cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speech and language disorders in preschool children: a preventive approach.

From 4 to 9% of elementary school children with normal to superior intelligence exhibit symptoms of developmental speech and language disorders, such as: stuttering (or stammering);* severely defective articulation in the absence of hearing loss; and finally the syndrome of multiple perceptual, motor, and language disorder. These developmental deviations or disorders interfere markedly with early school adaptation. If no adequate help is forthcoming the symptoms may increase in severity and interfere with the achievement and social adaptation of the children concerned. The sex ratio reported has been, as a rule, 75% boys to 25% girls. The importance of the preschool years for language development has been established in many studies.1, 2 McCarthy referred to the "amazingly rapid acquisition of an extremely complex system of symbolic habits by young children,"1 while Penfield and Roberts3 mentioned the "biological time table for language learning," and assumed that the most intensive learning occurs between 2 and 4 years of age. Studies in language development carried out earlier in the century were mostly normative, focusing upon the number of different sounds and words mastered by the majority of children at a given age1, 4, 5 Thus we expect the "average" child to begin using his first words between 10 and 18 months of age, to master approximately 300 words at age 2, and approximately 1,000 words at age 3. In a more recent study, Templin compared her findings concerning children9s learning of consonant sounds with those of other investigators.6 The pediatrician, trying to evaluate a child9s stage of language development may want to know what specific sounds a child should be able to master at what particular age.
The Zen of Annual Meeting Attendance and Conferencing

I have attended and been involved in dozens of annual meetings and conferences across the UnitedStates over the past decade. My experiences at these events, I am certain, are likely to be very similarto those of most readers. At these conferences the basic format involves a large number of peoplecoming together to presumably learn something new, to interact with colleagues, to network and meetnew colleagues within the context of bringing what is learned back ones institution.In my view many annual conferences/meetings allow one to accomplish these objectives albeit muchless perfectly than they could and certainly not in proportion to the time, resources and effort it oftentakes to travel to these meetings. Don’t get me wrong, I continue to attend because there is enoughvalue in them for me and especially meeting colleagues. I just believe at this point that they could besignificantly enhanced and could be more impactful as a result. So my purpose in writing this essay isto suggest ways that conference organizers and individual academic leaders who attend can improvethe relevance of these meetings as important events in our professional lives.
Education research: a primer for educators in emergency medicine.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:S27–S35 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract As medical educators strive to adopt an evidence-based, outcomes-driven approach to teaching, education research in emergency medicine (EM) is burgeoning. Many educational challenges prompt specific research questions that are well suited to investigative study, but educators face numerous barriers to translating exciting ideas into research publications. This primer, intended for educators in EM, provides a brief overview of the current scope and essential elements of education research. We present an approach to identifying research problems and conceptual frameworks and defining specific research questions. A common approach to curricular development is reviewed, as well as a fundamental overview of qualitative and quantitative methods that can be applied to educational research questions. Finally, suggestions for disseminating results and overcoming common barriers to conducting research are discussed.
Linearization and Liapunov Stability Analysis of a Class of Dynamical Differential Equations

For a nongyroscopic, holonomic, conservative, dynamical system of differential equations for which the Lagran- gian is free of explicit time dependence and the dynamic potential energy P is neither positive nondefinite nor zero, it is demonstrated that for Liapunov stability of the null solution it is both necessary and sufficient that P be positive definite, and furthermore that complete stability criteria can be obtained from linearized variational equations. These results are illustrated by comparison with a recently published stability analysis of a satellite attitude sensing device. EFORE the turn of the century, Poincare1 and Liapunov2 established the foundations of stability theory of ordinary differential equations, motivated largely by a common interest in problems of mechanics. 3'4 In recent years, however, work in stability theory has been dominated by differential equationists and by those interested in problems of automatic control, so that modern emphasis has concentrated on the development of theorems applicable to more general differential equations than those found in mechanics. Yet some of the basic questions which remain in the general theory have simple answers within the framework of the equations of motion of restricted dynamical systems. In the general case, linearized constant coefficient variational equations provide a rigorous basis for the determination of Liapunov stability only when either asymptotic stability or instability is indicated, 5 and in the general case a Liapunov function provides only sufficient conditions for stability.5 For a special class of mechanical systems it will be shown that linearized variational equations of motion provide complete and rigorous Liapunov stability criteria, and furthermore that the use of the Hamiltonian as a Liapunov function also leads to complete stability criteria. It is the purpose of this paper to delineate a class of mechanical systems for which these convenient simplifica- tions of the general theory apply, and to illustrate these results with an application to a mechanical device recently proposed as a satellite attitude sensor. It should be noted that the mechanical systems in question are conservative, and hence undamped, f Pringle6 has already established for completely damped, holonomic, mechanical systems a counterpart to the results of the present paper. More- over, the theorems which follow establish stability criteria for mechanical systems in motion relative to inertial space; stability criteria for static equilibrium have been established by Lagrange, Liapunov, and Chetayev.7
Did the "Woman in the Attic" in Jane Eyre have Huntington Disease? (S44.005)

OBJECTIVE: To describe features of Huntington disease in Charlotte Brontё’s character, Bertha Mason, in Jane Eyre . BACKGROUND: George Huntington’s essay “On Chorea” described adult-onset hereditary chorea in 1872. However, several decades preceding Huntington’s description, familial cases of chorea in children and adults with involuntary movements, speech disturbances, and progressive dementia were published. During this period of enhanced recognition of what is now termed Huntington disease, Charlotte Brontё published Jane Eyre in 1847. METHODS: Comparison of Charlotte Brontё’s portrayal of Bertha Mason in Jane Eyre with George Huntington’s original description of Huntington disease. RESULTS: In Jane Eyre , Brontё features the enigmatic Bertha Mason, known as the “woman in the attic”. Mason had a progressive and familial neuropsychiatric disease with violent movements whose description mirrors the tenets in Huntington’s original essay. One tenet was the “tendency to insanity and suicide.” These behavioral features are prominently featured in Brontё’s text, with descriptions of Mason as a “maniac” with homicidal tendencies who later commits suicide. Mason’s cognitive decline is described as having a “cast of mind common, low, narrow and singularly incapable of being led to anything higher.” Brontё depicts Mason as having abnormal movements, described as wild and animal-like with “convulsive plunges.” Mason’s abnormal movements resemble the description in Huntington’s original essay which is of movements “which gradually increase in violence and variety.” CONCLUSIONS: Brontё’s character has a familial disorder with classic motor, cognitive and behavioral features of Huntington disease. This depiction has had implications for the treatment of patients with neuropsychiatric disease. Brontё’s unsympathetic portrayal of Mason’s neuropsychiatric illness has been deplored by literary critics who brought the issue of humane treatment of neuropsychiatric patients into broader view. This insight remains important today as patients with Huntington disease and their families continue to face stigmatization and prejudicial representation. Disclosure: Dr. Coon has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hassan has nothing to disclose.
Characterization and processing of blends of polyethylene terephthalate with several liquid crystalline polymers

Blends of an engineering thermoplastic, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and two liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) viz., copolyesters of PET and parahydrox-ybenzoic acid (PHB) in 40/60 mole percent (LCP60) and in 20/80 mole percent (LCP80) were prepared. A blend of LCP60 and LCP80 in 50/50 weight percent (LCP60-80) was blended with PET. Both flat films and rods were extruded and their properties examined. The morphology of the films investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed that the LCP phase remained as dispersed droplets in the PET matrix. In spite of the lack of fibrillation in these films, the mechanical properties were enhanced to some extent with a maximum at 10 weight percent of the LCP phase. However, in the case of the rods thin fibrils of the LCP phase of the order of 1 μm in diameter were observed provided the composition of the LCP was 20 weight percent or greater. This success In achieving fibrillation is through to be due to the extensional flow fields present at the entrance of the capillary die and the fact that a short L/D ratio die was used. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) thermograms of the extruded films indicated that the LCP phase may act as a nucleating agent for the crystallization of PET. Rheology of the blends revealed that the complex viscosity of the blends is not much different from that of pure PET. This is attributed to the partial miscibility of the two components. Based on the DSC results and residence times in the extruder, it is concluded that no significant transesterification reactions appear to have: taken place in the blends. The rheology is studied further with respect to the cooling behavior of the pure components and factors important to the fibrillation of the LCP phase and the formation of in-situ reinforced composites are discussed.
Changes in distribution of lung perfusion and ventilation at rest and during maximal exercise

A new method for evaluation of changes in the distribution of pulmonary perfusion and ventilation during exercise was applied to normal male volunteers. Ventilation and perfusion scans were done with the subjects seated on a bicycle ergometer. The resting studies utilized krypton 81 ( 81m Kr) for ventilation and technetium 99m ( 99m Tc) macroaggregate albumin intravenously for perfusion. Exercise studies were done when 80 percent of maximum predicted heart rate was maintained for five minutes and utilized 81m Kr for ventilation and a tenfold dose of 90m Tc for perfusion. Higher dose of 99M Tc would minimize the effect of radioactivity left over from the resting study. This method allowed us to assess changes in ventilation and perfusion in normal subjects induced by exercise, but may also be applicable in a variety of cardiopulmonary conditions that affect pulmonary ventilation and perfusion or both.
Logspline Density Estimation for Censored Data

Abstract Logspline density estimation is developed for data that may be right censored, left censored, or interval censored. A fully automatic method, which involves the maximum likelihood method and may involve stepwise knot deletion and either the Akaike information criterion (AIC) or Bayesian information criterion (BIC), is used to determine the estimate. In solving the maximum likelihood equations, the Newton–Raphson method is augmented by occasional searches in the direction of steepest ascent. Also, a user interface based on S is described for obtaining estimates of the density function, distribution function, and quantile function and for generating a random sample from the fitted distribution.
Cellular Logic Architectures

This paper reviews the geneology of cellular logic computers starting with the Cell-scan system and extending through an interesting diversity of architectures to more recent machines such as the pipelined Cytocomputer, PICAP (Picture Array Processor), DIP-1 (Delft Image Processor), and the Coulter Electronics diff3. These machines have advanced in speed from an equivalent of 100,000 instructions per second in 1961 to one billion instructions per second at the present time.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Molecular complementarity between tetracycline and the GTPase active site of elongation factor Tu

Two crystal forms of a complex between trypsin-modified elongation factor Tu–MgGDP from Escherichia coli and the antibiotic tetracycline have been solved by X-ray diffraction analysis to resolutions of 2.8 and 2.1 A, respectively. In the P21 form, cocrystals were grown from a solution mixture of the protein and tetracycline. Six copies of the trypsin-modified EF-Tu–MgGDP–tetracycline complex are arranged as three sets of dimers in the asymmetric unit. In the second crystal form, tetracycline was diffused into P43212 crystals, resulting in a monomeric complex in the asymmetric unit. Atomic coordinates have been refined to crystallographic R factors of 18.0% for the P21 form and 20.0% for the P43212 form. In both complexes, tetracycline makes significant interactions with the GTPase active site of EF-Tu. The phenoldiketone moiety of tetracycline interacts directly with the Mg2+, the α-­phosphate group of GDP and two amino acids, Thr25 and Asp80, which are conserved in the GX4GKS/T and DX2G sequence motifs found in all GTPases and many ATPases. The molecular complementarity, previously unrecognized between invariant groups present in all GTPase/ATPases and the active moiety of tetracycline, may have wide-ranging implications for all drugs containing the phenoldiketone moiety as well as for the design of new compounds targeted against a broad range of GTPases or ATPases.
An instrumentation system for the measurement of atmospheric turbulence

Abstract A method is described for the detailed multi-point measurement of the turbulent velocity components and temperature in the atmospheric surface layer. The TSI three-dimensional split-film anemometer system is used as sensor and a special designed data-acquisition and data-handling system is used for the sampling, digitizing and storing of the data on digital magnetic tapes. Further processing of the data is performed in a digital computer and programs are developed to allow efficient calculation of the statistical quantities such as, mean values, covariances, power- and cross-spectral density functions. At the present, six anemometer systems have been mounted on the 30-, 50-, 100-, 150-, 200- and 250-foot levels of the 250-foot Meteorological Tower at NASA, Wallops Flight Center. The tower is located at Wallops Island which is one of the barrier islands protecting the so-called “Delmarva” peninsula from the Atlantic Ocean. The island, which consists of a narrow strip of dunes approximately three meters above sea level, is situated in a northeast-southwest direction and is separated from the mainland by a three-mile wide tidal swamp.
Synthesis and thermal properties of hybrid copolymers of syndiotactic polystyrene and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane

Copolymerizations of styrene and the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-styryl macromonomer 1-(4-vinylphenyl)-3,5,7,9,11,13,15-heptacyclopentylpentacyclo [9.5.1.1 3,9 .1 5,15 .1 7,13 ] octasiloxane have been performed with CpTiCl 3 in conjunction with methylaluminoxane. Random copolymers of syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) and POSS have been formed and fully characterized with 1 H and 13 C NMR, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. NMR data reveal a moderately high syndiotacticity of the polystyrene backbone consistent with this use of CpTiCl 3 as a catalyst and POSS loadings as high as 24 wt % and 3.2 mol %. Thermogravimetric analysis of the sPS-POSS copolymers under both nitrogen and air shows improved thermal stability with higher degradation temperatures and char yields, demonstrating that the inclusion of the inorganic POSS nanoparticles makes the organic polymer matrix more thermally robust. The polymerization activity and thermal stability are also compared with those of reported atactic polystyrene-POSS copolymers.
Inducer Hydrodynamic Forces in a Cavitating Environment

Marshall Space Flight Center has developed and demonstrated a measurement device for sensing and resolving the hydrodynamic loads on fluid machinery. The device - a derivative of the six-component wind tunnel balance - senses the forces and moments on the rotating device through a weakened shaft section instrumented with a series of strain gauges. This rotating balance was designed to directly measure the steady and unsteady hydrodynamic loads on an inducer, thereby defining the amplitude and frequency content associated with operating in various cavitation modes. The rotating balance was calibrated statically using a dead-weight load system in order to generate the 6 x 12 calibration matrix later used to convert measured voltages to engineering units. Structural modeling suggested that the rotating assembly first bending mode would be significantly reduced with the balance s inclusion. This reduction in structural stiffness was later confirmed experimentally with a hammer-impact test. This effect, coupled with the relatively large damping associated with the rotating balance waterproofing material, limited the device s bandwidth to approximately 50 Hertz Other pre-test validations included sensing the test article rotating assembly built-in imbalance for two configurations and directly measuring the assembly mass and buoyancy while submerged under water. Both tests matched predictions and confirmed the device s sensitivity while stationary and rotating. The rotating balance was then demonstrated in a water test of a full-scale Space Shuttle Main Engine high-pressure liquid oxygen pump inducer. Experimental data was collected a scaled operating conditions at three flow coefficients across a range of cavitation numbers for the single inducer geometry and radial clearance. Two distinct cavitation modes were observed symmetric tip vortex cavitation and alternate-blade cavitation. Although previous experimental tests on the same inducer demonstrated two additional cavitation modes at lower inlet pressures, these conditions proved unreachable with the rotating balance installed due to the intense dynamic environment. The sensed radial load was less influenced by flow coefficient than by cavitation number or cavitation mode although the flow coefficient range was relatively narrow. Transition from symmetric tip vortex to alternate-blade cavitation corresponded to changes in both radial load magnitude and radial load orientation relative to the inducer. Sensed moments indicated that the effective load center moved downstream during this change in cavitation mode. An occurrence of "higher+rdex cavitation" was also detected in both the stationary pressures and the rotating balance data although the frequency of the phenomena was well above the reliable bandwidth of the rotating balance. In summary the experimental tests proved both the concept and device s capability despite the limitations and confirmed that hydrodynamically-induced forces and moments develop in response to the unbalanced pressure field, which is, in turn, a product of the cavitation environment.
Asymmetric septal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a case report.

We report the case of a 30-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with the chief complaint of syncope. She also described intermittent chest pain and exertional dyspnea over the past several weeks. Review of systems and laboratory findings including d-dimer levels were noncontributory. EKG demonstrated right bundle branch block. Nongated chest CT with contrast was ordered to exclude the possibility of pulmonary embolism demonstrating markedly asymmetric septal thickening. Suspicion for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was raised, which was subsequently confirmed on gated cardiac MRI.
Building the Validity Argument for the Test of English as a Foreign Language edited by CHAPELLE, CAROL, MARY K. ENRIGHT, & JOAN JAMIESON

The article reviews the book "Building the Validity Argument for the Test of English as a Foreign Language" edited by Carol Chapelle, Mary K. Enright and Joan Jamieson.
Levofloxacin cures experimental pneumonic plague in African green monkeys.

Background Yersinia pestis, the agent of plague, is considered a potential bioweapon due to rapid lethality when delivered as an aerosol. Levofloxacin was tested for primary pneumonic plague treatment in a nonhuman primate model mimicking human disease. Methods and Results Twenty-four African Green monkeys (AGMs, Chlorocebus aethiops) were challenged via head-only aerosol inhalation with 3–145 (mean = 65) 50% lethal (LD50) doses of Y. pestis strain CO92. Telemetered body temperature >39°C initiated intravenous infusions to seven 5% dextrose controls or 17 levofloxacin treated animals. Levofloxacin was administered as a “humanized” dose regimen of alternating 8 mg/kg and 2 mg/kg 30-min infusions every 24-h, continuing until animal death or 20 total infusions, followed by 14 days of observation. Fever appeared at 53–165 h and radiographs found multilobar pneumonia in all exposed animals. All control animals died of severe pneumonic plague within five days of aerosol exposure. All 16 animals infused with levofloxacin for 10 days survived. Levofloxacin treatment abolished bacteremia within 24 h in animals with confirmed pre-infusion bacteremia, and reduced tachypnea and leukocytosis but not fever during the first 2 days of infusions. Conclusion Levofloxacin cures established pneumonic plague when treatment is initiated after the onset of fever in the lethal aerosol-challenged AGM nonhuman primate model, and can be considered for treatment of other forms of plague. Levofloxacin may also be considered for primary presumptive-use, multi-agent antibiotic in bioterrorism events prior to identification of the pathogen.
Endothelial dysfunction in heart failure identifies responders to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background The presence of endothelial dysfunction is associated with increased heart failure mortality. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves heart failure outcomes; however, current guidelines do not adequately identify responders to CRT. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether endothelial dysfunction can predict response to CRT. Methods Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, a measure of endothelial function, was measured at baseline preimplant and 90 days postimplant in 33 patients undergoing CRT (age 64.2 ± 16.8 years, left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 25% ± 9%, QRS duration 158 ± 25 ms, New York Heart Association class III–IV). Results Of the 33 patients, 19 (58%) were responders to CRT. Baseline flow-mediated dilation was 4.6% ± 4.5% in responders and 8.6% ± 4.2% in nonresponders ( P P = .03), 6-minute walk distance (756 ± 213 feet to 1,089 ± 242 feet, P = .04), and quality of life (52 ± 22 to 31 ± 28, P P = .03), and improvement in flow-mediated dilation correlated with improvement in 6-minute walk distance (r = 0.34, P = .05). Logistic regression analysis showed that every 1% reduction in baseline flow-mediated dilation correlated with an approximately 5% increased likelihood of response to CRT. The predictive value of baseline endothelial dysfunction was independent of QRS duration, LVEF, or dyssynchrony and provided additive prognostic value. Conclusion The presence of endothelial dysfunction independently identifies CRT responders and provides additive prognostic value for predicting response over current criteria. Addition of endothelial function assessment to current selection criteria may improve the ability to identify CRT responders.
Preoperative differences between male and female patients with sleep apnea.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To evaluate the differences between female and male patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in the preoperative period. Study Design: Nonrandomized cross-sectional study. Methods: An analysis of 686 patients (111 women and 575 men) with OSAS was completed. Multivariate modeling techniques were employed to correlate gender with the preoperative respiratory disturbance index (RDI), apnea index (AI), hypopnea index (HI), body mass index (BMI), age, and initial symptoms. Results: At presentation, the male patients were significantly younger and had a lower BMI and a higher RDI and AI than the female patients. For the entire OSAS population studied, the RDI increased as the BMI increased (correlation coefficient [r] = 0.35, P = <.001). For the female patients there was a weaker correlation (r = 0.21, P =.034), and in male patients there was a stronger correlation (r = 0.40, P <.001). For the entire population there was a negative correlation between age and RDI (r = -0.15, P <.001). In female patients there was a nonsignificant correlation (r = -0.09, P =.35), and in male patients the correlation was significant (r = -0.16, P <.001). There was no difference in the reporting of the number of symptoms based on gender (P =.355). Female patients noted headaches on awakening more commonly than male patients (P =.001), and male patients noted snoring (P =.014) and stopping breathing during sleep (P =.001) more often than female patients. Conclusions: The analysis demonstrated that within a surgical population sample, gender differences exist. The findings of this series were as follows: 1) Apnea severity in women was less weight-dependent than in men; (2) in men there was a significant negative correlation between age and apnea severity; and (3) female and male patients reported the same number of signs or symptoms on presentation, although certain signs and symptoms were more commonly reported based on gender. Current clinical evaluation practices must take into account this gender disparity.
Silent Phase of Johne’s Disease in Experimentally Infected Goats – A Study on New and Established Diagnostic Approaches Using Specific and Non-Specific Parameters

The current gold standard diagnostic test for Johne’s disease (JD) is detecting Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) from fecal samples via culture and/or PCR. Other commercially available JD diagnostic tests focus on the detection of specific antibodies within the serum or milk of infected ruminants. These tests have a high specificity but low their sensitivity and usually fail to diagnose the disease until later stages of the disease. The ideal diagnostic test should detect infected animals already during the silent phase. Here, we evaluate the use of new and established approaches to define the silent phase of JD in experimentally infected goats. None of the established diagnostic tests or new approaches for the detection of humoral and cellular immune responses were positive during the first year of infection. Only the characterization of various subsets of peripheral blood leukocytes and the weight development gave some indication for the presence of a chronic, but silent, infection. Weight differences were present throughout the first year. In addition, some of the subsets of leukocytes (WC1+  T cells, MHC class II+ leukocytes, CD1+ leukocytes, CD14+ granulocytes, and CD14+/MHC class II+ granulocytes) demonstrated significant differences, but only at certain time points.
The role of gender in youth mentoring relationship formation and duration

Abstract The role of gender in shaping the course and quality of adult–youth mentoring relationships was examined. The study drew on data from a large, random assignment evaluation of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBSA) programs [Grossman, J. B., & Tierney, J. P. (1998). Does mentoring work? An impact study of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Evaluation Review, 22 , 403–426], and focused on variables associated with youth’s relationships with their parents and mentors. At baseline, girls reported significantly lower levels of parental trust and higher levels of alienation from their parents than boys. Nonetheless, girls’ mentoring relationships lasted significantly longer than those of boys. Moreover, girls were less satisfied than boys in short- and medium-term relationships, but were more satisfied than boys in long-term relationships. Similarly, girls in long-term relationships rated mentoring as more helpful than either the boys or the girls in the shorter-term relationship groups. Particularly in light of the heightened mistrust and alienation from parents at baseline, and the role of improved parent relationships in mediating the effects of mentoring, the protective aspect of longer-lasting mentoring relationships may be particularly salient for girls.
Physicians' children are treated differently in the emergency department.

The objective was to determine whether children with a physician parent receive treatment different from that of children of nonphysician parents when they present to the emergency department (ED). The design was a retrospective cohort study. The setting was a university-affiliated children's hospital ED. All children with a physician parent seen in the ED during a 16-month period were identified. Children with a nonphysician parent were matched to children with a physician parent by date and time of visit. Length of stay in ED, performance of laboratory or radiological testing, evaluation by a consultant, and training level of the least experienced physician to evaluate the patient in the ED were measured. The authors identified 92 children with a physician parent and 181 children with nonphysician parents. Children of physician parents were similar to controls with regard to age, sex, nursing acuity level, length of stay, and whether a laboratory or radiographic procedure was performed. Children with a physician parent saw significantly fewer nonconsultant physicians while in the ED (P = .005). Compared with controls, the most junior member of the medical team seen by children of a physician parent was less likely to be a medical student (relative risk [RR] = 0.22) or a resident (RR = 0.71) and more likely to be an ED staff physician (RR = 1.52) or consultant (RR = 1.84). This trend was statistically significant (P = .002). The children of physician parents are more likely to see only an ED staff physician and/or consultant and less likely to see trainees than other children presenting to the pediatric ED.
Primary Neuronal Cultures from the Brains of Late Stage Drosophila Pupae

In this video, we demonstrate the preparation of primary neuronal cultures from the brains of late stage Drosophila pupae. The procedure begins with the removal of brains from animals at 70-78 hrs after puparium formation. The isolated brains are shown after brief incubation in papain followed by several washes in serum-free growth medium. The process of mechanical dissociation of each brain in a 5 ul drop of media on a coverslip is illustrated. The axons and dendrites of the post-mitotic neurons are sheered off near the soma during dissociation but the neurons begin to regenerate processes within a few hours of plating. Images show live cultures at 2 days. Neurons continue to elaborate processes during the first week in culture. Specific neuronal populations can be identified in culture using GAL4 lines to drive tissue specific expression of fluorescent markers such as GFP or RFP. Whole cell recordings have demonstrated the cultured neurons form functional, spontaneously active cholinergic and GABAergic synapses. A short video segment illustrates calcium dynamics in the cultured neurons using Fura-2 as a calcium indicator dye to monitor spontaneous calcium transients and nicotine evoked calcium responses in a dish of cultured neurons. These pupal brain cultures are a useful model system in which genetic and pharmacological tools can be used to identify intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence formation and function of central synapses.
The Clinical Course of an Overgrowth Syndrome, From Diagnosis in Infancy Through Adulthood: The Case of Beckwith–Wiedemann Syndrome

Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is the most common genetic overgrowth syndrome, and it is frequently clinically recognizable because of characteristic features. These features include macrosomia, hemihypertrophy, macroglossia, facial nevus flammeus, earlobe creases and pits, omphalocele, and organomegaly. The most common molecular cause is hypomethylation of the maternal imprinting control region 2 (ICR2) in 11p15. Other molecular causes include hypermethylation of the maternal ICR1 in 11p15, mutations in CDKN1C , mosaic uniparental disomy 11p15, and chromosomal abnormalities involving 11p15. Some of these abnormalities are testable, and DNA methylation tests of 11p15 confirm about 60% of cases with BWS. The main management issues in pediatrics are hypoglycemia at birth, macroglossia, and surveillance for embryonal tumors, especially Wilms and hepatoblastoma.
FLUORINATED SURFACTANTS IN BLOOD

Abstract An anionic fluorinated surfactant, CnF2n+1CH2CH2SO3M (M = NH4 or H, n = 6−16), was administered orally 10-times to three groups of rats at levels of either 0, 10, 100 or 1000 mg kg−1. Organic fluorine in rat blood increased linearly with the square root of increasing dose of the surfactant. For the 1–100 mg kg−1 dose range, the average concentration of fluorine measured in rat blood ranged from 0 to 80 ppm after dosing, and 0–25 ppm after a 14-d recovery period. The data for the 1000 mg kg−1 doses were obscured by 5/ 10 mortality.
The interaction of ultrathin films of Ni and Pd with W(110): an XPS study

Abstract The interaction of ultrathin films of Ni and Pd with W(110) has been examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the effects of annealing temperature and adsorbate coverage (film thickness) are investigated. The XPS data show that the atoms in a monolayer of Pd or Ni supported on W(110) are electronically perturbed with respect to the surface atoms of Pd(100) and Ni(100). The magnitude of the electronic perturbations is larger for Pd than for Ni adatoms. Our results indicate that the difference in Pd (3 d 5 2 ) XPS binding energies between a pseudomorphic monolayer of Pd on W(110) and the surface atoms of Pd(100) correlates with the variations observed for the desorption temperature of CO (i.e., the strength of the PdCO bond) on these surfaces. A similar correlation is seen for the Ni (2 p 3 2 ) XPS binding energies of Ni/W(110) and Ni(100) and the CO desorption temperatures from the surfaces. The shifts in XPS binding energies and CO desorption temperatures can be explained in terms of: (1) variations that occur in the NiNi and PdPd interactions when Ni and Pd adopt the lattice parameters of W(110) in a pseudomorphic adlayer; and (2) transfer of electron density from the metal overlayer to the W(110) substrate upon adsorption. Measurements of the Pd (3 d 5 2 ) XP binding energy of Pd/W(110) as a function of film thickness indicate that the PdW interaction affects the electronic properties of several layers of Pd atoms.
Large area solar power heliostat array for OSETI

Current OSETI programs make use of optical telescopes with light collection areas on the order of 10 square meters or less. The small collection area limits the ultimate sensitivity achievable to low-intensity signals. However, solar power facilities such as the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) provide the potential for a much larger collecting area. The NSTTF is operated at by the Department of Energy at Sandia National Laboratories for research in solar power development and testing. The NSTTF site includes over 200 fully steerable mirrors (called heliostats) each providing 37 square meters of collecting area. This facility is currently being used at night for gamma-ray astronomy. The STACEE experiment makes use of 64 heliostats to detect nanosecond flashes of optical Cherenkov light associated with gamma-ray air showers from the top of the atmosphere. The STACEE experiment has been in operation since 1998 and has already detected gamma-rays from the Crab Nebula. In principle, the STACEE experiment can be operated with minor modifications to detect OSETI signals on the ground at a photon density of less than two optical photons per square meter per pulse. We summarize performance results from the STACEE experiment, and we discuss the sensitivity of a hypothetical future STACEE-OSETI experiment with particular attention to potential sources of background.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fractal ring arrays

Abstract We use fractals to design a class of Cantor ring arrays — both continuous and discrete. Using dimension, lacunarity, stage of growth and other fractal descriptors, we find relevant connections between fractal geometry and array performance including peak sidelobe level and directivity. We examine the design of several sparse discrete arrays using their continuous analogs as a point of departure. These discrete fractal ring arrays are compared with their periodic and random counterparts. Cantor ring arrays exhibit distinctive subfractal, fractal and superfractal radiation regimes that can be tailored through choice of fractal geometry and number of array elements. It is in the second regime that fractal geometry can be used most effectively to control the array sidelobes.
Race, Restrictive State Abortion Laws and Abortion Demand

A disproportionately large number of abortions are performed on black and Hispanic women. This study empirically investigates whether restrictive state abortion laws differentially affect the abortion demand of white, black and Hispanic women for the year 2005. A state Medicaid abortion funding restriction significantly decreases the abortion rate of all three races. However, Hispanic women’s abortion demand is more sensitive to a Medicaid funding restriction than either white women or black women. Parental involvement laws and mandatory counseling laws have no significant impact on the abortion rates of the three racial groups. Two-visit laws are associated with a significant decrease in the abortion rate of white women, but have no significant effect on the abortion rates of black and Hispanic women.
Optical interconnections for VLSI systems

The combination of decreasing feature sizes and increasing chip sizes is leading to a communication crisis in the area of VLSI circuits and systems. It is anticipated that the speeds of MOS circuits will soon be limited by interconnection delays, rather than gate delays. This paper investigates the possibility of applying optical and electrooptical technologies to such interconnection problems. The origins of the communication crisis are discussed. Those aspects of electrooptic technology that are applicable to the generation, routing, and detection of light at the level of chips and boards are reviewed. Algorithmic implications of interconnections are discussed, with emphasis on the definition of a hierarchy of interconnection problems from the signal-processing area having an increasing level of complexity. One potential application of optical interconnections is to the problem of clock distribution, for which a single signal must be routed to many parts of a chip or board. More complex is the problem of supplying data interconnections via optical technology. Areas in need of future research are identified.
Gait analysis of locomotory impairment in rats before and after neuromuscular injury.

Abstract We used a gait analysis system (GAS™) to measure the changes in locomotion parameters of adult Sprague–Dawley rats after neuromuscular injury, induced by repeated large-strain lengthening contractions of the dorsiflexors muscles. We developed a logistic regression model from test runs of control and permanently impaired (denervation of the dorsiflexor muscles) rats and used this model to predict the probabilities of locomotory impairment in rats injured by lengthening contractions. The data showed that GAS™ predicts the probability of locomotory impairment with very high reliability, with values close to 100% immediately after injury and close to 0% after several weeks of recovery from injury. The six transformed locomotion parameters most effective in the model were in three domains: frequency, force, and time. We conclude that application of the GAS™ instrument with our predictive model accurately identifies locomotory changes due to neuromuscular deficits. Use of this technology should be valuable for monitoring the progression of a neuromuscular disease and the effects of therapeutic interventions.
A watermarking technique for geometric manipulation attacks

The challenging task for watermarking algorithms is to ensure the robustness against wide range of attacks including geometrical manipulations. A number of algorithms try to overcome this problem using feature-based segmentation. Extracted feature points are bound to the image content. This set of points is used to divide the image into elementary patches, which are warped into a standard geometry ensuring the exact synchronization during insertion and extraction of the watermark. This paper proposes a new watermarking technique for data hiding in media signal operating in the frequency domain using content based image segmentation. Such watermarking technique may present additional advantages in terms of detection and recovery from geometric attacks compared to previous techniques.
Integrated optic biosensor for environmental monitoring

An integrated-optic biosensor monitors the concentration of liquid pollutants on the surface of a planar substrate composing single-mode channel waveguides. The concept uses a Mach- Zehnder interferometer structure to measure thickness and/or refractive index changes on the waveguide surface. These changes occur as pollutant molecules interact directly with the interferometer's active arm or with a hydrophobic coating on the surface of the arm. Interferometer output data were obtained for various solutions including PPM levels of benzene and toluene in water. Theoretical analysis indicated that a hydrophobic coating on the waveguide would provide sensor specificity and detect pollutants at PPB levels.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On Edge: Building the Border in East and West Germany

How did the inter-German border, created in 1945, become one of the most formidable boundaries in the world by 1952? The early boundary was not fenced, but just years in the wake of National Socialism's “Thousand Year Reich” Germans on both sides broadly accepted and enforced it against other Germans. These early divisions made possible the GDR's physical closure and fortification of the border after 1952. The hastily drawn demarcation line between Allied zones of occupation had rather quickly expanded into a legal, economic, political, and social boundary—in which both East and West developed a stake.
Isolation of ACTH-induced protein from adrenal perfusate.

Abstract SDS-polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis was carried out on perfusate samples from cat adrenal glands perfused with 3H-leucine in the presence and absence of ACTH. ACTH increased the rate of incorporation of label into specific protein components, whose apparent molecular weights were 48,000 and 58,000, respectively. Although the function of these labile protein components is still unknown, these observations confirm previous findings that protein synthesis and secretion occur concomitantly with steroid secretion.
Single-root, real-basis-function method with correct branch-point structure for complex resonances energies

Abstract We present a new method for analytic continuation of real variational eigenvalues to calculate the complex energy of a collisional or photofragmentation resonance. The method is tested successfully against accurate quantum-mechanical results for model problems.
XXV. An experimental investigation on the reflexion of light at certain metal-liquid surfaces

(1911). XXV. An experimental investigation on the reflexion of light at certain metal-liquid surfaces. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 22, No. 128, pp. 229-245.
Image-Data-Driven Dynamically-Reconfigurable Multiprocessor System In Automated Histopathology

The diagnostic evaluation of biomedical imagery by computer presents a massive data processing problem that may be effectively handled by multiprocessor computer systems such as the Heidelberg Polyp. A hardware and software configuration of the Polyp is described that can run as a data-driven system directed by a knowledge data base for efficient image analysis.
Economies with Public Goods: An Elementary Geometric Exposition

This paper explains how to represent economies with one private good, one public good, and two agents when the public good is produced from the private good by operating a linear technology, by means of the so-called “Kolm triangle.” It also shows the usefulness of this representation in analyzing this class of economies.
Revisiting the Dome Approach for Partial Sternotomy/Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery

Background When partial upper sternotomy is used for minimal access mitral valve surgery, the valve is usually approached through an extended transseptal incision. Limiting the left atrial incision to the dome offers adequate visualization of the mitral valve for standard repairs or replacement. We describe the surgical technique and early experience with this dome approach. Methods Forty-two patients had minimally invasive mitral valve surgery through partial upper sternotomy and incision in the left atrial dome. Surgical technique, operative findings, echocardiographic results, and complications are reported. Results In all cases, the operation was completed without extending the sternotomy or atrial incision. Thirty patients (71%) underwent valve repair and 12 (29%) valve replacement. Repair techniques included ring anuloplasty, quadrangular posterior leaflet resection with or without sliding repair, commissural closure, and Alfieri repair. One patient had post-repair severe systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet and underwent valve replacement. Thirty-nine had no or trivial mitral regurgitation and no systolic anterior motion; 3 had 1+ mitral regurgitation after repair. Six had concomitant aortic or tricuspid valve repair/replacement. There were no operative deaths. Two patients underwent reoperation for bleeding. Seven (17%) had postoperative bradycardia requiring temporary pacing, and 1 (2.4%) required permanent pacemaker insertion. Conclusions Combined with partial upper sternotomy, the left atrial dome incision offers adequate exposure of the mitral valve for standard procedures. This approach rarely divides the sinus node artery and is easy and fast to use.