cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Preschool Early Literacy Skills: Linking Children’s Educational Needs with Empirically Supported Instructional Activities

The importance of the preschool period in becoming a skilled reader is highlighted by a significant body of evidence that preschool children’s development in the areas of oral language, phonological awareness, and print knowledge is predictive of how well they will learn to read once they are exposed to formal reading instruction in elementary school. Although there are now a number of empirically supported instructional activities for helping children who are at risk of later reading difficulties to acquire these early literacy skills, limitations in instructional time and opportunities in most preschool settings require the use of valid assessment procedures to ensure that instructional resources are utilized efficiently. In this article, we discuss the degree to which informal, diagnostic, screening, and progress-monitoring assessments of preschool early literacy skills can inform instructional decisions by considering the strengths and weaknesses of each approach to assessment. C � 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Nation’s Report Card (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2009), indicated that among fourth-grade children in the United States, only 33% performed at or above the proficient level in reading and 33% performed below the basic level in reading. NAEP results for eighth-grade children were similar. Although it is not uncommon for these NAEP statistics on reading proficiency to be interpreted as indicating that schools are doing an increasingly poor job of teaching children to read, NAEP results across years actually reveal that the percentage of children performing at or above the proficient level has increased and that the percentage of children scoring below the basic level has decreased. The problem is not that schools are worse at teaching children to read now than they used to be; it is that the societal demands for literacy are increasing. These results, however, do indicate that a substantial proportion of children are not acquiring the levels of literacy skills needed to meet the demands for literacy they will face in school, the workplace, and elsewhere. DEVELOPMENT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF EARLY LITERACY SKILLS
FUTURE LEPTON COLLIDERS AND LASER ACCELERATION

Future high energy colliders along with their physics potential, and relationship to new laser technology are discussed. Experimental approaches and requirements for New Physics exploration are also described.
Release of H and He from tic, stainless steel, and graphite by pulsed electron and furnace heating

Abstract Substantial release of implanted D and 3 He from TiC coatings and SS 304, and of D from graphite, by 50ns pulsed electron beam (e-beam) heating has been observed and is compared to release by isochronal furnace heating. A substantial enhancement in the fractional D release was found for D saturated TiC (0.25 D to host atom ratio) compared with low fluence implants for both e-beam and furnace heating. This enhancement was not observed for graphite and SS 304. E-beam release of 3 He from TiC was observed to be unaffected by the presence of saturation concentrations of D. Comparison to the calculated time evolution of the temperature profiles suggests a simple model for the D release based on diffusion-limited release in the case of pulsed e-beam treatments and trap-limited release in the case of furnace bulk heating. These processes are closely related to hydrogen recycle in tokamaks and have implications for T inventory control and He ash removal.
Multipoint Genetic Mapping with Trisomy Data

Trisomy is the most common genetic abnormality in humans and is the leading cause of mental retardation. Although molecular studies that use a large number of highly polymorphic markers have been undertaken to understand the recombination patterns for chromosome abnormalities, there is a lack of multilocus approaches to incorporating crossover interference in the analysis of human trisomy data. In the present article, we develop two statistical methods that simultaneously use all genetic information in trisomy data. The first approach relies on a general relationship between multilocus trisomy probabilities and multilocus ordered-tetrad probabilities. Under the assumption that no more than one chiasma exists in each marker interval, we describe how to use the expectation-maximization algorithm to examine the probability distribution of the recombination events underlying meioses that lead to trisomy. One limitation of the first approach is that the amount of computation increases exponentially with the number of markers. The second approach models the crossover process as a χ2 model. We describe how to use hidden Markov models to evaluate multilocus trisomy probabilities. Our methods are applicable when both parents are available or when only the nondisjoining parent is available. For both methods, genetic distances among a set of markers can be estimated and the pattern of overall chiasma distribution can be inspected for differences in recombination between meioses exhibiting trisomy and normal meioses. We illustrate the proposed approaches through their application to a set of trisomy 21 data.
Simulation of microstructure/mechanism relationships in particle deposition

The important connection between particulate deposit properties and deposition mechanism remains poorly understood and only scarcely studied. Accordingly, in this research, we develop a discrete stochastic model to simulate particulate deposition processes resulting from realistic combinations of deposition mechanisms. Particle motion is assumed to be determined by the superposition of a deterministic force that acts toward the collecting surface and a random force, which produces Brownian diffusion. We characterize the resulting deposit microstructure via porosity and pore size/area distribution, surface area; and we examine the evolution of these descriptors with time (number of particles deposited) for different deposition mechanisms. We also examine the effect of particle polydispersity, spatial orientation (for nonspherical particles), and mean-free-path on the resulting deposit structure.
INCREASED OSTEOARTHRITIS IN MOOSE FROM ISLE ROYALE

Over the past 30 yr, moose (Alces alces) in Isle Royale National Park (Michigan, USA) exhibited a several-fold increase in the prevalence of osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease (DJD). Available evidence points to an environmental explanation for this change. Greater physical activity among afflicted moose is not a likely contributing factor, nor is genetic change in the population. The possible introduction of an unspecified disease agent cannot be dismissed at this time. Moose exhibiting the highest prevalence of DJD were those born during a period of severe undernutrition, and it is hypothesized that nutritional stress early in life was responsible for increased joint disease during senescence. Such an etiology for osteoarthritis has not been suggested previously for any species.
Aristotle’s “theology”

Under the influence of Thomistic interpretation, Book Lambda of the Metaphysics has long been regarded as the culmination of Aristotle's entire metaphysical system because it deals with the divine Unmoved Mover. This interpretation has had a profound effect on the development of Western theology and philosophy of religion. The god of Book Lambda has undergone a distinctly Judaeo-Christian reading.
Competitive interaction degrades target selection: An ERP study

Localized attentional interference (LAI) occurs when attending to a visual object degrades processing of nearby objects. Competitive interaction accounts of LAI explain the phenomenon as the result of competition among objects for representation in extrastriate cortex. Here, we examined the N2pc component of the event-related potential (ERP) as a likely neural correlate of LAI. In Experiment 1, participants responded to the orientation of a target while ignoring a nearby decoy. At small target-decoy separations, N2pc amplitude was attenuated whereas the amplitude of a later, positive component (Ptc) was potentiated. Experiment 2 ruled out sensory explanations of these effects. The N2pc results are consistent with the idea that spatially mediated competition for representation in extrastriate cortex degrades target selection. Moreover, the Ptc may reflect a bias signal needed to resolve the competition at smaller target-decoy separations.
Surfactant screening for soil washing: Comparison of foamability and biodegradability of a plant-based surfactant with commercial surfactants

Abstract Batch shaker‐flask experiments using a consortium of sewage microorganisms were conducted to study the aerobic biodegradation of a plant‐based natural surfactant (Ritha) and four anionic / nonionic commercial surfactants. Foaming potential, foam decay, microbial growth and ultimate biodegradation (mineralization) of natural surfactant were compared to those of synthetic surfactants, namely anionic sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and nonionic alcohol ethoxylate Tergitol 15‐S‐12 and Witconol SN‐90. The natural surfactant showed the lowest foaming potential among the selected surfactants (SDBS > SDS > Tergitol > Witconol > Ritha). The natural surfactant also performed better than commercial surfactants in terms of biodegradability at concentrations above critical micelle concentrations (supra‐CMCs). However, surface‐active components resisted biodegradation and foams from the natural surfactant were more persistent than SDS, Tergitol, and Witconol. Concurrent...
Mechanisms of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 augmentation by IL-13 on TGF-β1–stimulated primary human fibroblasts

Background TGF-β induces expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1), a potent inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases that controls extracellular matrix metabolism and deposition. IL-13 alone does not induce TIMP-1, but in combination with TGF-β it augments TIMP-1 expression. Although these interactions have implications for remodeling in asthma, little is understood regarding the mechanisms controlling TIMP-1 product. Objective To explore the role of Smads and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)–extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the TIMP-1 augmentation by IL-13+TGF-β1 in primary human airway fibroblasts. Methods Real-time PCR, Western blot, ELISA, and transient transfection were used to evaluate the mechanisms of TIMP-1 augmentation. Results IL-13 enhanced TGF-β1–induced Smad-2 and Smad-3 phosphorylation, transient transfection with dominant-negative Smad-2 or Smad-3 decreased TIMP-1 mRNA expression in the presence of TGF-β1 and IL-13+TGF-β1 through inhibition of Smad-2 or Smad-3 phosphorylation. ERK phosphorylation was increased by IL-13 and IL-13+TGF-β1. MEK-ERK inhibition decreased TIMP-1 mRNA/protein to a greater degree after IL-13+TGF-β1 stimulation versus TGF-β1 alone. MEK-ERK inhibition also significantly increased Akt phosphorylation under all conditions and decreased Smad-3 phosphorylation in the presence of IL-13+TGF-β1. In contrast, phosphoinositde-3 kinase–Akt inhibition increased phosphorylation of ERK and Smads, leading to increased TIMP-1. Conclusion These results indicate that IL-13 augments TGF-β1–induced TIMP-1 expression through increased Smad phosphorylation. These increases occur as TGF-β1 downregulates IL-13–induced phosphoinositde-3 kinase activation while leaving the positive effect of IL-13–induced ERK on Smad signaling. Clinical implications This augmentation of TGF-β1–induced TIMP-1 by IL-13 could contribute to the fibrosis and airway remodeling seen in the presence of T H 2 inflammation in asthma.
The role of IAP antagonist proteins in the core apoptosis pathway of the mosquito disease vector Aedes aegypti

While apoptosis regulation has been studied extensively in Drosophila melanogaster, similar studies in other insects, including disease vectors, lag far behind. In D. melanogaster, the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein DIAP1 is the major negative regulator of caspases, while IAP antagonists induce apoptosis, in part, by binding to DIAP1 and inhibiting its ability to regulate caspases. In this study, we characterized the roles of two IAP antagonists, Michelob_x (Mx) and IMP, in apoptosis in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. Overexpression of Mx or IMP caused apoptosis in A. aegypti Aag2 cells, while silencing expression of mx or imp attenuated apoptosis. Addition of recombinant Mx or IMP, but not cytochrome c, to Aag2 cytosolic extract caused caspase activation. Consistent with this finding, AeIAP1 bound and inhibited both initiator and effector caspases from A. aegypti, and Mx and IMP competed with caspases for binding to AeIAP1. However, a difference was observed in the BIR domains responsible for Dronc binding by AeIAP1 versus DIAP1. These findings demonstrate that the mechanisms by which IAP antagonists regulate apoptosis are largely conserved between A. aegypti and D. melanogaster, although subtle differences exist.
Clone attack detection and data loss prevention in mobile ad hoc networks

Wireless ad hoc networks, mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) in particular, are not protected by tamper-resistant or equipped with high-storage-capacity hardware because of their low-cost and small size. So they are highly vulnerable to intrusion, node compromise, physical capture attacks and data loss. Due to harsh environments where these devices operate, they face data loss and reduced data availability, and if captured by an attacker, the devices can easily be compromised and cloned. The cloned devices will have the same identity as legitimate devices and interact with other devices to compromise them. In this paper, we propose two mechanisms: 1) novel clone attack detection scheme – log in log out detection (LLD) and system-wide announcement detection (SWAD) using low-energy dynamic (LED) clustering; 2) combinatorial replication and partition (CORP) of data – pairwise balanced design property of combinatorial arrangement – to prevent data loss. These mechanisms can be extrapolated to geospatial networks as well.
Organization termination in the nonprofit setting: the dissolution of children's rehabilitation services

Public and business sector organizations are the primary subjects of the existing literature on organization termination. This article considers the applicability of the termination literature to the nonprofit organization context. In particular, the literatures of public administration (public agency termination), organization theory (life cycles of organizations), and business administration (firm failure) are used to examine the termination experience of a specific nonprofit agency, Children's Rehabilitation Services (CRS). After more than thirty years of providing residential treatment services to boys with emotional problems, the agency merged with another nonprofit rather than face bankruptcy. To understand the causes of CRS's termination, financial factors, deleon's (1978) obstacles to termination, life cycle theory and the role of the agency's changing environment are studied. The case of CRS illustrates many of the findings of the organization termination literature and introduces a new point ess...
The impact of task difficulty expectations on intrinsic motivation

Two studies investigated expectations of task difficulty induced prior to task involvement and their impact upon an individual's subsequent intrinsic interest. Expectations of task difficulty were manipulated through easy/hard instructions by the experimenters. Interest, but not performance, varied as function of expected task difficulty, with “easy” eliciting greater interest than “hard” instructions. The generality of this finding was supported by its demonstration in studies utilizing different experimenters (male, female), subject populations (children, college), and tasks (perceptual-motor, cognitive).
Susceptibility of Phytophthora cinnamomi and P. parasitica to fungi known to parasitize other oomycetes

Five hyphomycetes, a hyphochytrid and a chytrid, previously known to parasitize spores of certain oomycetes, were tested in two-membered cultures with oospores of Phytophthora cinnamomi and with oospores and chlamydospores of P. parasitica on agar or in soil. Evidence of parasitism of P. cinnamomi by Humicola fuscoatra, Anguillospora pseudolongissima, and Hyphochytrium catenoides was observed. Spores of neither Phytophthora species were invaded by Dactylella spermatophaga, Diheterospora chlamydosporia, Gliocladium virens or Phlyctochytrium sp.
Metastatic Pulmonary Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: A case report and review of the literature

Pulmonary Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma is a rare and low grade tumor of endothelial origin found in the lungs. At onset patients are usually asymptomatic or present with non-specific symptoms. Chest imaging shows the presence of multiple, bilateral small nodules and diagnosis usually requires a lung biopsy. At this time there is no standardized treatment regimen and the prognosis is variable.
Beryllium Fluoride and Phalloidin Restore Polymerizability of a Mutant Yeast Actin (V266G,L267G) with Severely Decreased Hydrophobicity in a Subdomain 3/4 Loop

Holmes proposed that in F-actin, hydrophobic residues in a subdomain 3/4 loop interact with a hydrophobic pocket on the opposing strand resulting in helix stabilization. We have determined how a decreased hydrophobicity of this plug affects yeast actin function. Cells harboring only the V266G, V266D, V266F, L267G, L269D, or L269K actins appear normal, although V266G cells display an altered budding pattern. However, V266G,L267G (GG) double mutant cells are cold-sensitive with randomly oriented thick actin assemblies seen in rhodamine phalloidin-stained GG cells. V266D actin polymerizes slower than wild-type actin at room temperature. At 4 degrees C, not only is polymerization slowed, but there is also an effect on critical concentration. However, the polymerization defects are milder than those associated with substitution of Asp for the neighboring Leu267. Purified GG-actin does not polymerize in vitro alone or in the presence of wild-type F-actin seeds. GG-actin polymerization can be restored by larger amounts of wild-type actin, beryllium fluoride, or phalloidin at room temperature, although at 4 degrees C only phalloidin is effective. These results suggest that the diminished hydrophobicity of the plug in GG-actin leads to filament destabilization. However, the V266D actin results require a modification of the original Holmes filament model.
Observations on the pathogenesis of the imperfect fungus, Fusarium solani, in the California brown shrimp, Penaeus californiensis

Abstract The pathogenesis of Fusarium solani infections was studied using a highly susceptible species, Penaeus californiensis. In two experiments, F. solani infections were established in artificially wounded and infected juvenile and adults of P. californiensis, while similar control groups were wounded but not artificially infected. In the first experiment, the progress of F. solani infections in 15-g cultured juveniles of P. californiensis was followed by gross inspection and by light and electron microscopical study of the wound area. Developing F. solani infections were produced with a success rate of 100% within 14 days postinfection, and deaths due to disease of greater than 50% of the artificially infected group had occurred by 24 days postinfection. Infections were histologically characterized by (1) expansion of lesions into the tissue surrounding the point of entry, (2) destruction of invaded tissues by host granuloma formation and possibly by fungal enzymes and toxins, and (3) hemocyte encapsulation of hyphae with eventual melanization of the encapsulating hemocytes. In the second study, wild adult P. californiensis were artificially infected with F. solani, and changes in several of their hemolymph constituents [alkaline phosphatase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), glucose, total protein, hemocyte count, and hematopoietic tissue mitotic index] were determined as the disease developed. Significant differences occurred in these hemolymph parameters of shrimp with advanced F. solani infections compared to those of uninfected, unwounded control shrimp or those with early F. solani infections. Hemolymph from severely infected shrimp was hypoproteinemic, contained lower numbers of circulating hemocytes, and frequently failed to coagulate.
Specificity of Macroglobulin Antibody Synthesized by the Normal Human Fetus

The umbilical cord blood of 47 out of 54 normal human infants contains hemagglutinating activity directed toward cells coated with a type-L Bence-Jones protein. This hemagglutinating material, in some instances, is present in cord blood in the absence of such activity in the maternal blood. Ultracentrifugation of cord serum in a sucrose gradient shows that the activity is associated with the macroglobulin fractions.
The comparative study of split-ticket voting

Abstract This article provides a novel explanation for ticket splitting rooted in the literature on voter uncertainty. The argument is that in contexts marked by asymmetrical competition, such as single party autocracies, ticket splitting can provide voters with a kind of electoral insurance policy. By simultaneously voting for challengers in one race and incumbents in another, voters act to minimize the risks associated with electing a relatively unknown opposition party. Drawing on survey data for one of Latin America's most important elections, the 2000 Mexican presidential race, I evaluate empirically whether voters behave in ways consistent with the logic of ticket splitting as electoral insurance.
Technical Reswitching: A Spatial Case

In neoclassical economics a form of production function is assumed in which the profit rate and the wage rate, defined as marginal returns to capital and labour, are the partial derivatives of the production function with respect to capital and labour, respectively. Neo-Ricardians have shown that the assumptions inherent to and the conclusions based on these functions are not upheld when the aggregate category of homogeneous capital is subdivided into the categories of physical capital used in the production cycle. However, the disaggregated capital model which is used to show that nonlinearity of the frontiers between wage rate and profit rate, thus providing a demonstration of capital reswitching, does not incorporate space in terms of transportation costs within a regional economy or include trade between regions. Here an expanded version of that model, including both features, is used to demonstrate a case of spatial reswitching.
Prevention of mammalian DNA reduplication, following the release from the mitotic spindle checkpoint, requires p53 protein, but not p53-mediated transcriptional activity.

The tumor suppressor p53 has been identified as a component of a mitotic spindle checkpoint. When exposed to a spindle-disrupting drug such as nocodazole, fibroblasts derived from mice having wild-type p53 are blocked with a 4N content of DNA. Conversely, fibroblasts from p53-deficient mice become polyploid. To learn if transcriptional activation of downstream genes by p53 plays a role in this putative checkpoint, three cell lines were exposed to nocodazole. In one line, p53 protein is not expressed, while the other two cell lines over-express p53. In one of these two lines, the N-terminal transactivation domain is wild-type and in the second, this region contains a mutation that eliminates the ability of the protein to act as a transcription factor. Incubation with nocodazole of cells containing wild-type p53 results in accumulation of both 2N and 4N populations of cells. Under the same conditions, cells containing a transactivation-deficient mutant of p53 accumulate a 4N population of cells, but not a 2N population of cells. Cells entirely deficient in p53 protein become hyperdiploid, and display 8N to 16N DNA content. In all three cell lines, nocodazole elicited an initial increase in mitotic cells, but within 24 h the mitotic index returned to baseline. Expression patterns of cyclins B and D indicated that following entry into mitosis, the cells returned to a G1 state but with 4N DNA content. Subsequent re-duplication of DNA beyond 4N is prevented in cells containing either wild-type or transcriptionally inactive p53 protein. In cells entirely lacking p53 protein, DNA is re-duplicated (without an intervening mitosis) and the cells become hyperdiploid. These experiments indicate that p53 does not participate in the transient mitotic arrest that follows spindle disruption, but is essential to prevent subsequent re-duplication of DNA and the resulting hyperdiploid state. This function is intact in a mutant that is transcriptionally inactive.
Disease surveillance, capacity building and implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR[2005]).

At the December 2009 Meeting of States Parties of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), U.S. Under Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher committed the U.S. Government (USG) to engaging the global community to achieving and sustaining the capabilities to combat infectious diseases and protect against biological threats. Specifically, she committed the USG to a series of actions, including international meetings on global disease surveillance and implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR[2005]), designed to enhance global cooperation and provide momentum for sustained progress in this critical area. This journal supplement includes articles that capture key presentations from two meetings: the June 2010 workshop on Comprehensive Global Disease Surveillance held in Washington, D.C. and the August 2010 workshop on Implementation of the IHR(2005) held in Geneva, Switzerland. The supplement also highlights efforts underway to enhance disease surveillance and IHR(2005) implementation by global partners and frames the current USG efforts to enhance global cooperation in disease surveillance, capacity building, biothreat reduction, and IHR(2005) implementation. The IHR(2005) provides a framework to promote global health security in the broadest sense. Public health emergencies of international concern (PHEICs), by definition, do not respect international boundaries, and the IHR(2005) articulates a vision of solidarity that a common vulnerability to microbial and other threats should elicit. A common interest exists for all countries to possess the capacities and capabilities identified in the IHR(2005) to detect, assess, report, and respond to public health threats, whether they are naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate in origin. This interest is neither solely a public health interest, nor a security interest, but a human interest. Accordingly, the public health and security communities have found it increasingly beneficial to work together to advance their shared objectives in this particular area. While these two communities operate in distinct spheres, there is an area where the public health and security spheres overlap. These workshops brought the two communities together to clarify the connections between these spheres and to promote and enhance cooperative efforts between them to advance IHR(2005) implementation internationally in an effective, meaningful, and sustainable manner.
Opioids confer myocardial tolerance to ischemia: interaction of delta opioid agonists and antagonists.

Abstract Background: Mammalian hibernation biology is now known to be mediated by delta opioids. The altered myocellular physiology of hibernation closely parallels that of hypothermic ischemia used to protect the heart for cardiac surgery. Methods and Results: The present study examined the interaction of delta opioid agonists and antagonists on myocardial tolerance to ischemia. By means of a nonhibernating isolated rabbit heart model, functional and metabolic myocardial parameters were assessed during nonischemic baseline and postischemic recovery periods. Control hearts with standard cardioplegic protection alone were compared with those with cardioplegia plus preperfusion with a delta opioid agonist, a delta opioid antagonist, or both. All hearts were then subjected to 2 hours of global ischemia. Compared with cardioplegia alone, postischemic left ventricular developed pressure, coronary flows, and myocardial oxygen consumption were all increased with administration of delta opioid agonists and decreased below baseline with delta opioid antagonists. Functional recovery of left ventricular developed pressure was improved with opioids (control hearts: 36 ± 3 mm Hg vs hearts with cardioplegia plus delta opioid agonist: 65 ± 5 mm Hg, P P P = not significant). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that cardiac tolerance to ischemia may be mediated by delta opioids.
Measuring the forensic-ability of audit logs for nonrepudiation

Forensic analysis of software log files is used to extract user behavior profiles, detect fraud, and check compliance with policies and regulations. Software systems maintain several types of log files for different purposes. For example, a system may maintain logs for debugging, monitoring application performance, and/or tracking user access to system resources. The objective of my research is to develop and validate a minimum set of log file attributes and software security metrics for user nonrepudiation by measuring the degree to which a given audit log file captures the data necessary to allow for meaningful forensic analysis of user behavior within the software system. For a log to enable user nonrepudiation, the log file must record certain data fields, such as a unique user identifier. The log must also record relevant user activity, such as creating, viewing, updating, and deleting system resources, as well as software security events, such as the addition or revocation of user privileges. Using a grounded theory method, I propose a methodology for observing the current state of activity logging mechanisms in healthcare, education, and finance, then I quantify differences between activity logs and logs not specifically intended to capture user activity. I will then propose software security metrics for quantifying the forensic-ability of log files. I will evaluate my work with empirical analysis by comparing the performance of my metrics on several types of log files, including both activity logs and logs not directly intended to record user activity. My research will help software developers strengthen user activity logs for facilitating forensic analysis for user nonrepudiation.
Diagnosing and treating Phthirus pubis palpebrarum

Phthiriasis palpebrarum is an uncommon cause of blepharitis and conjunctivitis and may easily be overlooked. A high index of suspicion and careful examination of the patient's lid margins and eyelashes will lead to the proper diagnosis. Treatment is best accomplished by careful removal of the lice and nits (louse eggs) from the patient's lashes. Local application of a pediculocide such as yellow mercuric oxide N.F. 1% ophthalmic ointment applied twice daily for one week or 0.25% physostigmine (Eserine) ointment applied twice daily for a minimum of ten days, to the lid margins should be considered when the total removal of Phthirus pubis and nits is not possible mechanically. Body hair should be examined for infestation with lice and treated with gamma benzene hexachloride shampoo. This medication should be used with caution in infants, children and pregnant women. Family members, sexual contacts, and close companions should be examined and treated appropriately; clothing, linen and personal items should be disinfected with heat of 50 degrees C for 30 minutes.
Anisotropy of diffusion in a lamellar styrene-isoprene block copolymer

The self-diffusion properties of a poly(styrene-b-isoprene) diblock copolymer (MPS = 10000, MPI = 13000) in a lamellar microstructure have been determined by forced Rayleigh scattering. Diffusion c...
Part set-up angle for optimal machining time in CAD/CAM

Abstract This investigation presents a study of the effects of machine part set-up orientation on machining time. For a multiaxis milling machine, each individual axis of the machine has its own maximum velocity and acceleration. In order to have an optimal cutting speed, we propose that all the axes of a machine tool should be kept simultaneously at their maximum speeds whenever possible. In this paper, the relationship between machine tool kinematics and cutter path geometry is investigated. A formula for calculating the workpiece set-up angle for optimal cutting speed is analytically derived. A simulation package is developed; several cases are used for illustration.
Molecular Dynamics Studies on the GLYT1b Transporter

We have constructed a homology model of the outward- and inward facing states of the glycine transporter GLYT1b and have modelled the transitions between these with targeted MD. In the inward-facing state we observe Na2, chloride and substrate dissociating from the transporter.
MANAGEMENT OF CORTICOSTEROID-INDUCED OSTEOPOROSIS : A CLINICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE

Despite the recognition almost 50 years ago of the association of corticosteroids and osteoporosis [ 1] and resulting osteoporotic fracture, many questions remain unanswered in terms of diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment. Physicians write 16 million prescriptions yearly, yet we have no consensus on prevention or treatment of corticosteroidinduced osteoporosis. Answers to these questions have been hampered by lack of longitudinal studies, difficulties in studying patients at baseline, variability in bone mass due to factors other than corticosteroids such as immobilization or effects of chronic disease, and differences due to bone density measurement technique or site studied. Corticosteroid use is associated with decreased bone formation rates and increased numbers of osteoclasts and bone resorption sites [2]. The decreased bone formation may be due to direct inhibition of osteoblasts [3]. Decreased intestinal calcium absorption [4] and increased urinary calcium loss [5] both contribute to a negative calcium balance. The decreased calcium absorption may cause a secondary hyperparathyroidism which results in increased bone resorptive activity [4]. The effects of corticosteroids are more severe in bone with higher trabecular than cortical bone content, i.e., lumbar spine [6] and distal radius [7]. Recent data suggest that bone loss occurs to a similar extent in the proximal femur [8].
Adhesion of physically vapor-deposited titanium coatings to beryllium substrates

Abstract The thrust of this investigation was to examine and identify the bonding mechanism between physically vapor-deposited titanium and a beryllium substrate. A mechanical interlocking model of adhesion was proposed. An approximation of the adhesive failure stress which was based on classical fracture mechanic principles, is presented. Incorporated into the model was an X-ray diffraction texture characterization of the coating microstructure that was shown to vary with the deposition parameters. Experimental stresses to induce bond failure, in an adherence pull test, were compared with the stress values predicted by the model (which considers a state of plane strain at the coating-substrate interface).
The Bureaucracy as a Battleground: Contentious Politics Surrounding OSHA 1980‐2004

This study examines the extent to which often contentious political efforts to influence agency operations over a 25-year period actually generated a lasting regulatory enforcement regime change at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA enforcement data indicates that the agency displayed a high level of short-term responsiveness to the prevailing political influences. The study concludes that the multiplying effect of Reagan-era deregulatory efforts and reform initiatives of the 1990s led to significant alterations in OSHA's regulatory enforcement patterns from a purely adversarial approach to a hybrid approach involving a mixture of aggressive enforcement in high-hazard areas and a cooperative inclination elsewhere. At the onset of the twenty-first century it appears that the agency has settled into a relatively stable period of equilibrium regarding monitoring and enforcement activities, with ongoing political struggles largely centering on standard setting and the agency's general regulatory scope.
Course and prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy

Purpose Patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have been described to have an unusual form of renal disease known as HIV-asociated nephropathy. This condition is characterized by severe proteinuria, rapid progression to renal insufficiency, and a morphologic pattern of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) on renal biopsy. Despite increasing awareness of this entity, the epidemiology and clinical course of HIV-associated nephropathy are not yet well defined. We therefore decided to study HIV-infected patients with this biopsy-proven pattern of focal sclerosis. Patients and methods Using life-table analysis, we evaluated the clinical features and course of 26 patients with HIV infection and biopsy-proven FSGS and compared them with those in 24 subjects with HIV infection who had no glomerular disease at autopsy. Results The group with FSGS had a higher percentage of blacks (96% versus 46%) and intravenous drug abusera (42% versus 17%), and had a higher mean serum creatinine level (5.4 mg/dL versus 1.0 mg/dL) than the group of HIV-infected subjects without glomerular disease. At the time of diagnosis of FSGS, six patients had clinical ac- quired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), eight had AIDS-related complex (ARC), and 12 patients had no evidence of AIDS or ARC. The progression to end-stage renal disease for all patients was rapid, with a median time to dialysis of 10.9 weeks. Duration of patient survival was dependent upon the stage of HIV infection at the time of diagnosis of renal disease. Patients who presented with AIDS had a median survival of 1.9 months, compared to a median survival of 3.6 months for those with ARC and 9.7 months for initially asymptomatic HIV carriers (p Conclusion Our data indicate that FSGS associated with HIV infection can occur before other manifestations of AIDS, is more common in blacks and in intravenous drug abusers, and is rapidly progressive to uremia. Patient survival is dependent upon the stage of HlV infection. These findings may prove useful in devising more effective strategies for the care of this growing patient population.
Successful clinical laser ablation of ventricular tachycardia: a promising new therapeutic method

Abstract This preliminary report describes 5 consecutive patients operated on for drug-resistant ventricular tachycardia (VT). All were successfully treated with laser photocoagulation ablation alone. The continuous-wave neodymium: yttrium-aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser (wavelength, 1.06 μm) was chosen because of its capability for controlled deep tissue penetration, which can be adjusted by manipulating the power and exposure time of the beam. All patients had severe coronary artery disease. Preoperative left ventricular ejection fractions were low (0.18 to 0.29). Risk factors associated with increased failure rates by conventional surgical approaches were frequent: absence of discrete left ventricular aneurysm (5 patients) and multiple VT morphologies with disparate sites of origin (4 patients). All patients recovered fully. VT was not inducible prior to discharge, and no patient was placed on a regimen of antiarrhythmic drugs. Current direct surgical approaches to drug-resistant VT have markedly improved operative results compared with indirect procedures. However, failures and mortality remain high. Laser photocoagulation obviates some of the problems associated with conventional methods. It is similar to cryotherapy in that the structural integrity of affected tissues is maintained. In contrast to cryosurgery, however, laser photocoagulation is achieved more rapidly and with more precise myocardial destruction. One of the most promising features of laser coagulation is that it is administered to the perfused normothermic heart. Consequently, each morphological form of induced VT is observed to disappear as its area of origin is systematically located by mapping and then ablated.
Ovarian adenocarcinoma in premenarchal girls

Ovarian neoplasms are unusual in the paediatric age group; the majority of them are of germ cell origin. Malignant epithelial tumours of the ovary occur infrequently in adolescent girls. Ovarian carcinoma in particular is extremely rare before puberty. The authors describe 3 cases of adenocarcinoma of the ovary in premenarchal girls and highlight the unique characteristics of this tumour in this age group.
Zr3+xS4: A new superconducting binary sulfide☆

Abstract Superconductivity has been observed in the NaCl defect structure of Zr3+xS4. In one sample, the Tc of 3.3 K at atmospheric pressure, increases to 7.2 K at pressures near 160 kbar. The resistivity shows a negative temperature coefficient at all pressures.
Dendritic cells in the initiation of immune responses against central nervous system-derived antigens

Antigen presentation is essential for the activation and maintenance of antigen-specific T cell responses in the nervous tissue. Generally, it is becoming well accepted that the antigen presenting cell (APC) type responsible for the initiation of the primary immune response through the exclusive ability to activate naive T cells is the dendritic cell (DC); however, the role of these cells in central nervous system (CNS) immunity is unclear at this time. The diverse phenotypes and origins of DCs make the characterization of their function in the CNS even more difficult. It is believed that DCs can influence the immune response in several ways: these cells are not only capable of initiating the immune response but they are also a major determinant of peripheral tolerance. DCs are characterized by the constitutive ability to express MHC class II molecules as well as high-level upregulation of these molecules in response to inflammatory stimuli. A pan DC marker that has proved to be useful in identifying them is CD11c (the α-chain of CR4); other markers include CD205 and MHC class II. DCs also actively participate in the humoral immune response. In this review, we would like to discuss how DCs appear in the CNS and their roles in initiation, maintenance and tolerance in the immune reactions in the CNS.
Assessing the Horatio Alger myth: Is self-employment especially beneficial for those from less-advantaged family backgrounds?

Abstract The findings of this study contradict the popular belief that self-employment is especially beneficial as a path to economic progress for those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Cohort (NLSY79) show that the relative earnings gain from being self-employed rather than working for an organization actually increases with the level of socioeconomic background. Those from a higher socioeconomic background can expect to earn much more in self-employment than in organizational employment while those from the lower socioeconomic background can expect to earn much less. While there are some indications that the more disadvantaged are more likely to attain very high incomes if they do become self-employed, the percentage of this group who attain higher incomes through self-employment is lower than it is for higher socioeconomic groups.
Clinical and genetic aspects of distal myopathies

Although most muscle disorders produce proximal weakness, some myopathies may manifest predominantly or exclusively distal weakness. Although several congenital, inflammatory, or metabolic myopathies may produce mainly distal weakness, there are several distinct entities, typically referred to as distal myopathies. Most of these are inherited conditions. The distal myopathies are rare, but characteristic clinical and histological features aid in their identification. Advances in molecular genetics have led to the identification of the gene lesions responsible for several of these entities and have also expanded our understanding of the genetic relationships of distal myopathies to other inherited disorders of muscle. This review summarizes current knowledge of the clinical and molecular aspects of the distal myopathies.
Analysis of flute forming conditions using ice sheet reconstructions and field techniques

Basal shear stress and sediment strength associated with the development of glacial flutes exposed during the 20th century in the Saskatchewan Glacier Valley Alberta, Canada, were determined by comparing reconstructed ice thicknesses, basal shear stresses, and field properties of sediments with the morphologically similar Kiwa Glacier Valley, British Columbia, Canada, where flutes are absent. Reconstructed subglacial conditions in these two valleys were compared to understand why flutes were developed in the former and not the latter. Using an existing topographic map of each glacier, equations for a series of longitudinal profile lines were determined to represent the existing ice surface. A previous ice surface, identified by trimlines along the valley walls, was reconstructed by applying the equations of longitudinal profile lines from the existing ice surface to a previous terminus between 5 and 10 km downvalley. After subtracting the elevation of the land surface (determined from topographic maps) from the reconstructed glacier surface, and calculating former ice surface slope, ice thickness and basal shear stress distributions were determined. Sediment texture and the location of flutes on a morainal topographic high, downglacier from a proglacial lake basin, allowed high porewater pressures to develop as glaciers extended to terminus positions in the Saskatchewan Glacier Valley. Sediment strength was reduced sufficiently below values of reconstructed shear stress plots to allow deformation creating flutes. The absence of a similar topographic high and different sediment textural characteristics in the Kiwa Glacier Valley resulted in lower porewater pressures and consequently less reduction in sediment strength preventing the development of glacial flutes despite higher shear stress values here. Results indicate that the degree to which sediment characteristics and porewater pressure allow reduction of subglacial sediment strength relative to basal shear stress is important in determining conditions when flutes may develop.
Limiting values of the variance and the moments of the dimension of a sum or intersection of random vector subspaces

Abstract Let W be an n-dimensional vector space over a field F; for each positive integer m, let the m-tuples (U1, …, Um) of vector subspaces of W be uniformly distributed; and consider the statistics Xm,1 ≔ dimF(∑i=1m Ui) and Xm,2 ≔ dimF (∩i=1m Ui). If F is finite of cardinality q, we determine lim E(Xm,1k), and lim E(Xm,2k), and hence, lim var(Xm,1) and lim var(Xm,2), for any k > 0, where the limits are taken as q → ∞ (for fixed n). Further, we determine whether these, and other related, limits are attained monotonically. Analogous issues are also addressed for the case of infinite F.