cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An approach to unit-based team training with simulation in a neonatal intensive care unit

Introduction: Teamwork training with simulation has been utilized increasingly to improve communication among healthcare providers. Hospitals have developed programs to train employees in fundamentals of effective teamwork. It is beneficial to train all staff quickly to implement a culture change. Challenges with scheduling a multidisciplinary group represent a significant barrier to successful implementation. We describe various obstacles and solutions to facilitate training staff of the Yale Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Methods: A multidisciplinary approach was used to schedule and train employees between October and November 2010. Neonatal attendings, fellows, nursing leadership and staff, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, patient care associates and business administrators participated. The curriculum was adapted from TeamSTEPPS™, designed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Participants attended didactic lectures describing key concepts related to teamwork and participated in simulation. The Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire (TAQ) was administered prior to training and a course feedback survey was obtained. Results: 176 employees from various disciplines received teamwork training in 25 multidisciplinary sessions held over 6 weeks. 164 TAQs were analyzed. Physicians perceived teamwork behaviors to be a 4.49/5 vs. 4.44/5 (practitioners), 4.40/5 (nurses), and 4.25/5 (other disciplines). Conclusions: Logistical issues included (1) high patient census preventing sessions from being conducted in situ and (2) scheduling conflicts preventing staff from participating. Participants ranked their teamwork highly prior to the session. They also ranked the course highly in the feedback survey. This approach could be used to conduct team training in a large unit.
Accumulation of tricarboxylic acids related to lysine biosynthesis in a yeast mutant.

Abstract Accumulation of tricarboxylic acids related to lysine biosynthesis has been demonstrated in a yeast mutant, Ly12, which requires lysine as a growth factor in synthetic medium but can substitute α-aminoadipic acid for the nutritional requirement of lysine. Both radioactive and nonradioactive intermediates have been isolated from the growth medium under appropriate conditions and have been identified chromatographically, chemically, and spectroscopically as homocitric, cis-homoaconitic, and homoisocitric acids. Homocitric acid is in equilibrium as the free acid and lactone following treatment with formic acid. These intermediates in the lysine pathway are not accumulated in the wild-type yeast. The mutant Ly12 does not accumulate α-ketoadipic acid, indicating that the biochemical block in this mutant corresponds to the biosynthetic step preceding α-ketoadipic acid. Accumulation of these tricarboxylic acids in the culture medium of a lysine auxotroph provides additional evidence in support of their obligate intermediary role in lysine biosynthesis.
Processing Textual Information from Industrial Systems Using Semantic Networks.

Abstract. A paradigm shift is emerging in system reliability and maintainability. The military and industrial sectors are moving away from the traditional breakdown and scheduled maintenance and adopting concepts referred to as Condition Based Maintenance. In addition to signal processing and subsequent diagnostic and prognostic algorithms these new technologies require storage of large volumes of both quantitative and qualitative information and means to retrieve old cases from these case libraries and match them with a current problem. A semantic network based approach is being presented for natural language processing of qualitative information available from industrial systems in the form of textual descriptions. Syntactic rules are used to extract relationships between the words and the spatial arrangement is preserved using semantic networks. Compared to other current automated methods to manipulate text messages which are computationally expensive, this technique takes advantage of the semi structured nature of the text and domain limited vocabulary in industrial environments in order to create an architecture that processes textual information efficiently and effectively. Domain knowledge is taken into consideration while interpreting the text and creating the semantic networks. These semantic networks form a part of cases in a dynamic case based reasoning system, which constitutes an integral module of integrated diagnosis-prognosis architecture. This approach assists in retrieving short text based cases taking into account the semantic meaning of the sentence and not just conventional frequency based information.
Cloning and characterization of a novel all-trans retinol short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase from the RPE.

Purpose In the photic visual cycle, retinal G protein-coupled receptor (RGR) isomerizes all-trans retinal to 11-cis retinal in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) after illumination. It is unclear, however, how all-trans retinal, the substrate for RGR, is generated in the RPE, because no all-trans retinol dehydrogenase (atRDH) has been identified in the RPE. This study was conducted to identify the atRDH that generates all-trans retinal in the RPE. Methods The full-length cDNA encoding a novel atRDH, RDH10, was cloned by PCR based on an expressed sequence tag (EST). Cellular localization was determined at the mRNA level by Northern blot analysis, RT-PCR, and in situ hybridization and at the protein level by immunohistochemistry with an antibody specific to RDH10. The activity was measured by an RDH activity assay with recombinant RDH10 expressed in COS cells. Results The full-length RDH10 was cloned from the human, cow, and mouse. These cDNAs encode a protein of 341 amino acids and have significant sequence homology with other short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs). The human RDH10 shares 100% and 98.6% amino acid sequence identity with the bovine and mouse proteins, respectively, suggesting a highly conserved sequence during evolution. RDH10 is predominantly expressed in the microsomal fraction of the RPE. Human RDH10 expressed in COS cells oxidized all-trans retinol to all-trans retinal. RDH10 displayed substrate specificity for all-trans retinol and preferred nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) as the cofactor. Conclusions RDH10 is a novel retinol oxidase expressed in the RPE. This enzyme can generate all-trans retinal from all-trans retinol and may play an important role in the photic visual cycle.
Mediating connectors: a non-bypassable process wrapping technology

We have developed a technology for mediating all shared library calls. These mediators can be used to instrument these interfaces, monitor their behavior, integrate legacy components together, or encapsulate potentially harmful or unreliable components. They can be dynamically installed and removed during execution or installed before execution begins. Since modern commercial operating systems promote packaging third party functionality as shared libraries and are themselves composed of shared libraries the ability to mediate these interfaces provides access to the broad range of services available on that platform. We have hardened this mediation technology to prevent its bypass or removal by malicious code and applied it to increase the security and integrity of processes. An implementation of this technology is available for Windows NT.
Preparation and application of antibodies coupled to the A chain of ricin.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the selective cytotoxicity of a variety of normal and neoplastic cells by toxic peptides that have been covalently coupled to specific antibodies. The synthesis and applications of such antibody–toxin conjugates is also discussed in the chapter. Ricin is an example of a toxin that has been used in this manner. Ricin is obtained from castor beans and is composed of two 3 x 10 4 dalton polypeptide chains bridged by a disulfide bond. One chain (the B chain) has binding specificity for galactose and is responsible for the binding of the toxin to the surface of ricin-sensitive cells. Once bound, the other peptide chain (A chain) enters the cytoplasm and catalytically and irreversibly inhibits protein synthesis. The covalent coupling of antibody to the A chain of ricin can be performed by a disulfide exchange reaction mediated by the heterobifunctional, thiol-containing cross-linker N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate (SPDP). The hybrid product mimics the structure of the native toxin in that the A chain is covalently linked through a disulfide bridge to a binding moiety. Covalent coupling is performed in three steps: (1) purification of ricin A chain; (2) introduction of 2-pyridyl disulfides to the primary amino groups on the antibody; and (3) ricin A chain substitution via disulfide exchange.
Detecting Multiple Adulterants in Dry Milk using Raman Chemical Imaging

This study investigated the potential of Raman chemical imaging for simultaneously detecting multiple adulterants in milk powder. Potential chemical adulterants, including ammonium sulfate, dicyandiamide, melamine, and urea, were together mixed into nonfat dry milk in the concentration range of 0.1%-5.0% for each adulterant. A benchtop point-scan Raman imaging system using a 785-nm laser was assembled to acquire hyperspectral images in the wavenumber range of 102-2538 cm-1. Each mixture was imaged in an area of 25×25 mm2 with a spatial resolution of 0.25 mm. Selfmodeling mixture analysis (SMA) was used to extract pure component spectra, by which the four types of the adulterants were identified at all concentration levels based on their spectral information divergence values to the reference spectra. Raman chemical images were created using the contribution images from SMA, and their use to effectively visualize identification and spatial distribution of the multiple adulterant particles in the dry milk was demonstrated.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Global empirical models of ionospheric electron temperature in the upper F-region and plasmasphere based on in situ measurements from the Atmosphere Explorer-C, ISIS-1 and ISIS-2 satellites

Langmuir probe measurements of electron temperature, T sub e, in the vicinity of 300, 400, 1400 and 3000 km from the Atmosphere Explorer-C and the ISIS satellites have been employed to construct empirical models of the global distribution of T sub e at each of these altitudes. Legendre polynomials are employed to describe the observations at solstice and equinox in terms of dip latitude and local time. Sources of T sub e variations, such as solar activity, magnetic activity and longitude are found to be of second order importance, although they are resolvable in some cases by comparisons of the data with the model. The behavior of T sub e at the altitudes of these models is discussed in terms of its implications for our understanding of the energy exchange between the F-region and the plasmasphere.
Antimicrobial polypeptides in host defense of the respiratory tract

The large surfaces of the respiratory tract are often the initial site of contact between microbes and their human hosts. Respiratory epithelia are coated with a thin layer of airway and alveolar secretions whose composition varies by anatomical location and in response to mechanical, chemical, and microbial stimulation. In the nose, trachea, and bronchi, the secretions are generated by airway epithelial cells, especially the goblet cells; by the submucosal glands; by transudation and transport of proteins from plasma; and by resident and recruited phagocytes — neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and macrophages. In the distal airways and alveoli, Clara cells and type 2 alveolar cells are, respectively, the predominant secretory epithelial cells. As first described by Alexander Fleming nearly 80 years ago (1), respiratory secretions have microbicidal and microbistatic properties mediated by their constituent antimicrobial polypeptides. These intrinsic antimicrobial properties of respiratory secretions act in concert with the mechanical and phagocytic clearance mechanisms, described elsewhere in this Perspective series, to defend the respiratory tract against colonization or invasion by environmental microbes.
Numerical study of a two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnet with random ferromagnetic bonds

A Monte Carlo method for finite-temperature studies of the two-dimensional quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet with random ferromagnetic bonds is presented. The scheme is based on an approximation which allows for an analytic summation over the realizations of the randomness, thereby significantly alleviating the ``sign problem'' for this frustrated spin system. The approximation is shown to be very accurate for ferromagnetic bond concentrations of up to 10%. The effects of a low concentration of ferromagnetic bonds on the antiferromagnetism are discussed.
Optical implementation of a multi-layer neural network by SLR and MSLM

An optical implementation of a multilayer neural network by spatial light rebroadcaster (SLR) and microchannel spatial light modulation (MSLM) is presented. In the system, the SLR is used as a buffer, which is an optical storage material that can be written with an Ar laser and read with an IR laser. The MSLM has a very sharp low-level boundary, and is used for thresholding. Since SLR and MSLM are used to handle data and thresholding instead of using a computer, a high-speed processing system can be achieved. The speed limitation of the system is the response times of the SLR and MLSM. >
USING FLUORESCENCE PHOTOABLATION TO STUDY THE REGENERATION OF SINGLY CUT LEECH AXONS

The regeneration of the axons of leech Retzius cells was compared following two different methods of axonal severing: (1) a crush of the whole connective that includes the Retzius axon; and (2) photoablation of a small segment of only the Retzius axon. The photoablation was carried out after filling the Retzius cell with Lucifer Yellow (LY). Several tests were carried out to determine whether the photoablation actually severed the axon. These included (1) using the lipophilic membrane probe Dil as an indicator of membrane severance [Fig. 4 (A)]; (2) electron microscopic examination of the photoablated axon after filling it with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) (Fig. 7); and (3) filling the Retzius cell first with HRP, then photoablating, and looking for the disappearance of the HRP in the photoablated region (Figs. 5,6). These and other observations indicated that the photoablated axon was actually severed. Two differences were seen in the regeneration of the Retzius axon after crush versus after photoablation. First, the sprouting following crush was far more disorganized, and included significantly more lateral spread. Second, after photoablation, over 70% of the axons, upon refilling with LY after 3 days or more, showed the newly introduced LY suddenly extending far down the distal segment, indicating that the proximal and distal segments had become reconnected (Figs. 8,9). This was never seen following a crush (Fig. 1). The photoablated axons did not pass HRP into the distal segment, suggesting that the reconnection was not by fusion, but perhaps by a gap junction. The results show that axonal regeneration can take a dramatically different from than it does following a standard crush procedure if, instead, the axon is severed in a way that preserves the structural integrity of the surrounding tissue.
Utilization of trehalose, benzoate, valerate, and seed and root exudates by genotypes of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol producing Pseudomonas fluorescens

Abstract Isolates of Pseudomonas fluorescens producing the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG) are effective biocontrol agents against soilborne pathogens. A previous study showed that the superior (“premier”) root colonizer P. fluorescens Q8r1-96 (genotype D) utilized trehalose, benzoate and valerate as sole carbon sources but average colonizers Q2-87 (genotype B) and 1M1-96 (genotype L) did not. We tested the utilization of these three carbon sources by a collection of 55 2,4-DAPG-producing P. fluorescens strains from 17 genotypes and found no correlation between a strain's ability to utilize these carbon sources and superior rhizosphere competence on wheat and pea. Of the strains tested, 73%, 48% and 69% were able to utilize trehalose, benzoate and valerate as sole carbon sources, respectively. With some exceptions, we found a correlation between the utilization of these compounds and previous groupings of these strains by BOX-PCR; genotype D strains utilized all three compounds. Twenty-three strains grew efficiently on root and seed exudates from wheat and pea, with doubling times between 0.9 and 1.6 h generation −1 and lag phases between 5 and 8 h, comparable to growth on glucose as a sole carbon source. Only 10 strains, including those with “premier” (Q8r1-96) and “average” (Q2-87) rhizosphere competence, showed slower growth in wheat root exudates, with lag phases between 16 and 22 h. Results were the same when soil was added to the culture medium. Growth of four strains in media containing glucose or wheat or pea seed exudates as a sole carbon source was not influenced by whether the bacterial cells used as inoculum were harvested from wheat seeds or broth culture. We conclude that the superior ability of some strains to colonize the roots of certain crops cannot be explained by the utilization of the carbon sources tested in our study.
Effect of Ethane and Propane in Simulated Natural Gas on the Operation of Ni–YSZ Anode Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Solid oxide fuel cells with Ni–yittria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) anode supports were tested on surrogate natural gas fuels (methane containing 2.5–10% ethane and 1.25–5% propane) and compared with results for pure methane. Inert anode-side diffusion barriers were found to help suppress coking on the Ni–YSZ anodes. However, carbonaceous deposits were observed on anode compartment surfaces and the barrier layers for all of the natural gas compositions tested. The addition of air to the natural gas was shown to suppress this coking. For natural gas with 5% ethane and 2.5% propane, the addition of 33% air yielded stable, coke-free operation at 750 °C and 800 mA cm–2. Cell performance on this fuel was only slightly worse than for the same cell operated with dry hydrogen.
Heterochromatin-associated interactions of Drosophila HP1a with dADD1, HIPP1, and repetitive RNAs

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1a) has conserved roles in gene silencing and heterochromatin and is also implicated in transcription, DNA replication, and repair. Here we identify chromatin-associated protein and RNA interactions of HP1a by BioTAP-XL mass spectrometry and sequencing from Drosophila S2 cells, embryos, larvae, and adults. Our results reveal an extensive list of known and novel HP1a-interacting proteins, of which we selected three for validation. A strong novel interactor, dADD1 (Drosophila ADD1) (CG8290), is highly enriched in heterochromatin, harbors an ADD domain similar to human ATRX, displays selective binding to H3K9me2 and H3K9me3, and is a classic genetic suppressor of position-effect variegation. Unexpectedly, a second hit, HIPP1 (HP1 and insulator partner protein-1) (CG3680), is strongly connected to CP190-related complexes localized at putative insulator sequences throughout the genome in addition to its colocalization with HP1a in heterochromatin. A third interactor, the histone methyltransferase MES-4, is also enriched in heterochromatin. In addition to these protein-protein interactions, we found that HP1a selectively associated with a broad set of RNAs transcribed from repetitive regions. We propose that this rich network of previously undiscovered interactions will define how HP1a complexes perform their diverse functions in cells and developing organisms.
Application of the conjugate gradient and steepest descent for computing the eigenvalues of an operator

Abstract This paper describes the method of steepest descent and the method of conjugate gradient for iteratively finding the first few large/small eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a Hermitian operator. Both the methods have been applied for the computation of the prolate spheroidal functions. Since the methods are iterative, it is expected to yield accurate solutions for the first few large/small eigenvalues particularly when the condition number (ratio of the largest to the smallest eigenvalue) is large.
The housing market in integrating areas

Restriction of non-whites to separate residential areas has existed in the United States for generations. Such restrictions that have occurred in the past and will occur in an informal manner in the future have had only popular mythology to support them. Whites who object to non-white neighbors have been classified as follows: those who object for social or personal reasons and those who are concerned only about the economic loss that they may suffer. Unfortunately each of these groups tends to reinforce the other. If, for example, the entry of non-white results in a movement of whites and associates who are worried about their social status, the movement tends to be reinforced by those who claim that they are only attempting to protect their real estate investment. For whatever reasons, the result is a movement of whites out of a neighborhood and an influx of Negroes. 2 The popular myth has been supported by a vast literature, often extending into real estate text books. For example: "It is in the twilight zone, where members of different races live together that racial mixtures tend to have a depressing effect upon land values and therefore, upon rents. ,3 Lest one thilLk that these citations are old and therefore forgotten or not relevant to the present situation, we offer the following from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (October 6, 1969) p. 5A:
Stability analysis of an intracavity pumped OPO

Simulation of quasi-phase-matching processes for ultrafast pulses in an intra-cavity pumped OPO is presented. Results reveal an effective cross phase modulation which introduces the coupling between OPO and pump cavities.
Elastic pp scattering from ISR to Tevatron energies

Abstract A simple expression for the proton matter distribution is proposed which fits well within the geometrical model the elastic p p scattering data from ISR to S p pS Collider energies. The proton matter form factor is of the dipole form with an energy-dependent range parameter. The p p elastic differential cross section at Tetravon energies is obtained by extrapolation.
Bracing to Increase the Natural Frequency of a Manipulator: Analysis and Design:

The dynamic behavior of braced manipulators is analyzed. A braced manipulator is a manipulator that has been constrained by contact with the environment at a point other than the robot end effector...
Toward the development of an objective index of dysphonia severity: A four‐factor acoustic model

During assessment and management of individuals with voice disorders, clinicians routinely attempt to describe or quantify the severity of a patient's dysphonia. This investigation used acoustic measures derived from sustained vowel samples to predict dysphonia severity (as determined by auditory‐perceptual ratings), for a diverse set of voice samples obtained from 134 adult females, with and without voice disorders. Stepwise multiple regression analysis on all voice samples, followed by randomized and repeated cross‐validation (random selection of 75% of the original 134 voice sample corpus; 100 iterations) indicated that a four‐variable model comprised of time and spectral‐based acoustic measures was able to strongly predict perceived severity of dysphonia (mean R = .880; mean R2 = .775). A cepstral‐based measure (CPP/EXP ratio) was determined to be the most significant contributor to the prediction of dysphonia severity, though it is clear that the addition of other acoustic measures (pitch sigma; shim...
Immunochemical Relationship Between Forssman and Globoside Glycolipid Antigens

The rabbit antibody response to the human blood group P glycolipid antigen, globoside, GalNAc (β1-3)Gal(α1-4)Gal(β1-4)Glc-Cer, has been examined with respect to cross-reactions with the structurally related Forssman glycolipid GalNAc(α1-3)GalNAc(β1-3)Gal(α1-4)Gal(β1-4)Glc-Cer. Immunoadsorbent columns were used to isolate three purified antibody populations from the anti-globoside sera: (1) fraction A, antibodies that cross-react with both glycolipids; (2) fraction B, antibodies that react with Forssman antigen but not with globoside; and (3) fraction C, antibodies that are specific for globoside. The proportion of each fraction in the total antibody response to globoside appears to be related to preexisting immunity to these antigens. A rabbit with a high preimmune titer to Forssman antigen produced a large amount of Forssman-specific antibody, whereas a rabbit with a low or nonexistent preimmune titer of anti-Forssman antibody produced large amounts of globoside-specific antibody. The presence of Forssma...
3,7-bis(carboethoxy)perhydro-1,5,2,4,6,8-dithiatetrazocine 1,1,5,5-tetroxide synthesis, structure and chemistry

The synthesis and single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis of 3,7-Bis(carboethoxy) perhydro-1,5,2,4,6,8-dithiatetrazocine 1,1,5,5-tetroxide (1) and the corresponding permethylated derivative is detailed. The use of 1 in electrophilic aromatic substitution transformations with benzene, toluene, and anisole is also described
Ensemble-based network aggregation improves the accuracy of gene network reconstruction

Reverse engineering approaches to constructing gene regulatory networks (GRNs) based on genome-wide mRNA expression data have led to significant biological findings, such as the discovery of novel drug targets. However, the reliability of the reconstructed GRNs needs to be improved. Here, we propose an ensemble-based network aggregation approach to improving the accuracy of network topologies constructed from mRNA expression data. To evaluate the performances of different approaches, we created dozens of simulated networks from combinations of gene-set sizes and sample sizes and also tested our methods on three Escherichia coli datasets. We demonstrate that the ensemble-based network aggregation approach can be used to effectively integrate GRNs constructed from different studies – producing more accurate networks. We also apply this approach to building a network from epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) signature microarray data and identify hub genes that might be potential drug targets. The R code used to perform all of the analyses is available in an R package entitled “ENA”, accessible on CRAN (http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/ENA/).
Optic neuropathy due to brain abscess

A 26-year-old man went blind as part of a multifocal central nervous system disease. Bilateral optic nerve head pallor developed four weeks later. There had been no papilledema. In this setting, the appearance of optic atrophy without preceding papilledema in part led to the clinical diagnosis of severe disseminated encephalomyelitis. At autopsy multiple brain abscesses were found, including an area of inflammation within the chiasm.
Studies of BL Lacertae objects with the Einstein Observatory - the soft X-ray spectra of OJ 287 and PKS 0735+178

Accurate, soft X-ray spectra of two BL Lac objects, OJ 287 and PKS 0735+178, are presented. The X-ray spectra are well described by a power-law model with a low-energy cutoff consistent with photoelectric absorption within the Galaxy. The best-fit values of the energy spectral index in the 0.2-4.0 keV band are 0.91 and 0.76 respectively. The X-ray flux from OJ 287 is variable by a ratio of three from low to high state; PKS 0735+178 shows no indication of X-ray variability. The X-ray emission in OJ 287 is interpreted to be due to the synchrotron process from a volume common with either a beamed radio component or a stationary optical component. In PKS 0735+178, where the X-ray emission is most likely due to the Compton process operating in one of the VLBI radio components. The synchrotron self-Compton process with modest kinematic Doppler factors predicts the measured X-ray flux from PKS 0735+178 and lower than the measured flux in OJ 287.
Half-sandwich metal atom complexes with benzene: a model for adsorption onto graphite

Abstract A density functional theory study of the preferred binding position in metal–benzene complexes, where the metal atoms include Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, V, Co and Cr, is described. There exists an interesting and useful correlation between the preferred metal atom attachment site in the benzene complex and the preferred binding position of the atom on a graphite surface. Furthermore, the binding of metal atom dimers to benzene appears to reflect much of the electronic interaction of such species on the graphite surface. The binding orientation of silver and nickel dimers on graphite is also reflected in the simpler benzene complex.
A MOLECULAR THEORY OF MUSCLE CONTRACTION: CALCIUM-DEPENDENT CONTRACTIONS WITH HYDROGEN BOND FORMATION PLUS ATP-DEPENDENT EXTENSIONS OF PART OF THE MYOSIN-ACTIN CROSS-BRIDGES.

A Molecular Theory of Muscle Contraction : Calcium-Dependent Contractions with Hydrogen Bond Formation Plus ATP-Dependent Extensions of Part of the Myosin-Actin Cross-Bridges
The seroepidemiology of hepatitis A and B in the Asia-Pacific region.

Published studies of the serological markers of hepatitis A (anti-HAV) and hepatitis B (HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc) in populations of the Asia-Pacific region have been tabulated and analysed for information about the extent and pattern of virus exposure, with a view to identifying areas in need of further study, and to formulating strategies for eventual immunisation programmes.Hepatitis A infection is shifting to older age groups as it slowly disappears from developed countries such as Australia and Japan, and poses the paradox of fewer but potentially more severe illnesses. Except for some small island populations of Oceania, where it may strike periodically in epidemic fashion, hepatitis A continues to be an endemic, ubiquitous childhood infection in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. As subclinical or mild infection is the rule in children, indiscriminate immunisation of the general population does not seem advisable.Hepatitis B infection is also least common in Australia, and only moderately mor...
Testing the Development of Linguistic Knowledge in Adult Naive Learners of American Sign Language.

The present study was designed to investigate the ways in which notions of semantics and phonology are acquired by adult naive learners of American Sign Language (ASL) when they are first exposed to a set of simple signs. First, a set of ASL signs was tested for nontransparency and a set of signs was selected for subsequent use. Next, a set of semantically related English words and a set of phonologically related English words were generated and paired with each of the signs selected earlier. In the experiment reported here, participants were taught pairs of sign–English word translations. Subsequently, they were then engaged in a translation recognition task in which foils were semantically related, phonologically related, or completely unrelated to the corresponding translations. Interference in performing the recognition task (i.e., the foil conditions) indicated that participants had encoded various features of the sign–word combinations after a single learning session. Results are discussed with regard to bilingual memory representations as well as to ASL acquisition.
Why is synergy so difficult in mergers of related businesses

Purpose – When a merger or an acquisition fails, usually integration problems or overpayment gets the blame. The authors illustrate that a common cause of failure is the traditional notion of synergy that exacerbates the overpayment and integration problems. This synergy usually leads to the failure of many mergers, yet synergy remains one of the most common justifications that management uses to shareholders.Design/methodology/approach – The main methodology is the author's interview of the CEOs of many successful acquiring firms as well as case studies of unsuccessful firms (some based on secondary sources). This methodology is complemented by academic research on these topics dating back to the early 1980s that had raised caution signals but were largely ignored.Findings – The key finding is that it is very difficult to evaluate the nature of synergies, especially revenue synergies, during merger negotiations. This leads to overpayment and unanticipated integration problems.Research limitations/implica...
The Valley and Ridge Province of eastern Pennsylvania—stratigraphic and sedimentologic contributions and problems

Many contributions that have led to a better understanding of Appalachian geology have resulted directly from work in the folded Appalachian Mountain and Great Valley sections of the Valley and Ridge physiographic province of eastern Pennsylvania. Disagreements have been common since H.D. Rogers first described the geology of the area in 1858. Many differing opinions still exist regarding the stratigraphy, structural geology, geomorphology, and glacial geology. The rocks in the area, which range from Middle Ordovician to Late Devonian in age, are more than 25000 feet (7620 m) thick. This diversified group of sedimentary rocks was deposited in many different environments, ranging from deep sea, through neritic and tidal, to alluvial. In general, the Middle Ordovician through Lower Devonian strata are a sedimentary cycle related to the waxing and waning of Taconic tectonism. The sequence began with a greywacke-argillite suite (Martinsburg Formation) representing synorogenic basin deepening. This was followed by basin filling and pro-gradation of a sandstone-shale clastic wedge (Shawangunk Formation and Bloomsburg Red Beds) derived from the erosion of the mountains that were uplifted during the Taconic orogeny. The sequence ended with deposition of many thin units of carbonate, sandstone, and shale on a shelf marginal to a land area of low relief. Another tectonic-sedimentary cycle, related to the Acadian orogeny, began with deposition of Middle Devonian rocks. Deep-water shales (Marcellus Shale) preceded shoaling (Mahantango Formation) and turbidite sedimentation (Trimmers Rock Formation) followed by another molasse (Catskill Formation).
Conflicting Ideologies Of Mexican Immigrant English Across Levels Of Schooling

This article explores how language ideologies—beliefs about immigrant students’ language use—carry conflicting images of Spanish speakers in one New Latino Diaspora town. We describe how teachers and students encounter, negotiate, and appropriate divergent ideologies about immigrant students’ language use during routine schooling practices, and we show how these ideologies convey different messages about belonging to the community and to the nation. Although the concept of language ideology often assumes stable macrolevel beliefs, our data indicate that ideologies can vary dramatically in one town. Elementary educators and students had a positive, “bilinguals-in-the-making” ideology about Spanish-speaking students, while secondary educators used more familiar deficit accounts. Despite their differences, we argue that both settings tended toward subtractive schooling, and we offer suggestions for how educators could more effectively build upon emergent bilinguals’ language skills and practices.
Annealing encapsulants for InP II: Photoluminescence studies

Abstract Using low temperature photoluminescence (PL) we examined samples annealed in controlled atmospheres (vacuum, phosphorus vapor or indium vapor) and also samples annealed with SiO2, Si3N4 or phosphosilicate glass (PSG) encapsulants. PL spectra from samples annealed in the controlled environments indicate that a spectral line at 1.393 eV results from phosphorus-vacancy-related defect luminescence. PSG and Si3N4 caps appear to be comparable in their ability to suppress the formation of substantial 1.393 eV luminescence, but in the spectra of SiO2-capped and annealed samples this feature is more pronounced. High temperature anneals (T ≈ 750 °C) with Si3N4 result in the emergence of a new peak at 1.378 eV and integrated band intensities greater than those observed in the virgin material. From results discussed in this article and those of the preceding article, it appears that, of the three encapsulants, the PSG cap best preserves the characteristics of the encapsulated InP following furnace anneals.
Relationship between the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale in depressed elderly: a meta-analysis.

Objective To determine whether the sensitivity of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) to treatment effects are comparable in geriatric antidepressant randomized controlled trials by developing and validating an equation that links between the two instruments. Methods Literature search for this meta-analysis was based on three sources: MEDLINE, a recent related meta-analysis, and experts in geriatric antidepressant trials. The search resulted in 11 relevant geriatric antidepressant trial studies that administered both instruments for symptom ratings. The authors used baseline ratings as a model-building sample and postrandomization ratings as a validation sample. HDRS scores were prorated into HDRS17, a 17-item HDRS, for analysis. The development and validation was based on a total number of 1,874 subjects. Results The correlations were high between baseline mean HDRS17 and MADRS ratings (r = 0.80; Fisher's z = 1.09, N = 25, p Conclusion Although generalizability of findings into a broader population could be limited, and the authors could not assess concordance of changes of particular item constructs between HDRS and MADRS ratings, both ratings are comparable in assessing changes in overall depressive symptom severity in response to antidepressants in depressed elderly at aggregated group mean levels.
An operability level coefficient (OLC) as a useful tool for correlating the performance of membrane reactors

Abstract An operability level coefficient ( OLC ), defined as the ratio of product permeation and product formation rates, and related to the inverse combination of the Damkohler number and the Peclet number (1/ DaPe ), is suggested as a useful tool for estimating performances of membrane reactors (MRs) operating as separators in equilibrium-limited reactions. The OLC s for product hydrogen formation in previously reported MRs for methane dry-reforming (MDR), methane steam-reforming (MSR), methanol steam-reforming (MeOHSR), and ethanol steam-reforming (EtOHSR) were correlated with conversion and yield enhancements. For values of OLC s ranging from 0.03 to 0.78, a clear universal trend for increasing conversions and hydrogen yields with increasing OLC was observed for these different types of reforming reactions. The OLC curve calculated from a numerical simulation without adjustable parameters was found to closely approximate experimental data obtained from the MRs, and was shown not to depend on the assumed kinetics. This study confirms that hydrogen selectivity (from the ratio of single-gas permeances) has a substantial influence on conversion and hydrogen yield enhancements in a MR, and demonstrates that a hydrogen selectivity of 100 is sufficient to achieve high performance in a MR.
Liberalism, fascism, or social democracy. social classes and the political origins of regimes in interwar Europe

(1994). Liberalism, fascism, or social democracy. social classes and the political origins of regimes in interwar Europe. History of European Ideas: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 639-641.
Basic endocrinology for medical students

View Large Image | Download PowerPoint SlideBasic Medical Endocrinology is intended to present information on normal endocrine physiology to prepare the student for studying endocrine diseases and also for understanding the molecular and cellular alterations that disrupt normal function. The previous edition was published nearly a decade ago, which is a long time given the vast strides that have been made in this field.The textbook is well reasoned and written, with some chapters in particular standing out. The section on the adrenal glands begins with an excellent overview of these complex organs. Goodson emphasizes and demonstrates how the adrenal glands are central to the maintenance of homeostasis, and the figures are particularly helpful. This section is filled with up-to-date information, including a discussion of the metabolites of arachidonic acid and their relationship to the new line of anti-inflammatory drugs as well as the relationship between glucocorticoids and cytokines. Although the text is not heavily focused on endocrine pathology, the negative feedback relationship between the adrenal glands and the pituitary is introduced with an emphasis on diagnostic and therapeutic applications.A salient and well written review of the glucose-fatty acid cycle starts off the section on regulation of fuel metabolism. The figure depicting the intra-organ flow of substrate and competitive regulatory effects helped to clarify this complex cycle. The section on long-term regulation of fuel storage, which includes recent advances in understanding the regulation of food intake and weight maintenance is important in light of the rapidly increasing problem of obesity in the USA and other countries. Leptin is introduced and covered in detail, but unfortunately other hormones, such as adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin, which are also known to be involved in the development and maintenance of obesity, are not discussed.In any textbook of this kind, the ongoing discovery of new hormones and actions makes the publication of completely up-to-date information throughout the book difficult. The list of suggested reading at the end of each chapter contained some current references up to 2002, but many were outdated and the relevance questionable.Overall the topics are well organized, except for the principles of hormonal integration, which followed chapters on the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands and the pancreatic islets. The terms describing hormonal integration were used in the preceding chapters, therefore the chapter on hormonal integration would be more useful following the introductory chapter in which information on hormonal regulation is more generally introduced. Although many of the figures in this text contained valuable information, the redundant use of the blue and gray color scheme and absence of photographs visually detracted from the textbook.Basic Medical Endocrinology should provide first year medical students with a basic knowledge of normal endocrine physiology at both cellular and molecular levels and prepare them for more advanced studies of endocrine pathology and therapies.
Whither queer world cities? Homo-entrepreneurialism and beyond

Abstract This paper contains critical commentary on the emergence and future research tasks for queer world cities, a cross-disciplinary field of inquiry positioned at the intersection of urban globalization studies and the geographies of sexualities. It seeks to advance the concept of homoentrepreneurialism in order to understand the sexualized worlding of cities under the hegemony of neoliberal urbanism. Recent developments in Buenos Aires and other Latin American cities are used as illustrative examples of how sexual diversity and cosmopolitan tolerance are increasingly interwoven with entrepreneurial quests to upgrade the global competitiveness of a city and thereby attract tourists, capital, and a select group of (homo-)sexual citizens. The paper takes critiques of geographical elitism seriously in its interpretation of homonormativity, but relationality and geographically uneven development prevail over reparatory substitution. Commentary on research projects from other world regions is also provided, and a research agenda is proposed.
Renal parenchymal injury after standard and mini percutaneous nephrostolithotomy.

Purpose: Mini percutaneous nephrostolithotomy was developed for use in children and in adults with a reduced renal reserve to minimize the morbidity and renal parenchymal damage presumed to occur with traditional percutaneous nephrostolithotomy. We compared the extent of renal injury incurred by different sized nephrostomy tracts in female farm pigs undergoing 11 or 30Fr percutaneous nephrostomy.Materials and Methods: Bilateral percutaneous nephrostomy was attempted via a mid or lower pole calix under fluoroscopic guidance in 6 pigs. In 2 pigs the procedure was unsuccessful on 1 side, leaving 5 successfully established nephrostomy tracts on each side. In each pig the right percutaneous tract was dilated with a 28Fr dilating balloon and a 30Fr Amplatz working sheath (Cook Urological, Spencer, Indiana) was positioned in the collecting system. On the left side an 11Fr sheath (Cook Urological) was placed. The sheaths were removed after 1 hour and nephrostomy tubes (22Fr on the right and 8Fr on the left side) ...
Stepwise oligogenic segregation and linkage analysis illustrated with dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase activity

A stepwise oligogenic method is developed that can be used to adjust the phenotype of a quantitative trait for the effects of a previously identified single-locus component. This method assumes that a single-locus component can be adequately identified through the use of segregation and/or linkage analysis under a 1-locus model and that the variation due to that locus can be removed from the phenotype leaving a residual that can be parameterized in terms of an additional single-locus component. Segregation and/or linkage analysis can then be used in an attempt to identify an additional single-locus component in the residual phenotype. This stepwise process can be repeated until no further single-locus effects are identified. The method is illustrated using family data on the specific activity of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), which a number of studies have suggested may be due either to the combined effects of single-locus and multifactorial components or to the combined effects of 2 loci.
The Dudley and Cruise Religious Maturity Scale: a critical evaluation

Abstract The Dudley and Cruise Religious Maturity Scale attempts to measure Allport’s mature religious sentiment. A sample of students from two historically Black Universities was used to test the scale’s reliability. Reliability estimates matching those observed by Dudley and Cruise were obtainable only with the private school data. The 11-item scale was revised and stronger reliability estimates were obtained with an 8-item scale. Factor analysis was employed to test for subscale dimensions. Two factors were identified. Questions concerning the scale’s construction, meaning, and use were addressed.
IMPACT OF CURVE CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DYNAMICS ON THE SPECIES–TIME RELATIONSHIP

The species-time relationship (STR) describes how the species richness of a community increases with the time span over which the community is observed. This temporal scaling provides insight into theoretical questions on species diversity patterns as well as applied questions on the appropriate time scale for biodiversity assessments. To better understand STRs, we discuss the methods used to construct STRs in the literature and derive the impact of curve construction on STR properties. Using vegetation data from Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA, we illustrate the sensitivity of the STR to construction under colonization-dominated dynamics. This study highlights the importance of considering the type of STR when interpreting, comparing, and applying STRs, particularly in disturbed or successional systems.