cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer : pathological and oncological outcomes

Open radical cystectomy (ORC) has been the mainstay of treatment for invasive bladder cancer for decades and remains the standard by which new treatments are judged. Despite improvements in technique and perioperative care, the development of effective perioperative chemotherapy, continent urinary diversion, and extending the limits of pelvic lymphadenectomy, an estimated 35-50% of patients will die from progressive cancer. Likewise, the impact of RC on the patient in terms of treatment-related morbidity and health-related quality of life is substantial. Laparoscopic RC (LRC) offers patients the potential of decreased morbidity and quicker convalescence, while maintaining oncological efficacy by recapitulating the open technique. We and others have investigated this procedure in selected patients with invasive bladder cancer, with slow and measured progress. We favour an open-assisted approach, performing the urinary diversion through a small midline incision. Preliminary comparative data suggest that open-assisted LRC is associated with reduced blood loss and transfusion requirements and it might improve convalescence. These results are achieved while being comparable with ORC for postoperative complications, positive soft-tissue margin rates, and lymph node counts. This procedure is difficult to learn, and ideally it should be restricted to patients with clinically organ-confined cancers, and carried out by surgeons with extensive experience in pelvic laparoscopic procedures. Randomized trials are necessary to determine if the results achieved with LRC are equivalent to those of ORC.
Robust fuzzy CPU utilization control for dynamic workloads

In a number of real-time applications such as target tracking, precise workloads are unknown a priori but may dynamically vary, for example, based on the changing number of targets to track. It is important to manage the CPU utilization, via feedback control, to avoid severe overload or underutilization even in the presence of dynamic workloads. However, it is challenge to model a real-time system for feedback control, as computer systems cannot be modeled via physics laws. In this paper, we present a novel closed-loop approach for utilization control based on formal fuzzy logic control theory, which is very effective to support the desired performance in a nonlinear dynamic system without requiring a system model. We mathematically prove the stability of the fuzzy closed-loop system. Further, in a real-time kernel, we implement and evaluate our fuzzy logic utilization controller as well as two existing utilization controllers based on the linear and model predictive control theory for an extensive set of workloads. Our approach supports the specified average utilization set-point, while showing the best transient performance in terms of utilization control among the tested approaches.
Three years of Atmospheric Infrared Sounder radiometric calibration validation using sea surface temperatures

This paper evaluates the absolute accuracy and stability of the radiometric calibration of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) by analyzing the difference between the brightness temperatures measured at 2616 cm(exp -1) and those calculated at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), using the Real-Time Global Sea Surface Temperature (RTGSST) for cloud-free night tropical oceans between +/- 30 degrees latitude. The TOA correction is based on radiative transfer. The analysis of the first 3 years of AIRS radiances verifies the absolute calibration at 2616 cm(exp -1) to better than 200 mK, with better than 16 mK/yr stability. The AIRS radiometric calibration uses an internal full aperture wedge blackbody with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable prelaunch calibration coefficients. The calibration coefficients have been unchanged since launch. The analysis uses very tight cloud filtering, which selects about 7000 cloud-free tropical ocean spectra per day, about 0.5% of the data. The absolute accuracy and stability of the radiometry demonstrated at 2616 cm(sup -1) are direct consequences of the implementation of AIRS as a thermally controlled, cooled grating-array spectrometer and meticulous attention to details. Comparable radiometric performance is inferred from the AIRS design for all 2378 channels. AIRS performance sets the benchmark for what can be achieved with a state-of-the-art hyperspectral radiometer from polar orbit and what is expected from future hyperspectral sounders. AIRS was launched into a 705 km altitude polar orbit on NASA's Earth Observation System (EOS) Aqua spacecraft on 4 May 2002. AIRS covers the 3.7-15.4 micron region of the thermal infrared spectrum with a spectral resolution of nu/Delta nu = 1200 and has returned 3.7 million spectra of the upwelling radiance each day since the start of routine data gathering in September 2002.
The effect of terminal cleaning on environmental contamination rates of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

We evaluated the prevalence of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii environmental contamination before and after discharge cleaning in rooms of infected/colonized patients. 46.9% of rooms and 15.3% of sites were found contaminated precleaning, and 25% of rooms and 5.5% of sites were found contaminated postcleaning. Cleaning significantly decreased environmental contamination of A baumannii ; however, persistent contamination represents a significant risk factor for transmission. Further studies on this and more effective cleaning methods are needed.
Synovial proliferative disorders: Role of synovectomy

Synovectomy is an effective procedure in many of the synovial proliferative diseases. It is the treatment of choice in pigmented villonodular synovitis and synovial chondromatosis. In addition, it may be a useful adjunct to treatment in carefully selected patients with rheumatoid arthritis and hemophilia. Synovectomy can now be accomplished effectively with arthroscopic techniques, and this has greatly diminished the previous morbidity and cost associated with open synovectomy. However, the indications for synovectomy remain the same, regardless of the technique.
New Perspectives in Mississippian Archaeology

In recent years the pace of research on the late prehistoric Mississippian societies of eastern North America has accelerated. New data, methods, and theoretical goals are changing perspectives in Mississippian archaeology. Regional overviews and site syntheses provide unprecedented insights into the Mississippian phenomenon at local, regional, and continental scales. Traditional culture history, processualism, historical processualism, iconography, and neo-Darwinian archaeology are active theoretical orientations. Important research focuses on variability in Mississippian sociopolitical formations over time, organizational diversity among contemporaneous societies, and sources of political power. The new historicism and iconography place agency, identity, origins, factionalism, ideology, and meaning at the center of culture change, while many processualists continue to focus on developmental histories, economy, and control of material resources. Advances in physical and chemical analyses and the availability of remote sensing techniques are changing how Mississippian archaeology is conducted and expanding the kinds of data that are recovered. These diverse interests, methods, and goals have created considerable eclecticism in Mississippian archaeology.
Structured Storage AFA

Families of acceptors, called SS-AFA, are introduced in which the storage structure is of a very general form. For example, SS-AFA include ordinary AFA and all known multitape AFA, as well as families of acceptors whose storage structure is an n-dimensional array, a tree, or a linked structure. It is shown that from the point of view of languages defined, SS-AFA are equivalent to ordinary AFA.
Pregnancy and homozygous beta thalassaemia major

Nine pregnant women with homozygous β-thalassaemia major followed a strict transfusion regimen to maintain their haemoglobin level > 10g/dl. One pregnancy was terminated because of concern about desferrioxamine teratogenicity and another ended in miscarriage at 11 weeks. All other women were delivered by elective caesarean section between 37 and 38 weeks. There were no obstetric complications or perinatal deaths.
Core-Based Investigation of NMR Logging as a Tool for Characterization of Shallow Unconsolidated Aquifers

Uncompacted vadose zone sand aquifers, with their highly interconnected pores and tendency to contain iron-rich cements and clay skins, are not necessarily susceptible to characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) wireline logging. A necessary condition for valid application of this technology to such aquifers is that the NMR signal may be quantitatively related to pore size. To test the hypothesis that this is the case, pore image and NMR data were acquired from cores collected from three sand units beneath the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Statistical unmixing of pore image and transverse relaxation time (T{sub 2}) data allowed the pore space to be subdivided into image-based pore types and NMR endmembers, respectively. The image-based pore classification bears a systematic relationship to hydraulic conductivity, and is thus shown to be petrophysically relevant. However, the image-based and NMR components cannot be correlated with one another in terms of either volumetric abundance of size characteristics. The hypothesis was therefore rejected. The lack of correlation is attributed to either, or both, of two effects: coupling of NMR response from spatially associated pores of different pore types, and variation in pore wall relaxivity resulting from the heterogeneous distribution of pore lining iron-stained claymore » skins. These results do not condemn the use of NMR logging in consolidated aquifers in which neither of these effects occurs, but further research is needed to establish whether there are any conditions under which unconsolidated aquifers may be validly characterized using this technique.« less
Investigating the Desirability of Navy Aircraft Service Life Extension Programs

Building on prior work on optimal replacement of aging aircraft, this paper presents three methodologies to evaluate prospective aviation Service Life Extension Programs (SLEPs) and applies these methodologies to US Navy F/A-18E/F data. While considerable uncertainty remains as to the values of key parameters (e.g. the cost of F/A-18E/F SLEPs), the preponderance of the evidence available at this juncture favors undertaking SLEPs on F/A-18E/Fs rather than replacing them with new Joint Strike Fighters.
Regulation of gene expression by the thyroid hormone receptor.

II. Physiological role of thyroid hormones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 A. Characteristics of thyroid hormones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 B. Effects of thyroid hormones on development and homeostasis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 C. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional control of gene expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
On 14-connected finiteH-spaces

We prove here that a certain 14 connected finite complex cannot admit the structure of anH-space. Thea andc invariants of Zabrodsky are used here. It was conjectured by Adams and Wilkerson that the complex described admitted anH-structure.
Distributed intrusion detection in partially observable Markov decision processes

The problem of decentralized control occurs frequently in realistic domains where agents have to cooperate to achieve a universal goal. Planning for domain-level joint strategy takes into account the uncertainty of the underlying environment in computing near-optimal joint-strategies that can handle the intrinsic domain uncertainty. However, uncertainty related to agents deviating from the recommended joint-policy is not taken into consideration. We focus on hostile domains, where the goal is to quickly identify deviations from planned behavior by any compromised agents. There is a growing need to develop techniques that enable the system to recognize and recover from such deviations. We discuss the problem from the intruder's perspective and then present a distributed intrusion detection scheme that can detect a particular type of attack.
The inhibition of optical excitations and enhancement of Rabi flopping in hybrid quantum dot–metallic nanoparticle systems

We study the inhibition of optical excitation and enhancement of Rabi flopping and frequency in semiconductor quantum dots via plasmonic effects. This is done by demonstrating that the interaction of a quantum dot with a laser field in the vicinity of a metallic nanoparticle can be described in terms of optical Bloch equations with a plasmically normalized Rabi frequency. We show that in the weak-field regime plasmonic effects can suppress the interband transitions, inhibiting exciton generation. In the strong-field regime these effects delay the response of the quantum dot to the laser field and enhance Rabi flopping. We relate these to the conversion of Rabi frequency from a real quantity into a complex and strongly frequency-dependent quantity as plasmonic effects become significant. We show that, within the strong-field regime, in the wavelength range where real and imaginary parts of this frequency reach their maxima, a strongly frequency-dependent enhancement of carrier excitation can happen.
Growth factors, insulin-like growth factor-1 and growth hormone, in synovial fluid and serum of patients with rheumatic disorders

Summary Objective: Synovial fluid (SF) plays an important role in joint function. We evaluated the growth factors, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and growth hormone (GH) in SF and serum from patients with osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), gout, pseudogout and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). Design: Standard radioimmunoassay techniques were used to measure concurrent levels of IGF-1 and GH. SF samples and serum samples were obtained concomitantly from 27 patients with OA, 22 patients with RA, nine men with gout, 14 patients with pseudogout and eight men with DISH. Results: In the case of IGF-1, a comparison of serum and SF levels shows that SF levels of IGF-1 are lower than serum levels in all groups. Men and women gave similar values. In contrast, in the case of GH, all groups, except males with RA, had higher GH values in SF when compared with serum values. Individual patients with other forms of arthritis demonstrated similar relationships. Conclusion: The finding that IGF-1 is present in levels about one-half as great in SF as compared with serum suggests that IGF-1 may be produced in lesser amounts or is utilized by the patient in customary joint function. The finding that GH is present in SF at values twice as high, or more, of serum levels in inflammatory arthritides suggests that GH may play a role in the pathophysiology of arthritic disorders.
Specificity of Aspartokinase III fromEscherichia coliand an Examination of Important Catalytic Residues

Abstract Aspartokinase III (AK III) has been purified from a plasmid-containing strain ofEscherichia coli.The enzyme shows broad specificity for the phosphoryl acceptor substrate. Structural analogs of aspartic acid with a derivatized α-carboxyl group are accepted as alternative substrates by the enzyme. Derivatives at the α-amino group are also tolerated by AK III but with diminished catalytic activity. As has been previously observed with aspartokinase I (T. S. Angeles and R. E. Viola, 1992,Biochemistry31, 799), derivatization of the β-carboxyl group, which serves as the phosphoryl acceptor, does not prevent catalytic activity. These β-derivatized analogs are capable of productive binding to these enzymes through a reversal of regiospecificity, making the α-carboxyl group available as the phosphoryl acceptor. Chemical modification and pH profile studies have identified the functional groups of cysteine and histidine as being involved in the catalytic activity of AK III.
Detection of periodically and randomly interrupted noise signals

The detectability of a masked, interrupted, band-limited (150-2,400 Hz) noise signal was studied as a function of whether the interruption process was periodic or random. A standard monaural two-interval, temporal forced-choice detection procedure was employed both with and without a low-level contralateral cue (MDCC). The cue was an independent noise interrupted synchronously with the signal. Detection performance was equal under all conditions and was equivalent to the detection of an uninterrupted noise signal of equal power. Furthermore, like speech waveforms, the two types of interruption processes were discriminable only at levels at least 10–12 dB above the level required for detection.
Whence Cometh Neointimal Myofibroblasts

To the Editor: We greatly enjoyed the elegant and informative study recently published by Shi and colleagues.1 Using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling after severe endoluminal coronary artery injury, the authors demonstrated activation and proliferation of porcine adventitial fibroblasts that initially lacked actin expression. Subsequently, the adventitial fibroblasts acquired actin expression indicative of myofibroblastic differentiation, and these proliferating adventitia-derived myofibroblasts were then shown to translocate the gap between dissected media to contribute to neointima formation. Smaller numbers of similar BrdU-positive nonmuscle cells were demonstrated in the media as well. In their discussion, the authors note that the precise mechanisms regulating fibroblast migration to neointima are unknown. It has been our experience2 3 4 and that of others5 6 in human material that endothelium …
On stability of linear hybrid mechanical systems with distributed components

We present a new approach to the solution of problems of stability of hybrid systems based on the constructive determination of elements of a matrix-valued functional.
Photochemically Generated Polyacrylonitrile−Silica Nanocomposites: Optimized Fabrication and Characterization

Nanocomposites of polyacrylonitrile in a porous silica matrix (Vycor) were generated by the photopolymerization of acrylonitrile inside the nanopores of the matrix. The amount of polymer incorporated could be controlled by photoinititator concentration and by the irradiation time. Studies of the changes in pore volume and surface area of the matrix as a function of polymer loading lead to a model for pore filling in which the polymer forms plugs across the diameter of the pore, leaving closed void areas behind. The microenvironment of the polymer phase as related to the model for pore filling is investigated by the use of fluorescent probe molecules. Finally, the crystallinity and relative molecular weight distribution of the nanophase polyacrylonitrile are also reported.
Replication of Template-Primers Containing Propanodeoxyguanosine by DNA Polymerase β INDUCTION OF BASE PAIR SUBSTITUTION AND FRAMESHIFT MUTATIONS BY TEMPLATE SLIPPAGE AND DEOXYNUCLEOSIDE TRIPHOSPHATE STABILIZATION

Abstract Propanodeoxyguanosine (PdG) is a model for several unstable exocyclic adducts formed by reaction of DNA with bifunctional carbonyl compounds generated by lipid peroxidation. The effect of PdG on DNA synthesis by human DNA polymerase β was evaluated using template-primers containing PdG at defined sites. DNA synthesis was conducted in vitro and the products were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing. The extent of PdG bypass was low and the products comprised a mixture of base pair substitutions and deletions. Sequence analysis of all of the products indicated that the deoxynucleoside monophosphate incorporated “opposite” PdG was complementary to the base 5′ to PdG in the template strand. These findings are very similar to recent results of Efrati et al. (Efrati, E., Tocco, G., Eritja, R., Wilson, S. H., and Goodman, M. F. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 2559–2569) obtained in DNA replication of template-primers containing abasic sites and suggest that PdG is a non-informational lesion when acted upon by polymerase (pol) β. In addition to base pair substitutions and one- or two-base deletions, a four-base deletion was observed and the mechanism of its formation was probed by site-specific mutagenesis. The results indicated that this deletion occurred by one-base insertion followed by slippage to form a four-base loop followed by extension. All of the observations on pol β replication of PdG-containing template-primers are consistent with a mechanism of lesion bypass that involves template slippage and dNTP stabilization followed by deoxynucleoside monophosphate incorporation and extension. This mechanism of PdG bypass is completely different than that previously determined for the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I and is consistent with recent structural models for DNA synthesis by pol β.
Catastrophic vs gradual collapse of thin-walled nanocrystalline Ni hollow cylinders as building blocks of microlattice structures.

Lightweight yet stiff and strong lattice structures are attractive for various engineering applications, such as cores of sandwich shells and components designed for impact mitigation. Recent breakthroughs in manufacturing enable efficient fabrication of hierarchically architected microlattices, with dimensional control spanning seven orders of magnitude in length scale. These materials have the potential to exploit desirable nanoscale-size effects in a macroscopic structure, as long as their mechanical behavior at each appropriate scale – nano, micro, and macro levels – is properly understood. In this letter, we report the nanomechanical response of individual microlattice members. We show that hollow nanocrystalline Ni cylinders differing only in wall thicknesses, 500 and 150 nm, exhibit strikingly different collapse modes: the 500 nm sample collapses in a brittle manner, via a single strain burst, while the 150 nm sample shows a gradual collapse, via a series of small and discrete strain bursts. Further, compressive strength in 150 nm sample is 99.2% lower than predicted by shell buckling theory, likely due to localized buckling and fracture events observed during in situ compression experiments. We attribute this difference to the size-induced transition in deformation behavior, unique to nanoscale, and discuss it in the framework of “size effects” in crystalline strength.
Effect of Penicillin on Experimental Staphylococcus Osteomyelitis in Rats.

SummaryOsteomyelitis was produced experimentally in white rats by inoculating the bone marrow of the tibia with Staph. aureus. About 21 days were allowed for the development of typical lesions. One group of 14 animals was treated by the subcutaneous injection of 600 units of penicillin every 2 hours for 9 days. Six of these apparently recovered during the course of the treatment. In a second experiment 13 animals were each given 900 units of the drug every hour for an equal period of time. Again 6 of the lesions were found to be healed at the termination of the injections. Of a total of 25 untreated controls only one animal showed evidence of recovery. It is concluded that penicillin has value as a systemic therapeutic agent in the treatment of the experimental disease, and that the rat is a suitable animal for the study of the course of experimental osteomyelitis and the evaluation of therapy.
Human chlamydial infections: persistence, prevalence, and outlook for the future

Maladies infectieuses dues aux Chlamydia. Pourquoi cette persistance et quel avenir ?L’humanite a ete lourdement marquee par les maladies infectieuses tout au long de son histoire. Il faut bien aujourd’hui constater que les pathologies provoquees par des microbes et affligeant l’homme depuis des millenaires demeurent toujours une preoccupation majeure des pays en developpement comme des pays industrialises. C’est en particulier le cas des maladies que causent les bacteries de l’ordre des Chlamydiales chez les hommes et leurs animaux domestiques : cecite, pneumonie, sterilite... Depuis peu, nous commencons a comprendre les relations subtiles et complexes entre l’hote et le pathogene, et donc a evaluer les consequences a longue echeance des infections. Cet article fait un point des connaissances de biologie et de pathologie a propos de Chlamydia trachomatis et C. pneumoniae. A partir de la presentation des maladies provoquees par ces deux microorganismes, nous examinons les sequelles chroniques, connues ou suspectees, de chacune des infections primaires : il semble bien que l’hote humain et ses pathogenes microbiens aient vecu une longue « association » qui a faconne les deux partenaires. Nous envisageons enfin le contexte et les consequences economiques et sociales des infections par les Chlamydia pour mobiliser les connaissances actuelles et suggerer des strategies d’evitement ou de soulagement.
Senate subcommittee examines NASA's identity crisis

With the Cold War fading into history, economic competitiveness becoming the watchwords of the decade, and the space race against the Russians turning into probable cooperation, NASA is struggling to redefine its role. On November 16, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space invited NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, Martin Marietta CEO Norman Augustine, and Robert Frosch of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government to offer their thoughts on NASA's plans, priorities, and budgetary difficulties. Augustine, who chaired the Committee on the Future of the U.S. Space Program in 1990, posed two questions: What does America want its space program to be, and can the country afford to pay for the program it wants? He stated bluntly that if the answers were incompatible, “we are unlikely to have a satisfactory program.”
Endoscopic surgery for recurrent inverted papilloma.

Objectives/Hypothesis Inverted papilloma of the nose and paranasal sinuses is noted for its high rate of recurrence. The feasibility of endoscopic treatment for inverted papilloma has been shown in the literature; however, reports discussing the efficacy of endoscopic surgery for recurrent diseases are rare. The study determined the effectiveness of endoscopic surgery for recurrent inverted papilloma and described when endoscopic medial maxillectomy was indicated. Study Design Retrospective. Methods Seventeen patients with recurrent inverted papilloma were treated over a 10-year period. Krouse's staging system was used for tumor grading. Because of the extent of the tumor in the majority (70.6%) of the patients, en bloc resection could not be regularly achieved; therefore, sequential segmental endoscopic surgery was the chosen treatment. Some diseases that extensively involved the maxillary sinus were treated by the combination of endoscopic medial maxillectomy (EMM) and sequential segmental surgery (SSES) to extirpate the whole disease. Results Efficacy was evaluated strictly by radiographic study. Successful treatment was accomplished in 14 (82.4%) patients. Three (17.6%) patients had residual disease; each required one revision surgery. None of the patients had recurrence at the time of writing. There were no major complications or associated malignancies encountered in the patients. Conclusion Endoscopic surgery is an effective treatment for recurrent inverted papilloma. Precise determination of the sites of tumor origin and attachment during the operation is the key to the successful treatment. Recurrent inverted papilloma tends to behave more aggressively and has a higher postoperative recurrence rate than the primary lesion. Stage III disease had a higher recurrence rate (27.3%) than that of other stages (0%).
NusEye: Visualizing Network Structure to Support Navigation of Aggregated Content

The application of social network analysis techniques, along with graph visualization and interaction, for navigating syndicated web content, a.k.a webfeeds, is presented. Within a webfeed aggregator, a judicious choice of networks and network information can highlight relationships between individual content items and content sources. A key contribution is to apply network analysis to content item and content source relationships in addition to analysis of traditional human networks. Presenting these relationships can improve scannability and prevent source stagnation in content aggregators. This aids in reducing information overload and improving information quality. Three social networks are exploited to generate interactive graphs in particularly useful visual styles. The results of a small initial user study are also presented indicating initial promise for our approach.
A High Power Stress-Gradient Resilient RF MEMS Capacitive Switch

A high power-handling radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical systems capacitive switch with low sensitivity to both in-plane stress and stress gradients is presented. The novel switch consists of four cantilever beams, which are tied together using an optimized center joint to minimize the effects of biaxial stress and stress gradients. Dimples with a thickness of 0.3 $\mu $ m are used to result in an air dielectric in the down-state position, which greatly improves the reliability, while still maintaining a measured capacitance ratio of 5. The switch is capable of handling an RF power $>12$ W under hot switching conditions, as well as having low sensitivity to temperature variations ( $\sim 20$ mV/°C for $V_{p}$ ). Application areas are in high power reconfigurable filters, matching networks, and tunable antennas for modern communication systems. [2014-0092]
Trust and Democratic Transition in Post‐Communist Europe – Edited by Ivana Markova

Books reviewed: Trust and Democratic Transition in Post-Communist Europe. Edited by Ivana Markova. Oxford University Press, New York, NY. 2004. 217 pp.
A Review of Curricular Research in Severe Disabilities from 1976 to 1995 in Six Selected Journals

Curricular articles pertaining to students with severe disabilities (moderate, severe, and profound mental retardation) published from 1976 to 1995 in six special education periodicals were examined to identify trends in curricular research. Over the 20-year period, 785 curricular articles were identified in the six journals. This represented 16% of the publications across these journals during that time span. The percentage of total publications represented by curricular articles showed an increase from 1976–1980 to 1981–1985, but a steady decline over the past 10 years. There was a 23% decline in the average annual frequency of curricular articles during the 1991–1995 time span in comparison to the 1976–1980 period. A 32% decrease in the average annual frequency of functional life skills training articles was noted, with a 231% increase in the average annual frequency of articles focusing on interactions, integration, and/or inclusion. Within the functional life skills area, recreation/leisure/play/soci...
Disease-control rates following intensity-modulated radiation therapy for small primary oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to achieve favorable disease-control rates while minimizing parotid gland doses in patients treated for small primary tumors of the oropharynx. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively identified all patients who received IMRT as treatment for a small (<4 cm) primary tumor of the oropharynx between October 2000 and June 2002. Tumor characteristics, IMRT parameters, and patient outcomes were assessed. Results: Fifty-one patients met the criteria for our study. All patients had treatment to gross disease with margin (CTV1), and all but 1 had treatment to the bilateral necks. The most common treatment schedule (39 patients) was a once-daily fractionation of prescribed doses of 63‐66 Gy to the CTV1 and 54 Gy to subclinical sites, delivered in 30 fractions. Twenty-one patients (40%) had gastrostomy tubes placed during therapy; in 4 patients, the tube remained in place for more than 6 months after completion of IMRT. The median follow-up was 45 months. The 2-year actuarial locoregional control, recurrence-free, and overall survival rates were 94%, 88%, and 94%, respectively. Conclusions: These preliminary data suggest that treatment with IMRT results in favorable locoregional control of small primary oropharynx tumors. IMRT did not appear to have a more favorable acute toxicity profile in this group with respect to the use of a feeding tube; however, the mean dose of radiation delivered to the parotid gland by IMRT was decreased, because 95% of patients had a mean dose of <30 Gy to at least one gland. © 2007 Elsevier Inc.
The interaction of intrinsic dynamics and network topology in determining network burst synchrony.

The pre-Botzinger complex (pre-BotC), within the mammalian respiratory brainstem, represents an ideal system for investigating the synchronization properties of complex neuronal circuits via the interaction of cell type heterogeneity and network connectivity. In isolation, individual respiratory neurons from the pre-BotC may be tonically active, rhythmically bursting, or quiescent. Despite this intrinsic heterogeneity, coupled networks of pre-BotC neurons en bloc engage in synchronized bursting that can drive inspiratory motorneuron activation. The region's connection topology has been recently characterized and features dense clusters of cells with occasional connections between clusters. We investigate how the dynamics of individual neurons (quiescent/bursting/tonic) and the betweenness centrality of neurons’ positions within the network connectivity graph interact to govern network burst synchrony, by simulating heterogeneous networks of computational model pre-BotC neurons. Furthermore, we compare the prevalence and synchrony of bursting across networks constructed with a variety of connection topologies, analyzing the same collection of heterogeneous neurons in small-world, scale-free, random, and regularly structured networks. We find that several measures of network burst synchronization are determined by interactions of network topology with the intrinsic dynamics of neurons at central network positions, and of the strengths of synaptic connections between neurons. Surprisingly, despite the functional role of synchronized bursting within the pre-BotC, we find that synchronized network bursting is generally weakest when we use its specific connection topology, which leads to synchrony within clusters but poor coordination across clusters. Overall, our results highlight the relevance of interactions between topology and intrinsic dynamics in shaping the activity of networks and the concerted effects of connectivity patterns and dynamic heterogeneities.
Team-RPD: A Collaborative Model of the Recognition-Primed Decision Process

The recognition-primed decision (RPD) framework is a naturalistic decision making model that focuses on how people actually make decisions in realistic settings that typically involve ill-structured problems. In this paper, we generalize the existing studies on RPD and propose a team-RPD representation model that treats a situation as a layered organization of state variables, and the decision process as a timed transition Petri net. This model can serve as a foundation for implementing agent architectures and multi-agent systems with built-in supports for naturalistic decision making.
Classifying and Assessing the Geologic Contribution to Rockfall Hazard

Rockfalls from roadcuts are a major hazard and pose problems for transportation agencies across the country. In the context of rockfall hazard management, however, no consensus exists about the role of geology in assessing rockfall hazard. This study investigates the geologic contribution to rockfall hazard through application of rockfall hazard rating systems to roadcuts in Tennessee and through additional data collection to reveal correlations between hazard characteristics and geologic attributes. The geologic character of 80 roadcuts in central and eastern Tennessee was evaluated using the Tennessee Rockfall Hazard Rating System (RHRS), which is a revision of the National Highway Institute (NHI) RHRS. Scores for both RHRSs were compared to evaluate whether the improved reproducibility of scoring for the Tennessee RHRS yielded unintended losses of scoring accuracy and sensitivity. Additional geologic attribute data beyond those used in the RHRS system were collected to determine with logistic regression analysis whether relationships among the geologic attributes, rockfall type, and block size exist. Results indicate the revised geologic component of Tennessee’s RHRS is more informative and permits description of a wider spectrum of geologic conditions thandoestheNHI version.Logisticregressionanalysis indicates rockfall type correlates to lithologic variation and the number of discontinuity sets; and block size correlates to structurally controlled rockfall, lithologic variation, mechanical layer thickness, and number of discontinuity sets. Consequently, roadcuts containing potential rockfall modes with two or more discontinuity sets, no lithologic variation, and mechanical thicknesses that exceed 1.0 m are expected to have greater Geologic Character scores.
Time-homogeneous Markov Sequences

Markov sequences are so important that several chapters could be devoted to their study. We will mainly limit our coverage to two kinds of topics: (i) those that involve instructive applications of material presented earlier in this book and (ii) those that lay the groundwork for material on continuous-time Markov processes presented later in the book.
The increase in the in-plane acceleration sensitivity of the plano-convex resonator due to its thickness asymmetry

An analysis of the degradation in the in-plane acceleration sensitivity that arises from the contour being on one side only is performed. Under in-plane acceleration, the single contour causes a state of flexure and asymmetric shear to exist in the resonator plate. The flexural biasing deformation is determined by means of a variational approximation procedure. The shearing stresses varying through the thickness and accompanying strains are determined recursively. The resulting biasing states are employed in the existing perturbation equation along with the equivalent trapped energy mode shapes of the contoured resonators to calculate the degradation in the in-plane acceleration sensitivity caused by the loss of symmetry of the plano-convex resonator. The calculated results show that the in-plane sensitivity increases with decreasing radius of curvature and lies in the range of a few parts in 10/sup 12/ per g. >
Prediction of preferred ClearType filters using the S-CIELAB metric

The appearance of rendered text is a compromise between the designer's intent and the display capabilities. The ClearType rendering method is designed to enhance rendered text by exploiting the subpixel resolution available on color displays. ClearType represents the high-resolution font outline at the full subpixel resolution of the display and then filters the image to enhance contrast and reduce color artifacts. The filter choice influences text appearance, and people have clear preferences between the renderings with different filters. In this paper, we predict these preferences using S-CIELAB, a spatial extension to the perceptual color metric CIELAB. We calculate the S-CIELAB difference between designed and rendered fonts for various filters. We compare the size of these differences with preference data obtained from individual subjects.
Positive Events and Social Supports as Buffers of Life Change Stress

A perceived availability of social support measure (the ISEL) was designed with independent subscales measuring four separate support functions. In a sample of college students, both perceived availability of social support and number of positive events moderated the relationship between negative life stress and depressive and physical symptomatology. In the case of depressive symptoms, the data fit a “buffering” hypothesis pattern, i.e., they suggest that both social support and positive events protect one from the pathogenic effects of high levels of life stress but are relatively unimportant for those with low levels of stress. In the case of physical symptoms, the data only partially support the buffering hypothesis. Particularly, the data suggest that both social support and positive events protect one from the pathogenic effects of high levels of stress but harm those (i.e., are associated with increased symptomatology) with low levels of stress. Further analyses suggest that self-esteem and appraisal support were primarily responsible for the reported interactions between negative life stress and social support. In contrast, frequency of past social support was not an effective life stress buffer in either the case of depressive or physical symptomatology. Moreover, past support frequency was positively related to physical symptoms and unrelated to depressive symptoms, while perceived availability of support was negatively related to depressive symptoms and unrelated to physical symptoms.
Lower Eyelid Synechia: A Complication of Periorbital CO2 Laser Resurfacing

Introduction: Laser resurfacing of the lower eyelids is a popular option for rejuvenation. Lower eyelid synechia (adhesions) can occur with laser skin resurfacing, but literature searches for this topic failed to show any dedicated articles addressing this complication. Materials and Methods: The author routinely performs more than 120 procedures per year involving high-fluence, high-density, multipass CO2 laser skin resurfacing to the lower eyelids (which includes full-face and periorbital treatment combined). This article discusses the author's clinical experience dealing with lower eyelid synechiae. Health Insurance Portability and accountability Act guidelines as well as the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki regarding ethical principles for medical research were followed. Results: Lower eyelid synechiae are an uncommon complication in the reepithelialization phase of laser resurfacing. If recognized and treated early, permanent tissue adhesion is rare; if allowed to totally reepithelia...
Childhood Adversity and Adult Reports of Food Insecurity Among Households With Children.

Introduction Exposure to childhood adversity, including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, is associated with negative long-term health and economic outcomes. Little is known about how adversity exposure in parents' early lives may be related to later food insecurity for parents and their children. This study investigated the association between female caregivers' adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and household and child food insecurity, taking into account depressive symptoms. Methods This study used cross-sectional data from 1,255 female caregivers of children aged Results Caregiver depressive symptoms modified associations between ACEs and food insecurity level. After adjusting for covariates, caregivers reporting both depressive symptoms and four or more ACEs were 12.3 times as likely to report low food security (95% CI=6.2, 24.7); 28.8 times as likely to report very low food security (95% CI=12.8, 64.8); and 17.6 times as likely to report child food insecurity (95% CI=7.3, 42.6) compared with those reporting no depressive symptoms and no ACEs. Conclusions Depressive symptoms and ACEs were independently associated with household and child food insecurity, and depressive symptoms modified the association between ACEs and household and child food insecurity. Comprehensive policy interventions incorporating nutrition assistance and behavioral health may address intergenerational transmission of disadvantage.
From Litigation To Arbitration: A Case Study In Water Resources Conflict

The business of water and competing uses for this precious resource in various parts of the United States often leads to conflict. Demand is outpacing supply, especially in the more heavily populated areas. This has led to intra-state and interstate disputes among prospective users of water and, in many cases, litigation. Against such a backdrop, this article examines a case that was litigated for more than five years. It was ultimately settled after a ruling by an administrative law judge. In order to provide sufficient background for the case, the discussion will first cover water law basics and water use permitting. Next, the discussion will touch on the salient parts of the litigation. Finally, the article will illustrate how an embittered five years of “water wars” litigation was resolved through an inter-local agreement providing for binding arbitration, generally a faster and less expensive form of dispute resolution than litigation. The choice of litigation vs. alternative dispute resolution can have significant economic consequences for public supply, industry and agriculture.
Boards of trustees must assume responsibility for making alcohol prevention on campus a top priority

Few colleges have made the prevention of alcohol-related injuries and deaths an institutional priority, and even fewer have implemented prevention strategies with a solid evidentiary base. We look to presidents to provide leadership on this issue, but those who do are atypical. Boards of trustees should step in by asserting that student wellness be a primary focus in the institution's strategic plan, with specific, measurable goals; holding the president accountable for progress in reducing high-risk drinking and its consequences; and mandating a line item in the annual budget, with adequate staffing and revenues to put evidence-based practices in place. Boards will be more likely to respond when led to focus on the cost implications of the campus alcohol problem; the link between high-risk drinking and mission-critical institutional objectives such as academic performance, student engagement, and retention; and the institution's potential liability if evidence-based prevention strategies are not in place.
Activity of Avermectin B1 Against Codling Moth (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae)

Avermectin B1 was tested against codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), eggs and larvae in the laboratory and field. Complete mortality occurred in neonate and 10-day-old larvae when concentrations <0.05 and 0.32 ppm, respectively, were incorporated into larval diet. Concentrations of 0.025 in the diet allowed survival to the adult stage, but egg production from individuals treated both as neonate and 10-day-old larvae was markedly reduced. Topical applications to 7-day-old larvae were toxic at concentrations <5 ppm, but topical applications to eggs were toxic only at concentrations < 100 ppm. When immature ‘Golden Delicious’ apples were treated with 10 ppm and infested with neonate larvae, successful penetration was reduced and mortality increased over those on untreated fruit. Results of field tests suggest that low treatment levels of averpectin B1 may be useful against codling moth in the orchard ecosystem, even in areas with high populations.
An automatic leukocyte analyzer. Validity of its results.

A statistical study was undertaken to evaluate the Corning Larc™ Leukocyte Analyzer by comparing its results with those of 20 medical technologists with regard to reproducibility and degree of agreement. A special effort was made to use statistically quantitative comparisons, large numbers of samples, and a large group of technologists. The results of the Larc are frequently more reproducible than those of technologists, especially for bands and segmented neutrophils. Other comparative studies show that the Larc reports clinically equivalent proportions of the different cell types, normal and abnormal. This is true for case by case as well as cumulative comparisons. All known cases of leukemia were detected by the Larc during the study, although the number of samples from leukemia patients was small (11 of 700).