cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Qualitatively Describing Forests of the Landscape

Qualitative descriptions of different habitat types are an important part of ecological research. Hence, the chapter is a single-objective one and looks at the broad terrestrial habitat types and major water bodies of the Lake Tumba Landscape. As a qualitative examination, it is limited to forests and savannahs that are two major habitat types of the Lake Tumba Landscape. Qualitatively, and without covering forest floristic compositions, each major habitats type is decomposed into its broad components. Methodologically, the data were collected from combining estimates from transects and the analysis of satellite images. Seven forest types were identified in the Lake Tumba Landscape of which the most important forest types were permanently swampy forest (34.2%) and seasonally flooded forest (28.1%). Terra firma forests of the Lake Tumba Landscape had no single species-dominated large swathes of forest, which is often the case in many areas of the region.
Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure before and after the implementation of the Tobacco Free Cities (TFC) initiative in five Chinese cities: a pooled cross-sectional study.

Objectives To assess the levels of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure before and after the implementation of the Tobacco Free Cities (TFC) initiative. Design City-wide representative, cross-sectional surveys (Tobacco Questions for Surveys, TQS) were conducted in each participating city before and after the implementation of TFC. Setting Five large Chinese cities (Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Xiamen and Xi’an) participated in the TFC initiative. Participants A total of 10 184 adults participated in the 2015 TQS survey, and 10 233 adults participated in the 2018 TQS survey, respectively. Interventions The TFC initiative, which included targeted media campaigns, educational programmes, implementing city-wide smoke-free policies and providing cessation interventions, was implemented in these five cities between 2015 and 2018. Main outcome Self-reported past 30-day (P30D) SHS exposure in indoor workplaces, restaurants and homes. Data analysis The pre-TFC and post-TFC SHS exposure levels were compared among all residents and among certain population subgroups. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to estimate the adjusted associations between P30D SHS exposure and individual characteristics. Results Across all five cities, the overall rate of self-reported P30D SHS exposure declined in indoor workplaces (from 49.6% (95% CI: 46.4% to 52.8%) to 41.2% (95% CI: 37.7% to 44.7%)), restaurants (from 72.4% (95% CI: 69.8% to 74.9%) to 61.7% (95% CI: 58.7% to 64.7%)) and homes (from 39.8% (95% CI: 36.9% to 42.7%) to 34.7% (95% CI: 31.5% to 37.8%)) from 2015 to 2018. These declines were statistically significant after controlling for individual characteristics. The P30D SHS exposure was associated with sex, age, education level, occupation and current smoking status. The associations varied by venues. Conclusions Our analysis showed that compared with the nationwide SHS exposure levels reported in concurrent national surveys, the declines in P30D SHS exposure in five Chinese cities that implemented the TFC initiative were larger in indoor workplaces and restaurants. Our findings suggest that the TFC initiative was effective in reducing SHS exposure in Chinese cities.
DNA glycosylase NEIL2 functions in multiple cellular processes.

Abstract Cell survival largely depends on the faithful maintenance of genetic material since genomic DNA is constantly exposed to genotoxicants from both endogenous and exogenous sources. The evolutionarily conserved base excision repair (BER) pathway is critical for maintaining genome integrity by eliminating highly abundant and potentially mutagenic oxidized DNA base lesions. BER is a multistep process, which is initiated with recognition and excision of the DNA base lesion by a DNA glycosylase, followed by DNA end processing, gap filling and finally sealing of the nick. Besides genome maintenance by global BER, DNA glycosylases have been found to play additional roles, including preferential repair of oxidized lesions from transcribed genes, modulation of the immune response, participation in active DNA demethylation and maintenance of the mitochondrial genome. Central to these functions is the DNA glycosylase NEIL2. Its loss results in increased accumulation of oxidized base lesions in the transcribed genome, triggers an immune response and causes early neurodevelopmental defects, thus emphasizing the multitasking capabilities of this repair protein. Here we review the specialized functions of NEIL2 and discuss the consequences of its absence both in vitro and in vivo.
Impact of selenium addition to the cadmium-zinc-telluride matrix for producing high energy resolution X-and gamma-ray detectors

Both material quality and detector performance have been steadily improving over the past few years for the leading room temperature radiation detector material cadmium-zinc-telluride (CdZnTe). However, although tremendous progress being made, CdZnTe still suffers from high concentrations of performance-limiting defects, such as Te inclusions, networks of sub-grain boundaries and compositional inhomogeneity due to the higher segregation coefficient of Zn. Adding as low as 2% (atomic) Se into CdZnTe matrix was found to successfully mitigate many performance-limiting defects and provide improved compositional homogeneity. Here we report record-high performance of Virtual Frisch Grid (VFG) detector fabricated from as-grown Cd0.9Zn0.1Te0.98Se0.02 ingot grown by the Traveling Heater Method (THM). Benefiting from superior material quality, we achieved superb energy resolution of 0.77% at 662 keV (as-measured without charge-loss correction algorithms) registered at room temperature. The absence of residual thermal stress in the detector was revealed from white beam X-ray topographic images, which was also confirmed by Infra-Red (IR) transmission imaging under cross polarizers. Furthermore, neither sub-grain boundaries nor their networks were observed from the X-ray topographic image. However, large concentrations of extrinsic impurities were revealed in as-grown materials, suggesting a high likelihood for further reduction in the energy resolution after improved purification of the starting material.
Latent Growth Trajectories of Peer Context Behavior Problems across Preschool, Kindergarten and First Grade

Research Findings: This study examines the development of problem behavior in classroom contexts characterized by peer interaction among a nationally representative sample (N = 3,827) of U.S. low-i...
Publications by, and About, Frank Stenger

This chapter supplies what is believed to be a complete list of the publications of Frank Stenger, as well as some that refer to him or his works.
Magnetic domains and unusual hysteresis loops of yttrium iron garnet crystals revealed by magneto-optic effects

I present a magneto-optic effect study of magnetic domains in a ferrimagnetic yttrium iron garnet crystal at different stages of a hysteresis loop. By measuring the Faraday effect in response to the out-of-plane component and Kerr effects to the in-plane components of the sample magnetization, I examined the evolution of magnetic domains during a hysteresis loop in an in-plane external magnetic field. I found that crystalline anisotropy, magneto-static energy, and the presence of movable domain walls play indispensable roles in the domain orientation, particularly when the external field is near zero, and have led to seemingly unusual appearances of hysteresis loops.
Pediatric Neurology and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Although COVID-19 exhibits a mild course in most children, severe disease is more likely to occur in infants and preschool children. Preexisting epilepsy or epileptic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, and chromosomal disorders, especially trisomy 21, are some neurological comorbidities that may also predispose to more severe disease. This review summarizes the emerging literature about neurological complications in children with severe COVID-19, including those with multisystem inflammatory syndrome. Reported neurological manifestations of severe pediatric COVID-19 include headache, weakness, myalgias, acute symptomatic seizures, anosmia, aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, encephalopathy, ischemic, and hemorrhagic stroke. The prevalence of these neurological manifestations has not yet been clearly delineated. Telemedicine is proving to be a valuable tool in addressing the impact of the pandemic on the delivery of care to children with acute or chronic neurological disorders. Crisis standards for best practice care have been developed in infantile spasms and in pediatric neuromuscular disorders. We also discuss here the considerable academic, social, and psychological burden of the pandemic on children and their families.
Cascading regulation of histidase activity in Streptomyces griseus.

Abstract Mutants of Streptomyces griseus unable to utilize histidine as the sole nitrogen source have been isolated and characterized. Using a mutant defective in the production of histidase, we have demonstrated that urocanate functions as the inducer of the histidine utilization system. Another mutant produced histidase that was locked in an inactive form but could be activated by treatment with an extract from the wild-type strain or the histidase-negative strain. This mutant was deficient in the activity of a protein of Mr ca. 90,000 to 100,000 that is required for the activation of histidase. Histidase was synthesized constitutively but was maintained in an inactive form until after histidine or urocanate was added to the medium. At least four components were implicated in the activation of histidase: histidase, the activation protein, urocanate, and a phosphatase that is apparently inactive in cells grown without inducer. The functions of the last three factors could be supplanted in vitro by incubation of histidase with snake venom phosphodiesterase or 5' nucleotidase. The results suggest that histidine utilization by S. griseus is controlled posttranslationally by an activation cascade that involves at least two regulatory proteins.
On the legal status of the proposition that "life begins at conception.

For eighteen years, a majority of the Supreme Court has upheld abortion rights without deciding whether or when a fetus may be regarded as an independent person. Today, another set of Justices would deny those rights on the ground that the fetus's status is an issue for state legislators to resolve. These mirror-image strategies share a common aim: Each allows the Court to evade the single question that, in every discourse but the judicial one, is by now synonymous with the abortion debate itself-the question of when human life begins. The policy of avoidance began at the outset of the Court's abortion jurisprudence. In Roe v. Wade,2 the Court expressly refused to "speculate" about "this most sensitive and difficult question."3 Instead, the Roe Court predicated governmental power to forbid abortion on the putative state interest in "protecting the potentiality of human life."4 It was this interest in "potentiality" that the Court held to become "compelling" when the fetus reaches viability.5 Roe's "potential life" holding had distinct advantages. In particular, by sustaining a prohibition of abortion on the basis of the fetus's status as a "potential" person, the Court avoided the necessity of deciding at what point in a woman's pregnancy a state could deem the fetus an actual person.6
Labor and Menu Category: Effects on Analysis

Menu analysis is the gathering and processing of key pieces of information to make it more manageable and understandable. Ultimately, menu analysis allows managers to make more informed decisions about prices, costs, and items to be included on a menu. The author discusses If labor as well as food casts need to be included in menu analysis and if managers need to categorize menu items differently when doing menu analysis based on customer eating patterns.
Qualitative Spatial Representation for Situational Awareness and Spatial Decision Support

This paper summarizes elements of research on the effectiveness of using qualitative spatial representation (QSR) in 2D and 3D display modes to determine its usefulness for situational awareness and decision making. The study involved: 1) creating spatial query functions based on QSR that capture knowledge about objects in space; 2) building these query functions into a graphical user interface environment as simulated user accessible support functions; and 3) testing the utility of these support functions by evaluating the performance of human subjects in solving sets of spatial decision-making and information retrieval tasks.
Different use of medical terminology and culture-specific models of disease affecting communication between Xhosa-speaking patients and English-speaking doctors at a South African paediatric teaching hospital

Background Disease is closely linked to the social context in which we live. Difficulty with communication, cultural incompatibility between patients and health care providers and socioeconomic obstacles are important barriers to quality care when doctors and patients come from different backgrounds and speak different languages. Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital (RCH) is a paediatric teaching hospital in Cape Town where staff members communicate mainly in English or Afrikaans, while many patients speak Xhosa as their first language. Objectives The study aimed to identify barriers to optimal care for Xhosa-speaking parents of patients at RCH. The contribution of language difficulties was assessed as a possible barrier to health care for this group. Design A questionnaire was developed and administered to 53 Xhosa-speaking parents of children admitted to the short-stay ward at RCH. The questionnaire examined parents' perceptions of barriers to their children's care, using open-ended questions, closed-ended questions and selection from lists. Results Parents experienced significant structural and socioeconomic barriers to access of health care for their children. Language and cultural barriers were cited by more parents as a major barrier to health care than structural and socioeconomic barriers. Parents did not have access to same-language practitioners, as only 6% of medical interviews were conducted partly or wholly in the patient's home language. Of the 94% of interviews where no Xhosa was spoken by medical staff, 21% were conducted with the aid of an interpreter (formal or ad hoc) and in 79% no interpreter was used. Parents experienced difficulties with understanding the doctors (64%), making themselves understood (54%) and asking questions (38%). Sixty-nine per cent of parents were dissatisfied with communication between themselves and their doctors and 45% were concerned about negative effects of poor communication on them or their children. Parents tended to blame their own linguistic limitation rather than those of the doctors. South African Medical Journal Vol. 96(10) October 2006: 1080-1084
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanostructured 4.7 V Li x Mn1.5Ni0.5O4 Spinels for High-Power Lithium-Ion Batteries

Nanostructured Li x Mn 1.5 Ni 0.5 O 4 (x = 0.95,1.0,1.05) spinel powders were synthesized by a modified Pechini method. The powders were annealed at different temperatures between 500 and 800°C for 15 h. Depending on the ordering/disordering of transition metal ions on octahedral sites, spinels were assigned to either ordered P4 3 32 (P) or disordered Fd3m (F) space groups. The spinels of the two symmetry groups differed significantly in fast discharge rate capability. Extensive characterization was employed to identify the source of the difference. Vibrational spectroscopy techniques (FTIR and Raman), in situ and ex situ XRD and impedance spectroscopy did not reveal any sign of structural degradation for electrochemically inferior P4 3 32 spinels even after rigorous cycling. The poor performance was assigned to an intrinsic property, the lower electrical conductivity of the cation ordered samples. Arrhenius plots of sintered pellets revealed that the ordered spinels were shown to have two orders of magnitude lower electronic conductivity than disordered samples. The difference in electronic conductivity was assigned to the presence of a small amount of Mn 3+ in disordered samples.
Inversion electron effective mobility in SOI NMOSFETs

Due to reported advantages over bulk silicon, thin-film SOI has developed the potential of becoming a mainstream digital technology. In order to accurately model SOI device operation, it is necessary to understand further the channel electron mobility behavior. Some work has been done in characterising the electron mobility in SOI devices and an enhanced mobility effect has been reported by several authors for fully-depleted devices. In these works, the mobility was found to increase for thinner films and this mobility enhancement has been attributed to a decreased vertical electric field in the channel. For the same gate drive, (V/sub gs/-V/sub th/), the thinner fully-depleted SOI device has a reduced transverse field and thus a higher mobility. This work examines the effective mobility (/spl mu//sub eff/) as a function of a transverse effective electric field (E/sub eff/) rather than gate voltage or gate drive. >
Discrete rigid body dynamics and optimal control

We analyze an alternative formulation of the rigid body equations, their relationship with the discrete rigid body equations of Moser-Veselov (1991) and their formulation as an optimal control problem. In addition we discuss a general class of discrete optimal control problems.
Problems in Determining Viscosity of Asphalts at Low Temperatures with Shell Sliding Plate Microviscometer

A SHELL SLIDING PLATE MICROVISCOMETER WITH IMPROVED STEEL PLATES WAS USED FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE TESTING OF ASPHALT BUT WAS FOUND TO BE INADEQUATE FOR THE STRESSES IMPOSED. THERE IS NEED FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE VISCOSITY VALUES TO ESTABLISH CRACKING OF ASPHALT CONCRETE PAVEMENTS. MANUFACTURERS SHOULD REDESIGN A MICROVISCOMETER TO WITHSTAND THE STRESSES IMPOSED BY LOW-TEMPERATURE TESTING. /AUTHOR/
Zinc Has an Insulin-Like Effect on Glucose Transport Mediated by Phosphoinositol-3-Kinase and Akt in 3T3-L1 Fibroblasts and Adipocytes

Zinc has insulin-like effects on cells, including promotion of both lipogenesis and glucose transport. The relationship between zinc and the stimulation of glucose transport is unclear. We hypothesize that zinc affects the insulin-signaling pathway. In this study, the effect of zinc on glucose transport and insulin signaling was examined in 3T3-L1-preadipocytes and -adipocytes. Treatment of cells with up to 200 micromol/L zinc significantly increased glucose transport (P < 0.05). The effect of zinc on adipocytes was greater than on preadipocytes, and the effect of zinc plus insulin was greater than that of either insulin or zinc alone. Cytochalasin D, which disrupts actin filaments, attenuated the increase of glucose transport induced by zinc or insulin (P < 0.05). At 100 nmol/L, wortmannin, the phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase inhibitor, decreased basal glucose transport and blocked zinc-stimulated glucose transport in both cell types (P < 0.05). H7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, did not reduce basal glucose transport but decreased zinc-induced glucose transport (P < 0.05). Zinc increased tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor beta subunit of both preadipocytes and adipocytes after 5-10 min of treatment (P < 0.05). Zinc at 200 micromol/L did not affect tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 or -2; further, there was no effect of zinc on the association of the p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase and IRS-1. Zinc significantly increased serine-473 phosphorylation of Akt in both preadipocytes and adipocytes (P < 0.05). The PI 3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, totally blocked the effect of zinc on Akt activation. Hence, it appears that zinc can induce an increase in glucose transport into cells and potentiate insulin-induced glucose transport, likely acting through the insulin-signaling pathway.
Complete proof rules for strong fairness and strong extreme fairness

Abstract This paper demonstrates completeness of a termination-rule for iterative programs with strongly fair nondeterminism, even when there are countably infinite options for the nondeterminism. This means that whenever a program is guaranteed to terminate under the assumption of strong fairness, then this termination can be proved via the strongly fair termination rule. A variant of the rule is also shown to be complete for extremely fair nondeterminism, as introduced by Pnueli (1983) and developed by Francez (1986).
Image-guided trephination of the frontal sinus: an adjunct to endoscopic technique

Abstract Frontal sinus pathology that is superiorly or laterally positioned may be difficult to manage with standard endoscopic techniques. With the assistance of computed tomography image-guidance systems, a directed trephination can be performed to reach these areas in lieu of performing an osteoplastic flap. The image-guided frontal trephination procedure offers a minimally invasive, mucosal-sparing technique with less potential morbidity than an osteoplastic flap. Two illustrative cases will be presented to highlight indications and technique.
Phosphorus transport in Spodosols impacted by dairy waste

Abstract Deposition of P-laden dairy waste onto acid, sandy Spodosols located in the Lake Ocheechobee Basin in south Florida is commonly recognized to increase levels of P in soil profiles, groundwater, and local streamflow. In the soil profile, P accumulations occur in the surface A horizon, to a lesser extent in the E horizon, and to a much greater extent in the reactive Bh or spodic horizon. A one-dimensional mathematical model was used to demonstrate sorption and transport of P vertically through a 90-cm profile of an initially P-free Spodosol with A (0–15 cm), E (15–75 cm), and Bh (75–90 cm) horizons for conditions of steady, saturated water flow. Ten pore volumes (equivalent of 2.5 years of rainfall) of P-laden influent was applied before applying 40 volumes (equivalent of 10 years of rainfall) of P-free water. The loading of P in the influent was shown to greatly impact P transport during water flow in the soil. As expected, nonlinear sorption resulted in much greater retardation of P breakthrough in the soil effluent for the lowest influent concentration of 10 g m−3 than for either 100 or 1000 g m−3 concentrations. An underlying assumption in the model was that multi-dimensional water flow could be ignored. However, multi-dimensional flow under field conditions may well result in partial bypass of flow around highly consolidated Bh horizons.
Equilibrium Population of the Folding Intermediate of RNase H and its Importance in the Folding Trajectory

Proteins can sample a variety of partially folded conformations during the transition between the unfolded and native states. Some proteins never significantly populate these high-energy states and fold by an apparently two-state process. What factors govern which conformations are accessible to a protein as it folds? We have attempted to re-route the folding of ribonuclease H from E. coli by manipulating its regional stability. Using phi-value analysis, we compare the structures of the transition states for folding of RNases H that fold with and without a detectable partially folded intermediate and find that both versions of RNase H fold through a similar trajectory with similar high energy conformations. In light of the general importance of this species on the folding pathway, we attempted to populate the intermediate at equilibrium by destabilizing the region of the protein that is unfolded in this form. Surprisingly, a single change at Ile 25 (I25A) resulted in the equilibrium population of the intermediate under near-native conditions. The intermediate was undetectable in a series of HSQC's, revealing the dynamic nature of this partially unfolded form on the timescale of NMR detection. The dynamic nature of the RNase H intermediate may be important for its role as an on-pathway, productive species that promotes efficient folding.
A Two-Year Life Cycle in Brachystola magna (Orthoptera: Acrididae) with Notes on Rearing and Food Preference

Apparently, little or no work has been done on the biology of the lubber grasshopper, Brachystola magna (Girard). However, the large size of this species and its possible economic importance (Isely 1938, Parker. 1933, Coppock 1962) suggest that its use in laboratory studies might be advantageous. The present paper reports the results of rearing B. magna and notes on its development.
Computational Investigation of Acoustics and Instabilities in a Longitudinal-Mode Rocket Combustor

A computational fluid dynamics analysis of acoustic modes and instabilities in an experimental longitudinal test chamber is presented. The experimental configuration is a uni-element recessed injector post combined with a variable-length combustion chamber. The computations employ the nonlinear Euler equations with mass and heat addition in the injector and combustion chamber and response functions to represent combustion dynamics. Analytical solutions and experimental comparisons are used to verify and validate the computational model. The results demonstrate the importance of including the full Euler equations for predicting the frequencies and mode shapes in the injector-combustor configuration as well as for representing nonlinear phenomena such as wave steepening and the excitation of higher harmonics. The present approach therefore promises to be a useful platform for testing and calibrating combustion response functions for combustion instability models.
The "Paradisc" antenna--A novel technique to improve the axial ratio of a circularly polarized high gain antenna system

A circularly polarized feed for an S -band high gain antenna system is designed to have a minimum axial ratio when radiating into free space. However, when the feed is located at the focal point of a 2-ft diameter parabolic reflector, the axial ratio "blows up." An experimental technique, which overcomes this difficulty without any change in the basic feed structure, is described. In addition, other RF test results are presented.
Single-sex education: Parameters too narrow

In their Education Forum “The pseudoscience of single-sex schooling” (23 September, p. [1706][1]), D. F. Halpern et al. evaluate school success solely by standardized test scores. They make no attempt to do or cite research that measures parameters such as self-confidence, self-reliance, and
Mitochondrial translocation of p53 underlies the selective death of hippocampal CA1 neurons after global cerebral ischaemia.

p53, a tumour suppressor, is involved in DNA repair and cell death processes and mediates apoptosis in response to death stimuli by transcriptional activation of pro-apoptotic genes and by transcription-independent mechanisms. In the latter process, p53 induces permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane by forming an inhibitory complex with a protective Bcl-2 family protein, resulting in cytochrome c release in several cell line systems. However, it is unclear how the mitochondrial p53 pathway mediates neuronal apoptosis after cerebral ischaemia. We examined interaction between the mitochondrial p53 pathway and vulnerable hippocampal CA1 neurons using a tGCI (transient global cerebral ischaemia) rat model. We showed mitochondrial translocation of p53 and its binding to Bcl-XL. Mitochondrial p53 translocation, interaction between p53 and Bcl-XL, and cytochrome c release from mitochondria and subsequent CA1 neuronal death were prevented by pifithrin-α, a p53-specific inhibitor. These results suggest that the mitochondrial p53 pathway plays a role in delayed CA1 neuronal death after tGCI.
Adaptations facilitating facultative oophagy in the gray rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta spiloides

The gray rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta spiloides), a facultative oophagic colubrid species, exhibits a stereotyped behavior when ingesting quail eggs. The anterior third of the body is contracted in a forceful series of S-shaped curves, and, at the moment of shell rupture, the region of the body posterior to the egg is rapidly and laterally flexed into a U-shaped bend. The ventral aspect of hypapophyses in the cervical region can be palped along the roof of the dissected esophagus. Scalation along the throat and anterior neck regions is polymorphic, and scale rows are more numerous (increasing distensibility when swallowing eggs) than along areas posterior to the neck. Radiographs reveal that eggs may pass into the gut of large snakes without being cracked. Once the contents are extracted from the shell, it passes through the remainder of the gut, appearing in the feces with sides folded inward to form a narrow cylinder, tapered at both ends. Gray rat snakes appear to possess adaptations facilitating ingestion of bird eggs while not interfering with the potential to ingest other prey types.
Sequential measurement strategy for wafer geometric profile estimation

The geometric profile, factors such as thickness, flatness, and local warp, are important quality features for a wafer. Fast and accurate measurements of those features are crucial in multistage wafer manufacturing processes to ensure product quality, process monitoring, and quality improvement. The current wafer profile measurement schemes are time-consuming and are essentially an offline technology and hence are unable to provide a quick assessment of wafer quality. This article proposes a sequential measurement strategy to reduce the number of samples measured in wafers while still providing an adequate accuracy for quality feature estimation. In the proposed approach, initial samples are measured and then a Gaussian process model is used to fit the measured data and generate a true profile of the measured wafer. The profile prediction and its uncertainty serve as guidelines to determine the measurement locations for the next sampling iteration. The measurement stops when the prediction error of the te...
The role of essential explanation in abduction

The abduction task is to infer the best explanation for a given set of data. One common subtask of abduction is to synthesize the best composite explanatory hypothesis from elementary hypotheses retrieved from memory. The synthesis of best composite explanations, however, is computationally costly. One general approach to controlling the computational cost of synthesizing explanations is to decompose the synthesis search space into smaller spaces that can be searched more efficiently and effectively. The essential hypotheses, that is, the hypotheses that are the only available explanations for specific subsets of the data set, provide one such decomposition. In this method, first the essential hypotheses are included in the composite explanation, and, then, non-essential hypotheses are included to account for the remaining unexplained data elements. In addition to providing a more efficient method for synthesizing composite explanations, this decomposition leads to the formation of more parsimonious explanations. In this paper, we report on a set of experiments in the domain of medical data interpretation that demonstrates that the essential/non-essential decomposition of the abduction search space results in more efficient synthesis of more parsimonious composite explanations.
Universal Screening for Writing Risk in Kindergarten.

Early identification of students at risk for writing disabilities is an important step in improving writing performance. Kindergarten students (n = 84) were administered a set of researcher-develop...
Quality improvement in health care organizations: a general systems perspective

A systems analysis of healthcare organizations demonstrates that methods for improving quality involve the effective feedback regulation of key organizational performance parameters. Information flow is impaired in dysfunctional healthcare organizations, which often disregard significant clinical problems while preferentially tracking nonclinical indicators and clinical data considered most likely to meet the organization's standards. Such organizations thus achieve "pseudocompliance" with external requirements, but do not systematically work to improve the quality of clinical care or their performance as organizations. Efforts by government agencies and national organizations to foster quality improvement activities have had limited success precisely because local organizations perceive these efforts as externally imposed. Leaders' anxieties about their own and their organizations' autonomy, control, and performance can cause unwillingness to review data indicating performance problems, oversimplification of decision criteria, and reluctance to formulate meaningful conclusions and act on them. Contemporary quality improvement models, such as Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Total Quality Management (TQM), reconnect leaders to their organizations' quality processes by emphasizing the leaders' roles in promoting quality as an organizational value, setting meaningful quality goals, and actively u sing information to improve organizational effectiveness.
The supercritical multitype age-dependent branching process

Abstract Let X ( t ) = ( X 1 ( t ),…, X p ( t )) be a p -dimensional supercritical age-dependent branching process. For an appropriate α > 0, necessary and sufficient conditions are found for X ( t ) e − αt to converge to a nondegenerate random vector W . Several properties of W are also determined.
Nuclear Structure Effects in Internal Conversion

The problem of the influence of nuclear structure on the calculation of conversion coefficients is discussed and a distinction is made between those effects (static) which are essentially calculable without a detailed nuclear model and the effects (dynamic) for which such a model is mandatory. The theory of the conversion process is developed in such a way as to provide formulas wherein both types of effects are exhibited. No attempt is made to provide specific numerical results for the dynamic effects but instead a framework is provided within which the internal conversion predictions of any nuclear model can be readily tested. In order to do this it is necessary to know not merely the conversion coefficient but the matrix elements for the separate final states as complex numbers. This information, which is available at present for only the $K$ shell, is utilized to provide numerical results for the $K$ shell and for several values of transition energy and atomic number. Electric and magnetic ${2}^{L}$-pole transitions with $1l~Ll~5$ are considered.
The interaction of ketamine with the opiate receptor.

Abstract The analgesic effect of the anesthetic agent ketamine HCl is inhibited in rats by the narcotic receptor antagonist naloxone. Racemic (±) ketamine HCl also displaced 3 H-naloxone in an opiate receptor binding-assay. The potency of ketamine in the assay was reduced nearly six-fold by sodium suggesting that the drug interacts as an agonist. However, some activity as an antagonist was not ruled out. The interaction of ketamine HCl with the opiate receptor was stereospecific with the (+) salt being more effective than the (-) salt. The stereoselective nature of the interaction is consistent with other studies (1) demonstrating that (+) ketamine HCl has a greater analgesic effect than the (-) salt.
Detection of nascent no in a methane/air flame by multiphoton ionization

Abstract Detection of nascent NO in a premixed, laminar methane/air flame by pulsed dye laser-induced resonant multiphoton ionization is reported. From analysis of the spectrum in the region of the (0, 0) and (1,0) bands of the two-photon A ← X transition. the NO temperature is 1900 = 100 K. The peak concentration of NO is ≈ 20 mTorr (25 ppm).
Optical solitons through an anharmonic vibrational mode

Abstract An optic field interacting with an infrared active vibrational mode with a cubic nonlinearity is considered. The slowly varying envelope of the electric field is shown to satisfy the nonlinear Schrodinger equation. Various aspects of the model are discussed.
Campthotecin Design and Delivery Approaches for Elevating Anti-Topoisomerase I Activities in Vivo

: The camptothecins as a class have exhibited unique dynamics and reactivity in vivo, with respect to both drug hydrolysis and blood protein interactions. These factors have confounded their pharmaceutical development and clinical implementation. Recent bench and clinical research alike indicates that the combination of medicinal chemical and drug delivery approaches has been and will continue to be highly valuable in improving the overall therapeutic indices of camptothecin-based anti-topoisomerase I therapies. In the future the development of camptothecin analogues that exhibit highly specific human albumin interactions will likely be avoided, and agents such as the highly lipophilic DB-67 analogue with improved tissue stability will be evaluated. Drug delivery scientists will also devise better ways of targeting camptothecin therapies to solid tumors by using carriers such as tumor-targeted long-circulating liposomes.
Coumarin in amblyolepis setigera

Abstract Extraction of Amblyolepis setigera DC. furnished coumarin. No sesquiterpene lactones were isolated.
TGF-β1 Stimulation of Fibronectin Transcription in Cultured Human Lung Fibroblasts Requires Active Geranylgeranyl Transferase I, Phosphatidylcholine-Specific Phospholipase C, Protein Kinase C-δ, and p38, But Not erk1/erk2

The cytokine transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has multiple effects on a variety of cell types, modulating cell growth and differentiation as well as extracellular matrix deposition and degradation. In the present work, we demonstrate that TGF-beta1 produces a fourfold increase in transcription of the fibronectin gene in cultured human fetal lung fibroblasts with only a small increase in mRNA stability resulting in a significant increase in fibronectin mRNA steady state level. A corresponding increase in production of fibronectin protein accompanied the increase in mRNA. Through the use of specific inhibitors, we demonstrate that geranylgeranylated, but not farnesylated or acylated protein(s), protein kinase C-delta, phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipse C, tyrosine kinase activity, and stress-activated protein kinase p38 are required for this TGF-beta1 effect. Trimeric G proteins and mitogen-activated protein kinases erk1 and erk2 do not appear to be involved. While these results emphasize the complexities involved in the control of extracellular matrix synthesis by TGF-beta, they also identify reaction sites that may be amenable to pharmacologic modulation. Such modulation could be of great advantage in the treatment of a wide variety of undesirable fibrotic reactions.
The group B streptococcal alpha C protein binds α1β1-integrin through a novel KTD motif that promotes internalization of GBS within human epithelial cells

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis among neonates and a cause of morbidity among pregnant women and immunocompromised adults. GBS epithelial cell invasion is associated with expression of alpha C protein (ACP). Loss of ACP expression results in a decrease in GBS internalization and translocation across human cervical epithelial cells (ME180). Soluble ACP and its 170 amino acid N-terminal region (NtACP), but not the repeat protein RR', bind to ME180 cells and reduce internalization of wild-type GBS to levels obtained with an ACP-deficient isogenic mutant. In the current study, ACP colocalized with alpha(1)beta(1)-integrin, resulting in integrin clustering as determined by laser scanning confocal microscopy. NtACP contains two structural domains, D1 and D2. D1 is structurally similar to fibronectin's integrin-binding region (FnIII10). D1's (KT)D146 motif is structurally similar to the FnIII10 (RG)D1495 integrin-binding motif, suggesting that ACP binds alpha(1)beta(1)-integrin via the D1 domain. The (KT)D146A mutation within soluble NtACP reduced its ability to bind alpha(1)beta(1)-integrin and inhibit GBS internalization within ME180 cells. Thus ACP binding to human epithelial cell integrins appears to contribute to GBS internalization within epithelial cells.
Sequential estimation of velocity fields using episodic proper orthogonal decomposition

Abstract In this paper, the problem of approximating velocity fields at future and past times based on information available at the current time is addressed. A novel method called “episodic POD” is described and developed that enables us to achieve our objective. Application of episodic POD to an ensemble of flow data results in a set of spatio-temporal eigenfunctions and a set of coefficients associated with the eigenfunctions. From these eigenfunctions, we develop two models called the “forward model” and “inverse model” that enable us to approximate the velocity fields at future and past times, based on information provided at the current time. A second set of models, the forward and inverse sequential models are also developed that enable the dynamic update of approximated velocity fields when new information is made available, making these models more adept at on-line estimation. The various properties associated with these models are described in detail, and four different examples are used to validate the models and show the different properties associated with episodic POD. It is shown through numerical validation, that the episodic POD model has a form that is dynamically consistent with the original system. It is also shown that episodic POD outperforms linear Kalman filters in the presence of noise.
A direct examination of the dividend clientele hypothesis

Abstract This paper describes and estimates an empirical model that directly tests the dividend clientele hypothesis using data on individual portfolios from the 1983 Survey of Consumer Finances. The results provide evidence that investors are sensitive to tax rates when choosing portfolio dividend yields, and thus support a number of indirect tests that use security price data to investigate the clientele hypothesis. However, the approach taken in this paper avoids the difficulty, inherent in the indirect studies, of distinguishing between tax-driven and arbitrage- driven changes in ex-day security prices.
DSM-III: Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence- inter-rater diagnostic realiability

In the DSM-III field trials, measures of inter-rater diagnostic agreement were obtained only for major diagnostic categories. Two diagnoses subsumed under the major diagnostic category of Substance Use Disorders are Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependence. The purpose of the present study was to obtain inter-rater reliability estimates among raters given identical clinical information for the two diagnoses, for the separate criteria for each diagnosis and for the definitional components of each criterion. Intra-class correlation coefficients were obtained with results ranging from 0.07 to 0.85. The need for further statistical studies examining the specificity of definitions for the diagnostic criteria within DSM III is addressed.
Children and Divorce

Children and adolescents experience severe stresses during the process of parental divorce. As a consequence, the pediatrician can expect to be called upon frequently to provide information and counsel to the divorcing parents, to the children, or to other family members directly, as well as to the physicians in other branches of medicine and concerned members of related disciplines whose professional work brings them into significant contact with these troubled families. INCIDENCE The number of children and adolescents who are caught in the process of marital dissolution has soared to more than 1 million new children each year since 1972. It has been estimated that between 32% and 46% of all children who grow up in the 1970s will experience either the separation or divorce of their parents. Although research about the effects of divorce on children and adolescents is limited, some of the findings are worrisome. Our five-year study of the effects of divorce on a group of 131 California children and adolescents found a significant number at risk during the postdivorce years. Five years after the marital separation, 37% of these youngsters, who were drawn from a normal population, were considered to be suffering with various manifestations of moderate to severe depression, including learning below capacity in school, difficulties with peers, sexual acting out, minor delinquency, explosive anger, continued preoccupation with the divorce, and a general pervasive neediness.
High throughput microfabrication using laser induced plasma in saline aqueous medium

Abstract We report a novel micro-fabrication process that achieves high material removal rate by utilizing thermal ablation by a laser-induced plasma inside an aqueous medium with added salinity. The process involves focusing a pulsed laser beam of visible wavelength within the saline solution, leading to optical breakdown and subsequent formation of a localized plasma plume. Therefore higher material removal rates and greater aspect ratios of machined features can be obtained as compared to laser ablation, while preserving its resolution and precision of machining. The underlying phenomenon behind the process is the enhancement of plasma energy density due to availability of dissociated ions from salt, combined with an increase in optical attenuation coefficient of the medium, leading to an optimum salinity level for maximum material removal. Micro-channels were machined on 6061 Aluminum mirror-finish flat samples by this process, and the material removal rate was found to be higher by up to 97% for an optimized salinity level of 2–4 g/100 ml, as compared to that obtained by pure aqueous media (distilled water). Moreover, the machining characteristics correlated with the experimentally determined plasma generation thresholds for the corresponding salinity levels. In this paper, the experimental results for plasma generation thresholds, plasma fluence and material removal parameters (depth, width, and material removal rates) are presented.
Radiation dose predicts for biochemical control in intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with low-dose-rate brachytherapy.

Purpose To evaluate the influence of patient- and treatment-related factors on freedom from biochemical failure (FFbF) in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Methods and Materials From a prospectively collected database of 2250 men treated at Mount Sinai Hospital from 1990 to 2004 with low-dose-rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer, 558 men with either one or more intermediate-risk features (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] level 10–20 ng/mL, Gleason score 7, or Stage T2b) were identified who had a minimum follow-up of 24 months and postimplant CT-based dosimetric analysis. Biologically effective dose (BED) values were calculated to compare doses from different isotopes and treatment regimens. Patients were treated with brachytherapy with or without hormone therapy and/or external-beam radiotherapy. Patient- and treatment-related factors were analyzed with respect to FFbF. The median follow-up was 60 months (range, 24–167 months). Biochemical failure was defined according to the Phoenix definition. Univariate analyses were used to determine whether any variable was predictive of FFbF. A two-sided p value of Results Overall, the actuarial FFbF at 10 years was 86%. Dose (BED Conclusions Radiation dose is an important predictor of FFbF in intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Treatment should continue to be individualized according to presenting disease characteristics until results from Radiation Therapy Oncology Group trial 0232 become available.