cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classifying and Measuring the Performance of Socially Responsible Mutual Funds

We offer a factor model for classifying socially responsible mutual funds and measuring their performance. Our factor model consists of six factors, the four widely used factors of market, small-large (SMB), value-growth (HML), and momentum, and two social responsibility factors, reflecting the criteria most widely-used by socially responsible funds. The first social responsibility factor is the 'top-bottom' factor (TMB), consisting of the difference between the returns of stocks of companies ranked in the top third and the bottom third by five social responsibility criteria: employee relations, community relations, environmental protection, diversity, and products. The second is the 'accepted-shunned' factor (AMS), consisting of the difference between the returns of stocks of companies commonly accepted by socially responsible investors and the returns of stocks of companies commonly shunned by them. Shunned stocks are stocks of companies in the alcohol, tobacco, gambling, firearms, military, and nuclear industries. We know the coefficient of a factor as its loading, tilt, or beta. We will use the term beta. The betas of the TMB and AMS factors capture well the social responsibility features of indexes and mutual funds, and the TMB and AMS betas of indexes and mutual funds generally reflect the social responsibility scores of the companies whose stocks they contain. Classification of socially responsible mutual funds by betas and contents differs from classification by Morningstar and other classifying services. The measured performance of mutual funds when the TMB and AMS factors are considered differs from their measured performance when these factors are overlooked.
Lessons from Biology: Engineering Design Considerations for Modeling Human Hematopoiesis

Adult human hematopoiesis resides in the bone marrow (BM), which is comprised of multiple niches capable of supporting hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), as well as their downstream lineages. In maintaining the blood-forming cells of the body, the BM microenvironment is spatially regulated by a number of stromal support cells to maintain HSPCs and promote their differentiation in response to exogenous stimuli (e.g., injury, regeneration, disease). Although mouse models are the gold standard for studying hematopoietic biology, in vitro models are gaining acceptance in studies of human-centered, patient-specific functions of blood and immune progenitors. Over the past 5–10 years, model systems of the BM, including ossicles, engineered tissues, and organs-on-a-chip, have emerged as new vehicles to study both healthy and malignant hematopoiesis. In this review, we describe progress in bioengineered tools for studying the BM, as well as design considerations necessary for developing more advanced systems for precision medicine and translational applications.
Higher baseline copper levels are associated with worse outcome in burn patients with overweight and obesity.

Abstract Introduction We examined the interactive effects of copper (Cu) and overweight (overweight) and obesity on outcomes of burn patients. We posited that higher baseline Cu among burn patients with overweight or obesity will be associated with poor clinical outcomes vs. patients with a normal weight. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on patients with ≥20% total burn surface area (TBSA) with an initial measurement of Cu. Patients were grouped by body mass index (BMI). The interactions between baseline Cu and BMI groups on multiple burn patient outcomes were examined in a series of multiple regression models. Results One-hundred-and-sixty patients met eligibility (age 43.9 ± 17.5, males 86.3%, normal weight:overweight:obesity = 53:38:69). BMI groups did not differ significantly on demographics, burn severity, or baseline biochemistry. Normal weight patients with higher baseline Cu had shorter ICU stay (ICUS), shorter length of stay (LOS), and had fewer operations (Ps Conclusions Higher baseline Cu seems associated with adverse outcomes in overweight and obese burn patients. Further research is needed to confirm this association and explore the direction of causality.
A Review of the Existing Data on Soil-Freezing Experiments and Assessment of Soil-Freezing Curves Derived from Soil–Water Retention Curves

Abstract This study focuses on the investigation of the predictive capability of the Clausius–Clapeyron (C–C) equation in conjunction with soil–water retention characteristics to estimate soil-free...
Thinking through diagrams: discovery in game playing

Diagrams often play an important role in human problem solving. A diagram can make a task more difficult, however, when it obscures important problem features, or requires repeated effort to interpret what it represents. Moreover, the nature and origin of diagrams can be as important as their exploitation during problem solving. This paper chronicles the complex interleaving of visual cognition with high-level reasoning in three subjects. Their diagrams and subsequent verbal protocols offer insight into human cognition. The diversity and richness of their response, and their ability to address the task via diagrams, provide an incisive look at the role diagrams play in the development of expertise. This paper recounts how their diagrams led, and misled, them; how their diagrams both explained and drove explanation; and how a spatial approach reported here can lead to deeper understanding of other simple games.
When Boys Become Boys: Development, Relationships, and Masculinity

Foreword by Carol Gilligan Introduction 1. Entering Boys' World 2. Boys' Relational Capabilities 3. Socialization and Its Discontents 4. Boys versus the Mean Team 5. Boys' Awareness, Agency, and Adaptation 6. Parents' Perspectives on Boys' Predicament Conclusion Acknowledgments Notes Index About the Author
C and UNIX: Tools for Software Design

Programs. Flow of Control. Functions. Input/Output. Program Design. Arrays. Strings. Structures. Dynamic Memory Management. Data Structure Design. Specialized Tools. Advanced Programming Topics. Advanced Design Methods. Appendices. Index.
Food Reserves on Space Trips

Food plays an intimate role in the life of man. Not only is food required for survival, but its preparation, taste, color and consistency have an important relation to man’s attitudes and performance. In space, where environmental stimuli may be expected to be at a minimum and crew duties routine and perhaps monotonous, food, together with recreation, sanitation facilities and comfortable work surroundings, will have a bearing upon the efficient performance of crew tasks.
Model Resolvents for Cylinders

In this chapter we’ll develop explicit formulas for the resolvent kernels of the other elementary surfaces: the hyperbolic and parabolic cylinders. These explicit formulas will serve as building blocks when we turn to the construction of the resolvent in the general case in Chapter 6 This is because of the decomposition result of Theorem 2.23, which showed that the ends of non-elementary hyperbolic surfaces are funnels and cusps.
Postdischarge Nutrition of Preterm Infants: More Questions than Answers

Postnatal growth retardation is inevitable in preterm infants, the more immature the infant the greater the degree of postnatal growth retardation at hospital discharge. After hospital discharge, se
Infrared spectra of helium clusters seeded with nitrous oxide, HeN4–N2O, with N=1–80

High resolution infrared spectra of HeN–N2O clusters are studied in the 2200cm−1 region of the N2O ν1 fundamental band. The clusters are produced in a pulsed supersonic jet expansion from a cooled nozzle source and probed using a tunable diode laser operating in a rapid-scan mode. Three isotopic forms are used (N14N14O16, N15N14O16, and N15N15O16) in order to support the spectral analyses. For clusters up to N≈24, the individual spectra are resolved, assigned, and analyzed together with complementary microwave data. Assignments for larger clusters are uncertain due to overlapping transitions, but an approximate analysis is still possible for N≈25–80. Compared to helium clusters containing the related CO2 or OCS molecules, the rotational dynamics of HeN–N2O clusters show similarities but also important differences. In particular, HeN–N2O has more irregular behavior in the range of N=6–17, indicating that conventional molecular structure plays a greater role. In general terms, these differences can be attri...
Cure unwanted? Exploring the chronic Lyme disease controversy and why conflicts of interest in practice guidelines may be guiding us down the wrong path.

“We can’t treat conflicts of interest like some family secret no one talks about. We must become more comfortable asking and answering pertinent questions about the sources and substance of industry funding that might influence individuals, institutions, and organizations.”
Data Structures and Languages in Support of Parallel Image Processing for Astronomy

Data structures, and aspects of programming languages and programming systems that are relevant to image processing of astronomy data are discussed. Since parallel processing promises to greatly increase the speed with which images can be analyzed, techniques that will help achieve this speed and new methods that may become possible because of it are of interest.
Window Classification of Brain CT Images in Biomedical Articles

Effective capability to search biomedical articles based on visual properties of article images may significantly augment information retrieval in the future. In this paper, we present a new method to classify the window setting types of brain CT images. Windowing is a technique frequently used in the evaluation of CT scans, and is used to enhance contrast for the particular tissue or abnormality type being evaluated. In particular, it provides radiologists with an enhanced view of certain types of cranial abnormalities, such as the skull lesions and bone dysplasia which are usually examined using the " bone window" setting and illustrated in biomedical articles using "bone window images". Due to the inherent large variations of images among articles, it is important that the proposed method is robust. Our algorithm attained 90% accuracy in classifying images as bone window or non-bone window in a 210 image data set.
An unusual self-discharge of a field lithium-thionyl chloride battery submodule

A lithium thionyl chloride submodule in a Peace-keeper site in May 1992 was found to be bulging to a considerable extent. When an attempt was made to discharge the submodule in place, the battery voltage was about 6.1 V in two hours, vs. the expected 10.2 V. Thus, it appeared that at least one cell had experienced self-discharge. A subsequent discharge and dissection of the submodule conducted at NAVSURFWARCENDIV Crane showed that one cell in the submodule had indeed self-discharged, but no overt reason could be determined. A number of unusual observations did indicate however that the self-discharge had occurred very slowly, and was therefore a probable consequence of a soft short through a high resistance path. This paper discusses the discharge and dissection processes and the failure analysis findings, along with the unusual attributes of this particular failure. >
Privacy Preserving Data Mining: Challenges and Opportunities

The goal of privacy preserving data mining is to develop accurate models without access to precise information in individual data records, thus finessing the conflict between privacy and data mining. In this talk, I will give an introduction to the techniques underlying privacy preserving data mining, and then discuss several application domains. In particular, recent events have led to an increased interest in applying data mining toward security related problems, leading to interesting technical challenges at the intersection of privacy, security and data mining.
Transition from grant funding to a self-supporting burn telemedicine program in the western United States.

Abstract Background Many Americans have limited access to specialty burn care, and telemedicine has been proposed as a means to address this disparity. However, many telemedicine programs have been founded on grant support and then fail once the grant support expires. Our objective was to demonstrate that a burn telemedicine program can be financially viable. Methods This retrospective review from 2005 to 2014 evaluated burn telemedicine visits and financial reimbursement during and after a Technology Opportunities Program grant to a regional burn center. Results In 2005, we had 12 telemedicine visits, which increased to 458 in 2014. In terms of how this compares to in-person clinic visits, we saw a consistent increase in telemedicine visits as a percentage of total clinic visits from .26% in 2005 to 14% in 2014. Median telemedicine reimbursement has been equivalent to in-person visits. Conclusions Specialty telemedicine programs can successfully transition from grant-funded enterprises to self-sustaining. The availability of telemedicine services allows access to specialty expertise in a large and sparsely populated region without imposing an undue financial burden.
Is Problem-Solving Language?

Opinion has shifted during the last decade about the ability of chimpanzees to learn language. Recent projects have reversed earlier failures to establish communication between man and chimpanzee by bypassing the troublesome (for chimpanzees) vocal medium of language. Nevertheless, just what a chimpanzee can learn about language remains controversial. Through the media of American Sign Language (e.g., Gardner amp; Gardner 1969) and the artificial visual languages invented by Premack (1970a) and by Rumbaugh and Glasersfeld (1973), chimpanzees have been taught to produce and comprehend far greater vocabularies than were thought possible following the unsuccessful attempts of the Hayeses (1951), the Kelloggs [1933 (1967); this volume], and others to communicate with chimpanzees via vocal languages. What is at issue is whether a chimpanzee can master relationships between words—in particular, relationships as expressed in sentences.
Computer-assisted psychological intervention: A review and commentary

Abstract This paper reviews the 25-year history of computer-assisted psychological intervention, with particular emphasis on the current status of the computer in psychotherapy. The computer is playing an increasingly important role in personality and behavioral assessment, diagnostic interviewing and history taking, health education, mental health consultation, and clinical training. In these areas, the reliability, validity, and utility of the computer compares very favorably with that of the clinician. Evaluations of the use of the computer with psychiatric patients conclude that even those who are quite disturbed interact very successfully with computers, including many patients who are unable to interact with mental health personnel. Computer-assisted psychotherapy programs have been most successfully implemented in the areas of cognitive and behavioral psychotherapy. In the case of psychodynamic psychotherapy, computer programs appear to be limited by our failure to make fully explicit the rules governing therapist behavior and by the continuing inability of computers to comprehend natural language.
Optimal microwave power transfer through unknown region based on time reversal technique

The techniques of wireless power transfer can be divided into three categories: inductive coupling, laser beaming and microwave power transfer (MPT). The MPT has its unique advantages of supplying power to devices which are far away from transmitter and moving. However, the power transmission efficiency is seriously constrained due to the inherent radiation of microwave. For this reason, the array antenna has to be employed at both transmitting end and receiving end in order to maximize the transmission efficiency so the weigh distribution on array elements is the key problem to achieve optimal transmission efficiency.
Batterer intervention programs: a report from the field

Over the past 25 years, batterer intervention has become the most probable disposition following a plea or conviction on domestic battery charges and, consequently, batterer intervention programs (BIPs) have proliferated. Despite their popularity, and recent attempts by states to regulate practice, little is known about the actual programs operating in the field. The aim of this study was to examine the philosophy, structure, leadership, curricula, and support systems of BIPs. Respondents from 276 batterer intervention programs in 45 states described their programs via an anonymous, Web-based survey. The results provide some insight regarding the workings of actual BIPs and also point out problems such as the dearth of programs in languages other than English and the failure to translate recommendations for prescriptive approaches into practice.
Fate of outflow tract in tetralogy of Fallot.

Abstract Cardiac catheterization studies were performed in 37 selected patients with tetralogy of Fallot. In 25 patients the ratio of right ventricular to left ventricular systolic pressures (RV/LV ratio) decreased between completion of repair and restudy by a mean of 36% (range, 10 to 53%). In 4 patients the ratio was unchanged, and in 8 patients it increased by a mean of 33% (range, 10 to 73%). Patients with patch graft reconstruction of the outflow tract showed significantly less likelihood (p = 0.02) of a late increase in RV/LV ratio than patients without a patch graft. A greater late decrease in RV/LV ratio occurred in patients who had good immediate relief of outflow tract obstruction. The most common site of outflow tract obstruction at restudy was the pulmonary valve and valve ring. Stenosis of the pulmonary valve recurred in 5 patients despite the fact that a patch traversed the valve ring in 2 of them.
Exploiting hierarchical context on a large database of object categories

There has been a growing interest in exploiting contextual information in addition to local features to detect and localize multiple object categories in an image. Context models can efficiently rule out some unlikely combinations or locations of objects and guide detectors to produce a semantically coherent interpretation of a scene. However, the performance benefit from using context models has been limited because most of these methods were tested on datasets with only a few object categories, in which most images contain only one or two object categories. In this paper, we introduce a new dataset with images that contain many instances of different object categories and propose an efficient model that captures the contextual information among more than a hundred of object categories. We show that our context model can be applied to scene understanding tasks that local detectors alone cannot solve.
Autologous skin transplantation: Comparison of minced skin to other techniques

Background. Skin grafting may be necessary to close nonhealing skin wounds. This report describes a fast and minimally invasive method to produce minced skin suitable for transplantation to skin wounds. The technique was evaluated in an established porcine skin wound healing model and was compared to split-thickness skin grafts and suspensions of cultured and noncultured keratinocytes. Materials and methods. The study included 90 wounds on 3 pigs. Fluid-treated full-thickness skin wounds were grafted with minced skin, split-thickness skin grafts, noncultured keratinocytes, or cultured keratinocytes. Controls received either fluid or dry treatment. The wound healing process was analyzed in histologies collected at Days 8 to 43 postwounding. Wound contraction was quantified by photoplanimetry. Results. Wounds transplanted with minced skin and keratinocyte suspension contained several colonies of keratinocytes in the newly formed granulation tissue. During the healing phase, the colonies progressed upward and reepithelialization was accelerated. Minced skin and split-thickness skin grafts reduced contraction as compared to keratinocyte suspensions and saline controls. Granulation tissue formation was also reduced in split-thickness skin-grafted wounds. Conclusions. Minced skin grafting accelerates reepithelialization of fluid-treated skin wounds. The technique is faster and less expensive than split-thickness skin grafting and keratinocyte suspension transplantation. Minced skin grafting may have implications for the treatment of chronic wounds. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).
FUROSEMIDE DECREASES VENTILATION IN NEWBORN RABBITS

Furosemide improves lung mechanics in infants with bronchopul-monary dysplasia (BPD). However, in some infants we found that even if lung mechanics improve, PaCO2 rises and ventilation falls during furosemide therapy. Is this due to a furosemide-induced metabolic alkalosis with a secondary respiratory adjustment? Because the acid-base status of BPD patients is complex, we studied normal rabbit pups. For the first 9 days of life, 10 pups received intraperitoneal injections of furosemide (2mg/kg bid) and 10 pups received saline. On day 10, we inserted a catheter into one carotid artery and placed each pup in a plethysmograph. We measured body temperature; blood pressure; arterial gases and pH; serum Na, C1, K; respiratory frequency and tidal volume. We calculated ventilation (VE/g) and base excess (BE) and measured post-mortem static lung compliance (CL). Variables which were significantly different by unpaired t-test are shown below (means only, p<.05): Furosemide treated pups developed a primary alkalosis and a secondary respiratory acidosis; in addition, lung compliance was improved. KC1 injection to alkalotic pups increased VE and decreased pH. We conclude that furosemide 1) causes a metabolic alkalosis and reduces ventilation and 2) increases the PaCO2 which reflects changes in acid-base status and not changes in lung function.
Beryllium and growth. II. The effect of beryllium on plant growth.

Summary Experiments were undertaken to determine whether beryllium could replace magnesium in a growing organism. This was stimulated by the several known growth effects of beryllium in animals and by the fact that beryllium apparently competes with magnesium for animal alkaline phosphatases. The following findings are noted: o 1. Beryllium can reduce the magnesium requirement of plants by some 60% within a certain range of magnesium deficiency. 2. The residual obligatory magnesium requirement is probably accounted for by chlorophyll since beryllium appears to have no primary effect on chlorophyll or chlorophyll production. 3. The pH of the nutrient solution is critical: at acid pH's, beryllium is highly toxic, and growth increase due to beryllium only appears at initial pH's above 11.2, although this initial pH rapidly falls to neutrality during the experimental period.
Characterization of HLA class I specific antibodies by ELISA using solubilized antigen targets: I. evaluation of the GTI QuikID assay and analysis of antibody patterns

The development of solid phase immunoassays using solubilized HLA molecules as targets has provided a means of detecting HLA-specific antibodies that overcomes many of the shortcomings of lymphocyte based assays. We have evaluated a commercially available assay, the GTI QuikID (QID), that uses solubilized class I molecules from 40 subjects selected for their HLA phenotype, to characterize HLA-specific antibodies. We tested 595 sera from 319 subjects and compared the results obtained with QID to those obtained with cytotoxicity (CYT) and with GTI QuikScreen (QS) as well as to historic data. The correlation of QID with CYT (r = 0.54) was comparable to that between QID and QS (r = 0.60). The majority of disparities between QS and QID were apparent false negatives with QID that could be overcome by analyzing QID data at lower cutoff values. In contrast, most of the disparities between QID and CYT were false negatives in CYT due to the relatively low sensitivity of that assay. As expected, the ELISA was more sensitive (97%) than CYT (78%) but had a somewhat lower specificity (87% vs. 92%) due, most likely, to selection of sera that excluded most sera that were known to be nonspecific by CYT. Determination of antibody specificity could be achieved quickly by manual analysis of the QID data because of the way the data are presented by the manufacturer's software. Interestingly, the frequencies of different antibodies detected by ELISA differed from those detected by CYT with ELISA identifying more sera containing antibodies to both A and B locus antigens.
Hexakis(pyridineN-oxide-κO)iron(II) tetraphenylborate

The FeII cation in [Fe(C5H5NO)6](C24H20B)2 has a distorted octa­hedral coordination with the Fe—O distances in the range 2.085 (2)–2.148 (2) A. In the crystal structure the [Fe(C5H5NO)6]2+ cations and the BPh4− anions are involved in a π–π and six C—H⋯π inter­molecular inter­actions between pyridine and the phenyl rings of the counter-ions.
Laser-driven direct quantum control of nuclear excitations

The possibility of controlled direct laser-nuclear excitations is considered from a quantum control perspective. The controllability of laser-driven electric dipole and magnetic dipole transitions among pure nuclear states is analyzed. Within a set of realistic and general conditions, atomic nuclei are demonstrated to possess full state controllability. Additionally, an analysis of the nuclear state excitation probability as a function of the laser control field is conducted. This control landscape is shown to possess a generic topology, which has important physical consequences for achieving optimal nuclear state excitation with laser fields. Last, an assessment is given of the technological challenges that need to be considered when implementing direct nuclear control in the laboratory.
One Way Distance: For Shape Based Similarity Search of Moving Object Trajectories

An interesting issue in moving object databases is to find similar trajectories of moving objects. Previous work on this topic focuses on movement patterns (trajectories with time dimension) of moving objects, rather than spatial shapes (trajectories without time dimension) of their trajectories. In this paper we propose a simple and effective way to compare spatial shapes of moving object trajectories. We introduce a new distance function based on "one way distance" (OWD). Algorithms for evaluating OWD in both continuous (piece wise linear) and discrete (grid representation) cases are developed. An index structure for OWD in grid representation, which guarantees no false dismissals, is also given to improve the efficiency of similarity search. Empirical studies show that OWD out-performs existent methods not only in precision, but also in efficiency. And the results of OWD in continuous case can be approximated by discrete case efficiently.
TOWARD CLARIFICATION OF THE CONCEPT OF ‘MINORITY’ STATUS AND DECISION-MAKING IN JUVENILE COURT PROCEEDINGS

ABSTRACT Although researchers have studied the influence of being a minority on juvenile court processing and case outcomes, few have adequately conceptualized and tested for the different effects being Latino may have relative to being African American or being white. There has also been a failure to consider all available case outcomes at the stage of intake and decision making across the juvenile justice system. In either situation, race/ethnic differences may be obscured or enhanced The objective of the present research was to study decision-making within juvenile court proceedings in the state of Iowa to fill these voids. Utilizing an interpretation of conflict theory that emphasizes stereotyping upon decisionmaking, the results suggest that differences exist in the case processing and outcomes of Latinos, African Americans, and whites. Separating the outcome of release from diversion and a recommendation for further intervention at intake also provide evidence of race/ethnic differences that may hav...
A self-opening diaphragm for expansion tubes and expansion tunnels

Self opening em-operated secondary and ternary mylar diaphragms for expansion tubes and tunnels
Large Laser Radar For Atmospheric Probing

The detection and recording of atmospheric scattering data has received a tremendous amount of attention since the development of the laser. The work of such men as Myron Ligda and Ron Collis at the Stanford Research Institute and Georgio Fiocco at MIT has shown that the laser radar (or LIDAR) is a valuable tool for obtaining backscatter information on atmospheric phenomena. The General Electric Company has been actively engaged in laser measurements of the atmosphere since 1964. (Ref..1,2) A number of laser equipments were con-structed and used to obtain atmospheric data at various places in the country. Recently a large laser system was built for use in measuring Rayleigh and Raman scattering in two colors from the atmosphere by the Space Sciences Laboratory of the General, Electric Company in King of Prussia, Penn sylvania. The two color capabilities of the of the system are used to obtain data on the differences between Rayleigh and Mie scat tering which exhibit diffijirent scattering func tion at different wavelength.© (1972) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Correlates of low birth weight. Psychological status at eight to ten years of age.

Extract: Five hundred low birth weight children and 492 full-term infants were seen when approximately 40 weeks of age for a pediatric-neurologic examination. Of these, 822 provided the data upon which this report is based. To each child, when eight to ten years of age, there was administered ten subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children (WISC), the Bender Gestalt Test and the Wide Range Reading and Spelling Achievement Test. In addition, observations were recorded regarding speech articulation and complexity of grammar. The number of perseveration instances and indications of possible comprehension aphasia observed during the examinations were recorded. The Verbal IQ, Performance IQ and Full Scale IQ scores, as well as the independently obtained Bender Gestalt score, showed increasing impairment with decreasing birth weight. Approximately twice as large a proportion of low birth weight children as of control children fell into the IQ category (50–79) which is associated with special medical or educational needs. At the ages of six to seven years the results of the Stanford-Binet Test showed an IQ difference between the low birth weight and full-sized groups of 3.4 points (F = 7.77, 3 and 810 df, p < 0.001), whereas the WISC given at the ages of eight to ten years indicated an IQ difference of 4.9 points (F = 10.87, 3 and 810 df, p < 0.001) for the same samples of children. Of the twenty psychological measures used to assess development of those who had been premature, relative impairment on 16 were significantly associated with birth weight and one was nearly so at the 0.05 level of significance. When the effect of the presence of indicators of possible neurologic abnormality was removed by analysis of covariance, the statistical significance of the association with birth weight was reduced for each of the variables measured, and only six of the twenty remained with significant assocation. Speculation: Future research might profitably consider whether performance by adolescents of low birth weight is relatively impaired in scholastic situations. Also, recent research suggests that a low birth weight occurring in conjunction with long gestational periods, may significantly prejudice intellectual capacity. However, there are little longitudinal data regarding this.
The impact of margin of resection on outcome in pediatric nonrhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma.

Abstract Background/Purpose : Because the management of pediatric nonrhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) is determined by extrapolation from adult studies, the effect of margin of tumor resection and postoperative radiation therapy (RT) on local tumor recurrence in children has not been assessed. Methods : Records of NRSTS patients from a single institution were reviewed with regard to demographic data, TNM staging, grade, histological type and site of primary tumor, RT, and local tumor recurrence. The margin of resection was determined by pathological review and did not necessarily reflect operative margins. Results : Eighty-eight clinical group I patients were treated over a 30-year period. The most common histological tumor subtypes were synovial cell sarcoma (n = 26), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (n = 17), and fibrosarcoma (n = 7). The mean age was 9.4 years (range, 0 to 29 years). Thirty-four patients had high-grade tumors. Two of ten patients with low-grade tumors and margins less than 1 cm, including one of five who had received RT, had a local recurrence. Patients with low-grade tumors and margins greater than 1 cm (n = 44) had a lower recurrence rate (2 of 44, 4.5%). None of these patients had received RT. Fourteen patients with high-grade tumors had margins less than 1 cm. Seven of these had RT and had no recurrence. Three of the seven patients who received no RT had a recurrence (42.9%). None of the 20 patients with high-grade tumors and margins greater than 1 cm received RT; four of these patients had recurrences (20%). Seven of the 12 irradiated patients (58.3%) had serious radiation-associated complications (wound dehiscence, fracture, growth retardation, and joint dysfunction). Conclusions : Grade alone does not determine the rate of local recurrence. In both low- and high-grade tumors, a pathological margin of resection greater than 1 cm reduced local recurrence. Radiotherapy provided no advantage in low grade tumors but did decrease local recurrence rates in high-grade tumors with less than 1 cm pathological margins.
Asymptomatic adults and older siblings with biotinidase deficiency ascertained by family studies of index cases.

We report 32 biotinidase-deficient patients detected by family studies in the index cases. The study group consisted of 10 mothers, 4 fathers and 18 siblings. There were 17 individuals (3 mothers, 4 fathers and 10 siblings) with profound biotinidase deficiency (BD) (< 10% of mean normal activity) and 15 (7 mothers and 8 siblings) with partial BD (10–30% of mean normal activity). In the profound BD group, only three siblings were symptomatic. Dermatitis, microcephaly, developmental delay and convulsions were observed. The patients with partial BD did not have any clinical symptoms except one sibling with borderline IQ score. None of the parents was symptomatic. Family investigation of patients with BD is very important for the detection of asymptomatic patients who are at risk of exhibiting symptoms at any age. Careful evaluation of these untreated individuals with BD is important to obtain additional information about the natural history of this disorder and may provide clues to phenotype–genotype relationships and treatment regimes.
Total aortic root replacement versus valve-sparing surgery: providing a basis for comparison

Total aortic root replacement versus valve-sparing surgery: providing a basis for comparison
High fat-sucrose diet effects on femoral neck geometry and biomechanics.

Diets high in fat and sucrose may affect calcium metabolism, by decreasing calcium absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and decreasing calcium reabsorption in distal renal tubules, but information about the effects of high fat-sucrose diet on immature-bone material and structural properties is lacking. The present study examined the effects of a high fat-sucrose diet on the geometrical and biomechanical properties of the femoral neck in rapidly-growing rats. Sprague-Dawley female rats were assigned randomly to a high fat-sucrose diet group or a control-diet group for 10 weeks. Cantilever-bending tests to failure were conducted, and geometrical and material properties were calculated from fracture-surface cross-sections and were correlated with mechanical data. Geometrically, the high fat-sucrose diet decreased the relative size of the femoral neck cortical shell and increased the trabecular core. The femoral necks of rats fed the high fat-sucrose diet had signiflcanctly lower structural rigidity, load at proportional limit, maximum load, energy at proportional limit, total energy, normal stress at proportional limit and maximum normal stress than the controls.
Generalized comparison theorems for disfocality types of the equation Lny + py = 0

Abstract Comparison theorems for disfocality types on [ a , ∞) of a pair of equations L n ( r n , r n − 1 ,…, r 0 ) y + py = 0 and L v ( ϱ v , ϱ v − 1 ,…, ϱ 0 ) y + qy = 0 are given, where L n and L v are disconjugate linear differential operators, not necessarily of the same order, and p and q are continuous and of constant sign.
Computer-Aided Design Methodology for Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Protection Applications

Physical mechanisms that define the triggering conditions of lateral P1N1-P2N2 structures for ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection are identified using 2-D numerical simulations. The TCAD (technology computer aided design) allows for accurate prediction of the forward and reverse blocking voltages, necessary for custom ESD protection design. Symmetrical and asymmetrical dual-polarity S-type IV characteristics are achieved for bipolar input/output ESD protection design. This is realized by using 1) tailored forward- and reverse- blocking junction configurations embedded in coupled (P1N1-P2N2)//(N2P3-N3P1) structures, and 2) optimized adjustment of the structures' doping implantations and isolation regions.
Investigation of microwave energy to cure carbon fiber reinforced phenylethynyl‐terminated polyimide composites, PETI‐5/IM7

The application of microwave energy to the processing of carbon fiber reinforced phenylethynyl-terminated polyimide composites (PETI-5/IM7) was investigated and evaluated with a variable-frequency microwave furnace. The thermal and physical properties of the composites were measured by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, thermomechanical analysis, and density and composition tests. The mechanical properties were determined by 3-point-bending and short-beam-shear tests at both room temperature and 177 °C. The shear failure surfaces of both microwave- and thermally cured composites were detected with environmental scanning electron microscopy. A comparison of the thermal and microwave processes was conducted to evaluate the advantage of the microwave process. Microwave-cured composites, fabricated under various pressures at the fixed process temperatures, also were investigated. From these studies, it was concluded that microwave energy successfully was used to fabricate PETI-5/IM7 composites with higher glass-transition temperatures (by 11–16 °C) and higher retention in flexural strength, flexural modulus, and shear strength at 177 °C than those fabricated by the thermal process. Furthermore, the microwave processes required only half the time used for the standard thermal process. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4616–4628, 1999
Resource Guide to Alcohol-Impaired Driving Programs and Materials

This article lists public and private sector associations and organizations concerned with alcohol-impaired driving. Many of these organizations provide information and materials for their members and the general public. All of the organizations have printed material available, and some provide educational kits, consumer information pamphlets, posters, written testimony, public service announcements, sample legislation, and audio-visual aids useful in DWI/health promotion program development.
Contingency Planning for Local Economic Development

Local economic development has become a central concern of public policymakers. Urban, rural, and regional planners will encounter new opportunities to establish or restructure economic development planning in the years ahead. Local planners require an approach to planning for economic development that responds to the growing pressures on planning to achieve tangible results and accounts for the formidable political and financial constraints on public planning. The proposed approach—contingency planning—is presented in this paper. In the first section, contingency planning is placed in a planning theory context. In the body of the paper, the approach is described and critically discussed in the context of local economic development. After the conclusions, the practice of contingency planning is reviewed in the appendix to the paper.
Magnetic resonance angiography in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stenting: comparison with contrast hepatic and portal venography

In order to highlight the role of magnetic resonance angiography [MRA] in the assessment of patients pre-transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) stenting, the MRA images of portal and hepatic veins of 21 patients were compared with the images from contrast portal and hepatic venograms performed on the same patients at the time of TIPS stenting (20 patients). MRA enabled accurate, non-invasive, multiplanar imaging of portal and systemic venous anatomy in each of the patients studied. MRA facilitated accurate determination of vessel patency and flow direction, images correlating exactly with contrast venograms of hepatic and portal veins in each case. In one patient, identification of occult hepatocellular carcinoma extending to the portal vein lead to the postponement of the TIPS procedure.
The Division of Vascular Surgery: 33 Years Later

The Division of Vascular Surgery of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine is vibrant, growing, and striving for excellence. This article describes examples of the division's clinical practice, research arm, educational program, and administrative component. Each of the examples reflects the leadership of Dr. James S.T. Yao as well as the participation of other members of the division that have contributed to the progressive advancement of care for patients with vascular disease.
Measuring Law Library Catalog Web Site Usability: A Web Analytic Approach

ABSTRACT Although there is a proliferation of information available on the Web, and law professors, students, and other users have a variety of channels to locate information and complete their research activities, the law library catalog still remains an important source for offering users access to information that has been evaluated and cataloged by experts. The usability of the catalog needs to be effectively measured before any necessary improvements can be made. This study was undertaken to investigate the information retrieval patterns of users of the Rutgers Law Library Online Public Access Catalog and to develop the catalog into a more effective search tool for these users. This study used an experimental approach to measure the usability of our catalog by analyzing the transaction logs from the OPAC system and the results from Google Analytics. The findings provided not only important information on user demographics and their computer systems, but also more insight on the search behaviors of us...
Growth potential and genetic parameters of four Mesoamerican pines planted in the Southern Hemisphere

Summary results are reported from a total of 319 provenance/progeny tests of Pinus tecunumanii, P. maximinoi, P. patula and P. greggii that were established on sites in Brazil, Colombia and South Africa. Tests were measured for the growth traits height, diameter at breast height (DBH) and volume at ages 3, 5 and 8 years. At a particular age, correlations among height, DBH and volume were very high (from 0.80 to 0.99) at both the provenance and additive genetic levels, and the three growth traits also had similar heritabilities. Volume at age 3 was highly correlated with age 8 volume (around 0.80), and correlations of age 5 volume with age 8 volume were near 0.95. Low-elevation P. tecunumanii had very high between-country correlations both at the provenance and genetic level (around 0.80 to 1.00). Between-country genetic correlations for most other species were around 0.60. Two of the four species, P. tecunumanii and P. maximinoi, grew substantially faster than the commercial controls planted with the prog...
An efficient algorithm for edge coloring planar graphs with D colors

Abstract We present an efficient algorithm for edge coloring a planar graph G . Let n be the number of vertices and Δ be the maximum degree of G . If Δ ≥33, our algorithm constructs an edge coloring of G using Δ colors. The parallel implementation of the algorithm takes O (log 2 n ) time with O( n ) processors. The sequential implementation takes O( n ) time.
Conceptual development of form features and feature modelers

Feature definition, definition methods, properties, and representation are classified and formalized. Fundamental issues related to the definition and semantics of form features are explored. The concept of a form feature is progressively developed by consideration of dimensionality, contiguity, closure, finiteness, uniqueness, and representation. Issues related to feature-feature interactions are identified and the types of interactions classified. The consequences of viewpoint dependence of features and feature transformations are also discussed, specifically with regard to the possibility of feature standardization and data exchange.
Particulate nitrate: Laboratory and field studies of major sampling interferences

Abstract Particulate nitrate is a significant constituent of the atmosphere. Its accurate determination is important in assessing its impact on health, visibility, and precipitation chemistry. This report describes a study of particulate nitrate sampling interferences. Serious interference was found to be caused by collection of gaseous nitrogen compounds on niters used for nitrate sampling. Both laboratory and field experiments are presented which document the severity of the interference. Other factors having a potential effect on nitrate sampling are also discussed.
Minority Alcoholism Programs: Issues in Service Delivery Models

This article describes how one metropolitan community attempted to set up a program to treat Black alcoholics. The effort is analyzed from direct service and administrative perspectives. When this program failed, an alternative model was developed. The two programs are compared, and an integrated model for minority community alcoholism services is proposed.
Paraneoplastic manifestations in children

Paraneoplastic manifestations are signs and symptoms observed in patients with cancer, distant from the tumour or its metastases and not caused by invasion, obstruction or bulk mass. In children with cancer, paraneoplastic manifestations are rare and distinct from those observed in adults. Knowledge about paraneoplastic manifestations can be of great clinical importance because they may be the presenting sign of a tumour or its recurrence and hence facilitate early diagnosis. In contrast, they sometimes mask the symptoms of a tumour and cause diagnostic delay. In this review, paraneoplastic manifestations in children are described, including hypercalcaemia, Cushing syndrome, precocious puberty, opsoclonus/myoclonus, acquired von Willebrand disease, watery diarrhoea syndrome, and hypertension. The mechanisms causing these manifestations are also discussed.