cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Speaking Autistic Adults: Overview and Recommendations

In recent years, technologies used for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) have seen increasing development and availability. As a result, more and more autistic people are using AAC. ...
Simultaneous Multithreading Applied to Real Time

Existing models used in real-time scheduling are inadequate to take advantage of simultaneous multithreading (SMT), which has been shown to improve performance in many areas of computing, but has seen little application to real-time systems. The SMART task model, which allows for combining SMT and real time by accounting for the variable task execution costs caused by SMT, is introduced, along with methods and conditions for scheduling SMT tasks under global earliest-deadline-first scheduling. The benefits of using SMT are demonstrated through a large-scale schedulability study in which we show that task systems with utilizations 30% larger than what would be schedulable without SMT can be correctly scheduled.
Hospice and Palliative Care: An Overview

Palliative medicine is specialized medical care for people with serious illness. Serious illness is one with high risk of mortality that negatively affects quality of life or function or is burdensome in symptoms, treatments, or caregiver stress. Palliative care improves symptom management and addresses the needs of patients and families, resulting in improved patient and caregiver quality of life and reduced symptom burden and health care utilization. Hospice is palliative care for patients with a prognosis of 6 months or less and is appropriate when goals are to avoid hospitalization and maximize time at home for patients who are dying.
Dirac analysis of deformation parameters in the 12C(p

The cross-section and analyzing power data for the inelastic scattering of polarized protons to the first ${2}^{+}$ and ${4}^{+}$ states of $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ between 200 MeV and 800 MeV have been analyzed through relativistic Dirac coupled channels calculations. Although considerably better agreement with the data has been obtained compared to previous nonrelativistic Schr\"odinger calculations, no better determination of the deformation parameters could be obtained. Deformations (both quadrupole and hexadecapole) are almost unchanged over this energy interval and agree with previous results.
Scalable Cross Lingual Pivots to Model Pronoun Gender for Translation.

Machine translation systems with inadequate document understanding can make errors when translating dropped or neutral pronouns into languages with gendered pronouns (e.g., English). Predicting the underlying gender of these pronouns is difficult since it is not marked textually and must instead be inferred from coreferent mentions in the context. We propose a novel cross-lingual pivoting technique for automatically producing high-quality gender labels, and show that this data can be used to fine-tune a BERT classifier with 92% F1 for Spanish dropped feminine pronouns, compared with 30-51% for neural machine translation models and 54-71% for a non-fine-tuned BERT model. We augment a neural machine translation model with labels from our classifier to improve pronoun translation, while still having parallelizable translation models that translate a sentence at a time.
Metal Oxide Sorbents for the Separation of Radium and Actinium

The inorganic, normal-phase sorbents alumina, titania, and zirconia were evaluated and screened for the separation of Ba, La, 228Ra, 228Ac, and 212Pb in a dilute acid matrix. The results show that ...
On Estimating Nonlinear Frequency Modulated Radar Signals in Low SNR Environments

Estimating the signal transmitted by a noncooperating radar is of great use in radar countermeasures. In this article, we propose to improve the noise resilience of the radar signal estimation by constraining the estimate to be in a low-dimensional signal space. In particular, we focus on estimating nonlinear frequency modulated radar signals that have good target resolution characteristics. A flexible 3-D odd polynomial frequency signal model is introduced as the low-dimensional signal space to compute accurate estimates at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) with small number of intercepted signals. The quality of the low-dimensional signal estimates is compared with that of the estimate from the unconstrained high-dimensional space computed using principal component analysis estimator, which is the method in predominant use in the multisensor scenario. It is shown that signal estimation through low-dimensional signal spaces yields more accurate estimates at low SNRs with a smaller number of sensors compared to searching in the unconstrained high-dimensional signal space.
Elevate to Innovate: Finding Innovative Ways to Incorporate Diversity and Inclusion into the Textile and Apparel Curriculum

A special topics session was held on incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into the textile and apparel curriculum. The purpose of the session was to allow members to talk in a safe space about DEI issues in the textile and apparel field, to allow members to share ways that they have included DEI in their classes, and to encourage ITAA members to think about innovative ways to incorporate DEI throughout the curriculum. During the session, participants entered breakout rooms to discuss DEI in one area of the textile and apparel curriculum, including merchandising and marketing, history, design/product development, or textiles. Participants discussed challenges that they see with the educational resources available, ways that they are currently incorporating DEI into their classes, and ideas for assignments that they can implement in the future.
Should high-risk adolescents have Papanicolaou tests?

BACKGROUND The current American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines state that cervical cancer screening should begin at age 21 years, regardless of sexual or obstetric history. However, previous studies have demonstrated that there is a small but significant subset of high-risk adolescents with extensive sexual and obstetric history who harbor a significant squamous cervical lesion. The objective of the current study was to use histologic and demographic data from adolescents (aged <21 years) who received Papanicolaou (Pap) tests to determine whether they benefited from early cervical cancer screening. METHODS Adolescent girls who had Pap tests between 2000 and 2010 were included in the study. Demographic data, including obstetric history, number of sexual partners, age of first coitus, age at first pregnancy, menarche, smoking history, and Chlamydia and syphilis infection, were analyzed for associations with levels of cervical dysplasia. RESULTS Of 56,785 adolescent Pap tests, 277 (0.5%) were diagnosed as high-grade squamous HSIL, and 56 of those Pap tests (20%) were from patients who had grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN-3) on subsequent biopsy and/or excision. One patient had microinvasive cervical carcinoma identified on loop electrosurgical excision procedure at age 27 years after an HSIL Pap test. Increased parity was associated significantly with higher rates of CIN-3. CONCLUSIONS The study findings indicated that current American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines to begin Pap testing at age 21 years are appropriate for the majority of adolescents, because the rate of HSIL is very low, and the risk for invasive carcinoma is minimal. Although higher parity was associated with a significantly increased grade of CIN, the conclusions are questionable because of the significant amount of missing demographic data points. That being said, this study should lead to other similar studies to determine any association of higher grade CIN with adolescent sexual and obstetric history. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2013;121:432–9. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Cooperative control in telerobotics

It is argued that autonomous robotics is not yet feasible, and that instantaneous human control may be difficult because of communication delay and expensive because of labor costs. Therefore, it is argued, human supervisory control with cooperation between man and a partially autonomous distant robot is the most viable engineering solution. Model control of image processing enables efficient visual displays. Cooperative control in paired manipulators required rapid controller signal information to be passed over a cross-filter in a heuristic study. >
Improving Medical Student Recruitment into Neurological Surgery: A Single Institution's Experience

Objective Neurological surgery is historically among one of the most competitive residency matches, but data suggest a downward trend in neurosurgical residency applicants in the United States. In 2002, our department, in conjunction with our institution, began an initiative to increase exposure to and interest in neurological surgery, targeting both undergraduate and medical students. This study outlines and assesses the factors used by our institution to successfully prepare and recruit medical students for residency in the field of neurological surgery. Methods This initiative has been divided into four phases to date. In phase one, a 2-week neurosurgical experience was incorporated into the existing Neurology/Psychiatry third-year clerkship, and a chapter to the Student Interest Group in Neurology was created. In phase two, the neurological surgery department increased efforts recruiting undergraduate students and preclinical medical students for research projects through a summer research program. During phase three, new neurosurgical course electives were added for third- and fourth-year medical students, as well as allowing earlier completion of a fourth-year acting internship. In phase four, a neurosurgical interest group was created. Results Since the implementation of all four phases, the number of medical students matching successfully to neurological surgery at our institution has increased drastically. Conclusions An earlier, organized involvement of the neurosurgical department in medical student education can result in an improved understanding of the role of neurosurgeons among other practitioners as well as a greater number of well-qualified residency applicants into neurological surgery.
Phospholipid metabolism of herpesvirus-infected and uninfected rabbit kidney cells.

Abstract The incorporation of labeled precursors into the phospholipids of uninfected rabbit kidney cells in stationary phase was studied with the following results: (1) Incorporation of 32 P into cytoplasmic phospholipids is rapid and reaches a plateau by 40 hr of incubation with the isotope; incorporation into the nuclear fraction, however, continues to increase linearly. (2) The different phospholipids become labeled at different rates. (3) The inner nuclear membrane fraction has a different phospholipid composition from the outer nuclear or the cytoplasmic fractions; it contains a significantly larger amount of sphingomyelin. The phospholipid composition of the envelope of purified pseudorabies virions resembles that of the inner nuclear membrane of uninfected cells, offering further evidence that most of the virions acquire their envelope by budding from this membrane. After infection of rabbit kidney cells with pseudorabies virus, there is an increase in the incorporation of 32 P, choline- 3 H, and myo -inositol- 3 H into the phospholipids. An increase in the incorporation of choline- 3 H into the cytoplasmic fractions of the infected cells occurs, but this increase is especially marked in the nuclear fraction. The distribution of the radioactivity incorporated into the different phospholipids is also changed by infection; approximately 2 to 3 times more appears in sphingomyelin in infected than in uninfected cells. Most of the phospholipids which become part of the virions are present in the cell at the time of infection. However, the viral envelope is not derived from unchanged segments of the nuclear membrane preexisting in the cells at the time of infection. The specific activities of the viral envelope and of the inner nuclear membrane of infected cells were compared under various experimental conditions. The results of these experiments indicate that the virions bud from areas on the membrane which have been synthesized after infection or which have experienced an increased rate of turnover of phospholipids.
Treatment of Trillium erectum prior to and during mass production of permanent smear preparations.

Technics used in handling dormant plants of Trillium erectum L. prior to and during microsporogenesis are described. Normal meiosis occurs during storage of the plants at 4-6°C. Approximate times in days required for various stages of meiosis are presented. Schedules used for the mass production of aceto- or propiono-carmine smears of microsporocytes, microspores and pollen tubes are also given.
Neurochemical effects of an acute treatment with 4-methylaminorex: a new stimulant of abuse

4-Methylaminorex (4-MAX) is an amphetamine analog which has recently gained attention due to its potential as a stimulant of abuse. The present study characterized the acute neurochemical changes elicited after a single dose of 4-MAX. Thus, dose-response and time-response studies were conducted in order to assess the effects of this drug on monoaminergic and neuropeptide systems in extrapyramidal and limbic structures. The most dramatic responses in the dose-effect experiments (animals killed 3 h after treatment) were a 2-fold increase in neostriatal homovanillic acid levels and a decrease in neostriatal tryptophan hydroxylase activity to 33% of control in the 20 mg/kg group. Because all animals in the 20 mg/kg group experienced convulsions, 10 mg/kg was used for the time-response studies. The most striking effects in these studies included a reduction in dopamine concentrations to 71% of control, and an increase to 270% of control in the concentrations of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid 30 min after 4-MAX administration. In addition, neostriatal neurotensin and dynorphin A levels increased to approximately 200 and 400% of control, respectively, 18 h after a 10 mg/kg dose. These data suggest that 4-MAX is a potent dopamine releaser, which decreases tryptophan hydroxylase activity in a manner similar to other amphetamine-related drugs. However, in contrast to other amphetamine analogs, 4-MAX has potent convulsant actions.
Should Visual Images Be Defined as Depictive Neural Patterns, or as Conscious Sensations Constructed from “Imageless” Visual Thoughts?:

Greater vividness of visual imagery correlated significantly with improved performance on a task in which 112 subjects generated and tested hypotheses about the rules of three-point perspective (3P...
Sums, differences, products, and ratios of hypergeometric beta variables

Recent papers by Professor T. Pham-Gia derived distributions of sums, differences, products and ratios of independent beta random variables. In this Note we extend Professor Pham-Gia's results when X1 and X2 are independent random variables distributed according to the confluent and Gauss hypergeometric distributions (which are generalizations of the beta distribution). For each of these distributions, we derive exact expressions for the densities of S=X1+X2, D=X1−X2, P=X1X2, and R=X2/X1. The expressions turn out to involve the hypergeometric functions of one and two variables. To cite this article: S. Nadarajah, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 341 (2005).
The ProCESS Trial — A New Era of Sepsis Management

The importance of early detection and treatment for reducing the mortality associated with sepsis has been a tenet of medical training since the middle ages, when it was noted that “. . . the physicians say it happens in hectic fever, that in the beginning of the malady it is easy to cure but difficult to detect, but in the course of time, not having been either detected or treated in the beginning, it becomes easy to detect but difficult to cure.”1,2 The critical role of the clinician in the early recognition of sepsis continues to this day to be fundamental . . .
EXAMINATION OF THE GENERALIZED AGE DISTRIBUTION

The generalized age distribution for any population in continuous time obtained by Bennett and Horiuchi (1981) and Preston and Coale (1982) is derived in the discrete time formulation in the first part of this paper. Other expressions that follow from the age distribution in Preston-Coale are also presented in discrete time and age. Then the Preston-Coale procedure of using these expressions to estimate mortality when demographic data are defective is critically examined. It is noted that the series of age-specific growth rates, the essential feature of the new expressions, reflects defective census age distributions exactly so that a demographic measure estimated by the Preston-Coale procedure is still affected by the defective data.
Neural Network Based Intelligent Learning of Fuzzy Logic Controller Parameters

Design of an efficient fuzzy logic controller involves the optimization of parameters of fuzzy sets and proper choice of rule base. There are several techniques reported in recent literature that use neural network architecture and genetic algorithms to learn and optimize a fuzzy logic controller. This paper presents methodologies to learn and optimize fuzzy logic controller parameters that use learning capabilities of neural network. Concepts of model predictive control (MPC) have been used to obtain optimal signal to train the neural network via backpropagation. The strategies developed have been applied to control an inverted pendulum and results have been compared for two different fuzzy logic controllers developed with the help of neural networks. The first neural network emulates a PD controller, while the second controller is developed based on MPC. The proposed approach can be applied to learn fuzzy logic controller parameter online via the use of dynamic backpropagation. The results show that the Neuro-Fuzzy approaches were able to learn rule base and identify membership function parameters accurately.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
A bibliographic essay on the Allied occupation and reconstruction of West Germany, 1945–1955

There is no definitive, single-volume history of the Allied occupation and reconstruction of West Germany from 1945 to 1955. This is a significant and surprising lacuna in the literature on US and ...
Analysis of Locomotory Activity in Juvenile Giant Malaysian Prawns, Macrobrachium Rosenbergii (De Man) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae)

[Des juveniles recemment metamorphoses de Macrobrachium rosenbergii ont ete observes a six reprises chaque jour pendant une photoperiode experimentale (series de 4 photophases et 2 scotophases) durant 7 jours. Pour chaque periode de 10 minutes d'observation la proportion d'activites de nage et d'ambulation a ete notee. Les post-larves ont manifeste un comportement de nage predominant pendant les premiers jours d'observations puis ont graduellement montre une activite de marche sur le substrat, le passage de la locomotion pelagique a la locomotion benthique apparaissant comme plus progressif que les autres changements dans le comportement et l'anatomie lies a la metamorphose. En outre, les crevettes ont presente des modifications photophasiques dans leurs modes d'activite locomotrice. Des maxima d'activite natatoire ont ete observes pendant la scotophase puis ont decru de facon significative pendant la photophase, tandis que l'activite ambulatoire presentait un developpement inverse., Des juveniles recemment metamorphoses de Macrobrachium rosenbergii ont ete observes a six reprises chaque jour pendant une photoperiode experimentale (series de 4 photophases et 2 scotophases) durant 7 jours. Pour chaque periode de 10 minutes d'observation la proportion d'activites de nage et d'ambulation a ete notee. Les post-larves ont manifeste un comportement de nage predominant pendant les premiers jours d'observations puis ont graduellement montre une activite de marche sur le substrat, le passage de la locomotion pelagique a la locomotion benthique apparaissant comme plus progressif que les autres changements dans le comportement et l'anatomie lies a la metamorphose. En outre, les crevettes ont presente des modifications photophasiques dans leurs modes d'activite locomotrice. Des maxima d'activite natatoire ont ete observes pendant la scotophase puis ont decru de facon significative pendant la photophase, tandis que l'activite ambulatoire presentait un developpement inverse.]
Reliability-aware power management for parallel real-time applications with precedence constraints

The negative effects of the Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) technique on the system reliability has recently promoted the research on reliability-aware power management (RAPM). RAPM aims at reducing the system energy consumption while preserving the system's reliability. In this paper, we study the RAPM problem for parallel realtime applications for shared memory multiprocessor systems in the presence of precedence constraints. We show that this problem is NP-hard. Depending on how recoveries are scheduled and utilized by a subset of selected tasks, we investigate both individual-recovery and shared-recovery based RAPM heuristics. Online RAPM schemes that exploit dynamic slack generated at runtime are also considered. The proposed schemes are evaluated through extensive simulations. The results show that all schemes can preserve system reliability under all settings. For modest system loads, similar energy savings are obtained by all static schemes. However, when the system load is low, the shared-recovery based schemes need coordinated recovery operations on all processors and thus save less energy. Moreover, by reclaiming dynamic slack, the online schemes yield better energy savings.
Molecular structures of tris(2-mercapto-1-tert-butylimidazolyl)hydroborato and tris(2-mercapto-1-adamantylimidazolyl)hydroborato sodium complexes: analysis of [TmR] ligand coordination modes and conformations

The tris(mercaptoimidazolyl)hydroborato complexes, [κ3-S2H-TmBut]Na(THF)3 and [κ3-S2H-TmAd]Na(THF)3, which feature t-butyl and adamantyl substituents, have been synthesized via the reactions of the respective 1-R-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazole-2-thiones with NaBH4 in THF (R = But, 1-Ad). X-ray diffraction studies indicate that the compounds are monomeric and that the [TmR] ligands coordinate to the metal in a κ3-S2H manner via two of the sulfur donors and the hydrogen attached to boron, a combination that is unprecedented for sodium derivatives. Analysis of the tris(mercaptoimidazolyl)hydroborato compounds that are listed in the Cambridge Structural Database has allowed for the formulation of a set of criteria that enables κx-Sx and κx+1-SxH coordination modes to be identified. Furthermore, the various κx-Sx and κx+1-SxH coordination modes have also been analyzed with respect to the conformations of the [TmR] ligands, which differ by rotation of the imidazolethione moieties about the B–N bond.
NON-SURGICAL RETRIEVAL OF A BROKEN SEGMENT OF STEEL SPRING GUIDE FROM THE RIGHT ATRIUM AND INFERIOR VENA CAVA.

The recovery of a broken segment of a steel spring guide from the right atrium and inferior vena cava without surgical intervention has been reported. The ready accessibility of an adequate instrument for retrieval of such intravascular bodies is recommended. It is possible that such an instrument may be also designed for myocardial biopsy. The relative ease of breakage probably points to a defect in the guides and a re-evaluation of the design and manufacture seems to be indicated.
Competence and performance in language development

To expect children to use language as adults do is to ignore the distinction between linguistic competence and linguistic performance. This essay describes the distinction and the implications of it to the teaching of language.
USING PHASE TRANSITIONS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF SALTS ON PROTEIN INTERACTIONS

We have investigated liquid-liquid and solid-liquid phase separation of aqueous solutions of lysozyme. We have determined experimentally how the phase transition temperatures depend on protein concentration and the ionic composition of the solution. For a wide range of solution conditions, we find that the cloud-point temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{cloud}}$---which signals the onset of liquid-liquid phase separation---is 15--45 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C below the crystallization temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{xtal}}$. This indicates that liquid-liquid phase separation occurs in a highly metastable solution. When a series of chloride, bromide, and sulfate salts are added to lysozyme, we find that ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{}\mathrm{cloud}}$ varies by as much as 60 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C over the salt concentration range of 0.2M to 1.5M. The precise change in ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{cloud}}$ depends sensitively on the identities of both the cation and the anion of the added salt. The effect of salts on ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{xtal}}$ is very similar to their effect on ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{cloud}}$. The Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory for the interaction energy between charged spheres cannot account for our observations and indicates that hydration forces play an important role in protein interactions. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Neurological and Psychiatric Adverse Effects of Antiretroviral Drugs

Antiretroviral drugs are associated with a variety of adverse effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems. The frequency and severity of neuropsychiatric adverse events is highly variable, with differences between the antiretroviral classes and amongst the individual drugs in each class. In the developing world, where the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) stavudine remains a commonly prescribed antiretroviral, peripheral neuropathy is an important complication of treatment. Importantly, this clinical entity is often difficult to distinguish from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced peripheral neuropathy. Several clinical trials have addressed the efficacy of various agents in the treatment of NRTI-induced neurotoxicity. NRTI-induced neurotoxicity is caused by inhibition of mitochondrial DNA polymerase. This mechanism is also responsible for the mitochondrial myopathy and lactic acidosis that occur with zidovudine. NRTIs, particularly zidovudine and abacavir, may also cause central nervous system (CNS) manifestations, including mania and psychosis. The non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) efavirenz is perhaps the antiretroviral most commonly associated with CNS toxicity, causing insomnia, irritability and vivid dreams. Recent studies have suggested that the risk of developing these adverse effects is increased in patients with various cytochrome P450 2B6 alleles. Protease inhibitors cause perioral paraesthesias and may indirectly increase the relative risk of stroke by promoting atherogenesis. HIV integrase inhibitors, C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) inhibitors and fusion inhibitors rarely cause neuropsychiatric manifestations.
Stimulus-Change versus Preference for Light:

The classical procedure for demonstrating the reinforcing properties of stimulus-change for rats confounds the response-contingent change with the production of dim illumination. This experiment unconfounded the two by providing a response-contingent visual change without a change in the ambient illumination. This “pure” visual change was not reinforcing, whereas a response-contingent change from darkness to dim illumination—the classical procedure—was unambiguously reinforcing. Thus much research purporting to demonstrate reinforcement in rats by “visual change” can be reinterpreted as demonstrating that dim illumination is preferred over darkness.
Is synaptotagmin the calcium sensor

After much debate, recent progress indicates that the synaptic vesicle protein synaptotagmin I probably functions as the calcium sensor for synchronous neurotransmitter release. Following calcium influx into presynaptic terminals, synaptotagmin I rapidly triggers the fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane and underlies the fourth-order calcium cooperativity of release. Biochemical and genetic studies suggest that lipid and SNARE interactions underlie synaptotagmin's ability to mediate the incredible speed of vesicle fusion that is the hallmark of fast synaptic transmission.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: Medicinal chemistry and biological actions

A decade of experimentation, with work in the last four years greatly accelerated by the availability of captopril, favors the conclusion that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors exert their antihypertensive effect by blocking the formation of angiotensin II. The apparently anomalous efficacy of ACE inhibitors in hypertension characterized by low circulating renin levels may point to the importance of the vascular renin-angiotensin system in controlling blood pressure. Neither kinin potentiation nor blockade of the CNS renin-angiotensin system appear to play a significant role in the antihypertensive effect of captopril. Pharmacological and clinical studies on ACE inhibitors of novel chemical structure will establish their utility as antihypertensive agents and may lead to greater understanding of the mechanism of action of all ACE inhibitors.
Basic Surgical Skills Testing for Junior Residents: Current Views Of General Surgery Program Directors

Background The American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors in Surgery Phase 1 Curriculum (ACS/APDS) includes evaluation of basic surgical skills for junior residents. It is unclear if basic surgical skills evaluation is incorporated into residency curricula or used for resident advancement decisions. Our aim was to identify the perceptions of general surgery program directors (PDs) on the importance of basic surgical skills training and evaluation. Study Design Thirty PDS were invited to participate in a telephone interview. PDs were chosen for diversity of program location and size and asked to comment on their use and perceptions of basic surgical skills curricula, and evaluation. Results Twenty-two interviews were conducted with 23 of the total 30 invited PDs who agreed to participate. The mean number of residents graduating annually was 6 (range 2 to 12) per program. Ten of 22 (45%) PDs used the ACS/APDS curriculum, and 5 (23%) PDs were unaware of its existence. Only 4 programs (18%) perform formal basic surgical skills evaluation with mandatory remediation. No PD would either prevent residents with demonstrable poor basic surgical skills from going to the operating room or use poor basic surgical skills as a reason to deny promotion. One institution required evidence of satisfactory central line placement skills for credentialing. Obstacles to implementation of basic surgical skills included a lack of time, resources, and validated tests. Sixteen (73%) PDs saw some value in skills evaluation generally, but only 41% saw basic surgical skills evaluation as important for junior residents. Conclusions Implementation of a summative evaluation of skills will require considerable resources for PDs. This study suggests that scarce resources might be more usefully directed toward evaluation of operative skills of senior residents.
Cure depth for photopolymerization of ceramic suspensions

Abstract The cure depth of a series of photopolymerizable SiO2 and Al2O3 ceramic suspensions was measured as a function of energy dose to determine the sensitivity parameter Dp and its dependence on ceramic volume fraction, type and concentration of photoinitiator and inert dye. As predicted by an Absorption Model for Dp, 1/Dp is a linear function of photoinitiator concentration and dye concentration. The molar extinction coefficients derived from the cure depth measurements using an Absorption Model were compared with coefficients determined via spectrophotometry.
The effect of technical factors on the quality of pulmonary venous flow from the transverse and longitudinal imaging planes with transesophageal echocardiography

Right and left upper pulmonary venous flow is usually assessed with monoplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the transverse imaging plane. Pulmonary venous flow in the transverse imaging plane may be relatively difficult to record because of the larger angle between the pulmonary vein and the transducer beam. To compare the quality of echocardiographically derived Doppler flows of the right and left upper pulmonary veins between the longitudinal and transverse imaging planes with TEE, we performed pulsed-wave Doppler TEE of both upper pulmonary veins in transverse and longitudinal imaging planes in 36 patients with various diseases. We also recorded a quality index for each flow profile and the angle between the transducer beam and the pulmonary vein. The quality index of the left pulmonary venous flow assessed with the longitudinal and transverse imaging planes was similar in 35 (95%) of 36 patients, whereas the longitudinal imaging plane was superior to the transverse plane in one patient (3%). In contrast, the quality index of the right pulmonary venous flow assessed with the longitudinal and transverse imaging planes was similar in only 19 (53%) of 36 patients, whereas in 17 patients (47%) the longitudinal imaging plane was superior to the transverse imaging plane. The quality index had a significant effect on the Doppler flow recordings; suboptimal-quality flow recordings significantly underestimated the pulmonary venous diastolic flow integrals. The left atrium was larger in those patients with unobtainable flows than in those patients with exclusively obtainable flows ( p p
Cell cycle changes during neural crest cell differentiation in vitro.

Abstract Chick trunk neural tubes containing neural crest cells were cultured in vitro . Cell outgrowth from these neural tube explants consists primarily of a small stellate cell population. After 3 days in culture the small stellate cell population undergoes a remarkable change in morphology that is characterized by a more refractile appearance in the phase contrast microscope. Subsequent to this change in morphology, pigment granules become visible in the cytoplasm after 4 days in culture. After 6 days in culture, virtually all of the small stellate cells are pigmented. The cell cycle parameters of the small stellate cell population are: S = 4.4 ± 1.2 hr (SD). G2 = 1.5 ± 1.0 hr (SD). M = 1.7 ± 0.6 hr (SD). and Gl = 3.8 ± 1.0 hr (SD). Continuous label experiments demonstrate that (G1+G2+M) increases from 7 hr in Day 4 cells, as yet unpigmented, to 12 hr in Day 5 cells that have become pigmented. This change is consistent with an increase in G1 and/or G2 that is closely correlated with the appearance of pigment granules. It is of interest that this cell cycle change is correlated with a rather late event in the developmental program of these neural crest cells rather than with the earlier morphological change observed after 3 days in culture.
Broadening by acridine orange of the thermal transition of DNA

Acridine Orange, at appropriate intermediate concentrations, causes a substantial broadening of the thermal transitions of Bacillus subtilis DNA and of dAT. Experiments in which the two polymers are healed together show that the broadening is the result of the transfer of acridine orange molecules from denatured to native DNA molecules.
Fetal alcohol syndrome: review of literature and report of cases

The effects of maternal alcohol ingestion on children exposed to ethanol in the uterus are outlined to assist the dentist in identifying affected children and in managing their special treatment needs.
Smoothed bootstrap confidence intervals with discrete data

Abstract The smoothed bootstrap paradigm involves replacing the empirical distribution function F n with a smoothed version. Thus far, this idea has been mainly considered for continuous data arising from a distribution F with density f . In terms of mean squared error, the results indicate no global preference for smoothing in the continuous case. In this paper we depart from these investigations in that we consider (1) discrete data and (2) assess the merits of smoothed bootstraps through confidence intervals. We present a class of nonparametric smoothed bootstraps for ordered categorical data, and report on simulation studies comparing various proposed resampling methods to standard methods, including unsmoothed bootstraps. To serve as an illustration using real data, one Monte Carlo study involves samples from two large populations obtained from toxicological research. Some versions of the smoothed bootstrap yield a worthwhile small-sample improvement in coverage for this application to a ratio estimator with integer-valued data. The potential gains from the smoothing methodology are evident, as are the dangers from oversmoothing.
Is the fixation of observable mutations distributed randomly among the three nucleotide positions of the codon

The distribution among the three nucleotide positions of the codons of 642 mutations fixed during the descent of 49 sequences of cytochromec was examined. This was compared to the distribution expected if the number of ways of getting a selectively acceptable amino acid alternative from a single nucleotide replacement at each coding position were random,i.e. proportional to the total number of ways of changing the encoded amino acid by a single nucleotide replacement at each coding position. It was found that the observed distribution was significantly different from random, there being 40% more mutations in the first coding position than in the second whereas one would have expected 10% more in the second than in the first. The probability of the result occurring by chance is < 10−6. The same test was made on the distribution of 347 mutations fixed in the descent of 19 sequences of alpha hemoglobin and 286 mutations fixed in the descent of 16 beta and 4 delta hemoglobins. The result for the alpha hemoglobins was a similar non-randomness but the probability of its occurring by chance rose to 0.005. The result for the beta-delta hemoglobins was in the same direction but was not significant (p = 0.3). The degree of non-randomness among the three genes in the distribution of fixations over the three nucleotide positions of their codons appears to be correlated (negatively) with their rates of evolution, the plasticity required of the molecule to adapt to new environments, and the recency of exploitation of opportunities for change in functional specificity provided by such processes as gene duplication.
A numerical solution of an irrigation flowfield

Two-dimensional seepage from an array of triangular channels into permeable soil underlain at a finite depth by a drain has been solved by using the Baiocchi method. The use of this approach allowed a simple formulation of the seepage problem through extension of the solution region to an a priori known region. The new problem was treated numerically by using the S.O.R. method combined with projection. This technique proved to be very accurate when compared with analytical results and efficient from a computer programming standpoint.
Usable program analysis at google-scale (invited talk abstract)

Scalability and usability problems have hindered many attempts at integrating program analysis tools into the developer workflow at Google. This talk introduces the program analysis landscape at Google, and how we have overcome those problems. I will discuss Google's unique software development environment, and how program analysis fits into that environment, including a variety of AST-matching-based compiler analyses for Java and C++ based on the error-prone and clang-tidy open-source projects.
Comparative Photoactivity and Antibacterial Properties of C60 Fullerenes and Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by aqueous suspensions of fullerenes and nano-TiO2 (Degussa P25) was measured both in ultrapure water and in minimal Davis (MD) microbial growth medium. Fullerol (hydroxylated C60) produced singlet oxygen (1O2) in ultrapure water and both 1O2 and superoxide (O2-*) in MD medium, but no hydroxyl radicals (OH*) were detected in either case. PVP/C60 (C60 encapsulated with poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)) was more efficient than fullerol in generating singlet oxygen and superoxide. However, two other aggregates of C60, namely THF/nC60 (prepared with tetrahydofuran as transitional solvent) and aqu/nC60 (prepared by vigorous stirring of C60 powder in water), were not photoactive. Nano-TiO2 (also present as aggregates) primarily produced hydroxyl radicals in pure water and superoxide in MD medium. Bacterial (Escherichia coli) toxicity tests suggest that, unlike nano-TiO2 which was exclusively phototoxic, the antibacterial activity of fullerene suspensions was linked to ROS production. Nano-TiO2 may be more efficient for water treatment involving UV or solar energy, to enhance contaminant oxidation and perhaps for disinfection. However, fullerol and PVP/ C60 may be useful as water treatment agents targeting specific pollutants or microorganisms that are more sensitive to either superoxide or singlet oxygen.
Fs-21 Peptides Can Form Both Single Helix and Helix−Turn−Helix

Detailed folding processes and mechanisms of two alanine-based peptides (Fs-21 and MABA-Fs) were investigated by all atom molecular dynamic simulation with a new AMBER force field and Generalized Born continuum solvent model. Both peptides showed multiphase folding processes. Much like what has been envisaged by the folding funnel theory, the number of accessible conformations descended quickly as folding progresses. Interestingly, MABA-Fs and Fs-21 peptides exhibited notably different folding kinetics; the Fs-21-folding was a two-phase process while MABA-Fs went through three phases and folded more slowly than the Fs-21 peptide by four times. These difference highlights the contribution of the bulky N-terminal MABA group. Furthermore, it is found that helix−turn−helix conformation was the most stable state at 300 K, instead of the expected full helix conformation. At 273 K, however, the full helix became the most stable state. The turn structure was found to be stabilized mainly by the hydrophobic intera...
Reconstruction of a factor from measures on Takesaki's unitary equivalence relation

Let Ol≅L∞(S, μ) be a maximal abelian subalgebra of the factor F on separable Hilbert space with modular involution J. (Ol∪ JOlJ)″ is represented naturally as L∞(S × S, λ). If Takesaki's unitary equivalence relation R ⊂ S × S is not λ-null, it is a measure groupoid. If it is conull, and (Ol∪ JOlJ)″ is maximal abelian, F and Ol are reconstructed by the σ-left regular representation procedure. Examples show that these hypotheses are not always satisfied. An application shows that the L∞ spectrum of a properly infinite ergodic transformation is null with respect to the L2 spectrum.
Some elements of design and operation of a smart distribution system

this paper relates to several specific aspects of design and operation of a ‘smart’ power distribution system. The emphasis is on automation in design, reliability enhancement, operations, and reconfiguration after a disturbance. The use of network incidence or connectivity matrices is shown and examples indicate the potential operational capabilities of a ‘smart distribution system’. An algorithm described as a sequential feeder approach is illustrated.
Current Status Of Ergonomic Standards

The last five years have seen the development and adoption of new kinds of standards for the display industry. This standardization activity deals with the complex human computer interface. Here the concerns involve health, safety, productivity, and operator well-being. The standards attempt to specify the "proper" use of visual display units. There is a wide range of implications for the display industry - as manufacturers of displays, as employers, and as users of visual display units. In this paper we examine the development of these standards, their impact on the display industry and implications for the future.
An accurate tridiagonal equation solver

Abstract In this paper a tridiagonal equation solver is devised based on the divide-and-conquer technique that decouples the original system into ever smaller independent systems that are easily solved. The elimination of the usual back-substitution stage in the new algorithm makes it a better choice for solving tridiagonal systems when compared with the usual elimination-back-substitution algorithm. Some numerical experiments are also presented.
'I'll Bury You in the Border': Women's Land Struggles in Post-War Facazisse (Magude District), Mozambique

As in many other areas of post‐war Mozambique, the locality of Facazisse (in Magude District, Maputo Province) has experienced numerous forms of land conflict in the process of rural resettlement. The most serious tensions have emerged predominantly among female farmers, and surround the fairness of methods of land allocation, resentment of displaced people who refuse to give up borrowed land, and disputes over the proper location of boundaries between cultivated fields. This paper, based on participant‐observation and interviews among women in Facazisse, argues that we cannot understand the significance of recent land struggles — either for rural social relations or for Mozambican land law reform — unless we examine them from a gendered cultural and historical perspective, relying on women's explanations of the meaning of changes in local land administration during the colonial and postcolonial periods. Women's oral testimony draws a sharp contrast between ‘traditional’ land administration (the ‘ways of ...
TEMPERATURE CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CO2 BY GERMINATING SEEDS OF LUPINUS ALBUS AND ZEA MAYS

The rates of production of CO2 by germinating seeds of Lupinus albus and Zea mays were studied between temperatures 12.5° and 25°C. with the HCl-Ba(OH)2 titration method. The temperature characteristics found are different from those previously obtained for the oxygen consumption of the same seeds germinated in the same manner. For Lupinus, the temperature characteristics above and below the critical temperature of 20° are 16,100 ± and 24,000 ± calories respectively. For Zea, no evidence of a critical temperature was found in this region, and the temperature characteristic is 20,750 ± calories throughout the range of temperature tested. The possible interpretations of the difference in the values of temperature characteristics for oxygen consumption and for production of CO2 are noted.
Parallel processing for analogue fault diagnosis

The computer-aided testing (CAT) problem is inherently a large scale systems problem, it is essential to exploit whatever computational power is available to reduce the computational requirements for both on-line and off-line test processes. In particular, digital CAT algorithms often use some degree of parallel processing in their implementation. Therefore, the degree to which an analogue CAT algorithm can be implemented in parallel becomes a significant factor in determining its viability. In this paper, a parallel test algorithm and the associated architecture for the test system for analogue circuits and systems are proposed. the proposed test algorithm is applicable to testing multiple faults. Based on a combinatorial covering set approach, the conditions for the non-sequential execution of the test algorithm is analysed and the parallel processing to generate the test results is also addressed. Although this paper is motivated on the discussions of analogue fault diagnosis, the proposed parallel algorithm and the combinatorial covering approach can also be applied to digital testing.