cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single-Image Vignetting Correction from Gradient Distribution Symmetries

We present novel techniques for single-image vignetting correction based on symmetries of two forms of image gradients: semicircular tangential gradients (SCTG) and radial gradients (RG). For a given image pixel, an SCTG is an image gradient along the tangential direction of a circle centered at the presumed optical center and passing through the pixel. An RG is an image gradient along the radial direction with respect to the optical center. We observe that the symmetry properties of SCTG and RG distributions are closely related to the vignetting in the image. Based on these symmetry properties, we develop an automatic optical center estimation algorithm by minimizing the asymmetry of SCTG distributions, and also present two methods for vignetting estimation based on minimizing the asymmetry of RG distributions. In comparison to prior approaches to single-image vignetting correction, our methods do not rely on image segmentation and they produce more accurate results. Experiments show our techniques to work well for a wide range of images while achieving a speed-up of 3-5 times compared to a state-of-the-art method.
A third-order differential equation on a time scale

We are concerned with the asymptotic behavior of solutions of a third-order differential equation on a time scale. Sufficient conditions for (2,1)- and (1,2)-disconjugacy will be given.
Macromolecular forms of aspartate transcarbamylase in rat liver

Abstract Zonal centrifugation of crude extracts of rat liver shows the presence of two major components of aspartate transcarbamylase, M.W. 900,000 and 600,000. The sedimentation behavior is unaffected by treatment with RNase and detergents. The activity of the ATCase is stabilized in the presence of bovine serum albumin. Experiments in the presence of dithiothreitol or EDTA show that the heavy components do not result from complex formation with albumin.
FEIII(PMA)2+ : A MONONUCLEAR NON-HEME IRON COMPLEX THAT CATALYZES ALKANE OXIDATION

The iron(III) complex [FeIII(PMA)](ClO4)2 (3) of a designed ligand PMAH (1; H is a dissociable amide H), which mimics the metal-binding domain of the antitumor antibiotic bleomycin, promotes alkane oxidation in conjunction with TBHP or H2O2. In anhydrous acetonitrile, reaction of 3 + TBHP with cyclohexane affords high yields of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone (1:1 ratio, 1700% yield on the basis of catalyst concentration) along with the mixed peroxide tBu−OO−Cy. The presence of water lowers the yields of oxidized products. Product ratios obtained in oxidations of adamantane and 3-methylpentane with 3 + TBHP confirm that reaction occurs at more-substituted carbon centers. No oxidation of an aromatic C−H bond is observed with 3 + TBHP. EPR spectra at low temperatures indicate that the low-spin Fe(III)−peroxo intermediate [(PMA)FeIII−O−OR]+ (R = H, tBu) is formed in the reaction mixture. Since the PMA- ligand framework is incapable of stabilizing the high-valent iron center and oxidation of both cyclohexene a...
Effects of covert modeling, multiple models, and model reinforcement on assertive behavior

The effect of covert modeling in training assertive behavior was studied. In a 2×2 design, the effects of multiplicity of models (imagining a single model versus several models perform assertively) and model reinforcement (imagining favorable consequences following model behavior versus no consequences) were evaluated. A nonassertive-model control group that imagined assertion-relevant scenes was included in the design. In four treatment sessions, treatment groups improved in self-report measures and a behavioral role-playing test of assertiveness. Multiple model and model reinforcement conditions enhanced behavior change. Treatment effects generalized to novel role-playing situations and were maintained on self-report measures at a 4-month follow-up assessment.
Direct observation of room temperature magnetism in (In,Mn)As thin films by magnetic force microscopy

Abstract Variable-temperature magnetic force microscopy (MFM) has been performed over the temperature range of 298–348 K on ferromagnetic (In,Mn)As thin films deposited by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). Ferromagnetic domains were observed with submicron resolution in both single and two phase (In,Mn)As films, persisting up to 328 K. Isolated cylindrical domains ranging from 100 to 350 nm in diameter with densities of 2–5 × 10 8 cm −2 were observed in phase pure films. Longer range magnetic order, in the form of ribbon-like domains up to 1 μm in length, are present in the regions between the cylindrical domains. Two phase (In,Mn)As films produced a well-resolved complex domain structure consisting of 180° parallel and antiparallel domains. Excellent agreement between the temperature dependence of the relative magnetization obtained by MFM and superconducting quantum interference device measurements was observed.
Effects of Parathyroid Hormone and Cortisol on Prostaglandin Production by Neonatal rat Calvaria in Vitro

We have examined the effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and cortisol on the production of prostaglandins, particularly PGE2, by neonatal rat calvaria cultured in a chemically-defined medium. Although there was considerable variability, calvaria produced large amounts of PGE2 in control cultures, reaching medium concentrations of 40 to 200 nM. PGE2 release was partially inhibited by cortisol at 10 nM and markedly inhibited at 100 nM. Bovine 1-34 synthetic PTH produced an increase in PGE2 concentration which was most striking in the presence of a low concentration of cortisol (10 nM). The medium also contained large amounts of 6-keto PGF1 alpha, the metabolite of prostacyclin, which showed similar changes in response to PTH and cortisol. Thromboxane B2 concentrations were low and unaffected by these hormones. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D did not increase medium PGE2 concentration. Since PGE2 is a potent stimulator of bone resorption and formation, some of the effects of PTH as well as cortisol may be mediated by their ability to alter PGE2 production in skeletal tissue.
Mycorrhizae, soil amendments, water relations and growth of Rosa multiflora under reduced irrigation regimes

Abstract To determine the role of endomycorrhizae and selected soil amendment treatments on water relations and growth of Rosa multiflora , rooted cuttings were planted in a medium with either incorporated hydrogel (polyethylene oxide) or a synthetic mulch surface covering (wax-impregnated cardboard) and either inoculated with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAM) [ Glomus mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.) and G. fasciculatum (Thaxt. sensu Gerd.) Gerd. and Trappe] or left as non-inoculated controls. Plants were initially irrigated daily, but then irrigation was reduced to three times weekly before water-stress cycles were initiated. Shoot and root dry weight and root:shoot ratio were higher when hydrogel was incorporated in the medium, regardless of VAM colonization treatments. Xylem water potential in shoots ( ψ s ) of roses with hydrogel-in-corporated medium was lowest (more negative) and had the greatest changes regardless of mycorrhizal treatment. In general, mycorrhizal plants had lower transpirational rates and a higher diffusive resistance, either with or without hydrogel incorporation in medium.
Pits and Hillocks on epitaxial GaAs grown from the vapor phase

Abstract [100] oriented GaAs epitaxial layers were grown by the opentube AsCl 3 transport technique. When the AsCl 3 concentration was too low, the growing surface was pitted or completely rough. Smooth layers were obtained when the AsCl 3 concentration was above a critical value. This value increased as the surface went off orientation. From these results, a growth mechanism based on the development of three-dimensional nuclei is suggested. Hillocks formed on the epitaxial surface when there was a deposit on the reactor walls upstream from the substrate. Hillock formation occurred most readily when the surface was close to or on the [100] orientation. Epitaxial gallium oxide patches are thought to give rise to these imperfections.
Fibrogenic structure-activity study of the bleomycin molecule

In the present study the fibrogenic potential of intact bleomycins as well as their acetyldipeptide and terminal polyamine constituents have been assessed. Administration of Blenoxane, bleomycin A2, or bleomycin B2 to rats produced histopathologic evidence of pulmonary fibrosis when tissues were examined 28 days following a single intratracheal dose. These compounds also produced a readily detectable increase in pulmonary collagen synthesis as evidenced by an approximate twofold increase over control values in the formation of [3H]hydroxyproline in an in vitro lung mince system. Lung collagen synthetic activity remained significantly elevated over control values for up to 2 weeks. However, neither the acetyldipeptides nor the polyamine constituents of bleomycin A2 and B2 produced detectable increases in lung collagen synthesis or in histopathologic evidence of pulmonary injury. Spermine and spermidine, the terminal amine components associated with bleomycin-A6 and with tallysomycin A, tallysomycin B, and bleomycin-A5, respectively, did produce significant pulmonary fibrotic injury in rats following intratracheal administration. Out of an extensive series of polyamines, bleomycin acetyldipeptides and intact bleomycin and tallysomycin analogs, only spermine and spermidine were found to produce hydrogen peroxide and acrolein upon incubation in vitro with amine oxidase, a common pulmonary enzyme. Conclusions regarding the relative toxicity of different bleomycin analogs based solely on the toxicity produced by administration of their terminal amine constituent must therefore be made with caution.
Regions of government science : John Wesley Powell in Washington and the American West

Best known as the first down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, John Wesley Powell built his extraordinary career as geographer, geologist, anthropologist, bureaucrat, and conservationist from his knowledge of the arid region of the American West. Yet as much as Powell's scientific work, and his prescriptions for land reform, were grounded in the western landscape, they were equally situated in the booming Gilded Age capital of Washington, DC, where a new community of government scientists was gelling as part of an increasingly centralized federal state.
What Has the Business Administrator Contributed to Society

My approach to this question is based upon a conviction that every socially useful human being must be aware of his debt to generations past and present and therefore he must be filled with a constant sense of his obligation. To cast the business administrator then in the role of benefactor, when, from my point of view, to him more than to the member of any other one class of human society should be assigned the place of the beneficiary, is to put the emphasis upon the wrong thing. Obviously it is true that, in so far as the business administrator is part of the whole body of human society, he may be said to be part of the total creditor group as well as of the debtor. The problem becomes, then, one of relatives. Has he taken more than he has given ? I believe he has—not in every individual instance at all times, but as a general rule.
Kinetics of the removal of ferric ion from transferrin by aminoalkylphosphonic acids

The kinetics of ion removal at 25 degrees C in 0.1 M Tris, pH 7.4 by a series of phosphonic acids have been evaluated. The initial rate of iron removal is first order in ferric-transferrin, but shows a hyperbolic dependence on the concentration of the phosphonate ligand. At high ligand concentrations the reaction is clearly biphasic, and the data are interpreted in terms of nonequivalent rate constants for iron removal from the two transferrin iron-binding sites. Rate constants for three phosphonic acid ligands are approximately 0.025 min-1 and approximately 0.007 min-1 for the faster and slower binding sites. The results are discussed in relation to the conformational change mechanism for iron removal from transferrin proposed by Coward et al. [21].
Topoisomerase-II-mediated lesions in nascent DNA: comparison of the effects of epipodophyllotoxin derivatives, VM-26 and VP-16, and 9-anilinoacridine derivatives, m-AMSA and o-AMSA.

Abstract This study compares the effects of the epipodophyllotoxin derivatives, VM-26 and VP-16, and the 9-anilionoacridine derivatives, m-AMSA and o-AMSA, on nascent and mature DNA. Two types of lesion which are putatively mediated by topoisomerase II, DNA-protein crosslinks and DNA double-strand breaks, were analyzed in drug-treated nuclei from 3H/14C labelled L1210 cells. Potassium/dodecyl sulfate precipitation assay was used to assess DNA-protein crosslinks in mature and nascent (1 min old) DNA. Both epipodophyllotoxins and m-AMSA showed a strong preference for nascent DNA. DNA double-strand cleavage induced by VM-26 and m-AMSA also showed a preference for nascent DNA as indicated by neutral elution technique. Sedimentation on neutral sucrose gradients revealed that these drugs generated highly degraded fragments (under 30 S) in nascent DNA substantially faster than in mature DNA. Lesions in nascent DNA were diminished substantially by the omission of ATP or the addition of novobiocin. The ability to induce lesions in nascent DNA correlates with cytotoxic potency of the agents studied. The results suggest that replicating DNA may constitute a preferential target for antitopoisomerase II drugs.
Influence of sequential pneumatic compression on postoperative venous function.

Abstract Sequential external pneumatic compression (SEPC) has been reported to decrease the incidence of acute deep venous thrombosis in postoperative patients by a direct mechanical action on the lower extremity veins and/or by inducing alterations in systemic fibrinolysis. To evaluate the effect of SEPC on venous function in the postoperative patient, pre- and postoperative venous capacitance (VC) and outflow (VO) were measured in a series of general surgical patients. In phase I, 17 limbs were evaluated in patients who had been fully ambulatory preoperatively and at complete bed rest postoperatively. VC decreased from 3.19 ± 0.43 cc/100 cc of tissue (mean ± standard error of the mean) preoperatively to 2.08 ± 0.34 cc/100 cc of tissue postoperatively (p 0.2; VO—72.3 ± 5.9 cc/100 cc of tissue/min preop, 66.2 ± 5.3 cc/100 cc of tissue/min postop, p > 0.2) and in the unpumped limb (VC—2.85 ± 0.18 cc/100 cc of tissue preop, 2.41 ± 0.24 cc/100 cc of tissue postop, p > 0.05; VO—66.1 ± 5.2 cc/100 cc of tissue/min preop, 66.7 ± 6.7 cc/100 cc of tissue/min postop, p > 0.5). SEPC prevents the decrease in VC and VO seen in patients who are maintained at complete bed rest after general surgical procedures. This improvement in parameters of venous function as measured by strain-gauge plethysmography may be induced by direct mechanical effects on the vein wall, humoral or neurogenic factors, or a Venturi effect through increased flow velocity in the vena cava. Increased femoral vein flow velocity or reflex calf muscle contractions could not be demonstrated in the contralateral limb of five normal control subjects. (J VASC SURG 1987;5:432-6.)
Ion‐Exchange Treatment of Silicon‐Yttria Dispersions

Improved rheological stability in silicon-yttria slurries for sinterable reaction-bonded silicon nitride was obtained by treating casting slips with NH4+-ion-exchange resin. The substitution of NH4+ ions for flocculating ions (Ca2+ or Y3+) appears to be the principal factor leading to more time-stable pseudoplastic yield stress and viscosities.
Investigating Differences across Host Species and Scales to Explain the Distribution of the Amphibian Pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Many pathogens infect more than one host species, and clarifying how these different hosts contribute to pathogen dynamics can facilitate the management of pathogens and can lend insight into the functioning of pathogens in ecosystems. In this study, we investigated a suite of native and non-native amphibian hosts of the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) across multiple scales to identify potential mechanisms that may drive infection patterns in the Colorado study system. Specifically, we aimed to determine if: 1) amphibian populations vary in Bd infection across the landscape, 2) amphibian community composition predicts infection (e.g., does the presence or abundance of any particular species influence infection in others?), 3) amphibian species vary in their ability to produce infectious zoospores in a laboratory infection, 4) heterogeneity in host ability observed in the laboratory scales to predict patterns of Bd prevalence in the landscape. We found that non-native North American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are widespread and have the highest prevalence of Bd infection relative to the other native species in the landscape. Additionally, infection in some native species appears to be related to the density of sympatric L. catesbeianus populations. At the smaller host scale, we found that L. catesbeianus produces more of the infective zoospore stage relative to some native species, but that this zoospore output does not scale to predict infection in sympatric wild populations of native species. Rather, landscape level infection relates most strongly to density of hosts at a wetland as well as abiotic factors. While non-native L. catesbeianus have high levels of Bd infection in the Colorado Front Range system, we also identified Bd infection in a number of native amphibian populations allopatric with L. catesbeianus, suggesting that multiple host species are important contributors to the dynamics of the Bd pathogen in this landscape.
Parallel Option Price Valuations with the Explicit Finite Difference Method

We show how computations such as those involved in American or European-style option price valuations with the explicit finite difference method can be performed in parallel. Towards this we introduce a latency tolerant parallel algorithm for performing such computations efficiently that achieves optimal theoretical speedup p, where p is the number of processor of the parallel system. An implementation of the parallel algorithm has been undertaken, and an evaluation of its performance is carried out by performing an experimental study on a high-latency PC cluster, and at a smaller scale, on a multi-core processor using in addition the SWARM parallel computing framework for multi-core processors. Our implementation of the parallel algorithm is not only architecture but also communication library independent: the same code works under LAM-MPI and Open MPI and also BSPlib, two sets of library frameworks that facilitate parallel programming. The suitability of our approach to multi-core processors is also established.
Community College Mission: Re(S)ources Make a Difference

Community colleges are unique among higher education institutions in their potential access to local appropriations as well as state funding. A total of 26 states reported to the Education Commission of the States in 2001 that community colleges in their states received some share of local funding. Using data for 781 public community colleges, we explored the implications of resource dependency theory for mission differentiation between dual-funded and state-funded colleges. Significant differences were observed in their student bodies, programming, expenditures, and outcomes. These differences have implications for the increasing dependence on state funding for community colleges and the roles these institutions play.
Addressing PXR liabilities of phthalazine-based hedgehog/smoothened antagonists using novel pyridopyridazines

Pyridopyridazine antagonists of the hedgehog signaling pathway are described. Designed to optimize our previously described phthalazine smoothened antagonists, a representative compound eliminates a PXR liability while retaining potency and in vitro metabolic stability. Moreover, the compound has improved efficacy in a hedgehog/smoothened signaling mouse pharmacodynamic model.
Generativity and Erikson's "belief in the species"

Abstract Generativity is the concern for guiding and promoting the next generation through such creative behavior as parenting, teaching, mentoring, leading, and generating products and outcomes that benefit others. Erikson (1963) has argued that in order to be generative in adulthood, people must have a fundamental “belief in the species” or a faith that human progress is possible and worth working toward. The present study focuses on hope and trust concerning the self and others (Erikson's “belief in the species”). In addition, however, the study examines the relation between generativity and personality traits, in this case, dominance, leadership, self-absorption, and nurturance. A sample of 70 adults was administered (1) a series of self-report questionnaires converging on Erikson's idea of belief in the species, (2) a self-report scale assessing generativity, (3) measures of personality traits, and (4) two open-ended measures of generativity requiring subjects to describe life commitments and creative endeavors. The results provide modest support for Erikson's claim of a link between belief in the species and generativity, with significant positive correlations obtained (1) between self-report generativity and two measures of belief in species and (2) between generativity assessed through life commitments and one measure of belief in the species. In addition, the personality trait of nurturance was positively related to all three generativity measures. Problems and issues in the assessment of generativity are discussed.
Interactive design of large end rings on stiffened conical shells using composites

Design study methods and results for a composite reinforced base ring for the conical aeroshell structure of the planetary lander vehicle for Project Viking, an unmanned mission to Mars, are presented. The aeroshell is a ring and stringer-stiffened conical shell structure having a half angle of 70 degrees with a large base ring mounted at the outer edge of the cone and a large pay-load ring in the interior with many smaller rings spaced along the inside shell surface. The purpose of the structure is to develop the aerodynamic drag required to decelerate the lander in the Mars atmosphere to facilitiate a soft landing. The design of a shell structure of this complexity requires the use of the latest technology available in a large general-purpose shell buckling program. The large general-purpose non-linear shell buckling program (BOSOR 2) which was used for this purpose is described.
Substitutes or complements?: The effects of alliances on military spending in major power rivalries

Abstract In the short‐term, the mechanisms to address security threats are largely confined to building up one's military and securing an alliance with another state. This paper seeks to assess the extent to which alliances substitute for or complement military buildups in major power rivalries over the period 1816–1976 and the conditions under which such effects occur. Overall, the results when considering behavior on a year to year basis indicated, at best, a modest complementary effect of alliances on arms spending increases. Nevertheless, such an effect was not apparent in all analyses and could not be attributed, mitigated, or exacerbated according to the type of alliance (e.g., defense pact versus entente) or the identity of the alliance partner (i.e., major versus minor power). When considering behavior across the rivalry as a whole, the results were clearer. Non‐aggression pacts substituted for arms increases in the context of high and increasing defense burdens. Defense pacts had a complementary ...
Histologic and electron microscopic characterization of the antiperinuclear factor antigen

The presence of the antiperinuclear factor, an autoantibody that recognizes cytoplasmic antigens, was detected in sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (59%), seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (36%), systemic lupus erythematosus (46%), systemic sclerosis (26%), and in nonautoimmune controls (10%). The antigenic perinuclear granules were found in the stratum intermedium layer of the buccal mucosa. Granules exhibited histologic features of nucleoproteins, stained for ribonucleoprotein, and showed the ultrastructural characteristics of aggregated rough endoplasmic reticulum. The antiperinuclear factor may recognize a common autoantigen in connective tissue disease.
Stability in Linear Delay Equations.

Abstract For linear autonomous differential difference equations of retarded or neutral type, necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the zero solution to be stable (hyperbolic) for all values of the delays.
Long-term outcome of excisional organ sparing surgery for carcinoma of the penis.

Purpose: We present our experience with penile sparing surgery for localized carcinoma in situ and T1 penile squamous cell carcinoma. We report outcomes and recommendations for a penile sparing approach.Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients underwent penile sparing surgery for penile squamous cell carcinoma since 1995. Four patients without recurrence had less than 6 months of followup and were excluded from study. Data included disease stage, cellular differentiation, tumor site, penile sparing surgery type and recurrence information.Results: Followup was adequate in 28 patients with carcinoma in situ and in 28 with T1 disease. The overall recurrence rate was 21.4% with equal recurrences of carcinoma in situ and T1 tumors (each 21.4%). Mean ± SD time to recurrence was 4.28 ± 2.81 years (range 0.5 to 11). More than 25% of recurrences developed after 5 years. Mean followup in censored patients was 5.47 ± 3.88 years (maximum 16). There was no difference in time to recurrence after carcinoma in situ ...
Diagnostics of Non-Equilibrium High-Pressure Plasmas Generated by the Resistive Barrier Dtscharge

Summary form only given. Atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasmas have recently received increased attention because of several emerging applications. Recently, we presented a novel method to produce a non-thermal, large volume, atmospheric pressure plasma. This method used a similar configuration to the dielectric barrier discharge. However, instead of a dielectric, a resistive layer was used to cover at least one of the electrodes. The resistive barrier discharge (RDB) can be operated with DC or AC power supplies. In this paper, the discharge is operated with a 60 Hz AC power supply. The I-V characteristics of the discharge are studied with He and Ar as operating gases (with air impurity). When He is used as operating gas, the discharge current exhibits several spikes superimposed on an AC part. However, when Ar is used, the discharge is a typical filamentary discharge with current spikes of magnitudes around 10 mA. To identify the various chemical species present in the discharge volume, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is applied. When He, mixed with air traces, is used the emission spectrum is dominated by excited N2 and N2 + . On the other hand, when Ar is used, the spectrum is dominated by excited N2 and Ar, but no N2 + emission bands are observed. The molecules' rotational and vibrational temperatures are of significance in investigations of the discharge. The second positive system of the N2 molecule is used to obtain the rotational and vibrational temperatures. It is found that the rotational temperature for a He background is about 300 K, and 500 K for Ar. The vibrational temperatures are about 2100 K and 1100 K for He and Ar, respectively
Gestational-Lactational Exposure to Aroclor 1254 Impairs Radial-Arm Maze Performance in Male Rats

Developmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been associated with cognitive deficits in children. The current study assessed effects of gestational and lactational exposure to a commercial PCB mixture, Aroclor 1254 (A1254), on spatial learning and memory in rats, using the radial-arm maze (RAM). Pregnant Long-Evans females (10/dose group) were exposed to 0 or 6-mg/kg/day A1254 (po in corn oil) from gestation day (GD) 6 to weaning at postnatal day (PND) 21. After they reached adulthood, 1 male and 1 female from each litter were tested on a working/ reference memory task using a 12-arm RAM. Eight of the 12 arms were baited, with the pattern of baited arms remaining the same on every trial for each rat. Compared to control males, the A1254exposed males made significantly more working memory errors (2.15 6 0.13 and 3.20 6 0.18 errors 6 SEM for control and A1254 males, respectively) and reference memory errors (3.17 6 0.10 and 4.1360.14 errors 6 SEM for control and A1254 males, respectively) on the RAM. In contrast, A1254-exposed females were not impaired relative to control females on the RAM. Drug challenges with dizocilpine (MK-801) and scopolamine did not differentially affect working or reference memory of control and exposed rats. These data suggest that perinatal exposure to A1254 may cause sex-specific deficits in spatial learning and memory, and that NMDA-mediated and muscarinic neurotransmission, as assessed with the drug challenges, were not markedly impaired in the A1254-exposed animals.
Considerations for Curriculum Development in Teaching War and Peace

(1985). Considerations for Curriculum Development in Teaching War and Peace. The Social Studies: Vol. 76, No. 6, pp. 254-256.
Community child health: an essential specialist service for the millennium.

This article discusses the importance of community child health services in the UK. The development of community child health services began in the UK over 100 years ago when the first school doctor was appointed in 1890. Although it received oppositions as to the appointment of a community pediatrician its full implementation started in 1996 when the number of consultant posts had increased from 86 to 364. In addition a third recommendation in the Court report which mentioned that every health district should have a district handicap team working from a child development center was accepted. From 1996 to 2000 the community child health services came up with the following core elements for their services. This includes child protection adoption and fostering assessment medicine educational medicine specialist immunization advice audiology vision assessment behavioral pediatrics child public health teaching and social pediatrics. Although the service may vary from district to district but they do have several common features which include interdisciplinary teams nurses and other therapists and close links to primary care to local education and social services and to hospital-based pediatrics and child and adolescent mental health services. The management it employed to children suffering from traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries tested the services offered in the community child health services.
Primary events in hydrocarbon radiolysis: Real-time studies of radical-cation chemistry

Abstract Recent studies of the radiolysis of liquid alkanes by picosecond emission and absorption spectroscopy and by Fluorescence Detected Magnetic Resonance (FDMR) are discussed. These studies establish that the parent radical cations of smaller alkanes have short lifetimes (
Sonographic evaluation of hydronephrosis in the pediatric population: is well-tempered sonography necessary?

OBJECTIVES Standardized protocols exist for diuretic renography. There are no specific guidelines regarding hydration before renal sonography. This study assessed the importance of the hydration status by sonographic measurements of the anteroposterior diameter and its effect on Society for Fetal Urology (SFU) hydronephrosis grading. METHODS Children aged 6 weeks to 16 years (mean age, 22 months) with unilateral SFU grade 3 or 4 hydronephrosis requiring diuretic renal scintigraphy were recruited to undergo prehydration and posthydration renal sonography. Hydrated diuretic renal scintigraphy, or "well-tempered" renography, was then performed. Renal sonograms were reviewed by a blinded pediatric radiologist and pediatric urologist. Two-sided statistical tests assessed whether SFU grades and the anteroposterior diameter changed significantly after hydration. RESULTS Among 67 kidneys, the pediatric urologist (L.P.M.) and pediatric radiologist (V.J.R.) reported no SFU grade change in 45 (67%) and 52 (78%) kidneys after hydration. In kidneys that changed, the posthydration grade was more likely to be higher. This difference was statistically significant (14 of 22 and 13 of 15 differences were higher grades after hydration for L.P.M. and V.J.R., respectively; P= .06; P= .007). Most kidneys that changed with hydration differed by only 1 SFU grade. Differences greater than 1 grade were seen in 5 control kidneys, which increased from SFU grade 0 to 2. The mean anteroposterior diameter increased significantly between prehydration and posthydration sonography for both hydronephrotic kidneys (1.46 versus 1.72 cm; P< .001) and control kidneys (0.22 versus 0.39 cm; P= .019), but did not correlate with increased SFU grades. CONCLUSIONS Hydration does have a substantial effect on the anteroposterior diameter, but it does not correlate with a substantial effect on the SFU grade; therefore, well-tempered sonography seems unnecessary.
Bedtime insulin added to daytime sulfonylureas improves glycemic control in uncontrolled type II diabetes

Background: To evaluate the possible benefits of the addition of intermediate-acting insulin administered at bedtime to therapy with daytime sulfonylureas in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus for whom maximal doses of oral hypoglycemic agents have not been successful. Methods: Study subjects were 16 consecutive obese patients aged from 44 to 78 years (mean age, 62 years) with histories of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus for a mean of 9 years. None of the subjects had been able to control their diabetes with maximal doses of oral hypoglycemic agents. All patients received 20 mg glipizide or 10 mg glyburide twice a day, as well as education about the American Diabetes Association diet. Neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin was empirically added in doses from 0.1 to 0.2 units/kg given at bedtime. The dose was adjusted on the basis of fasting blood glucose levels. Results: Mean fasting blood glucose decreased from 13.7 ± 3.4 to 8.3 ± 2.7 mmol/L at 3 months and 7.3 + 2.0 mmol/L at 1 year. Glycosylated hemoglobin decreased from 9.0% ± 1.9% to 6.2% ± 1.16% at 3 months and 6.3% ± 1.22% at 1 year. Conclusion: A late-night dose of NPH insulin was added to a regimen of daytime sulfonylureas in a group of obese patients with type II diabetes whose hyperglycemia was not controlled with maximal doses of oral hypoglycemic agents. This treatment proved to be beneficial and is a useful alternative to conventional insulin therapy in this group of patients. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1993) 53, 380–384; doi:10.1038/clpt.1993.36
The gap between practice and genetics education of health professionals: HuGEM survey results.

Purpose: To determine the genetics education needs and priorities of dietitians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, speech-language-hearing specialists, and social workers. Methods: A random sample mail survey of 3600 members of 6 national health professional organizations was undertaken in 1998 and resulted in 1958 responses. Results: A majority worked with clients with genetic conditions, most were providing genetic services to some clients, few had high confidence in providing genetic services, most had little or no education in genetics, and two-thirds wanted continuing education. Conclusion: The study shows a critical need for genetics education of allied and counseling health professionals.
Electronic transport properties and electrically induced p-n junction in ZrO2 + 10 m/o Y2O3

Abstract Through the application of voltages to cubic ZrO2, stabilized by 10 m/o Y2O3, using a nitrogen/Ag and an air/Pt electrode, concentration gradients of the electronic species and p-n junctions in the sample have been created. The transient relaxation of the voltage is investigated and is interpreted in terms of the mobilities of both excess and defect electrons between 700 and 900°C. The movement of the p-n junction is characterized by a shoulder-type voltage-time relation. At 900°C the mobilities of the electrons and holes are 2.3 × 10−2 and 1.5 × 10−4 cm2/Vsec, respectively. The activation energy of transport is much smaller for the excess electrons than the holes. The electronic conductivities are determined from the steady-state polarization current.
Price Policy and Land Value Taxation For Urban Water Supplies

WITHIN THE NEXT TEN TO TWENTY-FIVE YEARS urban water supply will become the focus of many important and controversial problems. These emerging policy issues are likely to develop on three fronts: technology, economics, and political decision-making. All of this will represent a rather sharp contrast with the present status of urban water policy which has been relatively neglected by economists, public officials, and city planners. In the past there were few pressing questions of technology, economics, or of political judgment to warrant more than cursory attention to municipal water supply compared to other functional questions on the urban policy agenda. If I am correct, this rather calm and placid appearance will soon be subject to some rather radical changes. Before going further I should emphasize that urban water supply, in itself, is not likely to become the most important urban problem. Even though urban water problems will become much more important than they have been in the past, the scale of investment needed to satisfy growing urban demands will continue to be dwarfed by the funds devoted to urban transport construction and to urban renewal. Furthermore, the ever-present problems of urban land-use planning will always be more complex than those of urban water planning. However, when questions of urban water supply are viewed in a larger context, as they should be, it is evident that the decisions made in regard to water supply can condition the direction and the pattern of city growth. There are many close ties between planning for future city growth and the provision of new water facilities. Water investment, water taxation, and water pricing policies, for example, may exhibit a strong decentralization bias and thus influence the demands for land and for transportation facilities at city perimeters and thereby offset, at least in
Digital rights management for digital cinema

There is a wide consensus among the feature film production studios that the Internet era brings a new paradigm for film distribution to cinemas worldwide. The benefits of digital cinema to both producers and cinemas are numerous: significantly lower distribution and maintenance costs, immediate access to film libraries, higher presentation quality, and strong potential for developing new business models. Despite these advantages, the studios are still reluctant to jump into the digital age. The main showstopper for digital cinema is the danger of widespread piracy. Piracy already costs Hollywood an estimated two billion dollars annually and digital cinema without proper copyright enforcement could increase this number. In this paper, we present a copyright management system that aims at providing the set of necessary security tools: standard cryptographic primitives and copyright protection mechanisms that enable a reliable and secure feature film delivery system.
Information and sensory overload. Information and sensory overload in psychology and marketing

This paper presents an overview of the research in sensory and information overload in psychology and marketing. Several implications of this research for public policy, managerial decision making and for the behavior of consumers are discussed.
Transvitreal cyanoacrylate retinopexy in the management of complicated retinal detachment

We used transvitreally delivered cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive to seal retinal breaks in 25 selected patients undergoing vitreous surgery for complicated retinal detachment. With a minimum follow-up period of six months, all but one retinal hole remained closed. Complete retinal reattachment posterior to the encircling buckle was achieved in 18 of 25 eyes (72%). In ten of 25 eyes (40%) the final visual acuity was 5/200 or better.
Penetration of chloride ions from sea water into mortars under different exposure conditions

Abstract The penetration of chloride ions from sea water into mortars was studied for different exposure conditions, namely exposure to sea water at 20°C, −1°C and freeze-thaw in sea water. It was observed that chloride ions penetrate deeper into mortars at low temperatures and the volume of macropores controls this penetration. Silica fume, by densifying the matrix, blocks this penetration with a tendency of increasing the chloride content within the surface layer.
On a Conjecture of Finotti

We prove a conjecture of Luis Finotti about cubic polynomials of one variable in characteristic p. He checked it by computer for primes p < 890 and uses it to define and study the minimal degree lift of the generic point of an ordinary elliptic curve in characteristic p to the canonical lift mod p3 of the curve.
On the transition from pretence play to reality: What are the rules of the game?

This study focuses on the hypothesized boundaries that separate pretence play from reality by examining the ‘transition’ preschoolers make in response to a set of planned interruptions of their pretence play. The interruptions varied in the extent to which they violated an implicit set of pretence rules. Forty-five preschoolers, aged 3, 4 and 5 years participated in two standardized play scenarios that were interrupted at four predetermined times. The results point to the nature of the interruption as the most important variable, and show that even young preschoolers can freely switch back and forth between pretence and reality modes of thought and behaviour.
Justices Black and Frankfurter: Supreme Court Majority and Minority Trends

The basic problem of government is the reconciliation of liberty and authority. Federal systems face the additional problem of harmonizing conflicts between two levels of government which must rule in the same geographical area. Under our late system of judicial supremacy these were "legal" problems and consequently the main gtist of Supreme Court business. But one suspects, with Mr. justice Holmes, that these "legal" problems were often solved by judicial application of economic philosophy. The conclusion, for example, that neither nation nor state could regulate "wages and hours," or ban yellow dog practices,' seems more the dictate of laissez faire philosophy than of constitutional provisions. Substantive due process and dual federalism2 were simply the constitutionalization of an economic attitude. How else account for the anarchic no man's land where crucial problems of modern social life could neither be dealt with by the federal government, because of restraints upon national power found inherent in the reserved powers of the states, nor by the states, for all their reserved powers, because of limitations found in due process for the "protection" of individuals (including corporations) ?
Evidence of Parallel Pathways: Gender Similarity in the Impact of Social Support on Adolescent Depression and Delinquency

Despite an apparent connection, depression and delinquency have rarely been examined simultaneously. Instead, research has examined each topic separately and emphasized gender differences - rather than similarities - in outcomes. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this paper examines possible parallel pathways between social support (from parents, peers and schools) and depression in females and delinquency in males. Results show that support from these sources operates in a similar direction for both boys and girls, regardless of outcome. However, some significant differences in the magnitude of these associations exist. The paper concludes with a discussion of the merits of framing research as an examination of similarity, rather than difference. Rutter, Giller and Hagell (1998) argue that depression and delinquency represent equivalent outcomes for females and males, respectively. Their claim is consistent with gender socialization theory which posits that males and females are taught to cope with stress in different ways, with females showing higher rates of internalizing responses (depression) and males showing higher rates of externalizing responses (delinquency) (Simon and Nath 2004). Despite the apparent connection, depression and delinquency have rarely been examined together. Instead, researchers have tended to focus on either depression (Rosenfeld 2002) or delinquency (Adler 1975; Steffensmeier and Allan 1996), and consequently to emphasize gender differences in outcomes as opposed to gender similarities in underlying processes. This research investigates the hypothesis that parallel mechanisms account for depression in girls and delinquency in boys. Using the stress process model and delinquency theory as guides, I examine whether the mechanisms underlying depression and delinquency operate in a similar manner, both in magnitude and direction, for boys and girls. Key pathway variables include social support garnered from a number of sources in an adolescent's life. If these support variables operate in different directions, at different levels of significance, or at different magnitudes for males and females across outcomes, then it makes sense to think of depression
Antigen-binding properties of monoclonal antibodies reactive with EBNA1 and use in immunoaffinity chromatography.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) was overexpressed and purified from Escherichia coli. Mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were prepared that react with EBNA1. Eleven high affinity mAbs were recovered. Nine mAbs are isotype IgG (all subisotype IgG1) and two mAbs are isotype IgM. All mAbs react strongly with EBNA1 in an ELISA assay while only one mAb (designated 1EB6) fails to react in a Western blot assay. The epitopes for these mAbs were mapped to seven different regions, providing good coverage of the entire EBNA1 protein. The mAbs had differing affinity for an EBNA1/DNA complex with four mAbs able to supershift the complex completely. All mAbs can immunoprecipitate EBNA1 from E. coli overexpressing EBNA1. A modified ELISA assay, termed ELISA-elution assay, was used to screen for mAbs that release EBNA1 in the presence of a low molecular weight polyhydroxylated compound (polyol) and a nonchaotropic salt. MAbs with this property, termed polyol-responsive (PR)-mAbs, allow gentle elution of labile proteins and protein complexes. Four mAbs are polyol-responsive with two showing usefulness in gentle immunoaffinity chromatography. Purification with these PR-mAbs may be useful in purifying EBNA1 complexes and elucidating EBNA1-associated proteins. This panel of anti-EBNA1 mAbs will advance the study of EBV by providing new tools to detect and purify EBNA1.