cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance of Fe y Alegría High School Students in Colombia : Is it a Matter of Fe (Faith) or Alegría (Joy)?

Fe y Alegria is a catholic network of schools that started operations in Colombia in 1971, and in 2009 served more than 72,000 students in 61 schools. This paper assesses the performance of Fe y Alegria secondary schools in Colombia using test scores for Spanish and mathematics, as well as detailed information on the characteristics of the household to which students belong. Simple statistics suggest that Fe y Alegria schools perform worse than other schools for all years in the sample. However, Fe y Alegria schools also cater to poorer students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Once controls are included for student background, Fe y Alegria schools actually often perform as well and in some cases better than other schools for mathematics and Spanish, thus partially reversing the previous finding.
Cancer: beliefs and attitudes of migrant Latinos.

To the Editor. —In their article "Misconceptions About Cancer Among Latinos and Anglos," Dr Perez-Stable and associates 1 present evidence that misconceptions about cancer are more common among Latinos than Anglos enrolled in a large health maintenance organization (HMO), and that many of the prevalent attitudes among Latinos fit a cultural theme of fatalismo . Latino migrant farmworkers face many cultural and socioeconomic barriers to effective cancer control. 2,3 In addition, migrant farmworkers' exposure to agrichemicals places them at increased risk for a variety of acute and chronic conditions, including cancer. 4 With funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 5 we conducted a survey of Latino migrant farmworkers to assess cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices. As part of our research effort, we compared the level of myth and misconception in a poor and medically underserved Latino migrant population with the previously published results for Latino and Anglo
Predicting website correctness from consensus analysis

Websites vary in terms of reliability. One could assume that NASA's website will be very accurate for Astronomy questions. Wikipedia is less accurate but is still more accurate than a generic Google search. In this research we ask a large number of "factoid" questions to several different search engines. We collect those responses and determine the correctness of each candidate answer. The answers are grouped by website source, and are compared to other websites to infer website correctness.
The amniotic fluid index in normal human pregnancy

The four-quadrant sum of amniotic fluid pockets (amniotic fluid index) was studied prospectively in 791 normal pregnancies. Interobserver and intraobserver variation was 3.1% and 6.7%, respectively. Logarithmic transformations were used to establish the mean and 90% confidence intervals for the amniotic fluid index at each week of gestation. In term pregnancies, the boundaries of the amniotic fluid index were 115 mm (mean), 68 to 196 mm (5th to 95th percentiles). In postdates pregnancies greater than 42 weeks, the values were 108 mm (mean), 67 to 174 mm (5th to 95th percentiles), p less than 0.0001. However, the values for each week were statistically distinct, indicating the need to reference amniotic fluid index measurements to week-specific normative tables for accurate interpretation. This study provides normative data for the amniotic fluid index throughout pregnancy.
The Influence of Source Location on the Structural-Acoustic Interaction of Cylinders

This paper deals with the response of an infinite elastic cylinder to simple exterior acoustic sources (monopole and dipole). A coupled solution involving spectral equations of motion is used to evaluate the parameters of interior pressure, power flow into the cylinder, and variation of acoustic intensity with angular position at the cylinder wall. The variation of these parameters with source characteristic and location as well as observation point is investigated in order to uncover the nature of the interaction phenomena. In general, the interior pressure was found to fall quickly for an initial increase in source location and then more slowly. Dipole sources were also found to excite far lower interior sound levels than monopoles. The results are of use in leading to an understanding of the interaction of propeller acoustic sources with aircraft fuselages.
Energetic Electrons in the Magnetosphere of Jupiter

Observations of energetic electrons (above 7 MeV) show that the outer magnetosphere of Jupiter consists of a thin disklike, quasi-trapping region extending from about 20 to 100 planetary radii. This magnetodisk is confined to the vicinity of the magnetic equatorial plane and appears to be an approximate figure of revolution about the magnetic axis of the planet. Hard trapping is observed within a radial distance of about 20 Jovian radii. The omnidirectional intensity of electrons with energy above 21 MeV between 3 and 20 Jovian radii is described by a provisional expression in terms of radial distance and magnetic latitude. There is tentative evidence for mild effects of the Galilean satellite Europa and possibly Io and Ganymede but not Callisto.
The Role of Coevolution

One of the great metaphors of evolutionary biology, introduced by Sewall Wright ( 1 ), is that populations evolve toward adaptive peaks separated by adaptive valleys. The peaks are combinations of genes that confer high Darwinian fitness on individuals, whereas the valleys are combinations that confer low fitness (see the figure). But how can a population move from one peak to another, perhaps higher, peak, across an adaptive valley in which gene combinations are presumed to be maladaptive? On page 428 of this issue, Meyer et al. ( 2 ) show that coevolution may favor key innovations that guide a population quickly onto the slope of a different adaptive peak.
Use of human androgen receptor gene analysis to aid the diagnosis of JMML in female noonan syndrome patients.

Noonan syndrome (NS) patients are at increased risk for developing juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), an aggressive clonal disorder of aberrant cell proliferation. Many NS patients exhibit spontaneously remitting monocytosis and transient myeloproliferation. The distinction between bone marrow hyperproliferation due to germline mutation and leukemia resulting from clonal transformation can be difficult in NS patients. The GM-CSF hypersensitivity assay, diagnostic of sporadic JMML, can be positive in NS patients at baseline. In this report, we demonstrate the utility of determining the clonal status of the monocyte population by the HUMARA assay in distinguishing JMML and benign myeloproliferation in female NS patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;51:298–302. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fatty Acid Composition of Batter Coated Chicken Parts

Abstract DEEP fat fried foods have assumed a place of importance in the diets of many individuals especially in the last few years and they should be investigated to determine any changes in the product as a result of frying in various fats and oils. The ingredients of the batter as they influence absorption and/or adsorption of the oil should be included in this study. Using cooking methods which did not include oil, Chang and Watts (1952) found only a small reduction in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Chung et al. (1966) using oil in deep frying of beef, pork and fish recorded the uptake of oil from the medium. Smith and Vail (1961) also found deep fat frying resulted in an increased percentage of fat in the product. This evidence indicated that an exchange of fat from the product to the cooking medium and from the oil to the product could occur…
A case for low-dose robotics in autism therapy

Robots appear to be engaging to many children with autism, and evidence suggests that engagement can facilitate social interaction not only between child and robot but also between child and another human. To date, no objective evidence has established a link between short-term child-robot interactions and long-term child-human interactions. We report on a therapy model that uses a robot in no more than 20% of available therapy time, and describe how a humanoid robot can be used during that limited time to promote generalizable child-human interactions. Preliminary evidence indicates that such low-dose robotics can promote positive child-human interactions.
Small‐angle scattering data analysis in GSAS‐II

The General Structure Analysis System II (GSAS-II) now contains modules for the analysis of small-angle X-ray scattering data. This includes processing of two-dimensional images to create corrected one-dimensional patterns, analysis via maximum entropy or total nonnegative least-squares methods of the size distribution, assuming polydispersity, in the dilute limit, and modeling of the one-dimensional data with combinations of Guinier/Porod, Porod, both dilute and condensed populations of scattering objects, and Bragg scattering components; slit smearing corrections can be applied where needed. GSAS-II can apply these modeling tools over a sequence of data collected while some experimental condition is varied. This sequential refinement result can then be subjected to a post refinement analysis to determine global parameters encompassing the entire experiment.
Stroke Thrombolysis Slow Progress

During the past decade, few topics have prompted as much controversy as stroke thrombolysis. Although there is general agreement that thrombolysis of stroke patients is effective, the major issue is case selection: Who should give what drug at what dose? Where, how, and to which patients? Like many potent treatments, there is great potential for effectiveness but also important risk of harm. In this issue of Circulation , Georgiadis and his Swiss colleagues1 analyze some aspects of potential harm. Article p 237 Stroke thrombolysis was jump-started during the summer of 1996, when the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for treatment of patients with stroke when the drug was given within the first 3 hours. Approval was based on publication of the results of a National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)–sponsored trial.2 Soon after that trial was reported, committees of the American Heart Association2 and the American Academy of Neurology3 published treatment protocols recommending intravenous tPA use according to the NINDS trial protocol. These guidelines (which have never been updated) recommend that patients be treated within 3 hours of symptom onset and that a computed tomography (CT) scan done before thrombolysis should not show major infarction, mass effect, edema, or hemorrhage. Treatment is not recommended in patients who wake up with a deficit, in those with minor signs, or those who are improving. The guidelines do not require or suggest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or vascular tests before treatment. Stroke neurologists were enthusiastic about the Food and Drug Administration approval. Before tPA, therapeutic nihilism prevailed. Approval of tPA was a wake-up call. Stroke can and should be treated. Patients with stroke should be hurried into medical centers, and doctors and hospitals must become prepared and able to …
A monosynaptic connection between the medial nociceptive and the Nut cell in leech ganglia

1. In leech (Macrobdella decora) segmental ganglia, stimulation of the medial nociceptive cell (Nmed) evoked a short latency (2–3 ms) excitatory postsynaptic potential (epsp) of 1–4 mV amplitude in the Nut cell, a nearby identified neuron of unknown function. 2. The epsp's were abolished by high concentrations of Mg and enhanced by high concentrations of Ca. 3. Following intracellular injection of tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) into the presynaptic Nmed cell, the amplitude of the epsp increased to 5–7 mV in a graded manner. 4. In contrast, no excitatory synaptic responses were obtained in the Nut cell after stimulation of the lateral nociceptive cell (Nlat). 5. These results strongly suggest the presence of a monosynaptic connection between the Nmed and the Nut cell and present more evidence that the two nociceptive cells are not identical.
Complaint liquid metal electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators

This work presents a liquid-phase metal electrode to be used with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for a dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA). DEAs are favorable for soft-matter applications where high efficiency and response times are desirable. A consistent challenge faced during the fabrication of these devices is the selection and deposition of electrode material. While numerous designs have been demonstrated with a variety of conductive elastomers and greases, these materials have significant and often intrinsic shortcomings, e.g. low conductivity, hysteresis, incapability of large deformations, and complex fabrication requirements. The liquid metal alloy eutectic Gallium-Indium (EGaIn) is a promising alternative to existing compliant electrodes, having both high conductivity and complete soft-matter functionality. The liquid electrode shares almost the same electrical conductivity as conventional metal wiring and provides no mechanical resistance to bending or stretching of the DEA. This research establishes a straightforward and effective method for quickly depositing EGaIn electrodes, which can be adapted for batch fabrication, and demonstrates the successful actuation of sample curved cantilever elastomer actuators using these electrodes. As with the vast majority of electrostatically actuated elastomer devices, the voltage requirements for these curved DEAs are still quite significant, though modifications to the fabrication process show some improved electrical properties. The ease and speed with which this method can be implemented suggests that the development of a more electronically efficient device is realistic and worthwhile.
C2 Region–Derived Peptides of β-Protein Kinase C Regulate Cardiac Ca2+ Channels

We have previously shown that alpha1-adrenergic activation inhibited beta-adrenergic-stimulated L-type Ca2+ current (I(Ca)). To determine the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in this regulation, the inositol trisphosphate pathway was bypassed by direct activation of PKC with 4beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). To minimize Ca2+-induced Ca2+ inactivation, Ba2+ current (I(Ba)) was recorded through Ca2+ channels in adult rat ventricular myocytes. We found that PMA (0.1 micromol/L) consistently inhibited basal I(Ba) by 40.5+/-7.4% and isoproterenol (ISO, 0.1 micromol/L)-stimulated I(Ba) by 48.9+/-7.8%. These inhibitory effects were not observed with the inactive phorbol ester analogue alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (0.1 micromol/L). To identify the PKC isozymes that mediate these PMA effects, we intracellularly applied peptide inhibitors of a subclass of PKC isozymes, the C2-containing cPKCs. These peptides (betaC2-2 and betaC2-4) specifically inhibit the translocation and function of C2-containing isozymes (alpha-PKC, betaI-PKC, and betaII-PKC), but not the C2-less isozymes (delta-PKC and epsilon-PKC). We first used the pseudosubstrate peptide (0.1 micromol/L in the pipette), which inhibits the catalytic activity of all the PKC isozymes, and found that PMA-induced inhibition of ISO-stimulated I(Ba) was reduced to 16.8+/-7.4% but was not affected by the scrambled pseudosubstrate peptide. The effects of PMA on basal and ISO-stimulated I(Ba) were then determined in the presence of C2-derived peptides or control peptides. When the pipette contained 0.1 micromol/L of betaC2-2 or betaC2-4, PMA-induced inhibition of basal I(Ba) was 26.1+/-4.5% and 23.6+/-2.2%, respectively. Similarly, ISO-stimulated I(Ba) was inhibited by 29.9+/-6.6% and 29.3+/-7.8% in the presence of betaC2-2 and betaC2-4, respectively. In contrast, there was no significant change in the effect of PMA in the presence of control peptides, scrambled betaC2-4, or pentalysine. Finally, PMA-induced inhibition of basal and ISO-stimulated I(Ba) was almost completely abolished in cells dialyzed with both betaC2-2 and betaC2-4. Together, these data suggest a role for C2-containing isozymes in mediating PMA-induced inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channel activity.
Clonal heterogeneity of cyclic AMP responsiveness: a comparison of malignant murine lymphoid cell lines.

Various murine lymphoid tumor cell lines were examined for their alterations in intracellular levels of cyclic AMP following exposure to several pharmacologic agents. The agents tested in the present study included 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (MIX), isoproterenol (ISO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE), histamine, and cholera toxin (CT). B cell tumors were generally found to be less responsive to beta-adrenergic and PGE-induced increases in cyclic AMP than were T cell tumors. An exception to this general finding was the murine B lymphoma cell line WEHI-231, which demonstrated marked sensitivity to ISO and PGE. Macrophage tumors were generally found to be even less responsive to PGE than were the B cell tumors, again with some notable exceptions (P388.D1). Cholera toxin produced differential effects in B, T, and macrophage tumors, both in terms of the absolute magnitude of the cyclic AMP response and the kinetics of this response. A T lymphoma cell line (EL-4) was identified that seems to be totally unresponsive to cell surface receptor-mediated increases in intracellular levels of cyclic AMP. The results of this study are discussed in terms of the usefulness of murine lymphoid tumors for the study of pharmacologic modulation of the immune response by cyclic AMP-elevating agents. These results demonstrate the high degree of cellular heterogeneity that can exist within normal lymphoid populations of cells, and suggest that cloned cell lines may be useful in the biochemical characterization of subsets of lymphoid cells.
Gender and Class Relations in the Struggle for Old-Age Security

In this article, I articulate the class and gender relations that structure both the Luella Hannan Memorial Home program and the interactions between (potential) clients and the Visitors. I follow the development of such programs through government programs begun with the Social Security Act of 1935, and discuss the policy implications for the present.
Guidance, navigation, and control from instrumentation to information management

I. Classical Guidance, Navigation, and Control Systems T HE classical guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) system, shown in Fig. 1, is a feedback system that includes three subsystems. These subsystems are defined as follows. Navigation is the determination of the position and velocity vectors of a moving platform in a specified coordinate frame. Guidance is the determination of a trajectory from a current position and velocity to a desired position and velocity, satisfying specified costs and constraints. Control is the determination of the commands to the vehicle actuators to implement the trajectory, preserving a stable feedback loop.
Brain Injury Rehabilitation. 2. Medical Rehabilitation of Brain Injury

This self-directed learning module highlights new advances in the area of medical issues in brain injury rehabilitation, with an emphasis on traumatic etiologies. It is part of the chapter on brain injury rehabilitation in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. This article contains information on post-traumatic seizures and hydrocephalus, principles of pharmacologic and spasticity management, dizziness, visual disturbances, and language impairment. New advances covered in this section include more conservative approaches to post-traumatic seizure prophylaxis and the use of botulinum toxin and intrathecal baclofen pumps in the management of spasticity.
Evaluation of the nutritive value of kudzu (Pueraria lobata) as a feed for ruminants

Abstract Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) was separated into aerial (leaf and stem) and tuber (root) parts to determine its potential nutritive value as a feed for ruminants. Proximate analyses, together with measurements of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), Ca, Fe, K, and Mg, and kinetics of in situ dry matter and in vitro dry matter digestion were performed. For the leaf, stem, and tuber parts, respectively, crude protein (17.5, 10.3, and 8.6%), NDF (48.1, 73.1, and 39.8%), ADF (38.2, 44.0, and 53.3%), Ca (0.7, 0.1, and 0.4%), Fe (162.3, 156.5, and 3600 mg kg−1), K (1.0, 1.0, and 0.3%), and Mg contents (0.3,
Biochemical and cytological evidence for an overabundance of mucocysts in the bcd pattern mutant of Tetrahymena thermophila.

. Three acidic proteins (42 kD, 43 kD and 50 kD) were present in unusually high concentrations in cortical preparations of the Tetrahymena pattern mutant broadened cortical domains (bcd). Antisera to the 42-kD and 50-kD proteins bound to discharging mucocysts and food vacuole contents in both wild-type and mutant cells. Subsequent analysis revealed that bcd mutant cell pellicles possess five times more “docked” mucocysts than their wild-type counterparts.
A decade of undergraduate research for all East Tennessee State University mathematics majors

This paper offers a brief history of an experiment begun in 2002, namely, the institutionalization of undergraduate research (UGR) in the mathematical sciences as a semester-long requirement for all mathematics majors at East Tennessee State University, a public, regional school. We describe the early, middle, and later years of this ten-year journey; assessment methods; and other aspects. Technical aspects of the student projects are limited to those in the authors’ fields of expertise, as captured by the MSC secondary classifications for this paper.
A Fourth Dimension: Tapping the Artist Within The Early Childhood Educator

This article examines the concept of an early childhood teacher learning, in stages, a new method for integrating the arts into the early childhood curriculum. An early childhood graduate course, Aesthetics as Learning, is the learning ground. In this course, the graduate students discover the “Adult Within,” the “Child Within,” the “Teacher Within” and the “Artist Within.” The innovative component is the fourth dimension, which is defined as learning to “feel like an Artist Within.” This is accomplished through 1-hour arts experiences in every 3-hour class, where the graduate student experiences the arts followed by discussion and reflection on the readings with a facilitative teacher in a supportive environment.
Learning in correlators based on projections onto constraint sets.

The iterative algorithm, projections onto constraint sets, is employed to generate spatial filters for pattern-recognition correlators. Based on all the training sets, all the filters are trained simultaneously.
Schizophrenic patients' perceptions of their relatives' attitudes.

Although the attitudes of family members as revealed by measures of expressed emotion (EE) have been shown to be associated with the course of schizophrenic illness, little is known about how patients perceive these attitudes. A detailed interview was used to assess patients' perceptions of their family members' behaviors toward them. Family members' EE was assessed with the Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS). Overall, patients' perceptions of criticism were congruent with a component of the FMSS-EE that measures criticism. Results indicated that when family members had high EE/critical scores, patients perceived them as displaying more instances of critical behavior. All cases in which patients' perceptions of criticism were incongruent with measures of FMSS-EE occurred among ethnic minority group members. Although the FMSS-EE did not predict outcome in this study, patients who perceived their relatives as higher in criticism had more negative outcomes at 1 year. These findings suggest that when family environments are examined in patients from ethnic minority groups, the patient's perspective may be a more potent predictor of outcome than traditional measures of EE.
Evaluating forest management intensity: A comparison among major forest landowner types

Abstract As the global demand for timber expands and timber inventory in the western United States continuously declines, southern U.S. forests are becoming an increasingly important source of timber. Timberlands in the U.S. South are owned by a diverse group of landowners with varying objectives: industrial, timber investment management organizations (TIMOs), nonindustrial, and state forest landowners. Forest management intensity of these landowner groups was evaluated by looking at the forest management activities and expenditures of Mississippi forestland owners. Industrial landowners and TIMOs had similar management characteristics and managed their lands more intensively than the state and NIPF landowners. Industrial landowners and TIMOs invested more in intensive forestry activities and treated a significantly greater proportion of their timberlands. In contrast, the majority of NIPF expenditures consisted of fixed costs like property taxes. State ownerships reported minimal investment in intensive forestry activities. Intensive forest management was influenced by ownership size, ownership type, and proportion of timberland area in pine.
Performance analysis of parallel object-oriented query processing algorithms

Advanced application domains such as computer-aided design, computer-aided software engineering, and office automation are characterized by their need to store, retrieve, and manage large quantities of data having complex structures. A number of object-oriented database management systems (OODBMS) are currently available that can effectively capture and process the complex data. The existing implementations of OODBMS outperform relational systems by maintaining and querying cross-references among related objects. However, the existing OODBMS still do not meet the efficiency requirements of advanced applications that require the execution of complex queries involving the retrieval of a large number of data objects and relationships among them. Parallel execution can significantly improve the performance of complex OO queries. In this paper, we analyze the performance of parallel OO query processing algorithms for various benchmark application domains. The application domains are characterized by specific mixes of queries of different semantic complexities. The performance of the application domains has been analyzed for various system and data parameters by running parallel programs on a 32-node transputer based parallel machine developed at the IBM Research Center at Yorktown Heights. The parallel processing algorithms, data routing techniques, and query management and control strategies have been implemented to obtain accurate estimation of controlling and processing overheads. However, generation of large complex databases for the study was impractical. Hence, the data used in the simulation have been parameterized. The parallel OO query processing algorithms analyzed in this study are based on a query graph approach rather than the traditional query tree approach. Using the query graph approach, a query is processed by simultaneously initiating the execution at several object classes, thereby, improving the parallelism. During processing, the algorithms avoid the execution of time-consuming join operations by making use of the object references among the objects. Further, the algorithms do not generate any temporary data, thereby, reducing disk accesses. This is accomplished by marking the selected objects and by employing a two-phase query processing strategy.
Oscillations, Stability, and Equilibrium in Magnetic Exchange Networks

Abstract The generalized N-site magnetic exchange network is described by coupled Bloch equations whose solution is in general stable and characterized by eigenvalues with negative real parts. The analysis of this system is greatly simplified when detailed balance is satisfied, being described by an exchange matrix with eigenvalues that are negative and purely real. Consequently, the multiple-site system in detailed balance approaches its equilibrium condition by purely exponential relaxation. In addition, satisfaction of detailed balance requires that the stationary solution of the Bloch equations describing the longitudinal magnetization of a spin be the equilibrium magnetization of that spin. Violation of detailed balance with cyclic exchange results in the relaxation of the system taking the form of a damped oscillatory function, with the amount of damping generally decreasing as the number of sites increases.
Protein synthesis in erythroid cells III. Monoribosome and polyribosome function in the cell-free system☆

The capacity of reticulocyte polyribosomes of various size and of 80-S ribosomes to synthesize protein were examined before and after dialysis of ribosomes against buffer solutions free of Mg2+. Following dialysis, polyribosomes are partly dissociated with a shift in the maximum endogenous capacity to form protein to polyribosomes of smaller size. Evidence is presented that 80-S ribosomes are heterogeneous with respect to (a) endogenous capacity to synthesize protein, and (b) response to poly-U. 80-S ribosomes were recovered from reticulocytes with little or no endogenous activity and little activity after addition of poly-U. Dialysis yielded 80-S ribosomes with higher levels of endogenous activity and 80-S ribosomes more responsive to poly-U. Dialyzed 80-S ribosomes were competent to synthesize protein with labeled peptides and a molecular weight corresponding to that of globin, without detectable polyribosome formation. In contrast, poly-U formed polyribosomes with 80-S ribosomes.
TQM/CQI: Providing a Steady Supply of Nurses for the Future

The recent emphasis on total quality management and continuous quality improvement (TQM/CQI) is a positive way to improve the professional status of nurses and minimize repetitive cycles of nursing shortages. The author reviews the history and the current status of the supply and demand for nursing personnel, and suggests solutions for preventing shortages that incorporate TQM/CQI strategies.
Strategies for managing upper tract calculi in young children.

AbstractPurpose: Pediatric urolithiasis is relatively uncommon and there is little information on the application of modern surgical procedures in young children. We present a single center experience with the surgical management of upper tract calculi in this age group.Materials and Methods: We reviewed presentation, co-morbidity, treatment, outcome and complications in all prepubertal patients who required surgical treatment for ureteral or renal calculi during a 4-year period. The series consists of 24 girls and 17 boys 17 months to 14 years old (mean age 7.5 years). A total of 26 children were anatomically normal, and 4 had myelomeningocele, 4 had ureteropelvic junction obstruction (in a pelvic kidney in 1), 2 had cloacal anomalies, 2 had vesicoureteral reflux, and 1 each had nonrefluxing megaureter, orthotopic ureterocele and a functioning renal transplant.Results: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was performed in 24 patients. Stents or nephrostomy tubes were only used in the 4 patients who pres...
Intensification of steam reforming of natural gas: Choosing combustible fuel and reforming catalyst

The steam reforming of methane in a parallel plate microreactor, consisting of alternating channels carrying out catalytic combustion and reforming on opposite sides of a wall, is modeled with fundamental kinetics and a pseudo-2D reactor model. It is shown that at high fuel conversions, the choice of hydrocarbon combustible fuel is immaterial when suitable compositions are used so that the energy input is kept the same. On the other hand, direct comparison of Rh and Ni indicates that the choice of reforming catalyst is critical. Speed up of heat transfer via miniaturization is insufficient for process intensification; catalyst-intensification is also needed to avoid hot spots and enable compact devices for portable and distributed power generation.
Self-reported binge eating in severe pediatric obesity: impact on weight change in a randomized controlled trial of family-based treatment.

This study sought to document self-reported binge eating in a large sample of severely obese children and to examine the impact of binge eating on changes in percent overweight among children randomized to family-based behavioral treatment (intervention) versus control (usual care). As part of a larger randomized controlled trial, 192 children aged 8–12 years (M=10.2, s.d.=1.2) with a mean body mass index (BMI) percentile of 99.2 (s.d.=0.7) completed assessments at baseline and 6-, 12-, and 18 months post-randomization. A parent or guardian also participated. Child psychological symptoms, including binge eating, were measured before randomization using self-report questionnaires. Child height and weight were measured at baseline, 6-, 12-, and 18 months. The primary study outcome was percent overweight (that is, percent over median BMI for age and sex). Twenty-two children (11.5%) endorsed binge eating at baseline (Binge Eating Group). Children in the Binge Eating Group were younger and had more depressive, anxiety, and eating disorder symptoms, and lower self-esteem than children in the rest of the sample (No Binge Eating Group). There also were differences between the Binge Eating and No Binge Eating groups with respect to the short-term effects of treatment group assignment on change in percent overweight during the study. Specifically, improvements in percent overweight in the intervention condition relative to usual care were documented in the No Binge Eating Group only. Among children in the Binge Eating Group, those assigned to intervention showed a 2.6% increase in percent overweight, on average, at the completion of acute treatment as compared to an 8.5% decrease among children without binge eating. However, these effects were not maintained during follow-up. Results of this study suggest the importance of considering binge eating in the development of weight management programs for severely obese youth.
New calibration technique for current-steering DACs

Attaining high matching property of the current sources is very important for the design of high-speed high-accuracy current-steering DACs. This paper presents a novel calibration technique-complete-folding, which achieves the high matching accuracy by selectively regrouping current sources into a fully binary-weighted array based on the current comparisons after chip fabrication. The implementation only requires an analog current comparator and some digital circuitry. The minimum requirement of analog circuits makes the complete-folding calibration suitable for the DAC design in the low-voltage process. Statistical results with a behavioral model of a 14-bit segmented DAC in MATLAB show that complete-folding calibration can reduce the total gate area of current sources by a factor of almost 1200 compared to that using intrinsic-accuracy method. Additional results also show that the new calibration technique has the superior performance in compensating random mismatch errors compared with state-of-the-art.
Measurement of relative quantities of different HLA-A and -B mRNAs in cells by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

In order to determine the relative quantities of different HLA-A and -B mRNAs in cells, we have developed a simple and reliable method by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and phosphor imaging analysis. Cytoplasmic RNA from lymphoblastoid cell lines with well-characterized HLA phenotypes are reversely transcribed with a primer specific for all HLA-A and -B antigens. The first-strand cDNA is used as template for quantitative PCR. The primer pair used for quantitative PCR are specific for all class I HLA and one of the primers is labeled with [gamma-32P]ATP. The amplified sequences include parts of exon 2 and exon 3 which contain most polymorphic residues in class I HLA molecules. The RT-PCR products containing the amplified HLA-A and -B sequences are separated by DGGE. The radioactivities of different DNA bands separated in denaturing gradient polyacrylamide gels are measured by phosphor imaging and used to determine the relative amounts of HLA-A and -B mRNAs. This approach is validated by using samples containing known quantities of different HLA-A and -B mRNA transcripts and confirmed by S1 nuclease protection assay. The combined RT-PCR/DGGE approach therefore provides a simple and reliable method for quantitation of relative amounts of different HLA-A and -B mRNAs in cells. This method should also be useful for studying the expression of other highly conserved and duplicated genes.
Arrovian aggregation for preferences over sets

Abstract Let A be the set of alternatives. We consider aggregating preferences of individuals over the power set of A in to a preferences relation over the power of set A . We restrict our domain to the set of references that are conditionally expected utility consistent with equal probabilities. We show that Arrovian impossibility prevails in any superdomain of this domain.
Transgenic Manipulation of Myocardial G Protein–Coupled Receptors and Receptor Kinases

The ability to maintain and manipulate mouse embryos in vitro, perfected over the last decade, has launched the expanding field of transgenic experimentation. With the successful insertion of foreign genes into the mouse genome, important transgenic models have emerged in several venues of biomedical research. Transgenic mice permit investigation of the consequences of a protein’s overexpression in a particular tissue. In addition, the loss of function of a protein or enzyme can be examined by tissue-targeted overexpression of an inhibitor peptide or a dominant-negative mutant. Elimination of a protein from all tissues can also be achieved by “knockout” technology, where a gene is disrupted by homologous recombination. These approaches are well suited to study the physiological roles of cellular proteins. Transgenic models geared toward the study of cardiovascular regulation have recently been described and provide powerful tools to study normal and compromised cardiac physiology. Some of these transgenic models address changes in blood pressure and apolipoprotein levels as well as the consequences of overexpression of specific nuclear factors.1 Most recently, transgenic mice have been developed in which sarcolemmal G protein–coupled receptor signaling has been altered; these animals provide new information regarding the role of signal transduction in cardiac function. Manipulation of various components of the myocardial AR system has led to novel agonist-independent approaches to enhance signaling and augment cardiac function. This mini review summarizes these recent transgenic studies, which have provided unique experimental models for the study of receptor signaling in both normal and diseased myocardium. Probably the most important receptors involved in cardiac regulation are the ARs. These receptors modulate cardiomyocyte function by coupling to and activating G proteins, which give rise to increases in intracellular second messengers like cAMP and diacylglycerol. In the human heart, ARs are critical regulators of function under both normal and diseased …
A Comparison of Two Measures of Parental Behavior

We compared two common measures of parenting behavior, the Children's Report of Parental Behavior Inventory (CRPBI) and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), evaluating their psychometric properties and predictive ability. One hundred sixty seven college students completed the CRPBI, PBI, and measures of depression and anxiety with 123 participants returning three to six months later for follow-up evaluations. The parenting measures were found to have similar psychometric properties and to be moderately to highly correlated with each other. In addition, both measures were similar in their ability to predict depression and anxiety symptoms, although neither was significantly predictive of actual diagnoses. Given that the PBI is a shorter measure and, based on previous studies, appears to be more stable over time than the CRPBI, there is evidence to suggest that it might be a more useful measure of parenting behavior than the CRPBI.
Circadian variation in blood ethanol clearance rates in female rats

Abstract Pregnant female rats, challenged with a single ethanol dose near the mid‐gestation period, displayed a significant circadian variation in the rates of both blood ethanol clearance and ethanol metabolism. Maximal rates occurred near the dark‐to‐light change of the LD 12:12 regimen. These rhythms may have been synchronized by pregnancy‐induced hormonal cycling since these same animals, challenged as virgins with asynchronous estrus cycling, showed no difference in ethanol metabolic rate over the 24‐h span and circadian variation in blood ethanol clearance rates of questionable significance.
Endocervical curettage: Does it contribute to the management of patients with abnormal cervical cytology?

Routine endocervical curettage has been advocated in the colposcopic evaluation of patients with abnormal cervical cytology. To assess the usefulness of this procedure, we reviewed the records of 518 patients referred to the Colposcopy Clinic with abnormal Pap smears. Data was reviewed retrospectively in 411 patients and collected prospectively in 107 patients. Dysplasia was present in 1.4% of ECC specimens obtained in patients with conclusive colposcopic examinations, and in 25.7% of specimens in patients with inconclusive examinations. Invasive cancer was not detected in any ECC specimen. Eighty patients with inconclusive colposcopic examinations underwent conization of the cervix; in this group, the final pathologic diagnosis was CIN III in 51.2%, microinvasive cancer in 2.5%, and invasive cancer in 1.2%. In patients with conclusive colposcopic examinations, the final pathologic diagnosis was CIN III in 17.2%, and no cases of microinvasive or invasive cancer were present. When the colposcopic examination is conclusive, the incidence of positive ECC is low and may not warrant performing ECC in all patients. When the examination is inconclusive, ECC rarely obviates the need for diagnostic conization as ECC rarely yields a diagnosis of invasive cancer.
Dissolution of metallic uranium and its alloys

This review focuses on dissolution/reaction systems capable of treating uranium metal waste to remove its pyrophoric properties. The primary emphasis is the review of literature describing analytical and production-scale dissolution methods applied to either uranium metal or uranium alloys. A brief summary of uranium's corrosion behavior is included since the corrosion resistance of metals and alloys affects their dissolution behavior. Based on this review, dissolution systems were recommended for subsequent screening studies designed to identify the best system to treat depleted uranium metal wastes at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).
A field experiment of autonomous mobility: operator workload for one and two robots

An experiment was conducted on aspects of human-robot interaction in a field environment using the U.S. Army's Experimental Unmanned Vehicle (XUV). Goals of this experiment were to examine the use of scalable interfaces and to examine operator span of control when controlling one versus two autonomous unmanned ground vehicles. We collected workload ratings from two Soldiers after they had performed missions that included monitoring, downloading and reporting on simulated reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) images, and responding to unplanned operator intervention requests from the XUV. Several observations are made based on workload data, experimenter notes, and informal interviews with operators.
Sustainability of bio-based plastics: general comparative analysis and recommendations for improvement

This study evaluated the sustainability of bio-based plastics including all the stages of their life cycles (cradle to grave) to assist in decision making about selection of these materials. Plastics are considered essential materials in today’s society, but throughout their life cycles they contribute to pollution and depletion of non-renewable natural resources. Bio-based plastics appear to be more environmentally friendly materials than their petroleum-based counterparts when their origin and biodegradability are compared. But which of the bio-based plastics currently on the market or soon to be on the market are preferable from an environmental, health, and safety perspective? Results of this qualitative study were displayed in two Bioplastics Spectrums that provide a visual summary of the data gathered on bio-based plastics according to sustainability criteria. This analysis found that none of bio-based plastics currently in commercial use or under development are fully sustainable. Each of the bio-based plastics reviewed utilizes: genetically modified organisms for feedstock manufacture and/or toxic chemicals in the production process or generates these as byproducts, and/or co-polymers from non-renewable resources. When deciding to substitute conventional petroleum-based plastics with bio-based plastics it is important to understand the flow of these materials and their adverse impacts in all parts of their life cycles in order to select a material that is more sustainable.
On the Wavelength Dependence of the Information Capacity of Meteor-Burst Propagation

The discontinuous vhf signal, propagated over ranges up to 2000 km by reflections from meteor ionization trails, makes possible an important new technique for radio communication. With this technique, the required transmitter power and antenna sizes are considerably less than for communication by the continuous vhf scatter signal supported by smaller meteors and other scattering sources in the lower E region. The wavelength dependence of the information capacity of meteor-burst propagation is approximately ?2.7, which may be compared to approximately ?4.7 for the continuous signal. Thus, by adding the complexity in the terminal equipment needed for discontinuous operation, meteor-burst communication can fill an important need at the same wavelengths that are used in ionospheric-scatter communication, and can be used at shorter wavelengths than are feasible with continuous scatter. This extension to shorter wavelengths should make it possible to reduce the interference problem now being encountered in the lower vhf band, and to greatly increase the number of channels available for reliable longrange communication.
Oral Disease-Modifying Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis: Are We There Yet?

Current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) require either self-injection (the interferon-β products and glatiramer acetate) or intravenous infusion (natalizumab and mitoxantrone). MS patients and their physicians have long wanted an effective oral DMT. That wait soon may be over. Earlier this year, the results of phase 3 clinical trials of two oral immunosuppressants for MS, fingolimod (AKA FTY720) and cladribine, were published, and both agents were found to be effective [1-3]. FDA approval of these oral agents for the treatment of MS will be a historic landmark in MS therapeutics. This review focuses on fingolimod. Fingolimod has a novel mechanism of action. It is a sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator and inhibits lymphocyte egress from lymph nodes [4]. Previously, fingolimod showed beneficial effects on clinical and MRI parameters in a 3-year phase 2 study involving patients with relapsing MS [5]. This report reviews the results from the two phase 3 clinical trials of fingolimod in MS, one comparing two different doses of fingolimod with placebo [1] and the other comparing two different doses of fingolimod with interferon-β-1a [2]. First we discuss the results of the double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial of fingolimod called FREEDOMS (FTY720 Research Evaluating Effects of Daily Oral Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis) that compared two different doses of fingolimod with placebo [1]. We then discuss the 12-month double-blind, double-dummy study called TRANSFORMS (Trial Assessing Injectable Interferon Versus FTY720 Oral in Relapsing–Remitting Multiple Sclerosis) [2].