cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progressive, Long-Term Hearing Loss in Congenital CMV Disease After Ganciclovir Therapy.

Background Long-term hearing outcomes among children with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease who received 6-week ganciclovir therapy early in life are unknown. Methods Longitudinal study of 76 children with symptomatic congenital CMV disease, born 1983-2005, who were categorized into three groups: group A treated with ganciclovir; group B untreated who had microcephaly, chorioretinitis, or sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL; ≥25 dB) diagnosed in the first month of life (congenital); and group C untreated who did not meet criteria for group B. Results Patients in groups A (n = 17), B (n = 27), and C (n = 32) were followed to median age of 13, 11, and 13 years, respectively. In group A, patients received ganciclovir for median of 40 (range, 11-63) days; 7 (41%) had grade 3 or 4 neutropenia. Congenital SNHL was diagnosed in 11 (65%) patients in group A, 15 (56%) in group B, and none in group C. Early-onset SNHL was diagnosed between ages ≥1-12 months in an additional 4 (24%), 6 (22%), and 8 (25%) patients in groups A, B, and C, respectively. By the end of follow-up, 12 (71%), 16 (59%), and 7 (22%) of patients in groups A, B, and C, respectively, had severe (>70 dB) SNHL in the better-hearing ear. Conclusions In this study, most patients with symptomatic congenital CMV disease and congenital or early-onset SNHL eventually developed hearing loss severe enough to have been potential candidates for cochlear implantation, with or without 6-week ganciclovir therapy. Understanding long-term hearing outcomes of patients treated with 6-month oral valganciclovir (current standard of care) is needed.
Repetition reduction during word and concept overlap in bilinguals.

In natural conversation, speakers often mention the same referents multiple times. While repeated referents are produced with less prominence than non-repeated referents, it is unclear whether prominence reduction is due to repetition of concepts, words, or a combination of the two. In the current study, we dissociate these sources of repetition by examining bilingual speakers, who have more than one word for the same concept across their two languages. Three groups of Korean–English bilinguals (balanced, English-dominant, Korean-dominant) performed an event description task involving repetition of referents within a single language (i.e., repetition of word and concept) or across languages (i.e., repetition of concept only). While balanced bilinguals reduced prominence both within and across languages, unbalanced bilinguals only reduced prominence when repetition occurred within a language. These patterns suggest that the degree to which words and concepts are linked within a speaker’s language system determines the source of repetition reduction.
State and Local Efforts to Investigate the Validity and Reliability of Scores from Teacher Evaluation Systems.

ContextIn the past two years, states have implemented sweeping reforms to their teacher evaluation systems in response to Race to the Top legislation and, more recently, NCLB waivers. With these ne...
Volcano plots in analyzing differential expressions with mRNA microarrays.

A volcano plot displays unstandardized signal (e.g. log-fold-change) against noise-adjusted/standardized signal (e.g. t-statistic or -log10(p-value) from the t-test). We review the basic and interactive use of the volcano plot and its crucial role in understanding the regularized t-statistic. The joint filtering gene selection criterion based on regularized statistics has a curved discriminant line in the volcano plot, as compared to the two perpendicular lines for the "double filtering" criterion. This review attempts to provide a unifying framework for discussions on alternative measures of differential expression, improved methods for estimating variance, and visual display of a microarray analysis result. We also discuss the possibility of applying volcano plots to other fields beyond microarray.
Role of maturation cleavage in infectivity of picornaviruses: activation of an infectosome.

Abstract Maturation of picornaviruses involves assembly of a "provirion," which undergoes an autocatalytic cleavage of VP0 to VP2 plus VP4. RNA transcripts from a cDNA clone of human rhinovirus 14 mutated at asparagine 68, one of the residues in the maturation cleavage site, generated normal yields of 150S particles which were noninfectious in the plaque assay because they were unable to initiate a second cycle of infection. These cleavage-defective provirions were otherwise indistinguishable from mature virions in sedimentation coefficient, binding affinity to monoclonal antibodies against neutralization sites IA, II, and III, attachment to HeLa cell receptors, and rate of cell-mediated conformational changes to form 125S A-particles and 80S empty capsids. These results suggest that maturation cleavage is required for the function of a previously undescribed intermediate which transfers packaged RNA across the membrane and into the cytosol. For this hypothetical intermediate, we propose the name infectosome. Since the native virus has a particle/PFU ratio of about 800, such an intermediate will be difficult to find. Mutations at serine 10 in VP2 reduced maturation cleavage to a rate sufficiently slow to show that the infectivity of virus particles increased with the degree of cleavage of VP0 to VP4 and VP2. This article describes the first characterization of a pure form of a picornaviral provirion, and hence the first direct evidence that provirions of picornaviruses lack infectivity.
Long-term outcome of patients with syncope associated with coronary artery disease and a nondiagnostic electrophysiologic evaluation

Abstract Syncope in the patient with structural heart disease and a nondiagnostic noninvasive workup is a generally accepted indication for an invasive electrophysiologic study. However, if the electrophysiologic evaluation is not highly sensitive, arrhythmic causes of syncope may not be discovered. In these patients, recurrent syncope and even sudden death may be observed at follow-up. Thus, we evaluated long-term follow-up in 68 consecutive patients who presented with syncope, coronary artery disease, and who had a negative invasive electrophysiologic evaluation. At a mean follow-up of 30 ± 18 months (range 1 to 65), there have been 2 sudden deaths and 1 episode each of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in patients treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. All 4 arrhythmias occurred in patients with left ventricular fractions ≤25%. Seventeen patients had recurrent presyncope or syncope. Bradycardia causing syncope was found in 8 of these patients. A bundle branch block at the initial evaluation predicted for the occurrence of bradycardia at follow-up. We conclude that in patients with coronary artery disease and syncope, noninducibility at electrophysiologic study predicts a lower risk of sudden death and ventricular arrhythmias. However, in patients with a reduced ejection fraction, the risk of sudden death and ventricular arrhythmias remains up to 10%/year and these patients may warrant treatment with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. Recurrent syncope is common, and frequently a bradyarrhythmia is found to be the cause. Treatment of selected patients (especially those with bundle branch blocks) with permanent pacemakers may be justified.
Fourier transform analysis to evaluate human corneal endothelial cells

The qualitative analysis of human corneal endothelial cells patterns is evaluated with Fourier transform methods. The input images are gray level photomicrographs of in vivo human corneal endothelial cells obtained with a clinical specular microscope. The digital Fourier transform of the pattern of endothelial cells is obtained from the digitized gray level specular photomicrographs. The advantage of the Fourier transform analysis is the parallel processing of the Fourier transform and the potential development of a rapid system of analysis for large numbers of endothelial specular photomicrographs.
The role of cations in the reversible inactivation of coliphage in media of low ionic strength. I. The competitive action between H+ and other cations.

Abstract 1. 1. All of the odd-numbered members of the T system of coliphages become inactivated when diluted into 2 × 10 −5 M of phosphate buffer at pH values below 4.6 at 2 °C. In the case of T1, the inactivation can be prevented or reversed by addition of either 1 M univalent or 0.01 M bivalent cations to the media. If the bivalent cation concentration is raised too high (0.1 M or greater), the phage is again inactivated. 2. 2. Kinetic data show that the rate of phage inactivation is proportional to the square of the hydrogen-ion concentration and inversely proportional to the concentration of bivalent cations or to the square root of the univalent cation concentration. 3. 3. Analysis of the data leads to the conclusion that the phage inactivation is produced by replacement of metal cations from the phage surface, by H + , followed by a second slower reaction which produces a form incapable of plaque formation. 4. 4. Temperature-dependence studies indicate that the activation energy for the over-all reaction approximates 35,000 cal./mole.
A unique nucleoprotein structure associated with the Drosophila melanogaster 18–28 S rDNA nontranscribed spacer

We have detected unique nucleoprotein particles specific for the 18–28 S rDNA nontranscribed spacer of Drosophilamelanogaster. The particles migrate between di- and trinucleosomes on nucleoprotein gels, and are between mono- and dinucleosomal in DNA length. These migration properties suggest that the nontranscribed spacer particles could have a protein component larger than a histone core. The variant nucleoprotein structures map primarily within the nontranscribed spacer 235 base pair internal subrepeat, which is AT-rich and possesses a 50 base pair sequence homologous to the RNA polymerase I binding site.
Fidelity of bats to forest sites revealed from mist-netting recaptures

Abstract Although site fidelity to permanent roost structures by bats is generally known, long-term fidelity to areas such as foraging or drinking sites is unknown. Furthermore, mist-net recaptures of bats over multiple years are rarely reported. Extensive mist-net surveys were conducted over the course of 8 y in the Ouachita National Forest of central Arkansas, United States to investigate long-term site fidelity and recapture rates of individually marked forest bats. Among eight species that were captured, five species were recaptured over spans ≥1 y, including eastern red bats Lasiurus borealis, Seminole bats L. seminolus, evening bats Nycticeius humeralis, tri-colored bats Lasiurus borealis, and northern long-eared bats Myotis septentrionalis. Some individuals were recaptured multiple times over multiple years, and the maximum span over which an individual was recaptured was 1 y for Seminole bats, 2 y for tri-colored bats, 3 y for evening bats, 4 y for eastern red bats, and 5 y for northern long-eared...
Is there an optimal hemoglobin level for patients with glioblastoma multiforme

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between hemoglobin levels and survival for patients treated with radiation therapy for glioblastoma multiforme. METHODS/MATERIALS: Between 1992 and 2001, 89 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme were treated with a minimum of 50 Gy of radiation therapy. The primary study endpoint was overall survival. The independent variables analyzed included peak hemoglobin level, age, sex, extent of surgery, and duration of therapy. The peak hemoglobin level was the highest hemoglobin value obtained within 1 week before the initiation of radiation therapy or at some point during radiation therapy. The peak hemoglobinlevel was stratified into values of less than or equal and values greater than for each of the following hemoglobin values: 11.0, 11.5, 12.0, 12.5, 13.0, 13.5, and 14.0 g/dL. RESULTS: On univariate analysis, age (< or = 50 years of age) and surgical treatment (resection) were significant for increased survival at 1 year. When univariate analysis was performed on the stratification of the peak hemoglobin, levels greater than 11.0, 13.5, and 14.0 g/dL reached statistical significance for increased survival. Multivariate analysis was then performed on models composed of the hemoglobin levels that reached significance, and the other independent variables were investigated. In all models, both age and the peak hemoglobin level tested were prognostic for survival. However, for the hemoglobin level of 11.0 g/dL, an interaction was detected between hemoglobin and age. CONCLUSION: We found that increasing hemoglobin levels may have prognostic implications and could thus influence clinical outcome. We will be seeking to verify our results in larger cohorts.
Imaging silicon by atomic force microscopy with crystallographically oriented tips

The images obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM) originate from a convolution of atomic tip and sample states. Since the vertical resolution of AFM is approaching the picometer level, the atomic and subatomic structure of the tip is becoming increasingly important. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of crystallographically oriented AFM tips by breaking a silicon wafer along its preferential cleavage planes. Assuming bulk termination, the front atom of this tip should expose a single dangling bond. Images derived with this tip are consistent with this speculated tip geometry and show unprecedented vertical distinction of the six different surface atom sites of the Si(111)-(7×7) structure.
Micro-Deformations in C3000/PMR15 Woven Composite:

An experimental-computational investigation was undertaken to study the behavior of graphite fiber bundles and their influence on each other in C3000/PMR15 woven composite material subjected to compressive loading. Moire interferometry per formed on the edge of a [0]22 laminate showed good correlation of strain distributions with the results obtained from finite element analysis of a ply surrounded with homogeneous material having the smeared properties of the laminate. Furthermore, Moire results clearly revealed the great influence of the fiber bundles on each other, although such influ ences could not be observed in a simple finite element analysis.
Altered primate glomerular development due to in utero urinary tract obstruction

Altered primate glomerular development due to in utero urinary tract obstruction. Background In utero urinary tract obstruction is an important cause of newborn and childhood renal failure. Ureteric obstruction during active nephrogenesis results in cystic renal dysplasia; the earlier and longer the obstruction the more severe the histopathological changes of dysplasia. We have reported on a non-human primate model of non-surgical in utero fetal ureteric obstruction that accurately reflects the human equivalent of obstructive renal dysplasia. A striking feature of this model is the effect of obstruction on normal glomerular development and podocyte survival. Methods To study the effect of urinary obstruction on glomerular development, kidneys were studied from fetuses undergoing unilateral ureteric obstruction by ultrasound guided injection of alginate beads as early as 75 days gestation (term gestation=165 ± 10 days). These kidneys displayed all the features of human obstructive cystic dysplasia, had reduced weights, and significant deficiencies in terminal ureteric duct branching. Results A combination of histochemistry, histomorphometry, and immunocytochemistry was used to demonstrate deficient cortical ureteric duct development and branching, reduced glomerular number, and altered glomerular basement membrane formation with in utero urinary tract obstruction. Conclusions These data suggest that urinary tract obstruction during active nephrogenesis results in a defect in ureteric duct branching morphogenesis, and altered vascularization of the glomerulus with consequent podocyte dropout and decreased glomerular number. These abnormalities reflect human renal dysplasia, which is associated with compromised postnatal renal function and, thus, should be predictive of postnatal outcome.
Further extensions to robust parameter design: three factor interactions with an application to hyperspectral imagery

Hyperspectral imagery (HSI) provides opportunities for locating anomalous objects through the use of multivariate statistics. Global anomaly detectors, such as the autonomous global anomaly detector (AutoGAD), require the user to provide various parameters/thresholds to analyse an image. These user-defined settings can be thought of as control variables and properties of the imagery can be employed as noise variables. The presence of these factors suggests the use of robust parameter design (RPD) to locate the best settings for the algorithm. Mindrup et al. (2012) showed that the standard RPD model might not be sufficient for use with more complex data and extended the model to include noise by noise interactions. This paper extends the model to include control by noise by noise and noise by control by control interactions. These new models are then applied to AutoGAD output and the Lin and Tu MSE method is employed to locate optimal settings.
A selective medium for the rapid isolation of pseudomonads associated with poultry meat spoilage

1. A new selective medium (CFC) has been developed for the rapid isolation of pigmented and non-pigmented pseudomonads associated with the spoilage of poultry meat held under chill conditions. It comprises Difco Heart Infusion Agar supplemented with 50 microgram cephaloridine, 10 microgram fucidin and 10 microgram cetrimide/ml. 2. CFC medium was found to be more selective than three other media which have been used for isolating pseudomonads from foods, when tested with pure cultures of 28 reference organisms. 3. CFC supported the growth of a higher proportion of pseudomonads from freshly-eviscerated carcasses and processing equipment when the organisms were present only in low numbers relative to other genera.
Applications of Epoxidized and Hydroxy-Fluoroester Pendent Secondary High-Molecular-Weight Guayule Rubber in Coatings

The epoxidation of secondary high-molecular-weight guayule rubber to yield epoxidized guayule rubber (EGR) and the subsequent opening of the oxirane rings by fluoroacids to yield fluorinated guayule rubber (FGR) were reported in an earlier article.1 The oxirane and hydroxyl groups that occur in EGR and FGR, respectively, enable these derivatives to be integrated into the binder system of coatings. The coating industry has long been interested in nontoxic multifunctional crosslinking agents that do not emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Ring-opening reactions of epoxides and reactions between hydroxyl and isocyanate groups are prime examples of crosslinking that do not emit VOCs. This study was conducted to ascertain the viability of guayule rubber derivatives that contain epoxide and hydroxyl groups as crosslinking agents in solvent-based coatings and powder coatings. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 1718–1724, 2001
A No-Touch Ocular Pulse Measurement System for the Diagnosis of Carotid Occlusions

The ocular pulse (OP) is the minute, radial displacement of the corneal surface caused by arterial pressure pulsations in the ocular circulation acting on the compliance of the cornea. Features of the OP waveform have been shown by several workers to be important diagnostic indicators of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in which the common carotid and/or lower internal carotid arteries are significantly occluded. Early diagnosis of CVD is held to be important in predicting strokes and in implementing procedures to lower their likelihood.
Enabling Accurate Gate Profile Control With Inline 3D-AFM

The logic and memory semiconductor device technology strives to follow the aggressive ITRS roadmap. The ITRS calls for increased 3D metrology to meet the demand for tighter process control at 45nm and 32nm nodes. In particular, gate engineering has advanced to a level where conventional metrology by CD-SEM and optical scatterometry (OCD) faces fundamental limitations without involvement of 3D atomic force microscope (3D-AFM or CD-AFM). This paper reports recent progress in 3D-AFM to address the metrology need to control gate dimension in MOSFET transistor formation. 3D-AFM metrology measures the gate electrode at post-etch with the lowest measurement uncertainty for critical gate geometry, including linewidth, sidewall profile, sidewall angle (SWA), line width roughness (LWR), and line edge roughness (LER). 3D-AFM enables accurate gate profile control in three types of metrology applications: reference metrology to validate CD-SEM and OCD, inline depth or 3D monitoring, or replacing TEM for 3D characterization for engineering analysis.
Quality Gaps and Comparative Effectiveness in Lung Cancer Staging and Diagnosis

Background Guidelines recommend mediastinal lymph node sampling as the first invasive test in patients with suspected lung cancer with mediastinal lymphadenopathy without distant metastases, but there are no comparative effectiveness studies on how test sequencing affects outcomes. The objective was to compare practice patterns and outcomes of diagnostic strategies in patients with lung cancer. Methods The study included a retrospective cohort of 15,316 patients with lung cancer with regional spread without distant metastases in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results or Texas Cancer Registry Medicare-linked databases. If the first invasive test involved mediastinal sampling, patients were classified as receiving guideline-consistent care; otherwise, they were classified as receiving guideline-inconsistent care. We used propensity matching to compare the number of tests performed and multivariate logistic regression to compare the frequency of complications. Results Twenty-one percent of patients had guideline-consistent diagnostic evaluations. Among patients with non-small cell lung cancer, 44% never had mediastinal sampling. Patients who had guideline-consistent care required fewer tests than those with guideline-inconsistent care ( P P P P P P P P Conclusions Guideline-consistent care with mediastinal sampling first resulted in fewer tests and complications. We found three quality gaps: failure to sample the mediastinum first, failure to sample the mediastinum at all in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, and overuse of thoracotomy.
Ants provide nutritional and defensive benefits to the carnivorous plant Sarracenia minor

Ants can have important, but sometimes unexpected, effects on the plants they associate with. For carnivorous plants, associating with ants may provide defensive benefits in addition to nutritional ones. We examined the effects of increased ant visitation and exclusion of insect prey from pitchers of the hooded pitcher plant Sarracenia minor, which has been hypothesized to be an ant specialist. Visitation by ants was increased by placing PVC pipes in the ground immediately adjacent to 16 of 32 pitcher plants, which created nesting/refuge sites. Insects were excluded from all pitchers of 16 of the plants by occluding the pitchers with cotton. Treatments were applied in a 2 x 2 factorial design in order to isolate the hypothesized defensive benefits from nutritional ones. We recorded visitation by ants, the mean number of ants captured, foliar nitrogen content, plant growth and size, and levels of herbivory by the pitcher plant mining moth Exyra semicrocea. Changes in ant visitation and prey capture significantly affected nitrogen content, plant height, and the number of pitchers per plant. Increased ant visitation independent of prey capture reduced herbivory and pitcher mortality, and increased the number of pitchers per plant. Results from this study show that the hooded pitcher plant derives a double benefit from attracting potential prey that are also capable of providing defense against herbivory.
Argon-pumped tunable dye laser therapy for facial port-wine stain hemangiomas in adults--a new technique using small spot size and minimal power

A low power, argon-pumped tunable dye laser was used to deliver yellow light of 577 nm. Individual blood vessels within port-wine stain hemangiomas were treated with a 0.1-mm beam of light using 8 X magnification. This technique permits excellent resolution of facial and nuchal port-wine stain hemangiomas in adults without the adverse complications of textural change, permanent pigmentation abnormality, or hypertrophic scarring.
Inhibition of endothelial cell activation by adenovirus-mediated expression of I kappa B alpha, an inhibitor of the transcription factor NF-kappa B.

During the inflammatory response, endothelial cells (EC) transiently upregulate a set of genes encoding, among others, cell adhesion molecules and chemotactic cytokines that together mediate the interaction of the endothelium with cells of the immune system. Gene upregulation is mediated predominantly at the transcriptional level and in many cases involves the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF) kappa B. We have tested the concept of inhibiting the inflammatory response by overexpression of a specific inhibitor of NF-kappaB, I kappa B alpha. A recombinant adenovirus expressing I kappa B alpha was constructed (rAd.I kappa B alpha) and used to infect EC of human and porcine origin. Ectopic expression of IkappaBalpha resulted in marked, and in some cases complete, reduction of the expression of several markers of EC activation, including vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, interleukins 1, 6, 8, and tissue factor. Overexpressed I kappa B alpha inhibited NF-kappa B specifically since (a) in electrophoretic mobility shift assay, NF-kappa B but not AP-1 binding activity was inhibited, and (b) von Willebrand factor and prostacyclin secretion that occur independently of NF-kappa B, remained unaffected. Functional studies of leukocyte adhesion demonstrated strong inhibition of HL-60 adhesion to I kappa B alpha-expressing EC. These findings suggest that NF-kappa B could be an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in a variety of inflammatory diseases, including xenograft rejection.
Age Profiles in Elephant and Mammoth Bone Assemblages

Age profiles of modern African elephant (Loxodonta africana) populations are significantly affected by drought conditions that cause local die-offs. Subadult animals die in proportions that may be nearly twice what is recorded in live populations. Such biasing of death sample age profiles might also have occurred during late Pleistocene die-offs of Mammuthus. This comparative study of modern and fossil proboscidean age structures supports a tentative interpretation that late Pleistocene extinction of Mammuthus (at least in the southwestern United States) resulted from severe drought conditions, at which Clovis hunters were witnesses, but not necessarily frequent participants.
Negative magnetoresistance in variable-range-hopping conduction.

The orbital mechanism of negative magnetoresistance of variable-range-hopping conductivity is reconsidered by numerical simulations and qualitative arguments. At small magnetic fields the positive magnetic-field corrections to the localization length in two-dimensional samples are universal in the sense that they are independent of the details of the scattering potential (impurity concentration, amplitude of scattering, and proximity to the metal-insulator transition). Implications of these results to transport properties on the dielectric side of the superconductor-insulator transition are discussed.
Delayed recognition of vascular complications caused by central venous catheters

Three patients are described in whom vascular complications occurred after placement of central venous catheters. Inappropriate catheter length and site of cannulation, catheter movement, and unsuitable catheter material can lead to complications. Guidelines for cannulation of central veins are defined, and recommendations for chest roentgenography, which could result in early recognition of catheter misplacement, are provided.
Maternal diabetes and neonatal macrosomia. II. Neonatal anthropometric measurements

Abstract Anthropometric measurements were obtained within 12 h of birth in 52 infants of non-diabetic mothers and 61 infants of diabetic mothers. Most of the diabetic patients were under good control, only ten of 61 having postpartum hemoglobin A, levels in excess of normal. Neonates were grouped as normally-grown or macrosomic. Birthweight, crown-heel length, head circumference and skinfold thickness were measured. In each diabetes class, macrosomic neonates had larger mean length, head circumference and skinfold thickness than their normally-grown peers. At equal Birthweight, neonates of gestational diabetic mothers and of non-diabetic mothers were similar in length, head circumference and skinfold thickness. Neonates of permanently insulin-requiring diabetics were similar to their non-diabetic peers in length and head circumference but had thicker skinfold thicknesses. Anthropometric measurements do not permit differentiation of the origin of neonatal macrosomia.
A Qualitative Analysis of Posttraumatic Stress Among Mexican Victims of Disaster

In unstructured interviews, 24 Mexicans described survivors' responses to disasters in Guadalajara, Jalisco (n = 9), Homestead, Florida (n = 6), and Puerto Angel, Oaxaca (n = 9). This analysis assessed the extent to which symptom descriptions corresponded to the 17 criterion symptoms of PTSD. Nineteen participants (79%) mentioned from 1 to 9 criterion symptoms. Event-related distress, hypervigilance, recurrent recollections, and avoiding reminders were described most often. Only 3 criterion symptoms were never described. Twenty participants (83%) provided 109 separate expressions that could not be classified specifically as criterion symptoms. These phrases were sorted by 9 independent Mexican volunteers and cluster analyzed. Clusters composed of ataques de nervios, depression, lasting trauma, and somatic complaints provided the best description of the data.
Doctors in acute and longitudinal care specialties emphasise different professional attributes: implications for training programmes.

OBJECTIVES Organised medicine mandates that professionalism be taught during specialty training. This study's primary objective was to determine the relative importance that doctors in different specialties place on different attributes of a medical professional. METHODS Attending staff and resident doctors in acute care (anaesthesia, emergency medicine, surgery) and longitudinal care (internal medicine, psychiatry) specialties at a large academic hospital completed an anonymous, web-based survey. The forced-choice format required respondents to narrow down 25 professional attributes to three. The main outcome measure was the number of doctors in the two specialty groups who chose one or more attributes in each of six underlying categories. RESULTS Almost two-thirds of respondents in both groups chose Moral and Ethical attributes. Significantly more longitudinal than acute care doctors chose Relationships with Patients attributes (76% versus 58%) and Communication Skills attributes (28% versus 18%), whereas significantly more acute care doctors chose Clinical Competence attributes (44% versus 29%). Specialty group was more important in choice of professional attributes than gender or position as a resident or attending staff doctor. CONCLUSIONS Most respondents chose attributes that the literature and organised medicine define as core elements of medical professionalism. The differences between specialty groups suggest that attributes in the Relationships with Patients and Communication Skills categories be emphasised for trainees in acute care specialties, and attributes in the Clinical Competence category be emphasised for trainees in longitudinal care specialties.
On Sphaerocarpos stipitatus and the genus Sphaerocarpos.

SUMMARY Sphaerocarpos stipitatus Bisch. ex Lindenb. (syn. S. berterii Mont.) is re-described from the original material gathered in Chile in 1829. Material recently discovered in South Africa is shown to belong to the same species. Detailed studies of structure, development and cytology were made on the South African plants, both preserved and in culture. The genus Sphaerocarpos is reviewed. It is re-emphasized that Sphaerocarpos normally has ‘leafy’ gametophytes, with a distinct and definite arrangement of the appendages. The general systematic position of the Sphaerocarpales is discussed.
A Conceptual Model For River Bank Erosion

ABSRTACT A conceptual model was developed to predict bank migration in a single river or a system of streams. The model is based on dividing the river into stream links. The methodology for estimating the volume of bank materials that would be entrained in the river flow, as well as the sediment sources and deposition of materials detached by river flow, have been described and incorporated into the model. The model considers the mechnanics of the river bank erosion processes and can serve as a tool, among others, in conservation and land management.
Three dimensional strain measurements with x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy

A feasibility study was performed to show the ability of energy dispersive x-ray diffraction (EDXRD) to measure three dimensional strain distributions in thick industrial materials. Photon energies up to 130 keV were used to guarantee penetration through the sample and curve fitting techniques applied to peak position determination. This system was used to measure the strain gradient through the thickness of a 9.5 mm thick cantilevered steel bar.
Enantiomer Ratios for Apportioning Two Sources Of Chiral Compounds

A relationship is derived for estimating the contribution of chiral compounds from two sources A and B in an A-B mixture. The apportionment equation requires only the enantiomer ratios of the two sources and the resultant mixture (ER a , ER b , ER m ) and corrects an erroneous relationship that was previously published. The use of ERs to apportion two sources was tested using synthetic mixtures of nonracemic (A) and racemic (B) heptachlor-exo-epoxide (HEPX). ER values for the two source types and the mixture were determined by capillary gas chromatography on a chiral cyclodextrin column with detection by negative ion mass spectrometry. Results calculated for the fraction of the nonracemic component in the mixture (F a ) using the ERs agreed with the actual composition within +2.1 to -9.8%. The average error was -2.5%, and the propagated relative standard deviation in F a was 4-6%. ER values can be determined with high precision and are not affected by analytical method recoveries nor by abiotic processes that take place during transport. These advantages make ERs especially attractive for source apportionment.
Cosmogenic Be-10 and the solid earth: Studies in geomagnetism, subduction zone processes, and active tectonics

Since the mid-1980s, cosmogenic 10Be, with a 1.5 Myr half-life, has proven to be an extremely useful tool for studies of the solid Earth and surface processes. Measured at very low concentrations using a particle accelerator, 10Be reveals tantalizing clues to the behavior of the Earth’s geodynamo, permits “geochemical imaging” of physical and magmatic processes in subduction zones, and provides ages and uplift and incision rates essential for understanding active tectonic processes. This paper emphasizes the utility of atmospheric and in situ -produced 10Be in understanding these solid Earth processes, using igneous and sedimentary rocks, deep-sea and lacustrine sediment, and ice cores as archives. One focus of this contribution is on studies of the geodynamo and subduction zone processes that utilize 10Be produced by galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) in the atmosphere and subsequently adsorbed onto marine sediments. Following the extensive treatment of geomagnetic effects on cosmic radiation by Stormer (1955), Elsasser et al. (1956) recognized that variations in cosmogenic nuclide production rates could be used as proxies for changes in intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field. A year earlier, Peters (1955) had also proposed that 10Be may be favorable for recording Cenozoic marine sedimentation rates and other geophysical variations. High-resolution 10Be-depth profiles in marine sediments have the potential to evaluate the suggestion of asymmetric sawtooth variation in the geomagnetic field paleointensity and to assess the speculation that Milankovitch variations in Earth’s orbital parameters may influence the geodynamo. Globally coherent and systematic co-variations in paleointensity and 10Be concentrations in marine sediments and ice cores offer promise as a tool for correlating and dating marine sediments unsuited to other methods. The use of geomagnetic field paleointensity variations, derived magnetically and from cosmogenic nuclides, shows promise as an interhemispheric correlation tool at sub-Milankovitch time scales. …
Comparative Toxicity of Acaricides to Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Workers and Queens

Acaricides are used to treat honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies to control the varroa mite (Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman), a worldwide threat to honey bee health. Although acaricides control a serious honey bee parasite and mitigate bee loss, they may cause harm to bees as well. We topically applied five acaricides, each with a different mode of action, to young adult queen and worker bees to generate dose-response curves and LD50. Twenty-four hours after treatment, queens were found to be three-times more tolerant of tau-fluvalinate and six-times more tolerant of thymol than workers when adjusted for body weight differences between workers (108 mg) and queens (180 mg). Queens survived the highest administered doses of fenpyroximate (1620 microg/g) and coumaphos (2700 microg/g) indicating that queens are at least 11-fold more tolerant of coumaphos and at least 54-fold more tolerant of fenpyroximate than workers. However, queens treated with as little as 54 microg/g of fenpyroximate exhibited reduced survival over 6 wk after treatment. Amitraz was the only acaricide tested for which queens were not more tolerant than workers. The striking difference in acaricide tolerance of queen and worker honey bees suggests physiological differences in how the two castes are affected by xenobiotics.
Sleep paralysis among medical students

Sleep paralysis is a sensation of an inability to speak or move other muscles when falling asleep or awakening. Sleep paralysis by itself has been reported as occurring infrequently and many clinicians are uncertain of its significance. In contrast, sleep paralysis in conjunction with sleep attacks has been reported as a concomitant of narcolepsy. To further examine the incidence of sleep paralysis, the responses of 80 first-year medical students, 16.25% had experienced predormital, postdormital, or both types of sleep paralysis. These episodes occurred infrequently--only once or twice for most of these students. Reports of sleep paralysis were not associated with sleep attacks or cataplexy. These results support two previous studies which found that sleep paralysis alone occurs frequently among normals.
Comments on the Lower Bound of a Confidence Ratio

Summary.-The lower limits of a confidence ratio (proportion of alternative hypotheses accepted that are true) and a power ratio (proportion of true Hls tested that are accepted) were proposed by Hand, et al. (1985) to help make statistical decisions. It is argued that the proposed ratios ace statistically questionable and of little practical use. Alternative ways to ensure meaningful statistical decisions are presented. . 9 Hand, et al. (1985) proposed a confidence ratio as a measure of confidence one can place on the significance tests. The confidence ratio is defined as a ratio of alternative hypotheses accepted that ate true over the total alternative hypotheses accepted. Because the information as to whether the null hypothesis is true or not is rarely available, the authors have developed an estimate of its lower bound. Hand, e.t al. also proposed an estimate of the lower bound of a power ratio, which is a proportion of the Hls tested that are accepted. There are several problems, both practical and statistical, associated with the proposed ratios. The following discussions are mainly focused on the problems with the confidence ratio but they are equally applicable to the power ratio, which is based on the same mathematical formulations. The authors claim that an estimate of the lower bound of a confidence ratio is valuable in answering the question whether "a new type of light bulb is longer lasting, on the average, than the old kind" (Hand, et al., p. 599). One way to assure such confidence may be to replicate the experiment. Then, the same test with the same null hypothesis (0 = 0") and the same alternative hypothesis (0 1 Oo) is repeatedly and independently tested. In such occasions, nature chooses one parameter space and that is true for all the significance tests. That is, the parameter is either in the null hypothesis space (the null is true) or the parameter is in the alternative hypothesis space (the null is false).
On the construction of integrable surfaces on Lie groups

The problem of the immersion of a two-dimensional surface into a three-dimensional Euclidean space can be formulated in terms of the immersion of surfaces in Lie groups and Lie algebras. A general formalism for this problem is developed, as well as an equivalent Mauer-Cartan system of differential forms. The particular case of the Lie group SU(2) is examined, and it is shown to be useful for studying integrable surfaces. Some examples of such surfaces and their equations are presented at the end, in particular, the cases of constant mean curvature and of zero Gaussian curvature.
Family Snapshots: A Descriptive Classroom Exercise in Memory and Insight.

“Family Snapshots” are 100-words-or-less descriptive memories of times in the lives of families that highlight poignant moments. They complement other exercises within a family counseling course, i...
Alternative representations and abstractions for moving sensors databases

Moving sensors refers to an emerging class of data intensive applications that inpacts disciplines such as communication, health-care, scientific applications, etc. These applications consist of a fixed number of sensors that move and produce streams of data as a function of time. They may require the system to match these streams against stored streams to retrieve relevant data (patterns). With communication, for example, a speaking impaired individual might utilize a haptic glove that translates hand signs into written (spoken) words. The glove consists of sensors for different finger joints. These sensors report their location and values as a function of time, producing streams of data. These streams are matched against a repository of spatio-temporal streams to retrieve the corresponding English character or word.The contributions of this study are two fold. First, it introduces a framework to store and retrieve "moving sensors" data. The framework advocates physical data independence and software-reuse. Second, we investigate alternative representations for storage and retrieve of data in support of query processing. We quantify the tradeoff associated with these alternatives using empirical data RoboCup soccer matches.
The Tissue-Specific Stem Cell as a Target for Chemoprevention

While cancer treatment modalities are gradually improving due to increased knowledge about tumor heterogeneity and the cancer stem cell hypothesis, there remains a disconnect between tumor detection and mortality rates. The increasing knowledge of stem cell biology and its contribution to cancer progression illuminates the potential for chemopreventative regimens that effectively target the tissue-specific stem cell. Several signaling pathways have emerged that are critical for regulating stem cell self-renewal and multilineage differentiation over a range of tissue types, including Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch signaling. Dysregulation of these genes can lead to cancer, which supports the cancer stem cell hypothesis. Several known chemopreventative agents have recently been shown to impact these and other pathways in the stem cell population, suggesting that their efficacies may be attributed in part to maintaining homeostasis of tissue-specific stem cells. Further understanding of the mechanisms of action of chemopreventative agents and of stem cell biology will generate better chemoprevention regimens that can be recommended especially to those in high-risk populations.
Quantitative Genetic Analysis of Insecticide Resistance: Variation in Fenvalerate Tolerance in a Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) Population

Tolerance to the pyrethroid fenvalerate in a diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), population was analyzed by quantitative genetic techniques. F1 offspring of field-collected individuals were reared in the laboratory as full sibling families and tested for tolerance to fenvalerate residues. Mortality varied extensively among families, indicating a genetic component. Variation in mortality at 48 h was essentially continuous and not significantly different from a normal distribution, suggesting that the heritable variation is polygenic. Heritability of fenvalerate tolerance was approximately.≤:0.20. Result from probit analysis suggest that substantial variation in insecticide tolerance is common within insect populations. Quantitative genetic techniques may be useful for estimating the genetic component of variation in tolerance within populations.
Improved on-chip router analytical power and area modeling

Over the course of this decade, uniprocessor chips have given way to multi-core chips which have become the primary building blocks of today's computer systems. The presence of multiple cores on a chip shifts the focus from computation to communication as a key bottleneck to achieving performance improvements. As industry moves towards many-core chips, networks-on-chip (NoCs) are emerging as the scalable fabric for interconnecting the cores. With power now the first-order design constraint, early-stage estimation of NoC power has become crucially important. Existing power models (e.g., ORION 2.0 [12], Xpipes [7], etc.) are based on certain router microarchitecture and circuit implementation. Therefore, when validated against different NoC prototypes - different router implementations -- we saw significant deviation (up to 40% on average) that can lead to erroneous NoC design choices. This has prompted our development of a new, accurate architecture- and circuit implementation-independent router power and area modeling methodology with complete portability across existing NoC component libraries. Also, validation against a range of implemented router designs confirms substantial improvement in accuracy over existing models.
Optical torques guide cell motility

Through systematic experiments and stochastic modeling we demonstrate that cell motility can be guided by optical torques exerted by the light polarization. This torque affects the actin network which is responsible for cell's movement.
Fostering creativity in the early childhood classroom

Most early childhood teachers would tell you that creativity is important; and that creativity should be considered an integral part of every early childhood classroom. Yet, too often, it is slighted in some areas or limited to being a part of art education. How can creativity can be nurtured and developed in all cognitive and social aspects of an early childhood classroom? The key to this fostering of creativity is for each teacher to examine his or her own filters that can help to foster, or hinder, as the case may be, creativity in that classroom setting. By examining adult attitudes, classroom atmosphere, and children's activities and materials, and adjusting, where necessary, to incorporate certain positive elements for creativity, early childhood educators are more likely to establish a trusting, flexible, and safe environment that allows and stimulates the creative process in an atmosphere of respect.