cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Marital status and depression among Mexican Americans.

Using data from a three-generations study of Mexican Americans in San Antonio, the authors found that, in general, women and unmarried (widowed or divorced-separated) persons had significantly higher scores on the CES-D depression scale than men and married persons even after a number of controls were introduced. However, marital status did not matter in the older generation and divorce-separation lost significance in the third generation after the controls. The authors discuss the findings in light of the place of the elderly in the Mexican American family and in light of rising divorce rates in younger generations.
Visual field heterogeneity, laterality, and eidetic imagery in synesthesia

JS was a grapheme-color synesthete in whom numerals and letters of the alphabet consistently evoked colors. In the first set of experiments we showed that the color – in a consistent and reliable manner – was most pronounced in the left visual field and in central vision. In the second experiment we devised a novel test for eidetic imagery and showed that his self-report of enhanced imagery could be verified experimentally. The implications of these findings for the level at which synesthesia occurs, the ‘enhanced cross-activation’ model, and the mechanisms of visual memory are discussed.
Predicting syzygies over monomial relations algebras

We show that all projective resolutions over a monomial relations algebra Λ simplify drastically at the stage of the second syzygy; more precisely, we show that the kernel of any homomorphism between two projective left Λ-modules is isomorphic to a direct sum of principal left ideals generated by paths. As consequences, we obtain: (a) a tight approximation of the finitistic dimensions of Λ in terms of the (very accessible) projective dimensions of the principal left ideals generated by paths; (b) a basis for comparison of the ‘big’ and ‘little’ finitistic dimensions of Λ, yielding in particular that these two invariants cannot differ by more than 1 and that they are equal in ‘most’ cases; (c) manageable algorithms for computation of finitistic dimensions.
Self-Diagnosis and Self-Repair in Memory: An Integrated System Approach

This paper presents an integrated approach to the design of an ultrareliable memory system using a variety of coding and modularization techniques on each of the memory subsystem elements. The overall objective is to provide a properly operating memory system in spite of any single indigenous fault (regardless of the number of failures which might ensue). In other words, the system has the capability automatically to: (1) detect single faults and multiple failures, (2) mask failures to prevent malfunctions, without interrupting service, (3) isolate the fault to a replaceable module, and (4) reconfigure the faulty unit out of the system. The storage medium and retrieval circuits are checked and corrected by coding techniques. Some redundancy is used on the subunits, but the total redundancy is less than 20% of the system cost, and diagnostic software is eliminated.
Absolute coverage and decomposition kinetics of mono-, di-, and tri-hydride phases on Si(111)-(7×7)

Abstract Static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) is shown to probe directly the coordination of surface silicon atoms to adsorbed hydrogen. Signal intensities of secondary ions, SiD + , SiD 2 + , and SiD 3 + observed in SSIMS following D atom adsorption on Si(111)-(7×7) are proportional to the coverages of SiD, SiD 2 , and SiD 3 , respectively. Temperature-programmed desorption is used to quantify the three coverages. The SiD 3 + signal in temperature-programmed SSIMS is used to measure the first-order E A (31±2 kcal mol −1 ) and v (1×10 10±1 s −1 ) for surface SiD 3 decomposition.
Resolution enhancement techniques for optical lithography and optical imaging theory

Production of a fine pattern is necessary to get a high integration degree of integrated circuits. The conventional methods which utilize high numerical aperture and short wavelength exposure are limited by designing and manufacturing of a practical lens and make the focus depth narrow. Resolution enhancement techniques (RETs) have, therefore, been required and proposed. This paper introduces a phase-shifting mask, a typical RET, points out the problems and inconsistencies of conventional optical imaging theory and explains the image formation concept of expansion of plane waves. Essentially using this concept, an attempt is also made to describe some other typical RETs with potential.
1.06-um all-fiber optical gyroscope

The present FOG uses a fiber-coupled 1.06-micron isolator between the source output and gyro input to achieve stable operation with forward pumping. The rms optical scale factor stability thus achieved is of the order of 15 ppm, in conjunction with 0.05 deg/hr rms phase-bias stability. Due to the specific doping used for the Nd fiber employed by this FOG, the source optical linewidth is only 6.8 nm wide; this is significantly less than in comparable fibers.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ion-channeling investigation of thermal vibrational amplitudes across the superconducting transition in YBa2Cu3O7- delta.

Ion-channeling measurements reveal that the thermal vibrational amplitude, ${u}_{1}$, decreases markedly from 0.008 to 0.0056 nm as the temperature of orthorhombic single crystals of $\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ is lowered from 300 to 220 K. The rate of this decrease slows at lower temperatures, with ${u}_{1}$ reaching a value of 0.0042 nm at 100 K. Further cooling of the sample across the superconducting transition region (to 85 K) produces an abrupt, additional decrease in ${u}_{1}$ to 0.0035 nm. This abrupt lattice stiffening corresponds to an \ensuremath{\sim}140 K increase in Debye temperature across the superconducting transition.
Automatic feature identification and graphical support in rule-based forecasting: a comparison

Abstract We examined automatic feature identification and graphical support in rule-based expert systems for forecasting. The rule-based expert forecasting system (RBEFS) includes predefined rules to automatically identify features of a time series and selects the extrapolation method to be used. The system can also integrate managerial judgment using a graphical interface that allows a user to view alternate extrapolation methods two at a time. The use of the RBEFS led to a significant improvement in accuracy compared to equal-weight combinations of forecasts. Further improvement were achieved with the user interface. For 6-year ahead ex ante forecasts, the rule-based expert forecasting system has a median absolute percentage error (MdAPE) 15% less than that of equally weighted combined forecasts and a 33% improvement over the random walk. The user adjusted forecasts had a MdAPE 20% less than that of the expert system. The results of the system are also compared to those of an earlier rule-based expert system which required human judgments about some features of the time series data. The results of the comparison of the two rule-based expert systems showed no significant differences between them.
Introductory Computing Construct Use in an End-User Programming Community

Previous studies of end-user programmers have indicated a reliance on related examples for learning. Accordingly, we analyzed the projects contained in an online community with respect to their use of introductory computing constructs. In general, the projects resemble those of novice programmers, implying the opportunity for supporting additional learning. Project authors' attention to matters of intellectual property may also directly impact other end-users' willingness to learn.
An Automated Approach for Goal-driven, Specification-based Testing

This paper presents a specification-based approach that addresses several known challenges including false positives and domain knowledge errors. Our approach begins with a goal graph and plans. Source code is annotated with goals and events and precompiled to emit those at run time. Plans are automatically translated into a rule-based recognizer. An oracle is produced from the pre- and postconditions associated with the plan?s goals. When the program is executed, goals and events are emitted and automatically tested against plans and oracles. The concept is demonstrated on a small example and a larger publicly available case study.
Incremental state-space exploration for programs with dynamically allocated data

We present a novel technique that speeds up state-space exploration (SSE) for evolving programs with dynamically allocated data. SSE is the essence of explicit-state model checking and an increasingly popular method for automating test generation. Traditional, non-incremental SSE takes one version of a program and systematically explores the states reachable during the program's executions to find property violations. Incremental SSE considers several versions that arise during program evolution: reusing the results of SSE for one version can speed up SSE for the next version, since state spaces of consecutive program versions can have significant similarities. We have implemented our technique in two model checkers: Java PathFinder and the J-Sim state-space explorer. The experimental results on 24 program evolutions and exploration changes show that for non-initial runs our technique speeds up SSE in 22 cases from 6.43% to 68.62% (with median of 42.29%) and slows down SSE in only two cases for -4.71% and -4.81%.
TWO-DIMENSIONAL FEMTOSECOND SPECTROSCOPY

The simplest two-dimensional (2D) spectra show how excitation with one (variable) frequency affects the spectrum at all other frequencies, thus revealing the molecular connections between transitions. Femtosecond 2D Fourier transform (2D FT) spectra are more flexible and share some of the remarkable properties of their conceptual parent, 2D FT nuclear magnetic resonance. When 2D FT spectra are experimentally separated into real absorptive and imaginary refractive parts, the time resolution and frequency resolution can both reach the uncertainty limit set for each resonance by the sample itself. Coherent four-level contributions to the signal provide new molecular phase information, such as relative signs of transition dipoles. The nonlinear response can be picked apart by selecting a single coherence pathway (e.g., specifying the relative signs of energy level difference frequencies during different time intervals as in the photon echo). Because molecules are frozen on the femtosecond timescale, femtosecond 2D FT experiments can separate a distribution of instantaneous molecular environments and intramolecular geometries as inhomogeneous broadening. This review provides an introduction to two-dimensional Fourier transform experiments exploiting second- and third-order vibrational and electronic nonlinearities.
A Heuristic Algorithm for the Vehicle-Dispatch Problem

This paper introduces and illustrates an efficient algorithm, called the sweep algorithm, for solving medium-as well as large-scale vehicle-dispatch problems with load and distance constraints for each vehicle. The locations that are used to make up each route are determined according to the polar-coordinate angle for each location. An iterative procedure is then used to improve the total distance traveled over all routes. The algorithm has the feature that the amount of computation required increases linearly with the number of locations if the average number of locations for each route remains relatively constant. For example, if the average number of locations per route is 7.5, the algorithm takes approximately 75 seconds to solve a 75-location problem on an IBM 360/67 and approximately 115 seconds to solve a 100-location problem. In contrast, the time to solve a problem with a fixed number of locations increases quadratically with the average number of locations per route. The sweep algorithm generally produces results that are significantly better than those produced by Gaskell's savings approach and are generally slightly better than Christofides and Eilon's results; however, the sweep algorithm is not as computationally efficient as Gaskell's and is slightly less so than Christofides and Eilon's.
The measurement and penetration of ultraviolet radiation into tropical marine water

An inexpensive, easily deployed polymer film was used to measure the penetration of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in nearshore tropical water. Measurements were made to a depth of 25 m in Discovery Bay, Jamaica, with a UV-sensitive polymer film in which o-nitrobenzaldehyde is converted to o-nitrosobenzoic acid. The film is sensitive in the range of 400-300 nm. UV radiation ranged from 5 pmol quanta s-l m-2 at the surface to 0.05 at 25 m. The diffuse attenuation coefficient (k) varied between 2.6 and 0.09 m-l with an average of 0.33 m-l. Diurnal measurements of UV at 1 m showed the shape of the curve to be similar to that of surface photosynthetically active radiation, with a maximum at 1200 hours. Integrated measurements ofUV are useful in conjunction with the response of aquatic organisms to changes in this radiation. This paper describes the use of a film actinometer to measure penetration of ultraviolet (UV) radiation into clear marinc waters. The film has the advantage of being sensitive over almost the entire range of solar UV radiation reaching the earth’s surface. This method offers a suitable way in which to make field measurements that may then be related to biological processes or used as descriptors of a particular water type. The measurement of solar radiation is of concern both to physicists interested in its inherent properties of penetration through the earth’s atmosphere and waters and to biologists who study the effects of radiant energy on organic processes such as photosynthesis, development, and behavior. An important component of the solar spectrum is UV radiation which is subdivided somewhat arbitrarily into three groups: UV-A (400-320 nm), UV-B (320-280 nm), and UV-C (280-200 nm). UV is high energy radiation and therefore produces disproportionate biological effects relative to its 5%
Piezoelectric Actuators as Synthetic Jets: Cavity Dimension Effects:

Effects of dimensional cavity parameters, height, and orifice diameter, on synthetic jet peak velocities are investigated numerically and experimentally, utilizing two piezoelectric composite diaphragms, Bimorph and Thunder ®. The system is modeled using a RNG κ—e model with a mesh generated using a tri-pave unstructured scheme and the diaphragms are modeled as moving boundaries. The model compares within 15% for a Bimorph but underpredicts the results for Thunder® by more than 30%. For a Bimorph, both cavity parameters are relevant with the orifice diameter having a higher effect. For Thunder® however, only orifice diameter is found to be statistically significant.
Globin Chain Electrophoresis for Prenatal Diagnosis of β Thalassemia

Determination of the biosynthetic β/γ ratio in samples of fetal blood is used for prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia. The current method, carboxymethyl cellulose chromatography (CMC), is cmbersome, slow, and expensive. Radiolabelled globin chains (Aγ, Gγ, β, and α) can also be separated by electrophoresis in slab gels containing polyacrylamide, acid, urea, and Triton X-100. The radioactive bands are detected by fluorography. We determined the β/γ ratio in 24 samples of blood from fetuses at risk for β thalassemia. CMC column data were compared with quantitations from fluorograms of slab gels. The β/γ synthetic ratios correlated (r=0.91), although the ratios were slightly less by gel than by column. The gel method is simple, inexpensive, and permits up to a dozen simultaneous analyses. Confirmatory CMC columns need only be run if the β/γ ratio is between 0.01 and 0.03 by gel.
Specific and nonspecific effects of protein kinase C on the epithelial Na (+) channel.

The Xenopus oocyte expression system was used to explore the mechanisms of inhibition of the cloned rat epithelial Na(+) channel (rENaC) by PKC (Awayda, M.S., I.I. Ismailov, B.K. Berdiev, C.M. Fuller, and D.J. Benos. 1996. J. Gen. Physiol. 108:49-65) and to determine whether human ENaC exhibits similar regulation. Effects of PKC activation on membrane and/or channel trafficking were determined using impedance analysis as an indirect measure of membrane area. hENaC-expressing oocytes exhibited an appreciable activation by hyperpolarizing voltages. This activation could be fit with a single exponential, described by a time constant (tau) and a magnitude (DeltaI (V)). A similar but smaller magnitude of activation was also observed in oocytes expressing rENaC. This activation likely corresponds to the previously described effect of hyperpolarizing voltage on gating of the native Na(+) channel (Palmer, L.G., and G. Frindt. 1996. J. Gen. Physiol. 107:35-45). Stimulation of PKC with 100 nM PMA decreased DeltaI(V) in hENaC-expressing oocytes to a plateau at 57.1 +/- 4.9% (n = 6) of baseline values at 20 min. Similar effects were observed in rENaC-expressing oocytes. PMA decreased the amiloride-sensitive hENaC slope conductance (g(Na)) to 21.7 +/- 7.2% (n = 6) of baseline values at 30 min. This decrease was similar to that previously reported for rENaC. This decrease of g (Na) was attributed to a decrease of membrane capacitance (C (m)), as well as the specific conductance (g(m)/C(m )). The effects on g(m)/C(m) reached a plateau within 15 min, at approximately 60% of baseline values. This decrease is likely due to the specific ability of PKC to inhibit ENaC. On the other hand, the decrease of C(m) was unrelated to ENaC and is likely an effect of PKC on membrane trafficking, as it was observed in ENaC-expressing as well as control oocytes. At lower PMA concentrations (0.5 nM), smaller changes of C(m) were observed in rENaC- and hENaC-expressing oocytes, and were preceded by larger changes of g(m ) and by changes of g(m)/C(m), indicating specific effects on ENaC. These findings indicate that PKC exhibits multiple and specific effects on ENaC, as well as nonspecific effects on membrane trafficking. Moreover, these findings provide the electrophysiological basis for assessing channel-specific effects of PKC in the Xenopus oocyte expression system.
PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF LAKES CONSTRAINS EPIDEMICS IN DAPHNIA POPULATIONS

Parasites are integral parts of most ecosystems, yet attention has only recently focused on how community structure and abiotic factors impact host-parasite interactions. In lakes, both factors are influenced by habitat morphology. To investigate the role of habitat structure in mediating parasitism in the plankton, we quantified timing and prevalence of a common microparasite (Metschnikowia bicuspidata) in its host, Daphnia dentifera, in 18 lakes that vary in basin size and shape. Over three years, we found substantial spatial and temporal variation in the severity of epidemics. Although infection rates reached as high as 50% in some lakes, they did not occur in most lakes in most years. Host density, often considered to be a key determinant of disease spread, did not explain a significant amount of variation in the occurrence of epidemics. Furthermore, host resistance does not fully explain this parasite's distribution, since we easily infected hosts in the laboratory. Rather, basin shape predicted epidemics well; epidemics occurred only in lakes with steep-sided basins. In these lakes, the magnitude of epidemics varied with year. We suggest that biological (predation) and physical (turbulence) effects of basin shape interact with annual weather patterns to determine the regional distribution of this parasite.
Microstructure and properties of pressureless sintered ZrC-based materials

ZrC-based composites were produced by pressureless sintering thanks to the addition of MoSi2 as sintering aid. After preliminary tests, a baseline ZrC material and two mixed ZrC–HfC and ZrC–ZrB2 composites with 20 vol% MoSi2 were densified at 1900 to 1950 °C reaching final relative densities of 96%–98%. Mean particle size of the dense bodies ranged from 5 to 9 μm. Secondary phases were found to form during sintering, such as SiC and Zr–Mo–Si-based compounds. Room-temperature mechanical properties were in the range of the values reported in the literature for similar materials densified by pressure-assisted techniques. The flexural strength was tested at room temperature, 1200 and 1500 °C.
Violence and Sex in Television Programs Do Not Sell Products in Advertisements

Adults (N = 336) 18 to 54 years old watched a television program containing violence, sex, both violence and sex, or no violence and sex. Programs were shown in a comfortable room containing padded chairs and tasty snacks. Each program contained the same 12 ads. Embedding an ad in a program containing violence or sex reduced (a) viewers' likelihood of remembering the advertised brand, (b) their interest in buying that brand, and (c) their likelihood of selecting a coupon for that brand. These effects occurred for males and females of all ages, regardless of whether they liked programs containing violence and sex. These results show that violence and sex in television programs do not sell products in advertisements.
International research collaboration in small and big science: Comparing global research output between biofuels and neutron scattering

We investigate patterns of international research collaboration in two different fields: biofuels, and neutron scattering. We use bibliometric analysis with data retrieved from the Science Citation Index, through Web of Science from 2003 through 2008. We find that international collaboration in relation to the number of publications in the field is more intense in neutron scattering than in biofuels. Moreover, international teams in neutron scattering include more countries than is the case in biofuels. We also find that publications in biofuels have increased faster among some of the BRIC (Brazil, India, China) countries than among the U.S. and European countries. In neutron scattering publications remain concentrated in more developed countries. The U.S. remains the leader in scientific production in both fields. The emergence of developing countries as producers of science in biofuels suggests opportunities for North-South collaboration in research.
Ecology rather than psychology explains co-occurrence of predation and border patrols in male chimpanzees

The intense arousal and excitement shown by adult male chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, during territorial attacks on other chimpanzees and predation upon monkeys suggest that similar psychological mechanisms may be involved. Specifically, it has been proposed that hunting behaviour in chimpanzees evolved from intraspecies aggression. Over 32 years, chimpanzees at Gombe National Park, Tanzania were significantly more likely to engage in a territorial border patrol on days when they hunted red colobus monkeys (Procolobus spp.), and vice versa, even after statistically controlling for male chimpanzee party size. We test the hypothesis that this correlation arises because hunting and patrolling are components of a species-level aggressive behavioural syndrome; specifically that predation arose as a by-product of territorial aggression in this species. However, hunting was equally likely to occur after a patrol and/or an intergroup interaction as it was before, and the occurrence of an intergroup interaction in which the chimpanzees approached strangers did not increase subsequent hunting probability. We also reject the hypothesis that hunting and patrolling reflect an individual-level behavioural syndrome. We identified two ‘impact hunters’ whose presence increased hunting probability. Similarly, there were also three ‘impact patrollers’, who increased the likelihood that a visit to the periphery of the community range resulted in a patrol. While this discovery has important implications for our understanding of the proximate causes of cooperation, it does not explain the temporal correlation between patrolling and hunting, since no males had such an impact in both contexts. Instead, the data suggest that the correlation arose because patrols typically involved males travelling long distances, which increased the probability of encountering prey. Additionally, parties that travelled to the periphery were more likely to encounter colobus in woodland, where hunts are more likely to occur and to succeed. Therefore, we conclude that ecological, rather than psychological, factors promote the co-occurrence of hunting and territorial aggression in this species.
The maquiladora industry and equipment maintenance: an industry-based perspective

This article empirically investigated the role and implications of equipment maintenance in the maquiladora industry at the industry level in El Paso, TX and Juarez, Mexico. The maquiladora industry describes a foreign or domestic-owned factory in Mexico at which imported parts are assembled into products by lower-paid workers for export. The survey instrument contained four major research questions. The response rate was 86% constituting 131 usable questionnaires. Additionally, several in-depth field interviews with experts of maquiladoras were conducted in order to gain insight into the results of the survey. Extensive statistical analyses including descriptive statistics, hypotheses testing and analysis of variance were performed. The analyses were all industry based. The overall results indicate that the principles of Total Preventive Maintenance were not implemented. Maquiladoras, by and large, focused on the symptoms rather than root cause of maintenance problems. The maquiladoras invariably emphasi...
Teaching oncology pharmacotherapy: focus on cancer as a chronic disease

Abstract Objective To examine how United States schools and colleges of pharmacy address oncology pharmacotherapy and provide guidance for change based on current practice needs. Methods A survey of pharmacy practice department chairs at schools and colleges of pharmacy in the U.S. was conducted using a 20-question survey instrument. The instrument captured oncology teaching methods; oncology pathophysiology; pharmacotherapy contact hours, education, and background of instructors; and personal opinions regarding the importance of oncology in the professional pharmacy curriculum. Results Seventy-two (62%) of the 116 institutions responded. A median of 28 contact hours were reported for oncology pharmacotherapy (range 8–108). Two-thirds of respondents reporting below 28 contact hours expressed no need to dedicate more time to oncology pharmacotherapy. About 60% of schools use board-certified oncology specialists, but about 20% use faculty without oncology credentials. Conclusions These survey results may provide guidance to schools and colleges of pharmacy to help ensure that all pharmacists have sufficient training in oncology to provide competent care to patients with cancer.
Foreign Direct Investment For Developing Financing: Teaching Market-Related Aspects Through Cases

This article presents two cases that have been used to supplement the teaching of how market-related aspects impact decisions, policies and tasks associated with attracting foreign direct investment into emerging markets and developing economies. The authors share their experiences in workshops and in the classroom and provide discussion strategies and teaching notes for each case.
Energy calibration of data recorded with the surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory: An update

The energy of the primary particles of air showers recorded using the water-Cherenkov detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory is inferred from simultaneous measurements of showers with those detectors together with the flu- orescence telescopes. The signal on the ground at 1000 m from the shower axis obtained using the water-Cherenkov detectors is related directly to the calorimetric energy me asured with the telescopes. The energy assignment is therefore independent of air shower simulations except for the assumptions that must be made about the energy carried into the ground by neutrinos and muons. The correlation between the signal at the ground and the calorimetric energy is used to derive a calibration curve. Taking advantage of increased statistics with respect to previous publications we present an update and improvement of the method used to determine the energy scale. The systematic uncertainties of the calibratio n procedure are addressed.
Effect of Adjuvants on Vaccination of Human Beings Against Influenza.

Immunization of human subjects against influenza Types A and B with adequate vaccines prepared from infected allantoic fluids of the chick have afforded protection against the natural or experimental disease for a limited period of time. In most instances the duration of the immune state has been found to correlate roughly with the height of the serum antibody level in the vaccinated individuals.1 The titer reaches its peak about 2 weeks after vaccination and decreases thereafter more or less rapidly until the pre-vaccination level is reached, usually 4-12 months after immunization. This time relationship seems to hold regardless of the kind of vaccine used.2 Therefore, the problem of protection against influenza lies not so much in the preparation and use of vaccines producing maximal antibody response in men, but rather in the maintenance of adequate antibody levels for a prolonged period of time.The studies of Freund and his co-workers3 have shown that the addition of certain adjuvants (lanolin-like su...
Verlängerte Wundheilung nach perforierender Keratoplastik Risikofaktor CPAP-Überdruckbeatmungsgeräte gegen Schlafapnoe

Nachtlich verwendete nasale Uberdruckbeatmungsgerate gegen Schlafapnoe konnen eine versteckte Ursache fur oberflachliche Wundheilungsstorungen nach perforierender Keratoplastik darstellen. Wir berichten uber zwei Patienten, deren Beatmungsgerate einen kontinuierlichen Druckluftstrom (nCPAP) an die operierten Augen brachten und zu konjunktivaler Hyperamie, rezidivierender Erosio corneae, Stichkanal- und Hornhautinfiltraten und Keratopathia superficialis punctata fuhrten. Die mikrobiologischen Befunde zeigten keine eindeutig pathogenen Erreger, sondern erst die Anderung des Druckluftsystems mit jeweils nasaler Dichtigkeit und hygienische Patienteninstruktion zur Desinfektion des Befeuchtungssystems erbrachten einen kontinuierlichen guten Heilverlauf.
498 DEALING WITH ETHICAL ISSUES IN A CHILDRENS HOSPITAL

Four years ago we changed the composition of the institutional research review committee and broadened its mission to include consultation and discussion of ethical issues in clinical care. The committees' name was changed to the Human Rights Committee. Its membership consists of 7 physicians including a geneticist and a behavioral scientist, representatives from the hospital administration, nursing service and housestaff and 3 laymen without an institutional allegiance (currently these are a housewife, an Episcopal minister and a lawyer from Neighborhood Legal Services). The committee continues to review all clinical research proposals to assure that the rights of the children are protected. In addition it is available on 24-hour call to consult on and advise with ethical issues. Examples include discontinuation of life support, limitation of therapy in profoundly brain-damaged children, and withholding surgery in children with associated conditions where similar surgery would be performed in normal children. The committee's activities have been enthusiastically accepted by the hospital staff. Furthermore, in-house publication of these activities has brought increasing awareness of these important issues at all levels from medical students to the Board of Trustees.
Sex partners of native American drug users

This study describes patterns of sexual behavior and condom use in a sample of Native American drug-using men and women (N = 114). Data are self-reports of sexual behavior in the last 30 days, including descriptions of the most recent sex partners up to five. These data provided information on 157 sex partner pairs, of which at least one partner was a drug user. Native American women (55%) were more likely than Native American men (23%) to report never using condoms for vaginal and anal sex in the last 30 days. Compared with other ethnic pair combinations, sex partner pairs composed of Native American women and white men (n = 18) were the least likely to use condoms (6% of pairs) and the most likely to report an injection drug user (IDU) sex partner (33% of pairs). These results suggest a potential vector of HIV and other sexually transmitted disease (STD) transmission between white male IDUs and Native American women and highlight the need for further qualitative and quantitative research to examine the factors underlying this pattern of sexual risk behavior.
Estimation of the relative bioavailability of inorganic copper sources for chicks using tissue uptake of copper.

An experiment was conducted with 208 day-old male Cobb feather-sexed chicks to study tissue accumulation of Cu as an estimate of biological availability of inorganic Cu sources for chicks. Chicks were allotted randomly to dietary treatments that included an unsupplemented basal corn-soybean meal diet (11.1 mg/kg Cu, DM basis) or this basal diet supplemented with 150, 300 or 450 mg/kg Cu either as reagent-grade acetate or feed grade oxide, carbonate or sulfate. Chicks were housed in batteries and allowed ad libitum access to feed and tap water for 21 d. Liver Cu was not affected by dietary Cu from the oxide source, but it increased (P less than .001) with increasing dietary Cu from all other sources. Bone Cu was lower (P less than .05) in chicks fed 150 mg/kg Cu compared to other dietary levels of Cu but was not influenced (P greater than .10) by Cu source. Using the slope-ratio technique from regression of log liver Cu on mean daily Cu intake with Cu from acetate set at 100%, the relative biological availability values were estimated to be 88.5 and 54.3% for sulfate and carbonate, respectively, and oxide was essentially unavailable.
“Deep Like the Sea and Strong Like the Earth”: Exploring the Ideal Partner Characteristics of Young Adult Heterosexual Black Women

Research indicates that 52% of Black American women will marry by age 30, compared with 81% of White American women. Black women prefer a partner of the same race and one who has the means to provide financial support. However, due to factors that disproportionately affect Black American men, such as incarceration, early death rates, unemployment rates, and lower educational attainment, finding an available Black male partner is challenging. Black women may have a smaller marriage market. To explore how this limited market may be influencing partner selections for Black women, the current study looked at which characteristics heterosexual Black American women seek in an ideal partner, as well as what traits are considered nonnegotiable. Qualitative responses gathered from 128 nonmarried Black American women (ages 18-29, M = 23) who completed an anonymous online survey were analyzed using content analysis. Overall findings indicated that compatibility was the most frequently listed characteristic, not race...
Developmental Neuroimaging in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

This review examines emerging neuroimaging research in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and explores the possibility that developmentally sensitive mechanisms may underlie OCD across the lifespan. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies of pediatric OCD reveal abnormal structural connectivity within fronto-striato-thalamic circuity (FSTC). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies further support atypical FSTC connectivity in young patients, but they also suggest altered connectivity within cortical networks for task control. Task-based fMRI studies show that hyperactivation and hypoactivation of task-control networks may depend on task difficulty in pediatric patients similar to recent findings in adults. This review suggests that atypical neurodevelopmental trajectories may underlie the emergence and early course of OCD. Abnormalities of structural and functional connectivity may vary with age, while functional engagement during task may vary with age and task complexity. Future research should combine DTI, resting-state fMRI, and task-based fMRI methods and incorporate longitudinal designs to reveal developmentally sensitive targets for intervention.
Metaphysics and the Future-Like-Ours Argument Against Abortion

Don Marquis’s “future-like-ours” argument against the moral permissibility of abortion is widely considered the strongest anti-abortion argument in the philosophical literature. In this paper, I address the issue of whether the argument relies upon controversial metaphysical premises. It is widely thought that future-like-ours argument indeed relies upon controversial metaphysics, in that it must reject the psychological theory of personal identity. I argue that that thought is mistaken—the future-like-ours argument does not depend upon the rejection of such a theory. I suggest, however, that given a widely-accepted view about contraception and abstinence, the argument is committed to contentious metaphysics after all, as it relies upon a highly controversial assumption about mereology. This commitment is not only relevant for those who are inclined to endorse the argument but reject the mereological view in question, but in addition entails dialectical and epistemological liabilities for the argument, which on some views will be fatal to the argument’s overall success.
Ultrasonic evaluation of erythrocyte aggregation dynamics

The dynamics of aggregation and disaggregation of blood of varying hematocrit in oscillatory flow in a distensible horizontal tube was determined by measuring the developing echo intensity of the blood samples with a 10 MHz B-mode ultrasonic scanner. Early aggregation could be detected within 10 sec. of stoppage of flow. The rate of echo intensity buildup and thus, presumably the rate of aggregation when flow was stopped was inversely related to hematocrit, as was the rate of echo intensity reduction when flow was resumed. Polycythemic blood of 60% hematocrit showed no echo intensity increase over 5 min. Increasing the shear stress when flow was resumed resulted in rapid decreases in aggregation. In all cases, disaggregation following flow resumption was faster than aggregation following flow stoppage.
Masses : quel apport de la tomosynthèse ?

Imagerie de la Femme - In Press.Proof corrected by the author Available online since mercredi 5 octobre 2016
Optimal Scheduling of Cybersecurity Analysts for Minimizing Risk

Cybersecurity threats are on the rise with evermore digitization of the information that many day-to-day systems depend upon. The demand for cybersecurity analysts outpaces supply, which calls for optimal management of the analyst resource. Therefore, a key component of the cybersecurity defense system is the optimal scheduling of its analysts. Sensor data is analyzed by automatic processing systems, and alerts are generated. A portion of these alerts is considered to be significant, which requires thorough examination by a cybersecurity analyst. Risk, in this article, is defined as the percentage of unanalyzed or not thoroughly analyzed alerts among the significant alerts by analysts. The article presents a generalized optimization model for scheduling cybersecurity analysts to minimize risk (a.k.a., maximize significant alert coverage by analysts) and maintain risk under a pre-determined upper bound. The article tests the optimization model and its scalability on a set of given sensors with varying analyst experiences, alert generation rates, system constraints, and system requirements. Results indicate that the optimization model is scalable and is capable of identifying both the right mix of analyst expertise in an organization and the sensor-to-analyst allocation in order to maintain risk below a given upper bound. Several meta-principles are presented, which are derived from the optimization model, and they further serve as guiding principles for hiring and scheduling cybersecurity analysts. The simulation studies (validation) of the optimization model outputs indicate that risk varies non-linearly with an analyst/sensor ratio, and for a given analyst/sensor ratio, the risk is independent of the number of sensors in the system.
Access to high-volume surgeons and the opportunity cost of performing radical prostatectomy by low-volume providers.

Abstract Background Evidence suggests that redirecting surgeries to high-volume providers may be associated with better outcomes and significant societal savings. Whether such referrals are feasible remains unanswered. Methods Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, SEER 18, and US Incidence data were used to determine the geographic distribution and radical prostatectomy volume for providers. Access was defined as availability of a high-volume provider within driving distance of 100 miles. The opportunity cost was defined as the value of benefits achievable by performing the surgery by a high-volume provider that was forgone by not making a referral. The savings per referral were derived from a published Markov model for radical prostatectomy. Results A total of 14% of providers performed>27% of the radical prostatectomies with>30 cases per year and were designated high-volume providers. Providers with below-median volume (≤16 prostatectomies per year) performed>32% of radical prostatectomies. At least 47% of these were within a 100-mile driving distance (median = 22 miles), and therefore had access to a high-volume provider (>30 prostatectomies per year). This translated into a discounted savings of more than $24 million per year, representing the opportunity cost of not making a referral. The average volume for high- and low-volume providers was 55 and 13, respectively, resulting in an annual experience gap of 43 and a cumulative gap of 125 surgeries over 3 years. In 2014, the number of surgeons performing radical prostatectomy decreased by 5% while the number of high- and low-volume providers decreased by 25% and 11% showing a faster decline in the number of high-volume providers compared with low-volume surgeons. Conclusions About half of prostatectomies performed by surgeons with below-median annual volume were within a 100-mile driving distance (median of 22 miles) of a high-volume surgeon. Such a referral may result in minimal additional costs and substantially improved outcomes.
Diameter of the World-Wide Web

Despite its increasing role in communication, the World-Wide Web remains uncontrolled: any individual or institution can create a website with any number of documents and links. This unregulated growth leads to a huge and complex web, which becomes a large directed graph whose vertices are documents and whose edges are links (URLs) that point from one document to another. The topology of this graph determines the web's connectivity and consequently how effectively we can locate information on it. But its enormous size (estimated to be at least 8×108 documents1) and the continual changing of documents and links make it impossible to catalogue all the vertices and edges.
Psychological Stress and Mitochondria: A Conceptual Framework.

Background The integration of biological, psychological, and social factors in medicine has benefited from increasingly precise stress response biomarkers. Mitochondria, a subcellular organelle with its own genome, produce the energy required for life and generate signals that enable stress adaptation. An emerging concept proposes that mitochondria sense, integrate, and transduce psychosocial and behavioral factors into cellular and molecular modifications. Mitochondrial signaling might in turn contribute to the biological embedding of psychological states. Methods A narrative literature review was conducted to evaluate evidence supporting this model implicating mitochondria in the stress response, and its implementation in behavioral and psychosomatic medicine. Results Chronically, psychological stress induces metabolic and neuroendocrine mediators that cause structural and functional recalibrations of mitochondria, which constitutes mitochondrial allostatic load. Clinically, primary mitochondrial defects affect the brain, the endocrine system, and the immune systems that play a role in psychosomatic processes, suggesting a shared underlying mechanistic basis. Mitochondrial function and dysfunction also contribute to systemic physiological regulation through the release of mitokines and other metabolites. At the cellular level, mitochondrial signaling influences gene expression and epigenetic modifications, and modulates the rate of cellular aging. Conclusions This evidence suggests that mitochondrial allostatic load represents a potential subcellular mechanism for transducing psychosocial experiences and the resulting emotional responses-both adverse and positive-into clinically meaningful biological and physiological changes. The associated article in this issue of Psychosomatic Medicine presents a systematic review of the effects of psychological stress on mitochondria. Integrating mitochondria into biobehavioral and psychosomatic research opens new possibilities to investigate how psychosocial factors influence human health and well-being across the life-span.
What are We Really Good At? Product Strategy with Uncertain Capabilities

Firms often learn about their own capabilities through their products' successes and failures. This paper explores the interaction between such learning from experience and product strategy in a formal model. We consider a firm that can launch a sequence of products, where each product's performance depends on the fit between the firm's capabilities and the product. A successful new product always causes the firm to become more optimistic about the capability most relevant for that product; however, it can also cause the firm to become less optimistic about some of its other capabilities, including capabilities the new product does not use. A product launch generates useful information for future decisions if it leads to learning about capabilities used by potential future products. We find that a product sharing few or even no capabilities with potential future products may generate more useful information than a product with greater overlap.
Palauamine and Olympiadane Nano Molecules Incorporation into the Nano Polymeric Matrix (NPM) by Immersion of the Nano Polymeric Modified Electrode (NPME) as Molecular Enzymes and Drug Targets for Human Cancer Cells, Tissues and Tumors Treatment under Synchrotron and Synchrocyclotron Radiations

In the current editorial, we study Palauâamine and Olympiadane Nano molecules (Figures 1 & 2) incorporation into the Nano Polymeric Matrix (NPM) by immersion of the Nano Polymeric Modified Electrode (NPME) as molecular enzymes and drug targets for human cancer cells, tissues and tumors treatment under synchrotron and synchrocyclotron radiations. In this regard, the development of Chemical Modified Electrodes (CEMs) is at present an area of great interest. CEMs can be divided broadly into two main categories; namely, surface modified and bulk modified electrodes. Methods of surface modification include adsorption, covalent bonding, attachment of polymer Nano films, etc. Polymer Nano film coated electrodes can be differentiated from other modification methods such as adsorption and covalent bonding in that they usually involve multilayer as opposed to monolayer frequently encountered for the latter methods. The thicker Nano films imply more active sites which lead to larger analytical signals. This advantage coupled with other, their versatility and wide applicability, makes polymer Nano film modified electrodes particularly suitable for analytical applications [1â27].