cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population-based incidence of conjunctival tumours in Olmsted County, Minnesota

Aim To determine population-based incidence of conjunctival tumours in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Methods The Rochester Epidemiology Project medical record linkage system was used to identify patients with conjunctival tumours in Olmsted County (1 January 1980 to 31 December 2015). Records were reviewed for demographics, types of tumours, histopathology, treatment and clinical course. Incidence rate of all tumours was calculated per 1 000 000 person-years. Poisson regression analysis was used to assess changes in incidence over time. Results There were 504 patients with conjunctival tumours, giving an age-adjusted and sex-adjusted incidence rate of 125 per 1 000 000 (CI 113.5 to 135.5). Incidence increased over time (P Conclusions In a population-based setting, most conjunctival tumours are benign, and the majority of lesions are melanocytic. While it is important to remain vigilant for malignancies, most conjunctival lesions in a community-based practice are not life-threatening.
Evidence, Meaning and Conceptual Change: A Subjective Approach

Conceptual change is replete with semantic and epistemic implications. Fundamental changes in the way in which we conceive of the world formulated in laws and theories shift the meaning of words and the content of evidence. It is controversial whether conceptual change always shifts the meaning of terms in our laws and theories.1 However, what statements we countenance as evidence may be altered whether or not conceptual change alters the meaning of words. Our main purpose in this paper is to formulate a theory of evidence explaining how conceptual change alters, not only what we infer from evidence, but the very content of evidence itself.
Parenting in Ethnic Minority Families: United States

Research exploring parenting practices among ethnic minorities find that many parents rely on authoritarian and restrictive behaviors. The present review investigates African-American, Chinese-American, Mexican-American, and American Indian parenting practices, focusing on contextual influences on parenting practices. It is concluded that adequate socialization practices encompass the effects of cultural, contextual, and social experiences of the family. It is suggested that more research is needed in terms of examining ecological influences on socialization practices.
The Matrix and Chordal Norms of Möbius Transformations

A family F of self homeomorphisms of the Mobius space ℝn is said to have the convergence property if each infinite subfamily of F contains a sequence {f j } such that one of the following is true.
The Impact of Hydrothermal and Dilute Acid Pretreatments and Inorganic Metals on Thermal Decomposition of Agricultural Residues and Agricultural Residue Ash Properties

The impacts of hydrothermal and dilute acid pretreatments and alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) on the thermal degradation of biomass were studied. Besides, the influence of these pretreatments on the biomass ash properties was investigated. The influence of pretreatments on the biomass thermal degradation was manifested in the removal of potassium out of the biomass. The presence of potassium in the biomass catalyzed cellulose thermal degradation and increased the char percentage at temperatures higher than 380 °C. Pretreatments were effective at removing the potassium from biomass and dramatically reduced the char percentage at temperatures higher than 380 °C. It was found that the best burning temperature for biomass ash production was 500 °C because at this temperature the thermal degradation of biomass was completed under pure combustion. It was shown that when burning biomass in oxygen-limited environments, removing AAEMs, particularly potassium, will improve the quality of ash as a potential candidate for supplementary cementitious materials for concrete application.
Pazopanib in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease: a single-arm, single-centre, phase 2 trial.

Summary Background No approved systemic therapy exists for von Hippel-Lindau disease, an autosomal dominant disorder with pleiotropic organ manifestations that include clear cell renal cell carcinomas; retinal, cerebellar, and spinal haemangioblastomas; pheochromocytomas; pancreatic serous cystadenomas; and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. We aimed to assess the activity and safety of pazopanib in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease. Methods In this non-randomised, single-centre, open-label, phase 2 trial, adult patients with clinical manifestations of von Hippel-Lindau disease were recruited from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA) and were treated with pazopanib (800 mg orally daily) for 24 weeks, with an option to continue treatment if desired by the patient and treating physician. Primary endpoints were the proportion of patients who achieved an objective response and safety in the per-protocol population. The objective response was measured for each patient and each lesion type. Radiographic assessments were done at baseline and every 12 weeks throughout the study. Activity and safety were assessed with continuous monitoring and a Bayesian design. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01436227, and is closed to accrual. Findings Between Jan 18, 2012, and Aug 10, 2016, we screened 37 patients with genetically confirmed or clinical features consistent with von Hippel-Lindau disease, of whom 31 eligible patients were treated with pazopanib. The proportion of patients who achieved an objective response was 42% (13 of 31 patients). By lesion sites responses were observed in 31 (52%) of 59 renal cell carcinomas, nine (53%) of 17 pancreatic lesions, and two (4%) of 49 CNS haemangioblastomas. Seven (23%) of 31 patients chose to stay on the treatment after 24 weeks. Four (13%) of 31 patients withdrew from the study because of grade 3 or 4 transaminitis, and three (10%) discontinued study treatment because of treatment intolerance with multiple intercurrent grade 1–2 toxicities. Treatment-related serious adverse events included one case each of appendicitis and gastritis and one patient had a fatal CNS bleed. Interpretation Pazopanib was associated with encouraging preliminary activity in von Hippel-Lindau disease, with a side-effect profile consistent with that seen in previous trials. Pazopanib could be considered as a treatment choice for patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease and growing lesions, or to reduce the size of unresectable lesions in these patients. The safety and activity of pazopanib in this setting warrants further investigation. Funding Novartis Inc and NIH National Cancer Institute core grant.
CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING IN HIGH-RISK MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROME

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are leading causes of death in the United States and commonly co-occur due to shared patient risk factors. The optimal management strategy for acute coronary syndromes in patients with cancer-related thrombocytopenia is not established. A 71-year-old male with
Trends in Cigar Use in the United States, 2002-2016: Diverging Trends by Race/Ethnicity.

INTRODUCTION Although there are racial/ethnic differences in cigarette use, little is known about how non-cigarette tobacco use differs among racial/ethnic groups. This study investigated trends in cigar use from 2002 to 2016, by racial/ethnic group, in nationally representative US data. METHODS Data were drawn from the 2002-2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health public use data files (total analytic sample n = 630 547 including 54 060 past-month cigar users). Linear time trends of past-month cigar use were examined by racial/ethnic group (Non-Hispanic [NH] White, NH Black, Hispanic, NH Other/Mixed Race/Ethnicity) using logistic regression models. RESULTS In 2016, the prevalence of past-month cigar use was significantly higher among NH Black respondents than among other racial/ethnic groups (ps < .001). Cigar use was also higher among NH White respondents than among Hispanic and NH Other/Mixed Race/Ethnicity respondents. The year by racial/ethnic group interaction was significant (p < .001). Past-month cigar use decreased significantly from 2002 to 2016 among NH White and Hispanic respondents (ps = .001), whereas no change in prevalence was observed among NH Black (p = .779) and NH Other/Mixed Race/Ethnicity respondents (p = .152). Cigar use decreased for NH White men (p < .001) and did not change for NH White women (p = .884). Conversely, cigar use increased for NH Black women (p < .001) and did not change for NH Black men (p = .546). CONCLUSIONS Cigar use remains significantly more common among NH Black individuals in the United States and is not declining among NH Black and NH Other/Mixed Race/Ethnicity individuals over time, in contrast to declines among NH White and Hispanic individuals. IMPLICATIONS This study identified racial/ethnic differences in trends in past-month cigar use over 15 years among annual cross-sectional samples of US individuals. The highest prevalence of cigar use in 2016 was found among NH Black individuals. In addition, cigar use prevalence did not decline from 2002 to 2016 among NH Black and NH Other/Mixed Race/Ethnicity groups over time, in contrast to NH White and Hispanic groups. Further, cigar use increased over time for NH Black women. Targeted public health and clinical efforts may be needed to decrease the prevalence of cigar use, especially for NH Black individuals.
The Jews of North Africa (1980)

The Jewish communities in North Africa are indigenous; the earliest among them predate the arrival of Islam in the region, and some go back to Roman times. Written for a compendium of world minorities, and based on the situation in the late 1970s, this short chapter provides basic demographic information and an outline of the historical trajectory of North Africa’s Jewish communities, including not only the Jewish communities in Tunisia and Morocco but also the Jewish community in Algeria. The chapter also very briefly reports on topics discussed in more detail in this volume’s other chapters on the Jews of North Africa. Among these topics are the communal, educational, and other institutions that structured the lives of these communities and the timing and circumstances of the large-scale Jewish migrations from North Africa, in some cases beginning after the establishment of Israel in 1948.
Ionic-Liquid-Based Polyurethane Dispersions for Stabilizing Graphene in Water

Aqueous auto-dispersing polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) have recently been reported to form nanoparticulate dispersions at up to 25% by weight. Their incorporation of an ionic-liquid (IL) monomer, 1-hydroxyundecyl-3-methyl imidazolium bromide (HOC11C1ImBr) as a chain-terminating group appears to account for their auto-dispersing ability, and these PUD nanoparticles bear similarity to IL-based nanolatexes that have provided thermodynamically stable aqueous dispersions of nanocarbons. We demonstrate that these HOC11C1ImBr-based PUDs stabilize aqueous graphene dispersions at 1% by weight graphene in ultrasonicated top-down liquid phase exfoliation. Their formation quantitatively follows an analytical model of exfoliation kinetics of layered materials and a stretched exponential kinetic model. Such dispersions are ideally formulated for making nanocomposites composed of similar or compatible PUDs and other condensation polymers.
Maximizing the failure-tolerant workspace area for planar redundant robots

Abstract Kinematically redundant robots have extra degrees of freedom so that they can tolerate a joint failure and still complete an assigned task. Previous work has defined the “failure-tolerant workspace” as the workspace that is guaranteed to be reachable both before and after an arbitrary locked-joint failure. One mechanism for maximizing this workspace is to employ optimal artificial joint limits prior to a failure. This current work presents a technique for determining these optimal artificial joint limits that is based on the gradient ascent method. The proposed technique is able to deal with the discontinuities of the gradient that are due to changes in the boundaries of the failure tolerant workspace. The technique is illustrated using two examples of three degree-of-freedom planar serial robots. The first example is an equal link length robot where the optimal artificial joint limits are computed exactly. In the second example, both the link lengths and artificial joint limits are determined, resulting in a robot design that has more than twice the failure-tolerant area of previously published locally optimal designs.
Exploring crowdfunding campaigns for abortion services.

Abstract Objectives To examine the use of crowdfunding to pay for abortion services for individuals in the United States. Study design Cross-sectional analysis of data abstracted from publicly available campaigns for abortion services on four major crowdfunding sites. Results Among 92 crowdfunding campaigns, the median amount requested was $610 (IQR $500–$1000), the median raised was $0 (IQR $0–$444), and 19 (21%) campaigns successfully reached their fundraising goal. Campaign success did not differ by state abortion policy, but campaigns written in third person or describing maternal/fetal diagnoses raised significantly more money. Conclusions Although individuals use crowdfunding to finance abortion services, the success rate is low.
Capturing Change: Comparing Pretest-Posttest and Retrospective Evaluation Methods

Two models that are commonly used in Extension programming to capture change over a short period of time are the pretest-posttest model and the retrospective pretest (or post-then-pre) model. When deciding which model to use, Extension professionals should keep in mind that each participant has a knowledge base that includes both factual information and perceptions pertaining to factual information. As you read about the strengths and weaknesses of these two design models, consider how each model fits the evaluation situation to select the one that can best measure change in your program. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Jessica L. Gouldthorpe and Glenn D. Israel and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, January 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc135
Occupational Human Immunodeficiency Virus Exposure: Risks to the Health Care Worker

In this article, the Centers for Disease Control’s Universal Precautions Policy is outlined. Specific recommendations are made for personal barrier protection and the handling and cleaning or disposal of equipment in office and operating room situations common in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. For the health care worker sustaining percutaneous exposure to blood, wound care, patient evaluation, and zidovudine prophylaxis are presented as treatment options.
The Insulation Margin of UHV Transformer Lead Exit at Low Temperature

The main insulation materials of ultra-high voltage (UHV) transformers and UHV shunt reactors include the transformer oil, insulating paper, insulating paperboard, and other paper components. In the extreme cold ambient, the properties of those insulating material will change because of the temperature decreases. Therefore, under extremely cold conditions, when the transformer is put into operation from a cold standby state, it must ensure that the internal electric field performance of the transformer meets safety requirements firstly. In this paper, the insulation structures of key parts of UHV transformers are investigated in the view of insulation margin under extremely low temperature conditions.
Rent Seeking and Rent Setting with Asymmetric Effectiveness of Lobbying

This paper provides a more general model of the determination of rent-seeking costs by combining the following features: endogenous rent determination, asymmetric effectiveness of contending agents in their lobbying efforts, and multiple periods. In doing so, the paper generalizes some aspects of the work of Applelbaum and Katz (1987), Rogerson (1982), Leininger (1992) and Kohli (1992). Some results obtained are 1) in the short run, when the regulator's salary is higher than in an alternative occupation, both the per unit cost of rent-seeking and the total rent set by regulator are highest for the same value of the relative effectiveness parameter; 2) in the long run, an increase in the effectiveness parameter leads to a reduction in the social costs of rent seeking; and 3) in a repeated game, the equilibrium rent is lower than in the static case.
Longitudinal Integration of Oral Health Training Into Physician Assistant Education.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate physician assistant (PA) student knowledge after integrating an oral health curriculum longitudinally into a PA program and to assess student perceptions of the oral health curriculum. METHODS This study was a 2-group longitudinal study comparing differences between the groups at 2 points in time. Cohort I (n = 60) took an oral health pretest and then, after completing oral health training, took a posttest. Cohort II (n = 49), which had not received oral health training, took identical testing on the same time interval. The students in Cohort I assessed the value of the oral health curriculum by answering a standardized perception survey. RESULTS Cohort I had a statistically significant increase (p ≤ .0001) in posttest assessment scores compared to Cohort II (control group). The students who were exposed to the oral health curriculum reported a deeper understanding and appreciation of oral health disease and increased confidence in oral health clinical application. CONCLUSIONS A greater awareness of the importance of oral health and chronic disease has evolved within PA education over the past 2 decades. Despite this progress, there is still a need to expand this curriculum and improve PA students' depth of knowledge in oral health. This study presents a novel and effective approach to incorporating an oral health curriculum into a PA program.
Making Podcasts in the Collegiate French Writing Course

This study argues for grounding the teaching of presentational communication in a foreign language (FL) in Making- and Design-related concepts. We use the example of creating personal narrative podcasts in an advanced collegiate FL course to demonstrate how these concepts facilitate student learning outcomes in relation to genre awareness, digital literacy, and student engagement in presentational writing and speaking. A description is provided of the process of gaining understanding and carrying out thematic, generic, linguistic, and technical components of podcasting—a task that student self-reflections revealed as challenging yet ultimately rewarding.
Biochemical impact of a disease-causing Ile67Asn substitution on BOLA3 protein.

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster biosynthesis involves the action of a variety of functionally distinct proteins, most of which are evolutionarily conserved. Mutations in these Fe-S scaffold and trafficking proteins can cause diseases such as multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome (MMDS), sideroblastic anemia, and mitochondrial encephalopathy. Herein, we investigate the effect of Ile67Asn substitution in the BOLA3 protein that results in the MMDS2 phenotype. Although the exact functional role of BOLA3 in Fe-S cluster biosynthesis is not known, the [2Fe-2S]-bridged complex of BOLA3 with GLRX5, another Fe-S protein, has been proposed as a viable intermediary cluster carrier to downstream targets. Our investigations reveal that the Ile67Asn substitution impairs the ability of BOLA3 to bind its physiological partner GLRX5, resulting in a failure to form the [2Fe-2S]-bridged complex. Although no drastic structural change in BOLA3 arises from the substitution, as evidenced by wild-type and mutant BOLA3 1H-15N HSQC and ion mobility native mass spectrometry experiments, this substitution appears to influence cluster reconstitution on downstream proteins leading to the disease phenotype. By contrast, substituted derivatives of the holo homodimeric form of BOLA3 are formed and remain active toward cluster exchange.
Provider Perceptions of Virtual Care During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Multispecialty Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in virtual care (VC) across outpatient specialties, but little is known regarding provider acceptance of VC. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess provider perceptions of the quality, efficiency, and challenges of VC versus in-person care with masks. DESIGN: This was a voluntary survey. PARTICIPANTS: Mental health (MH), primary care, medical specialty, and surgical specialty providers across the 8 VA New England Healthcare System medical centers. MEASURES: Provider ratings of: (1) quality and efficiency of VC (phone and video telehealth) compared with in-person care with masks; (2) challenges of VC; and (3) percentage of patients that providers are comfortable seeing via VC in the future. RESULTS: The sample included 998 respondents (49.8% MH, 20.6% primary care, 20.4% medical specialty, 9.1% surgical specialty; 61% response rate). Most providers rated VC as equivalent to or higher in quality and efficiency compared with in-person care with masks. Quality ratings were significantly higher for video versus phone (χ2=61.4, P 24.1, Ps 12.2, Ps<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Broad provider support for VC was stratified across specialties, with the highest ratings in MH and lowest ratings in SS. Findings will inform the improvement of VC processes and the planning of health care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Coping mechanism and professional quality of life in northeast texas ems personnel during the covid-19 pandemic: An exploratory study

Introduction The purpose of this study was to conduct an exploratory evaluation of employee professional quality of life and factors associated with it at an emergency medical service (EMS) agency in northeast Texas in the United States. Initially, we intended to evaluate typical day-to-day factors, however we ended up capturing these factors during the unique environment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted an exploratory cross-sectional survey at an EMS agency in northeast Texas in November 2020. Surveys were web-based and anonymous. They included the ProQOL 5, the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support, the Brief Resilience Survey, the RAND Social Support Survey Instrument, the Kessler-6, the Workplace Incivility Scale-Revised, the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Brief Cope Scale. Results The survey had a response rate of 19% (38 participants). Findings suggest a positive relationship between utilising religion as a coping mechanism and higher compassion satisfaction. There was also a relationship associated between increased perceived organisational support leading to an increase in compassion satisfaction. The most significant predictors of burnout were two different coping mechanisms. Those who relied more heavily on behavioral disengagement and those who employed humour as a coping mechanism displayed average increased levels of burnout. Finally, those who experienced workplace incivility and those who relied on self-blame as a coping mechanism experienced on average higher levels of secondary traumatic stress. Conclusion This study adds to the limited literature examining coping mechanisms, stress and burnout in EMS personnel. It is also unique for examining how EMS personnel are coping with stress during a prolonged pandemic. © 2021, Paramedics Australasia. All rights reserved.
Neuraxial anesthesia and pain control for pediatric burn patients receiving excision and split-thickness skin grafts-A retrospective case series

Background Postoperative pain management in pediatric burn patients requiring excision and split-thickness skin grafts remains largely under-studied. ICU care is often necessary due to the level of sedation and amount of opioids required to achieve adequate pain control. Aims Our case series aimed to describe a pain management strategy using neuraxial anesthesia intraoperatively. Primary outcomes include pain scores, postoperative opioid consumption, and adverse events. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on a total of 61 patients who received intraoperative neuraxial anesthesia for split-thickness skin grafting between January 1st, 2017 and June 1st, 2018. Patient demographics, operating room data, and subsequent hospital course was extracted from their electronic medical record and plotted using R Studio statistical software. Results The overwhelming majority of patients received single-shot spinals with both local anesthetic and either morphine or hydromorphone. Average pain scores were 1 out of 10 with standard deviation of 1.6 in the immediate postoperative period and decreased over the next 72 h. Oral morphine equivalents consumed did not exceed 0.61 ME/kg/day. The most common adverse reaction was pruritus. Conclusions Spinal anesthesia was most commonly used for split-thickness skin grafting in the pediatric burn population and provides excellent analgesia for patients' immediate postoperative course, including their initial dressing changes, with minimal risk for complications. Pain was well-controlled in all subgroups indicating that this strategy can be used flexibly in a variety of pediatric burn patients.
Effects of placebo administration on immune mechanisms and relationships with central endogenous opioid neurotransmission

Behavioral conditioning and expectation can have profound impact on animal and human physiology. Placebo, administered under positive expectation in clinical trials, can have potent effects on disease pathology, obscuring active medications. Emerging evidence suggests placebo-responsive neurotransmitter systems (e.g., endogenous opioid) regulate immune function by manipulating inflammatory proteins including IL-18, a potent pro-inflammatory, nociceptive cytokine implicated in pathophysiology of various diseases. Validation that neuroimmune interactions involving brain μ-opioid receptor (MOR) activity and plasma IL-18 underlie placebo analgesic expectation could have widespread clinical applications. Unfortunately, current lack of mechanistic clarity obfuscates clinical translation. To elucidate neuroimmune interactions underlying placebo analgesia, we exposed 37 healthy human volunteers to a standardized pain challenge on each of 2 days within a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) neuroimaging paradigm using the MOR selective radiotracer, 11C-Carfentanil (CFN). Each day volunteers received an intervention (placebo under analgesic expectation or no treatment), completed PET scanning, and rated their pain experience. MOR BPND parametric maps were generated from PET scans using standard methods. Results showed placebo reduced plasma IL-18 during pain (W74 = -3.7, p < 0.001), the extent correlating with reduction in pain scores. Placebo reduction in IL-18 covaried with placebo-induced endogenous opioid release in the left nucleus accumbens (T148 = 3.33; puncorr < 0.001) and left amygdala (T148 = 3.30; puncorr < 0.001). These findings are consistent with a modulating effect of placebo (under analgesic expectation in humans) on a potent nociceptive, pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-18) and underlying relationships with endogenous opioid activity, a neurotransmitter system critically involved in pain, stress, and mood regulation.
Why Potentiality Still Matters

(1994). Why Potentiality Still Matters. Canadian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 281-293.
A review of vital rates and cause-specific mortality of elk Cervus elaphus populations in eastern North America

A review of elk vital rates in eastern North America is warranted given continued interest in restoring the species to the region and the variation in habitat conditions, anthropogenic influence on population dynamics and predator fauna between eastern and western North America. We reviewed 23 studies of elk demographics from populations in eastern North America and summarized adult (>2 years old), subadult (1–2 years old) and juvenile (0–1 years old) annual survival and fecundity. We also reviewed and compared studies in which causes of mortality in eastern and western North American elk populations were reported. Annual survival of adult and subadult elk in populations in eastern North America was similar to those reported for western North American elk populations. Annual juvenile survival [Ŝ = 0.76, standard error (SE) = 0.07] in eastern North American elk populations was 53% higher than that in western North American populations. Fecundity rates in elk populations in eastern North America were low (0.75 juveniles per female per year, SE = 0.06) compared with fecundity rates typical of western North American populations. Juvenile survival and adult fecundity were lower in recently restored populations (Ŝ = 0.65, SE = 0.09; 0.62 juveniles per female per year) than in established populations (Ŝ = 0.83, SE = 0.07; 0.80 juveniles per female per year) in eastern North America. Brainworm Parelaphostrongylus tenuis infection, vehicle collisions and nuisance culling were important factors contributing to mortality in eastern North American, but not in western North American, elk populations. Eastern North American elk populations have the potential to exhibit high population growth rates (λ = 1.02–1.29). Variation in vital rates between recently restored and established elk populations highlights the need for continued long-term monitoring of translocated elk populations.
Acoustic disturbances produced by an unsteady spherical diffusion flame

The disturbances produced by a moving spherical diffusion flame are investigated within the framework of a linearized theory. After the flame position and species concentrations are determined, the problem of determining the associated density, pressure, temperature, and velocity fields is delineated. Explicit results for certain limiting situations are discussed.
Use of adaptive system stabilizers in ship power systems

With the help of mathematical modeling are studied operating regimes of ship power system with two synchronous generator under different disturbances. Studied regimes for connection of one/two adaptive system stabilizer for generators are shown. Conclusions are made on the operating efficiency of ship synchronous generators using the proposed adaptive stabilizers.
MAP als Rückgrat in der Fertigungsindustrie für den Verbund von Systemen mit verschiedener Architektur

MAP (Manufacturing Automation Protocol) as a standard for communication and data transfer in manufacturing automation. GM (General Motors) has made a plan to get in five steps an homogeneous MAP net in 1988–1990.
Increased frequency and severity of viral infections during infancy is associated with recurrent wheezing in the first three years of life

Abstract Rationale The frequency and nature of viral infections during infancy may contribute to the subsequent development of various wheezing phenotypes and/or asthma. Methods The relationship of viral infections in the first year of life to the pattern of wheezing from birth to age 3 years was evaluated in 269 children enrolled in the COAST project. Viral cultures and RT-PCR (rhinovirus) were performed on nasal lavage samples obtained during 5 protocol-scheduled well visits and during respiratory illnesses in year one. Wheezing phenotypes were categorized into three groups: recurrent (RW, persistent between 0-3 years of age, n=45), infantile (IW, present between 0-2 years of age, n=49) and never wheezed (NW, n=129). An additional 46 children had wheezing which began after the first year of life and were not included in this analysis. Results There was a significant difference between the number of culture-proven viral infections (regardless of severity) in the first year of life: RW had the most infections (3.49 ± 0.27), followed by IW (2.65 ± 0.21) and then NW (1.45 ± 0.11, overall p Conclusions Children who develop a pattern of recurrent wheezing by age 3 years have a greater number of symptomatic viral infections during the first year of life.
Academic Use of Online Social Networks

Now a day with the Internet revolution, the online business has been one of the most popular and efficient marketing methods. The change of the economy has the biggest impact on the business method. For example: social networking and its influence, shopping type, creativity, and create a new business environment. Electronic business shows the success in the marketing over the world. Also, it becomes the promised feature of having deployed ideas in order to introduce products or services over the global. The online services have been the most modern and convenient terminologies among the people using the social networking. When the social network has a hug influence on this kind of marketing, for example Facebook. We just heard about the Face book ten years ago and after four years only; the Twitter was launched. Those famous websites are the best examples can support the social networks. It was unbelievable in that time those billions of people will spend most their time on Face book. The most important thing, the market people started taking advantage of these social sites and make their own business. Moreover, many of them make a good investigation and develop good ideas.
Particulate and water-soluble carbon measured in recent snow at Summit, Greenland

[1] Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), water-insoluble particulate organic carbon (WIOC), and particulate elemental carbon (EC) were measured simultaneously for the first time on the Greenland Ice Sheet in surface snow and in a 3-meter snow pit. Snow pit concentrations reveal that, on average, WSOC makes up the majority (89%) of carbonaceous species, followed by WIOC (10%) and EC (1%). The enhancement of OC relative to EC (ratio 99:1) in Greenland snow suggests that, along with atmospheric particulate matter, gaseous organics contribute to snow-phase OC. Comparison of summer surface snow concentrations in 2006 with past summer snow pit layers (2002–2005) found a significant depletion in WSOC (20–82%) and WIOC (46–65%) relative to EC for 3 of the 4 years. The apparent substantial loss of WSOC and WIOC in aged snow suggests that post-depositional processes, such as photochemical reactions, need to be considered in linking ice core records of organics to atmospheric concentrations.
Effect of Flexible Sigmoidoscopy-Based Screening on Incidence and Mortality of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have yielded varying estimates of the benefit of flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening for colorectal cancer (CRC). Our objective was to more precisely estimate the effect of FS-based screening on the incidence and mortality of CRC by performing a meta-analysis of published RCTs.
Age and aneurysm position predict patterns of left ventricular dysfunction after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Cardiac injury, including left ventricular dysfunction, frequently occurs in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Patterns of left ventricular dysfunction often do not follow coronary artery distributions, and may correlate with myocardial sympathetic innervation. Left ventricular dysfunction of the anterior and anteroseptal walls that spares the apex is unusual for patients with myocardial infarction and may represent a neurally mediated pattern of injury. We performed serial echocardiography on 225 patients with subarachnoid hemorrage and classified those with regional wall-motion abnormalities as following either an apex-sparing (AS) or apex-affected (AA) pattern. Wall-motion abnormalities were found in 61 of 225 patients studied (27%). The AS pattern was found in 49% of these patients. Younger age and anterior aneurysm position were independent predictors of this AS pattern. Both patterns of wall-motion abnormalities appear to be transient, reversible phenomena. The AS pattern may represent a unique form of neurally mediated cardiac injury.
Solid-state synthesis of perovskite-spinel nanocomposites

Multifunctional materials are of interest due to their potential for numerous device applications. We have developed a synthesis method for novel, magnetoelectric Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4-BaTiO3 two-phase nanocomposites, via substrate-assisted solid-state reaction. The morphologies of the nanocomposites were dependent on substrate orientation. Extra particle facets were found to develop, where phase coexistence was observed by high-resolution electron microscopy in the vicinity of the extra facets, indicating that perovskite and spinel can self-organize with novel phase distributions at the nanoscale. This type of two-phase perovskite-spinel nanostructure offers the potential to engineer new types of multiferroic materials.
Structural analysis of mature and dicistronic transcripts from the 18 S and 5 S ribosomal RNA genes of maize mitochondria.

Analysis of the 18 S and 5 S ribosomal RNA transcripts of maize mitochondria is described. The 5′ and 3′ ends of both mature rRNAs were defined by S 1 nuclease protection analysis, which also showed that a small fraction of the total 18 S and 5 S rRNA population resides on common transcripts. The 5′ termini of many of these RNAs are upstream from the mature 18 S 5′ endpoint. Northern hybridization detected several high molecular weight RNAs that were homologous to the 5S and 18S genes and their flanking sequences. Because the two rRNAs share a number of transcripts, we propose that these genes are transcribed as one or more large dicistronic RNAs that are subsequently processed to mature ribosomal RNA molecules. A model for the processing of the large putative precursors is presented.
Plasmon contribution to optical absorption by metals

Abstract The plasmon contribution to the optical absorption in sodium has been calculated numerically by using up to k 6 term in the plasmon frequency and a proper plasmon renormalization factor. The resulting peak is about one third of that obtained in previous calculations.
Thermal entrance lengths for non-newtonian fluids in turbulent pipe flow

Abstract Experimentally-determined values of the thermal entrance lengths for water, for purely viscous Non-Newtonian fluids and for viscoelastic fluids are presented for the case where the fluids are flowing turbulently in circular tubes and the thermal boundary condition is that of constant wall heat flux.
EGF-related growth factors in the pathogenesis of murine ARPKD.

EGF-related growth factors in the pathogenesis of murine ARPKD. Background Epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) and their receptor, EGFR, play key roles in polycystic kidney disease (PKD) pathogenesis. Renal expression of two related growth factors, amphiregulin and heparin-binding EGF, has not been examined previously in PKD. The aims of this study of murine autosomal-recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) were ( 1 ) to characterize amphiregulin and heparin-binding EGF expression in cystic versus normal kidneys and cells; and ( 2 ) to identify the functional effects of abnormal EGF-related growth factor expression. Methods Amphiregulin and heparin-binding-EGF expression were examined by immunohistology and Western blot of kidneys and conditionally-immortalized collecting tubule cells obtained from cystic bpk mice (a murine model of ARPKD) and normal littermates. EGF, TGF-α, amphiregulin, and heparin-binding EGF in vitro effects on cystic and control collecting tubule cells were assessed by cell proliferation, cyst fluid mitogenicity, and EGFR activation. Results By immunohistology, amphiregulin and heparin-binding EGF localized to apical and basolateral surfaces of proximal tubule cysts > normal proximal tubules. In cystic collecting tubules, heparin-binding EGF (but not amphiregulin) localized to both apical and basolateral surfaces; whereas in normal collecting tubules, amphiregulin and heparin-binding EGF localized to the basolateral surface only. Increased amphiregulin and heparin-binding EGF expression by Western blot was seen in cystic vs. normal kidneys and increased heparin-binding EGF (but not amphiregulin) expression was present in cystic collecting tubule cell lines vs. controls. EGF, TGF-α, amphiregulin, and heparin-binding EGF were all mitogenic to cystic > control collecting tubule cells. Immunoprecipitation of EGF and TGF-α reduced cyst fluid mitogenicity by almost 80%, whereas heparin-binding EGF and amphiregulin immunoprecipitations had minimal effects. Differential receptor activation was also seen: Heparin-binding EGF markedly activated EGFR (>EGF = TGF-α > amphiregulin), with a greater effect seen in cystic vs. control collecting tubule cells. Conclusion Multiple EGF-related growth factors are abnormally expressed in murine ARPKD and may have differential roles in disease pathogenesis. In particular, newly identified abnormalities in heparin-binding EGF expression in cystic kidneys and cells may have important implications for disease pathogenesis.
Updating memory using mnemonic devices

Abstract The process of memory updating enables people to recall information most recently associated with a particular stimulus context and to ignore or forget information previously associated with it. In a series of five experiments utilizing mnemonic devices it was found that when associative interference was maximized, only a limited disruption of updating resulted. In addition, mnemonic recall was not dependent on the utilization of higher-order memory components. However, support was found for the hypothesis that memory can be searched using temporal cues and for the idea that the size of the search set formed in memory is important. It was found that the older the event was to be recalled, the greater were the number of events in the search set and therefore the greater was the magnitude of the recall error. The size of the search set created in memory and the role of temporal-contextual cues in defining this search set may be important factors not only in mnemonic recall but in other types of learning and recall as well.
Stochastic simulation of fracture strikes using seismic anisotropy induced velocity anomalies

Availability of a fracture map of a producing reservoir aids in increasing productivity. Generally, accurate information related to fracture orientation is only available at a few sparse well log locations. However, fractures introduce velocityanomaliesinseismicdatabymakingthemediumazimuthallyanisotropic.Whenmulti-azimuthdataisavailablethen itispossibletomapthefractureattributesintheentirereservoirzonebyanalysingtheanisotropyinducedvelocityanomalies in the seismic data. In the absence of 3D data, seismic anisotropy induced velocity anomaly from 2D data (as fracture strikes are not constant and data contains multi-azimuthal effect even when it is 2D) can still be used as a secondary source of information for the purpose of fracture strike simulation. To validate the above hypothesis, fracture strike information in a reservoir from the Mexican part of the Gulf of Mexico is derived using Markov-Bayes stochastic simulation. In this simulation process, accurate well log derived fracture information is used as hard or primary data and seismic velocity anomaly/uncertainty based fracture information is used as soft or secondary data. The Markov-Bayes Stochastic simulation provides multiple realisations of the fracture patterns and thus helps to estimate the uncertainty associated with the fracture strikes of the reservoir. Accuracy of the simulation process is also estimated and the simulation result is compared with simple and ordinary kriging methods of fracture strike simulation.
Characteristics of rectal carcinomas that predict the presence of lymph node metastases: implications for patient selection for local therapy.

Background and Objectives: It has been estimated that approximately 5% of middle and low rectal adenocarcinomas are amenable to local therapy. However, these treatment modalities are limited by their failure to identify and treat regional nodal metastases. Methods: This study was undertaken to evaluate the role of tumor size, depth of penetration into the rectal wall, degree of histologic differentiation, DNA ploidy status, and their combination on the presence or absence of metastases in perirectal lymph nodes. Logistic regression was used to quantitatively predict the probability of positive lymph nodes. Results: Tumor size did not correlate with the presence of nodal involvement ; however, worsening degree of differentiation, increasing depth of wall penetration and aneuploidy did statistically correlate with the presence of nodal metastases. For any combination of tumor traits, aneuploidy markedly increased the probability of positive lymph nodes over that observed with diploid tumors. Conclusions: The combination of degree of differentiation, depth of penetration, and ploidy status may be used to identify patients whose tumors may be adequately treated with local measures. For any combination of tumor traits, aneuploidy markedly increased the probability of positive lymph nodes over that observed with diploid tumors.
Induced strain actuation on a beam structure subjected to external loads

In this paper, the refined model presented currently by the authors (Lin and Rogers, 1993a) for the induced-strain actuation mechanism of the actuators is extended to include external loads. The same stress field obtained for the actuation mechanism is used to model the external loading with different end traction condition and the solutions are superimposed to yield the complete solution for the combined loading condition. The results obtained from the current analysis agree very well with those obtained from the finite element model on the prediction of the effective force/moment induced on the substrate. The interfacial shear and peeling stresses are shown to be altered noticeably with the application of external loads, and the maximum interfacial shear and peeling-stress level appears to vary linearly with the external loads. The influence of the external bending moments on the optimum actuator-to-substructure thickness ratio that induced maximum bending curvature on the substrate is also discussed.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Conceptual and Definitional issues in the Assessment of Children's Social Skills: Implications for Classifications and Training

Conceptual and definitional issues involved in the assessment of children's social skills are specified and developed. A distinction is made between social competence and social skill and three approaches to conceptualizing social competence are presented. Several definitions of social skill are provided and critiqued. A classification of children's social skill difficulties, based, in part, upon Bandura's (1977a) distinction between acquisition versus performance deficits, is presented. The value of establishing the social significance of social skill difficulties and assessing the social importance of the effects of social skills training is advocated.