than those with OA. Although mean personality scores were not different between RA and OA subjects, they did exhibit different frequency distributions. There appeared to be a high-stress-at-onset subgroup of RA patients who had a worse disease prognosis and who corresponded to a personality frequency subgroup. The interaction between these variables is more complex than implied by the "RA personality" concept.
Disjoint triangles and quadrilaterals in a graph

Let n, s and t be three integers with s ≥ 1, t ≥ 0 and n = 3s + 4t. Let G be a graph of order n such that the minimum degree of G is at least (n + s)/2. Then G contains a 2-factor with s + t components such that s of them are triangles and t of them are quadrilaterals.
Purification and characterization of deoxythymidine kinase (dTK) induced in dTK− 3T3 mouse cells by equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1)

Abstract Infection of mouse 3T3 cells deficient in cytosol deoxythymidine kinase (dTK − ) with the Kentucky A strain of EHV-1 resulted in a 20- to 30-fold increase in cytosol dTK activity. The EHV-1-induced dTK was partially purified from such cells by affinity chromatography on deoxythymidine (dT)-Sepharose and characterized by electrophoretic, enzymatic, and immunological criteria. The purified EHV-1 dTK migrated in polyacrylamide gels with an R f of 0.25 and sedimented in glycerol gradients with an S value of 5.2, corresponding to a molecular weight of 85,000. Deoxycytidine could not serve as an alternative substrate for the viral-induced enzyme. A rabbit antiserum prepared against EHV-1-infected horse cells neutralized the viral-induced dTK activity purified from infected mouse (dTK − 3T3) cells, but not the kinase activities from uninfected 3T3 cells. EHV-1 dTK differed from 3T3 cytosol dTK also in the greater resistance of the viral enzyme to feedback inhibition by dTTP and dCTP, its inhibition by arabinosylthymine, and its ability to utilize a variety of nucleoside triphosphates as phosphate donors. The purified EHV-1 kinase could be distinguished from 3T3 mitochondrial dTK by electrophoretic mobility and inhibition by anti-(EHV-1) serum. These results lend further support to the hypothesis that the dTK induced by EHV-1 is coded by the virus genome.
Effects of humidity, temperature, and nanofibers on drop coalescence in glass fiber media

Abstract Compressed air is used in a variety of industrial applications. For many of these applications the air must be treated to remove undesired contaminants such as solid particles and droplets of oil and water. Glass fiber filter media are often used to remove the oil droplets out of the compressed gas. This paper describes an experimental study to explore the effects of humidity and temperature on the performance of the glass fiber filter media. This work also considers the effects of the addition of polymer nanofibers to the glass fiber media on the filter performance. The results show that generally at higher temperatures the glass fiber media have better coalescence filtration performance. The glass fiber media also performed better with a humidity dewpoint of −15 °C compared with dewpoints of −10 and −20 °C, suggesting that there may be competing mechanisms affected by the humidity. The coalescence performance of the media improved significantly when nanofibers were added to the glass fiber media.
Myocardial ultrastructure in systole and diastole using ballistic cryofixation.

A method is described whereby sections of myocardium were obtained for electron microscopy from an actively beating heart during specific phases of its contraction cycle. Small section were rapidly removed by hollow projectiles accelerated to supersonic velocities by an explosive. Cryofixation was achieved using a mixture of liquid and frozen propane as the coolant. The method employed is discussed in terms of its application, results, and limitations.
Vibrational Stark Effect Probes for Nucleic Acids

The vibrational Stark effect (VSE) has proven to be an effective method for the study of electric fields in proteins via the use of infrared probes. To explore the use of VSE in nucleic acids, we investigated the Stark spectroscopy of nine structurally diverse nucleosides. These nucleosides contained nitrile or azide probes in positions that correspond to both the major and minor grooves of DNA. The nitrile probes showed better characteristics and exhibited absorption frequencies over a broad range; that is, from 2253 cm-1 for 2‘-O-cyanoethyl ribonucleosides 8 and 9 to 2102 cm-1 for a 13C-labeled 5-thiocyanatomethyl-2‘-deoxyuridine 3c. The largest Stark tuning rate observed was |Δμ| = 1.1 cm-1/(MV/cm) for both 5-cyano-2‘-deoxyuridine 1 and N2-nitrile-2‘-deoxyguanosine 7. The latter is a particularly attractive probe because of its high extinction coefficient (e = 412 M-1cm-1) and ease of incorporation into oligomers.
Pentacene organic field-effect transistors with doped electrode-semiconductor contacts

Abstract The contact resistance in pentacene organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is found to be significantly reduced by selectively doping the organic semiconductor region beneath the source/drain electrodes. A 10 nm co-evaporated (1:1 ratio) layer of molybdenum tris-[1,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)ethane-1,2-dithiolene] and pentacene was deposited under the metal electrodes for this purpose. The width-normalized contact resistance (varying channel lengths of 25–200 μm used for the study) in contact-doped devices was lowered significantly (0.5 kΩ-cm) in comparison to reference devices (3.4 kΩ-cm) in the accumulation regime (VGS = −30 V). Doping of the contacts did not affect the stability of the devices under continuous bias stress significantly.
Absurd Masculinity: Will Ferrell’s Time-Bending Comic Persona

The key to Will Ferrell’s success is his genuinely likeable comic persona that relies on overdetermined and excessively masculine and feminine traits. Accordingly, this article argues that despite criticism surrounding Ferrell’s comedic films, they actually have a great deal to tell us about masculinity and comedy in the new millennium. By discussing Anchorman, Elf, and Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the author asserts that Ferrell’s films map changes to masculine identity in the post-9/11 era by their representations of absurd masculinity embodied in Ferrell’s comic persona.
HSP: A Simple and Effective Open-Source Platform for Implementing Haptic Musical Instruments

When we asked a colleague of ours why people do not make more haptic musical instruments, he replied that he thought they were “too hard to program and too expensive.” We decided to solve these perceived problems by introducing HSP, a simple platform for implementing haptic musical instruments. HSP obviates the need for employing low-level embedded control software because the haptic device is controlled directly from within the Pure Data (Pd) software running on a general purpose computer. Positions can be read from the haptic device, and forces can be written to the device using messages in Pd. Various additional objects have been created to facilitate rapid prototyping of useful haptic musical instruments in Pd. HSP operates under Linux, OS X, and Windows and supports the mass-produced Falcon haptic device from NovInt, which can currently be obtained for as little as US$150. All of the above make HSP an especially excellent choice for pedagogical environments where multiple workstations are required and example programs should be complete yet simple.
T-wave alternans in the sudden cardiac death in heart failure trial population: signal or noise?

Although the cardiovascular death rate has fallen in recent years, the proportion of cardiovascular deaths attributed to sudden cardiac death (SCD) is on the rise. SCD is usually caused by ventricular tachyarrhythmias resulting from complex electroanatomic changes that follow myocardial injury, most often associated with coronary artery disease. Ventricular tachyarrhythmia episodes and the factors responsible for triggering them are poorly understood, usually occur without warning or provocation, and result almost invariably in death. Therefore, efforts aimed at predicting and preventing SCD have emerged as the major paradigm for addressing this significant unresolved public health dilemma. Article p 2022 Two major randomized clinical trials demonstrated that implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) reduce mortality in patients selected for primary prevention of SCD on the basis of reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) alone.1,2 However, recent studies have questioned whether LVEF used in isolation from other disease markers is sufficient to guide SCD prevention.3 Although ICDs are highly effective in aborting SCD from ventricular fibrillation, only ≈1 of 15 patients satisfying current guidelines for prophylactic ICDs on the basis of an LVEF 0.35). Also, we have yet to ascertain how to incorporate estimates of competitive risk from nonarrhythmic and noncardiac mortality into the decision to implant ICDs. Finally, current paradigms that focus on assessing risk at 1 time point do not account for dynamic time-varying modulation of SCD substrates that occur in response to intervening cardiac events. Because LVEF only measures contractile but not electrophysiological dysfunction, it does not provide any direct assessment of functional electrophysiological substrates responsible for triggering SCD episodes. Therefore, it should not be surprising that most patients with markedly impaired LVEF do not benefit from ICDs, while it …
Prenatal origin of TEL-AML1-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children born in California.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood cancer. The peak incidence of ALL between ages 2 and 5 is accounted for by one subtype, referred to as common acute lymphoblastic leukemia (cALL). About 25% of cALL patients have the TEL-AML1 gene fusion derived from the t(12;21) chromosomal translocation. Recent evidence from retrospective analysis of neonatal blood spots (Guthrie cards) in Europe has demonstrated that this chromosome translocation may arise prenatally. The aim of our study was to determine whether TEL-AML1 fusions arise prenatally in a U.S. population of cALL patients. TEL-AML1-positive cALL cases (n = 14) were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and the genomic breakpoints were identified by a streamlined long-distance PCR approach and sequenced. Clonotypic primers were designed for each patient breakpoint, and a nested PCR assay was used to determine the presence of the TEL-AML1 fusion sequence in neonatal Guthrie cards. Seven of 14 cases demonstrated clonotypic sequences on the archival Guthrie cards. The oldest patient that was positive was 6.7 years old at the time of diagnosis of leukemia. These results confirm previously published findings of a prenatal origin of TEL-AML1 in Europe by demonstrating its occurrence in a California-born population. Secondary changes were also similar to those described previously, with deletion of the second TEL allele being the most common. Other secondary changes included duplication of the fusion gene, trisomy 21, and monosomy X.
Employing microsecond pulses to form laser‐fired contacts in photovoltaic devices

Laser-fired contacts (LFCs) are typically fabricated with nanosecond pulse durations despite the fact that extremely precise and costly control of the process is necessary to prevent significant ablation of the aluminum metallization layer. Microsecond pulse durations offer the advantage of reduced metal expulsion and can be implemented with diffractive optics to process multiple contacts simultaneously and meet production demands. In this work, the influence of changes in laser processing parameters on contact morphology, resistance, and composition when using microsecond pulses has been fully evaluated. Simulated and experimental results indicate that contacts are hemispherical or half-ellipsoidal in shape. In addition, the resolidified contact region is composed of a two-phase aluminum–silicon microstructure that grows from the single-crystal silicon wafer during resolidification. As a result, the total contact resistance is governed by the interfacial contact area for a three-dimensional contact geometry rather than the planar contact area at the aluminum–silicon interface in the passivation layer opening. The results also suggest that for two LFCs with the same size top surface diameter, the contact produced with a smaller beam size will have a 25–37% lower contact resistance, depending on the LFC diameter, because of a larger contact area at the LFC/wafer interface. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effective background data selection in SVM speaker recognition for unseen test environment: More is not always better

This study focuses on determining a procedure to select effective negative examples for development of improved Support Vector Machine (SVM) based speaker recognition. Selection of a background dataset, comprising of a group of negative examples, is critical in development of an effective decision surface between the primary speaker and outside speaker rejection space. Previous studies generally fix the number of examples based on development data for system performance evaluation, while for real applications this does not guarantee sustained performance for unseen data. In the proposed method, the error is estimated on the support vector to select the background dataset, thereby by customizing the background dataset for each enrollment speaker instead of training models with a fixed background data. The proposed method finds the equivalent or improved EER and DCF compared with the previous SVM-based studies, and provides consistent performance for unseen data. The method improves the 6% relative improvement on EER and DCF for NIST SRE 2010.
The Impact of Preschool Inattention, Hyperactivity, and Impulsivity on Social and Academic Development: A Review.

The literature on the prevalence and stability of preschool problems of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity suggests a number of links to early literacy skills and broader school achievement. Developmental considerations in the assessment of preschool ADHD are reviewed in this paper, along with evidence for the stability of symptoms over time and the relationship between early symptoms of ADHD and elementary school achievement. Emphasis is placed on describing the nature of the connection between preschool ADHD symptoms and academic achievement, as few studies to date have focused specifically on that relationship. Several explanations for the relationship between preschool ADHD symptoms and achievement are analyzed, including an explanation that focuses on the relationship between inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity and the acquisition of emergent literacy and language skills. Finally, the evidence for four models that have been proposed to account for the link between behavior and learning is reviewed and critically analyzed. Suggestions are made for future research that might resolve important questions only partially addressed in studies to date.
High Resolution Global Modeling of the Atmospheric Circulation

An informal review is presented of recent developments in numerical simulation of the global atmospheric circulation with very fine numerical resolution models. The focus is on results obtained recently with versions of the GFDL SKYHI model and the Atmospheric Model for the Earth Simulator (AFES) global atmospheric models. These models have been run with effective horizontal grid resolution of ∼10–40 km and fine vertical resolution. The results presented demonstrate the utility of such models for the study of a diverse range of phenomena. Specifically the models are shown to simulate the development of tropical cyclones with peak winds and minimum central pressures comparable to those of the most intense hurricanes actually observed. More fundamentally, the spectrum of energy content in the mesoscale in the flow can be reproduced by these models down to near the smallest explicitly-resolved horizontal scales. In the middle atmosphere it is shown that increasing horizontal resolution can lead to significantly improved overall simulation of the global-scale circulation. The application of the models to two specific problems requiring very fine resolution global will be discussed. The spatial and temporal variability of the vertical eddy flux of zonal momentum associated with gravity waves near the tropopause is evaluated in the very fine resolution AFES model. This is a subject of great importance for understanding and modelling the flow in the middle atmosphere. Then the simulation of the small scale variations of the semidiurnal surface pressure oscillation is analyzed, and the signature of significant topographic modulation of the semidiurnal atmospheric tide is identified.
JET-SHOCKED H 2 AND CO IN THE ANOMALOUS ARMS OF MOLECULAR HYDROGEN EMISSION GALAXY NGC 4258

We present a Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) map of H+2 emission from the nearby galaxy NGC 4258 (Messier 106). The H_2 emission comes from 9.4 ± 0.4 × 10^6M_⊙ of warm molecular hydrogen heated to 240-1040 K in the inner anomalous arms, a signature of jet interaction with the galaxy disk. The spectrum is that of a molecular hydrogen emission galaxy (MOHEG), with a large ratio of H_2 over 7.7μm PAH emission (0.37), characteristic of shocked molecular gas. We find close spatial correspondence between the H_2 and CO emission from the anomalous arms. Our estimate of cold molecular gas mass based on CO emission is 10 times greater than our estimate of 1.0×10^8M_⊙ based on dust emission. We suggest that the X_(CO) value is 10 times lower than the Milky Way value because of high kinetic temperature and enhanced turbulence. The H_2 disk has been overrun and is being shocked by the jet cocoon, and much of the gas originally in the disk has been ejected into the galaxy halo in an X-ray-hot outflow. We measure a modest star formation rate of 0.08 M_⊙ yr^(−1) in the central 3.4 kpc^2 that is consistent with the remaining gas surface density.
In Vivo Study on Combined Toxicity of Metarhizium anisopliae (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes) Strain ESC-1 with Sublethal Doses of Chlorpyrifos, Propetamphos, and Cyfluthrin Against German Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

The effect of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin strain ESC-1 alone and in combination with sublethal doses of commercial formulations of chlorpyrifos, propetamphos and cyfluthrin on mortality of CSMA strain of German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), was determined by conducting in vivo studies that included 3 bioassays. Spores of M. anisopliae cultured on SDAY media had germination of >90%. Based on bioassay 1, doses ranging from 0.5 to 300 ppm of chlorpyrifos and propetamphos, and 0.05 to 40 ppm of cyfluthrin were selected for bioassays 2 and 3. Cockroach mortality ranged from 5 to 20% for insecticides alone and 48 to 70% for insecticides + M. anisopliae in bioassay 2. In bioassay 3, mortality ranged from 15 to 60% for insecticides and 57.5 to 92.5% for insecticides + M. anisopliae. Percentage of cockroach mortality resulting from insecticide + M. anisopliae combinations was significantly higher than insecticide alone. Mortality was also significantly higher in certain insecticide + M. anisopliae combinations than M. anisopliae alone. There was no significant interaction between M. anisopliae and insecticides with their concentrations in bioassay 2, indicating an additive effect. But in bioassay 3, a significant interaction was observed when M. anisopliae was combined with multiple insecticide concentrations. The interaction indicated an additive effect for chlorpyrifos and cyfluthrin, and a synergistic effect for propetamphos. There were significant differences in LT50 among various treatment combinations. M. anisopliae alone or insecticide + M. anisopliae combinations did not affect body weight in treated German cockroaches.
Work-in-progress - assessment of peer-led team learning in an engineering course for freshmen

ECE 110 is required for freshmen majoring in electrical engineering or computer engineering at Illinois. In ECE 110 in Fall 2007, we organized optional supervised study sessions to implement peer-led team learning workshops. Each session met for 90 minutes per week. In the sessions, students worked on difficult problems selected from examinations given in previous semesters. We obtained ACT-Math scores and implicit consent from 208 of the 297 students who started the course; 43 of these attended sessions regularly-six or more of the eleven sessions. The regular attendees scored significantly higher on the final examination than did the other students, even though their ACT-Math scores were slightly lower. Among electrical and computer engineering majors, regular attendance did not appear to affect decisions to remain in electrical or computer engineering. Regular attendees reported that in the study sessions, they improved their understanding of the material, and they made new friends.
Transporting Pedagogy: Implementing the Project Approach in Two First-Grade Classrooms.

This study explores how a project-based approach, based on gifted education pedagogy, was implemented in a public school program where the majority of students were from low-income families. The 2 first-grade teachers in this study were able to change their teaching practices to include more strategies commonly found in gifted programs such as brainstorming, creating surveys, and collecting data. The teachers also indicated a greater comfort level with a child-centered and project-based approach to curricular units over the course of the study. In addition, classroom observations indicated students were better behaved when engaged in project and small-group activities, as seen in classroom observations. This paper also highlights several challenges to implementing project-based approaches in the early childhood classroom. Teachers in this study perceived barriers to implementing the project approach that they had been taught in their professional development course. They felt constraints from their school...
Gender and Multigenerational Global Human Development

In the context of a growing campaign to focus more international development efforts on women and girls, this article presents a pathways model of multigenerational global human development through an examination of gender and women as agents of development in the context of motherhood. As the vast majority of the world's women are mothers, issues related to motherhood are fundamental to addressing gender and development. Based on the United Nations' concept of human development and a review of the literature, we explore how women are uniquely effective development agents in that increases in women's access to income, education, and health often have higher potential payoffs compared with men in terms of the next generation and beyond. A human development paradigm that does not fully include women is both an injustice to half of the world's population and a missed opportunity for maximizing human development for both men and women in generations to come. Gender and development policies must consider the enhancement of human capacities for long-term improved quality of life, and they must address structural barriers to equality to not only allow women more opportunities in the public sphere but also to transform gender relations in the domestic sphere.
The Not-So-Simple Calculus of Winning: Potential U.S. House Candidates' Nomination and General Election Prospects

As the individual qualities of potential House candidates improve, their prospects in both the nomination and general election go up. The same is not true, however, for two key characteristics of the district context in which potential candidates might run: the party of the potential candidate in relation to the incumbent and the partisan makeup of the district. The direction of the effects of both incumbency and district partisanship on prospects, in contrast to the effects of quality, depends upon the stage of the election process. Using a survey of district informants in a random sample of House districts, we find that incumbent and potential-candidate quality both affect potential candidates' prospects of winning, with “strategic qualities” generally having a stronger direct effect than “personal qualities.” District partisanship has offsetting and strong effects on potential candidates’ chances in both stages: Nomination prospects decline as the partisan makeup of the district favors the potential ca...
Studies on the temporal development of electrical breakdown in water

Pre-breakdown phenomena between a needle point of 5 /spl mu/m curvature and a plate, 100 /spl mu/m apart, in tap water have been studied with a spatial resolution of micrometers and a temporal resolution of 10 ns. The phenomena were observed by means of phase contrast microscopy. The illuminating light source was a flash lamp with a pulse duration of 10 ns. This diagnostic method allowed us to observe changes in the refractive index before the actual electrical breakdown. Voltages of 1.8 kV applied to the gap, generated electric fields of 1.6 MV/cm at the tip of the needle sufficient to initiate breakdown. The results of the measurements showed that after application of the rectangular voltage pulse micro-bubbles with characteristic dimensions of 10 /spl mu/m were formed at the point of the needle. The bubbles seem to serve as centers for local electrical breakdown, which initiate the main breakdown between the electrodes.
Jet Engine Integrated Generator

The paper presented discusses the design of a permanent magnet (PM) excited synchronous generator to be integrated into a modern jet engine. The electrical machine is to replace the mechanical accessory power drive system; thus all secondary power supplied from the engine to the aircraft is supplied by the electrical generator. The generator is also to double as starter motor for the engine, a job which can easily be handled at the required total secondary power level. It has been found that an integrated generator is technically feasible. It is heavier than its conventional counterpart, but offers significant reliability and maintenance benefits. This paper describes part of the work done for a study to investigate the feasibility of integrating a PM generator into a jet engine. IR Force and industry have recognized the potential value of integrating secondary-power-generation devices and engine accessory components into the basic engine structure. The objective of this design approach is to minimize the propulsion system envelope. Provided that a suitable configuration can be defined, the propulsion system should then provide improved installed performance, in two respects: drag will be reduced, and reliability will be improved by eliminating the complex mechanical secondary-power- generating equipment and accessory drive system. A program was undertaken to study the practicality of an integrated jet engine generator and its potential benefits. Experience with conventional aircraft alternators had proven that only solid rotor type electrical machines such as a per- manent magnet (PM) machine would meet the stringent reliability and maintainability requirements which would allow the integration of the alternator into an engine. The program encompassed a detailed study and design effort to determine applicability, location, and configuration of the engine structure. This paper describes the tradeoff and design studies un- dertaken to obtain an electrical machine design suitable for the application. The major goals were to achieve high reliability, low maintenance, and low life cycle costs for the electrical system. These goals can best be served by PM ex- cited electrical machines, since their rotors have a reliability potential which is higher than that for industrial induction motors and only surpassed by solid rotor machines. The PM generator is part of a variable speed constant- frequency-generating system which consists of the high frequency generator and a cycloconverter. The cycloconverter allows power flow in both directions. Thus the cycloconverter generator system is also capable of operating as an elec- tronically commutated motor-drive to start the engine. The cycloconverter will provide for all electrical controls, in- cluding frequency and voltage control, since an ac-PM machine does not allow for a simple reliable voltage control within the machine itself.