cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal method for combining two correlated diagnostic assessments with application to computer-aided diagnosis

We are developing computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) methods that produce a quantitative diagnostic assessment, such as the likelihood of malignancy of a breast lesion. Radiologists who use this computer aid must combine the computer's quantitative assessment with their own. No theoretical or empirical methods are currently available to help radiologists perform this task. Results of recent observer studies show that while CAD helps radiologists improve performance, radiologists' ad hoc performance tends to be inferior to that of the computer alone, indicating that they are unable to use computer aids optimally. We have developed a general method to combine two correlated diagnostic assessments. We calculate a likelihood ratio based on a bivariate binormal model that describes the joint probability density of the latent decision variables from two diagnostic assessments. To the extent that the bivariate binormal model is valid and that the model's parameters can be estimated reliably, results that we obtain in this way will be optimal because that likelihood ratio is used by the ideal observer in combining the diagnostic assessments. Preliminary results indicate that this method can produce better performance than that achieved by radiologists when they use computer aids in an ad hoc way. This method can potentially help radiologists use quantitative computed diagnostic assessments optimally, thereby surpassing the computer in accuracy.
Changes in facial dimensions associated with the use of forces to retract the maxilla

Abstract Legitimate questions exist concerning the degree to which routine orthodontic treatment alters face form. To the extent that such alterations do occur, the delivery of different vectors should result in different sorts of skeletal change. In this study, we have attempted to discern and quantify differences in the rates of change of nine linear measures of mandibular and facial proportions during the course of Phase 1 treatment for the correction of Class II mixed-dentition malocclusion. The analysis took the form of a series of computer-conducted tests performed upon a previously reported tape-stored numerical data base which had been constructed earlier by digitizing pre- and posttreatment lateral cephalograms for a large group of Class II subjects. Rates of change for the nine linear measures were computed separately for samples of subjects treated with cervical face-bow, high-pull face-bow, and activator type intraoral appliances as well as for a control group of untreated Class II subjects. Statistically significant between-treatment differences which we believe are large enough to be of clinical importance were detected for several measures. As compared to the control group, a statistically significant rate of increase in condyle-pogonion distance was found in the intraoral group. Such an observation is consistent with the hypothesis of treatment-associated alteration of growth pattern in the region of the condyle. To our considerable surprise, the cervical group exhibited a similar statistically significant rate of increase in condyle-pogonion distance which is as yet unexplained. In general, rates of increase in measures of anterior face height had higher values in the cervical group than in the control group, implying that consideration should be given to avoiding the use of this treatment modality in patients for whom facial elongation during treatment would be undesirable. The cervical group also exhibited a statistically significant rate of increase in ramus height. Such an effect would tend to keep mandibular plane orientation relatively unchanged in the presence of increase in anterior face height, helping to explain our previously reported findings as to the relative constancy of mandibular plane angle. In the high-pull-treatment group, rates of increase in ramus height and condyle-pogonion distance were significantly lower than those in the control group and rates of increase in lower face height and anterior face height were significantly lower than those in the cervical group. In all three treatment groups, the rate of increase in mandibular body length was less than in the untreated control group, though only in the cervical group was this effect large enough to be statistically significant.
Multivariate profile of smoking in Southeast Asian men: a biochemically verified analysis.

Abstract Background. Cigarette smoking prevalence rates among Southeast Asian males are among the highest reported in comparison with other ethnic male groups in the United States. The objective of this study is to profile current smokers, former smokers, and never smokers among Southeast Asian males, based on subject characteristics. Methods. Southeast Asian (Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese) males residing in the Greater Columbus, Ohio, area were surveyed, utilizing culturally sensitive instruments and interviewers, with respect to demographic and acculturation variables. All subjects were biochemically verified by collecting a saliva sample at the time of the interviews. Results. Those Southeast Asian males who quit smoking tended to be older, employed, more assimilated into the U.S. culture, and of Cambodian ethnicity. The current smokers, relative to never smokers, tended to be older, not in the labor force, traditionally oriented to their native culture, less educated, and of Laotian or Vietnamese ethnicity. Conclusions. Specific strategies for smoking cessation programs would indicate more intense, and possibly different, efforts be directed at Southeast Asian males of Laotian and Vietnamese ethnicity who are younger, unemployed and less assimilated into the U.S. culture. On the other hand, smoking prevention programs would target those individuals who are at highest risk of smoking.
The incidence and management of infusion reactions to infliximab: a large center experience

The Incidence and Management of Infusion Reactions to Infliximab: A Large Center Experience
Clinical reasoning in pre-licensure nursing students

Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine if collaborative activities were effective in improving clinical reasoning skills. Seventeen second-year nursing students in their second medical/surgical clinical rotation participated in the study. Results indicated that students' overall scores for clinical reasoning increased significantly with collaboration. Given the evidence that students can improve their reasoning skills when exposed to collaborative learning, nursing education should consider restructuring their programs to include such teaching strategies.
Bimodal stress relaxation

The plasticity of a metal results from dislocations moving through a crystal; this rate of motion is determined by barriers in the crystal, and the drag between barriers. At low temperatures, where dislocation motion is underdamped, inertia plays an important role in overcoming barriers. In contrast to this situation, at high temperatures where dislocation motion is overdamped, dislocations are held up at barriers and this determines the rate of plastic deformation of a crystal. A measure of this high temperature behavior is obtained in the stress relaxation behavior of many materials, where a single relaxation mode is observed. At low temperatures, however, the stress relaxation, as shown below, shows two distinct modes. Further, these modes are affected by the state of the electrons, a clear manifestation of drag processes. These observations also demonstrate an interaction between thermal processes and dislocation inertia. The experiment is carried out as follows: single crystals of lead are deformed at a temperature, T, well below where phonon damping is of importance. After a crystal is plastically deformed for a fixed time the tensile machine is stopped and the stress relaxation recorded. Lead, which has a superconducting transition at --7.18K, can be deformed in the superconductingmore » state or in the normal state. This allows the drag on moving dislocations to be independently varied. Data for lead show that for crystal deformed in the superconducting state at 6K, there are two stress relaxation rates. Likewise, for a crystal deformed at a temperature above 7.18K in the normal state, there are two distinct relaxation modes. Additional stress relaxation data for a dilute lead-tin crystal confirm that stress relaxation behavior is bimodal at low temperatures.« less
Image-Processing Techniques Used In The Computer-Aided Detection Of Radiographic Lesions In Anatomic Background

We are develo1pipg feature-extraction techniques for use in the computer-aided detection of pulmonary nodules in digital chest images. Use of such a computer-aided detection scheme, which would alert radiologists to the locations of suspected lung nodules, is expected to reduce the number of false-negative dieggoses. False-negative diagnoses (i.e., misses) are a current problem in chest radiology with "miss-rates" as high as 30%. This may be due to the camouflaging effect of surrounding anatomic background on the nodule, or to the subjective and varying decision criteria used by radiologists.
Voluble: a space-time diagram of the solar system

Voluble is a dynamic space-time diagram of the solar system. Voluble is designed to help users understand the relationship between space and time in the motion of the planets around the sun. Voluble is set in virtual reality to relate these movements to our experience of immediate space. Beyond just the visual, understanding dynamic systems is naturally associated to the articulation of our bodies as we perform a number of complex calculations, albeit unconsciously, to deal with simple tasks. Such capabilities encompass spatial perception and memory. Voluble investigates the balance between the visually abstract and the spatially figurative in immersive development to help illuminate phenomena that are beyond the reach of human scale and time. While most diagrams, even computer-based interactive ones, are flat, three-dimensional real-time virtual reality representations are closer to our experience of space. The representation can be seen as if it was "really there," engaging a larger number of cues pertaining to our everyday spatial experience.
Individual and Organizational Antecedents of Misconduct in Organizations

A heterogeneous survey sample of for-profit, non-profit and government employees revealed that organizational factors but not personal characteristics were significant antecedents of misconduct and job satisfaction. Formal organizational compliance practices and ethical climate were independent predictors of misconduct, and compliance practices also moderated the relationship between ethical climate and misconduct, as well as between pressure to compromise ethical standards and misconduct. Misconduct was not predicted by level of moral reasoning, age, sex, ethnicity, job status, or size and type of organization. Demographic variables predicted job satisfaction and organizational variables added significant incremental variance. Results suggest the importance of promoting a moral organization through the words and actions of senior managers and supervisors, independent of formal mechanisms such as codes of conduct.
Biogeochemistry of aragonite mad and oolites

Amino acids were determined on an analyzer similar to that described by Hare (1969) in carbonate mud samples from locations in the Bahamas, Bermuda, Persian Gulf, and Florida Bay, and in oolites from the Gulf of Suez, the Abu Dhabi coast, the Bahamas, and Baffin Bay, Texas. A histogram, tables, and chromatograms of the results are given.
A new face‐centered‐cubic photonic crystal for microwave and millimeter‐wave applications

Three-dimensional photonic crystals are fabricated that consist of a face-centered-cubic lattice of air atoms embedded in a synthetic dielectric matrix. The crystals are formed by stacking triangular arrays of cylindrical atoms in a close-packed arrangement. The fabrication technique is much simpler than previous methods and is well suited to producing photonic band gaps in the microwave and millimeter-wave regions. Microwave measurements provide strong evidence for a photonic band gap between approximately 17 and 18 GHz in a crystal having a volumetric air fraction of 60%. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Absence of Goodpasture's Antigen in Male Patients With Familial Nephritis

The presence of Goodpasture's (GP) antigen in the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) of the kidney was evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence in nine patients with familial nephritis from five kindreds. The GP antigen was not detected in seven males but was present in an affected sister and mother, an unaffected brother, and 13 normal controls. The specificity of this finding in affected males is supported by the persistence of other GBM antigens identified by monoclonal antibodies. The lack of GP antigen in affected males and its persistence in related females with the disease suggests a possible X-linked dominant mode of inheritance. We propose that the absence of GP antigen leads to severe disease in the male, whereas its presence in related females is associated with mild disease.
The Cysteine-Rich Interdomain Region from the Highly Variable Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein-1 Exhibits a Conserved Structure.

Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites, living in red blood cells, express proteins of the erythrocyte membrane protein-1 (PfEMP1) family on the red blood cell surface. The binding of PfEMP1 molecules to human cell surface receptors mediates the adherence of infected red blood cells to human tissues. The sequences of the 60 PfEMP1 genes in each parasite genome vary greatly from parasite to parasite, yet the variant PfEMP1 proteins maintain receptor binding. Almost all parasites isolated directly from patients bind the human CD36 receptor. Of the several kinds of highly polymorphic cysteine-rich interdomain region (CIDR) domains classified by sequence, only the CIDR1α domains bind CD36. Here we describe the CD36-binding portion of a CIDR1α domain, MC179, as a bundle of three α-helices that are connected by a loop and three additional helices. The MC179 structure, containing seven conserved cysteines and 10 conserved hydrophobic residues, predicts similar structures for the hundreds of CIDR sequences from the many genome sequences now known. Comparison of MC179 with the CIDR domains in the genome of the P. falciparum 3D7 strain provides insights into CIDR domain structure. The CIDR1α three-helix bundle exhibits less than 20% sequence identity with the three-helix bundles of Duffy-binding like (DBL) domains, but the two kinds of bundles are almost identical. Despite the enormous diversity of PfEMP1 sequences, the CIDR1α and DBL protein structures, taken together, predict that a PfEMP1 molecule is a polymer of three-helix bundles elaborated by a variety of connecting helices and loops. From the structures also comes the insight that DBL1α domains are approximately 100 residues larger and that CIDR1α domains are approximately 100 residues smaller than sequence alignments predict. This new understanding of PfEMP1 structure will allow the use of better-defined PfEMP1 domains for functional studies, for the design of candidate vaccines, and for understanding the molecular basis of cytoadherence.
Effect of environmental tobacco smoke on the metabolism of (‐)‐trans‐benzo[a]pyrene‐7,8‐dihydrodiol in juvenile ferret lung and liver

To evaluate the effects of “environmental tobacco smoke” (ETS) on developing lungs, juvenile ferrets were exposed to ETS at an average total particulate concentration of 381 ± 97 mg/m3 for 2 h at the breathing zone. Twenty‐four hours after the exposure, the ferrets were sacrificed and the metabolism of (‐)‐trans‐benzo[a]pyrene‐7,8‐dihydrodiol was studied in the lung and liver homogenates. The rate of conversion of (‐)‐trans‐benzo[a]pyrene‐7,8‐dihydrodiol to the ultimate carcinogen (+)‐anti‐benzo[a]pyrene‐7,8‐dihydmdiol‐9,10‐epox‐ide was twofold higher in the liver than that observed in the lung of control ferrets. After ETS exposure, the formation of free benzo[a]pyrene‐7,8‐dihydrodiol‐9,10‐epoxide was increased by 62% in the lung (p < .01). The DNA‐bound metabolites were significantly increased only in the lung, while protein‐bound metabolites were significantly increased in the liver after ETS exposure. Although glutathione conjugates tended to be increased both in the lung and liver, sulfate conjugates...
Association of Hypertension Mortality Rates with Geographic Concentrations of Chiropractors and Medical Doctors in the U.S., 2008

As concentration (dose) of health care providers increases, health outcomes (responses) are expected to be favorable (e.g., decrease in mortality rates). Accordingly, this data-driven, ecological study compares hypertension mortality rates in the U.S. by state to concentrations of doctors of chiropractic (DC) and medical doctors (MD). DC and MD concentrations (per 10,000 population) were separately compared to 2008 hypertension death rates using Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression (where appropriate). DC concentrations revealed a stronger beneficial association with hypertension death rates (r = -0.430, p = 0.0020) compared to MD concentrations (r = -0.029 with an observed outlier, and r = -0.085 without the outlier; both coefficients not statistically significant). Linear regression revealed that an average national decrease of approximately one hypertension death per 100,000 population (95% CI = -1.4 to -0.4) would be expected with an increase of one DC per 10,000 population within the range in this study (1.0 to 5.2 DCs per 10,000 population). Since this is an observational study, causal inference is not claimed. The study is intended as a first step to research having other designs such as case-control.
Recording multicellular behavior in Myxococcus xanthus biofilms using time-lapse microcinematography.

A swarm of the δ-proteobacterium Myxococcus xanthus contains millions of cells that act as a collective, coordinating movement through a series of signals to create complex, dynamic patterns as a response to environmental cues. These patterns are self-organizing and emergent; they cannot be predicted by observing the behavior of the individual cells. Using a time-lapse microcinematography tracking assay, we identified a distinct emergent pattern in M. xanthus called chemotaxis, defined as the directed movement of a swarm up a nutrient gradient toward its source 1. In order to efficiently characterize chemotaxis via time-lapse microcinematography, we developed a highly modifiable plate complex (Figure 1) and constructed a cluster of 8 microscopes (Figure 2), each capable of capturing time-lapse videos. The assay is rigorous enough to allow consistent replication of quantifiable data, and the resulting videos allow us to observe and track subtle changes in swarm behavior. Once captured, the videos are transferred to an analysis/storage computer with enough memory to process and store thousands of videos. The flexibility of this setup has proven useful to several members of the M. xanthus community.
Document image understanding: geometric and logical layout

Document image understanding encompasses the technology required to make paper documents equivalent to other computer exchange media like floppies, tapes, and CDROMs. The physical reader of the paper document is the scanner just like the physical reader of the floppy is the floppy drive and the physical reader of the tape cartridge is the tape cartridge drive, and the physical reader of the CDROM is the CDROM drive. In the survey presented, we restrict ourselves to documents such as business letters, forms, and scientific and technical articles such as those found in archival journals and technical conferences. Understanding such documents involves estimating the rotation skew of each document page, determining the geometric page layout, labeling blocks as text or non-text, determining the read order for text blocks, recognizing the text of text blocks through an OCR system, determining the logical page layout, and formatting the data and information of the document in a suitable way for use by a word processing system or by an information retrieval system. >
Microdetermination of fluorine in organic compounds containing phosphorus and in hexafluorophosphates

A method for the microdetermination of fluorine in organic compounds containing phosphorus is described. After combustion in a Vycor flask, the species containing phosphorus are oxidized to orthophosphate with alkaline hypobromite. Phosphate is adsorbed on zinc oxide which need not be removed prior to titration of the fluoride. Fluoride is titrated potentiometrically with 0.02M lanthanum(III) in 50% ethanol solution at pH 5–7. A fluoride ion-specific indicator electrode and a calomel reference electrode are used in conjunction with an expanded-scale pH meter to monitor the emf. This method can also be used for the determination of total fluorine in inorganic hexafluorophosphates. For the more stable compounds such as potassium hexafluorophosphate, a combustion aid (paraffin) must be added to promote combustion.
Genetic variation in the autonomic nervous system affects mortality: a study of 1,095 trauma patients.

Background We have previously demonstrated an unappreciated link between the autonomic nervous system and mortality, heart rate variability, and physiologic complexity. Study Design Genetic variation in adrenergic receptors or key enzymes in catecholamine degradation could be associated with, and potentially explain, autonomic nervous system dysfunction and its impact on mortality after severe trauma. Three genetic polymorphisms critical to the adrenergic pathway were evaluated: β-2 adrenergic receptor (ADBR2: Q27E), α-1a adrenergic receptor (ADRA1A:R347C), and catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT: V158M). The study population consisted of 1,095 trauma admissions between April 2005 and April 2007. These patients all had genotyping performed using mass spectrometric analysis (Sequenom, Inc). The genetic data were linked with detailed demographic and clinical data. Trauma Related Injury Severity Score (TRISS) probability of survival was used as a composite measure of injury severity, admission physiology, and demographic factors in the multivariate logistic regression analyses of mortality outcomes data. Results The overall mortality rate for the study population was 14.2% (155 of 1,095). Univariate comparisons of genotypes with mortality revealed a significant association with the ADBR2 polymorphism: CC=15.9%, GC=14.8% and GG=7.6%, p=0.02. The apparently protective ADBR2 GG genotype was seen in 15.5% (170 of 1,095) of the study population. In multivariate analysis, which included adjustment for TRISS, the ADBR2 GG genotype was associated with reduced mortality (odds ratio 0.36, p=0.002). Conclusions Genetic variation in the β-2 adrenergic receptor (ADBR2:Q27E) associated with bronchial constriction appears protective (odds ratio 0.36), perhaps by making the receptor resistant to downregulation. These genetic data support the emerging understanding of critical role of the autonomic nervous system in the response to injury.
Analytical/Experimental Evaluation of Hybrid Commingled Carbon/Glass/Epoxy Thick-Section Composites under Compression

This paper outlines a current effort at improving the compressive strength of carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRC) by using a hybrid carbon/glass commingling concept. Prior investigations into...
Cognitive and Behavioral Consequences of Impaired Immunoregulation in Aging

A hallmark of the aged immune system is impaired immunoregulation of the innate and adaptive immune system in the periphery and also in the central nervous system (CNS). Impaired immunoregulation may predispose older individuals to an increased frequency of peripheral infections with concomitant cognitive and behavioral complications. Thus, normal aging is hypothesized to alter the highly coordinated interactions between the immune system and the brain. In support of this notion, mounting evidence in rodent models indicate that the increased inflammatory status of the brain is associated with increased reactivity of microglia, the innate immune cells of the CNS. Understanding how immunity is affected with age is important because CNS immune cells play an integral role in propagating inflammatory signals that are initiated in the periphery. Increased reactivity of microglia sets the stage for an exaggerated inflammatory cytokine response following activation of the peripheral innate immune system that is paralleled by prolonged sickness, depressive-like complications and cognitive impairment. Moreover, amplified neuroinflammation negatively affects several aspects of neural plasticity (e.g., neurogenesis, long-term potentiation, and dendritic morphology) that can contribute to the severity of neurological complications. The purpose of this review is to discuss several key peripheral and central immune changes that impair the coordinated response between the immune system and the brain and result in behavioral and cognitive deficits.
Marital Status and Age as Related to Masculine and Feminine Personality Dimensions and Self-Esteem

Abstract The relationships among marital status, gender role traits, and self-esteem in a sample of American men and women was investigated in the present study. Divorce was found to be associated with shifts in gender role identity, leading to greater masculine (but not androgynous) personality traits for both sexes. Intact marriages were associated with higher self-esteem and greater masculinity for both sexes, and greater feminity for women. Masculinity and feminity both contributed to women's self-esteem, but only masculinity was associated with male self-esteem. Finally, comparisons between the present data and those of Spence and Helmreich (1978) suggest the need for more research on gender role identification with nonacademic adult samples.
Combiform: beyond co-attentive play, a combinable social gaming platform

Combiform is a novel digital gaming console featuring four combinable handheld controllers. It is a new and unique tangible gaming interface that stresses the importance of co-located, co-attentive social interactions among players. In particular, multiple players may freely combine and lock together their handheld game controllers, thereby creating a very flexible collective and transformable tangible interface. Combiform emphasizes social interaction through controller-to-controller contact. The platform and its 10 games introduce novel, tangible and physical co-attentive experiences that are not found in traditional co-located gaming platforms using 'embodied' controllers (e.g. Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect). Based on observations, this new interactive technique has successfully transformed typical co-located social play experiences into a multisensory physical activity.
Curvilinear calcification in renal cancers: two etiologies.

Abstract Two cases of hypernephroma are presented, each containing central curvilinear calcification. The etiology of these calcifications is discussed, together with the significance of calcifications in renal masses.
The CMS DBS Query Language

The CMS experiment has implemented a flexible and powerful system enabling users to find data within the CMS physics data catalog. The Dataset Bookkeeping Service (DBS) comprises a database and the services used to store and access metadata related to CMS physics data. To this, we have added a generalized query system in addition to the existing web and programmatic interfaces to the DBS. This query system is based on a query language that hides the complexity of the underlying database structure by discovering the join conditions between database tables. This provides a way of querying the system that is simple and straightforward for CMS data managers and physicists to use without requiring knowledge of the database tables or keys. The DBS Query Language uses the ANTLR tool to build the input query parser and tokenizer, followed by a query builder that uses a graph representation of the DBS schema to construct the SQL query sent to underlying database. We will describe the design of the query system, provide details of the language components and overview of how this component fits into the overall data discovery system architecture.
Effects of the fungicides mancozeb and chlorothalonil on fluxes of CO2, N2O, and CH4 in a fertilized Colorado grassland soil

[1] Management of agricultural soil plays an important role in present and future atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and methane (CH 4 ). Pesticides are used as management tools in crop production, but little is known about their effects on soil-atmosphere exchange of CO 2 , N 2 O, and CH 4 . Field studies described in this paper determined the effect of two commonly used fungicides, mancozeb and chlorothalonil, on trace gas exchange. Separate experimental plots, 1 m 2 , were established in nitrogen fertilized no-tilled native grassland and tilled soils with and without fungicide application. Two studies were conducted. The first study was initiated in June 1999 and lasted for 1 year with monthly flux measurements from tilled and no-till soils. The second study commenced in August 2001 with twelve weekly measurements from tilled soils only. From both studies mancozeb suppressed emissions of CO 2 and N 2 O in the tilled soil by an average of 28% and 47%, respectively. This suppression corresponded with efficacy periods of 14-29 and 56-77 days, respectively. From the no-till soils mancozeb decreased CO 2 and N 2 O emissions by 33% and 80% for periods of 29 and 94 days, respectively. Mancozeb inhibited CH 4 consumption in the first study by 46% and 71% in the tilled and no-till soil for periods of 8 and 29 days, respectively, but had no effect in the second study. From both studies chlorothalonil initially suppressed CO 2 and N 2 O emissions and enhanced CH 4 uptake in the tilled soil by an average of 37%, 40%, and 115%, respectively. These effects corresponded with efficacy periods of 14-29, 21-56, and 1-14 days, respectively. In the no-till soil chlorothalonil inhibited CO 2 and N 2 O emissions and enhanced CH 4 uptake by 29%, 48%, and 86% for periods of 29, 56, and 56 days, respectively. Following the initial period of suppression, chlorothalonil subsequently enhanced N 2 O emissions in the tilled soil by an average of 51% and in the no-till soil by 81% before returning to near background levels. The beginning of increased N 2 O emissions from the chlorothalonil-amended plots corresponded with a maximum soil concentration of the chlorothalonil degradate, 4-hydroxy-2, 5, 6-trichloroisophthalonitrile. The site specific global warming potential (GWP) resulting from the fluxes of CO 2 , N 2 O, and CH 4 from all soils was determined to decrease by an average 26% and 21% as a result of a single application of mancozeb or chlorothalonil, respectively. The decrease in CO 2 emissions in the fungicide-amended plots potentially could result in the conservation of as much as 1200 and 2400 kg C ha -1 yr -1 organic carbon in the tilled and no-till plots, respectively. Therefore it is feasible that application of certain fungicides to agricultural soil might lead to enhanced soil carbon sequestration and thus have additional positive effects on atmospheric CO 2 concentrations.
DES Design: Theoretical Advantages and Disadvantages of Stent Strut Materials, Design, Thickness, and Surface Characteristics

Endovascular stents have historically been manufactured using metals and metal composites. While metallic implants in nonvascular locations have been biologically well tolerated, endovascular implants have been plagued by neointimal proliferation resulting in recurrent stenosis. Using prior in vitro and in vivo outcomes, novel research projects are under way to improve vascular implants. This review summarizes prior investigations of metal stents, analyzes new biopolymeric systems, and examines emerging technologies and manufacturing processes for surface modifications as well as bioabsorbable stent materials. Limitations of these new materials and manufacturing processes will be discussed along with potential new biologic applications.
Seismic performance and retrofit of reinforced concrete bridge bents

The University of Nevada, Reno is currently developing a study on the seismic behavior of two-column bents with drop cap beams built prior to the 70's. Three 1/4 scale models were built with typical geometric and reinforcement properties and using the same construction details used at the time. One specimen was tested as built under the Sylmar record (Northridge 1994). The other two identical specimens were retrofitted, using carbon fibers wraps and longitudinal fibers on one bent, and an infill wall between the columns in the other. Both retrofitted specimens were tested under the same conditions as those of the as built. The fragile shear failure mode of the as built specimen was successfully modified with the retrofits, enhancing the performance and ductility. Overall performance and the effectiveness of the retrofit methods implemented used are discussed. The results indicate that the retrofits used are effective, however there are some concerns on the failure modes and excessive increase of strength.
Methodological Review: The Technology Acceptance Model: Its past and its future in health care

Increasing interest in end users' reactions to health information technology (IT) has elevated the importance of theories that predict and explain health IT acceptance and use. This paper reviews the application of one such theory, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), to health care. We reviewed 16 data sets analyzed in over 20 studies of clinicians using health IT for patient care. Studies differed greatly in samples and settings, health ITs studied, research models, relationships tested, and construct operationalization. Certain TAM relationships were consistently found to be significant, whereas others were inconsistent. Several key relationships were infrequently assessed. Findings show that TAM predicts a substantial portion of the use or acceptance of health IT, but that the theory may benefit from several additions and modifications. Aside from improved study quality, standardization, and theoretically motivated additions to the model, an important future direction for TAM is to adapt the model specifically to the health care context, using beliefs elicitation methods.
Sedation with midazolam for voiding cystourethrography in children: a randomised double-blind study

Sedation with midazolam facilitates the performance of diagnostic procedures in children, including voiding cystourethrography (VCUG). However, the influence of sedation on voiding and imaging results have not been adequately evaluated. Midazolam and placebo were compared to assess discomfort during VCUG and to evaluate if sedation influenced the outcome of the examination. The study was prospective, randomised and double-blind, and included 95 children, 48 in the midazolam group (median age 2.2 years) and 47 in the placebo group (median age 3.2 years). The evaluation included the child's/parent's experience of the VCUG, as well as the examination results. The children/parents in the midazolam group experienced the VCUG as less distressing compared to those in the placebo group (P<0.001). Forty-six of 48 children sedated with midazolam could void during the imaging procedure compared to 38 of 47 children given placebo (NS). There was no difference in frequency or grade of vesicoureteric reflux or bladder emptying between the groups. When sedation is required to perform VCUG in children, midazolam can be used without negative effect on the outcome of the examination.
The effect of videotape and written channels of communication on the science attitudes of preservice elementary teachers

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of two channels of communication on attitude change in preservice elementary teachers toward the teaching of science. A science attitude scale was administered as a pretest, posttest, and retention test to 66 preservice elementary school teachers. One analysis of variance for repeated measures was conducted. It was found that videotape and written channels of communication were equally effective in science attitude change.
In Vivo Force Measurements Reveal that GSK-3 Regulates Axonal Transport by Altering the Number of Active Motors

Neurons rely on microtubule motor proteins such as kinesin-1 and dynein to transport essential cargos along the axon. Defective transport is connected to neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3(GSK-3) has been proposed to be a central player in Alzheimer's. We show that GSK-3 is a required negative regulator of both kinesin-1-mediated and dynein-mediated transport of the Amyloid Precursor Protein, a key contributor to Alzheimer's pathology. By measuring the forces motors generate in vivo, we find that GSK-3 regulates transport by altering the activity of kinesin-1 motors but not their binding to the cargo leading us to propose that this regulation occurs via a mechanism of changing motor-microtubule interactions.
A three dimensional finite element dynamic response analysis of a vertebra with experimental verification.

Abstract A detailed three-dimensional finite element model of a vertebra was formulated for a more complete understanding of the mechanics of vertebral column support. It accounts for many anatomical details of the bone and minimizes geometric idealizations. Isoparametric hexahedral elements were used along with thin plate and thin shell elements. The intervertebral disc and articular facets were represented by boundary elements which could simulate axial, shear and torsional behavior. A technique was developed to generate a finite element mesh and a general finite element code was used to perform the analysis. To validate the model, controlled static and dynamic loading experiments were carried out on excised human vertebral segments. The applied loads approximated whole body loading conditions and strain was monitored at selected locations on the cortical bone surface.
Who leaves managed behavioral health care

The growth of managed care and the possibility of biased enrollment and dis-enrollment rates have raised concerns about cost shifting. This article analyzes the duration of continuous enrollment in a managed behavioral health organization among members with and without behavioral health care utilization and among members with different mental health conditions. Eleven large employers with more than 250,000 members who are enrolled in managed behavioral health plans are studied. Compared to managed care 10 years ago, the rate of dis-enrollment among patients with depression appears to have dropped. Moreover, there appear few differences in dis-enrollment among users and nonusers of behavioral health services, except for employees for whom coverage is linked to job performance. However, patients with substance abuse problems or severe types of disorders are significantly more likely to dis-enroll than patients with less severe problems.
The effect of cryoablation on the histologic interpretation of intraoperative biopsy of small clear cell renal carcinoma and renal oncocytoma.

Background and Purpose: We evaluated the effects of the first freeze–thaw cycle of cryoablation on Fuhrman grade, histology, and tumor architecture of small clear cell renal carcinomas and renal on...
Imitation of a passive avoidance response in the rat

Rats learned a candle-flame avoidance task following observation of a demonstrator rat (1) learning to avoid the flame, with flame contacts by the demonstrator visible to the observer (experimental group), (2) learning to avoid the flame, with flame contacts by the demonstrator concealed (nonvisual control group), or (3) unable to make contact with the flame (noncontact control group). Experimental observers learned faster than nonvisual and noncontact controls, and the control groups learned faster than the two avoidance-trained demonstrator groups. The results suggest that facilitated learning by the experimental group was due to true imitation, and not to an increase in fear or general arousal produced by nonspecific demonstrator-provided auditory, olfactory, or visual “alarm signals.”
The localization length of randomly scattered water waves

A theory for the reflection-transmission problem of linear water waves in shallow channels with large-amplitude, rapidly varying topographies is given in Nachbin & Papanicolaou (1992b). However, it is very difficult to extract quantitative information from the theory in the large-amplitude regime. In this work, theoretical parameters are evaluated numerically, through the use of a numerical Schwarz–Christoffel transformation and of a Monte Carlo simulation. This enables the theory to be applied to its full extent. As a result we calculate the localization length for any given type of random bottom topography. Additionally, the numerical conformal mapping provides further insight into depth effects arising from potential theory. Statistical results, for numerically generated reflected waves, are in very good agreement with the theory for both piecewise-linear and piecewise-constant topographies of large amplitude.
Histological investigations of the mechanism of sterility induced by deuterium oxide in mice.

DURING investigations in which normal females were mated to male mice treated with deuterium oxide, it has been shown that D2O produces sterility in the males1,2; however, the site of the damage has not been demonstrated. Since embryonic death after implantation did not increase in such females, cleavage stage embryos were examined 18–72 h after mating3. Most of the embryos present in the oviducts were either one-celled or, though ‘multicellular’, were abnormal and degenerating; few normal embryos were found. These results did not indicate whether developmental failure was due to failure of the sperm to fertilize the egg or to a failure of the fertilized egg to develop. The experiment reported here utilized standard histological techniques to demonstrate clearly that the previously observed pre-implantation death is due to the failure of the sperm to fertilize the egg, not to subsequent abnormal cleavage of the fertilized egg.
The Dixiecrat Revolt and the End of the Solid South, 1932-1968

The movement that forged the way for the rise of the Republican Party in the South In 1948, a group of conservative white southerners formed the States' Rights Democratic Party, soon nicknamed the "Dixiecrats," and chose Strom Thurmond as their presidential candidate. Thrown on the defensive by federal civil rights initiatives and unprecedented grassroots political activity by African Americans, the Dixiecrats aimed to reclaim conservatives' former preeminent position within the national Democratic Party and upset President Harry Truman's bid for reelection. The Dixiecrats lost the battle in 1948, but, as Kari Frederickson shows, the political repercussions of their revolt were significant. Frederickson situates the Dixiecrat movement within the tumultuous social and economic milieu of the 1930s and 1940s South, tracing the struggles between conservative and liberal Democrats over the future direction of the region. Enriching her sweeping political narrative with detailed coverage of local activity in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina - the flashpoints of the Dixiecrat campaign - she shows that, even without upsetting Truman in 1948, the Dixiecrats forever altered politics in the South. By severing the traditional southern allegiance to the national Democratic Party in presidential elections, the Dixiecrats helped forge the way for the rise of the Republican Party in the region.
Incontinence due to an infrasphincteric ectopic ureter: why the delay in diagnosis and what the radiologist can do about it.

Purpose. To determine (1) the reasons for the frequently long delay in the diagnosis of an infrasphincteric ectopic ureter in girls, and (2) what role the radiologist can play in decreasing the delay. Materials and methods. Twelve girls were referred to our hospital from June 1994 until April 1997 for evaluation of constant urinary dribbling and/or vaginal discharge. Available imaging studies, radiology reports, and clinic notes were reviewed. Results. Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 6 years 7 months (range 2 years 10 months to 11 years 11 months). Mean delay until diagnosis after presentation was 2 years 5 months. Excluding the one girl whose ectopic ureter was diagnosed while she was still in diapers, mean age at the time of the first parental “complaint” was 4 years 9 months. The significance of the classic history of constant urinary dribbling was not recognized by physicians in 7 girls for 4 months to 7 years 10 months after presentation. Physical exam was not meticulously performed, as the ectopic orifice was visible in 8 of 12 girls. Imaging studies were ineffectively utilized: no imaging was done (for 2 years in 2 girls), inappropriate studies were done (ultrasound and voiding cystourethrography) and were misleading, studies were called normal when they were not (ultrasound and excretory urography), or perinatal imaging led to the incorrect assumption of a congenitally absent kidney in one girl and a multicystic dysplastic kidney in another. Excretory urography (EU) was diagnostic in all 10 girls with a duplex kidney, and computed tomography (CT) was supportive in 2 with a dysplastic kidney. CT was an adjunct in 3 girls; a Tc-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan was needed in 2. Conclusion. The classic history of constant urinary dribbling in a successfully toilet-trained girl should immediately lead to an imaging search for the portion of kidney (or entire kidney) drained by an infrasphincteric ectopic ureter. EU should usually be the first imaging performed and is often the only imaging study needed.
The Diversification of the Federal Bench: Policy and Process Ramifications

Considerable debate has been generated regarding the impact of President Carter's appointment of record numbers of female and minority judges to the lower federal courts. Using a "matched pair" research strategy, this study empirically examines the policy and process consequences of adding large numbers of nontraditional judges to the U.S. District Court bench. Few differences were discovered between black and white judges. However, female judges tended to be less supportive of personal rights claims and minority policy positions and more sympathetic to economic regulation than were their male counterparts. Female judges displayed a distinct pattern of deferring to positions taken by the government. No substantial male/female or white/black differences emerged on three measures of decision-making quality.