cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion: A Summary of the 2017 Intersociety Summer Conference.

The 39th radiology Intersociety Committee reviewed the current state of diversity among trainees and in our workplaces and addressed future strategies for fostering diversity through inclusion. The assembled participants addressed the imperatives and drivers for diversity and developed a road map to foster diversity. Themes included the need to be proactive in increasing awareness of our own biases and their potential impact on workplace decisions, overcoming blind spots, and being culturally sensitive. The need to identify and eliminate barriers to diversity was discussed at both the organizational and practice level and included efforts to break down structural and clinical barriers, such as training in multicultural awareness. Additional strategies that were addressed included building inclusive work environments; facilitating debate, conversations, and community building; and pipelining medical students through mentoring pathways. The conference ended with a call to action to develop toolkits with effective resources to support the necessary diversity and inclusion initiatives we must all undertake.
Biocomputing 2015 - Proceedings of the Pacific Symposium

The Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing (PSB) 2015 is an international, multidisciplinary conference for the presentation and discussion of current research in the theory and application of computational methods in problems of biological significance. Presentations are rigorously peer reviewed and are published in an archival proceedings volume. PSB 2015 will be held from January 4 8, 2015 in Kohala Coast, Hawaii. Tutorials and workshops will be offered prior to the start of the conference.PSB 2015 will bring together top researchers from the US, the Asian Pacific nations, and around the world to exchange research results and address open issues in all aspects of computational biology. It is a forum for the presentation of work in databases, algorithms, interfaces, visualization, modeling, and other computational methods, as applied to biological problems, with emphasis on applications in data-rich areas of molecular biology.The PSB has been designed to be responsive to the need for critical mass in sub-disciplines within biocomputing. For that reason, it is the only meeting whose sessions are defined dynamically each year in response to specific proposals. PSB sessions are organized by leaders of research in biocomputing's hot topics. In this way, the meeting provides an early forum for serious examination of emerging methods and approaches in this rapidly changing field.
FIELD LEARNING: EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THROUGH PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND SELF-REFLECTION OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AT SPORTING EVENTS

As marketing educators, we can enhance student learning by providing experiences that go beyond the classroom and into the real world. In this way, we encourage students to become lifelong learners...
The Effect of Survival Economy Participation on Transgender Experiences of Service Provider Discrimination

This study determines how transgender involvement in survival economies, namely sex work and drug sales, affects transgender experiences of service provider discrimination, in comparison to discrimination experienced by transgender people not involved in survival economies. It utilizes cross-sectional data from the 2008–2009 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS). Multivariate logistic regression is conducted on the sample (n = 4927) to determine the strength of association. Logistic regression sub-analysis is used to compare discrimination across different service provider contexts. Compared to those not participating in survival economies, participating in sex work has almost three times greater odds (OR 2.83, CI 2.20–3.63), and those participating in drug sales have approximately 1.5 greater odds (OR 1.52, CI 1.16–1.99), of experiencing discrimination from service providers. Participation in survival economies is a significant predictor of a transgender person’s increased likelihood of experiencing service provider discrimination. Findings suggest that service providers must attend to the specificity of transgender experiences in survival economies. Harm reduction is offered as a suitable intervention approach.
Animal models of mineralocorticoid resistance.

The development of animal models with a mineralocorticoid hormone resistance was a by-product of the development of animal models to study hypertension. One of the first models of sodium induced hypertension was developed by Rodbard with salt loading of chicken.1 In the early 1950’s Sapirstein2 and Toussaint3 followed with rat models for the development of salt induced hypertension. In 1953, Meneely and co-workers reported a linear relationship between mean blood pressure and salt ingestion in rats maintained on a specific sodium diet for long periods of time.4 Hypertension developed and persisted in all animals on high salt intake.4,5
The new HIV/AIDS program in Peru : The role of prioritizing and budgeting for results

This study aims to evaluate and develop recommendations on how the HIV/AIDS program in Peru can achieve better Value for Money. In Peru, the HIV epidemic concentrates mostly among men who have sex with men (MSM), with AIDS being the first cause of death for men ages 30-49 in 2010 and the second cause of death for women aged 25-34 (BOD, 2013). UNAIDS (2013) estimates there were 76,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) in 2012, and this study estimates 67,000 PLWA in 2013. The Ministry of Health reports that 27,502 PLWA currently receive ART, a 43-48 percent coverage of eligible people, and 66 percent coverage of all diagnosed eligible individuals (WHO, 2013 guidelines). In 2011, there was a transition from international to domestic public funding, which increased from US$17.7 million in 2005-10 to US$57.8 million in 2011-13. The main achievements of the Peru HIV/AIDS program to date include: (i) collaboration with NGOs to provide ART; (ii) free provision of ART; (iii) educating poor women on mother to child HIV transmission; and (iv) access to reduced ARV prices through the PAHO Drug Fund. Major challenges include: (i) limited testing and laboratory capacity in the provinces; (ii) less than half of the budget is allocated to high-risk groups; (iii) wage bill issued by other programs and; (iv) limited number of community health workers (CHWs) for IEC. This study recommends targeting high-risk groups with proactive testing, promotion of condom use, and supervised ART administration by CHWs to close the coverage gap. In addition, there is a need to expand coverage of rapid testing points through greater diversity of contractual arrangements with NGOs and the private sector, which can only be achieved with the support of a human resources plan that centrally positions CHWs in HIV prevention and ARV treatment.
Application of a novel protein chip mass spectrometry technology for the identification of bladder cancer-associated biomarkers.

The molecular heterogeneity of cancer suggests that simultaneous screening of a sample for different molecular markers is necessary in order to increase accuracy of cancer diagnosis. DNA chip technologies address this problem at the genomic level and provide accessibility to gene expression profiles.
Stili di pensiero

Discussions styles of self and mental potential 'posed to better understand the various ways of thinking and learning and discovering our individual preferences.
Business-Inspired School Reform in the Era of Financialization: Not Business as Usual:

Business-inspired school reform policies in the United States date back to the late 19th century. In the last four decades, however, while school reformers have continued to borrow policies and pra...
Spectroscopic Signatures of Mode-Dependent Tunnel Splitting in the Iodide-Water Binary Complex.

The gas-phase vibrational spectrum of the isolated iodide–water cluster ion (I–·H2O), first reported in 1996, presents one of the most difficult, long-standing spectroscopic puzzles involving ion m...
Systematic Prompting of Peer-Related Social Behaviors in a Small Group Academic Instructional Context:

We examined the effectiveness of systematic prompting of peer-related behaviors delivered during small group academic instructional sessions with three dyads of preschool-aged children with deficit...
Are narcotic pain medications necessary after discharge following thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to determine whether patients undergoing thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy have similar postoperative pain if managed with an opioid-sparing regimen versus an opioid-containing regimen. We hypothesized that an opioid-sparing regimen would provide equivalent analgesia. Methods We performed a prospective, randomized trial ( clinicaltrials.gov NCT03640247 ) comparing non-narcotic and narcotic postoperative pain regimens after discharge. Patients ≥18 y undergoing thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy were eligible for inclusion. Patients were excluded if they were taking a narcotic. Patients in the nonnarcotic arm of the study received acetaminophen, alternating with ibuprofen, and patients in the narcotic arm received the same medications plus a narcotic. Results Of 126 patients, 64 patients were in the nonnarcotic group and 62 were in the narcotic group. The mean age was 54 ± 14 y, and 108 (86%) patients were female. Median pain scores were similar on postoperative day #0 (narcotic group 7 versus nonnarcotic group 7.5), postoperative day #1 (narcotic group 6 versus nonnarcotic group 6), postoperative day #2 (narcotic group 5 versus nonnarcotic group 5), postoperative day #3 (narcotic group 4 versus nonnarcotic group 4), postoperative day #4 (narcotic group 3 versus nonnarcotic 3) and postoperative day #5 (narcotic group 2.5 versus nonnarcotic group 2, all P > .1). A total of 31 (50%) patients in the narcotic group did not take a narcotic. A total of 8 (12.5%) patients in the nonnarcotic group and of 31 (50%) patients in the narcotic group took a median total of 2 narcotic tablets. Conclusion An opioid-sparing pain medication regimen provides effective analgesia for most patients after thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy.
Investigation and Mitigation of Radio Frequency Interference Caused by Weak Grounding of USB Type-C Receptacle Connector

In modern mobile electronic systems, USB connector has been identified as one of the dominant noise sources for desense issues. In this paper, the noise coupled to the Wi-Fi antenna from a USB connector is investigated. With the assistance of full-wave simulations, the root cause of desense noise is identified as the non-ideal electrical connection between the metal chassis and the USB receptacle shell where it is installed. The proposed radiation mechanism is validated through measurements of a real tablet device, and 15 dB noise level reduction is observed with a better grounding structure.
When Size Matters: IV Estimates of Sibship Size on Educational Attainment in the U.S.

Children with additional siblings appear to fare worse on a variety of developmental and educational outcomes across social contexts. Yet, the causal relation between sibship size and later attainment remains dubious, as factors that influence parents’ fertility decisions also shape children’s socioeconomic prospects. We apply instrumental variables methods that treat multiple births (e.g., twins, triplets) and same-sex composition as natural experiments to test whether increases in sibship size have a causal effect on the educational attainment of older siblings in the U.S. We pool several nationally representative datasets, including the Child and Young Adult Cohorts of the NLSY79 and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, to obtain adequate sample sizes for these methods. Although results indicate that the presence of an additional sibling has a trivial effect on the attainment of older siblings for most families (those with two to four siblings), a large penalty arises with the introduction of a fifth sibling. Our findings imply that the costs associated with sibship size are likely concentrated among the largest families.
Todd-Breland, E. (2018). A Political Education: Black Politics and Education Reform in Chicago since the 1960s. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. 344 pp. ISBN: 9781469646589 (Paperback)

In her recent book A Political Education, Elizabeth Todd-Breland tells the story of black education reform in Chicago since the modern civil rights movement. In doing so, she demonstrates how black educators and communities have ceaselessly fought against white supremacist structures that perpetuate racial and class disparities, and shows how their victories, though important, were often undermined by these same structures. More importantly, Todd-Breland uncovers the forgotten stories and contributions of black women educators and activists at the heart of these movements that were heretofore disregarded in favor of those of their male counterparts. Writing against patriarchal norms that historically sidestep women’s contributions, Todd-Breland organizes her historical analysis around the stories of these women.
Genome copy number regulates inclusion expansion, septation, and infectious developmental form conversion in Chlamydia trachomatis.

DNA replication is essential for the growth and development of Chlamydia trachomatis, however it is unclear how this process contributes to and is controlled by the pathogen's biphasic lifecycle. While inhibitors of transcription, translation, cell division, and glucose-6-phosphate transport all negatively affect chlamydial intracellular development, the effects of directly inhibiting DNA polymerase have never been examined. We isolated a temperature sensitive dnaE mutant (dnaEts ) that exhibits a ∼100-fold reduction in genome copy number at the non-permissive temperature (40°C), but replicates similarly to the parent at the permissive temperature of 37°C. We measured higher ratios of genomic DNA nearer the origin of replication than the terminus in dnaEts at 40°C, indicating that this replication deficiency is due to a defect in DNA polymerase processivity. dnaEts formed fewer and smaller pathogenic vacuoles (inclusions) at 40°C, and the bacteria appeared enlarged and exhibited defects in cell division. The bacteria also lacked both discernable peptidoglycan and polymerized MreB, the major cell division organizing protein in Chlamydia responsible for nascent peptidoglycan biosynthesis. We also found that absolute genome copy number, rather than active genome replication, was sufficient for infectious progeny production. Deficiencies in both genome replication and inclusion expansion reversed when dnaEts was shifted from 40°C to 37°C early in infection, and intragenic suppressor mutations in dnaE also restored dnaEts genome replication and inclusion expansion at 40°C. Overall, our results show that genome replication in C. trachomatis is required for inclusion expansion, septum formation, and the transition between the microbe's replicative and infectious forms.SIGNIFICANCE Chlamydiae transition between infectious, extracellular elementary bodies (EBs) and non-infectious, intracellular reticulate bodies (RBs). Some checkpoints that govern transitions in chlamydial development have been identified, but the extent to which genome replication plays a role in regulating the pathogen's infectious cycle has not been characterized. We show that genome replication is dispensable for EB to RB conversion, but is necessary for RB proliferation, division septum formation, and inclusion expansion. We use new methods to investigate developmental checkpoints and dependencies in Chlamydia that facilitate the ordering of events in the microbe's biphasic life cycle. Our findings suggest that Chlamydia utilizes feedback inhibition to regulate core metabolic processes during development, likely an adaptation to intracellular stress and a nutrient-limiting environment.
Differences in perceptions of transition readiness between parents and teens with congenital heart disease: do parents and teens agree?

Background: Amongst patients with CHD, the time of transition to adulthood is associated with lapses in care leading to significant morbidity. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in perceptions between parents and teens in regard to transition readiness. Methods: Responses were collected from 175 teen–parent pairs via the validated CHD Transition Readiness survey and an information request checklist. The survey was distributed via an electronic tablet at a routine clinic visit. Results: Parents reported a perceived knowledge gap of 29.2% (the percentage of survey items in which a parent believes their teen does not know), compared to teens self-reporting an average of 25.9% of survey items in which they feel deficient (p = 0.01). Agreement was lowest for long-term medical needs, physical activities allowed, insurance, and education. In regard to self-management behaviours, agreement between parent and teen was slight to moderate (weighted κ statistic = 0.18 to 0.51). For self-efficacy, agreement ranged from slight to fair (weighted κ = 0.16 to 0.28). Teens were more likely to request information than their parents (79% versus 65% requesting at least one item) particularly in regard to pregnancy/contraception and insurance. Conclusion: Parents and teens differ in several key perceptions regarding knowledge, behaviours, and feelings related to the management of heart disease. Specifically, parents perceive a higher knowledge deficit, teens perceive higher self-efficacy, and parents and teens agree that self-management is low.
Modeling hyperpolarized lactate signal dynamics in cells, patient‐derived tissue slice cultures and murine models

Determining the aggressiveness of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) noninvasively is a critical part of the diagnostic workup for treating this disease that kills more than 15,000 people annually in the USA. Recently, we have shown that not only the amount of lactate produced, as a consequence of the Warburg effect, but also its efflux out of the cell, is a critical marker of RCC aggressiveness and differentiating RCCs from benign renal tumors. Enzymatic conversions can now be measured in situ with hyperpolarized (HP) 13 C magnetic resonance (MR) on a sub-minute time scale. Using RCC models, we have shown that this technology can interrogate in real time both lactate production and compartmentalization, which are associated with tumor aggressiveness. The dynamic HP MR data have enabled us to robustly characterize parameters that have been elusive to measure directly in intact living cells and murine tumors thus far. Specifically, we were able to measure the same intracellular lactate longitudinal relaxation time in three RCC cell lines of 16.42 s, and lactate efflux rate ranging from 0.14 to 0.8 s-1 in the least to the most aggressive RCC cell lines and correlate it to monocarboxylate transporter isoform 4 expression. We also analyzed dynamic HP lactate and pyruvate data from orthotopic murine RCC tumors using a simplified one-compartment model, and showed comparable apparent pyruvate to lactate conversion rate (kPL ) values with those measured in vitro. This kinetic modeling was then extended to characterize the lactate dynamics in patient-derived living RCC tissue slices; and even without direct measurement of the extracellular lactate signal the efflux parameter was still assessed and was distinct between the benign renal tumors and RCCs. Across all these preclinical models, the rate parameters of kPL and lactate efflux correlated to cancer aggressiveness, demonstrating the validity of our modeling approach for noninvasive assessment of RCC aggressiveness.
Market Performance of Agricultural Commodities in Semi-Arid South Kordofan, Sudan

Abstract Research conducted by the Western Sudan Agricultural Research Project allows examination of the impact of the recent African drought upon agricultural market performance and structure. Price volatility, as well as high prices, was a major destabilizing factor in agricultural commodity markets. Small farmers and petty traders are largely risk avoiders rather than profit maximizers, and tend not to move product when faced with price uncertainty. At the same time, responsibility for marketing functions shifts to these small operators and producers. These are the channel members least able to finance increased functional responsibility. Again, the result is that products may be held off of the market. Policy makers must recognize these marketing factors when devising strategies appropriate to semi-arid regions such as South Kordofan. Policy recommendations can be offered which can facilitate the movement of product, and thus greatly ease the marketing constraints associated with drought.
Yet Another Way to Lower Homocysteine: Close the Patent Foramen Ovale.

The foramen ovale connecting the right and left atrium in utero fails to close in a quarter of adults.1 Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is roughly twice as common among people with cryptogenic stroke before age 60 years, approaching 50%.2 In 2017, 3 clinical trials established PFO closure as effective secondary stroke prophylaxis in well-selected patients.3 While the pathogenic mechanism of PFO stroke remains uncertain, paradoxical embolus is the obvious suspect. If peripheral blood returning to the right atrium contains an embolus from subclinical venous thrombosis, this could traverse the PFO through the left chambers to aorta and brain, bypassing the physical filtering effect of pulmonary capillaries. However, only 5% of patients with strokes who harbor a PFO have an identified venous thrombus.4
An Evolving Foreclosure Landscape: The Ibanez Case and Beyond

Mortgage securitization, subprime lending, a persistently weak housing market, and an explosion of residential mortgage defaults – today’s homeowners and banks face a new and challenging landscape. Recently, courts in several states have issued decisions that alter the terrain for mortgage foreclosures. In Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, among other states, courts have dismissed foreclosure actions on the basis of what might seem to be highly technical deficiencies in the pleading or proof. The most well-known–and controversial–in this cluster of cases is U.S. Bank National Ass’n v. Ibanez, decided by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts this year. In Ibanez, the court held that two assignee banks failed to obtain legal title to foreclosed properties because they failed to prove that they held valid assignments of the foreclosed mortgages at the moment that the foreclosure proceedings were begun.
Scanning two-grating free electron Mach-Zehnder interferometer

We demonstrate a two-grating free electron Mach-Zehnder interferometer constructed in a transmission electron microscope. A symmetric binary phase grating and a condenser lens system form two spatially separated, focused probes at the sample which can be scanned while maintaining alignment. The two paths interfere at a second grating, creating constructive or destructive interference in the output beams. This interferometer has many notable features: positionable probe beams, large path separations relative to beam width, continuously tunable relative phase between paths, and real-time phase information. Here we use the electron interferometer to measure the relative phase shifts imparted to the electron probes by electrostatic potentials as well as a demonstration of quantitative nanoscale phase imaging of a polystyrene latex nanoparticle.
THE STATISTICS OF SUBSAMPLING1

Formulae are developed for the variance of data based on the enumeration of subsamples of subsamples. The fractions of the initial samples that are enumerated determine the contribution of the initial population variance to the overall variance and the precision with which the initial variance can be estimated.
Cloning of murine gelsolin and its regulation during differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells.

Abstract The regulation of gelsolin levels during differentiation of the murine embryonal carcinoma cell line, PC-13, was investigated using nucleic acid and immunological probes. A cDNA clone, Mu-319, which contained the entire coding sequence for the cytoplasmic form of murine gelsolin was isolated using a polyclonal antibody. Gelsolin was detected in several cell lines but was not detectable in three undifferentiated embryonal carcinoma cell lines. Levels of gelsolin mRNA increased 10-fold during the differentiation of the murine embryonal carcinoma cell line, PC-13. Differentiation of PC-13 was accompanied by changes in cell shape, from small indistinct cells to large flat cells. The accumulation of gelsolin mRNA in PC-13 cells began 12-24 h after addition of the differentiation-inducing agents. In comparison, 2-5A-dependent RNase activity showed a 40-fold increase beginning after 24 to 36 h and c-fos mRNA were shown to increase about 9-fold beginning 36 to 60 h after induction of differentiation. The levels of gelsolin per se, as determined by immunoreactivity were also shown to increase with differentiation of PC-13 cells. These results suggest that gelsolin may play a role in the restructuring of actin filaments which accompanies the dramatic changes in cell shape during differentiation.
Classical ProbabilityBased Uncertainty Theory

Basic ideas of classical probability theory are introduced. Shannon entropy, as a measure of probabilistic uncertainty on finite sets, is derived and its uniqueness is established. The issue of how to measure probabilistic uncertainty for infinite sets is discussed.
Disponibilidad, accesibilidad y aceptabilidad en el sistema de atención médica en vías de cambio para los adultos mayores en los Estados Unidos

Objetivos. Este estudio usa tres dimensiones de acceso a los servicios medicos que contribuyen a una distribucion social equitativa: (disponibilidad, accesibilidad y aceptabilidad) para examinar la equidad de dos sistemas medicos en los Estados Unidos de America (EE. UU.): el sistema tradicional de indemnizacion, en el que se paga una "cuota por servicio" o "pago por acto" (PPA) y el nuevo sistema de organizaciones de servicios medicos prepagados (health maintenance organizations: HMO). Se compara la equidad entre tres grupos de adultos mayores: euroamericanos (el grupo mayoritario) y latinoamericanos y afroamericanos (las minorias). Metodos. Los datos provienen de una encuesta nacional representativa que incluye un total de 858 latinoamericanos, 970 afroamericanos y 8 622 euroamericanos de la tercera edad (65 anos o mas) de areas urbanas. Para comparar los grupos se usan la ji² y la regresion logistica. Resultados. Los datos indican que las personas de la tercera edad pertenecientes a grupos minoritarios, caracterizadas por tener los recursos economicos mas bajos y mayores necesidades de servicios medicos, se benefician mas en el sistema de HMO porque este les proporciona mayor disponibilidad y acceso a los servicios medicos en comparacion con el sistema de PPA. Esta mejora se debe a que el sistema de HMO reduce las barreras economicas para los pacientes. Sin embargo, los latinoamericanos afiliados a HMO en EE. UU. manifiestan una menor satisfaccion con sus medicos de cabecera. Conclusiones. El sistema de HMO incrementa el acceso a la atencion medica pero no necesariamente mejora la calidad de la relacion entre paciente y medico para las personas de la tercera edad de EE. UU. pertenecientes a grupos minoritarios. Este estudio demuestra que es posible evaluar la equidad de los servicios medicos durante un proceso de reforma y, que para asegurarse de su validez, se deben incluir poblaciones vulnerables y diferentes dimensiones de acceso.
“This Actually Happened”: An Analysis of Librarians’ Responses to a Survey about Racial Microaggressions

ABSTRACTRacial microaggressions are subtle, derogatory messages conveyed to people of color. While often delivered unconsciously, these persistent and pervasive negative messages can have devastating effects on individuals and organizations. In an effort to investigate academic librarians’ experiences and observations of racial microaggressions, a survey was sent to three ACRL listservs in the spring of 2012. In a preliminary analysis of the 129 comments left by survey participants, seven themes were identified: microassaults, microinsults, microinvalidations, environmental microaggressions, uncertainty or racism not observed, being excluded or isolated, and implications for recruitment and retention.
Fault tolerant algorithms for heat transfer problems

With the emergence of new massively parallel systems in the high performance computing area allowing scientific simulations to run on thousands of processors, the mean time between failures of large machines is decreasing from several weeks to a few minutes. The ability of hardware and software components to handle these singular events called process failures is therefore getting increasingly important. In order for a scientific code to continue despite a process failure, the application must be able to retrieve the lost data items. The recovery procedure after failures might be fairly straightforward for elliptic and linear hyperbolic problems. However, the reversibility in time for parabolic problems appears to be the most challenging part because it is an ill-posed problem. This paper focuses on new fault-tolerant numerical schemes for the time integration of parabolic problems. The new algorithm allows the application to recover from process failures and to reconstruct numerically the lost data of the failed process(es) avoiding the expensive roll-back operation required in most checkpoint/restart schemes. As a fault tolerant communication library, we use the fault tolerant message passing interface developed by the Innovative Computing Laboratory at the University of Tennessee. Experimental results show promising performances. Indeed, the three-dimensional parabolic benchmark code is able to recover and to keep on running after failures, adding only a very small penalty to the overall time of execution.
Is All Public Capital Created Equal

This paper uses a VAR approach to investigate the effects of public investment on private-sector performance in the United States. This approach is consistent with the argument that the analysis of...
Electromagnetic Interaction of Dual Systems

We introduce the electromagnetic interaction of dual models by means of a generalized minimum-interaction principle. It leads to a conserved current and a gauge-invariant theory. Unfortunately, the strong gauge conditions are preserved only for on-mass-shell photons, which leads to unphysical poles in $k\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}{k}^{\ensuremath{'}}$.
Identifying iatrogenic depression using confirmatory factor analysis of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in patients prescribed a verapamil-sustained-release-led or atenolol-led hypertension treatment strategy.

Abstract Background β-blockers and calcium channel blockers are highly effective medications indicated for treatment and prevention of hypertension. However, the literature regarding the potential depressive effects of β-blockers and calcium channel blockers is equivocal regarding whether one or both are associated with depression. Objectives To determine whether self-reported depressive symptoms of older persons with hypertension and coronary artery disease and who were randomly assigned to a verapamil-sustained-release-led (Ve-led) or atenolol-led (At-led) hypertension treatment strategy were similar using confirmatory factor analytical models of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Methods This study used a mail survey of patients enrolled in a substudy of an international randomized controlled clinical trial. Complete data on the CES-D after 1 year of treatment were obtained from 1019 study subjects. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) procedures were used to test for differences in the fit of the data to the initial 4-factor CES-D model among patients assigned to the 2 treatment groups after 12 months of therapy. A test of configural invariance was conducted by sequentially constraining various matrices to be equal across groups. The convergent validity of the model was tested by examining the standard errors of the lambda-X parameter estimates of the configural model. The factor loadings for like items were investigated across the 2 groups using a test of strong factorial invariance. Finally, the 2 treatment groups were compared on the 4 factors to detect differences in the model's parameters. Results Overall, the data fit the CFA models across the 2 treatment groups based on the 4-factor model. However, 3 items differed slightly, including appetite, depressed, and crying. The data suggested significant differences across groups on the positive affect, interpersonal relations, and somatic and retarded activity latent variables. Conclusions The domains indicating less happiness and more depressive symptoms were most likely to be unfavorably impacted by the At-led treatment strategy. Given a choice between these equally effective high blood pressure treatment strategies, it may be prudent to use the Ve-led strategy. This is especially true if the risk of the occurrence of a mood-related side effect of the β-blocker outweighs its other benefits in comparison.
Micro-Supervisory Experience, Humanistic and Clinical Format:

Many school administrators lament that they do not have adequate time to supervise and evaluate instruction. This article presents a model which the writer says is intended to be more humanistic and clinical by involving teachers in the process.
The Effects of Mediated Programming Instruction on Preschool Children's Self-Monitoring

The effects of mediated Logo programming lessons on preschool childrens' comprehension monitoring was investigated in this study. Fourteen children of similar language ability, sex, and SES level w...
Evidence of a major genetic factor conditioning freezing sensitivity in winter wheat

The inheritance of freezing tolerance in F 2 -derived F 4 populations from all possible crosses of winter wheat cultivars 'Kestrel', 'Eltan', 'Tiber', 'Froid' and germplasm line Oregon Feed Wheat #5 (ORFW) was investigated. When frozen to a temperature equal to the LT 50 of the least freezing tolerant parent (ORFW), survival frequency distributions were skewed to greater survival in six of the 10 crosses, however, very few of the progeny from the four crosses to ORFW survived. The inheritance of this freezing sensitivity was investigated with freezing of F 2:4 populations from the crosses of ORFW to 'Eltan' or 'Tiber' to the LT 50 of the hardier parent. Very few of the F 2:4 populations survived as well as 'Eltan' or 'Tiber', indicating a small number of strongly dominant genetic factors in ORFW that conditioned freezing sensitivity. Molecular analysis indicated these factors were not spring-type vernalization alleles.
There is, indeed, a misunderstanding: A reply to Hekala and Buell

Abstract We believe that the misunderstanding is on the part of Hekala and Buell. They criticize us for using data from different historic periods. If sociobiology has value in accounting for human conduct, sociobiological principles should operate in all cultures and in all eras. While our data may be incomplete in the eyes of historians, they are complete enough to inform us of the genetic relatedness of persons in real or potential conflicts and to tell us the outcomes of these conflicts.
Anesthetic aspects of laparoscopic and open adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma

Abstract Objectives. To compare the anesthetic aspects and intraoperative hemodynamic data and immediate postoperative outcomes in patients whose pheochromocytoma resection was performed either laparoscopically or by traditional open surgery. Methods. Fourteen consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic procedures (a single surgeon) were compared with 20 patients who underwent open surgery. The patients’ records were reviewed for demographic information, preoperative medical history and therapy, intraoperative hemodynamic data, fluid balance, and immediate postoperative course. Results. No differences between the highest intraoperative blood pressures and number of hypertensive episodes between the two groups were found. However, in laparoscopic patients, the intraoperative hypotension was less severe (mean lowest blood pressure 98/57 mm Hg versus 88/50 mm Hg, P = 0.05), and the hypotensive episodes were less frequent (median 0 versus 2, P = 0.005) and required fewer interventions with vasopressors (P = 0.02). Extreme high and extreme low heart rates did not differ between the two groups. The estimated blood loss was lower in the laparoscopic group (P = 0.0001), but the total intraoperative fluid requirement and operative times were similar in the two groups. Patients in the laparoscopic group resumed walking earlier (median 1.5 versus 4 days, P = 0.002) and resumed oral food intake sooner (median 1 versus 3.5 days, P = 0.0001). The median duration of hospitalization in patients who underwent laparoscopic and open adrenalectomy was 3 and 7.5 days, respectively (P = 0.001). Conclusions. Intraoperative hemodynamic values during laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma were comparable to those of traditional open surgery, but the patients who underwent the laparoscopic procedure had a faster postoperative recovery.
Effects of metallic coatings on the performance of skutterudite-based segmented unicouples

Abstract An analytical model is developed to investigate the effects of applying thin metallic coatings on the legs of skutterudite based thermoelectric unicouples and to calculate the impact on the dimensions and the performance parameters of the unicouple. These coatings suppress the sublimation of antimony from the legs near the hot junction (∼973 K) and, hence, minimize the degradation in the unicouple performance with operation time. Coating materials investigated are: tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V), which have different thermal conductivities, electrical resistivities, coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) and vapor pressures. Detailed comparison of these coating materials was necessary since none clearly satisfies both a minimal decrease in the performance of the unicouple and ease of fabrication and long life. The former favors low thermal conductivity and high electrical resistivity, while the latter favors low CTE and low vapor pressure. The lengths of the coatings of both the n- and p-legs, which were found to be different for best unicouple performance, are determined as functions of the antimony vapor pressure off the exposed portions of the legs, which varied from 1.0 to 1000 mPa, and the thickness of the applied metallic coating (1–9 μm). Results indicated that increasing the coating thickness decreases the conversion efficiency but increases the load electrical power of the unicouple. Despite their high CTE, Ti or V coatings are best in terms of the effect on the unicouple performance when a coating thickness >1 μm in needed. They cause the smallest decreases, while Ta or Mo coating with lower CTEs, result in the largest decreases in the conversion efficiency. With thin coatings (⩽1 μm), however, the effects on conversion efficiency and electrical power of the unicouple are significantly small. In this case, a Mo coating would be best since it has the smallest CTE and low vapor pressure.
Ecotourism: a guide for marketers

Ecotourism represents a growing industry with unique challenges. Although marketers must be concerned with the ultimate product provided to consumers, much effort must be expended working with local and federal officials, and maintaining good environmental practices. Examines some of the issues which confront marketers, their experiences, the benefits which can be derived from the successful marketing of ecotourism programmes, and the development of an ecotourism ethic, which is an underlying key to success in this area.
On-line analysis of the TCP acknowledgment delay problem

We study an on-line problem that is motivated by the networking problem of dynamically adjusting of acknowledgments in the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). We provide a theoretical model for this problem in which the goal is to send acks at a time that minimize a linear combination of the cost for the number of acknowledgments sent and the cost for the additional latency introduced by delaying acknowledgments. To study the usefulness of applying packet arrival time prediction to this problem, we assume there is an oracle that provides the algorithm with the times of the next L arrivals, for some L ≥ 0.We give two different objective functions for measuring the cost of a solution, each with its own measure of latency cost. For each objective function we first give an O(n2)-time dynamic programming algorithm for optimally solving the off-line problem. Then we describe an on-line algorithm that greedily acknowledges exactly when the cost for an acknowledgment is less than the latency cost incurred by not acknowledging. We show that for this algorithm there is a sequence of n packet arrivals for which it is O (***)-competitive for the first objective function, 2-competitive for the second function for L = 0, and 1-competitivefor the second function for L = 1. Next we present a second on-line algorithm which is a slight modification of the first, and we prove that it is 2-competitive for both objective functions for all L. We also give lower bounds on the competitive ratio for any deterministic on-line algorithm. These results show that for each objective function, at least one of our algorithms is optimal.Finally, we give some initial empirical results using arrival sequences from real network traffic where we compare the two methods used in TCP for acknowledgment delay with our two on-line algorithms. In all cases we examine performance with L = 0 and L = 1.
Simulation of respirable penetration characteristics by inertial impaction

Abstract A method is presented by which a multiple-nozzle, single-stage impactor can be designed so that the penetration characteristics through the impactor stage approximate a predetermined curve. This is accomplished by allowing the nozzles to be of different sizes, each with a different D 50 particle diameter. The procedure has been applied to impactors with penetration characteristics approximating that of the ACGIH penetration curve. Specific nozzle dimensions are given for impactors with flow rates of 2, 28.3 (1 ft 3 /min), and 849 l./min (30 ft 3 /min), and from one to five D 50 sizes to approximate the ACGIH respirable curve. One of the impactors (28.3 l./min and three D 50 sizes) was built, tested and found to perform well and in accordance with the theory.
Power delivery for high performance microprocessors

Summary form only given. Robust power delivery is considered one the prime challenges in chip design today. As the frequency and complexity of microprocessors increase, the static and dynamic components of power supply noise increase. However, keeping with Moore's law, the voltage supply to semiconductor chips have been scaling down, thereby reducing margins. There are other challenges including efficiency and power dissipation of the power delivery sub system itself. This presentation will try to discuss these challenges and the solutions employed by the industry to over come of these. The talk will conclude with some discussion on future technologies to improve the overall efficiency of power delivery.
Changes at Our Journal

I am honored and thrilled to serve as the new Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (AJTMH). I am also humbled because this will be a challenging task, and Jim Kazura left big shoes to fill. Jim's skillful leadership of the Journal for the last 15 years has been an enormous service to the membership of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) and the larger scientific community. Memories are fading, but many of us well remember some difficult days for the journal at about the turn of the century. Jim turned things around quickly after he took the helm, and under his tenure the Journal has been a leading voice in tropical medicine research. Indeed, most will agree that the AJTMH is the leading journal in the world addressing the full range of topics in tropical medicine.
Process Design of Laser Forming for Three-Dimensional Thin Plates

Extensive efforts have been made in analyzing and predicting laser forming processes of sheet metal. Process design, on the other hand, is concerned with determination of laser scanning paths and laser heat condition given a desired shape. This paper presents an approach for process design of laser forming of thin plates with doubly curved shapes. important feature of this method is that it first calculates the strain field required to fo the shape. Scanning paths are decided based on the concept of in-plane strain, strain, principal minimal strain and temperature gradient mechanism of laser Heating condition is determined by a lumped method. Effectiveness of the approach is numerically and experimentally validated through two different doubly curved shapes.
Learning words from pictures: 15- and 17-month-old infants appreciate the referential and symbolic links among words, pictures, and objects

Abstract This experiment was designed to clarify the referential status of infants’ newly learned words. We introduced 15- and 17-month-olds to a novel noun, presented in conjunction with pictures of two whisks that differed in color (one purple, one orange). We asked whether infants would extend this newly learned noun to other members of the same kind (other whisks), one differing only in color (a picture of a silver whisk) and another differing in both color and representational medium (a real three-dimensional silver whisk). Fifteen- and 17-month-olds’ interpretation of the novel noun was not tethered tightly to the perceptual features with which the word had previously been paired. Instead, their interpretation was sufficiently abstract to include a new member of the same object category, although it differed in color and representational medium (a real silver whisk). Thus, by 15 months, infants appreciate the referential status of words and extend their meaning flexibly from pictures to objects.
SPECIFIC HEPARIN PREPARATIONS INTERFERE WITH THE SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF IONIZED MAGNESIUM AND IONIZED CALCIUM

Abstract Objective : To determine whether heparin anticoagulants used for analysis of whole blood ionized calcium would influence the measurement of ionized magnesium. Methods : The effects of zinc heparin, lithium heparin, and electrolyte-balanced heparin on the simultaneous measurement of ionized magnesium and ionized calcium in serum were determined using ion selective electrodes. Results : Time-dependent biases in ionized magnesium and calcium concentrations were apparent with zinc heparin but not with lithium or electrolyte-balanced heparin. Ionized magnesium and calcium concentrations were more significantly influenced by volume-dependent changes in zinc heparin potency than with lithium or electrolyte-balanced heparin. Conclusion : Zinc heparin produces a significant positive bias in the simultaneous determination of ionized magnesium and ionized calcium concentrations.
Grahamimycin A1: a novel dilactone antibiotic from

Abstract By means of spectral and chemical studies the structure of Grahamimycin A1 1 , a novel macrocyclic dilactone antibiotic from Cytospora, is established.