cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure and content-based segmentation of speech transcripts

algorithm for the segmentation of an audio/video source into topically cohesive segments based on automatic speech recognition (ASR) transcriptions is presented. A novel two-pass algorithm is described that combines a boundary-based method with a content-based method. In the first pass, the temporal proximity and the rate of arrival of ngram features is analyzed in order to compute an initial segmentation. In the content- based second pass, changes in content-bearing words are detected by using the ngram features as queries in an information-retrieval system. The second pass validates the initial segments and merges them as needed. Feasibility of the segmentation task can vary enormously depending on the structure of the audio content, and the accuracy of ASR. For real-world corporate training data our method identifies, at worst, a single salient segment of the audio and, at best, a high-level table-of-contents. We illustrate the algorithm in detail with some examples and validate the results with segmentation boundaries generated manually.
Hepatitis B and liver cancer knowledge and practices among healthcare and public health professionals in China: a cross-sectional study

Background Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of liver disease and liver cancer and a major source of health-related discrimination in China. To better target HBV detection and prevention programs, it is necessary to assess existing HBV knowledge, educational resources, reporting, and preventive practices, particularly among those health professionals who would be responsible for implementing such programs.
Trends in the Utilization of Adjuvant Vaginal Cuff Brachytherapy and/or External Beam Radiation Treatment in Stage I and II Endometrial Cancer: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results Study

Purpose The optimal adjuvant radiation treatment for endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains controversial. Adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VB) has emerged as an increasingly common treatment modality. However, the time trends for using VB, external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), or combined therapy (VB+EBRT) have not been well characterized. We therefore examined the utilization trends of VB, EBRT, and VB+EBRT for adjuvant RT in International Federation of Gynecologic Oncology (FIGO) stage I and II EC over time. Methods and Materials We evaluated treatment patterns for 48,122 patients with EC diagnosed between January 1995 and December 2005, using the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) public use database. Chi-squared tests were used to assess differences by radiation type (VB, EBRT, and VB+EBRT) and various demographic and clinical variables. Results Analyses were limited to 9,815 patients (20.4%) with EC who met the inclusion criteria. Among women who received adjuvant RT, the proportion receiving VB increased yearly (12.9% in 1995 compared to 32.8% in 2005 (p < 0.0001). The increasing use of VB was proportional to the decreasing use of EBRT (56.1% in 1995 to 45.8% in 2005; p < 0.0001) and VB+EBRT (31.0% in 1995 to 21.4% in 2005; p < 0.001). Conclusions This population-based report demonstrates an increasing trend in the use of VB in the adjuvant setting after hysterectomy for treatment of women with FIGO stage I–II EC. VB alone appears to be replacing pelvic EBRT and VB+EBRT therapy in the management of stage I–II EC.
The DNA-binding domain of HPV-16 E2 protein interaction with the viral enhancer: protein-induced DNA bending and role of the nonconserved core sequence in binding site affinity.

We expressed the carboxy-terminal portion of the E2 open reading frame (ORF)-encoded protein of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) and purified it to near homogeneity. Using DNase I footprinting techniques, we show that like the homologous protein from bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1), HPV-18, HPV-11, it binds DNA at the enhancer consensus motif ACCN6GGT. Base and phosphate backbone contact points were determined using methylation protection and interference and ethylation interference assays. This HPV-16 E2 DNA-binding domain protein contacts the site at the outermost conserved GG residues which is similar to the interaction of the BPV-1 E2 system. However, there are many fewer phosphate backbone contacts. Using gel retardation assays, the HPV-16 E2 protein interaction with the consensus motif was characterized further based on the specific sequence of the noncontacted, nonconserved internal bases. Affinity of this E2 protein for the consensus site increased dramatically with an A.T-rich core sequence. Like the homologous BPV-1 protein, HPV-16 E2 protein induces DNA bending at its binding site. Furthermore, examination of the DNA region containing a single consensus motif far upstream from the major promoter, P97, revealed naturally bent DNA that was further bent upon interaction with the HPV-16 E2 protein.
Preburn Characteristics and Woodpecker Use of Burned Coniferous Forests

Large wildfires are common in many western coniferous forests, and these fires can affect woodpecker reproduction and habitat use. Our objectives were to examine nesting densities, reproductive parameters, and species-specific habitat selection of woodpeckers in a recently burned region of the Black Hills in South Dakota, USA, between 2001 and 2004. Postfire nesting densities were greatest in areas dominated by high prefire canopy cover, and reproductive success averaged >70%. For some species of woodpeckers, factors such as diameter at breast height, burn severity, and distance to unburned patches were important for nest-site selection. Our data indicated that nesting densities of many woodpeckers in the Black Hills were lower than what has been recorded elsewhere following recent, large wildfires in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests. Management activities that simulate mixed-severity fire effects and retain higher numbers of large snags are likely to benefit cavity nesters in this region.
Pediatric Hospitalists in Canada and the United States: A Survey of Pediatric Academic Department Chairs

Objectives.—To document the prevalence and practice patterns of pediatric hospitalists in academic centers in Canada and the United States; to characterize academic pediatric department chairs' definition of the term hospitalist; and to characterize pediatric department chairs' views of the training requirements for pediatric hospitalists. Methods.—A 14-item questionnaire was sent to all 145 pediatric department chairs from Canada and the United States during the fall of 1998. We defined hospitalists as physicians spending at least 25% of their time in inpatient care. Results.—Of the 145 eligible pediatric chairs, 128 (89%) responded (United States, 111/126; Canada, 14/16; Puerto Rico, 3/3). Ninety-nine (77%) of 128 pediatric chairs either have (64/128) or are planning to have (35/128) hospitalists in their institutions. Within academic programs with hospitalists, 82% of hospitalists currently work on general pediatric wards. Two thirds of hospitalists teach, 50% provide outpatient care, 50% have administrative duties, and 44% conduct research. One hundred eight (84%) of 128 believe that hospitalists should spend at least 50% of their time in inpatient care. Less than one third (30%) of pediatric chairs believe that hospitalists require training not currently provided in residency. Conclusions.—A large proportion of academic pediatric centers either employed or planned to employ hospitalists in 1998. Pediatric academic department chairs do not see a need for training beyond residency for hospitalists. Further studies should address how pediatric hospitalists affect quality of care, cost, and patient satisfaction.
Experience and visual perception in resident acquisition of laparoscopic skills

Assess the role of experience and visual perception (VP) in resident acquisition of laparoscopic surgical skills (LSS).Thrity-nine residents (20 PGY-1s tested just before starting residency; 19 PGY 3+) completed an LSS course, including examination of course-specific knowledge before and after didactic tutorials, 10 trials of 3 dexterity drills and suturing, and 3 standardized VP tests.Mean speed increased significantly (p < 0.001) across trials for all dexterity drills and suturing. Senior residents performed suturing trials 1 to 4 significantly faster (p < 0.05) than did PGY 1's (M +/- SD averaged across trials 1 to 4: 166.5 +/- 59.9 vs 252.3 +/- 108.2 seconds, p < 0.01). Group differences on later trials were progressively smaller and nonsignificant, as were all group differences on dexterity drills. Significant correlations between VP and speed on drills ranged from (r = -0.41, p < 0.01) to (r = -0.71, p < 0.001). Visual perception did not correlate significantly with suturing speed; neither pretest nor posttest scores correlated significantly with drill or suturing speeds.Residents at all levels can significantly increase LSS performance speed to comparable levels during a brief intensive skills course. Proficiency in specific aspects of VP is directly associated with performance speed on dexterity drills, shown in previous studies to be fundamental in the development of intracorporeal suturing skill. (Curr Surg 57:368-372. Copyright 2000 by the Association of Program Directors in Surgery.)
Factors influencing pediatricians' intention to recommend human papillomavirus vaccines.

Objectives The objectives of this qualitative study were to describe the range of pediatricians' attitudes about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and to explore factors influencing their intention to recommend HPV vaccines, extending the findings of previous quantitative studies. Methods A diverse sample of pediatricians participated in semistructured individual interviews to assess attitudes and intentions regarding HPV immunization. Framework analysis was used for qualitative analysis. Results The mean age of the 31 participants was 47 years, 17 (55%) were female, 9 (29%) were black, and 4 (13%) were Latino. The efficacy, safety, and potential health impact of vaccination were the primary factors driving participants' decisions about recommending HPV vaccines. Perceived benefits of HPV vaccination included prevention of HPV-related disease and the opportunity to educate adolescents. Perceived barriers included anticipated parental beliefs (eg, parental denial that their child would be at risk) and provider beliefs (eg, reluctance to discuss sexuality with preadolescents). Participants reported high intention to recommend HPV vaccines overall, but intention varied according to patient age, patient gender, and HPV vaccine type. The primary reasons underlying this variation included perceptions about the health impact of vaccination and relevance of HPV vaccines to the provider's patients. The main factors driving intention to recommend HPV vaccines included knowledge, personal and professional characteristics, office procedures, vaccine cost and reimbursement, parental factors, and specific attitudes about HPV vaccination. Conclusions These findings provide a framework for understanding pediatricians' decisions to recommend HPV vaccines and may be used to guide the design of interventions to maximize vaccine recommendations.
Local structure of Tl2(Ba1 −xSrx)2CuO6 (x = 0.0, 0.4, 0.5) studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Abstract We have determined the local structure of Tl2(Ba1 − xSrx)2CuO6, with x = 0.0, 0.4, 0.5 and Tc 89 K, 57 K, respectively, using X-ray absorption fine structure at both the Cu K and Tl LIII edges. As the strontium concentration increases from x = 0.0 to 0.5, the copper-in-plane oxygen distance decreases from 1.94 A to 1.90 A, the copper-copper distance from 3.88 A to 3.81 A, and the copper-axial oxygen (O(2)) distance from 2.71 A to 2.65 A, while the thallium-axial oxygen (O(2)) distance remains at 2.00 A, indicating an overall unit-cell contraction. We also find that the strontium atom is 0.14 A closer to the CuO2 plane than the barium atom. The contraction of the copper-in-plane oxygen bonds reflects an increase in the hole concentration in the CuO2 plane, leading to the observed decrease of Tc due to hole overdoping.
Quantum fluctuations in very small laser diodes

Quantum fluctuations play a critical role in determining the steady-state and transient response of a laser when there is a small number of particles in the system. These fluctuations, and the fact that a lowest energy state of the system exists, can suppress lasing and enhance spontaneous emission around threshold. Dynamic switching between two characteristic system states can dominate the fluctuations. Correlations between n discrete excited electronic states and s discrete photons create a non-Poisson probability distribution and damp the average dynamic response of laser emission.
Emerging drugs for diabetic macular edema.

Introduction: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy. The treatment of DME has recently undergone a paradigm shift. Traditionally, photocoagulation was standard treatment, but pharmacologic therapies are becoming increasingly used for this purpose. All currently available drug therapies for DME are either anti-VEGF agents or corticosteroids.Areas covered: The pathogenesis of DME involves angiogenesis, inflammation and oxidative stress. The scientific rationale to treat DME through the pharmacologic blockade of VEGF and other pro-angiogenic factors is discussed. The fluocinolone insert is approved for the treatment of DME in several European countries, but not in the US at this time. Some medications that are already approved for other retinal diseases, most prominently aflibercept and the dexamethasone delivery system, have recently obtained approval for DME in the US. Other compounds are being studied in earlier-phase clinical trials.Expert ...
Work in progress - The Great Race Innovation Chase

As one of the fourteen member universities of the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN), Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) is striving to make our engineering and technology undergraduates more innovative, entrepreneurial and action-oriented. To accomplish these added goals, we have created new courses in entrepreneurship and innovation. But how do we address the problem of encouraging students to add these courses to their already ambitious engineering studies? We decided to create a high-profile, showcase event that makes the learning fun. The Great Race Innovation Chase is a one-day event that requires students to think and act in creative, innovative and entrepreneurial ways; to work in teams to complete tasks, accumulate points, satisfy judges and compete for cash prizes. Along the way, the value of multi-talented, interdisciplinary teams will become apparent to both students and their faculty mentors as they work together to solve real-world problems posed by nationally recognized companies, with brand-name products, under unbelievably tight time constraints.
Security V. Park And Recreation Service Delivery: Reduced Effectiveness of Public Investment

ABSTRACT: The author surveyed more than 900 residents to assess the extent to which park security, a proxy for fear of crime, impacts park usage patterns. Findings indicate that investments in park and recreation services and facilities may be in vain in many cases because residents are reluctant to use the services. Fear of crime is widespread but is particularly burdensome for selected segments of society. For example, female minorities were especially concerned with quality-of-life implications of security issues. In addition, demand for type of security remedies varies as a function of respondent demographics. Thus, local government must be prepared to tailor investment to fit citizen demand. In particular, effective use of park and recreation resources requires a shift in investment priorities to include security enhancements and alteration of public perception of crime.
Are prescribed fire and thinning dominant processes affecting snag occurrence at a landscape scale

Abstract Snags are standing dead trees that are an important component in the nesting habitat of birds and other species. Although snag availability is believed to limit populations in managed and non-managed forests, little data are available to evaluate the relative effect of stand conditions and management on snag occurrence. We analyzed point sample data from an intensive forest inventory within an 80,000 ha landscape for four major forest types to support the hypotheses that routine low-intensity prescribed fire would increase, and thinning would decrease, snag occurrence. We employed path analysis to define a priori causal relationships to determine the direct and indirect effects of site quality, age, relative stand density index and fire for all forest types and thinning effects for loblolly pine and longleaf pine. Stand age was an important direct effect for loblolly pine, mixed pine-hardwoods and hardwoods, but not for longleaf pine. Snag occurrence in loblolly pine was increased by prescribed fire and decreased by thinning which confirmed our initial hypotheses. Although fire was not important in mixed pine-hardwoods, it was for hardwoods but the relationship depended on site quality. For longleaf pine the relative stand density index was the dominant variable affecting snag occurrence, which increased as the density index decreased. Site quality, age and thinning had significant indirect effects on snag occurrence in longleaf pine through their effects on the density index. Although age is an important condition affecting snag occurrence for most forest types, path analysis revealed that fire and density management practices within certain forest types can also have major beneficial effects, particularly in stands less than 60 years old.
EVOLUTION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND THE EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE

>An investigation to find an effect of the time dependence of the cosmological background metric on the equations of motion of a dynamical system was made to show some connection between the evolution of the solar system and the expanding universe. A model universe containing matter in the form of a uniform continuous distribution of radiation or dust and a localized dynamical system consisting of cluster of galaxies were considered. (L.B.S.)
Morphological Differentiation among Three Species of Flying Squirrels (Genus Hylopetes) from Southeast Asia

The genus Hylopetes consists of 8 or 9 species of small flying squirrels. There has been much nomenclatural confusion over 3 of these species: H. platyurus (the gray-cheeked flying squirrel), H. spadiceus (the red-cheeked flying squirrel), and H. lepidus (the pink-cheeked flying squirrel). To address this taxonomic problem, we examined museum specimens and quantified pelage coloration, tail shape, and a number of craniodental characters. A discriminant analysis of craniodental variables discriminated among the 3 species and allocated all specimens correctly (P < 0.00001). We found that simple ratios of craniodental measurements coupled with pelage coloration characters can assist in the identification of these problematic species, although tail shape was not useful for discrimination. Based on our results as well as historical accounts and what is known about the biogeographical patterns of the region, we provide a description and discussion of the distributions for these species.
Sutureless prepuceplasty with wound healing by second intention: An alternative surgical approach in children's phimosis treatment

Background A new technique for the treatment of children's phimosis is presented that minimizes the repairing time, the postoperative complications and maintains the physical foreskin appearance intact.
Part II: The mechanics of fracture fixation

Abstract A wide variety of options are available for fixation of fractures. Mechanical stability is generally not necessary for fracture healing, but is important for maintaining alignment to prevent malunion. The degree of angulation, rotation and shortening which can be tolerated and still be compatible with good function is dependent upon the particular type of fracture, its location and the expected performance of the patient. In general, the stiffer the fixation is, the less the fracture site will move, the less callus will form and the less is the stress on the healing tissues. The less stiff (or more compliant) the fixation, the more abundant the peripheral callus and the more stress on the tissues as they form to optimize tissue alignment, strength and stiffness. External fixation provides the best control of structural stiffness of fixation and provides the option of changing the stiffness during the treatment. Of the internal fixation methods, intramedullary fixation devices are the least biologically invasive option and least mechanically destructive. Plate fixation provides the most stable, rigid fixation but the greatest alteration of the natural healing processes. Functional cost or fracture brace management provides the least stable, most compliant fixation and the least interference with the natural healing processes. Each has its place in the armamentarium of the orthopaedic trauma surgeon.
Steatosis in hepatitis C: Mechanisms and basic concepts

Hepatic steatosis is a frequent histologic finding in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. Both host and viral factors contribute to steatogenesis. Recent literature has demonstrated the interaction of viral proteins with hepatic cellular components, resulting in oxidative stress, cytokine release, inflammation, insulin resistance, and disturbance in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. These viral-induced hepatocellular abnormalities thus initiate development of steatosis, worsening fibrosis, poor therapeutic response, and carcinogenesis. Steatosis in hepatitis C appears to be genotype specific and is predominantly metabolic in genotype 1 and cytopathic in genotype 3. This review discusses the details of complex pathogenic mechanisms of steatosis in CHC patients. The impact of steatosis on the disease’s natural history is discussed, and future directions are outlined.
Relation of symptoms to contractility and defect size in infants with ventricular septal defect

Forty-two infants with a ventricular septal defect (VSD) (21 asymptomatic and 21 symptomatic) were compared with 17 control infants to determine if symptoms of congestive heart failure (i.e., tachypnea/poor growth) were due to depressed contractility or defect size, or both. Echocardiographic indexes of defect size, left ventricular performance (shortening fraction), preload (left ventricular end-diastolic dimension), afterload (left ventricular end-systolic wall stress) and contractility (the relation between velocity of circumferential fiber shortening and wall stress) were measured. Clinical assessment included measurement of weight and respiratory rate. Pulmonary and systemic blood flow were assessed in 17 symptomatic and 3 asymptomatic patients by cardiac catheterization. Although there was no significant difference in age, the symptomatic group had significantly lower weight (5.5 +/- 2.9 vs 7.3 +/- 2.3 kg, p less than 0.05) and a higher respiratory rate (53 +/- 14 vs 43 +/- 6 breaths/min, p less than 0.05), compared with control subjects. The mean pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio in the symptomatic group was 2.9:1. Preload indexed for body surface area was significantly higher in the groups with a VSD compared with control subjects (asymptomatic, 8.5 +/- 1.7 cm/m2; symptomatic, 9.1 +/- 1.7 cm/m2; control subjects, 6.8 +/- 1.1 cm/m2; p less than 0.05). Shortening fraction, afterload and contractility were not significantly different among all groups. A defect size greater than 0.5 cm (or defect size indexed for body surface area greater than 1.8 cm/m2) was predictive of the presence of symptoms. It is concluded that contractility is normal in infants with a VSD. Symptoms may be related to pulmonary congestion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mexican americans across generations: immigrant families, racial realities

Jessica M. Vasquez, MEXICAN AMERICANS ACROSS GENERATIONS: IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, RACIAL REALITIES, New York: New York University Press, 2011, vii + 301 pp., $24.00 (pb). In Mexican Americans across Ge...
The academic attitudes of American teenagers, 1990–2002: Cohort and gender effects on math achievement

Abstract Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, I compare the academic attitudes of high school students from Generation X and the Millennial Generation. I then analyze the effects these attitudes have on mathematics achievement test scores. Compared to the earlier group, students in the later cohort were less likely to indicate academic reasons for attending school and largely perceived their friends as being less engaged academically. Students in both cohorts whose friends held academic values experienced an increase in math scores. The more students in the earlier cohort disagreed that they came to school for academic reasons, the more their math scores decreased; this relationship did not appear for the later cohort. Females in each cohort showed stronger academic attitudes than males; additionally, believing that popularity was important was associated with lower test scores for females, but not males, in the Millennial cohort.
Misspecified models with dependent observations

Abstract General results are given in this paper which allow the development of a theory of estimation and inference for situations in which the model of a data-generating process has been misspecified. Observations may come from time-series, cross-section, panel, or experimental data. The nonlinear regression model is examined in some detail. Conditions are provided which ensure the consistency and asymptotic normality of the least-squares estimator with respect to the parameter vector of a weighted least-squares approximation to the underlying data-generating process. A specification-robust estimator of the asymptotic covariance matrix is given, allowing a proper treatment of inference in potentially misspecified models. The properties of the approximation and the covariance estimator are exploited to yield new tests for model specification.
Late Incidence of Cancer After Metronidazole Use: A Matched Metronidazole User/Nonuser Study

In vitro mutagenic activity and carcinogenic potential of metronidazole in certain animals raised concerns about its possible carcinogenicity in humans. We studied the late incidence of cancer after metronidazole use among persons enrolled in the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, a health maintenance organization. Randomly selected nonusers were matched on a one-to-one basis for age, gender, and year of enrollment to persons who used metronidazole on an outpatient basis during the period January 1975 to December 1983; 5,222 metronidazole user/nonuser pairs, for whom the median follow-up was 12.6 years, were analyzed. Forty-nine percent, 39.2%, 9.8%, and 2% of users had 1, 2-4, 5-9, and > or = 10 prescriptions or refills of metronidazole filled, respectively. The late (after the first 7 years of follow-up) incidence of cancer was nearly identical among users and nonusers (652 and 662 per 100,000 person-years, respectively; relative risk, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-1.20). Age-gender stratified analysis did not reveal any association between metronidazole use and cancer. These data support no association between short-term exposure to metronidazole and cancer in humans. Although the results are reassuring, they may not extend to subjects who have used metronidazole for prolonged periods; further epidemiological studies should focus on these individuals.
Activation of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase gene promoter by hepatocyte nuclear factor-1β in human papillary thyroid cancer cells

We previously demonstrated that the human nicotinamide N-methytransferase (NNMT) gene was highly expressed in many papillary thyroid cancers and cell lines. The expression in other papillary and follicular cancers or cell lines and normal thyroid cells was low or undetectable. To gain an understanding of the molecular mechanism of this cell-specific expression, the NNMT promoter was cloned and studied by luciferase reporter gene assay. The promoter construct was expressed highly in papillary cancer cell lines, including those with higher (e.g. BHP 2–7) and lower (e.g. BHP 14–9) NNMT gene expression, and expressed weakly in follicular thyroid cancer cell lines. Further study with 5′-deletion promoter construct suggested that the NNMT promoter was regulated differently in BHP 2–7 and BHP 14–9 cells. In BHP 2–7 cells, promoter activity was dependent on an upstream sequence. In BHP 14–9 cells, sequence in the basal promoter region contributed notably to the overall promoter activity. RT-PCR or Western blot an...
Ecoregional, catchment, and reach-scale environmental factors shape functional-trait structure of stream fish assemblages

Patterns of association between functional traits and environmental gradients can improve understanding of species assemblage structure from local to regional scales, and therefore may be useful for natural resource management. We measured functional traits related to trophic ecology, habitat use, and life-history strategies of fishes and examined their associations with environmental factors in the Brazos and Trinity River basins in Central Texas. We also examined the relationship between functional diversity of fish assemblages and indices of biotic integrity and habitat quality. Environmental characteristics at the local reach and catchment scales, including the extent of forested area in the watershed, amount of land developed for urban and agricultural uses, stream size, substrate characteristics, and availability of riffle and pool habitats, were significantly associated with functional trait composition of fish assemblages. Broad physiographic differences between ecoregions also had a large influence on taxonomic and functional assemblage structure. In general, the volume of functional trait space occupied by fish assemblages was greatest in streams with high habitat quality scores located within landscapes having less alteration from agriculture and urban development. Distributions of functional traits in fish assemblages might provide an additional basis for assessment of stream condition in relation to environmental impacts.
Pharmacodynamic analysis of analgesic clinical trials: nonlinear mixed-effects logistic models.

In the development of an analgesic product, placebo-controlled clinical trials in patients with defined pain are used to study the dose-time-response relationship of the drug. In such trials, the response is usually an ordered categorical variable with longitudinal and subject-specific repeated measurements. The primary causal variables are time and analgesic concentration. The response may be informative right-hand censored because remedication with a known analgesic may be given if a patient has inadequate pain relief. Mixed-effects logistic models are used to estimate the probabilities of having certain pain relief or pain severity scores. A jackknife method is proposed to estimate the standard errors of parameter estimates. Posterior estimates of these probabilities, or of the scores themselves, allow the evaluation of efficacy for an analgesic. In this evaluation, therapeutic as well as statistical significance is assessed. Two case studies, one focusing on pain relief and the other on pain severity,...
Scores on Indicators of Leadership Skills, Locus of Control, and Self-Actualization for Student Leaders in Grades 6 to 10

St~tnmary.-Measures of leadership sUs, self-actualization, and locus of control for 105 student leaders in Grades 6 through 10 (36 boys and 69 girls) were examined using the Leadership Skills Inventory, Reflections of Self by Youch, and the NowickiStrickland Locus of Control Scale for Children. Several significant pade differences but no significant gender daerences were found on the measures. Correlations (.23 to .91) between scores were significandv ddferent from zero. Self-actualization is characterized as the natural tendency of humans to strive to MI.U their potential (Maslow, 1968). Maslow stated that physiological, safety, love, and esteem needs must be met before the level of selt-actualization within the hierarchy can be reached. Only a few researchers have mvestigated scores on self-actualization of school age children with leadership ab~Lities (e.g., Karnes, Deason, & D'Iho, 1993). Consequently, this literature could be expanded. Locus of control was characterized by Rotter (1954) as the extent to which a causal relation between a person's own behavior and a reward is perceived. If a reinforcement follows a behavior but is not perceived as contingent upon the behavior, it could be perceived as luck, chance, fate, or under someone else's control. In this case an external locus of control is exhibited. On the other hand, if a reinforcement is perceived as contingent upon a person's behavior or relatively permanent characteristics, a more internal locus of control is exhibited. Results of studes using intellectually glfted subjects (e.g., Douglas & Powers, 1982; Finchman & Barhg, 1978; Harty, Ahs, & Hungate, 1984; Karnes & D'fio, 1991; Lynne, 1979; Mdgram & Mdgram, 1975) have supported the notion that higher achievement is related to a more internal locus of control. No studies on the locus of control of student leaders, however, were located. The present study was conducted to examine gender and grade differences in and correlations between scores on measures of leadership slulls, self-actualization, and locus of control for a sample of student leaders.
On phase inversion characteristics of stirred dispersions

A new model has been proposed to address coalescence phenomena in liquid-liquid dispersions. It considers the drops to be charged due to the large differences in the dielectric constants of the two immiscibles phases. This leads to asymmetric behavior of the two dispersions, phase1-in-phase2 and phase2-in-phase1, even when the viscosities and the densities of both the phases are identical. The model unifies and explains a large number of hitherto unconnected and unexplained experimental findings reported in the literature on the inversion and settling characteristics of o-w and w-o dispersions. The proposed model has been tested in phase inversion experiments for two systems of immiscible organic phases (heptane-acetonitrile, heptane-dimethylformamide). These experiments confirm the model predictions and also rule out the possibility that widely different behaviour of o-w and w-o dispersions is a peculiarity of water phase
O trabalho cultural da globalização iorubá

Este artigo trata do surgimento e transformacao das categorias "ioruba" e "iorubidade" como atributos de importância coletiva para identidades sociais e praticas religiosas nos dois lados do Atlântico. Argumentando contra anacronicas atribuicoes de origem feitas por academicos, o artigo detalha como tais origens, identidades e religioes foram ativamente construidas na Nigeria, em Cuba e no Brasil durante o seculo vinte, atraves de processos etnogenicos e eclesiogenicos que envolviam interacoes complexas entre praticantes religiosos, etnografos e agentes do Estado, bem como mediacoes textuais e intertextualidades entre os geneors etnografico e hierografico. O artigo conclui com um breve esboco da mais recente fase desse processo, marcado pela transformacao do culto dos orixas em algo que se poderia descrever como um religiao universal emergente.
Current and Future Training at the University Level

Current interest in environmental quality can provide unique opportunities for the recruitment and training of highly motivated students into the fields of industrial health. Proposed Federal legislation recognizes personnel shortages and would authorize financial support for training. Rapid changes in patterns of undergraduate education will require maximum flexibility on the part of training programs to adapt new backgrounds to industrial health, activities that are closely interwoven with community health.
Antimicrobial Properties of Natural Phenols and Related Compounds II: Cinnamylated Phenols and Their Hydrogenation Products

A variety of nuclear alkylated C-cinnamylphenols were synthesized and tested for antimicrobial activity. These compounds are particularly effective against Gram-positive bacteria.
Rapid evolution of the plastid translational apparatus in a nonphotosynthetic plant: loss or accelerated sequence evolution of tRNA and ribosomal protein genes.

The vestigial plastid genome of Epifagus virginiana (beechdrops), a nonphotosynthetic parasitic flowering plant, is functional but lacks six ribosomal protein and 13 tRNA genes found in the chloroplast DNAs of photosynthetic flowering plants. Import of nuclear gene products is hypothesized to compensate for many of these losses. Codon usage and amino acid usage patterns in Epifagus plastic genes have not been affected by the tRNA gene losses, though a small shift in the base composition of the whole genome (toward A + T -richness) is apparent. The ribosomal protein and tRNA genes that remain have had a high rate of molecular evolution, perhaps due to relaxation of constraints on the translational apparatus. Despite the compactness and extensive gene loss, one translational gene (infA, encoding initiation factor 1) that is a pseudogene in tobacco has been maintained intact in Epifagus.
Models of production lines with flexible workstations

This article presents models of production line systems with two flexible workstations. Flexible stations have the capability of switching from one operation to another when they become either blocked or starved. The objective is to determine and compare the production rates of serial and parallel arrangements of the workstations. It is shown that, in general, the serial arrangement achieves higher efficiency. Under some specific assumptions, however, both arrangements have the same production rate. An extension of the analysis of two stations to n stations for the parallel case is also presented.
Inactivation of Salmonella phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase by specific chemical modification of a lysine residue.

Abstract Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase from Salmonella typhimurium contains nine lysine residues per subunit and can be inactivated by reagents specific for this amino acid. Pyridoxal-P reversibly inhibited the enzyme by about 70% by forming a Schiff base derivative with lysine. Reduction with NaBH4 made this inactivation irreversible. Kinetic experiments indicated that the failure to inactivate the enzyme completely in a single treatment with pyridoxal-P reflects a reversible equilibrium between inactive Schiff base and a noncovalent complex. Modification of one lysine residue per subunit correlated with apparently total loss of activity. The rate of inactivation of the enzyme was decreased fourfold by saturating concentrations of ATP and was decreased at least 20-fold by formation of a quaternary complex of the enzyme with Mg2+, α,β-methylene ATP, and ribose-5-P. Trinitrobenzenesulfonate also irreversibly inactivated the enzyme, but this reagent was less specific in that the loss of activity corresponded to the modification of four to five lysine residues. These results suggest that an essential lysine is near the active site of Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase.
An Investigation of U.S. Undergraduate Business School Rankings Using Data Envelopment Analysis with Value-Added Performance Indicators.

Bloomberg Businessweek ranks U.S. undergraduate business programs annually. These rankings provide a convenient overall measure of quality, which is important in today's environment of concern about higher education costs and employment after graduation. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) has advantages over previous regression approaches in characterizing value added. The authors use a DEA approach to estimate relative efficiencies based on starting salaries and recruiter surveys, identifying some schools as overachievers relative to their Bloomberg Businessweek rankings. In particular, DEA-based reranking highlights the ability of some public institutions facing high student–faculty ratios to turn out well-regarded graduates with high starting salaries.
THE ROLE OF ENDOMYCORRHIZAE IN REVEGETATION PRACTICES IN THE SEMI-ARID WEST. I. A COMPARISON OF INCIDENCE OF MYCORRHIZAE IN SEVERELY DISTURBED VS. NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

A comparison of a natural, undisturbed ecosystem, a mid-elevation sage community, with a severely disturbed old roadbed through this community revealed that more than 99% of the plant cover in the natural community was mycorrhizal (vesicular-arbuscular), whereas less than 1% of the plant cover in the disturbed area (roadbed) was mycorrhizal. Examples of nonmycorrhizal plants as primary successional species in severely disturbed habitats are discussed. The importance of maintaining or re-establishing the mycorrhizal fungal component in reclamation programs designed to produce stable ecosystems is emphasized.
Stimulus-response properties of cricket cereal filiform receptors

The dynamic ranges and stimulus-response properties of a large sample of cereal filiform receptors in Acheta domesticus were investigated electrophysiologically. The relation between receptor response and stimulus velocity was a sigmoid function, the log-linear portion of which spanned 1–1.5 log units of peak air-current velocity. Different receptors responded over different but overlapping velocity ranges, such that the system velocity sensitivity range spanned at least 2.5 log units. Plots of receptor response amplitude vs. stimulus direction were sinusoidal, with a period of 360°. Long-hair receptors responded in phase with air-current velocity, and intermediate-hair receptors responded in phase with air-current acceleration. These results extend those of Shimozawa and Kanou (1984a) and Kamper and Kleindienst (1990), in which the dynamics of receptor responses were shown to depend on hair length. When individual hairs were directly mechanically deflected, their receptors responded in phase with the first derivative of hair deflection. The signal transform between the air-current stimulus and the receptor response is comprised of two processes, one biomechanical/aerodynamic and one membrane biophysical. The results of this study suggest that the parametric sensitivities of receptors are primarily determined by hair biomechanical/aerodynamic properties.
Prolonging contact lens wear and making contact lens wear safer.

Purpose To summarize the present status of safety and efficacy of contact lens wear. Design Literature review. Methods Ovid Medline searches were performed on records from 1966 through 2005 using keywords: keratitis, contact lens complications, extended-wear contact lenses, and silicone-hydrogel contact lenses. Results Patients desire comfort, clarity of vision, and prolonged contact lens wear when contact lenses are used to correct refractive error. Practitioners desire patient satisfaction but also require maintenance of the integrity of the eye and no complications that jeopardize vision or health of the eye. Improvements in the oxygen permeability of the contact lens materials, design of the contact lens and its surface, and solutions for the maintenance of the lens have reduced but not eliminated the risks of infection, inflammation, and conjunctival papillary reaction associated with contact lens wear. The lessons of past and recent history suggest that patient education and practitioner participation in the management of contact lens wear continue to be critical factors for patient satisfaction and safety in the extended wear of contact lenses. Conclusions The availability of highly oxygen permeable contact lenses has increased the tolerance and safety of extended contact lens wear, but patient instruction and education in proper use and care of lenses is required and caution is advised.
Characterization of Crack Tip Electrochemistry Using a Simulated Crack

Abstract A major problem confronting attempts to model environmentally assisted crack growth is the uncertainty present in the rates of electrode reactions within a crack. This results partially from the lack of definition of the solution chemistry and electrode potential at a crack tip. This paper addresses the question of how the environment within the occluded region of a crack differs from that of the bulk environment, and more specifically, identifies the important role of dynamic strain on the chemistry of the crack tip environment. Since it has been concluded that much of the desired information cannot be obtained from actual cracks, the experimental approach uses a simulated crack which has the flexibility to examine the influence of the critical geometrical, mechanical, and electrochemical variables. Results obtained on AISI 304 stainless steel (SS) in 0.1 M Na2SO4 demonstrate that dynamic strain has a marked effect on crack tip chemistry. The application of dynamic strain is shown to shift the c...
Bonding mechanisms of laser-fabricated titanium/polyimide and titanium coated glass/polyimide microjoints

In this study, two bimaterial joining systems, namely, titanium coated glass/polyimide (TiGPI) and titanium/polyimide (TiPI) are considered. The joints were prepared by employing transmission type laser-joining procedure. Both the TiGPI and TiPI bimaterial systems were subjected to tensile loading using a microtester, and failure loads per unit bond length were documented. The average failure strengths of the TiPI and TiGPI samples were found to be 5.1 and 7.3 N/mm, respectively. It is thus clear from the failure data that the TiGPI joints are stronger (1.4 times) than the TiPI joints although same chemical bonds between titanium and polyimide (PI) exist for both the systems. It is thus believed that material surface morphology has contributed to such variation in the microjoint strengths. Later, atomic force microscopy (AFM) of titanium surfaces of both titanium coated glass and titanium foil was performed, and was observed that they had root mean squared (RMS) surface roughnesses of 220 and 55 nm, respectively. The surface roughness provides improved surface contact area, number of chemical bonds, and mechanical interlocking that may have resulted in higher bond strength for the TiGPI system. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pilot study of radiofrequency interstitial tumor ablation (RITA) for the treatment of radio-recurrent prostate cancer

BACKGROUND To prospectively evaluate the feasibility, safety, morbidity, and preliminary efficacy of radiofrequency interstitial tumor ablation (RITA) for the focal treatment of patients with local prostate cancer recurrence. METHODS Eleven patients with biopsy-proven, hormone-naive, clinically localized prostate cancer were enrolled in a prospective phase I/II trial. Eight patients had failed prior radiation therapy and three were not candidates for curative primary therapy (median Gleason score 7 and 6, respectively). Median follow-up was 20 months. All patients were treated with RITA in an office setting, under intravenous sedation and were discharged after the procedure. Radiofrequency energy was applied via needles placed transperineally under transrectal ultrasound guidance. RESULTS The placement of 1/4 lesions was aborted in two patients due to increasing rectal temperature. Complications included transient macrohematuria (19%), bladder spasms (9%), and dysuria (9%). Serum PSA levels decreased after RITA >50% in 90% of patients, > 70% in 72% of patients, and > 80% in 46% of patients. The mean PSA doubling time after RITA was slower than that before RITA (37 ± 22 months vs. 14 ± 13 months, P = 0.008). At 12 months after RITA, 50% of patients with sufficient follow-up had no residual cancer on repeat systematic 12-core biopsy cores and 67% were cancer-free in biopsy cores sampled from the RITA-treated areas. CONCLUSIONS RITA treatment is a minimal invasive, rapid, user-friendly, office-based procedure that is well tolerated. Focal ablation with RITA results in effective local disease control in patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer recurrence. Larger, prospective, multicenter clinical studies are needed to confirm these findings. Prostate. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.