cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regional Institutional Quality and Startup Activities in the United States

The decision to start an entrepreneurial activity can largely depend upon the institutional settings in which an entrepreneur resides. Economic freedom is a widely measured index for institutional context and quality. Ample studies find a positive association between economic freedom and entrepreneurship; however, these studies have been limited to correlative relationships and have not determined a consistent set of relevant covariates. In this paper, startup density, provided by the Kauffman Index of Startup Activities, proxies startup entrepreneurship, while the Economic Freedom of North America (EFNA) index represents economic freedom. This paper provides causal insights into economic freedom and entrepreneurship in the US from 2005 to 2015 using a double-selection post-LASSO method and interactive fixed-effect models. We find that increases in labor market freedom are likely to cause significant increases in startup density of entrepreneurial activities. In contrast, increases in government and tax freedoms caused insignificant or weak decreases in startup density.
Graduate medical education in anaesthesiology and COVID-19: lessons learned from a global pandemic.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The recent global pandemic has dramatically altered the anaesthesiology educational landscape in unexpected ways. It is important that we pause to learn from this crisis. RECENT FINDINGS: Most resident trainees actively caring for COVID-19 patients present with probable or subclinical finding of post-traumatic stress disorder. Anaesthesia resident training programmes evolved to continue the mission of anaesthesia education in the face of institutional restrictions and evolving clinical crises. SUMMARY: The recent global COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated how external stressors can cause significant disruption to traditional medical education pathways. Resilience to external disruptive forces in anaesthesia education include a willingness of leadership to understand the problem, flexibility in adapting to the needs of learners and instructors in the face of key challenges, deployment of technology and innovation-minded solution-finding where appropriate, and attention to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. VIDEO ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/COAN/A77.
Using teacher narrative to understand teachers' uses of curriculum materials

In this paper, teachers' mathematics stories---narratives of their prior and current experiences with mathematics---are used to identify and understand patterns in teachers' uses of curriculum materials. In particular, interview and observation data from twenty urban elementary teachers piloting a reform-oriented curriculum are used to link patterns in teachers' mathematics stories to patterns in teachers' curriculum interactions and enactments. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for the design of curriculum materials as vehicles for the large-scale implementation of mathematics education reform.
Family Values in the Old South – Edited by Craig Thompson Friend and Anya Jabour

This book examines one of the most basic elements of the human experience: family. Editors Craig Thompson Friend and Anya Jabour assemble ten innovative essays that explore the complexities of nine...
The effect of high-gradient, high-strength magnetic fields on the early embryonic development of frogs

Data on the biological effect of static magnetic fields are presented in Volume 1 of the present series(1) and by further listings.(2–4) They have failed to provide either specific explanations of particular results or any overall explanation of why magnetic fields in general or particular field strengths or field gradients should influence biological systems. Above all, no experimentally verified predictions of the effects of a given field on a given biochemical reaction, cellular process, or development of a given organism have been made. The most recent biophysics literature simply adds further contradictory evidence. For instance, Rabinovitch et al.(5) show that even extremely high fields have no effect on certain basic enzymatic reactions while Levengood(6) shows statistically significant results of much lower* fields than 20,000 G. Motivated by a review of this literature, we attempted to devise a critical experiment to test a hypothesis that would be applicable to some of the best of the reported experiments, but evidence for which would be enhanced by the choice of our conditions. We would like to report the results of this attempt, which on the experimental side proved to be rather striking and positive but in terms of the initial hypothesis left more questions than answers.
Antiviral effect of lymphokine-activated killer cells: characterization of effector cells mediating prophylaxis.

Abstract Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells generated by cultivation of C57BL/6 mouse spleen cells in the presence of recombinant interleukin-2 were transferred into natural killer (NK) cell-deficient suckling mouse recipients. These mice were then challenged with either murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) or lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV) and sacrificed 3 days later. No interleukin 2 infusions were given. Mice receiving as few as 5 x 10(5) LAK cells had several 100-fold decreases in spleen MCMV titers as compared with untreated mice. This treatment had no effect on spleen LCMV titers. The LAK cell cultures contained 10 to 17% NK 1.1+, 50 to 55% Lyt-2+, and 33 to 50% immunoglobulin D+ cells. Double fluorescence labeling and in vitro cytotoxicity assays with fluorescence-activated cell sorting revealed at least two mutually exclusive killer cell populations. NK 1.1+ LAK cells resembled freshly isolated activated NK cells with regard to target cell range (YAC-1 cell killing greater than L-929, P815, and EL-4 cell killing), large granular lymphocyte (LGL) morphology, and decreased ability to lyse interferon (IFN)-treated target cells. Lyt-2+ LAK cells lysed the targets mentioned above but at lower levels and without the differences in susceptibility mentioned above. These Lyt-2+ LAK cells also had a decreased ability to lyse IFN-treated targets, in contrast to classic cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which lyse IFN-treated targets far more efficiently than untreated targets. Purified populations of LAK cells obtained by fluorescence-activated cell sorting were used in the antiviral protection model. The results showed that protection against MCMV could be mediated by NK 1.1+, NK 1.1-, Lyt-2+, Lyt-2-, and IgD- populations but not by IgD+ cells. The five protective populations all had in common the LGL phenotype and cytotoxic activity in vitro. The IgD+ population did not contain LGLs, lyse target cells in vitro, or mediate an antiviral effect in vivo. These results suggest that LAK cells may be therapeutically useful against certain virus infections (MCMV) but not others (LCMV) and that despite their heterogeneity in antigenic phenotype and cytotoxic activity, their pattern of antiviral activity in vivo resembles that of NK cells, which protect against MCMV but not LCMV.
Ontogeny of the chicken cytochrome P-450 enzyme system: Expression and development of responsiveness to phenobarbital induction

The sensitivity of the developing embryo to toxins and drugs is highly dependent on the state of development of the cytochrome P-450 system. Previous work in this laboratory has demonstrated the genotoxicity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to the chicken embryo at 3 days of incubation (DI) and induction of AFB1 genotoxicity by phenobarbital at 7 DI. In this study, the basal and 24-hr phenobarbital (PB) induced levels of aminopyrine-N-demethylase (AMPD) and cytochrome P-450 were assayed in hepatic microsomes from 7 DI to 36 days posthatching (PH) and in microsomes from whole embryos at 5 DI. A dose-response for induction by PB was observed in embryonic hepatic microsomes as early as 7 DI, whereas a low level of cytochrome P-450 was detected in control 7 DI microsomes using the reduced CO vs oxidized CO difference spectrum. Basal levels of AMPD and cytochrome P-450 in hepatic microsomes increased steadily throughout development as did the responsiveness of the embryonic liver to induction with PB. Hepatic microsomes from control and PB-induced chickens had the highest AMPD activities posthatching particularly from 1 to 3 days PH. Maximal induced levels, which were 2- to 3-fold over control throughout development, ranged from 1.22 at 7 DI to 12.72 nmol HCHO/mg protein/min at 2 days PH. The potency of PB as an inducer increased about 1000-fold between 7 DI and hatching. PB induction did not increase the specific activity of AMPD at any period of development. The specific activity of AMPD posthatching increased about 3-fold above embryonic levels, indicating the development of a cytochrome P-450 complex more active toward aminopyrine in the neonatal period.
Frequency of Sleep Apnea in Stroke and TIA Patients: A Meta-analysis

Study objectives To determine the frequency of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients by meta-analysis. Methods A systematic literature search using Medline, EMBASE and CINAHL and a manual review of references through December 2008 was conducted using specific search terms. The frequency of SDB stratified by apnea hypopnea index (AHI) was extracted by the author. Weighted averages using a random-effects model are reported with 95% confidence intervals. Results Twenty-nine articles evaluating patients with autoCPAP, limited-channel sleep study, or full polysomnography were included in this study. In meta-analysis of 2,343 ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke and TIA patients, the frequency of SDB with AHI > 5 was 72% and with AHI > 20 was 38%. Only 7% of the SDB was primarily central apnea. There was no significant difference in SDB prevalence by event type, timing after stroke, or type of monitoring. Males had a higher percentage of SDB (AHI > 10) than females (65% compared to 48% p = 0.001). Patients with recurrent strokes had a higher percentage of SDB (AHI > 10) than initial strokes (74% compared to 57% p = 0.013). Patients with unknown etiology of stroke had a higher and cardioembolic etiology a lower percentage of SDB than other etiologies. Conclusions SDB is very common in stroke patients irrespective of type of stroke or timing after stroke and is typically obstructive in nature. Since clinical history alone does not identify many patients with SDB, sleep studies should be considered in all stroke and TIA patients.
An interpretation of Q∗ in thermotransport

Abstract The heat Q ∗ of transport for the thermotransport of interstitial atoms is resolved into two contributions, one being the activation energy for diffusion and the other arising from an induced biasing of the solute atom jumping by a temperature gradient. The approximation is made that the activation energy for diffusion is negligibly temperature dependent but is the dominant energy barrier to the jumping of solute atoms. Comparison of this interpretation with experimental data indicates that rarely, if ever, is the intrinsic mechanism for thermal transport the sole operating mechanism. The data imply that any single mechanism that can explain the results must be rather complex or, alternatively, that simultaneous operation of two or more mechanisms must be invoked.
The Role of Managerial Overconfidence in the Design of Debt Covenants

We examine the influence of behavioral characteristics on the design of debt covenants. We find that firms with overconfident CEOs face tighter restrictions on their ability to make future investments, acquisitions, and raise additional debt financing. These restrictions are partially mitigated when firms with overconfident CEOs have greater information transparency, a better performance record, and investment opportunities. Interestingly, we find only weak evidence for the effects on cost of debt. Overall, our study highlights the role of debt covenants in mitigating the effects of behavioral characteristics incremental to other firm and CEO specific factors documented in the prior literature.
Increasing US intellectual capital through career long education for engineers

Ability to compete in the international market–place is largely determined by national resources of engineering and scientific intellectual capital. The high quality of recent graduates from US engineering colleges is a significant factor in sustaining this resource. However, the combination of fierce worldwide economic competition, accelerating technological change, US demographic factors, the decline in the quality of public education (particularly in mathematics and science) and the increasing need for more engineers in organizational functions where they were previously seldom found, causes the total US supply of engineering capital to be insufficient to sustain the US position in the global economic competition. Investment in post–baccalaureate, career–long education of practising engineers can overcome the shortage of engineering intellectual capital. Because practising engineers are widely scattered geographically – frequently far removed from established engineering colleges – and because their educational needs are extraordinarily diverse, new approaches are required to achieve the necessary expansion of the US engineering intellectual capital resource base. The extensive use of modern information technologies can overcome the problems of distance, dispersion, travelling time and availability. A new type of educational institution – the 'televersity' – is emerging as a result.
Atomic Layer Deposition of ZrO2 and HfO2 Nanotubes by Template Replication

Highly ordered zirconia and hafnia nanotubes were fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) within the anodic alumina oxide (AAO) template. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy were used to characterize the morphology and elemental compositions of the different ALD coatings. The diameters of the AAO pores are in the range of 200-300 nm with a thickness of 60 μm. The results indicated that the freestanding nanotubes were uniformly grown through the entire template thickness. The ALD process conformally replicated the AAO template dimensions. The number of ALD cycles controlled the resultant nanotube wall thickness.
Dietary Tannins from Cowpeas and Tea Transiently Alter Apparent Calcium Absorption but Not Absorption and Utilization of Protein in Rats

Tannins reportedly alter absorption and utilization of protein and minerals. The present study investigated the effect of tannins extracted from 'Mississippi Silver' cowpeas and black tea when incorporated into nutritionally balanced diets. Condensed tannins were incorporated into the diet of weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats at 0.0, 0.0057, 0.0171 and 0.057 g/100 g diet for 28 d. Ingestion of tannin from cowpeas or tea did not change significantly growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, apparent protein digestibility, nitrogen excretion, relative liver weight, or nitrogen concentration of liver. During d 11-18, apparent calcium absorption was lower in rats fed the medium and high levels of cowpea tannin and in those fed all levels of tea tannin compared with the control group. By wk 4, no differences were observed in apparent calcium absorption among treatment groups. Apparent magnesium absorption was not affected by dietary treatment, nor was femur content of calcium or magnesium. We conclude that at the levels of condensed tannins fed, a short-term reduction of apparent calcium absorption occurred; however, by wk 4 calcium absorption was comparable to that of the control group. The acute change that occurred in apparent calcium absorption did not influence bone calcium content.
Pseudocoarctation of the aorta with bicuspid aortic valve and kinked left subclavian artery: A possible cause of subclavian steal

Abstract This case report concerns a 50-year-old woman with clinical features suggestive of left subclavian steal. In addition to a bicuspid aortic valve, pesudocoarctation of the aorta and a kinking of the proximal left subclavian artery were demonstrated angiographically. The association of kinked left subclavian artery with pseudocoarctation has not been reported previously. The possible basis of this association is discussed, as is the relationship between the kinked subclavian artery and the clinical evidence of subclavian steal. Although subclavian steal was not proved angiographically, the conclusion is that the setting favors its hemodynamic and clinical progression.
Gravimetric determination of gold with sodium salt of n-(n-bromo-c-tetradecyl betainyl)-c-tetradecylbetaine

Abstract The sodium salt of N-(N-bromo-C-tetradecyl betainyl)-C-tetradecyl betaine is presented as a gravimetrie reagent for the determination of gold. Two complexes have been isolated; one, precipitated from hydrochloric acid solution, containing 22.14% gold; the other, from hydrobromic acid solution, containing 18.01% gold. Both complexes may be dried to constant weight at 85° C, thus giving the advantage of a favorable weight factor. Determinations from hydrobromic acid solutions are more rapid and offer several other advantages. Optimum conditions have been established. The number of interfering ions is small and a method for thie separation of gold from these ions was developed. A procedure for the determination of gold in ore concentrates was applied to several samples with satisfactory results.
Immunology: how a T cell sees sugar.

T cells of the immune system recognize lipids, as well as peptides, extending our ideas about such target antigens. A crystal structure of a T-cell receptor docked to antigen shows how a sugar controls lipid recognition.
Equivalence of different definitions of the surface tension

Recently Br\'ezin and Feng and independently Pant reported renormalization-group calculations of a universal amplitude ratio involving the surface tension, \ensuremath{\sigma}, defined as the free-energy difference produced by appropriate boundary conditions. Here we comment on an equivalent result obtained, within the same one-loop framework, using an alternative definition of \ensuremath{\sigma} involving the free-energy increment due to a macroscopic distortion of a flat interface.
Bladder perforation: a rare complication during diagnostic hysteroscopy.

A 30-year-old woman had a 3-month history of recurrent lower abdominal pain and dysuria. She described the pain as ‘like contractions’. It radiated from the anterior abdominal wall to her lower bac...
An fMRI study of visual attention and sensorimotor function before and after antipsychotic treatment in first episode schizophrenia

While much is known about receptor affinity profiles of antipsychotic medications, less is known about their impact on functional brain systems in patients with schizophrenia. We conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies with first-episode schizophrenia patients as they made saccades to unpredictable visual targets before and after 4-6 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. Matched healthy individuals were scanned at similar time intervals. Pretreatment, patients had less activation in frontal and parietal eye fields and cerebellum. After treatment these disturbances were not present, suggesting improved function in attentional and sensorimotor systems. Other pretreatment abnormalities were noted in sensory and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, but after treatment these abnormalities were absent or less prominent, in line with improved function in attentional systems. In addition, although not abnormal at baseline, there was reduced activity after treatment in dorsal prefrontal cortex, dorsal striatum, and dorsomedial thalamus, suggesting a potential adverse effect of treatment on frontostriatal systems, perhaps related to dopamine blockade in the caudate. These findings provide evidence for a complex impact of antipsychotic medication on functional brain systems in schizophrenia and illustrate the potential of neuroimaging biomarkers for both adverse and beneficial drug effects on functional brain systems.
Bilateral pulmonary resection for bronchiectasis: a 40-year experience.

Abstract Ninety-nine patients underwent bilateral pulmonary resection for severe multisegmental bilateral bronchiectasis at the Overholt Thoracic Clinic during the period 1937 to 1977. A total of 216 operations were performed, and 20 patients underwent three or more procedures. The operative mortality was 1.4% and the incidence of severe complications, 7%. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 30 years (average 10.2 years). Only 1 patient was lost to follow-up. Improvement in pulmonary symptoms was achieved in 83 patients; there was no improvement in 9 patients; and 4 patients were worse following resection. The results suggest that bilateral bronchiectasis need not be a contraindication to operation. In properly selected patients, lasting symptomatic improvement can be provided by resection.
On centrifugal separation of a mixture

An exact solution of the equations of motion of a two-phase fluid is given which describes separation in a centrifugal force field. A retrograde rotation is always produced in the settling process, which is characterized by propagating kinematic shocks and a time-dependent volume fraction of the mixture.
Studies of Lipase Action. VI. The Effect of Lipolysis upon the Flavor Score of Milk

Summary A study was made of the relationship between the judges' scores and the "acid degrees" of raw milk within a few hours after milking. The data indicate a threshold value for the recognition of rancidity at acid-degrees near 0.8. They also indicate that very slight degrees of lipolysis, such as is common in commercial market milk, may influence a judge's score without his being aware of the reason. In the case of this particular pair of judges, and milk supply, statistical analysis shows that an increase of 0.33 acid degrees corresponded to a decrease of one point in the flavor score of the milk.
Structure of Marine Surface Layer Turbulence

Abstract Measurements of turbulent wind velocity, humidity and temperature spectra for stable and unstable stratification in the atmospheric surface layer obtained during an experiment over the North Pacific Ocean are presented. The velocity field appears to be in a state of local isotropy as measured by the ratio of vertical to streamwise velocity spectra Su(n>/ Su(n> at the measurement height of 29 m above the sea surface. Using Monin-Obukhov scaling, spectral shapes for humidity are similar to those for overland temperature. Evidence is presented which suggests that previous departures of marine temperature measurements from Monin-Obukhobzv similarity may be due to humidity sensitivity of salt-spray-contaminated temperature probes. Overland humidity data from the AFCRL-UCSD 1973 Minnesota Experiment (Champagne et al., 1977) were analyzed and also found to exhibit Monin-Obukhov similarity.
Comet dust as a source of amino acids at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary.

It is suggested here that the large amounts of apparently extraterrestrial amino acids detected recently in rocks at the K/T boundary at Stevns Klint, Denmark were actually deposited with the dust from a giant comet trapped in the inner solar system, a fragment of which comprised the K/T impactor. Amino acids or their precursors in the comet dust would have been swept up by the earth both before and after the impact, but any conveyed by the impactor itself would have been destroyed. The observed amino acid layers would thus have been deposited without an impact.
Angiogenesis in Fracture Repair

Fracture of bone disrupts its circulation and leads to necrosis and hypoxia of adjacent bone. Under normal circumstances, fractured bone undergoes the orderly regeneration of its component tissues with complete restoration of mechanical properties. Reestablishment of the circulation is an early event in fracture healing. Several experimental models of protracted, impaired, or compromised healing have been developed to evaluate the effects of angiogenic factors in accelerating or enhancing repair.
The Social Life of an Essay: Standardizing Forces in Writing.

Standardization discourse is dominantly linked to tests; yet standardization occurs in practices of everyday social life, too. This research seeks to understand standardization processes involved in the writing done by a class of seventh grade students, half of whom did not do well in school or on tests. Acting as participant observer in a classroom where a civics project resulted in the writing of an essay, the author collected audiotaped classroom and group discussions, student writing, field notes, and texts (a history booklet, a neighborhood-planning book, two videos, census data) students drew from to write a speech which their language arts teacher taught as an essay. One essay/speech was delivered to the school board. The author examined the exchange of ideas, across the 8-week project, to consider how standardization as a process of production, consumption, and distribution played in students' writing. The author found that standardizing forces involved direct teaching, genre memory, and several s...
On Ohta's hypothesis: Most amino acid substitutions are deleterious

Ohta's hypothesis that most amino acid substitutions are deleterious grew out of a class of population-genetics models called shift models. Recently, shift models have been shown to be biologically unreasonable and have been replaced by a more plausible house-of-cards model. In this paper, the simplest form of the house-of-cards models is shown to be incompatible with most of the major features of protein evolution. Moreover, this model is shown to not be a model of exclusively deleterious-allele evolution, but rather to be a model with an equal mix of deleterious and advantageous substitutions.
Whose Priority Is It

Transformative learning theory sparks diverse opinions and interpretations of Mezirow's (1978) premise for adult learners: a change of perspective based on life experiences. Continuing education st...
A cryogenic line leak detector

A novel method of detecting leaks from cryogenic systems has been developed to provide a more rapid means of sensing and locating the leak. This leak detection system can be particularly important if the cryogenic fluid is flammable when vaporized, as with liquefied natural gas. The cryogenic line leak detector is reported to offer an opportunity to greatly improve on the ability to automatically and quickly sense and locate the leak.
Surgical management of patients with persistent or recurrent medullary thyroid cancer

Moley JF, DeBenedetti MK, Dilley WG, Tisell LE, Wells SA (Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA). Surgical management of patients with persistent or recurrent medullary thyroid cancer (Minisymposium: MEN & VHL). J Intern Med 1998; 243: 521–6. Residual or recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), manifested by elevated calcitonin levels, occurs commonly following primary treatment of MTC. Re-operation in appropriately selected patients is the only treatment modality which consistently and reliably reduces stimulated calcitonin levels, and results in excellent local disease control. We report improved results of surgical management of recurrent MTC in two consecutive series of patients. In our most recent series (1992–96), 38% of patients (17 out of 45) had normal postoperative stimulated calcitonin levels, compared to 28% (nine of 32) in our first series (1990–92). In the most recent series, only 13% (six of 45) of patients had no decrease in calcitonin levels following re-operation, compared to 31% (10 of 32) in our first series (P= 0.07, Fisher's exact test). This improvement has mainly occurred through better preoperative selection of patients, and the institution of routine laparoscopic liver examination preoperatively, which identified metastases in 10 patients, nine of whom had normal CT or MRI imaging.
Retrograde ureteroscopy for distal ureteric stone removal in children

A wide range of topics is covered in the Paediatric Urology section in this month's issue: retrograde ureteroscopy for distal ureteric stones, outcomes of continent catheterizable stomas for urinary and faecal incontinence, an exploration of a possible common cause between enuresis in childhood and urinary and faecal incontinence in adult life, and a description of a new surgical procedure, the colpo-wrap. OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of ureteroscopy plus intracorporeal lithotripsy (ULT) with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for treating distal ureteric calculi in childhood, as such stones are commonly treated by ESWL as the first option in adults but there is no agreement on the method of treating them in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS From July 2002 to July 2003, children presenting with ureteric stones were consecutively randomized for treatment using ULT or ESWL. The two groups were matched for age, sex and stone position in the distal ureter. A 7.5 F ureteroscope combined with a ballistic lithotripter or holmium-YAG laser was used for ULT. ESWL was administered using a second-generation lithotripter. The success rate, effectiveness quotient, complication rate and hospitalization were evaluated and compared using Student's t-test (chi-square) and Fisher's exact test as appropriate. In all, 31 patients (21 girls and 10 boys, mean age 7.2 years, range 2–17) were treated, by ULT in 17 (12 girls and five boys) and ESWL as a primary procedure in 14 (five boys and nine girls). RESULTS After one ULT, all the girls and four boys, and after ESWL, four girls and two boys, were rendered stone-free at the first treatment. The total stone-free rate was 16 of 17 for ULT and six of 14 for ESWL (P = 0.004). Eight patients had a second ESWL and three then became stone-free. The five patients in whom both ESWL treatments failed had a successful ULT. There was no significant difference between the groups in complication rate and hospitalization. General anaesthesia was required in all patients <12 years old treated by ULT or ESWL. The calculated efficiency quotient for treating distal ureteric calculi was significantly lower for ESWL than ULT (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS ULT should be recommended as the treatment of choice for distal ureteric calculi in children; using small ureteroscopes the target stone was treated safely and effectively.
Permeability, porosity and pore geometry of chemically altered porous silica glass

[1] In this study, we prepared samples of a well-controlled, internally smooth, synthetic material (i.e., porous silica glass) and submitted them to chemical alteration while measuring changes in porosity and permeability. In the early stages of alteration we observed a large drop in permeability, whereas porosity remained essentially unchanged. In the late stages the permeability decrease became gradual so that even small decreases in permeability were accompanied by substantial decreases in porosity, as has been observed previously in natural sandstones and shales. A detailed microstructure study showed that smooth pore walls were roughened during alteration. Furthermore, the pore space heterogeneity increased and the connectivity decreased. A simple conceptual model suggests that the alterations occur while fluids are flowing.
The malone (antegrade colonic enema) procedure: Early experience

Abstract Purpose : The aim of this study was to assess the results of the Malone (antegrade colonic enema) procedure for fecal incontinence. Methods : By a retrospective review of patients treated between 1990 and 1996 in a tertiary referral center, 36 patients were treated with a Malone procedure. Age at operation was 8.3 (range, 3 to 14) years, the mean period of follow-up was 39 (range, 9 to 72) months. The indication was fecal soiling in 35 and chronic constipation in one. The underlying diagnosis was an anorectal anomaly in the majority of patients. The appendix was used in 30 patients and a cecal flap in six, and a submucosal antireflux procedure was also performed in 10. In 35 patients, a circular stoma was created and in one a V flap was used. Antegrade colonic enemas were performed daily in 10, alternate days in 23, and in three patients the stoma was no longer used. Enemas were performed with a 10F catheter using a mixture of phosphate enema (or liquorice) and saline. Results : Fecal soiling was completely controlled in 28 patients, and eight children soiled more than once a week. Complications occurred in 15 patients; the main problem was stenosis of the conduit, which occurred in 9 of 30 appendiceal stomas and three of six cecal stomas. Stomal stenosis was treated with surgical revision in eight patients. Additional complications werereflux through the stoma (n = 2), pain on catheterisation (n = 1), and small bowel obstruction (n = 1). in one patient the Malone has been converted to a colostomy. Conclusions : The Malone procedure is a simple technique that can effectively control fecal incontinence in the majority of cases. It appeared to be better in older children. Stomal stenosis is a frequently encountered problem that may require surgical revision.
Heavy metal and trace metal analysis in soil by sequential extraction: a review of procedures.

Quantification of heavy and trace metal contamination in soil can be arduous, requiring the use of lengthy and intricate extraction procedures which may or may not give reliable results. Of the many procedures in publication, some are designed to operate within specific parameters while others are designed for more broad application. Most procedures have been modified since their inception which creates ambiguity as to which procedure is most acceptable in a given situation. For this study, the Tessier, Community Bureau of Reference (BCR), Short, Galan, and Geological Society of Canada (GCS) procedures were examined to clarify benefits and limitations of each. Modifications of the Tessier, BCR, and GCS procedures were also examined. The efficacy of these procedures is addressed by looking at the soils used in each procedure, the limitations, applications, and future of sequential extraction.
Biological Invasions Across Spatial Scales: Intercontinental, Regional, and Local Dispersal of Cladoceran Zooplankton

The frequency of dispersal of invertebrates among lakes depends upon perspective and spatial scale. Effective passive dispersal requires both the transport of propagules and the establishment of populations large enough to be detected. At a global scale, biogeographic patterns of cladoceran zooplankton species suggest that effective dispersal among continents was originally rare, but greatly increased in the past century with expanded commerce. Genetic analysis allows some reconstruction of past dispersal events. Allozyme and mitochondrial DNA comparisons among New World and Old-World populations of several exotic cladocerans have provided estimates for likely source populations of colonists, their dispersal corridors, and timing of earlier dispersal events. Detecting the Old-World tropical exotic Daphnia lumholtzi early in its invasion of North America has allowed detailed analysis of its spatial spread. Twelve years of collection records indicate a rapid invasion of reservoirs in the United States, by both regional spread and long-distance jumps to new regions. Combining landscape features with zooplankton surveys from south-central US reservoirs revealed higher colonization rates of D. lumholtzi at lower landscape positions, a result which can be explained by either greater propagule load or by higher susceptibility of these downstream reservoirs. Because invaded reservoirs provide a source of propagules for nearby floodplain ponds, the rarity of this species in ponds suggests limitation by local environments. Such analyses of invading species over multiple spatial scales allow a better understanding of ecological processes governing invasion dynamics.
Image Discrimination Enhancement Combination System (IDECS)

This paper describes the structure of the IDECS system developed at the University of Kansas Remote Sensing Laboratory beginning in 1964. The IDECS is a computer controllable hybrid analog-digital machine that can display black and white or color images and can do its own image acquisition, enhancement, and combinations. IDECS processing operations require no memory and include level slicing, isometric 3-D display, linear combinations, tone-to-hue conversions, area selection, and differentiation.
Optical properties of fluoroaluminate glasses in the UV region

Abstract Transmittance and refractive index in the ultraviolet (UV) region have been measured for glasses in the systems MgF 2 CaF 2 AlF 3 and BaF 2 CaF 2 AlF 3 . Cutoff wavelengths of these glasses are about 160 nm. Refractive index at 248 nm is 1.43 for a 20MgF 2 ·50CaF 2 ·30AlF 3 glass and 1.45 for an 18BaF 2 ·37CaF 2 ·45AlF 3 glass. Wavelength dispersion (−d n /d λ ) of these glasses at 248 nm is 0.6 times that of a silica glass. Under irradiation by 248 nm light by a KrF excimer laser, the glasses show no decrease in transmission to an accumulated dose of 5 × 10 3 J/cm 2 . These optical properties assure that the glasses can be used as lens materials in the UV region.
Influence of soil moisture on the Sahelian climate prediction II

The sensitivity of short-term climate to soil moisture parameterization has been investigated using the Florida State University Global Spectral Model. This is done through the implementation of a simple and realistic soil moisture availability in a prognostic equation for the surface temperature.
Population thinking as trope nominalism

The concept of population thinking was introduced by Ernst Mayr as the right way of thinking about the biological domain, but it is difficult to find an interpretation of this notion that is both unproblematic and does the theoretical work it was intended to do. I argue that, properly conceived, Mayr’s population thinking is a version of trope nominalism: the view that biological property-types do not exist or at least they play no explanatory role. Further, although population thinking has been traditionally used to argue against essentialism about biological kinds, recently it has been suggested that it may be consistent with at least some forms of essentialism—ones that construe essential properties as relational. I argue that if population thinking is a version of trope nominalism, then, as Mayr originally claimed, it rules out any version of essentialism about biological kinds.
An Inexpensive, Noise‐Immune Amplifier Designed for Computer Monitoring of Ventilatory Movements of Fish and other Biological Events

Abstract An inexpensive, noise-immune amplifier designed to interface ventilatory movements of fish and other biological events to mini- and micro-computers is presented. Total amplification of the signal is adjustable from 2.92 × 104 to 3.21 × 105. Although the cost of this amplifier is small, the main contribution lies in the realm of noise immunity, an essential quality for linking bioelectric signals of fish and other aquatic organisms to computers.
Sense organs on the antennal flagellum of two species of embioptera (Insecta).

Five different kinds of sense organs have been identified on the antennal flagellum of males of Ptilocerembia sp: (1) tactile hairs, (2) thick-walled chemoreceptors, (3) chemoreceptors with thick walls and many pores, (4) thin-walled chemoreceptors and (5) campaniform sense organs. The third type has not been reported previously for other species of insects and combines the characteristics of typical thick-walled and thin-walled chemoreceptors. The campaniform sense organs are situated in sets of three, 120° apart, on the periphery of the distal end of nearly every subsegment. They lie at the transition zone where the thicker cuticle of the subsegment changes to the thin membrane between subsegments.
Validation of an Assessment Rubric via Controlled Modification of a Classroom Activity.

A rubric that embodies the key features of the process-oriented, guided-inquiry learning (POGIL) model was subjected to systematic study of validity and reliability. Nearly 60 college instructors used the rubric to evaluate four intentionally modified versions of an established POGIL activity. The modifications strengthened or weakened key characteristics of the activity. Results indicate that the rubric was sufficiently sensitive and reliable for distinguishing the structures of the four versions, even in the hands of those inexperienced with POGIL or the rubric, and that the evaluation was consistent with the design characteristics. The rubric should continue to be useful for reviewing existing classroom materials, for efficient authoring and revising of new materials, and for introducing others to POGIL pedagogy. This article also exemplifies a rigorous process by which a rubric may be evaluated.
Oromo Fashion: Three Contemporary Body Art Practices among Afran Qallo Women

Peri M. Klemm In 1998, when I first visited Harar,1 a town in eastern Ethiopia, I was traveling with a young Muslim Oromo-American woman. Wherever we ventured in and around the old walled city, people stopped dead in their tracks and stared. Not at me, per se, although my light skin and hair color certainly attract attention, but at my traveling companion. She looked Ethiopian, certainly, and even Oromo. Her headscarf indicated her faith in the devoutly Islamic region of Harar and though I also covered my head as a sign of respect, for her it was culturally and religiously motivated. Unlike Oromo women in Harar, however, she usually wore the clothes of an American college student and she appeared heavier than most Ethiopian women in her T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers. In Harar, those bold enough, usually men, stopped her on the street to ask her with some insistence: What is your father’s name? Where is your family’s house? Why do you dress this way? Those living in and near Harar, we learned, were particularly curious about my friend because she could not easily be identified. I, on the other hand, as a white foreigner, was either classified as part of the growing tourist presence in Harar or as an NGO worker on temporary leave.2 Categorizing people by ethnicity, religion, marital status, social and economic class, and occupation is by no means limited to the inhabitants of eastern Ethiopia. Throughout Africa, one could argue, those not easily deposited into recognized and accepted expressions of personhood are suspect and afforded considerable attention. In Harar, however, where four major ethnicities live and work within close proximity to one another, identifying and categorizing others through visual signifiers such as clothing, hairstyle, and body markings is crucial to formulating all future modes of interaction. This is particularly overt for women. Men from all local ethnicities—Harari, Argobba, Somali, and Oromo—wear similar types of clothing, including waist wraps made of imported Indonesian textiles or pants with T-shirts, dress shirts, and jackets, which render them virtually indistinguishable from one another (Klemm 2002:196). Women, on the other hand, clearly differentiate themselves through specific dress3 ensembles that convey their regional ties, clan affiliation, class, and life-cycle stage. This information is clearly communicated to individuals who understand the complex language of dress in eastern Ethiopia. Beyond the immediate visual correspondences, more subversive political references also exist, many of which have developed during the last generation. This 1 An Afran Qallo Oromo woman transports water in jerry cans with the help of her donkey to the market. She wears a beaded bracelet and a series of thin beaded necklaces along with the large beaded ambarka necklace. Fedis, Ethiopia.
The department chair's balancing acts

This chapter examines the various roles, challenges, and responsibilities that department chairs must balance in the course of their work.
Diagnostic utility of the HepPar1 antibody to differentiate hepatocellular carcinoma from metastatic carcinoma in fine-needle aspiration samples

BACKGROUND The cytopathologic distinction between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and metastatic carcinoma (MC) in the liver can be problematic, especially in patients with poorly differentiated HCC, in whom a trabecular pattern, bile production, and Mallory bodies may not be apparent on small fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples. HepPar1 (OCH1E5) is a monoclonal antibody specifically developed to react with hepatocytes. It rarely reacts with bile duct and nonparenchymal liver cells. METHODS FNA samples (cell blocks) from 75 liver tumors were selected. These included 50 moderate to poorly differentiated HCC cases, 5 cholangiocarcinoma (CC) cases, and 20 MC cases (4 from the breast, 4 from the stomach, 4 from the pancreas, and 8 from the colon). Immunohistochemical staining for HepPar1 was performed to differentiate HCC from MC. RESULTS The HepPar1 antibody was positive in 50 of 50 HCC cases (100%). The positivity was cytoplasmic, diffuse, and granular. All 5 cases of CC were found to be negative (0%). Although focal positivity within tumor cells was noted in one case, cytologically these were entrapped normal hepatocytes between the tumor cells. In addition, 3 of 20 MC cases (15%) also were positive for HepPar1. All three cases originated from gastric primary tumors and exhibited diffuse, granular cytoplasmic staining. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study demonstrate that HepPar1 is an effective marker with which to differentiate between HCC and CC and/or MC. HepPar1 was found to demonstrate 100% positivity in HCC cases, compared with 0% and 15% positivity, respectively, in CC and MC cases. In addition, HepPar1 is extremely helpful in limited tissue samples from FNA. Although 15% of the MC cases in the current study were found to be positive, with the help of clinical correlation and other immunohistochemical stains a definite diagnosis could be rendered. Potential pitfalls include residual benign hepatocyte staining within a non-HCC malignancy, as was observed in one of the CC cases in the current study. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2001;96:49–52. © 2001 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10311
Investigation of cellular movement in the prostate epithelium using an agent-based model.

Abstract Experimental patterns of epithelial cell proliferation in the prostate suggest that cell movement may play an important role in prostate epithelial homeostasis, and genes known to regulate cell movement are commonly mutated or deleted in prostate carcinomas. However, the nature of cell movement within the prostate epithelium remains unknown. Here, the role of cellular movement in the prostate epithelium was explored by developing an agent-based model of the prostate duct. Prostatic adult stem cells, transit amplifying/intermediate cells (TA/ICs), and luminal cells were individually modeled within a three-dimensional reconstruction of a prostate duct. Different movement behaviors for TA/ICs and luminal cells were assessed by their ability to recreate experimental patterns of prostate cell proliferation and epithelial morphology. Strongly directed TA/IC movement toward the distal region of the prostate duct combined with weakly directed luminal cell movement toward the proximal region of the prostate duct was able to best recreate experimental patterns of prostate proliferation and morphology. The effects on cell mobility from abnormalities in PTEN and thymosin β15 (Tβ15), genes which are commonly altered in prostate cancer, were simulated in the model. These simulations show that altering prostate stem cell movement can dysregulate epithelial homeostasis and lead to excessive cell growth, suggesting that disruption of cell movement may contribute to prostate carcinogenesis.
Decision Styles — A Perspective

How do decision styles differ from leadership or management styles? This question is addressed by considering situational variables, the decision process itself and a variety of decision style models. The authors conclude that the decision style approach has many applications and is a highly effective management tool.