cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative image feedback for pulsed cavitational ultrasound therapy- histotripsy

Histotripsy is a well-controlled ultrasonic tissue ablation technology that mechanically and progressively fractionates soft tissue using cavitation. Significant ultrasound backscatter reduction occurs as the tissue in the treated volume is fractionated. This paper studies the quantitative correlation between the degree of histotripsy-induced tissue fractionation, as indicated by the percentage of remaining normal appearing nuclei, and the normalized backscatter intensity. Results show that both the normalized backscatter intensity and the percentage of remaining normal appearing nuclei in the treated area decrease exponentially with increasing number of pulses. A strong correlation exists between the degree of tissue fractionation and the normalized backscatter intensity. This quantitative feedback may allow the prediction of local clinical outcomes, i.e. when a tissue volume has been sufficiently treated.
Limited Options: Choosing a Two-Year Transfer Pathway

This chapter demonstrates how optimistic rationalism leads low-income Latino/a students to enroll in California public community colleges, but fails to sustain all but the most tenacious. I provide evidence from the sample that structural deficiencies, including lack of counseling and economic hardship, prove difficult to surmount even for the most determined students. Some respondents who chose a two-year transfer pathway justified the choice in terms of cost, while others viewed it as a strategic means of raising their GPA, with the anticipation of transferring to a prestigious university that had not accepted them directly after high school. This chapter also reveals the landscape of community colleges in the California context, their costs, and differences in transfer rates to four-year universities among community colleges.
Markets, Governments, and Smart Growth

A contentious debate has arisen regarding what roles governments and markets should play. Some analysts believe that market forces should be left unfettered; a laissez-faire system of development should direct urban growth patterns, sustainable or otherwise. Others maintain that government involvement is necessary to plan for the future and prevent building that is driven by real estate speculation rather than sustainability concerns. Political economy perspectives from sociology and urban studies provide a middle-ground approach that views both market and political forces as inseparable—they often work in concert. The different theories on urban growth are reviewed in this chapter and the stage is set for a study of Smart Growth entrepreneurs on the west coast of the USA.
Qp-Qs relations in the sedimentary basin of the upper Mississippi Embayment using converted phases

Abstract Three-component digital seismograms recorded by the 40 PANDA (Portable Array for Numerical Data Acquisition) stations in the New Madrid seismic zone were analyzed to study seismic wave attenuation in the sedimentary basin using the spectral ratio method. A prominent S -to- P ( S p ) converted phase was generated at the boundary between the uppermost sedimentary basin and the underlying Paleozoic rocks. The direct S wave on the horizontal component is characterized by a lower-frequency content than that of the converted S p wave on the vertical component. The differences in frequency content between the direct S and the S p converted waves can be attributed to the different attenuation effects between P and S waves in the unconsolidated sediments. The spectral ratio between the low-frequency S wave and the high-frequency converted S p wave from the bottom of the sediments can be used to yield a relationship between Q p and Q s in the sediments. Results from PANDA stations with well-constrained spectral ratios in the frequency range from 2 to 25 Hz give the Q p value ranging from 25 to 60 and Q s from 25 to 30 for the sedimentary basin in the upper Mississippi Embayment.
Psychometric properties of the English version of the Oral Health Literacy Adults Questionnaire - OHL-AQ.

Objective To test the psychometric properties of the Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire (OHL-AQ) in English. The OHL-AQ was designed to test functional oral health literacy in general populations and was initially validated in Iran. Methods The instrument was administered to 405 adult subjects (mean age 45 (SD 16) years and 67% female) attending the 2014 Minnesota State Fair. The OHL-AQ is composed of 17 items measuring four conceptual dimensions: reading comprehension, numeracy, listening, and decision-making. Participants selected the best answer for written or verbally administered items and entered answers on an electronic tablet. Item responses for each individual were combined into a summary score (range 0-17) with higher scores indicating better oral health literacy. Score dimensionality, reliability, and validity were investigated. Results For dimensionality, both exploratory factor analysis and a parallel analysis yielded evidence for scale unidimensionality. Reliability was sufficient indicated by a Cronbach's alpha ⟩0.74. Validity of scores was supported by "small" and "medium" effect sizes for construct validity. "Small" effect sizes were observed for global oral health self-report, OHIP-5 scores, treatment urgency, and having a regular dentist. "Medium" effect sizes were seen for presence of dentures, number of natural teeth present, and educational level. Conclusions Dimensionality, reliability and validity of the English version of the OHL-AQ in a general adult English-speaking population is supported, providing sufficient psychometric properties in an important target population of the instrument.
Strategy Instruction Shifts Teacher and Student Interactions During Text-Based Discussions

This study examined how teacher and student interactions were influenced by a multistrategy reading model, Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), where students learn to apply before-, during-, and after-reading strategies in small cooperative learning groups. Five middle school English language arts teachers and their students (N = 184) participated as part of a two-year efficacy trial of CSR. Discourse analysis was used to compare the differences in teacher–student talk when the teacher and the text remained the same across typical instruction and CSR lessons. Results indicated that strategy-based collaborative practices offered opportunities for discourse patterns that were not observed in typical lessons. Overall, a higher proportion of talk in CSR lessons focused on discussing the text when compared with lessons without CSR. Features of student–teacher interactions during strategy-based instruction included more student and teacher academic talk turns, a higher ratio of student talk to teacher talk, longer sequences of student–student exploratory talk, less teacher talk focused on giving information, and the use of reading strategies to facilitate discussion about text content. Findings suggest that strategy instruction models can increase the dialogic nature of classrooms by resituating the location of knowledge as distributed among students, with talk and strategies as tools to improve comprehension.
Microfluidic techniques for the detection, manipulation and isolation of rare cells

Abstract: Rare cells, those found in low proportion in a fluid or heterogeneous mixture, often have a large impact on biological systems. The ability to isolate and enrich rare cells plays an important role in homeland security, water purity, and global health applications. This chapter will describe in detail the use of surface, volumetric, mechanical, and electrical properties of cells which can be manipulated to detect these cells.
Psychiatric hospitalization decision making by CMHC staff.

The decision to recommend hospitalization for patients with psychiatric illness is often made on the basis of unknown reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics and reliability of self-reported psychiatric hospitalization decision making among staff at a Community Mental Health Center. Foremost among the results, the conditions that staff consider to be appropriate indicators of hospitalization show only modest reliability. Kappa interrater reliabilities of .10 to .60 persist across different staff types and different patient problems. Results from hypothetical cases support a micro-certainty, macro-uncertainty hypothesis: staff are highly confident in the appropriateness of their treatment recommendations, but the recommendations across staff are variable. The results empirically demonstrate the need to improve the reliability of the hospitalization decision, and to work towards valid outcomes-based hospitalization criteria.
Lesson Plans for Movement in the Mathematics Classroom

This chapter features four full-length lesson plans designed to address the main strands of mathematics as highlighted in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics and in the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 2000). The lessons and activities presented in this chapter aim to develop understanding in data analysis, numbers and operations, algebraic thinking, and geometric concepts.
Online Appendix for 'Delayed Entry Settlements at the Patent Office'

This online appendix presents detailed information on pharmaceutical patent settlements reached in the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). It is a supplement to our paper, Reverse Settlement and Holdup at the Patent Office, which is available at the link below: http://ssrn.com/abstract=814532.
A British Interlude: Allied Peace Enforcement, 1945–1947

This chapter examines Britain’s brief but controversial post-World War Two management of Cambodia. Britain initially attempted to work alongside Cambodian nationalism. France, however, saw the re-establishment of French control as the rebirth of the French Empire rather than its denouement. Thus Britain was forced into assisting the French in the removal of the nationalist prime minister and the re-establishment of French colonial control. At the same time as internal tensions in Cambodia between the nationalists and the French colonial regime, Britain also had to keep the peace between France and Thailand. Hence Britain had to manage a continuing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand that was complicated by the bullish presence of the French and historical bitterness between the Thai and the Khmer.
Reaction Variables in the Aqueous Solution Coordination of the Uranyl Ion with Polyacrylic Acid and Polysodium Acrylate

Uranium was discovered in 1789 in the pitchblende ores of Saxony by Klaproth, but it was not until the almost simultaneous discovery of nuclear fission in 1938–39 and the outbreak of World War II that much research activity with uranium was begun. With the onset of the “energy crisis” even greater activity has centered about uranium. Most reactors now operating or planned in the near future in the United States depend essentially on U-235 as the fuel source.1 The United States Atomic Energy Commission has estimated that the required uranium to meet the demand from 1970 to 1980 was 206,000 short tons of U3O8.1
Cell Tension and Cavitation in Plants During Freezing

Freezing behavior of water in plant tissues is often thought to be similar to that of dilute aqueous solutions. Typically, plant tissue water freezes extracellularly which requires cell deformation, specifically, cell contraction. Considering that cells are bound by often rigid cell walls, it is likely that they would offer some resistance to volume changes. This clearly can affect the freezing of water in plant tissues. As cells shrink during extracellular freezing, it allows for cell dehydration to occur (Levitt, 1980). However, when cells offer resistance to deformation during extracellular freezing it can lead to reduced cell dehydration. The impact of cell resistance to deformation during freezing is evident in extreme cases such as supercooling cells which do not dehydrate much, despite the presence of ice in rest of the tissue (George and Burke, 1977). This is remarkable considering the fact that just above the homogeneous nucleation temperature, the water potential of ice surrounding the supercooling cells could be as low as −46 MPa. Also, recent evidence suggests that even non-supercooling woody tissues do not shrink as expected during extracellular freezing (Malone and Ashworth, 1991). Our studies and those of others have shown that even herbaceous tissues such as leaves can resist cell deformation and dehydration during extracellular freezing (Rajashekar and Burke, 1982; Anderson et al., 1983; Hansen and Beck, 1988; Zhu and Beck, 1991; Rajashekar and Lafta, 1996).
186. Seizure-induced cognitive impairment in a rat model of preeclampsia: Effects of multiple seizures and anti-seizure treatments

Introduction Eclamptic seizures include tonic-clonic convulsions that can be recurrent and cause acute memory deficits and cognitive impairment. While a brief seizure may cause minimal injury, recurrent seizures can impair memory and cognition. In addition, whether preeclampsia (PE) increases the susceptibility to seizure-induced cognitive impairment, or if anti-seizure treatments are protective remains unclear. Objective/Hypothesis We tested the hypothesis that multiple seizures would cause greater memory impairment than a single seizure in PE versus normal pregnancy, and compared the protective effects of magnesium sulfate ( MgSO 4 ) and diazepam (Dz) on seizure-induced cognitive dysfunction. Methods Pregnant (d19-20) Sprague Dawley rats were normal (Preg) or with PE (induced by a high cholesterol diet gestational d7-20). The chemoconvulsant pentylenetetrazol (PTZ; i.p.) was used to compare the effect of one versus multiple tonic–clonic seizures on cognition. Rats either received one PTZ injection (60 mg/kg; n = 6/group), multiple PTZ injections (5–40 mg/kg; n = 13/group), or vehicle (CTL; n = 7/group). Rats having seizure(s) received MgSO 4 (270 mg/kg i.p.) or Dz (10 mg/kg i.p.) 20 min after PTZ. Short-term memory was tested 24 h post-seizures using a novel object recognition task, and recognition index calculated: (novel object time)/(total object time). Data are mean ± SEM and comparisons made using a Student’s t-test. Results Preg and PE rats that had multiple seizures had decreased recognition indices compared to CTL (0.49 ± 0.04 vs. 0.69 ± 0.06, p 0.05 and 0.46 ± 0.07 vs. 0.70 ± 0.05, p 0.05) that was unaffected by MgSO 4 or Dz in PE rats (0.49 ± 0.12 and 0.42 ± 0.08, respectively) and Preg rats (0.46 ± 0.08 and 0.51 ± 0.04, respectively). A single seizure did not affect short-term memory in either group. Discussion Cognitive function was significantly impaired after multiple seizures in both Preg and PE rats; however, a single seizure did not affect memory function. Neither MgSO 4 nor Dz treatment improved cognition after multiple seizures, highlighting the importance of prevention of eclampsia and seizure cessation to maternal cognitive health.
Policy capturing in small-group decision making: Using linear programming to assign factor weights for the NCAA Selection Committee's ranking decisions in the 2016 through 2018 men's basketball tournaments

We present a general approach for applying policy capturing to small‐group decision making and demonstrate the approach with the NCAA Selection Committee's rankings of the 68 teams in the three most recent Division I Men's Basketball Tournaments. We develop a linear programming model that minimizes the extent to which the evaluation of a lower‐ranked team exceeds that of a team ranked immediately above it. The result is a set of linear weights that approximates a group decision when the decision itself is demonstrably internally inconsistent in that a group ranks some teams higher than others despite a lower implied evaluation.
Cognitive and Motivational Underpinnings of Mathematical Learning Difficulties: A Discussion

Part III of this volume is about the cognitive and motivational underpinnings of mathematical learning difficulties. In this chapter, I present a brief summary of the nine chapters in this section, followed by a short discussion of two common and important themes that occur throughout the chapters. One of them involves the heterogeneity of the category we call mathematical learning difficulties, that is, the criteria by which children are assessed and diagnosed with this term (or with the term developmental dyscalulia), and the resultant difficulties that this heterogeneity produces. The second common theme involves the pervasive and important role of working memory and our need to understand its influence as well as our need to separate working memory difficulties from more central difficulties with number.
Protests, Rallies, Marches, and Social Movements as Organizational Change Agents:

The ProblemSocial movements can impact organizations and employees through changes in policies and procedures in the workplace. Measuring the degree to which collective protests, rallies, and march...
Physical therapy management of pediatric and adolescent neck pain: a call to action

AbstractBackground: Neck pain is reported to be as high as 40% in adolescents and can be a precursor to developing adult persistent neck pain.Objectives: To identify and review literature on physic...
Implementing Prolonged Exposure for Veterans With Comorbid PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury: Two Case Studies

Abstract Initial studies suggest that prolonged exposure (PE) can be successfully implemented with veterans with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, due to persistent TBI-related cognitive deficits associated with moderate to severe TBI, clinicians may have significant concerns about implementing these treatments and may have questions about how to adapt procedures to facilitate successful outcomes. The present article demonstrates the successful implementation of PE in instances where the presence of TBI-related neurobehavioral symptoms interfered with standard treatment implementation. Procedural modifications such as the inclusion of partners or multidisciplinary staff, incorporation of compensatory strategies, and titration of exposure exercises are demonstrated. Finally, clinical recommendations are provided to assist mental health practitioners with assessment and treatment planning.
Engaging Pre-Service Teachers in Front-End Design: Developing Technology for a Social Studies Classroom

This research full paper presents front-end design activity with social studies pre-service teachers to inform the design of data visualization technology tools. Data visualizations are powerful tools that social studies teachers use to explore the narratives they want their students to learn. They can serve as evidence for historical arguments and prompts that start students on a path of inquiry. The ability to analyze, interpret, evaluate, and use data and data visualizations – known as data literacy – has become an increasingly important component of K-12 social studies education in recent years.While there are many technological innovations that have been developed to support engineering education in K-12 classrooms, adoption of these tools has been low. Our hypothesis is that adoption may improve if teachers are involved in the front-end design process of technology intended for use in their classrooms. This work describes the results of two Participatory Design (PD) sessions about data visualization with pre-service social studies teachers.In our design sessions, thirty-two pre-service teachers evaluated programming and non-programming data visualization experiences, and then told us what they would like in future data visualization tools. The Minimal Manual was used as a guide in the design of the activity sheets to scaffold use of the tools. After each PD session, we used conjecture mapping to process and analyze the data.Although there were minor design differences in the two PD sessions, the pre-service teachers’ evaluations were surprisingly different from one another. These results suggest that PD sessions might be highly idiosyncratic, and we cannot reliably generalize from just a single PD session. We found that secondary focused pre-service teachers tended to be more interested in the data visualization tools than elementary focused pre-service teachers. Further sessions and analysis are necessary to make more reliable conclusions about the characteristics pre-service social studies teachers would like to see in a pedagogical tool they would consider adopting in their classroom. Our work informs other researchers who are considering PD for developing K-12 education interventions.
Woody biochar potential for abandoned mine land restoration in the U.S.: a review

There are thousands of abandoned mine land (AML) sites in the U.S. that need to be restored to reduce wind and water erosion, provide wildlife forage, shade streams, and improve productivity. Biochar created from woody biomass that would normally be burned in slash piles can be applied to soil to improve soil properties and is one method to restore AML soil productive capacity. Using this ‘waste’ biomass for biochar and reclamation activities will reduce wildfire risk, air pollution from burning, and particulates released from burning wood. Biochar has the potential to improve water quality, bind heavy metals, or decrease toxic chemical concentrations, while improving soil health to establish sustainable plant cover, thereby preventing soil erosion, leaching, or other unintended, negative environmental consequences. Using forest residues to create biochar also helps reduce woody biomass and improves forest health and resilience. We address concerns surrounding organic and inorganic contaminants on the biochar and how this might affect its’ efficacy and provide valuable information to increase restoration activities on AMLs using biochar alone or in combination with other organic amendments. Several examples of AML biochar restoration sites initiated to evaluate short- and long-term above- and belowground ecosystem responses are presented.
Severe Mitral Regurgitation: More than Pulmonary Congestion

Several decades ago, Braunwald and colleagues observed that a subset of highly symptomatic (predominantly rheumatic) patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) exhibited paradoxically low mean ...
Network investigation of eating disorder symptoms and positive and negative affect in a clinical eating disorder sample.

OBJECTIVE Growing literature suggests that emotions influence the maintenance of eating disorder (ED) symptoms. However, most research has studied the relationship between ED symptoms and affect broadly (i.e., negative affect [NA], positive affect [PA]), rather than examining models comprised of multiple specific affective states (e.g., upset, proud). METHOD The current study (N = 196 individuals with EDs) used network analysis to examine the most interconnected (i.e., central) NA and PA states in EDs and test the complex associations between specific NA, PA, and ED symptoms. We estimated two networks: one with affective states only and another with affective states and ED symptoms. RESULTS Feeling distressed, afraid, attentive, and determined were the most central symptoms in the affect-only network. ED symptoms related to overvaluation of weight and shape, including affect-based ED symptoms (i.e., guilt about eating), were central in the network of affect and ED symptoms. Guilt about eating and shame were central bridge symptoms across affect and ED symptom clusters, meaning that they were each strongly connected across clusters, and may represent important pathways among affect and ED symptoms. DISCUSSION Limitations include the cross-sectional and between-person nature of these analyses, from which we cannot derive causal or within-persons processes. Clinical interventions that target central and bridge symptoms (e.g., fear, shame) may disrupt the reinforcing cycle of NA in EDs that may contribute to ED behaviors. Future research should examine relationships among affective states and ED symptoms in longitudinal and intraindividual network models to develop more effective treatments for EDs.
Impact of Aisle Containment Solutions using Detailed Server Simulation Models in Data Centers

Digital twin - a real-time digital representation of the physical data center could contribute to the optimization of server arrangement and the operation of data centers. An accurate server-level model is critical to accomplish the well-represented date center digital twin. In this paper, IBM server models have been built with the back-pressure function enabled using detailed experimental testing data, including physical configurations, airflows, and power from servers with different functions. Flow differences in various server and rack configurations using the detailed digital twin models have been compared with the baseline simplified model in hot aisle containment and no containment data center. Flow rate reduction using the detailed model could be 42% in certain servers within the rack in the non-containment data center. It could further decrease to 50% in hot aisle containment data center compared to a simplified model – highlighting the importance of accurate digital twin models for data center planning. Additionally, the impact of server location within the rack has been studied. The study shows that servers placed lower in the rack have a higher flow rate reduction, which is not represented using a simplified model.
Assessment of Hospital Characteristics and Interhospital Transfer Patterns of Adults With Emergency General Surgery Conditions

Importance Although patients with emergency general surgery (EGS) conditions frequently undergo interhospital transfers, the transfer patterns and associated factors are not well understood. Objective To examine whether patients with EGS conditions are consistently directed to hospitals with more resources and better outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study performed a network analysis of interhospital transfers among adults with EGS conditions from January 1 to December 31, 2016. The analysis used all-payer claims data from the 2016 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project state inpatient and emergency department databases in 8 states. A total of 728 hospitals involving 85 415 transfers of 80 307 patients were included. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they were 18 years or older and had an acute care hospital encounter with a diagnosis of an EGS condition as defined by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Data were analyzed from January 1, 2020, to June 17, 2021. Exposures Hospital-level measures of size (total bed capacity), resources (intensive care unit [ICU] bed capacity, teaching status, trauma center designation, and presence of trauma and/or surgical critical care fellowships), EGS volume (annual EGS encounters), and EGS outcomes (risk-adjusted failure to rescue and in-hospital mortality). Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was hospital-level centrality ratio, defined as the normalized number of incoming transfers divided by the number of outgoing transfers. A higher centrality ratio indicated more incoming transfers per outgoing transfer. Multivariable regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis that a higher hospital centrality ratio would be associated with more resources, higher volume, and better outcomes. Results Among 80 307 total patients, the median age was 63 years (interquartile range [IQR], 50-75 years); 52.1% of patients were male and 78.8% were White. The median number of outgoing and incoming transfers per hospital were 106 (IQR, 61-157) and 36 (IQR, 8-137), respectively. A higher log-transformed centrality ratio was associated with more resources, such as higher ICU capacity (eg, >25 beds vs 0-10 beds: β = 1.67 [95% CI, 1.16-2.17]; P < .001), and higher EGS volume (eg, quartile 4 [highest] vs quartile 1 [lowest]: β = 0.78 [95% CI, 0-1.57]; P = .01). However, a higher log-transformed centrality ratio was not associated with better outcomes, such as lower in-hospital mortality (eg, quartile 4 [highest] vs quartile 1 [lowest]: β = 0.30 [95% CI, -0.09 to 0.68]; P = .83) and lower failure to rescue (eg, quartile 4 [highest] vs quartile 1 [lowest]: β = -0.50 [95% CI, -1.13 to 0.12]; P = .27). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, EGS transfers were directed to high-volume hospitals with more resources but were not necessarily directed to hospitals with better clinical outcomes. Optimizing transfer destination in the interhospital transfer network has the potential to improve EGS outcomes.
Acetylcholine Synthesis and Glucose Oxidation with Various Oxygen Levels in vivo and in vitro

Normal brain function is dependent upon a continual supply of oxygen. For example, memory and the ability to learn a complex task are impaired when the arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) is reduced from a normal of approximately 90 mm Hg to about 60 mm Hg (13). The biochemical basis of the brain’s sensitivity to a decrease in oxygen (hypoxic hypoxia) is unknown, but it is apparently not due to an inability to maintain the level of energy metabolites (5,14). Consequently, the focus in the search for the molecular mechanism in hypoxia has shifted to those neurotransmitters whose synthesis depends upon oxygen. The rate-limiting step in the formation of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin requires molecular oxygen; furthermore, their turnover is decreased by hypoxia. However, the importance of decreased catecholamine and serotonin synthesis in the development of symptoms of hypoxia remains questionable since the turnover of these neurotransmitters is not reduced when hypoxia is accompanied by stress (2).
An interactive geometry modeling and parametric design platform for isogeometric analysis

In this paper an interactive parametric design-through-analysis platform is proposed to help design engineers and analysts make more effective use of Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) to improve their product design and performance. We develop several Rhinoceros (Rhino) plug-ins to take input design parameters through a user-friendly interface, generate appropriate surface and/or volumetric models, perform mechanical analysis, and visualize the solution fields, all within the same Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program. As part of this effort we propose and implement graphical generative algorithms for IGA model creation and visualization based on Grasshopper, a visual programming interface to Rhino. The developed platform is demonstrated on two structural mechanics examples-an actual wind turbine blade and a model of an integrally bladed rotor (IBR). In the latter example we demonstrate how the Rhino functionality may be utilized to create conforming volumetric models for IGA.
American Social and Political Thought and the Federal Role in Child Health Care

The twentieth-century history of federal involvement in children’s health affairs has followed an interesting pattern: from little concern to deep commitment and then to reluctant participation. Ann Wilson has shown how between 1906 and 1912 Theodore Roosevelt’s administration prodded Congress to establish a Children’s Bureau to determine children’s and parents’ medical and other needs; how Congress backed away from that commitment in the 1920s; how, during the Depression of the 1930s, President Franklin Roosevelt and Congress joined together to pass social legislation to help those in need, including children; and how the current Reagan administration, despite such actions as the “Baby Doe” regulations, has sought to reduce federal involvement in health care financing, Congress’ wishes notwithstanding [5]. Though the three presidents mentioned — Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan — engineered these changes in government policy, they did not act in a vacuum. The general mood of the country, economic conditions, and political philosophy all played a role. To some extent, the medical profession also influenced public policy in this area.
Pubertal timing and adolescent adjustment and behavior: conclusions vary by rater.

The effects of pubertal timing on adolescent development have been studied since the late 1930s, yet the research has yielded inconsistent findings. One reason for such inconsistency may be the source of the rating. The purpose of this report was to examine whether pubertal timing by self-report (SR), parent report (PR), or physical exam (PE) predicted the same aspects of adjustment and behavior problems. Fifty-two girls, age 9–14 years (M = 12.0 ± 1.6) and 56 boys, age 10–15 years (M = 12.7 ± 1.3) and their parents were enrolled in the longitudinal study. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist and adolescents completed the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire. Using regression, later maturing boys and girls had more adjustment and behavior problems than on-time or earlier maturers in cross-sectional analyses. Longitudinally, there were few significant relationships between pubertal timing at the first occasion of measurement and adjustment and behavior problems 1 year later. Overlap in correlates of adjustment and behavior problems across raters was not always found. More significant findings were evident between pubertal timing and adjustment and behavior problems for boys than for girls and more for ratings by PE than by SR or PR. Caution appears in order when drawing conclusions about pubertal timing and adolescent behavior when rater of pubertal development or timing of rating varies across studies. The selection of who rates pubertal development and the timing of the ratings should be based on the underlying theoretical framework guiding the hypotheses.
The Role of Adhesion and Fracture on the Performance of Nanostructured Films

Nanostructured materials are the basis for emerging technologies, such as MEMS, NEMS, sensors, and flexible electronics, that will dominate near term advances in nanotechnology. These technologies are often based on devices containing layers of nanoscale polymer, ceramic and metallic films and stretchable interconnects creating surfaces and interfaces with properties and responses that differ dramatically from bulk counterparts. The differing properties can induce high interlaminar stresses that lead to wrinkling, delamination, and buckling in compression [1,2], and film fracture and decohesion in tension. [3] However, the relationships between composition, structure and properties, and especially adhesion and fracture, are not well-defined at the nanoscale. These relationships are critical to assuring performance and reliability of nanostructured materials and devices. They are also critical for building materials science based predictive models of structure and behavior.
Nonperforative appendicitis: a continuing surgical dilemma.

Acute appendicitis continues as a medical challenge with newer approaches failing to improve diagnostic accuracy. The role of antibiotics in acute nonperforative appendicitis (NPA) remains unclear. In 175 patients studied at two hospitals, preoperative guidelines were used to exclude perforative appendicitis. Nevertheless, 14% of patients were found to have this condition. Surgeon's reports significantly underestimated the diagnosis when compared with the pathologists' reports. Antibiotic prophylaxis in 122 patients with NPA was studied prospectively comparing ceftizoxime (CTZ), cefamandole (CFM), and placebo (PLA). Ceftizoxime decreased the infection rate compared with PLA (0 vs. 8; P less than .01). Use of antibiotics (CTZ or CFM) resulted in decreased infections when compared with PLA (3 vs. 8; P less than .01) and fewer days of hospitalization (3.8 vs. 5.4 d, P less than .005). Analysis of infection risk factors showed no correlations except for failure to administer antibiotics and the finding of a gangrenous appendix. Operative culture results had no predictive value for either infection or pathogen identification. It is recommended that all patients undergoing surgery for NPA be given 1 d of antibiotic prophylaxis.
Application of extended tuning range for external cavity diode lasers to water vapor differential absorption measurements

Recent advances using electronic feedback to control the op- tical cavity length of external cavity diode lasers ECDLs have led to extended continuous tuning ranges. Mode-hop-free tuning over more than 65 GHz has been demonstrated. The ability to tune ECDLs asross a wide range is particularly useful to differential absorption lidar DIAL systems that use ECDLs as seed laser sources. Experiments using a multiple-pass gas absorption cell are performed to test a widely tunable, amplified ECDL DIAL transmitter with this extended tuning range system. Experimental results show that the system can be tuned to and main- tained at a user-defined wavelength for one hour, then tuned to and maintained at a second user-defined wavelength for one hour without mode hopping. This tuning is successfully accomplished between wave- lengths separated by approximately 44 GHz. A computer-controlled feedback loop in the tuning system tunes and holds the laser system to the on- and off-line wavelengths to within ±88 MHz. The laser power transmitted through the gas absorption cell is monitored and used to perform a differential absorption calculation to find the number density of water vapor molecules within the cell. The measured value is in agree- ment with a HiTRAN prediction of the expected value. © 2007 Society of
Effect of Prior Probability Quality on Biased Time-Delay Estimation

When properly constructed, biased estimators are known to produce lower mean-square errors than unbiased estimators. A biased estimator for the problem of ultrasound time-delay estimation was recently proposed. The proposed estimator incorporates knowledge of adjacent displacement estimates into the final estimate of a displacement. This is accomplished by using adjacent estimates to create a prior probability on the current estimate. Theory and simulations are used to investigate how the prior probability impacts the final estimate. The results show that with estimation quality on the order of the Cramer-Rao lower bound at adjacent locations, the local estimate in question should generally exceed the Cramer-Rao lower-bound limitations on performance of an unbiased estimator. The results as a whole provide additional confidence for the proposed estimator.
Designing Engineering Upgradability into Magnetic Resonance Imagers: Impact on Future Costs

MRI is a powerful diagnostic modality of expanding availability. Equipment and installation amount to nearly $2M per site. An important component of diagnostic efficacy is not just equipment costs but also replacement costs, which for x-ray CT amount to 14-20% of the purchase cost per year; and in the early years of that technology reached 30-50%. We show how design choices made during the R&D stages of MRI development have allowed us to improve system performance parameters such as data reconstruction, archiving and display speeds, computational capabilities, operator interfaces, imaging sequence flexibility and signal-to-noise levels. Over the last four years these improvements have been made at a retrofit cost well below our target of 6-7% of the purchase price per year.
Parent and Child Fluency in a Common Language: Implications for the Parent–Child Relationship and Later Academic Success in Mexican American Families

The current study tested elements of the theoretical model of Portes and Rumbaut (1996), which proposes that parent-child differences in English fluency in immigrant families affect various family processes that, in turn, relate to changes in academic success. The current study of 674 Mexican- origin families provided support for the model in that parent-child fluency in a common language was associated with several dimensions of the parent-child relationship, including communication, role reversal, and conflict. In turn, these family processes predicted child academic performance, school problems, and academic aspirations and expectations. The current findings extend the Portes and Rumbaut (1996) model, however, inasmuch as joint fluency in either English or Spanish was associated with better parent-child relationships. The findings have implications for educational and human service issues involving Mexican Americans and other immigrant groups.
Congenital fusion of the scaphoid, trapezium, trapezoid and capitate

We describe an unusual case of carpal coalition in an otherwise asymptomatic 28-year-old man. The combination of scaphoid, trapezium, trapezoid and capitate fusion detailed in this article has not, to the best of our knowledge, been previously recorded.
Iron species in Argonne premium coal samples : An investigation using X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Iron K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been used to examine the iron species that are present within the Argonne Premium Coal Samples. This technique was applied to both native coal samples and ones which had been extracted with concentrated hydrochloric acid. The near-edge absorption spectra (XANES) were analyzed using a deconvolution procedure to determine the relative amounts of oxo-ferrous, oxo-ferric, and pyritic environments in the coals. Three coals, Beulah-Zap, Wyodak-Anderson, and Lewiston-Stockton, apparently contain significant amounts of ferric species. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra were used to confirm the pyritic contents that were deduced from the near-edge spectra.
Arresting, fixing, and separating dimers composed of uniform silica colloidal spheres

When fresh tetraethylorthosilicate is introduced into a colloidal suspension of silica spheres, it hydrolyzes and condenses in situ to arrest and fix the dimers resulting from constant collisions between the spheres. By optimizing the experimental parameters (including the length of aging time) and the diameter of the silica spheres, as well as the concentrations of counterions, water, and ammonia, it is possible to routinely produce monodisperse dimers with a yield as high as 50 %. When combined with centrifugation using a density gradient medium, the yield of such dimers could be further increased to 80 %. It is believed that this method will provide a simple and versatile approach to the high-volume production of dimers from spherical colloids composed of different materials. These dimers may find widespread use in a range of applications such as fabrication of photonic crystals and fundamental studies related to colloidal science.
Nonlinear programming: A quadratic analysis of ridge paralysis

The numerical solution of nonlinear programming problems by first-order techniques, such as gradient projection techniques, is difficult when ridges are encountered. Ridges are described and analyzed. Second-order information about the augmented objective function, properly used, can yield a search direction that moves along a ridge, even in the constrained case. The analysis applies to situations in which the objective function (maximization) is not necessarily concave and the constraint functions (G j ⩽ 0) are not necessarily convex.
Regulation of HLA‐DR and co‐stimulatory molecule expression on natural killer T cells by granulocyte–macrophage colony‐stimulating factor

A subset of mononuclear cells present in most tissues coexpresses receptors of both natural killer (NK) and T cells. Although linked to antiviral immunity, the function of these putative NKT cells is uncertain. We present evidence that human CD56+ DR- NKT cells exhibit hybrid adaptive and innate immune functions. These cells spontaneously lysed tumour cell targets and upon engagement of T-cell antigen receptors secreted the cytokines interferon-gamma and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Conversely, GM-CSF treatment transformed the NKT cells into dendritic cells, inducing rapid expression of HLA-DR and the co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86. The ability to stimulate tetanus toxoid-specific responses from naive T cells was acquired within 3 days of activating CD56+ NKT cells with GM-CSF. These results suggest a potential role for NKT cells in the initiation and control of primary immunity during the acute phase of infection.
Direct current discharge emission spectra for detection and identification of some air pollutant compounds.

A four-channel d.c. discharge emission type detector was used in a study of the emission response of nitrogen oxides, CO, CO2, COS, SO2 and selected organic compounds. Limits of detection for the inorganic gases were determined and found to be in the 10−9 to 10−11l. range. Identification of compounds by a normalized relative response ratio technique was studied and found to be feasible. The structure and chain length of a homologous series of compounds influences the comparative response obtained at the emission wave lengths of the C2, CH, CN bands and H line selected for study. The elemental composition of the inorganic gases was reflected in the relative responses obtained.
Tapping Mode Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of the Photoreduction of Ag+ on Individual Submicrometer TiO2 Particles

In this paper we describe an experimental procedure that can be used to study the photoreduction of metal ions on the surfaces of individual TiO2 particles. The submicrometer-sized particles are isolated on porous membranes, characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), removed from the microscope, exposed to AgNO3 solution and light, and reimaged. Photoreduction of Ag+ produces 5−50 nm particles of Ag0 distributed over the surfaces of the TiO2 particle. This procedure allows the spatial distribution of the chemical reactivity of particle surfaces to be mapped at the nanometer scale resolution of the atomic force microscope. Using different excitation wavelengths (366, 400 and ∼600 nm), we demonstrate by AFM that the photoreduction of Ag on single anatase or rutile particles is consistent with the differences in the band gaps of the bulk samples. We also show that the Ag0 particles are not uniformly distributed over the TiO2 crystallite surfaces implying that a closer study of the unreacted particle sur...
Applying the concept of temperament to child care

This paper reviews the evidence of inborn temperament individuality in children, which affects the child-caretaker interaction and can be a source of differential treatment approaches. Focus on the dynamic interaction between individual characteristics and environmental demands views the child as a contributor to his or her own development and parent behavior as often reactive rather than the cause of various childhood disturbances.
Inferred hemispheric thinking style, gender, and academic major among United Arab Emirates college students.

To examine the relationships between the inferred hemispheric chinking style, gender, and academic major, 190 undergraduate men and women in social science and applied science classes were administered the Your Style of Learning and Thinking to assess their thinking styles. Although endorsements of an integrated style were highest for all subjects, analysis indicated men tended to endorse the right-hemisphere style items in processing information more than women, while the latter tended to endorse items of an integrated style in processing information. Applied science majors appeared to endorse items of a more right-hemisphere style in processing information than social science majors. These results were discussed in view of contemporary biological, psychosocial, and educational perspectives.
The Status of Bilirubin Measurements in U.S. Laboratories: Why Is Accuracy Elusive?

In 2003, the Chemistry Resource Committee of the College of American Pathologists introduced a new specimen in the Neonatal Bilirubin Survey. The specimen, consisting of human serum enriched with unconjugated bilirubin and thus resembling a clinical specimen, brought about an improvement in the accuracy of the measurement of bilirubin by laboratories participating in the Neonatal Bilirubin Survey. There was also an improvement in the specificity of methods measuring direct bilirubin. However, persisting inaccuracies and variability in laboratory performance have been traced to calibrators consisting of bovine serum spiked with unconjugated bilirubin and ditaurobilirubin; bovine serum causes underestimation of both bilirubins by 8 major chemical analyzers. To eradicate inaccuracy calibrators and Survey specimens should be made in human instead of bovine serum.