cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consistency and Consensus among Informants: Disease Concepts in a Rural Mexican Village

Anthropologists have discussed problems inherent in selecting knowledgeable informants, in particular whether or not the practice of utilizing key informants is valid. Boster (1983) states that only through an analysis of diversity can informant expertise be identified. In this paper I report on a study of diversity in the classification of illness terms with regard to specific illness concepts in a Tarascan village. Using a method of oral, paired comparisons, informants rank-ordered illness terms on concepts of contagion, severity, characteristic age of the victim, and whether the illness needed hot or cold remedies. A shared-culture model is util-
Strand Specificity in the Interactions of Escherichia coli Primary Replicative Helicase DnaB Protein with a Replication Fork

The interactions of the Escherichia coli primary replicative helicase DnaB protein, with synthetic DNA replication fork substrates, having either a single arm or both arms, have been studied using the thermodynamically rigorous fluorescence titration techniques. This approach allows us to obtain absolute stoichiometries of the formed complexes and interaction parameters without any assumptions about the relationship between the observed signal (fluorescence) and the degree of binding. Subsequently, the formation of the complexes, with different replication fork substrates, has also been characterized using the sedimentation velocity technique. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative characterization of interactions of a hexameric helicase with replication fork substrates. In the presence of the ATP nonhydrolyzable analog, AMP-PNP, the E. coli DnaB helicase preferentially binds to the 5' arm of the single-arm fork substrate with an intrinsic affinity 6-fold higher than its affinity for the 3' arm. ATP hydrolysis is not necessary for formation of the helicase-fork complex. The asymmetric interactions are consistent with the 5' --> 3' directionality of the helicase activity of the DnaB protein and most probably reflects a preferential 5' --> 3' polarity in the helicase binding to ssDNA, with respect to the ssDNA backbone. The double-stranded part of the fork contributes little to the free energy of binding. The data indicate a rather passive role of the duplex part of the fork in the binding of the helicase. This role seems to be limited to impose steric hindrance in the formation of nonproductive complexes of the enzyme with the fork. Quantitative analysis of binding of the helicase to the two-arm fork substrate shows that two DnaB hexamers can bind to the fork, with each single hexamer associated with a single arm of the fork. In this complex, the intrinsic affinity of the DnaB hexamer for the 5' arm in a two-arm fork is not affected by the presence of the 3' arm. Moreover, the results show that the 3' arm is in a conformation which makes it easily available for the binding of the next DnaB hexamer. Because of the large size of the DnaB hexamer, the data indicate that the 3' arm is separated from the 5' arm. The separation of both arms must be to such an extent that the 3' arm can bind an additional large DnaB hexamer. These results reveal that the 3' arm is not engaged in thermodynamically stable interactions with the helicase hexamer, when it is bound in its stationary complex to the 5' arm of the fork. The significance of the these results for a mechanistic model of the hexameric DnaB helicase action is discussed.
General issues in efficacy, equivalency, and superiority trials: clinical considerations.

The design of clinical trials aimed at treating different types of periodontal diseases must take into account the prevalence of the disease in the population and the relationship of various descriptors, which may vary from disease to disease. For screening purposes, patients should be selected with disease in the high-severity range, in order to maximize the likelihood of detecting a therapeutic effect. Subsequent trials may be designed around a more representative group of subjects. Therapies must be evaluated on the basis of actual clinical changes, rather than their effect on presumed etiologic factors. The observed changes must be of clinical as well as statistical significance. The distribution of periodontal diseases within a dentition may affect as few as one or as many as over one hundred sites. Strategies are needed to correlate events observed at sites within the dentition, i.e. tooth surface-based measurements or scores, with events that are subject-based, e.g. concentration of blood or salivary components.
Water-Sediment Controversy in Setting Environmental Standards for Selenium

A substantial amount of laboratory and field research on selenium effects to biota has been accomplished since the national water quality criterion was published for selenium in 1987. Many articles have documented adverse effects on biota at concentrations below the current chronic criterion of 5 μg/L. This commentary will present information to support a national water quality criterion for selenium of 2 μg/L, based on a wide array of support from federal, state, university, and international sources. Recently, two articles have argued for a sediment-based criterion and presented a model for deriving site-specific criteria. In one example, they calculate a criterion of 31 μg/L for a stream with a low sediment selenium toxicity threshold and low site-specific sediment total organic carbon content, which is substantially higher than the national criterion of 5 μg/L. Their basic premise for proposing a sediment-based method has been critically reviewed and problems in their approach are discussed.
Efficacy of Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training: an indicated preventive intervention for depression.

Background: Indicated interventions for adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms may help decrease rates of depression. The current study reports on the efficacy of Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), a group indicated preventive intervention. Methods: Forty-one adolescents with elevated depression symptoms were randomized to receive either IPT-AST or school counseling (SC) as delivered by guidance counselors and social workers. Adolescents in the two intervention conditions were compared on depression symptoms, overall functioning, and depression diagnoses post-intervention and at 3-month and 6-month follow-up. Results: Adolescents who received IPT-AST had significantly fewer depression symptoms and better overall functioning post-intervention and at follow-up. Adolescents in IPT-AST also reported fewer depression diagnoses than adolescents in usual care. Conclusions: These results provide preliminary evidence of the efficacy of IPT-AST as an intervention for adolescents with subthreshold depression. Future research is needed to confirm the efficacy of IPT-AST in a larger and more diverse sample and to determine its long-term impact on depression symptoms and depression diagnoses.
Aging and Mitochondrial Development in Potato Tuber Tissue

Respiratory activity of mitochondria isolated from fresh and aged potato tuber tissue has been determined. No significant change in activity of the particles (expressed per unit N) was observed as a result of aging. However, the yield of mitochondrial material increased with aging. It has been suggested that the commonly observed stimulation of respiration that accompanies aging of potato tissue can be attributed largely to an inerease in the mitochondrial population rather than to a stimulation of the particles per se, and that this increase results from a fission of pre-existing mitochondria. The respiratory activity of mitochondria isolated from unaged tissue was found to decline following storage of the tubers in the cold for extended periods. This decline was attributed to a loss of cristae structure in the particles, as observed microscopically. The possibility that this reduction in structural organization might be associated with changes in the state of dormancy of the tissue was considered.
A method for computing the transfer of solar radiation through clouds of hexagonal ice crystals

Abstract The angular patterns that result from the scattering of solar radiation by hexagonal ice prisms were computed under the assumption that the sizes of the prisms were many times the wavelengths of the incident radiation. Using the results of geometric ray optics, a sufficiently large number of equally spaced, parallel rays were mathematically traced through the prisms (including internal reflections) in order to determine the contribution to the scattering pattern that was due to refraction and reflection. The contribution due to forward diffraction was approximated by the Kirchhoff formula. Results for a distribution of prisms in random orientation show the expected large diffraction peak in the intensity in the forward direction as well as a prominent relative maximum at an angle corresponding to the well-known halo phenomenon occasionally seen around the sun or moon. In comparison, the scattering pattern for a sphere whose size was such as to scatter out of an incident beam the same total amount of radiation as scattered out by the prisms, is also shown. The major difference in the two patterns is the absence of the halo in the case of the sphere. It can be readily shown that the energy of the radiation scattered in the angular region of the halo is comparable in magnitude to that in the forward peak, thereby showing the importance of the halo.
Inhibition and gene expression of Nitrosomonas europaea biofilms exposed to phenol and toluene

ABSTRACT: Pure culture bioﬁlms of the ammonia-oxidiz-ing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea were grown in a DripFlow Bioﬁlm Reactor and exposed to the aromatic hydro-carbons phenol and toluene. Ammonia oxidation rates, asmeasured by nitrite production in the bioﬁlms, were inhib-ited50%whenexposedto56mMphenolor100mMtoluene,while 50% inhibition of suspended cells occurred at 8mMphenolor20mMtoluene.Bioﬁlm-growncellsdispersedintoliquid medium and immediately exposed to phenol ortoluene experienced similar inhibition levels as batch growncells, indicating that mass transfer may be a factor inN. europaea bioﬁlm resistance. Whole genome microarrayanalysis of gene expression was used to detect genes up-regulated in bioﬁlms during toluene and phenol exposure.Twogenes,aputativepirinprotein(NE1545)andaputativeinner membrane protein (NE1546) were up-regulated dur-ingphenolexposure,butnogeneswereup-regulatedduringtoluene exposure. Using qRT-PCR, up-regulation ofNE1545 was detected in bioﬁlms and suspended cellsexposed to a range of phenol concentrations and levels ofinhibition. In the bioﬁlms, NE1545 expression was up-regulated an average of 13-fold over the range of phenolconcentrations tested, and was essentially independent ofphenol concentration. However, the expression of NE1545insuspendedcellsincreasedfrom20-foldat7mMphenolupto 80-fold at 30mM phenol. This study demonstrates thatbioﬁlms of N. europaea are more resistant than suspendedcells to inhibition of ammonia oxidation by phenol andtoluene, even though the global transcriptional responses tothe inhibitors do not differ in N. europaea between thesuspended and attached growth states.Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 750–757. 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.KEYWORDS: Nitrosomonas europaea; bioﬁlms; microarrays;phenol inhibition; ammonia oxidizing bacteria
Gender-Related Quality of Parent-Child Interactions and Early Adolescent Problem Behaviors Exploratory Study With Midwestern Samples

This article reports two exploratory studies testing a model guided by a social interactional perspective, positing an inverse relation between the quality of parent-child interactions and adolescent problem behaviors. It addresses mixed findings in the literature related to gender differences. Study 1 uses cross-sectional survey data from midwestern parents with either a boy (n = 377) or a girl (n = 335) between 11 and 13 years of age. Study 2 data, used to replicate the Study 1 results, are collected from a cross-sectional survey sample of midwestern parents with either a boy (n = 279) or a girl (n = 269) in the same age group. Multisample latent variable structural equation modeling confirms the hypothesized inverse relationships in both studies. Also, there are no significant young adolescent gender differences in these relationships. The consistency of findings from both studies is discussed with respect to results from earlier research.
On input profile selection for software testing

Analyzes the effect of input profile selection on software testing using the concept of a fault detectability profile. The optimality of the input profile during testing depends on factors such as the planned testing effort and the fault detectability profile. To achieve ultra-reliable software, it is preferable to select the test input uniformly among the different input domains. On the other hand, if the testing effort is limited due to cost or schedule constraints, one should test only the highly used input domains. Use of an operational profile is also needed for the accurate determination of operational reliability. >
Universal adaptive vector quantization using codebook quantization with application to image compression

A high-resolution analysis is presented for a universal vector quantization scheme based on periodic codebook transmissions. The scheme assumes a slowly changing nonstationary source such as an image and periodically transmits new updated codebooks as side information to the receiver. The side information is transmitted via a large universal codebook which itself acts as a quantizer for the updated codebooks to be transmitted. This scheme generalizes the more simple technique of adapting a codebook by transmitting its vector components one at a time using a fixed uniform scalar quantizer. These schemes are compared both theoretically and experimentally and side information is determined. >
There's No Place Like Home: Anthropological Perspectives on Housing and Homelessness in the United States

There's No Place Like Home: Anthropological Perspectives on Housing and Homelessness in the United States. Anna Lou Dehavenon (ed). Westport, CT: Bergen and Garvey, 1996. 225 pp. (Cloth US$55)
Effect of channel estimation error on a new pipelined multi-stage PIC detector for CDMA

We study the effect of channel estimation error on the performance of multiuser detection for downlink and uplink CDMA based on a new pipelined multi-stage parallel interference canceler. The bit error rate performance is compared among complete, partial, and ideal channel estimation. We show that the performance with ideal channel estimation approaches the single user bound for both downlink and uplink. The performance is degraded with partial channel estimation and significantly degraded with complete channel estimation as a result of channel estimation error. The degradation is more significant for the uplink due to more severe interference. Channel estimation error also harms the near-far resistance.
Targeting Angiogenesis from Premalignancy to Metastases

Perspective on Gandhi et al., [p. 330][1] Strategies to target angiogenesis have been extensively studied for decades, and a strong body of data supports the potential of angiogenesis targeting for cancer prevention. Using transgenic mouse models, Folkman, Hanahan, and colleagues ([1][2], [2][3])
Creating a Liberal-Left Alliance for Social Change Prescriptions From the Social Sciences Literature

Based on research in the social sciences, this article suggests new directions and compromises that might make it possible for liberals and leftists to work together in the hopeful post-9/11, post-Bush/Cheney era. There are five basic issues—electoral strategy, the role of social movements, the need for a new model for the economy, the need for a reframing of who is “us” and who is “them,” and the creation of a new organizational structure. It first explains why leftists should organize themselves into Egalitarian Democratic Clubs within the Democratic Party, followed by an analysis of why social movements are more valuable than many liberals have acknowledged but only when they embrace strategic nonviolence as their sole method of social disruption. It then suggests a new framework for thinking about an egalitarian economy that would allow liberals and leftists to work together even while disagreeing about how egalitarian that economy could become. Finally, it suggests a reframing of “us” and “them” in terms of people’s values and policy prescriptions, not their class, race, gender, or sexual orientation, and the creation of a network of organizations that share a commitment to the proposed electoral, social movement, and economic strategies.
Regional and local controls on postglacial vegetation and fire in the Siskiyou Mountains, northern California, USA

ARTICLE I NFO The Siskiyou Mountains of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon are a floristic hotspot, and the high diversity of conifers there likely results from a combination of geological, ecological, climatological and historical factors. To evaluate how past climate variability has influenced the composition, structure and fire regime of the Siskiyou forests, pollen, charcoal, and lithological evidence was examined from two lakes along a moisture gradient to reconstruct the vegetation, fire and climate history. The late-glacial period was characterized by subalpine parkland and infrequent fire at both sites. During the late-glacial/Early Holocene transition period, subalpine parkland was replaced by a closed forest of Pinus, Cupressaceae, Abies and Pseudotsuga and more frequent fires a 1000 years earlier at the wetter site, and it is likely that reduced Pacific Ocean upwelling created warmer drier conditions at the coast. In the Early Holocene, Pinus, Cupressaceae were less abundant and fire less frequent at the coastal site during a period of increased coastal upwelling and fog production. In the Late Holocene, Abies, Pseudotsuga, Pinus, and Quercus vaccinifolia increased in the forest at both sites suggesting a widespread response to cooling. Fewer fires at the wetter site may account for the abundance of Picea breweriana within the last 1000 years. The comparison of the two records implies that large-scale controls in climate during the last 14,000 cal yr BP have resulted in major changes in vegetation and fire regime. Asynchrony in the ecosystem response of wetter and drier sites arises from small-scale spatial variations in effective moisture and temperature resulting from topographically- influenced microclimates and coastal-to-inland climate gradients.
Molecular and cell biology of cystic fibrosis

The questions emerged in better focus: we need to know, definitively, what CFTR is and what it does. We need to know how mutant CFTR expression leads to the relentless lung disease that takes the lives of the patients. We need to know how the different mutations in CFTR behave functionally. Much more information is needed on the pathways for ion transport in the airways in order for us to consider therapeutic alternatives. Better information on CFTR expression, particularly in the lung, would greatly facilitate consideration of pathophysiology as well as gene therapy. Many of these questions can be attacked by imaginative use of the tools already in hand. The need is urgent. The wondrous scientific advancements of the last five years and the additional money being spent on CF research have bought no dramatic increase in life expectancy for the patients. Every day, three more succumb.
More Evidence for the Survival Benefit of Coronary Revascularization Versus Medical Therapy in Patients With Ischemic Cardiomyopathy and Hibernating Myocardium

For many years, it has been recognized that patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction who manifest substantial myocardial viability in asynergic myocardial regions have improved LV regional and global function, exhibit reverse LV remodeling, and exhibit a reduction in ischemic mitral regurgitation and a reduction in heart failure symptoms after revascularization. Observational studies using a variety of noninvasive methodologies for assessment of myocardial viability have also shown enhanced survival with revascularization versus medical therapy in such patients. A much quoted meta-analysis of observational studies in the literature that reported outcomes in patients undergoing noninvasive viability studies with Tl-201 redistribution scintigraphy, positron emission tomography (PET) with F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), or dobutamine echocardiography showed a ≈80% reduction in mortality (3.2% versus 16.0%) during follow-up with revascularization versus medical therapy in those patients with predominantly hibernating myocardium.1 In contrast, patients with predominantly nonviable myocardium showed no benefit from revascularization versus medical therapy. In most of these prior studies, the greater the amount of hibernating myocardium, the better the outcome with revascularization. For example, the larger the amounts of mismatch between perfusion and FDG uptake by PET, combined with revascularization, the less the probability of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and hospitalization for cardiac causes.2 Cardiac magnetic resonance accurately quantifies the amount of transmural myocardial scar using measurements of late gadolinium enhancement. With this noninvasive technique, the greater the amount of late gadolinium enhancement, the greater the chance of functional recovery after revascularization.3 Revascularization also shows a survival benefit compared with medical therapy in the presence of dysfunctional but viable myocardium by delayed-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance.4 Article see p 363 All the noninvasive viability imaging techniques in clinical use can adequately identify hibernating myocardium in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. When the relative sensitivities and specificities of these …
X-Rays Surgical Revolution

Wilhelm Roentgen (1845–1923) created a surgical revolution with the discovery of the X-rays in late 1895 and the subsequent introduction of this technique for the management of surgical patients. No other physician or scientist had ever imagined such a powerful and worthwhile discovery. Other scientists paved the way for Roentgen to approach the use of these new X-rays for medical purposes. In this way, initially, and prior to Roentgen, Thompson, Hertz, and Lenard applied themselves to the early developments of this technology. They made good advances but never reached the clearly defined understanding brought about by Roentgen. The use of a Crookes tube, a barium platinocyanide screen, with fluorescent light and the generation of energy to propagate the cathode rays were the necessary elements for the conception of an X-ray picture. On November 8, 1895, Roentgen began his experiments on X-ray technology when he found that some kind of rays were being produced by the glass of the tube opposite to the cath...
Can We Predict the Future: Juvenile Finfish and Their Seagrass Nurseries in the Chesapeake Bay

The importance of estuarine seagrass beds as nurseries for juvenile fish has become a universal paradigm, especially for estuaries that are as important as the Chesapeake Bay. Yet, scientific tests of this hypothesis were equivocal depending on species, location, and metrics. Moreover, seagrasses themselves are under threat and one-third of seagrasses have disappeared worldwide with 65% of their losses occurring in estuaries. Although there have been extensive studies of seagrasses in the Chesapeake Bay, surprisingly few studies have quantified the relationship between seagrass as nurseries for finfish in the Bay. Of the few studies that have directly evaluated the use of seagrass nurseries, most have concentrated on single species or were of short duration. Few landscape-level or long-term studies have examined this relationship in the Bay or explored the potential effect of climate change. This review paper summarizes the seagrass habitat value as nurseries and presents recent juvenile fish studies that address the dearth of research at the long term and landscape level with an emphasis on the Chesapeake Bay. An important conclusion upon the review of these studies is that predicting the effects of climate change on fishery production remains uncertain.
Success, Failure, No Evaluation in Participatory, Autocratic and Leaderless Groups

In Laboratory groups the influence of three leadership styles and three types of performance evaluation on interpersonal attraction and attitudes towards the group were examined. Using multivariate analysis of variance, results supported the prediction that success led to more positive attitudes compared to failure. Success and failure were equally satisfying or dissatisfying under different leadership styles, while leaders compared to group members were differentially affected by group success-failure on measures of attraction.
Peptidomimetic competitive inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatases

This review discusses the development of the active site-directed protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitors based on peptides and some closely related nonpeptidic scaffolds. A straightforward approach is to substitute various nonhydrolyzable analogs for the phosphotyrosine (pTyr) of optimal or physiological phosphopeptide substrates of PTPs. The advances in small molecule peptidic PTP inhibitors and their nonpeptidic derivatives have been greatly aided by X-ray crystallographic and NMR spectrometric studies. Given the importance of PTPs in disease-associated signal transduction and the continuing progress in PTP drug discovery, some clinically useful PTP inhibitors may emerge in the near future.
Segmentation theory for design of a multi-axis actuator array using segmented binary control

In this paper, we present a segmentation theory for designing a multi-axis actuator array. This array uses artificial muscle actuators, i.e. shape memory alloys, to control multiple axes in a coordinated manner. The multi-axis actuator array uses segmented binary control (SBC), which is a method of controlling artificial muscle actuators in a digital manner. In SBC, actuators are segmented and each segment is controlled independently, instead of controlling the strain of the actuator as a whole. The advantage of using SBC is that it allows us to avoid the nonlinear properties of the actuator and to use a simple control for each segment. However, one problem of using SBC is the increased number of segments. The segmentation theory provides a basis for using coupled segments, or segments to be shared within the actuator array, along with independent segments, to control the multiple axes with reduced number of segments. A segmentation design procedure is developed based on the theory and the method is applied to an actuator array for driving a five-fingered robot hand capable of taking variety of postures.
Why can't we implement this SDM? [systems development methodology]

To cope with the mounting demands for large, complex information system applications, most organizations turn to a systems development methodology. SDMs are logically appealing, offering a flexible framework for the sequence of tasks needed to develop an application, as well as tools and techniques for accomplishing these tasks. By creating an engineering-like development discipline, SDMs provide explicit deliverables and consistency as information systems are built. In its intent, an SDM should reduce the risk associated with shortcuts and mistakes and ensure that quality infuses the software process. On the surface, at least, it would seem that every organization should have an SDM in place. Unfortunately, most IS organizations fail to successfully implement and utilize an SDM. The question is, why?.
Dosing Error With Over-the-Counter Vitamin D Supplement A Risk for Vitamin D Toxicity in Infants

Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin,” is back in the limelight.1 Reemergence of rickets among vulnerable infants (dark-skinned and/or breast-fed without vitamin D supplementation) and reports of excessive prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among children have reemphasized the importance of optimal intakes of vitamin D.2–5 The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) increased its recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D for the prevention of vitamin D deficiency in infants and children from 200 IU to 400 IU in 2008.6–7 Recently, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) revised its RDA for vitamin D from 200 IU to 400 IU in infants (0 to 12 months) and from 200 IU to 600 IU in children (1 to 8 years).8 Without fortification, very few foods are rich in vitamin D. Humans meet their vitamin D needs from sunlight exposure, diet and/or supplements. Of these sources, photosynthesized vitamin D is the major contributor to human vitamin D status.9–11 Vitamin D-fortified milk and infant formula remains the main dietary source of vitamin D. An infant or a child must drink 4 servings (1 liter or 32 ounces) of vitamin D-fortified milk to meet the AAP recommended intake of vitamin D (400 IU/day), which seems to be a tall order for many. Therefore, vitamin D supplements become an important source of dietary vitamin D. In order to meet consumer desires to prevent deficiencies or optimize health benefits related to vitamin D, preparations of higher concentrations of over-the-counter vitamin D supplements have become readily available for the general public, with the potential for inadvertent overdosing in young infants and children.
Interaction between the growing lung and asthma: role of early intervention.

Abstract Asthma is a syndrome where an imbalance exists between the forces that maintain airway patency and the forces that act to narrow, or close, airways. The child with asthma is a particular problem because of the rapid growth of the lung during growth that leaves it vulnerable. There is some evidence that asthma leads to impaired lung function in children because those children with untreated asthma show a loss of lung growth velocity. For unclear reasons, asthma is more frequent in boys. What drugs to use to treat childhood asthma is uncertain. Data show that glucocorticoids prevent the structure of the lung from fully developing. In children, the rationale for early intervention seems clear, but the exact means and criteria for initiation of the intervention are uncertain. Finally, childhood asthma raises fundamental issues and questions that are unique to the child with asthma and presents unique and many unresolved treatment dilemmas. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;105:S540-6.)
The Ethics of DNR Orders as to Neonatal and Pediatric Patients: The Ethical Dimension of Communication

In this paper, I examine some of the ethical issues of DNR orders as they pertain to neonatal and pediatric patients. While ethical controversy over DNR orders is hardly novel, I argue that there are good reasons for thinking that at least some of the moral problems that arise as to DNR orders for neonatal and pediatric patients are unique, i.e., that neonatal and pediatric patients are ethically sui generis. Using case studies, I examine some of the reasons why the ethical issues are unique, which center around the idea that infants and children are seen as just beginning their life span. I attempt to show how the perception that infants and children are sui generis exacerbates general problems with DNR orders, and conclude that these difficulties make the painful task of communicating with parents or surrogates about DNR status an ethical imperative. Finally, I suggest that the primary canons of loyalty are owed from the physician to the patient, and that reflexive obeisance to parental wishes may not be the ethically wisest course of action with regard to the neonatal or pediatric patient.
Unnatural paradigm calls into question whether macaques’ social decisions represent empathy

In PNAS, Ballesta and Duhamel (1) conclude that monkeys have a concept of their peers’ well-being and demonstrate empathy for others. The authors provided monkeys with the choice to provide another monkey with a pleasant outcome, a drop of juice to drink, or an unpleasant outcome, a puff of air to their eye. The authors measured mutual gaze during the experiment to infer motivations and empathetic responses. However, the authors themselves state in the discussion “the kind of social dilemmas that these monkeys were challenged with have no …
Testing homogeneity of gamma populations

AbstractThis paper considers the methods of combining two independent test statistics to test the homogeneity of several gamma populations. The methods are based on Fisher's method of combining two likelihood ratio statistics, and combining two score statistics. Some simulation results provided here indicate that the Fishers method of combining two independent score statistics performs well relative to the other method. An example is presented.
Isolation of Fluconazole-Resistant Candida albicans from Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Negative Patients Never Treated with Azoles

Isolation of fluconazole-resistant strains of Candida species from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients after repeated or continuous courses of treatment has been reported with increasing frequency. During 1991-1992, MICs of fluconazole for 139 Candida albicans isolates from our institution were bimodally distributed: 102 strains were susceptible (MICs, ≤4 μg/mL) and 37 were resistant (MICs, ≥8 μg/mL). There was incomplete cross-resistance between fluconazole and ketoconazole or miconazole, and there was no cross-resistance between azoles and amphotericin B or flucytosine. Twenty of the 37 fluconazole-resistant strains were isolated from 17 HIV-negative patients, some with systemic infections, who had never been treated with azoles. There were no differences in characteristics or risk factors for those patients as compared with those for an equal number of HIV-negative patients from whom fluconazole-susceptible strains were isolated. Among patients with systemic infection, 6 (50%) of 12 with infection caused by fluconazole-resistant strains survived and 11 (69%) of 16 with infection caused by fluconazole-susceptible strains survived (P=.54). Survival was not found to be related to treatment regimen, but the number of patients was small. The emergence of fluconazole-resistant C. albicans among HIV-negative patients never exposed to azoles is of concern
Suomi NPP/JPSS Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS): Calibration Validation With The Aircraft Based Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS)

A summary of the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) radiometric calibration validation assessment conducted using the aircraft based Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) during the SNPP 2013 calibration validation campaign is presented.
Dual index production and subcontracting policies for assemble-to-order systems

ABSTRACTWe analyze tradeoffs related to production and subcontracting decisions in an assemble-to-order system with capacity constraints and stochastic lead times. We assume that component replenishment is carried out by orders to a subcontractor and component stock levels at the manufacturer are determined by dual index-based policies. Furthermore, customer demands for the final product are immediately satisfied if all of the required components are in stock; otherwise, they are back-ordered. In order to maintain high service levels, the manufacturer reserves the option to produce components internally. Using queuing models, we analyze the tradeoffs related to internal manufacturing versus subcontracting under different types of dual index policies. We use Matrix-Geometric methods to conduct an exact analysis for an assemble-to-order system with two components and develop a decomposition-based algorithm to analyze the performance of systems with more than two products. Numerical studies provide useful in...
Social dominance of castrate rats under testosterone cypionate

Satiated for food and water, 20 pairs of castrate rats vs castrate-sham rats received eight contests in the dominance tube and one encounter in the home cage of the castrate. After injections of testosterone cypionate to castrates and placebo treatment of shams, high-dosage castrates displayed more effective dominance activity than did low-dosage castrates in the second home-cage test. However, data pertaining to posthormone tube contests and to uniform dominance outcomes across both tasks were inconclusive.
Geographies of Citizenship: Muslim Youth in Post-9/11 United States

This chapter examines two key questions about youth from Muslim-majority countries and communities living in the United States after 9/11. How are these children and youth positioned in the US national imaginary by imaginative geographies of war? In turn, how do they develop a sense of belonging and citizenship in this post-9/11 context of exclusion and war? An exploration of these questions illustrates the ways that violence, conflict, and war shape the lives of these young people from transnational Muslim communities both in active conflict zones but also in contexts of relative peace such as the United States. Many youth from Muslim transnational communities living in the United T.R. Abu El-Haj (*) Graduate School of Education, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA e-mail: thea.abuelhaj@gse.rutgers.edu # Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2015 C. Harker et al. (eds.), Conflict, Violence and Peace, Geographies of Children and Young People 11, DOI 10.1007/978-981-4585-98-9_11-1 1 States migrated in order to get away from violence and wars – violence and wars that have often been an outcome of US imperial policies. These experiences with war and violence shape young people’s political perspectives, sense of belonging, and citizenship practices in ways that make them critical of the unfulfilled promises of US democratic ideals – ideals that are rarely realized at home or abroad. At the same time, within the US context, cultural and political discourses engendered by the “war on terror” frame everyday interactions that youth from Muslim-majority communities have in their schools and other public spaces – interactions that often position these young people as suspect or dangerous members of the nation. These exclusions represent the local fallout of a violent, imperial policy the United States is fighting far from its shores.
Circulating xanthine oxidase: potential mediator of ischemic injury

Reactive oxygen metabolites generated from the enzyme xanthine oxidase (XO) play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemia-induced tissue injury. The observation that intracellular proteins such as aspartate transaminase (AST) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) are released from the ischemic liver during reperfusion led us to postulate that XO could be released into the systemic circulation. Livers from fasted rats were extirpated, perfused with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit buffer, and subjected to 2 h ischemia followed by 2 h reperfusion. Reperfusion increased AST in the perfusate from 1 +/- 1 to 830 +/- 280 U/l, whereas ADH increased from 0.3 +/- 0.1 to 95 +/- 26 U/l. Concomitantly, xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) + XO activity in the perfusate increased from 0 to 4.1 +/- 1.0 mU/ml. A 64% decrease in endogenous tissue XDH + XO activity paralleled release of XDH + XO. The XDH + XO activity predicted to appear in the circulation after hepatic ischemia was sufficient, when supplied with substrate, to produce severe vascular endothelial injury in vitro, even in the presence of serum or whole blood. These results suggest that massive quantities of XDH and XO are released into the circulation after hepatic ischemia and that the resulting reactive oxygen metabolites could produce widespread tissue injury.
State Monitoring of Distribution Transformer Windings with EEMD Energy Entropy

On-line state monitoring of distribution transformer windings with the vibration method depends on extraction of effective features from the vibration signals. In order to monitor and diagnose the state of the transformer windings more effectively, the authors built an on-line monitoring platform of vibration signals for the short-circuit impulse test and loading test on a power transformer, analyzed the vibration signals of the transformer winding via the ensemble empirical mode decomposition(EEMD), and obtained the energy entropy of the vibration signals.Consequently, a state monitoring and mechanical fault diagnosis method based on EEMD energy entropy was proposed for distribution transformer windings. Experimental results show that EEMD can effectively extract the features of the vibration signals of distribution transformer windings, obtain the energy distribution within each frequency band of the vibration signal, and help to diagnose transformer winding faults accurately.
Advancing excellence in health care: getting to effectiveness.

In 2005, Americans are fortunate to live at a time when investments in biomedical science have resulted in a plethora of new diagnostic and therapeutic options. A broader array of choices for treating hypertension, heart failure, and other chronic illnesses; new techniques for managing cardiac and other diseases; and unprecedented innovations in diagnostic evaluation and prediction bring us closer to a vision of personalized health care than ever before. These new opportunities represent only the beginning and also challenge clinicians, payers, and health care organizations to determine which innovations represent added value, which offer modest enhancements to current choices, and which fail to reach their potential. As health care expenditures continue to rise, individual consumers increasingly confront differential cost sharing for alternative options and sites of care, so they have a new stake in identifying which options offer the best value for their needs and preferences. The current clinical research enterprise does not produce the information needed to make informed decisions. The need for better evidence about the benefits, risks, and costs of alternative choices is imperative. Thus, the article by Kupersmith and colleagues is timely and provocative.1He and a group of distinguished leaders in clinical research articulate the distinction between research …
The Sedimentary Characteristics of the Lacustrine Fans of Nantun Formation in Wuerxun Sag,Hailaer Basin

According to the observation and description of core,well logs,seismic reflection feature and grain-size analysis data,the sublacutrine fans found in the center of the Wuerxun sag.From the root to the margin of the the sublacutrine fans,it can be successively dividede into four subfacies and six microfacies,feeder channel,iner fans(main channel,between main channel),middle fans(braided channel,between braided channels and cetral microfacies)and outer fans(the turbidite rocks).There are features of the deep sedimentary environment and the gravity flow(debris flow,grain flow and turbidite flow) transport of sediments.
Less is More: Improving the Speed and Prediction Power of Knowledge Tracing by Using Less Data.

Knowledge Tracing is perhaps the most widely used student model in the field of educational data mining. In this paper we report on the effects of using only a subset of data in training the Bayesian Network that represents this student model. The standard practice is to use all of the students’ data for a given skill to fit the model. We analyze two datasets; one from the Algebra Cognitive tutor and the other from the Genetics Cognitive tutor. We found that in both datasets, the difference in accuracy between using all the students' data versus only the most recent 15 data points of each student was not significantly different. Using only 15 responses however, resulted in an EM training time which was 15 times faster than using all data. This result suggests that the Knowledge Tracing model needs only a small range of data in order to learn reliable parameters. The implications of this result is a substantial savings in model training time that allows for more complex models to be fit or individualized models to be trained online.
Reproductive immunology: relevance to infertility practice.

Both, men and women can develop antisperm antibodies as the response to numerous factors, however immune-mediated infertility is a relative condition, i.e. may reduce but not totally prevent fertility. Different techniques can detect antisperm antibodies and show how these antibodies may interfere with fertilization process. To overcome immune-mediated infertility, the immunosuppressive therapy and in vitro treatment of antibody-coated sperm cells including in vitro fertilization have been proposed.
Determination a variety of acidic gas in air of workplace by Ion Chromatography

Objective To establish a method for determination of a variety of acid gas in the workplace air by Ion Chromatography.(hydrofluoric acid,hydrogen chloride or hydrochloric acid,sulfur anhydride or sulfuric acid,phosphoric acid,oxalic acid).Method The sample in workplace air was collected by the porous glass plate absorption tube containing 5 ml leacheate.(Sulfuric acid fog、phosphoric acid aerosol microporous membrane after collection,eluted with 5 ml of eluent.) To separated by AS 14+AG14 chromatography column,by carbonate (2.0+1.0) mmol/L (Na2CO3-NaHCO3) as eluent,flow rate of 1 ml/min,then analyzed by electrical conductivity detector.The retain time was used for qualitative and the peak area was used for quantitation.Results The each ion of a variety of acid gas in the air of workplace were excellent in carbonate eluent separation.The linear range of working curve of 0～20 mg/L.The correlation coefficient r＞0.999; lower detection limit of 3.6～115 μ g/L; quantitative limit of 0.012～0.53 rmg/L; acquisition of 15L air were measured,the minimum detection concentration is 0.004 0～0.13 mg/m3.The recovery rate is 99.7％～101.1％.In the sample without mutual interference ions.Samples stored at room temperature for 7 days.Conclusion The same analysis method,the detection of various acidic gases in the air of workplace,simple operation,good separation effect,high sensitivity,high detection efficiency,easy popularization and application. Key words: Ion Chromatography; Carbonate eluent; Acidic gas
Laparoscopic Ovariectomy and Ovariohysterectomy in Llamas and Alpacas

The minimally invasive nature of laparoscopic techniques and shorter convalescent periods have made these techniques increasingly popular for use in New World camelids (llamas and alpacas). This article outlines the instruments and steps needed to perform laparoscopic surgery on the female reproductive tract in llamas and alpacas.
Fragmentation of Injectable Bioadhesive Hydrogels Affords Chemotherapeutic Macromolecules.

Implantation of drug delivery depots into or proximal to targeted tissue is an effective method to deliver anticancer drugs in a sustained localized manner. Herein, syringe-injectable polydextran aldehyde (PDA)-based bioadhesive gels are prepared that can locally deliver cytotoxins upon their hydrolytic fragmentation. Adhesive gels are formed by mixing doxorubicin (DOX)-functionalized PDA (DOX-PDA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) using a dual-barrel syringe. Upon mixing and delivery, the DOX-PDA reacts with the cross-linker BSA as well as the extracellular matrix via imine bond formation to define the cohesive and adhesive properties of the gel, respectively. Resulting gels are mechanically rigid (∼10 kPa) and adherent (adhesive stress ∼ 4 kPa). Once formed, the DOX-PDA-BSA gels undergo slow hydrolytic degradation (>2 months) locally releasing free DOX and DOX-PDA as expected. Surprisingly, we found that macromolecules composed of DOX, PDA, and BSA are also released from the bulk material. These DOX-PDA-BS...