cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of colonization with group B streptococci on the latency phase of patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes

Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether colonization of pregnant women with group B streptococci shortens the latency time from rupture of membranes to delivery in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes. Study Design: All patients transferred to Long Beach Memorial Women's Hospital with the diagnosis of preterm premature rupture of the membranes were prospectively recorded. The patients included in the study were transferred between Jan. 1, 1986, and June 30, 1991. Data were collected in regard to various obstetric characteristics, the presence or absence of a digital vaginal examination, tocolytic usage, antibiotic usage, and results of the culture for group B streptococci. The latency period was defined as days from membrane rupture to delivery. Patients with multiple gestations, cerclage in place, advanced labor on admission, or an indicated delivery on admission were excluded from data analysis. Patients with a positive culture for group B streptococci were then compared with those having a negative culture in regard to latency time after membrane rupture. Results: The study population was made up of 332 patients. Forty-three (13%) were positive for group B streptococci; they were compared with 289 that were culture negative. There was no difference in the latency period from membrane rupture to delivery when we controlled for digital vaginal examinations and antibiotic usage. In addition, all other comparisons between the two groups were not significant. Conclusion: When the presence of a digital vaginal examination, antibiotic usage, and tocolytic usage are controlled for, colonization with group B streptococci by itself does not appear to affect the latency time from premature rupture of membranes to delivery.
Values, expectations from the marketing system and product expectations

This paper suggests a theoretic basis for relating personal values, consumer expectations from the marketing system, and product expectations. More specifically, it suggests that personal values influence the consumer's normative standards regarding the marketing system, and that values and marketing system expectations together determine the consumer's expectations regarding product attributes. These relationships are empirically tested across three product classes and two ethnic groups—Blacks and Whites. Results indicate that among each ethnic group values are significantly related to marketing system expectations, which in turn are significantly related to product expectations. Additionally, the importance and function of specific value dimensions vary by ethnicity, and implications for research in the areas of personal values, satisfaction, and marketing strategy are discussed.
Some effects of position on the roentgenographic diagnosis of dislocation at the infant hip.

X-ray findings in the examination of the hips in infants depend upon the position of the infant during the examination. Each of three variables of position, (1) pelvic tilt, (2) abduction of the femurs, and (3) external rotation of the femurs, affects the apparent relation but not the real relation between the acetabulum and the femur.
Chirality Effects on Axial Thermomechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotubes

The nearly one dimensional carbon nanotubes with their novel physical and mechanical properties have received ever increasing attention in recent years for the use in a wide range of applications in which semiconductor nano-structures, nano-devices/sensors, and nano-electro-mechanical systems are to be integrated. However, carbon nanotubes exist in various chirality configurations each of which may perform differently when they are subjected to external mechanical and thermal loads, temperatures changes, and magnetic fields. Therefore, a detailed and fundamental investigation of the effects of chirality angles on thermomechanical performance of carbon nanotubes is needed to explain the behavior of such structures. Here in this work, finite element method (FEM) is employed to numerically investigate the responses of carbon nanotubes to external mechanical loads and temperatures changes. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with different chirality configurations, i.e., zigzag, armchair, and chiral are modeled and their effective thermomechanical properties are investigated. Finally, results are discussed and compared with the existing results from literature.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
A high pressure differential thermal analysis apparatus

Abstract A high pressure differential thermal analysis apparatus is described which is capable of operation in the pressure range from 1-600 atm of nitrogen gas and at temperatures from 25 to 500°C. Use of the apparatus is illustrated by the deaquation reactions of CuCl 2 ·2H 2 0 and CoSO 4 ·7H 2 O at pressures from 1 to 69 atm.
Revising a priority list based on cost-effectiveness: the role of the prominence effect and distorted utility judgments.

Background. People sometimes object to the results of cost-effectiveness analysis when the analysis produces a ranking of options based on both cost and benefit. We suggest 2 new reasons for these objections: the prominence effect, in which people attend mostly to a more prominent attribute (benefit as opposed to cost), and distortion of utility judgments. Method. We simulated the production of a cost-effectiveness ranking list in 3 experiments using questionnaires on the World Wide Web. Subjects rated the utility of 16 health benefits using either rating scale or person trade-off elicitation methods. In some experiments, subjects were asked to rate the utility of the health benefits with attention also to the cost of achieving the benefits. In all experiments, at the end, subjects were shown a priority list based on their own utility judgments and were asked whether they wanted to move any of the health benefits up or down the list. Results. In all experiments, subjects wanted to give higher priority to ...
Mandated coverage of preventive care and reduction in disparities: Evidence from colorectal cancer screening

Objectives. We identified correlates of racial/ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer screening and changes in disparities under state-mandated insurance coverage.Methods. Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, we estimated a Fairlie decomposition in the insured population aged 50 to 64 years and a regression-adjusted difference-in-difference-in-difference model of changes in screening attributable to mandates.Results. Under mandated coverage, blood stool test (BST) rates increased among Black, Asian, and Native American men, but rates among Whites also increased, so disparities did not change. Endoscopic screening rates increased by 10 percentage points for Hispanic men and 3 percentage points for non-Hispanic men. BST rates fell among Hispanic relative to non-Hispanic men. We found no changes for women. However, endoscopic screening rates improved among lower income individuals across all races and ethnicities.Conclusions. Mandates were associated with a reduction in endoscopic screenin...
The Mobilization of Support for Computerization: The Role of Computerization Movements

This paper describes how computerization is the byproduct of loosely organized movements rather than simply an industry selling products to an eager market. We briefly examine five “computerization movements”: urban information systems, artificial intelligence, office automation, instructional computing, and personal computing. These computerization movements share key ideological beliefs, which we also characterize. The main alternative normative analyses of appropriate computerization come from counter movements whose interests intersect with some special form of computerization: in workplaces, around intrusions on personal privacy, and on consumer rights. These counter movements articulate how computing should be balanced with competing values such as good jobs, fair information practices, and consumer control. We argue that these counter movement views do not add up to a coherent alternative humanistic vision for appropriate computerization.
Raman scattering from colliding molecules and Van der Waals dimers in gaseous methane

Raman spectra of low-pressure methane gas both at room temperature and near condensation have been studied in the frequency range from 0 to 50 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The spectra include two contributions: One is due to collision-induced scattering (CIS) and the other to an unresolved dimer rotational band. The latter component is most prominent at low temperatures. Both the dimer band and CIS spectrum have been computed for a Lennard-Jones interaction and point-dipole polarizability. At large frequency shifts (g 20 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) it is sufficient to use classical collision dynamics to compute the CIS spectrum, but at lower shifts it is necessary to use quantum theory and add the dimer contribution to obtain good agreement with the experimental spectrum. From analysis of the spectra we determine that the fractional depolarized scattering from dimers is 10% at 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 43% at 115\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The shape of the far wing (20-50 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) provides a sensitive means of testing the form of the induced polarizability anisotropy. For methane, excellent agreement with experiment is obtained for the point-dipole model.
THE EARLIEST SIRENIAN (MAMMALIA: DUGONGIDAE) FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN

The partial skull and mandible of an unidentified halitheriine dugongid, collected from the Early Miocene Nye Mudstone in Lincoln County, Oregon, USA, is the earliest record of the Sirenia in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is probably earlier than Early or Middle Miocene sirenians recently found in Peru, and is definitely earlier than any known from California or Baja California. However, it appears to be slightly younger than fossil sirenian remains recently reported from Late Oligocene rocks in Japan. The Oregon specimen is also the most northern record of the Sirenia on the west coast of North America prior to the Pleistocene although other sirenians did evidently reach and surpass such latitudes by the Late Miocene when a dispersal took place from America to the North Pacific coasts of the Old World. The Oregon specimen probably represents sirenians that spread to the North Pacific from the Caribbean, quite possibly prior to the Miocene. The Nye Mudstone was deposited during the warmest period of the Neogene on the coast of Oregon, and it does not seem necessary to postulate a greater degree of cold-tolerance for the Oregon sirenian than is exhibited by living sea cows.
Central sources of visual masking: indexing structures supporting seeing at a single, brief glance.

When two briefly exposed, spatially overlapping visual fields are presented dichoptically, the identifiability of the first field is a J-shaped function of the interval separating their onsets. Three distinct sources of central masking are inferred from the selective influence of variables at different onset asynchronies. In integration through common synthesis, two fields presented at or near simultaneous onset yield one iconic representation. The distinctiveness of this source is inferred from the selective influence of eye dominance at and near simultaneous onset. At longer onset asynchronies, the selective influence of variables such as mask contrast and degree of contour overlap imply a second source of masking. This source was identified with the inhibition of sustained channels by transient channels reported elsewhere. Interchannel inhibition is proposed to affect the fidelity of the iconic representation, but here the imprecision is due to loss of form-relevant information on the first field. At yet longer onset asynchronies, where the fields are phenomenally separate, a third set of variables (e.g., words vs. nonwords and left vs. right visual fields) show their influence. These effects are taken as evidence of a replacement principle: the iconic representation of the second field directs attention from that of the first field. Here, first-field identifiability is constrained by time rather than by impoverished data.
The blasón of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Politics and Petrarchism in Colonial Mexico

The frontispiece of the Fama y obras posthumas (1700), one of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz's first published collections of verse, proclaims her Petrarchan poetry as the vehicle of eloquence in a foreign land. The official pillars of empire, the plus ultra of Castile and Aragon, have been converted into a knight of ‘Europa’ and an Indian of ‘America’ to embrace the primitive regions of Mexico. And written on the cornices of the plus ultra is a revealing invitation to Sor Juana's readers: Mulierem forte(m) q(u)is inveniet / Procul et de ultimis finib(us)? Or, Who will discover a courageous woman / at the farthest extremes of the earth?’1 According to her Spanish editors, Sor Juana is heroic to be writing poetry (and promoting civilization) in the far-flung reaches of the Empire.
Stereochemistry in the Coordination Chemistry of Metal Surfaces

The stereochemistry of metal surface coordination chemistry is discussed with respect to the chemisorption states of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, nitriles, isocyanides, pyridine, benzene, acetylenes and olefins. A stereochemical comparison is made of the binding of such species on metal surfaces with the binding in discrete molecular clusters.
Sooting structure of methane counterflow diffusion flames with preheated reactants and dilution by products of combustion

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the sooting structure of methane counterflow diffusion flames where the fuel and the oxidizer streams were preheated and/or diluted by products of combustion such as CO2 and H2O. Low strain rates were employed to spatially resolve the inner structure of these flames and detailed measurements of temperature, species, PAH, soot particle number density and volume fraction were made. Strain rate, methane concentration and fuel flow rate were held constant throughout this work. In these fuel-rich flames a three-color (blue-yellow-orange) structure was observed. Primary combustion reactions were found to occur in the blue zone and measurable size soot particles (>5 nm) were observed only in the orange zone. In the yellow zone, which lies between the blue and the orange zones, blue-green fluorescence was measured but soot particle scattering was found to be negligible. Thus, it seems that large PAHs responsible for fluorescence may also be responsible for yellow emission. Soot inception occurs at the diffuse interface between the yellow and the orange zones whose location depends on the local thermochemical conditions. It was found that an increase in the reactants preheating temperature (while simultaneously reducing the O2 concentration to hold the temperature throughout the reaction zone at or below the original flame temperature) led to an early inception and increased soot volume fraction. However, addition of CO2 and H2O (while holding all other conditions constant) resulted in delayed soot nucleation and a significant reduction in the soot volume fraction. These two observations are consistently explained by the mechanism of OH interference with soot inception. An increase in the CO2 and/or H2O concentrations (brought about either by an increase in the O2 concentration or by direct addition) result in an increase in the OH concentration. This reduces the PAH and C2H2 concentrations and delays soot inception. Thus, thermochemical conditions that favor soot inception substantially increase the ultimate soot loading because they control the residence time available for surface growth.
Validity and Reliability of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ)

There is limited published validity and reliability evidence to support using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Two studies were conducted to evaluate validity and reliability evidence for the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. In Study 1: 69 adults completed the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (three months apart; n = 54), International Physical Activity Questionnaire, fitness and anthropometric measures. All participants wore a pedometer and 53 participants wore an accelerometer for seven days at baseline. In Study 2, 16 adults completed the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire 10 days apart. Global Physical Activity Questionnaire moderate and vigorous minutes were correlated with the accelerometer moderate (r = 0.28) and vigorous (r = 0.48) physical activity. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and International Physical Activity Questionnaire were related for sedentary behaviors (r = 0.51), moderate-to-vigorous (r = 0.48) and vigorous (r = 0.63) PA. Global Physical Activ...
Translating the Emperor's Words: Volume II of Haile Sellassie's 'My Life and Ethiopia's Progress'

The second volume of Haile Sellassie's autobiography had scarcely been out a few months when it fell into oblivion with the emperor's deposition in September 1974. For Ethiopia Haile Sellassie's removal was a defining event, and the accompanying tattoo sought to characterize the emperor's reign, indeed all prior history, as a failure. As Haile Sellassie became an unperson in the Ethiopia of the 1970s and 1980s, his policies remained unstudied as the background to the unfolding political events. There was much that confused me: it was obvious that life had been more satisfactory in Ethiopia during his regime than later, and that educated Ethiopians during the last fifteen years of the emperor's reign had talked optimistically about the future, a quality lost in the mayhem of the period from 1974 to 1978. As Mengistu Haile Mariam lurched from crisis to crisis without solving the country's many problems, I concluded that thoughtful people would want to know why and how Haile Sellassie had been able to keep the country relatively peaceful, while providing a statesmanlike leadership that had been creative and reassuring. This certainty led me to undertake a biography of the emperor.
Authentic Assessment in Physical Education: Prevalence of Use and Perceived Impact on Students' Self-Concept, Motivation, and Skill Achievement

The dual purposes of this study are to (a) describe and analyze the extent and type of authentic assessment use in public school physical education, and (b) investigate physical education teachers' perceptions about the impact of authentic assessment on students' self-concept, motivation, and skill achievement. Public school physical education teachers (N = 210) completed the Mintah Physical Education Authentic Assessment Inventory. Authentic assessment was found to be used extensively in public school physical education. Teacher observation, self-observation, checklists, peer observation, and event task were the most commonly used forms of authentic assessment; portfolio and essay were the least commonly used techniques. Public school physical education teachers in this study perceived that authentic assessment use enhanced positively the self-concept, motivation, and skill achievement of their students. In this study, male and female physical education teachers from 3 grade levels did not differ on the ...
Higher-order effects in hopping-type transport of small polarons

Abstract The theory of small-polaron hopping has traditionally been formulated in terms of a perturbation development in powers of the intersite electron-transfer parameter, J, of tight-binding theory. The present paper is devoted to a study of higher-order corrections to the dominant (J2-proportional) term in this series (said term constituting the standard expression for the elementary inter-site hopping rate). Explicit calculations of the next higher-order (J2-proportional) contributions yield novel estimates for the (two) expansion parameters of the theory. The first characterizes the transition to an alternate description of hopping as a process of adiabatic sub-barrier tunneling. The other, which is required in the case of weak vibrational dispersion, is ∝ J 2 ω b 2 h 2 [where ωo is a “bandwidth” parameter, describing the frequency spread of the characteristic vibrational-dispersion curve, ω(q)]. The physical significance of the results is discussed in terms of a quantal occurrence-probability approach recently developed by one of the present authors, and extended in a paper companion to the present one.
From artisan to architect: the specialist and systems of provision of diabetes care in 2001.

ABSTRACT Objective To discuss the future role of the diabetes specialist and the endocrinologist in the care of patients with diabetes. Methods We reviewed the literature on health care systems, integrated approaches to provision of health care, health care in the primary-care setting for patients with chronic illness, and population-based health care for patients with diabetes. Results Specialists who care for patients with diabetes will assume a more significant role as caretakers of teams of health care professionals who are responsible for the primary care of patients with diabetes. The integration of specialist care at the primary-care level may lead to improved outcomes at the primary-care level, increased access to specialty care, and decreased costs for the health care system. Alternative systems, such as regulatory barriers to specialist care, are less likely to accomplish these outcomes. Conclusion In the near future, specialists will be expected to care for those who provide primary care for patients with diabetes. Endocrinologists and endocrinology training programs should recognize this emerging role and prepare for it. (Endocr Pract. 2001;7:287-292)
Patterns of technical error among surgical malpractice claims: an analysis of strategies to prevent injury to surgical patients.

Objective: To identify the most prevalent patterns of technical errors in surgery, and evaluate commonly recommended interventions in light of these patterns. Summary Background Data: The majority of surgical adverse events involve technical errors, but little is known about the nature and causes of these events. We examined characteristics of technical errors and common contributing factors among closed surgical malpractice claims. Methods: Surgeon reviewers analyzed 444 randomly sampled surgical malpractice claims from four liability insurers. Among 258 claims in which injuries due to error were detected, 52% (n 133) involved technical errors. These technical errors were further analyzed with a structured review instrument designed by qualitative content analysis. Results: Forty-nine percent of the technical errors caused permanent disability; an additional 16% resulted in death. Two-thirds (65%) of the technical errors were linked to manual error, 9% to errors in judgment, and 26% to both manual and judgment error. A minority of technical errors involved advanced procedures requiring special training (“index operations”; 16%), surgeons inexperienced with the task (14%), or poorly supervised residents (9%). The majority involved experienced surgeons (73%), and occurred in routine, rather than index, operations (84%). Patient-related complexities— including emergencies, difficult or unexpected anatomy, and previous surgery— contributed to 61% of technical errors, and technology or systems failures contributed to 21%. Conclusions: Most technical errors occur in routine operations with experienced surgeons, under conditions of increased patient complexity or systems failure. Commonly recommended interventions, including restricting high-complexity operations to experienced surgeons, additional training for inexperienced surgeons, and stricter supervision of trainees, are likely to address only a minority of technical errors. Surgical safety research should instead focus on improving decision-making and performance in routine operations for complex patients and circumstances. (Ann Surg 2007;246: 705–711)
Muscular fatigue and endurance during intermittent static efforts: effects of contraction level, duty cycle, and cycle time.

Objective: To determine the effects of intermittent task parameters on muscle fatigue and endurance time during static shoulder abductions, with a long-term goal of establishing relationships between intermittent task parameters and short-term performance. Background: Effects of intermittent work on endurance and fatigue development have been reported, and certain combinations of contraction levels and duty cycles have been proposed as design guidelines. These findings, however, were not derived from systematic manipulations of the task parameters. Method: Prolonged (1-hr maximum) intermittent shoulder abductions were performed at different combinations of contraction level (12% or 28% of muscle strength), duty cycle (.25 or .75), and cycle time (34 or 166 s). Fatigue was measured based on reductions in muscle strength and indirectly by changes in ratings of discomfort, electro-myographic (EMG) amplitude, and EMG spectral distribution. Results: Contraction level and duty cycle significantly affected endur...
Estradiol-17β as an antioxidant: Some distinct features when compared with common fat-soluble antioxidants

Estrogens are potent antioxidants both in vitro and in vivo. In this study the antioxidant affect of estradiol-17β (estradiol) was compared with those of fat-soluble antioxidants (α-tocopherol and β-carotene) in terms of both fatty acid (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and diene conjugation) and cholesterol oxidation (oxysterols). The addition of α-tocopherol (54 μmol/L) inhibited low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation by 92.6% and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) oxidation by 76.5%. In similar experiments, estradiol (54 μmol/L) inhibited LDL oxidation by 77.5% but inhibited HDL oxidation by only 55.4%. Beta-carotene had no antioxidant effect. Lag times (diene conjugation method) for α-tocopherol and β-carotene increased by 175% and 125%, respectively. Estradiol markedly reduced the maximum formation of diene conjugates as compared with results with α-tocopherol and β-carotene, and it exhibited a linear curve (no change in lag time). In terms of cholesterol oxidation, estradiol was far more effective than α-tocopherol or β-carotene in inhibiting oxysterol formation (μg/ml plasma) (control = 24.56 ± 2.31, β-carotene = 20.59 ± 3.32, α-tocopherol = 20.19 ± 1.58, estradiol = 14.38 ± 0.70). This study shows that estradiol is as effective an antioxidant as α-tocopherol in terms of fatty acid peroxidation but is far more effective than α-tocopherol in terms of cholesterol peroxidation.
Obesity-induced hypertension : New concepts from the emerging biology of obesity

offsity is associated with an increased risk of hypertension. In the past 5 years there have been dramatic advances into the genetic and neurobiological mechanisms of obesity with the discovery of leptin and novel neuropeptide pathways regulating appetite and metabolism. In this brief review, we argue that these mounting advances into the neurobiology of obesity have and will continue to provide new insights into the regulation of arterial pressure in obesity. We focus our comments on the sympathetic, vascular, and renal mechanisms of leptin and melanocortin receptor agonists and on the regulation of arterial pressure in rodent models of genetic obesity. We suggest 3 concepts. First, the effect of obesity on blood pressure may depend critically on the genetic-neurobiological mechanisms underlying the obesity. Second, obesity is not consistently associated with increased blood pressure, at least in rodent models. Third, the blood pressure response to obesity may be critically influenced by modifying alleles in the genetic background.
A simple method of identifying peroxidase isoenzymes from crude pea seed extracts

Abstract Using analytical thin-layer isoelectric focusing (IEF) on polyacrylamide gel (PAG), high resolution of peroxidase isoenzymes was obtained from crude extracts of pea seeds. All of the 18 detected isoenzymes appeared consistently in the three cultivars of pea seeds tested. The pIs ranged from 3·5 to 9·1. Two visualization methods, using o-dianisidine: H2O2 or 3-amino-9-ethyl carbazole: H2O2 as substrates were sensitive and specific. Analytical IEF on PAG proved to be a simple and rapid method of detecting multiple forms of pea isoenzymes, and may be applicable to other plant systems.
Deep Mantle Convection Plumes and Plate Motions

Evidence shows that volcanic island chains and aseismic ridges are formed by plate motion over fixed-mantle "hot-spots" (Iceland, Hawaii, Galapagos, etc.) and new arguments link these hot-spots with the driving mechanism of continental drift. It is assumed that the hot-spots are surface expressions of deep mantle plumes roughly 150 km in diameter, rising 2 m/year, and extending to the lowest part of the mantle. The rising material spreads out in the asthenosphere, producing stresses on the plate bottoms. Order-of-magnitude estimates show these stresses are sufficiently large to influence plate motion significantly. the total upward flow in the plumes is estimated at 500 cu km/year, which would require the entire mantle to overturn once each 2 billion years.
Deriving the optimal scale for relating topographic attributes and cover crop plant biomass

Abstract The use of cover crops generates a number of agro-ecological benefits for sustainable row-crop agriculture. However, their performance across agricultural fields is often highly spatially variable and there is insufficient information on factors affecting this variability and on tools to manage it. Topography is one of the main factors affecting spatial patterns of plant growth in the American Midwest. Digital elevation models are readily available for deriving topographic attributes; also sensor digital data can be used to indirectly assess cover crop biomass. However, processing procedures for identifying the proper scale of topographic and biomass representations are not well defined. The objectives of this study are to examine how relationships between cover crop biomass, assessed using the normalized difference vegetation index ( NDVI ), and topography depend on the neighborhood size used for deriving topographic attributes and creating NDVI maps; and identify the optimal neighborhood size for correlation and regression analyses. Slope, relative elevation and the potential solar radiation index were the variables that contributed the most to explaining variability in NDVI for raw data. However, other topographic attributes became significant predictors of NDVI at larger neighborhood sizes. We demonstrated that neighborhood size greatly affects some topographic attributes, i.e. curvature, flow accumulation, flow length and the wetness index; and changing the neighborhood size in both topography and NDVI considerably changes the strength of the prediction performance in multiple regression models. We studied six neighborhood sizes from 1 to 40 m and the original raw data. On average, across all studied fields the best performance of multiple regression, as determined by the adjusted- R 2 , was obtained at neighborhood sizes 20 and 40 m. Parameters of semivariogram models for terrain slope, such as the spatial autocorrelation range and the nugget/sill ratio, were found to be good indicators of prediction performance and optimum neighborhood size for filtering the raw data. The results demonstrate that topographic effects on growth and biomass production of cover crops are most pronounced at certain spatial scales, and topographic model predictions will be most accurate when used at the optimal scales.
The importance of particle size distribution on the plasma spraying of TiC

Abstract The particle size distribution of the spray material is recognized as an important parameter in plasma spraying, although it is still a subject of controversy. However, it stands to reason that all the particles impinging on the substrate must be in a molten state. Overheating of small particles leads to vaporization and loss in efficiency. Inadequately heated coarse particles result also in reduced efficiency and in poor quality coatings. Titanium carbide is a material of considerable interest, mostly in the hard surfacing industry and for high thermal flux protection. For TiC coatings prepared by plasma spraying, attempts have been made to produce dense coatings. Previous studies on gaseous environments and spraying parameters always resulted in porous deposits. This study assesses the influence of the particle size distribution on deposition efficiency and coating density. Commercial TiC powders were classified in different fractions and sprayed under selected spraying conditions. The results indicate that both the size and particle size distribution of powders play a decisive role with respect to deposition efficiency and coating density.
The relationship between perceived length and egocentric location in Müller-Lyer figures with one versus two chevrons.

We examined the apparent dissociation of perceived length and perceived position with respect to the Muller-Lyer (M-L) illusion. With the traditional (two-chevron) figure, participants made accurate open-loop pointing responses at the endpoints of the shaft, despite the presence of a strong length illusion. This apparently non-Euclidean outcome replicated that of Mack, Heuer, Villardi, and Chambers (1985) and Gillam and Chambers (1985) and contradicts any theory of the M-L illusion in which mislocalization of shaft endpoints plays a role. However, when one of the chevrons was removed, a constant pointing error occurred in the predicted direction, as well as a strong length illusion. Thus, with one-chevron stimuli, perceived length and location were no longer completely dissociated. We speculated that the presence of two opposing chevrons suppresses the mislocalizing effects of a single chevron, especially for figures with relatively short shafts.
A study of the noise characteristics of a Voigt-effect coherent forward scattering spectrometer

Abstract Coherent forward scattering atomic spectrometry (CFS) consists of the rotation of linearly polarized light as it passes through an atomic vapor located within a transverse or a longitudinal magnetic field, the Voigt effect or the Faraday effect, respectively. A fuel-rich air acetylene flame was used as the atom reservoir in this study. A Glan-Foucault calcite prism polarizer, placed prior to the flame, was oriented at a 45° angle to the magnetic field. A second polarizer, the analyzer, is placed after the flame to detect the amount of light which is rotated. When the analyzer is oriented orthogonally to the first polarizer, the signal produced is proportional to the square of the concentration of the analyte. The CFS signal can be linearized with respect to concentration by offsetting the analyzer by a small offset angle. A comparison of the noise characteristics for the squared and the linear systems was made in this study. The results of the study provide valuable information in the design, evaluation and optimization of a CFS spectrometer.
Conditions for lossless join

There is a well-known algorithm for determining when a decomposition of a database relation scheme has a lossless join with respect to a set of functional dependencies. We first present a reformulation of this algorithm in terms of set closures. For the special case of m=2, there is a well-known explicit condition for losslessness. Our formulation extends this result for general m. Also, our formulation leads to a strong necessary condition for ρ to be lossless. Separately, we prove a sufficient condition for ρ to be lossless. Finally, we present a sufficient condition, and a necessary condition for ρ to be lossless with respect to a set of functional and multivalued dependencies.
Artificial receptors: molecular imprints discern closely related toxins

Abstract We describe silane molecular imprints which can discriminate closely related toxins, supporting the potential usefulness of molecular imprints as artificial receptors, i.e., sensing elements, for detection of biological toxins. Molecular imprints to N -acetylated μ-Conotoxin GIIIB (NacGIIIB) were prepared and binding assays carried out using [ 14 C ]-NacGIIIB. In accordance with a Type I Langmuir adsorption isotherm, saturation of NacGIIIB imprint binding sites occurred at approximately 6.25 μM and Scatchard analysis revealed a relatively high binding affinity ( K d =0.37 nM). Binding assays carried out in the presence of a 10-fold molar excess of unlabeled ligand (NacGIIIB) indicated a significant decrease in bound [ 14 C ]-NacGIIIB, i.e., >90%. In contrast, incubation of [ 14 C ]-NacGIIIB with GIIIA or GIIIB as well as a variety of other Conotoxins demonstrated no significant competition. However, NacGIIIB's closest congener, i.e., NacGIIIA, competed, but required a higher concentration ( K 0.5 ≅12.5 μM) to achieve 50% reduction in binding of [ 14 C ]-NacGIIIB than that observed for NacGIIIB ( K 0.5 ≅6.25 μM). These results suggest that simple silane imprints can discern subtle differences in tertiary structure of closely related small proteins.
Perextraction, a procedure to extract C21 steroids from tissues and blood.

Abstract A procedure is described by which C21 steroids of varying polarities were extracted through a dialysis membrane in a continuous process (“perextraction”). Steroids labeled with C14 were used for convenient quantification. Recovery with chloroform as solvent was rapid and essentially complete with cortisol and declined with decreasing polarity of the steroid (corticosterone, deoxycorticosterone, progesterone), i.e., with increasing interaction with protein. Use of formamide as the homogenizing medium enhanced the recovery of corticosterone with chloroform from 39 to 100 % and improved that of deoxycorticosterone and progesterone. Complete recovery of deoxycorticosterone was obtained by ethanol perextraction of a formamide homogenate; ethyl alcohol also proved optimal for progesterone. The dry weights of the extract residues were considerably smaller than those obtained in the dialysis-agitation procedure of Zaffaroni and Axelrod. A simple cooling device for the Waring blendor is described which prevents heating during homogenization.
Caval division technique for sinus venosus atrial septal defect with partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection.

Background Repair of sinus venosus atrial septal defect (ASD) with high partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) using an internal patch may be complicated by obstruction of the superior vena cava (SVC) or pulmonary veins, or both, and sinus node dysfunction. In cases in which the anomalous veins insert more than 2 cm above the cavoatrial junction, we have adopted the technique of caval division in which the SVC is divided and the proximal end is anastomosed to the right atrial appendage, and the distal SVC serves as a conduit for pulmonary venous drainage to the left atrium through the ASD. We retrospectively compare the results of the internal patch repair versus the Warden technique. Methods Between 1991 and 2004, 54 patients diagnosed with sinus venosus ASD and PAPVC have undergone repair at our institution. Mean age was 13.4 years (range, 1.5 to 58). Thirteen patients (24%) had high insertion of anomalous veins and underwent the Warden technique. Follow-up averages 4.3 years (range, 1 to 13). Results There were no early or late deaths. All patients remain in normal sinus rhythm. Twelve of the 13 patients with Warden procedure have had postoperative echocardiograms, and 11 of these patients showed no evidence of SVC or pulmonary venous obstruction. In 1 patient, symptomatic pulmonary venous obstruction developed and required revision of a contracted intra-atrial pericardial baffle. Conclusions Caval division for treatment of high PAPVC appears to be safe and is associated with low morbidity and mortality. The Warden procedure is an effective surgical option for patients undergoing correction of high PAPVC.
Harmonic Embeddings for Linear Shape Analysis

We present a novel representation of shape for closed contours in ?2 or for compact surfaces in ?3 explicitly designed to possess a linear structure. This greatly simplifies linear operations such as averaging, principal component analysis or differentiation in the space of shapes when compared to more common embedding choices such as the signed distance representation linked to the nonlinear Eikonal equation. The specific choice of implicit linear representation explored in this article is the class of harmonic functions over an annulus containing the contour. The idea is to represent the contour as closely as possible by the zero level set of a harmonic function, thereby linking our representation to the linear Laplace equation. We note that this is a local represenation within the space of closed curves as such harmonic functions can generally be defined only over a neighborhood of the embedded curve. We also make no claim that this is the only choice or even the optimal choice within the class of possible linear implicit representations. Instead, our intent is to show how linear analysis of shape is greatly simplified (and sensible) when such a linear representation is employed in hopes to inspire new ideas and additional research into this type of linear implicit representations for curves. We conclude by showing an application for which our particular choice of harmonic representation is ideally suited.
Pacific Islanders’ Perceived Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes:

Purpose: To explore literature on Pacific Islanders’ perceived risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Method: A search of literature databases for English-language perceived risk resear...
An exploratory analysis of fear of recurrence among African-American breast cancer survivors.

Background Fear of recurrence (FOR) is a psychological concern that has been studied extensively in cancer survivors but has not been adequately examined in African-American breast cancer survivors.
The Cysteine-Rich Regions of the Regulatory Domains of Raf and Protein Kinase C as Retinoid Receptors

Vitamin A and its biologically active derivatives, the retinoids, are recognized as key regulators of vertebrate development, cell growth, and differentiation. Although nuclear receptors have held the attention since their discovery a decade ago, we report here on serine/threonine kinases as a new class of retinoid receptors. The conserved cysteine-rich domain of the NH2-terminal regulatory domains of cRaf-1, as well as several select domains of the mammalian protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms α, δ, ζ, and μ, the Drosophila and yeast PKCs, were found to bind retinol with nanomolar affinity. The biological significance was revealed in the alternate redox activation pathway of these kinases. Retinol served as a cofactor to augment the activation of both cRaf and PKCα by reactive oxygen, whereas the classical receptor-mediated pathway was unaffected by the presence or absence of retinol. We propose that bound retinol, owing to its electron transfer capacity, functions as a tag to enable the efficient and directed redox activation of the cRaf and PKC families of kinases.
Denatured collapsed states in protein folding: example of apomyoglobin.

Experimental approaches, including circular dichroism, small angle X-ray scattering, steady-state fluorescence, and fluorescence energy transfer, were applied to study the 3D-structure of apomyolgobin in different conformational states. These included the native and molten globules, along with either less ordered conformations induced by the addition of anions or completely unfolded states. The results show that the partially folded forms of apomyoglobin stabilized by KCl and/or Na(2)SO(4) under unfolding conditions (pH 2) exhibit a significant amount of secondary structure (circular dichroism), low packing density of protein molecules (SAXS), and native-like dimensions of the AGH core (fluorescence energy transfer). This finding indicates that a native-like tertiary fold of the polypeptide chain, i.e., the spatial organization of secondary structure elements, most likely emerges prior to the formation of the molten globule state.
The Mitochondrial Myopathy, Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like Episode Syndrome-associated Human Mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) Mutation Causes Aminoacylation Deficiency and Concomitant Reduced Association of mRNA with Ribosomes

The pathogenetic mechanism of the mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)) A3243G transition associated with the mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome has been investigated in transmitochondrial cell lines constructed by transfer of mutant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-carrying mitochondria from three genetically unrelated MELAS patients or of isogenic wild-type mtDNA-carrying organelles into human mtDNA-less cells. An in vivo footprinting analysis of the mtDNA segment within the tRNA(Leu(UUR)) gene that binds the transcription termination factor failed to reveal any difference in occupancy of sites or qualitative interaction with the protein between mutant and wild-type mtDNAs. Cell lines nearly homoplasmic for the mutation exhibited a strong (70-75%) reduction in the level of aminoacylated tRNA(Leu(UUR)) and a decrease in mitochondrial protein synthesis rate. The latter, however, did not show any significant correlation between synthesis defect of the individual polypeptides and number or proportion of UUR codons in their mRNAs, suggesting that another step, other than elongation, may be affected. Sedimentation analysis in sucrose gradient showed a reduction in size of the mitochondrial polysomes, while the distribution of the two rRNA components and of the mRNAs revealed decreased association of mRNA with ribosomes and, in the most affected cell line, pronounced degradation of the mRNA associated with slowly sedimenting structures. Therefore, several lines of evidence indicate that the protein synthesis defect in A3243G MELAS mutation-carrying cells is mainly due to a reduced association of mRNA with ribosomes, possibly as a consequence of the tRNA(Leu(UUR)) aminoacylation defect.
National Cost Efficiency of Supported Employees With Intellectual Disabilities: 2002 to 2007

The cost efficiency of supported employees with intellectual disabilities who were served by vocational rehabilitation agencies throughout the United State from 2002 to 2007 was explored. Findings indicate that, on average, supported employees with intellectual disabilities were cost-efficient from the taxpayers’ perspective regardless of whether they had secondary disabilities. In addition, no changes in cost efficiency were found during the period investigated. The data, however, did demonstrate considerable variability in cost efficiency throughout the United States and its territories.
Sleep-disordered breathing in obese adolescents is associated with visceral adiposity and markers of insulin resistance

Sleep-disordered breathing is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome in adults. Similar data in children is limited and conflicting. This pilot study examined the r...
Large System Spectral Analysis of Covariance Matrix Estimation

Eigendecomposition of estimated covariance matrices is a basic signal processing technique arising in a number of applications, including direction-of-arrival estimation, power allocation in multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) transmission systems, and adaptive multiuser detection. This paper uses the theory of non-crossing partitions to develop explicit asymptotic expressions for the moments of the eigenvalues of estimated covariance matrices, in the large system asymptote as the vector dimension and the dimension of signal space both increase without bound, while their ratio remains finite and nonzero. The asymptotic eigenvalue distribution is also obtained from these eigenvalue moments and the Stieltjes transform, and is extended to first-order approximation in the large sample-size limit. Numerical simulations are used to demonstrate that these asymptotic results provide good approximations for finite systems of moderate size.