cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-FF-T-07: A Comparative Analysis Between Conventional MLC Based and Solid Compensator Based IMRT Treatment Techniques. A Clinical Review After 5 Years

Purpose: The goals of this study were to evaluate the clinical differences of solid and MLC based IMRT treatments. Dosimetric comparison of the dose outside the target volume at various depths was carried out. The investigation was extended to compare delivery time and monitor unit requirements for IMRT techniques. Methods and Material: The ADAC Pinnacle inverse planning system was used to generate MLC based IMRT plans. Using .decimal software, ADAC was also used to generate compensator based IMRT plans. Plans were generated for the following target volumes, prostate, adrenal gland, brain, and head and neck. The delivery time, number of monitor units and the fluence intensity maps were compared. Dose points outside the target volume were compared to determine out of target doses. Delivery of treatment plans was performed on a Rando phantom and mosfet dosimeters, gaf chromic film and TLDs were used to compare measured doses of MLC and solidIMRT treatments. Results: For the more complex plans the solid compensators resulted in 26.7% fewer monitor units and delivery time was reduce in half when compared with MLC plans. However for relatively simple IMRT plans such as prostate boosts or adrenal gland plans were the target has a relatively simple cylindrical shape the MLC plans resulted in an average of 41.6% fewer MUs and required about 16% less time to deliver than the solid compensator plans. Mosfet skin dose analysis showed that the solid compensators resulted in an average of 17.5% less dose. Conclusions: Based on the measured results it is evident that solid compensators are a viable IMRT treatment option when considering complex target arrangements that require many beams segments. For relatively simple plans which result in fewer and larger beam segments compensator based plans showed no advantage over MLC plans in regards to MUs and treatment time.
Sleep in the elderly. What is normal

Sleep is a basic biologic function that changes with normal aging and in many pathologic states. Some of the changes with aging are so profound that it is difficult to separate normal aging from disease. The problem is made worse by the difficulty of recognizing many common sleep disorders. Complaints of poor sleep or daytime somnolence are common in all adults but are more prevalent in elderly individuals. This article addresses normal sleep and the changes expected with aging, and reviews the more common sleep diseases in the elderly population, such as insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing, periodic limb movements of sleep, and the rapid eye movement sleep-behavior disorder.
Citizen Participation in Local Governance in Eastern Europe: Rediscovering a Strength of Civil Society in the Post-Socialist World?

Abstract This article studies the impact of citizen participation on local government performance in Bulgaria. Both survey and interview data are used to suggest that, all else being equal, municipal efficacy grows with the increasing involvement of social and economic actors in the policy-making process. This improved government efficacy is most likely a result of the professionalisation and organisational strength of the third sector. Although the politicisation of the local state has undermined its capacity, municipalities have been able not only to reconstitute some of their authority but also to improve the output and the quality of their policy making by employing the expertise and support of major local civic organisations.
Novel anthropomorphic hip phantom corrects systemic interscanner differences in proximal femoral vBMD

Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) is increasingly used in osteoporosis studies to assess volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone quality and strength. However, QCT is confronted by technical issues in the clinical research setting, such as potentially confounding effects of body size on vBMD measurements and lack of standard approaches to scanner cross-calibration, which affects measurements of vBMD in multicenter settings. In this study, we addressed systematic inter-scanner differences and subject-dependent body size errors using a novel anthropomorphic hip phantom, containing a calibration hip to estimate correction equations, and a contralateral test hip to assess the quality of the correction. We scanned this phantom on four different scanners and we applied phantom-derived corrections to in vivo images of 16 postmenopausal women scanned on two scanners. From the phantom study, we found that vBMD decreased with increasing phantom size in three of four scanners and that inter-scanner variations increased with increasing phantom size. In the in vivo study, we observed that inter-scanner corrections reduced systematic inter-scanner mean vBMD differences but that the inter-scanner precision error was still larger than expected from known intra-scanner precision measurements. In conclusion, inter-scanner corrections and body size influence should be considered when measuring vBMD from QCT images.
Soybean Response to Rhizobia on Previously Flooded Sites in Southern Wisconsin

Due to increased moisture and flooding in the midwestern United States during the 2008 growing season, some soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] growers were concerned about the viability of soil rhizobia (Bradyrhizobium sp.) in 2009. Three field experiments were established on land, which had previously been flooded for an extended period of time, to test the performance of rhizobia inoculants and the seed yield and quality response to the initial soil rhizobia population. Seed yield and oil content did not respond to rhizobia inoculants across locations (P = 0.39 and 0.70, respectively), whereas seed protein content response differed among inoculants (P = 0.006). Yield (P = 0.01, R 2 = 0.10) and protein (<0.001, R 2 = 0.36) content were negatively correlated with the initial rhizobia population. Seed oil content was positively correlated with the initial rhizobia population (P = 0.009, R 2 = 0.10). Results suggest that initial soil rhizobia populations were adequate for optimum crop growth and the addition of a rhizobia inoculant was not required in these environments.
Supply management in American public administration: Towards an academic discipline?

Abstract This article examines the development of supply management in the U.S. to assess its progress towards academic disciplinary status. A comparison of the fields of business administration and public administration indicates that supply management is more developed in the former than in the latter, which inhibits its disciplinary status. Various reasons for this uneven development in the two fields are explored. The paper argues that a paradigm shift must occur for public supply management, which will re-orient it around the concept of the public interest. This will require public supply professionals to participate strategically in public policy-making in order to ascertain and promote the public interest. A policy framework is used to illustrate this re-orientation and to suggest directions for further research.
Design and Synthesis of Metal-Organic Precursors to Aluminosilicates

Diketonate aluminum alkoxides were prepared and allowed to react with acetoxyalkylsilanes. The conversion of the aluminosiloxanes thus obtained to aluminosilicates at 450°C was demonstrated. These aluminosiloxane ceramic precursors are glassy, oligomeric materials which readily dissolve in organic solvents to give viscous solutions ideal for casting films. Films of the metal-organic compounds prepared in this manner yield monolithic, crack-free aluminosilicate films directly on thermal curing, with a thickness limit of 3000A for single crystal silicon wafer substrates. These aluminosilicate films have been found to be effective anticorrosion barriers for various metal substrates. The chemistry of this organoaluminosilane system and the nature of the aluminosilicate films obtained has been investigated using a variety of chemical and physical methods. The results of this investigation will be described and the possible advantages of this direct conversion process over the sol-gel method as a means of obtaining aluminosilicate films will be discussed.
Sleep deprivation PET correlations of Hamilton symptom improvement ratings with changes in relative glucose metabolism in patients with depression.

Background This PET study is a continuing investigation of the effects of antidepressant medication and one night of total sleep deprivation on cerebral metabolism in depressed patients. This study was undertaken to confirm previous correlations between symptom improvement ratings and regional changes in glucose metabolism, using a higher resolution scanner than in previous investigations. In addition, we also studied the effect of concomitant antidepressant medication in conjunction with sleep depression. Method Six depressed patients were administered the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline for a week and then underwent positron emission tomography (FDG PET) before and after sleep deprivation. Changes in relative glucose metabolism were correlated with symptom improvement ratings in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores. Results Positive correlations (defined as reduced HDRS scores associated with areas having reduced relative cerebral glucose metabolism after TSD) were found in the inferior frontal gyrus and inferior frontal/orbital frontal cortex. Negative correlations (defined as reduced HDRS scores associated with areas of increased relative cerebral glucose metabolism after TSD) were found in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Limitations Limitations of this study are that the number of subjects was small (n=6) and they were scanned at a 7.6 mm resolution. Conclusions The results of this study support previous findings on the effects of sleep deprivation and antidepressant medications in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression, with an emphasis on the significance of cerebral glucose metabolic changes in the ventral and DLPF cortex in mood regulation.
Perceiving emotion: There’s more than meets the eye

Abstract It has been long known that the human right hemisphere makes special contributions to the analysis of the emotional significance of facial expressions. Recent studies of brain damaged patients now show more precisely where and how the right hemisphere goes about doing so.
EFFECTS OF MALNUTRITION AND PASSIVELY ACQUIRED MUCOSAL IMMUNITY ON ROTAVIRUS INFECTION DURING INFANCY

EFFECTS OF MALNUTRITION AND PASSIVELY ACQUIRED MUCOSAL IMMUNITY ON ROTAVIRUS INFECTION DURING INFANCY
THE TREE OWNER'S DUTY OF CARE AND DUTY OF INSPECTION

Summary The precise duty of care of the tree owning landowner is difficult to state. The standard of inspection required is influenced by the higher standards of the arboricultural profession which may impose upon individual landowners unrealistic demands. This may lead to a defensive approach to tree management.
Down Syndrome: Cervical Spine Abnormalities and Problems

A review of the radiographs of 34 individuals with Down syndrome (DS), between 5 and 21 years of age, demonstrated subluxation of atlantoaxial instability (C1-C2) greater than 5 mm in three of the 34 individuals (9 percent). This is in general agreement with previously reported ranges of 10 to 20 percent. A review of the cervical spine radiographs of adults with DS, between 26 and 42 years of age, showed no subluxation but significant degenerative changes of the cervical spine with spur formation, narrowing of foramina, narrowing of the disc inner space, and osteophyte formation. In both the DS child and the DS adult, the cervical spine may be an area of significant potential problems. In all cases any complaints of cervical pain or historical/clinical findings suggestive of neurologic involvement should initiate evaluation of the cervical spine. Baseline radiographic studies of the cervical spine are indicated in all DS children older than 5 years of age and should be considered in all DS adults, particularly those 30 years of age and older.
Ruminal fermentation and bacterial protein synthesis of whole cottonseed coated with combinations of gelatinized corn starch and urea.

Abstract Four ruminally and duodenally cannulated Jersey cows were used in a 4×5 incomplete Latin square study to determine the effects of including urea in the gelatinized corn starch coating applied to whole cottonseed (WCS) on ruminal fermentation, fiber digestion, and bacterial protein synthesis. Treatments included uncoated WCS (control) and four coated WCS treatments. The coatings provided two concentrations each of gelatinized corn starch (2.5 [2S] or 5% [5S]) and feed grade urea (0.25 [2U] or 0.5% [5U]). Treated WCS comprised 15% of the ration dry matter that was fed as a total mixed ration once daily. Ruminal pH and molar proportions of isobutyrate was higher and NH 3 -N concentrations lower for control compared with coated WCS. Molar proportions of propionate tended to be higher and valerate was lower with 2S compared with 5S. Molar proportions of acetate tended to be lower, whereas butyrate was higher for 5U than 2U. Nutrient intake was lower for WCS coated with 5S5U compared with 2S5U. Ruminal NDF digestibility of NDF tended to be higher with 5U compared with 2U, but no differences were observed in ruminal or total tract apparent digestibility of nutrients. No differences were observed in the flow of total N or bacterial N to the duodenum, but the flow of nonbacterial N tended to be higher for WCS coated with 5U. Coating WCS appears to slightly alter ruminal metabolism while providing similar amounts of N flowing to the duodenum without altering fiber digestion.
The partitioned multiprocessor scheduling of deadline-constrained sporadic task systems

A polynomial-time algorithm is presented for partitioning a collection of sporadic tasks, each constrained to have its relative-deadline parameter be no larger than its period parameter, among the processors of an identical multiprocessor platform. Since the partitioning problem is easily seen to be NP-hard in the strong sense, this algorithm is unlikely to be optimal. A quantitative characterization of its worst-case performance is provided in terms of resource augmentation. It is shown that any set of sporadic tasks that can be partitioned among the processors of an m-processor identical multiprocessor platform will be partitioned by this algorithm on an m-processor platform in which each processor is (3-(1/m)) times as fast.
A monitor interconnect and support subsystem for multicore processors

In many current SoCs, the architectural interface to on-chip monitors is ad hoc and inefficient. In this paper, a new architectural approach which advocates the use of a separate low-overhead subsystem for monitors is described. A key aspect of this approach is an on-chip interconnect specifically designed for monitor data with different priority levels. The efficiency of our monitor interconnect is assessed for a multicore system using both an interconnect and a system-level simulator. Collected monitor information is used by a dedicated processor to control the frequency and voltage of individual multicore processors. Experimental results show that the new low-overhead subsystem facilitates employment of thermal and delay-aware dynamic voltage and frequency scaling.
Narrowcasting in the New World Information Order A Space for the Audience

Narrowcasting is heralded as a viable prescription for global understanding. However, the author questions whether an actual space exists for the representation of marginalized groups. Narrowcasting combined with internet interactivity are currently promoted as important parts of the five hundred-channel environment—an environment that allows viewers to supersede consumerism as they become producers. The economic and social ramifications of this representation, presently inscribed within a subscriber base and computer/modem access, provide a viable platform for questioning global rhetoric. As a case study to this sociopolitical quandary, the author looks at the U.S.-based cable station Black Entertainment Television and internet usage aimed at marginalized groups. By examining these areas and the historical moment in which they proliferate, she offers particular examples of how this new media and its ideas of representation calculate the audience’s role and pander to the future.
Long terminal repeat retrotransposons of Mus musculus

Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons make up a large fraction of the typical mammalian genome. They comprise about 8% of the human genome and approximately 10% of the mouse genome. On account of their abundance, LTR retrotransposons are believed to hold major significance for genome structure and function. Recent advances in genome sequencing of a variety of model organisms has provided an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate better the diversity of LTR retrotransposons resident in eukaryotic genomes. Using a new data-mining program, LTR_STRUC, in conjunction with conventional techniques, we have mined the GenBank mouse (Mus musculus) database and the more complete Ensembl mouse dataset for LTR retrotransposons. We report here that the M. musculus genome contains at least 21 separate families of LTR retrotransposons; 13 of these families are described here for the first time. All families of mouse LTR retrotransposons are members of the gypsy-like superfamily of retroviral-like elements. Several different families of unrelated non-autonomous elements were identified, suggesting that the evolution of non-autonomy may be a common event. High sequence similarity between several LTR retrotransposons identified in this study and those found in distantly-related species suggests that horizontal transfer has been a significant factor in the evolution of mouse LTR retrotransposons.
Shelf Morphodynamics of Drowned Barriers on Louisiana Shelf: ABSTRACT

Since the 1950s, Mississippi-delta researchers have hypothesized that Ship and Trinity Shoals, on the Louisiana continental shelf, were formed during the transgressive phase of the delta cycle following the abandonment of the Maringouin delta lobe during the Holocene. Historic, stratigraphic, and sedimentologic data strongly support this theory and suggest that the shoals originated through the drowning of delta-flank barrier islands. Maps published prior to 1840 show islands in the approximate location of the present shoals. Following submergence, the barrier/shoal system was subject to extensive modification by shelf currents. A comparison of U.S. Coast and Geodetic hydrographic surveys (1853, 1889-90, 1936) and a 1983 survey conducted by the authors illustrate that the shoals have migrated landward up to 2 km (1.2 mi) and been reduced in subaqueous elevation up to 3 m (10 ft). The overall trend is of erosion at the shoal crest and deposition seaward below 10-m (33-ft) water depth. Large scale ridge and swale features are also present in water depths below 6 m (20 ft). The shoals are composed of clean, well-sorted, fine-grained sands essentially devoid of bedforms detectable by side-scan sonar. Three days after Hurricane Alicia's passage within 160 km (100 mi) south of Ship Shoal, there were still no noticeable bedforms. This suggests that hurricanes may be of too short a duration to initiate shelf-wide flow of a magnitude great enough to significantly affect shelf-shoal sediment dispersal, at least in the shoals' present state. Ship and Trinity Shoals are still being modified today, and as long as they remain highs on the sea floor they will continue to be modified by shelf currents. It is believed that the original barrier morphology played an important part in the development of the present morphology. It is inferred that the presence of the original barrier chain, its composition, and its orientation relative to dominant wave and current conditions controlled the development of the present morphologic features. The only hope of preserving the present shoals would be if they were covered by prodelta deposits of another progradational cycle. Otherwise Ship and Trinity Shoals will continue to be modified until they reach a stable configuration for the Louisiana continental shelf. End_of_Article - Last_Page 468------------
Compulsory Conviviality in Early Modern England [with illustrations]

AbstractTo drink to a friend's health was the most popular and chronicled drinking ritual of the early modern period in England. While health drinking appears convivial in Cavalier poetry, such drinking was nonetheless controversial, heavily debated, and at times illegal. Furthermore, a host of writers, including Shakespeare, depict health drinking as compulsive and divisive. This essay traces the significant yet overlooked literature on health drinking, extending over an eighty‐year period from pamphleteers and playwrights of the 1580s–1610s through Cavalier poets up to the period of Charles II's restoration. This survey reveals thematic continuities running through the canon of healthing literature, as well as a significant shift in the literary representation of health drinking: a condemned practice reappears as a country ritual within the space of a generation. Whereas Elizabethan writers found national solidarity in satirizing healthing as a foreign and villainous practice, later Jacobean and Carolin...
CD45RO: a marker for BCR-mediated selection.

We previously showed that IgH sequence alone minimally influenced germinal centre (GC) B-cell survival fate. As end-stage effector B cells are typically more mutated than founder GC B cells, we worked to develop an assay that would enrich for populations of GC B cells with progressively increasing numbers of somatic mutations, which could potentially be used as an indicator of positive selection. We targeted CD45 as it has been shown to influence activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) expression. In this study, anti-CD77 and anti-CD45RO (RO) were used to subdivide CD19+IgD−CD38+CD77+ centroblasts (CB) and CD19+IgD−CD38+CD77− centrocytes (CC) into three contiguous RO fractions (RO−, RO+/− and RO+) and assessed whether mutation frequency and characteristics associated with selection varied with respect to increasing RO expression. Here, we show that the average number of mutations per IgVH4 transcript increased concordantly with RO for CC, but not for CB. CC also exhibited an RO-associated increase in replacement mutations. Comparative analysis of clonally related sequences revealed that increased mutations were not due to the exclusive persistence of surface RO on highly mutated cells. RO-expressing CC and CB pools showed increased signs of activation (CD69+) and were enriched for surface Ig+ cells. BCR-crosslinking induced a significant increase in surface RO on total tonsillar and GC B cells, which collectively suggests that the RO-associated increase in mutations is attributable, at least in part, to the cycling of cells that may have recently undergone BCR-mediated selection, or are potentially in developmental transition between CC and CB stages.
Preserving data privacy in outsourcing data aggregation services

Advances in distributed service-oriented computing and Internet technology have formed a strong technology push for outsourcing and information sharing. There is an increasing need for organizations to share their data across organization boundaries both within the country and with countries that may have lesser privacy and security standards. Ideally, we wish to share certain statistical data and extract the knowledge from the private databases without revealing any additional information of each individual database apart from the aggregate result that is permitted. In this article, we describe two scenarios for outsourcing data aggregation services and present a set of decentralized peer-to-peer protocols for supporting data sharing across multiple private databases while minimizing the data disclosure among individual parties. Our basic protocols include a set of novel probabilistic computation mechanisms for important primitive data aggregation operations across multiple private databases such as max, min, and top k selection. We provide an analytical study of our basic protocols in terms of precision, efficiency, and privacy characteristics. Our advanced protocols implement an efficient algorithm for performing kNN classification across multiple private databases. We provide a set of experiments to evaluate the proposed protocols in terms of their correctness, efficiency, and privacy characteristics.
Azoxymethane-induced fulminant hepatic failure in C57BL/6J mice: characterization of a new animal model

Without transplantation, ∼50–90% of all patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) die. This poor outcome is due in part to the absence of an appropriate animal model, which would allow for a gr...
The positive influence of cooperative work experience on the capstone design experience of engineering students

Undergraduate engineering students who participate in cooperative education (co-op) programs can benefit greatly from their industrial work experience. This paper identifies some of the benefits that two electrical and computer engineering students gained from their participation in the co-op program. Special skills that the students had gained from their co-op experience were evident from the quality of their capstone design project (the design and implementation of a voice-activated remote control unit for a television). Some of these skills include the ability to use contemporary computer aided design tools for design of printed circuit-boards, the ability to populate circuit boards using surface-mount components, and the ability to learn independently, which provides a sound footing for lifelong learning on the part of students.
INFORMATION THEORY AND STIMULUS‐INDEPENDENT THOUGHT

The production of stimulus-independent thought (e.g. fantasy and imagery) was measured as a function of the rate at which information was presented to human subjects. Information in the form of simple tones was presented at rates from 0·2 to 6 bits per sec. The linear regression of reported stimulus-independent thought on information rate accounted for 83 per cent of the between-cell variance. The results support a model in which both sensory and memory events are operated on by a common central cognitive unit.
Privacy through Noise: A Design Space for Private Identification

To protect privacy in large systems, users should be able to authenticate against a central server without disclosing their identity to others. Private identification protocols based on public key cryptography are computationally expensive and cannot be implemented on small devices like RFID tags. Symmetric key protocols, on the other hand, provide only modest levels of privacy, but can be efficiently executed on servers and cheaply implemented on devices. The privacy of symmetric-key privacy protocols derives from the fact that an attacker only ever knows a small fraction of the keys in a system while the legitimate reader knows all keys. We propose to amplify this gap in the ability to distinguish users by adding noise to user responses. We focus on scenarios where an attacker is not able to acquire multiple different reads known to be from the same device, and justify this threat model by proposing a simple modification to RFID tag designs. In such scenarios, we can use noise to blur the borders between groups of users that the attacker would otherwise be able to distinguish. We evaluate the effectiveness and cost of this randomization and find that the information leakage from the tree protocol can be decreased to two thousandths of its original value with 150 times the number of server-side cryptographic operations and minimal cost to the tag. Degrees of privacy up to those achieved by public key protocols can be reached while staying well below the cost of public key cryptography.
Cyclic AMP Phosphodiesterase-4 in Brain Tumor Biology: Immunochemical Analysis

Cyclic AMP plays a significant role in the biology of brain tumors and represents an important therapeutic target. Intracellular levels of cAMP are regulated through its synthesis via adenylyl cyclases and its degradation by phosphodiesterases (PDEs). There are eleven families of PDEs (1 through 11) as well as multiple sub-families from which numerous isoforms are generated by alternate mRNA splicing. We, and others have found that specific PDE isoforms exhibit tumor promoting qualities and that PDE inhibitors possess potent anti-tumor activity. In order to investigate the molecular basis for PDE actions in brain tumor biology, we rigorously examined the patterns of PDE isoform expression. In the following chapter we focus on the PDE4 sub-family of cAMP specific hydrolases and discuss several challenges that arise when examining their patterns of expression by western blotting, immuno-histochemistry and immuno-fluorescence.
Imaging the urokinase plasminongen activator receptor in preclinical breast cancer models of acquired drug resistance.

Subtype-targeted therapies can have a dramatic impact on improving the quality and quantity of life for women suffering from breast cancer. Despite an initial therapeutic response, cancer recurrence and acquired drug-resistance are commonplace. Non-invasive imaging probes that identify drug-resistant lesions are urgently needed to aid in the development of novel drugs and the effective utilization of established therapies for breast cancer. The protease receptor urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is a target that can be exploited for non-invasive imaging. The expression of uPAR has been associated with phenotypically aggressive breast cancer and acquired drug-resistance. Acquired drug-resistance was modeled in cell lines from two different breast cancer subtypes, the uPAR negative luminal A subtype and the uPAR positive triple negative subtype cell line MDA-MB-231. MCF-7 cells, cultured to be resistant to tamoxifen (MCF-7 TamR), were found to significantly over-express uPAR compared to the parental cell line. uPAR expression was maintained when resistance was modeled in triple-negative breast cancer by generating doxorubicin and paclitaxel resistant MDA-MB-231 cells (MDA-MB-231 DoxR and MDA-MB-231 TaxR). Using the antagonistic uPAR antibody 2G10, uPAR was imaged in vivo by near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging and 111In-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Tumor uptake of the 111In-SPECT probe was high in the three drug-resistant xenografts (> 46 %ID/g) and minimal in uPAR negative xenografts at 72 hours post-injection. This preclinical study demonstrates that uPAR can be targeted for imaging breast cancer models of acquired resistance leading to potential clinical applications.
Convective boiling of nitrogen on a short vertical surface

Convective nucleate boiling heat transfer from a plane vertical surface to nitrogen in two-phase flow is discussed. A 6.3-mm diameter heat source was used to represent a single semiconductor chip or chip carrier. Experiments were performed to study the parametric effects of vapor quality and flow rate on the heat transfer coefficient. >
The evolution of child health programmes in developing countries: from targeting diseases to targeting people

Mortality rates among children and the absolute number of children dying annually in developing countries have declined considerably over the past few decades. However, the gains made have not been distributed evenly: childhood mortality remains higher among poorer people and the gap between rich and poor has grown. Several poor countries, and some poorer regions within countries, have experienced a levelling off of or even an increase in childhood mortality over the past few years. Until now, two types of programmes--short-term, disease-specific initiatives and more general programmes of primary health care--have contributed to the decline in mortality. Both types of programme can contribute substantially to the strengthening of health systems and in enabling households and communities to improve their health care. In order for them to do so, and in order to complete the unfinished agenda of improving child health globally, new strategies are needed. On the one hand, greater emphasis should be placed on promoting those household behaviours that are not dependent on the performance of health systems. On the other hand, more attention should be paid to interventions that affect health at other stages of the life cycle while efforts that have been made to develop interventions that can be used during childhood continue.
Enrichment of Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu in the surface microlayer of Lakes Michigan, Ontario, and Mendota1

Measurements of surface film pressure in areas of Lakes Michigan, Ontario, and Mendota with capillary wave damping ranged from 22 dyn*cm-I, but were typically 2-10. Screen-collected surface microlayer samples generally contained higher concentrations of Zn, Cd, Cu, and especially Pb, than samples from 30-cm depth at the same site. Areas with a film pressure >l dyn*cm-’ showed greater surface enrichments of Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu than areas with no apparent surface-accumulated material. Variations in surface enrichment between individual samples suggest that local conditions are important in controlling surface enrichment, but some similarities between metals and sites were apparent. Foam samples collected on Lake Michigan also contained higher concentrations of Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu than the bulk water.
Comparative studies of differential gene calling using RNA-Seq data

Background With its massive amount of data, gene-expression profiling by RNA-Seq has many advantanges compared with microarray experiments. RNA-Seq analysis, however, is fundamentally different from microarray data analysis. Techniques developed for analyzing microarray data thus cannot be directly applicable for the digital gene expression data. Several statistical methods have been developed for identifying differentially expressed genes specifically from RNA-Seq data over the past few years.
Evaluation of Sodium Nitroprusside Toxicity in Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Patients

Background:Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is often used in postoperative pediatric cardiac surgical patients. Cyanide toxicity may occur with the use of SNP. There is a paucity of literature describing dosing parameters or physical signs and symptoms of toxicity with SNP.Objective:To determine the incidence of cyanide toxicity in postoperative pediatric cardiac surgical patients treated with SNP and identify dosing parameters and physical signs and symptoms that may predict elevated cyanide concentrations.Methods:Medical records of patients who received SNP in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit from January 2002 through December 2002 were identified and evaluated for cyanide and thiocyanate levels, dosing, and signs and symptoms of toxicity. Patients were included if they had received SNP after cardiac surgery, were 18 years of age or less, and had at least one cyanide or thiocyanate level determined while receiving therapy. Patients were excluded if they had received sodium thiosulfate. The Mann-Whitn...
Asymptotic analysis of the Nörlund and Stirling polynomials

We provide a full asymptotic analysis of the Norlund polynomials and Stirling polynomials. We give a general asymptotic expansion-to any desired degree of accuracy-when the parameter is not an integer. We use singularity analysis, Hankel contours, and transfer theory. This investigation was motivated by a need for such a complete asymptotic description, with parameter 1/2, during this author's recent solution of Wilf's 3rd (previously) Unsolved Problem.
Hysteretic Controlled DC-DC Converters

Chauhan, Shweta. M.S.Egr, Department of Electrical Engineering, Wright State University, 2014. Hysteretic controlled DC-DC converters. Switched-mode DC-DC converters are widely used in applications requiring stepup and step-down of DC voltages or currents. These converters find their use in portable applications such as laptops and smart phones, radio-frequency power amplifiers, as light emitting diode (LED) drivers, etc. The power converters consist of a switching network, energy storage elements such as inductors and capacitors, and a load resistor. Transformers are used in converters, which require isolation. The switching network comprises of MOSFETs and diodes. With improvement in the VLSI technology, smaller MOSFETs with increased power handling capability are pushing the speed of operation of these power converters to the gigahertz (GHz) range. Operation at such high frequencies not only require energy-efficient semiconductor switches, but also demand for faster control mechanisms. Amongst the various power converter control schemes studied in literature for high-frequency applications, the hysteretic control scheme is given high importance. The hysteretic controller employs a basic operational amplifier (op-amp) and works similar to the Schmitt trigger with hysteresis. Also, the bandwidth of op-amps is theoretically infinite and can be designed with ease for many applications, making the hysteretic controller scheme, simple and widely used method. This thesis focuses on understanding the operation and characteristics of the hysteretic control scheme. Initially, a buck DC-DC pulsewidth modulated (PWM) converter is used as the power stage and the hysteretic controller is designed to ensure proper regulation of the output voltage of the buck converter. Two different types of hysteretic control mechanisms, namely (a) dualcharging mode and (b) capacitive-charging mode are investigated. The equations necessary to design the controller for both modes are derived. Extensive simulations are performed in order to evaluate the load and line regulation with and without iii the controller. Further, similar analysis is performed using a boost DC-DC PWM power converter as the power stage. Various characteristics such as percentage load regulation (LOR), percentage line regulation (LNR), and total harmonic distortion (THD) are estimated for buck converters.
On the Problem of Correcting Albumen Quality Measures for Egg Weight

Abstract FOR the past decade or more, the Haugh unit has generally been regarded as the best criterion of albumen quality. This is in a sense, as suggested by Brant et al. (1951) that the “best” criterion is one which is objective, is linearly related to observed albumen quality, and is quick and easy to measure. The Haugh unit is simply the logarithm of albumen height corrected to a standard 24 oz. egg weight. The logarithm transformation converts albumen height to a scale corresponding to subjective grades of broken-out eggs. A recent study by Eisen et al. (1962) questioned the validity of the Haugh unit score as a measure of albumen quality. They reported that the Haugh unit measure did not completely adjust for differences in albumen height associated with egg weight. The regression of albumen height on egg weight was found to be essentially linear and was estimated to be…
Application of correlation curve fitting to improve the absolute displacement measurement using speckle correlation

Abstract Displacement measurement using a database of speckle patterns is one method for producing a low cost, non-contact, high resolution displacement measurement. However, this method requires a large number of database patterns that limits the measurement range and speed, especially in two dimensions. Appropriate curve fitting helps reduce the number of required database patterns, making it feasible to develop an absolute scale for machine tools based on speckle correlation. The curve used for fitting is the autocorrelation function of the speckle pattern, referred to here as the correlation curve.
Overall design of integrated analysis centre for physically-distributed and logically-integrated dispatch system

Since the construction of UHV grid makes the operating characters of power grid more complicated and its integration feature more obvious,the analysis and decision-making of dispatch system needs an integrated analysis function,which can't be satisfied by the traditional dispatch system. Based on the overall concept of "physically-distributed and logically-integrated" dispatch control technology for entire grid,an overall architecture of integrated analysis centre is proposed and its model center,online analysis service and offline analysis service are designed in detail. Combined with the demands of future power grid for the analysis and decision-making function,the development direction of analysis and decision-making software for future dispatch system is pointed out,providing a reference for the RD of online power grid dispatch and decision-making.
Immediate Contact Hypersensitivity to Acrylic Acid

Although allergic contact dermatitis to acrylates is not rare, this appears to be the first report of contact urticaria to acrylic acid. Exposure in the workplace to vapors of acrylic acid resulted in generalized urticaria, and immediate hypersensitivity testing to acrylic acid produced a severe local reaction.
How Bruner Foresaw a Future That Has Yet to Be Achieved

In the nineteen seventies Bruner began to develop the idea that intentionality is the key defining concept of psychological phenomena. To put it simply he became convinced that the phenomena that psychologists ought to be studying are meanings and the principles of their sequencing into strips of life. A state of the world be it person or thing has significance for psychology only if it as a meaning for the people whose thoughts, feelings actions and perceptions are being studied. The scope of common meanings runs from culture wide, as a sign being understood similarly by everyone in that region to the idiographic, or local as to be the preserve of only two people, or maybe only one. But what is meaning? That an entity should be a sign, capable of having a definite meaning, requires that the entity should be located in a network of exclusions, its absence or omission makes a difference to what people do. A sign may have several meanings and these ay change, but they are established by local conventions, definitions, ordinances, synods and so on. A sign has a meaning is as much as to say that it displays intentionality. What is the scope of entities that can have intentionality? It includes gestures, expressions and stances, insignia, costumes, road signs, words, arrangements of words, monuments, natural phenomena, both public and private. The linking of meaningful signs into episodes is not causal, but by rules, conventions and so on that preserve meaning and realize certain cultural and historically important story-lines.
Routine vitamin supplementation to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Case study: JB, a 35-year-old smoker, comes to your office for a well-woman examination. Reviewing her medication list, you learn that she is taking numerous vitamin supplements, including vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene.
Long-term adherence to topical psoriasis treatment can be abysmal: a 1-year randomized intervention study using objective electronic adherence monitoring.

Background Most people with psoriasis have limited disease that could be treated with topicals, but topical efficacy is limited by low short term adherence. Psoriasis is a chronic disease, and long term adherence is an even bigger problem. Objective To determine how well medication is used in long-term topical treatment of psoriasis and to assess the potential of an Internet-based reporting intervention to improve treatment adherence and outcomes. Methods An investigator-blinded, prospective study evaluated topical fluocinonide adherence in 40 mild-to-moderate psoriasis patients over 12 months. Subjects were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to standard-of-care or an Internet-based reporting group. Adherence was objectively monitored with Medication Event Monitoring System caps. Results 50% of subjects discontinued the treatment. Greater adherence was seen in the intervention group compared to the standard-of-care group (50% vs. 35 %, P=0.08). Psoriasis Area and Severity Index improved more in the intervention group at Month 1 (1.61vs-0.12, p=0.003), Month 3 (2.50vs0.79, p=0.025), and month 12 (3.32vs0.34, p=0.038) than in the standard-of-care group. Limitations This study likely underestimates the challenge of long-term adherence, as adherence tends to be better in research studies than in clinical practice. This study also did not fully account for primary non-adherence. Conclusions Adherence to topical treatment is low in short term and decreased further in the long term, a considerable challenge for dermatologists to address. A reporting intervention may one of the ways we can improve our patients’ treatment outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Prevalence and Diversity of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Nymphal Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Eastern National Parks

Tick-borne pathogens transmitted by Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), also known as the deer tick or blacklegged tick, are increasing in incidence and geographic distribution in the United States. We examined the risk of tick-borne disease exposure in 9 national parks across six Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States and the District of Columbia in 2014 and 2015. To assess the recreational risk to park visitors, we sampled for ticks along frequently used trails and calculated the density of I. scapularis nymphs (DON) and the density of infected nymphs (DIN). We determined the nymphal infection prevalence of I. scapularis with a suite of tick-borne pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. Ixodes scapularis nymphs were found in all national park units; DON ranged from 0.40 to 13.73 nymphs per 100 m2. Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, was found at all sites where I. scapularis was documented; DIN with B. burgdorferi ranged from 0.06 to 5.71 nymphs per 100 m2. Borrelia miyamotoi and A. phagocytophilum were documented at 60% and 70% of the parks, respectively, while Ba. microti occurred at just 20% of the parks. Ixodes scapularis is well established across much of the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States, and our results are generally consistent with previous studies conducted near the areas we sampled. Newly established I. scapularis populations were documented in two locations: Washington, D.C. (Rock Creek Park) and Greene County, Virginia (Shenandoah National Park). This research demonstrates the potential risk of tick-borne pathogen exposure in national parks and can be used to educate park visitors about the importance of preventative actions to minimize tick exposure.
Balanced Wellness Programming for Wholeness

Wellness is an active process of making lifestyle choices for realizing your best potentials in physical health, social connectedness, emotional serenity, mental peace and a spirit for living (NIRS...