cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Nursing Student Self-efficacy Correlate with Knowledge When Using Human Patient Simulation?

Abstract Background Self-efficacy (SE) is commonly believed to be associated with nursing knowledge and is thought to be improved with manikin-based human patient simulation (HPS) training. Yet there is little evidence of a relationship between SE and knowledge. Methods Using a 2-group (HPS and control) experimental design, we examined the relationship of knowledge and SE and the predictors of knowledge scores in 161 students (age 25.7 ± 6.6; 89% female) from 4 prelicensure cohorts at three nursing schools. Knowledge and SE assessments were given at two testing points: Baseline and after HPS. Statistical analyses consisted of Pearson's correlations, analysis of variance, and multivariate logistic regression with the covariates of group (HPS or control), gender, ethnicity, SE and knowledge at baseline, school, and number of prior HPS exposure(s). Results Significant score increases in SE and knowledge were seen between the testing points for the experimental group (had HPS), but not the control group (no HPS) and differences were found between the groups for both variables ( p p ≤ .01) and HPS participation ( p = .002) as the only predictors of higher SE scores. Furthermore, SE was not a predictor of "good" knowledge scores. Conclusion This study demonstrated SE and knowledge gains in subjects who participated in HPS; however, there was no correlation between SE and knowledge nor was SE a predictor of "good" knowledge scores. Although educators strive to develop SE in their students, the limitations of SE's impact on outcome measures such as knowledge needs to be established.
Landsat - An unmanned space platform

Landsats 4 and 5, the latest in the series of unmanned earth observation satellites, are used as the space platform for two remote sensing, mechanical scanning instruments: the multispectral scanner (MSS) and the recently developed thematic mapper (TM). The primary objective of the experimental portion of the Landsat 4 and 5 missions is to assess the capability of the TM to provide improved information relative to the MSS.The higher spatial resolution of the TM over the MSS requires a higher degree of flight segment attitude stability than the earlier Landsats; therefore, a more stable, low-orbit space platform must be provided. This paper describes the orbital, electrical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of Landsat 4 and 5 flight segment with special emphasis on the TM and MSS interfaces. Also described are flight segment disturbances caused by the TM and MSS scanning mirrors, motion from the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) antenna, solar array, and the attitude control system (ACS).
Fetal RhD typing with free DNA in maternal plasma.

The finding of free fetal DNA (ffDNA) in the plasma of pregnant women was first reported by Lo et al in 1997. Considerable research has aided our understanding of this phenomenon. The source of the fetal DNA is probably the result of apoptosis of villous trophoblasts, either in situ or after they have entered the maternal circulation. The breakdown of intact fetal cells in the maternal circulation may also contribute to ffDNA. Total cell-free DNA is higher in maternal serum than plasma; however, similar levels of ffDNA are detected in both. FfDNA is demonstrable as early as 32 days of gestation and increases to comprise 3% of the total DNA pool in maternal plasma in the second trimester and increases to 6% in the late third trimester. After delivery by cesarean section, the mean half-life of ffDNA is 16 minutes, with no detectable levels by 2 hours after delivery in virtually all patients. FfDNA is elevated above norms in a variety of conditions, which include fetal trisomy 21 (2-fold increase), fetal trisomy 13, hyperemesis gravidarum, polyhydramnios, preeclampsia (5-fold increase), and HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) syndrome. Levels in patients who ultimately have preeclampsia have been found to be elevated at 13 to 17 weeks of gestation, with a second rise 3 weeks before the onset of clinical symptoms. In the case of a heterozygous paternal genotype, pregnant women who are alloimmunized to the RhD red cell antigen are at risk to carry an affected fetus in only 50% of cases. Because, in the past, a method for the determination of the RhD type of the fetus was not
Indoor Scene Reconstruction from Sets of Noisy Range Images

This paper describes a system for building 3D models of indoor scenes from sets of noisy laser range images. It addresses several important aspects of this problem, namely, preprocessing, which includes image segmentation and planar model fitting; view registration, which is the method of determining the rigid transformation that describes the relative pose of the camera platform between views; and reconstruction, which is the subsequent integration or fusion of separate range images into a single 3D model. Our proposed strategy is to use a statistical sensor model. We thus account for noise properties of the data at each stage in the reconstruction process, which produces reliable results even in the presence of significant measurement noise. We give an empirical analysis of a plane-based registration method and present results using real range data that demonstrate the performance of the entire reconstruction system.
Using Second Life to Enhance Classroom Management Practice in Teacher Education.

The following article discusses an educational simulation created within Second Life (SL) in order to assist pre‐service teachers (PSTs) in gaining more experience managing student behavior. The article discusses the development, implementation, and assessment of the simulation as well as student data on the feasibility of the approach in comparison to other methods of learning classroom management. It includes discussion of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) methods to infuse the simulation with random student behavior, much as it would arise in the classroom. Results indicated that the students found the simulation to be a useful learning experience and put them in situations that forced them to think on their feet. Recommendations for future work with the simulation and for others considering the use of SL for educational purposes are discussed. Der Gebrauch von Second Life zur Verbesserung von Unterrichtsmanagement in der Lehrerbildung Im folgenden Beitrag wird uber eine im Second Life (SL) erste...
Multiple- and Cross-Resistances to Insecticides in Pyrethroid-Resistant Strains of the Predatory Mite, Amblyseius fallacis

Strains of the predatory mite, Amblyseius fallacis Garman, which were variably resistant to a synthetic pyrethroid permethrin, showed multiple-resistances to DDT and to azinphosmethyl. In a resistant strain selected with permethrin, cross-resistances to a variety of pyrethroid types, including natural crude pyrethrins and several synthetic pyrethroid compounds, were demonstrated. Mechanisms of resistance relative to field insecticide use patterns and possible uses of these mites in future integrated pest management programs are discussed.
Degradation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mating-Type Regulator α1: Genetic Dissection of Cis-determinants and Trans-acting Pathways

Mating phenotype in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a dynamic trait, and efficient transitions between alternate haploid cell types allow the organism to access the advantageous diploid form. Mating identity is determined by cell type-specific transcriptional regulators, but these factors must be rapidly removed upon mating-type switching to allow the master regulators of the alternate state to establish a new gene expression program. Targeted proteolysis by the ubiquitin–proteasome system is a commonly employed strategy to quickly disassemble regulatory networks, and yeast use this approach to evoke efficient switching from the α to the a phenotype by ensuring the rapid removal of the α2 transcriptional repressor. Transition to the a cell phenotype, however, also requires the inactivation of the α1 transcriptional activator, but the mechanism by which this occurs is currently unknown. Here, we report a central role for the ubiquitin–proteasome system in α1 inactivation. The α1 protein is constitutively short lived and targeted for rapid turnover by multiple ubiquitin-conjugation pathways. Intriguingly, the α-domain, a conserved region of unknown function, acts as a degradation signal for a pathway defined by the SUMO-targeted ligase Slx5–Slx8, which has also been implicated in the rapid destruction of α2. Our observations suggest coordinate regulation in the turnover of two master regulatory transcription factors ensures a rapid mating-type switch.
Meeting the Challenge: Building University-School District Partnerships for a Successful Career Ladder Program for Teachers of English Learners

Abstract This article describes a career ladder program for paraeducators in which collaborative efforts of a university, community college, and consortium of school districts address the need for preparing teachers of English-language learners. Thirty paraeducators of minority background were supported through the California Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This article focuses on (1) the program goals, (2) participant recruitment and retention, (3) participant cohort, and (4) program support. The program was built on the concept of a community of learners in which the participants obtained a B.A. degree and a California Multiple Subject (elementary) Bilingual, Culture and Language Acquisition Development/Culture Language Acquisition Development Credential. This program provided teachers from an underrepresented group to meet the need for credentialed teachers of English learners as well as to diversify the teaching force.
Adsorption and elution of trace elements on human hair

Abstract Since 1962 the trace element content of human hair has been studied as a possible means of comparing physical-evidence hair samples. It is recognized that for hair to be of wide value in this application, its trace element content must not change rapidly with time. Limited studies have indicated, however, that changes do occur over relatively long periods of time. These changes may be due to natural growth processes and/or environmental contamination. This study was made to see how extensively the trace element content of hair might be modified by the adsorption of environmental trace elements and to see if solvents could be found that would remove the adsorbed elements. The procedure used was to place a sample of hair in a solution containing measured quantities of an element and a radiotracer. After 16 hr, the sample was removed from the solution, rinsed, and then washed. The radioactivity that remained after the wash was a measure of the quantity of adsorbed element. All solutions were prepared to approximate the composition and pH(3.5–5.5) of perspiration. The elements studied were Na, K, Cl, Br, Cu, Zn, Au, Se, Cr, I, As, Ag, Sb, Co, Fe, Mn, Ca, Ba, and Sr. All elements except Na and K were found to absord, and the extent of adsorption was pH dependent. The elements Zn, Fe, Ba, Co, Mn, and Sb were removed by solutions containing EDTA, but no solvent was found that would remove Au, Ag and Se.
Effect of aminosilane adsorption on rheology of silica powders in nonaqueous media

An aminosilane,N-(3-acryloxy-2-hydroxyl propyl)-3-amino-propyltriethoxysilane (AHAS), was used to disperse and stabilize Stober silica suspensions via steric stabilization in nonaqueous media. The effect of variables, such as the calcination temperature of the silica, the water content of the solvents, the physicochemical properties of solvent media, the particle size distributions of the silica, and the proportions of mixed solvent were studied. Viscosity measurements were conducted to assess the dispersion behaviour of the silica suspensions. Fourier transform-infrared analysis was used to deduce the mechanism of AHAS adsorption on the silica surface. The effect of the water content in the silica suspension was found to be highly dependent upon the degree of silica surface hydration before AHAS addition and also upon the kind of solvent medium used. It was observed that electrostatic contribution to the silica stabilization was appreciably greater than anticipated and was found to be a function of the relative acid-base nature of the organic solvent. Analyses of rheological data and infrared spectra were used to explain the behaviour of the silica suspensions.
On-demand routing and channel assignment in multi-channel mobile ad hoc networks

The capacity of mobile ad hoc networks is constrained by the intra-flow interference introduced by adjacent nodes on the same path, and inter-flow interference generated by nodes from neighboring paths. By assigning orthogonal channels to neighboring nodes, one can minimize both types of interferences and allow concurrent transmissions within the neighborhood, thus improving the throughput and delay performance of the ad hoc network. In this paper, we present three novel distributed channel assignment protocols for multi-channel mobile ad hoc networks. The proposed protocols combine channel assignment with distributed on-demand routing, and only assign channels to active nodes. They are shown to require fewer channels and exhibit lower communication, computation, and storage complexity, compared with existing approaches. Through simulation studies, we show that the proposed protocols can effectively increase throughput and reduce delay, as compared to several existing schemes, thus providing an effective solution to the low capacity problem in multi-hop wireless networks.
En “gendering” evaluation: Feminist evaluation but “I am NOT a feminist!”

The author explores the information gained through interviewing 13 feminist evaluators to explore (a) possible reasons why many evaluators—who draw from feminist principles and research—choose not to identify as “feminist” in their evaluation practice and scholarship and (b) the potential gains and losses to not locating themselves as feminist evaluators. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association
Mezerein: antileukemic principle isolated from Daphne mezereum L

An alcohol-water extract of Daphne mezereum L., a plant widely used in folk medicine for treating cancers, showed antileukemic activity against the P-388 lymphocytic leukemia in mice. Systematic fractionation of the extract has led to isolation and characterization of mezerein as the principal antileukemic component.
THE PREVALENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS AND THE EFFICACY OF CONCURRENT TETANUS ANERGY TESTING IN A PEDIATRIC REHABILITATION POPULATION. 1109

THE PREVALENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS AND THE EFFICACY OF CONCURRENT TETANUS ANERGY TESTING IN A PEDIATRIC REHABILITATION POPULATION. 1109
Adjoint Sensitivity Formulation for Discontinuous Galerkin Discretizations in Unsteady Inviscid Flow Problems

This paper presents an unsteady discrete adjoint algorithm for high-order implicit discontinuous Galerkin discretizations in time-dependent inviscid flow problems. The major function of the adjoint approach is to obtain the sensitivity information in a time-dependent functional output, which in turn is used to drive an unsteady shape-optimization process to deliver a minimum of the objective functional. A gradient-based optimization strategy is investigated, in which the sensitivity derivatives of the objective functional with respect to input variables are formulated in the context of high-order discontinuous Galerkin discretizations, while special emphasis is given to the variations and linearizations of curvilinear boundary elements. Implicit temporal discretizations consisting of a second-order backward Euler scheme and a fourth-order implicit Runge-Kutta scheme are considered exclusively in this work, where the corresponding adjoint problem is required to be solved in a backward time-integration manner due to the associated transpose operation. Two numerical examples for the unsteady shape design techniques are presented to verify the derived sensitivity formulations and to demonstrate the performance of the adjoint approach; the first involves an inverse shape-optimization case by matching a time-dependent target pressure profile for a two-dimensional periodic vortical gust impinging on a RAE-2822 airfoil, and the second considers minimization of the acoustic noise produced by subsonic flow over a NACA0012 airfoil with a 0.03c thick blunt trailing edge.
Challenges to Commercial Use of Transgenic Plants

Abstract There is a well established and rigorous framework to regulate interstate movement and environmental release of transgenic plants. Three federal agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency, are involved in the regulatory process. To date, more than 10,000 field trials have been conducted and approximately 60 different crop-species combinations have been deployed commercially in the U.S. This includes a wide range of crops that have been genetically engineered for a variety of traits. The purpose of this article is to describe the process by which one obtains permission to release transgenic plants for both experimental field trials and for commercial purposes.
Time-resolved fluorescence analysis

The choice of fluorescence as an analytical tool is often based on its intrinsic sensitivity. Compounds can be identified on the basis of their steady-state excitation and emission spectra. Resolution and information can be enhanced by the parameters obtained from time-resolved fluorescence. This includes both the intensity decay (lifetimes) and anisotropy decay parameters. For example, often substances have overlapping steady-state excitation and emission spectra. Thus, they can be difficult to resolve. However, these same compounds will often have different fluorescence lifetimes. This allows resolution by excited-state decay kinetics. By testing various associations of the intensity decay parameters with the excitation and emission parameters, as well as with other experimental variables such as pH, temperature, pressure, viscosity, or interaction with other solutes (such as collisional quenchers), one can obtain substantial information about the physical and chemical nature of the sample. In this way, one may 'finger print' complex mixtures, assess compound purity, and characterize a fluorescent compound.
Losing face: sources of stigma as perceived by chronic facial pain patients.

The purpose of this paper is to identify potential sources of estrangement and feeling psychologically flawed as perceived by temporomandibular pain and dysfunction syndrome (TMPDS) patients. It is our hypothesis that a primary source of patients' perceived stigma results from pejorative labeling by clinicians. The data come from a study of 151 women TMPDS patients. The results show that the lack of a known etiology or pathogenesis for the condition allows the possibility of pejorative labeling by influential others such as physicians and dentists that in turn causes TMPDS sufferers to feel stigmatized. Stigmatization is not the result of clinical factors per seor personality problems. Perceived stigma associated with TMPDS leads to the same sorts of strained interactions and feeling estranged that have been shown to be typical of people with other stigmatized conditions. These strains and feelings in turn may contribute to ill health.
The Present Time of Things Past: Julian of Norwich's Appropriation of St. Augustine's Generative Theory of Memory

Reading Julian of Norwich through an Augustinian lens allows us to position her within extant rhetorical tradition while showing ways she revised that tradition. Engaging the Augustinian rhetoric of memory by focusing on the interpretive moves that Julian made to produce her texts reveals the important role of both memory and time in Julian's compositional process. Read this way, we see that Julian provided us with a hermeneutic for reading her texts within the vernacular tradition that reconceptualizes Augustine's generative theory of memory.
Biomechanical factors and failure of transcervical hip fracture repair

Objective: To assess the association between biomechanical measurements (bone quality of the femoral neck, comminution, fracture angle, and fracture level) and the likelihood of fixation failure among patients who have a multiple screw stabilisation of an intracapsular hip fracture. Methods: A cohort study of 139 Washington State residents greater than 60 years of age who sustained a fall-related transcervical hip fracture treated from 1990 to 1996 inclusive. Measurements of bone quality, fracture angle, fracture level, and comminution were taken from perioperative X-rays. The outcome measure was clinical failure of the internal fixation procedure within 12 months of hospital discharge, as measured by readmission for further surgery to that hip. Results: Of the four biomechanical aspects examined, only bone quality, as measured by presence of an ICD code for osteoporosis, was significantly associated with risk of subsequent hospitalisation for revision surgery (adjusted hazard ratio 7.7, 95% CI 1.8–32.8). Conclusion: A diagnosis code for osteoporosis was related to the outcome of intracapsular fractures repaired with multiple pins. Other biomechanical measurements from diagnostic X-rays were not related to the need for further surgery.
A Rapid Method for Determining T Lymphocyte Levels Using Acid Alpha-Naphthyl Acetate Esterase

A method for rapidly determining levels of T lymphocytes in humans is presented. The method involves staining lymphocytes in peripheral blood or buffy coat smears for acid alpha-naphthylacetate esterase for 1 hr at 37 C. After counterstaining with Wright's stain, the percentage of esterase-positive lymphocytes accurately reflects the percentage of lymphocytes forming E rosettes with sheep erythrocytes.
A liquid optical phantom with tissue-like heterogeneities for confocal microscopy

Phantoms play an important role in the development, standardization, and calibration of biomedical imaging devices in laboratory and clinical settings, serving as standards to assess the performance of such devices. Here we present the design of a liquid optical phantom to facilitate the assessment of optical-sectioning microscopes that are being developed to enable point-of-care pathology. This phantom, composed of silica microbeads in an Intralipid base, is specifically designed to characterize a reflectance-based dual-axis confocal (DAC) microscope for skin imaging. The phantom mimics the scattering properties of normal human epithelial tissue in terms of an effective scattering coefficient and a depth-dependent degradation in spatial resolution due to beam steering caused by tissue micro-architectural heterogeneities.
Adsorbate spectra on metal and oxide surfaces

Surface adsorbates on clean metal surfaces are being studied by vacuum-ultraviolet differential-reflectivity methods. Results for rear gases adsorbed on metals reveal ionic characteristics of the excited configurations and weak coupling to the host electron gas.
Single molecule fluorescence image patterns linked to dipole orientation and axial position: application to myosin cross-bridges in muscle fibers.

Background Photoactivatable fluorescent probes developed specifically for single molecule detection extend advantages of single molecule imaging to high probe density regions of cells and tissues. They perform in the native biomolecule environment and have been used to detect both probe position and orientation. Methods and Findings Fluorescence emission from a single photoactivated probe captured in an oil immersion, high numerical aperture objective, produces a spatial pattern on the detector that is a linear combination of 6 independent and distinct spatial basis patterns with weighting coefficients specifying emission dipole orientation. Basis patterns are tabulated for single photoactivated probes labeling myosin cross-bridges in a permeabilized muscle fiber undergoing total internal reflection illumination. Emitter proximity to the glass/aqueous interface at the coverslip implies the dipole near-field and dipole power normalization are significant affecters of the basis patterns. Other characteristics of the basis patterns are contributed by field polarization rotation with transmission through the microscope optics and refraction by the filter set. Pattern recognition utilized the generalized linear model, maximum likelihood fitting, for Poisson distributed uncertainties. This fitting method is more appropriate for treating low signal level photon counting data than χ2 minimization. Conclusions Results indicate that emission dipole orientation is measurable from the intensity image except for the ambiguity under dipole inversion. The advantage over an alternative method comparing two measured polarized emission intensities using an analyzing polarizer is that information in the intensity spatial distribution provides more constraints on fitted parameters and a single image provides all the information needed. Axial distance dependence in the emission pattern is also exploited to measure relative probe position near focus. Single molecule images from axial scanning fitted simultaneously boost orientation and axial resolution in simulation.
Fostering Success Within the Cyclic Workforce: Seminole Community College's Innovative Approach to Helping Apprenticeship Students Live, Work, And Learn

ABSTRACT A first of its kind in the state of Florida, the Seminole Community College's Center for Building Construction was constructed as a partnership project between Seminole Community College, industry persons and the state of Florida. A training facility for students in the Construction Trades Apprenticeship Program, the building stands on the SCC Sanford/Lake Mary Campus. Funding originated with donated trade services, labor, and cash from over 90 professionals, contractors and vendors in the surrounding community. Those donations were then matched by the state of Florida in order to provide the facility to Seminole Community College at no cost. Seminole Community College won the 2004 Bellwether Award in the Planning, Governance and Finance category in recognition of this effort.
The effect of oral corticosteroid dosage on CT enhancing multiple sclerosis plaques

Fifty high-dose delayed CT scans were performed on 36 patients with definite MS within 4 months of a clinical relapse. The number of enhancing lesions visualized was compared in patients being treated with high- or low-dose oral corticosteroids and untreated controls. High-dose oral corticosteroid treatment significantly but incompletely reduced enhancement of MS plaques. Lower doses were less effective, especially when the latter were given on alternate days.
High-packing-density multichannel integrated-optic modules in LiNbO(3) for a programmable correlation of binary sequences.

Two 10-channel integrated-optic device modules have been constructed and tested. The architecture common to both modules consists of a LiNbO3 composite waveguide 1.0 cm × 2.0 cm in size in which a channel-waveguide array, a planar waveguide, a linear microlens array, an electro-optic Bragg modulator array or an acousto-optic and electro-optic Bragg modulator array, and a large-aperture lens are integrated. A novel scheme that employs a linear ion-milled planar microlens array was devised to excite the entire channel-waveguide array simultaneously, and thus greatly facilitate testing and application of the two device modules. The performance characteristics obtained in programmable correlation of binary sequences are also presented.
The regulation of flagellar formation and function.

The basal structure of the flagellum controls both activity and assembly. In order to define the steps involved in these processes, genetic analysis was performed. Twenty genes were found to be required for the complete assembly and function of the organelle. FlaE controls the length of the hook, flaA is required both to maintain flagellar structure and for chemotaxis, and flaI plays a role in regulating the synthesis of the entire structure. Mutations mapping close to flal (the cfs mutations) release flagellar synthesis from control by catabolite repression. The basal structure was purified and isolated. On SDS acrylamide gel electrophoresis, it contained at least six distinguishable components. One major band corresponded to the hook subunit with an apparent molecular weight of 42,000 daltons. The others had apparent molecular weights of 60,000, 40,000, 28,000, 25,000, and 18,000 daltons. The genes that correspond to these polypeptides have not been identified. In exploring the role of the mot and che genes, assays were developed for the function of individual flagellar filaments. The filaments were found to rotate and rotation could be modulated by changing their direction. Chemotaxis results from the modulation of flagellar rotation. Using the rotation assay the response of nonmotile cells to attractants and repellents was followed.
Natural convection in a vertical cylinder subject to constant heat flux

Abstract An experimental investigation was done using a laser Doppler velocimeter to measure the axial velocity of a fluid contained in a cylinder subject to constant heat flux on the side walls. Velocities as low as 0.025 cm/s could be resolved. The error for typical velocities in the boundary layer is ± 10%. The modified Rayleigh numbers studied ranged between 4.5 × 109 and 6.4 × 1010, which correspond to the upper limit of the laminar regime. The flow field inside the boundary layer was divided into three regions along the axis of the cylinder and a parabolic distribution was used to fit the data within each region. Excellent agreement was found with an available numerical solution.
Introductory survey of basic design and fuel-element considerations for large, fast sodium-cooled reactors

Abstract Some basic design and fuel element considerations in the development of large, fast breeder power reactors are analyzed on the basis of experimental and calculated results. Nuclear safety and stability, breeding, and economy are three principal requirements for developing large, fast power reactors. For nuclear safety and stability, the Doppler reactivity effect, sodium void (or loss) reactivity effect and structural expansion reactivity effect are analyzed. For breeding, the breeding ratio and gain, and the doubling time of fuel production are presented. Thermal and structural considerations of fuel element design are outlined. For economy, as well as breeding, the development of a ceramic (especially carbide) plutonium fuel system with higher power density and specific power for the large, fast power reactor system is desirable.
Do Neurologists and Primary Care Physicians Agree on the Extent of Specialty Involvement of Patients Referred to Neurologists

OBJECTIVE: Understanding the roles and responsibilities of physicians who manage mutual patients is important for assuring good patient care. Among physicians expressing a preference to involve a neurologist in the care of a patient, we evaluated agreement between neurologists and primary care physicians for the extent of specialty involvement in the evaluation and management of the patient, and the factors influencing those preferences. DESIGN AND SETTING: A self-administered survey containing 3 clinical scenarios was developed with the assistance of a multispecialty advisory board and mailed to a stratified probability sample of physicians. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred and eight family physicians, 624 general internists, and 492 neurologists in 9 U.S. states. INTERVENTIONS: For each scenario, those respondents who preferred involvement of a specialist were asked about the preferred extent of that involvement: one-time consultation with and without test/medication ordering, consultation and limited follow-up, or taking over ongoing care of the specialty problem as long as it persists. MAIN RESULTS: Survey response rate was 60%. For all 3 scenarios, neurologists preferred a greater extent of specialty involvement compared to primary care physicians (all P<.05). Other physician and practice characteristic factors, including financial incentives, had lesser or no influence on the extent of specialty involvement preferred. CONCLUSIONS: The disagreement between primary care physicians and specialists regarding the preferred extent of specialist involvement in the care of patients with neurological conditions should raise serious concerns among health care providers, policy makers, and educators about whether mutual patient care is coordinated and appropriate.
Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy method to determine stress in sapphire

Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy was used to nondestructively measure stress in ceramics, with sapphire being the model material. An infrared transmitting microscope was used to investigate, via external reflectance, spatial areas as small as 100 μm.
n-Butane isomerization on sulfated zirconia: the effect of nonspecific olefin addition

Abstract Butene has been suggested to be an intermediate in the proposed bimolecular mechanism for n -butane isomerization over sulfated zirconia (SZ). The addition of butene has been shown to significantly increase the rate of this reaction. The question can be asked as to whether other olefins would affect this reaction as well. In this study, the effects of propylene , 1-butene and 1-pentene addition on the reaction induction period and selectivity were studied and compared at 100 and 150 °C. Enhanced catalyst activity was found for all three olefins. There was an optimum concentration of added olefin for maximum activity. Catalyst activity increased and the induction period decreased with increased olefin concentration. Adding any of the three olefins for only the initial 2 min of reaction caused a long-term positive impact on the reaction rate and isobutane selectivity, reinforcing our earlier proposed concept of “olefin-modified sites.” The ratio of excess isobutane molecules formed per molecule of olefin added during the initial 2 min was around 14 at 100 °C and 692 at 150 °C for all three olefin additions. It is suggested that C 8 + intermediates (part of the hypothesized bimolecular reaction pathway) are not the only oligomers leading to the selective product; the reaction appears to proceed through the formation of C 7 + and C 9 + oligomers as well. The results of this study clearly show that isobutane can be made equally well by a mechanism involving n-butane and olefins different from butene.
Preliminary observations on the antidiuretic substance recovered from the urines of patients with cirrhosis of the liver.

In 1945 Ralli et al. reported an increase in the amount of antidiuretic substance present in the urines of patients with cirrhosis of the liver and ascites. Recently Drill and Frame (1948) have confirmed this observation. The presence of increased amounts of an antidiuretic substance in the urine of patients with water retention is of interest because of the possible relationship that the substance in urine bears to the antidiuretic hormone of the posterior pituitary and because of the role of this hormone in urine flow (Wesson, 1948) and therefore in water balance (Gilman and Goodman, 1936). Verney (1946,1947) and Pickford (1945) have shown that the antidiuretic hormone regulates the rate of urine flow, and Verney (1947, 1948) has described the mechanism for the control of the secretion of the hormone. Although much is known of the properties of the hormones of the posterior pituitary gland and the mechanism of their elaboration,
An analysis of slow crack propagation data in PMMA and brittle materials

Slow crack propagation data in PMMA previously published by Atkins et al. are reanalyzed in terms of a thermodynamic model in which the activation area is inversely proportional to the crack extension force. Important thermodynamic activation parameters are derived from the data. A correlation between the activation area and the crack extension force is observed in many brittle materials; it is compared to Li's general correlation for activation areas in creep.
Drugs on the Internet, Part IV: Google's Ngram Viewer Analytic Tool Applied to Drug Literature

Google Inc.'s digitized book library can be searched based on key words and phrases over a five-century time frame. Application of the Ngram Viewer to drug literature was assessed for its utility as a research tool. The results appear promising as a method for noting changes in the popularity of specific drugs over time, historical epidemiology of drug use and misuse, and adoption and regulation of drug technologies.
Updating P300: An Integrative Theory of P3a and P3b

The empirical and theoretical development of the P300 event-related brain potential (ERP) is reviewed by considering factors that contribute to its amplitude, latency, and general characteristics. The neuropsychological origins of the P3a and P3b subcomponents are detailed, and how target/standard discrimination difficulty modulates scalp topography is discussed. The neural loci of P3a and P3b generation are outlined, and a cognitive model is proffered: P3a originates from stimulus-driven frontal attention mechanisms during task processing, whereas P3b originates from temporal-parietal activity associated with attention and appears related to subsequent memory processing. Neurotransmitter actions associating P3a to frontal/dopaminergic and P3b to parietal/norepinephrine pathways are highlighted. Neuroinhibition is suggested as an overarching theoretical mechanism for P300, which is elicited when stimulus detection engages memory operations.
Retention Behavior of Amino Acids Using Immobilized Ag(I) Chromatography

A mathematical description of retention times for several amino acids on a polyacrylamide resin containing immobilized Ag(I) is presented in this paper. Immobilization of Ag(I) ions onto a chromatography support allows for the expansion of immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) to include soft acid/soft base interactions. For the retention of methionine, histidine, and tryptophan, a mathematical model is presented that rationalizes the retention behavior of these amino acids on a Ag(I) column as a function of silver ion loading and pH. The pH effect is important in that methionine is retained longer than histidine at pH values below 5, while at pH 7 histidine is retained longer than methionine. The effects of nonspecific interactions with the modified polymer, electrostatic interactions, and soft acid/soft base interactions are also taken into account by the model. This approach may also be useful for modeling the retention times of amino acids on other types of IMAC columns.
Unmet Assistance Need Among Older American Indians: The Native Elder Care Study

PURPOSE We examined the prevalence and correlates of unmet assistance need with respect to activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) among older American Indians. DESIGN AND METHODS Data for our analyses were collected in 2006-2008 as part of the Native Elder Care Study, a cross-sectional study of community-dwelling American Indians aged ≥55 years. In-person interviewer-administered surveys were used to collect data on demographic characteristics, physical functioning, mental and physical health, personal assistance needs, and psychosocial resources. RESULTS Among those with an assistance need, 47.8% reported an unmet need with one or more ADLs or IADLs. Significant adjusted correlates of unmet assistance need included greater number of ADL and IADL difficulties and lower levels of social support. IMPLICATIONS Initiatives and programs aimed at increasing social support and augmenting informal care networks can support efforts to meet American Indian adults' personal assistance needs.
BOARD COMPOSITION FROM A STRATEGIC CONTINGENCY PERSPECTIVE

This study examined the association between corporations’environments, strategies, and past performance and the composition of their boards of directors as measured by size and outside director representation. The environment, strategy and past performance were viewed as posing a strategic contingency; each of these sets could determine the success or failure of the company. Data on 119 Fortune 500 industrial companies for the 1983-9 period were used. Canonical analysis showed that increased uncertainty of a firm's environment, use of external growth and diversification; reliance on leverage as a means of finance, and poor past financial performance were associated with large board size and increased outside representation in subsequent years. Most important, board composition was positively associated with future measurements of corporate financial performance.
Do Momentum Strategies Work

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether an investment strategy based on using the prior performance of sector funds to direct future investments can provide superior risk-adjusted performance. Most momentum research had been focused on individual stocks. A few studies have looked at momentum in industries. This study extends this work by investigating whether sector funds capture the success reported using momentum strategies on industry groups.
Identification and characterization of mycobacteriophage L5 excisionase

The well-characterized mycobacteriophage L5 forms stable lysogens in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Establishment of lysogeny involves integration of the phage genome into the chromosome of its mycobacterial hosts through an integrase-mediated site-specific recombination event. As L5 lysogens spontaneously generate free phage particles, prophage excision must also occur, although an L5 excisionase gene had not been identified. We show here that L5 gene 36 encodes the phage excisionase and is a small, heat-stable 56-amino-acid protein that strongly stimulates excisive recombination both in vivo and in vitro. The ability to manipulate the highly directional phage integration and excision reactions will provide powerful tools for the introduction, curing and recovery of foreign genes in recombinant mycobacterial strains.
A pixel dissimilarity measure that is insensitive to image sampling

Because of image sampling, traditional measures of pixel dissimilarity can assign a large value to two corresponding pixels in a stereo pair, even in the absence of noise and other degrading effects. We propose a measure of dissimilarity that is provably insensitive to sampling because it uses the linearly interpolated intensity functions surrounding the pixels. Experiments on real images show that our measure alleviates the problem of sampling with little additional computational overhead.
Fatal child abuse presenting with multiple vertebral and vascular trauma.

This case study involves the unexplained death of a previously healthy 30-month-old child. Reportedly, she was found unresponsive by her foster father following a 2-hour nap. She was transported to the hospital and died in the emergency room of unknown causes. Blood drawn in the ER showed hemoglobin of 4.3 mg/dL. Postmortem skeletal survey, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, and retinal examinations were negative. The medical examiner assumed jurisdiction of the body. The autopsy showed massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage, transections of the abdominal aorta, and inferior vena cava, and complete tears of the anterior longitudinal ligament of the spine at C5/C6 and L1/L2 with diastases of the vertebral bodies at the corresponding intervertebral disk spaces. The case is believed to be extraordinary due to both the extent of injury that does not match the reported history and the mechanism of vertebral and vascular injuries.
Robust eigenvalue/eigenvector selection in linear state feedback systems

Design procedures are developed to select both eigenvalues and eigenvectors to improve system robustness. A robustness metric based on the determinant of the normalized eigenvector matrix defined. It is shown that this metric significantly speeds up the convergence of robust eigenvector solutions close to the optimal. A procedure to blend multiple inputs to improve achievable system robustness in the lower dimensional pseudo control space has also been derived. >
Concept Mapping: Evaluating the Language Arts Methods Course

In this inquiry, I examine the evidence of student learning in an elementary education language arts methods course. Students completed concepts maps that represented their understanding of effective writing instruction at the beginning end of the course. Eighty-one pairs of concepts maps were scored according to established methods. Students included 122% more concepts on their post-course concepts maps; links between concepts increased by 134%. I also analyze a typical student's beginning- and end-of-course maps, which shows that the student's knowledge base increased both in terms of number and specificity of concepts.
Jornada de D. Luis Méndez de Haro y Guzmán a Extremadura , 1658-1659: implicaciones para la política internacional española del momento *

En aquest article s’examina l’expedicio d’Haro a Extremadura, aixi com les seves implicacions per a la politica internacional espanyola del moment. La llarga absencia de D. Luis, el privat de Felip IV, de la cort fa que el monarca s’hi recolzi cada vegada menys i que comenci a deixar-se assessorar principalment per Balbases i Medina de las Torres. A mes, l’estrepitosa derrota d’Elvas al gener del 1659 obliga el favorit del rei a tornar a Madrid totalment humiliat i evita que es torni a col·locar immediatament a la cupula del poder. De fet, la debilitat de la seva posicio es tan gran en aquesta epoca que Haro es incapac d’impedir la ratificacio del tractat negociat amb Franca a Paris malgrat estar convencut que es tracta d’un document indecoros i inacceptable. No obstant aixo, aprofita les seves converses amb Mazzarino als Pirineus per millorar notablement els termes de la pau i, a la vegada, recuperar plenament el seu paper com a preferit del rei.
Viomycin does not stimulate the dissociation of peptidyl-tRNA

Peptidyl-transfer RNA normally dissociates at a low rate from the ribosomes of Escherichia coli during protein synthesis but accumulates under nonpermissive conditions in cells with a temperature-sensitive allele (pth ts ) of the gene encoding peptidyl-transfer RNA hydrolase. The antibiotic-hypersensitive strain E. coli DB-11 with the pth tS mutation was exposed to viomycin, then placed at nonpermissive temperatures. Under these conditions in the absence of drugs, peptidyl-tRNA accumulates, protein synthesis is inhibited and pth ts cells die. When viomycin was present at sufficient concentration to arrest protein synthesis, cell death was not accelerated, error-inducing effects of streptomycin were not counteracted and, at high doses, cytoplasmic accumulation of peptidyl-transfer RNA was slowed down. Blocking the translocation of peptidyl-transfer RNA with viomycin did not stimulate its dissociation from ribosomes. Erythromycin-enhanced cell death was not affected by viomycin at doses sufficient to block amino acid incorporation, suggesting that short peptidyl-transfer RNAs could still be synthesized and dissociated from ribosomes.
Passband Control of Lightly Damped Systems With Mode Separation

This paper deals with the regulation and stabilization of lightly damped systems under plant uncertainty. A controller consisting of a neural-network-based mode separator together with a modular passband tuning regulator is proposed. The mode separator generates the in-phase components of the plant utilized by the passband tuning regulator to maintain closed-loop stability and asymptotic regulation. This combined controller is robust and requires minimal plant information to operate. A synthesis procedure is outlined in this paper to summarize the design steps in a systematic manner. Finally, the application of the passband controller to the stabilization of a magnetic leadscrew is considered. Resonance is shown to be completely eliminated. The stabilization time of the transient response is also significantly reduced, confirming the feasibility of the controller.