cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between the Onset of Canonical Syllables and Speech Perception Skills in Children with Cochlear Implants.

Purpose The study sought to determine whether the onset of canonical vocalizations in children with cochlear implants (CIs) is related to speech perception skills and spoken vocabulary size at 24 months postactivation. Method The vocal development in 13 young CI recipients (implanted by their third birthdays; mean age at activation = 20.62 months, SD = 8.92 months) was examined at every 3-month interval during the first 2 years of CI use. All children were enrolled in auditory-oral intervention programs. Families of these children used spoken English only. To determine the onset of canonical syllables, the first 50 utterances from 20-min adult-child interactions were analyzed during each session. The onset timing was determined when at least 20% of utterances included canonical syllables. As children's outcomes, we examined their Lexical Neighborhood Test scores and vocabulary size at 24 months postactivation. Results Pearson correlation analysis showed that the onset timing of canonical syllables is significantly correlated with phonemic recognition skills and spoken vocabulary size at 24 months postactivation. Regression analyses also indicated that the onset timing of canonical syllables predicted phonemic recognition skills and spoken vocabulary size at 24 months postactivation. Conclusion Monitoring vocal advancement during the earliest periods following cochlear implantation could be valuable as an early indicator of auditory-driven language development in young children with CIs. It remains to be studied which factors improve vocal development for young CI recipients.
Drug-coated balloon versus drug-eluting stent for treating de novo coronary lesions in large vessels: a meta-analysis of clinical trials

Studies examining the efficiency of drug-coated balloon (DCB) compared to drug-eluting stents (DES) for de novo lesions in large vessels have reported inconsistent results. This comprehensive meta-analysis of clinical trials compared the efficacy and safety of DCB and DES for the treatment of de novo coronary lesions. The authors formally searched electronic databases before October 2019 to identify randomized and non-randomized clinical trials (RCTs and non-RCTs, respectively). Clinical trials were eligible for inclusion if they compared DCB with DES in patients with coronary lumen diameters >2.5 mm. Three RCTs and one non-RCT with a total of 321 patients were included in our meta-analysis (DCB group = 152, DES group = 169). The primary endpoint was in-segment late lumen loss (LLL) with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of −0.07 (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.31, 0.316; P = 0.548) and the secondary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR) with a risk ratio (RR) of 1.17 (95% CI: 0.46, 2.95; P = 0.746). This meta-analysis indicated that DCB might be non-inferior to DES as evidenced by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) assessed at 6–9 months after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients presenting with coronary artery disease.
Busy Period Analysis of Multi-Server Retrial Queueing Systems

The literature on the busy period analysis in queueing theory is very limited due to the inherent complexity in its study. Recently, using the simulation approach the busy period for the classical multi-server queueing systems was studied by this author and some interesting observations were reported. In this paper we carry out a similar analysis but on a smaller scale in the case of multi-server retrial queueing systems. It should be pointed out that while the literature on retrial queueing system is vast, the same cannot be said about the busy period analysis in retrial queueing systems. Only a few papers with restricted assumptions are available in the literature. This paper is an attempt to fill the void.
Pandemics and Partisanship: Following Old Paths into Uncharted Territory

Although partisan politics tend be set aside during crisis, the timing of gubernatorial actions in response to COVID-19 is telling about how partisanship is shaping the way elected officials are re...
A Bone to Pick: A Case of Infantile Cortical Hyperostosis

Introduction Infantile cortical hyperostosis, or Caffey disease, is a self-limiting bone disorder characterized by fever, irritability, soft tissue swelling and cortical thickening of bone. While rare, it is an important diagnosis to consider as early recognition may prevent unnecessary invasive procedures, antibiotic use, and morbidity in affected children. Case Report The patient is a 5-month-old female with a recent pediatric intensive care unit admission for one week of fever and apneic pauses who is readmitted with persistent fevers and tachypnea. During her prior hospitalization, chest x-ray demonstrated retrocardiac opacification and she was treated for pneumonia with …
Nodal is a short-range morphogen with activity that spreads through a relay mechanism in human gastruloids

Abstract Morphogens are signaling molecules that convey positional information and dictate cell fates during development. Little is known about how morphogen gradients are created and interpreted during mammalian embryogenesis. Here we take advantage of a human gastruloid model to visualize endogenous Nodal protein in living cells. We show that Nodal is extremely short range so that Nodal protein is limited to the immediate neighborhood of source cells. Nodal activity spreads through a relay mechanism in which Nodal production induces neighboring cells to transcribe Nodal. We further show that the Nodal inhibitor Lefty, while biochemically capable of long-range diffusion, also acts locally to control the timing of Nodal spread and therefore of mesoderm differentiation during patterning. Our study establishes a novel paradigm for tissue patterning by an activator-inhibitor pair.
The Sociability of Protest: Amelia Alderson and the Norwich Cabinet of 1794

Amelia Alderson (later Opie) first published her poetry and prose in the progressive Norwich periodical The Cabinet soon after her return from London in 1794, where she had attended the Treason Tri...
The FDSN: history and objectives

The origins of the Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN) can be traced to the summer of 1984. At that time, GEOSCOPE - the French global network of broadband instruments - was already well under way, and in the United States, the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) had just published its Science Plan for Global Seismographic Network (GSN). There was clearly an opportunity and the need to involve scientists from other countries in planning for the future of global seismology. An ad hoc meeting of some ten West European seismologists had been arranged in August during the annual meeting of the European Geophysical Society in Louvain. This may be considered to signify the beginning of widescale international cooperation, even though this particular group eventually became the nucleus of ORFEUS (Observatories and Research Facilities for EUropean Seismology). Rather than taking an active role in deployment of new stations, it chose to focus on the issue of providing the service for data collection and exchange, with an important mission of developing the requisite software.
The Flower Theorem of Fatou and Julia

Julia studied the case where ∅′(0) = 1 in his lengthy Memoire sur l’iteration des fonctions rationnelles published in 1918, which was his principal work on the theory of iteration. Fatou discussed this case in the even longer Sur les equations fonctionnelles which was published in three parts in 1919 and 1920. Each of these works represents a fresh and innovative approach to the study of iteration. Although the work of Fatou and Julia will be discussed at length in Chapter 11, I will discuss their contributions to the ∅′(0) = 1 case in the present chapter, somewhat out of chronological order. However, before discussing their respective approaches to the ∅′(0) = 1 case, it will be worthwhile to say a few words regarding the scope of their studies of iteration.
Genetic Analysis of the Mammalian Nervous System Using Somatic Cell Culture Techniques

The success of genetic analysis of complex biochemical pathways, morphogenetic events, and their regulation in phage, bacteria, and yeast has suggested to many workers that such an analysis would be invaluable in the study of development and differentiation. The available information indicates that differentiation in higher organisms represents in part a mitotically inherited program of gene expression with commitment of different somatic cell lines to unique programs of gene expression (Gehring, 1969). Genetic analysis of developmental steps would seem to be both possible and necessary in order for us to understand differentiation.
Globalization and the Contagion Effects of External Shocks on Emerging Market Economies

Abstract This paper examines how globalization affects developing country capital markets. While these countries benefit from global integration of capital markets since it enables them to access foreign capital, globalization also imposes costs on them since their capital markets become vulnerable to external shocks. These issues are examined by analyzing the May-June 2006 decline experienced across all emerging country stock markets. Using Turkish economy as an example the reasons behind the vulnerability of these markets are examined. Finally, the set of measures developing countries need to take in order to strengthen their financial infrastructure against external shocks are discussed.
The geometry of lattice cryptography

Lattice cryptography is one of the hottest and fastest moving areas in mathematical cryptography today. Interest in lattice cryptography is due to several concurring factors. On the theoretical side, lattice cryptography is supported by strong worst-case/average-case security guarantees. On the practical side, lattice cryptography has been shown to be very versatile, leading to an unprecedented variety of applications, from simple (and efficient) hash functions, to complex and powerful public key cryptographic primitives, culminating with the celebrated recent development of fully homomorphic encryption. Still, one important feature of lattice cryptography is simplicity: most cryptographic operations can be implemented using basic arithmetic on small numbers, and many cryptographic constructions hide an intuitive and appealing geometric interpretation in terms of point lattices. So, unlike other areas of mathematical cryptology even a novice can acquire, with modest effort, a good understanding of not only the potential applications, but also the underlying mathematics of lattice cryptography. In these notes, we give an introduction to the mathematical theory of lattices, describe the main tools and techniques used in lattice cryptography, and present an overview of the wide range of cryptographic applications. This material should be accessible to anybody with a minimal background in linear algebra and some familiarity with the computational framework of modern cryptography, but no prior knowledge about point lattices.
Enhancing microcomputer for high-speed vector processing

The effort to achieve video rate image processing with an Microprocessor (MP)-based system led to the development of an enhanced MP architecture. Such architecture can be used whenever large blocks of data must be processed in a short period of time and the processing itself is a repetition of some relatively simple operations. A hardware MP-controlled Vector Processor was designed. A DMA controller is used to transfer the data to and from the array processor. The MP sets up the mode of operation, initiates the process, and regains control upon process completion for further processing. The Vector Processor controller is a DMA controller for Vector operation, and a special array address generator for 2-D array operation. We shall describe the system, and the architecture used to achieve very high speed operation while keeping the size and the price reasonably low. The system was built as part of a more complex video rate image enhancer. Evaluation of the Vector Processor will be included.
Surface practice, level of manual dexterity, and performance of an underwater assembly task

Performance of an underwater assembly task was examined as a function of surface practice and level of manual dexterity. Surface practice transferred positively to underwater performance of the task. Manual dexterity scores were positively correlated with underwater performance, but the results were not statistically significant.
Carbon Nanotubes in Cancer Therapy, Including Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT)

The sections in this article are Introduction Carbon Nanotubes in the Treatment of Cancer Drug Delivery Imaging and Probing Photothermal and Photoacoustic Therapy BNCT and Its Development through Nanotechnology BNCT: A Brief Overview Liposomes Dendritic Macromolecules Magnetic Nanoparticles The Role of Carbon Nanotubes in BNCT Summary and Future Outlook Keywords: carbon nanotubes; sidewall functionalization; cancer therapy; boron neutron capture therapy; drug delivery; dendrimers; carborane-appended SWNTs
Attitudes of different professional groups toward geriatric patients.

This study deals with attitudinal differences toward geriatric patients among health professionals. For this study, 172 psychiatrists, 157 surgeons and 108 internists responded to a set of eight attitudinal questions. For six questions, statistically significant differences were found among the three groups. Psychiatrists and surgeons differed greatly, with internists falling in between. Psychiatrists were found to be the group with the most favorable responses to five out of eight questions and surgeons as the least favorable group. The results are discussed in relation to the pervasive societal concept of the aged and the influences of different medical settings.
STEM and Service-Learning: Does Service-Learning Increase STEM Literacy?

The importance of education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is again a topic of discussion among policy makers and scientists, particularly given perceived declines in STEM performance by students in the U.S. Service-learning has been used in innovative and creative ways to enhance learning in a variety of STEM-related courses. Improving STEM literacy is also a focal point of STEM education and has been explicitly linked to service-learning projects. Herein the authors review literature linking service-learning to academic achievement in STEM-related courses. They then examine whether service-learning enhances STEM literacy in a STEM-centered communications course at an aeronautics engineering university and in two biology courses at a small rural college. Despite early calls by researchers for improved rigor in the field of service-learning research, the literature review indicates that few studies over the past 15 years employed rigorous research techniques when examining whether service-learning affects academic achievement in STEM courses. Results of mixed-methods analyses showed that service-learning enhanced science literacy in the three STEM-related courses. First, students scored significantly higher on a post-service survey of skills and content relative to the pre-survey survey at the aeronautics engineering university. Second, students earned significantly higher grades in a written report of their service-learning project relative to a non-service-oriented project in the small rural college. Third, students indicated through comments on evaluations and reflections that the service-learning projects enhanced the STEM content in the courses.
Inhomogeneities in HCCI Combustion: An Imaging Study

A four-valve-pentroof, direct-injection, optical engine fueled with n-heptane has been operated at four different steady-state HCCI operating conditions including 10% and 65% residuals, both at low and high swirl conditions. Both, planar toluene LIF and volume chemiluminescence show large scale inhomogeneity in the ensemble averaged images. The interpretation of the toluene-tracer LIF signals (when premixed with the fresh-air charge) as a marker for reaction homogeneity is discussed. A binarization scheme and a statistical analysis of the LIF images were applied to the per-cycle planar-LIF images revealing inhomogeneities both from cycle-to-cycle and within the regions of individual cycles that track with the average heat release rate. Comparison of these two homogeneity metrics between the four operating conditions reveals weak but discernable differences.
The Whole Truth?: How Rules of Evidence Make Lawyers Deceitful

This Symposium is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Reviews at Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola LawSchool. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons at LoyolaMarymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@lmu.edu.
Congenital Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: Case Report and Review

The case of a patient with ecchymosis, hepatomegaly, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and anemia at birth is presented. Throughout his course, thrombocytopenia, anemia, and leukocytosis without a marked increase in the number of blast forms in either peripheral blood or bone marrow persisted until the patient developed a blast crisis shortly before his death at age 4 months. This patient is the youngest reported to have the juvenile form of chronic myelogenous leukemia and the first that in the present era can be considered congenital in origin.
Emerging Policy and Practice Issues (2006)

This paper, presented at the West Government Contracts Year in Review Conference (covering 2006), attempts to identify the key trends and issues for 2007 in U.S. federal procurement. In large part, the paper discusses the Draft Final Report of the Acquisition Advisory Panel (AAP), a blue-ribbon commission mandated by Section 1423 of the Services Acquisition Reform Act (SARA). Proceeding from the simple premise that the private sector does a better job with procurement by planning carefully and employing aggressive competition, we discuss, among other things, the inaccuracies that plague the Federal Procurement Data System; the dramatic post-2000 trend in increased procurement spending; the AAP's tame recommendations for commercial purchasing; and efforts to reign in (and responsibly utilize) interagency contracting. We also question the administration's relentless focus on competitive sourcing and critique the leadership vacuum that led to the longstanding and increasingly critical acquisition workforce shortage.
Characterization of bit transistors in a functional SRAM

A direct bit transistor access (DBTA) scheme is proposed and implemented in 8 Mb SRAMpsilas at 65 nm and 45 nm nodes. It allows, for the first time, characterization of each bit transistor in a functional SRAM. It thus enables (a) collection of transistor data across bit arrays, (b) collection of massive data for statistical analysis such as on transistor mismatch and NBTI Vt drift, and (c) collection of data for fast failure analysis. Measured data are presented.
Effects-based chemical category approach for prioritization of low affinity estrogenic chemicals.

Regulatory agencies are charged with addressing the endocrine disrupting potential of large numbers of chemicals for which there is often little or no data on which to make decisions. Prioritizing the chemicals of greatest concern for further screening for potential hazard to humans and wildlife is an initial step in the process. This paper presents the collection of in vitro data using assays optimized to detect low affinity estrogen receptor (ER) binding chemicals and the use of that data to build effects-based chemical categories following QSAR approaches and principles pioneered by Gilman Veith and colleagues for application to environmental regulatory challenges. Effects-based chemical categories were built using these QSAR principles focused on the types of chemicals in the specific regulatory domain of concern, i.e. non-steroidal industrial chemicals, and based upon a mechanistic hypothesis of how these non-steroidal chemicals of seemingly dissimilar structure to 17s-estradiol (E2) could interact w...
Compressed data structures with relevance

We describe recent breakthroughs in the field of compressed data structures, in which the data structure is stored in a compressed representation that still allows fast answers to queries. We focus in particular on compressed data structures to support the important application of pattern matching on massive document collections. Given an arbitrary query pattern in textual form, the job of the data structure is to report all the locations where the pattern appears. Another variant is to report all the documents that contain at least one instance of the pattern. We are particularly interested in reporting only the most relevant documents, using a variety of notions of relevance. We discuss recently developed techniques that support fast search in these contexts as well as under additional positional and temporal constraints.
Failure of Dialysis Access: Revise or Replace?

Providing adequate long-term dialysis access has become increasingly difficult. In order to evaluate the operative factors associated with early failure of dialysis access, 2337 operations performed in 1124 patients over an 8-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Evaluation of 1306 procedures that eventually failed and required operative revision or repair provided the basis for this study. Access failure occurred in 459 (41%) of the 1124 patients. An average of 2.8 episodes of failure (range 1-13) were observed among this group of patients, occurring after an average of 230 +/- 9 days (mean +/- ++standard error) postoperatively, with the longest interval to failure being 2529 days. The time-to-failure for revision of a preexistent arteriovenous fistula or prosthetic graft (140 +/- 9 days, n = 449) was significantly (P < 0.0001 ANOVA) shorter than for creation of an arteriovenous fistula (272 +/- 21 days, n = 336) or prosthetic graft (299 +/- 19 days, n = 372) at a new site. Procedures performed in octogenarians tended to fail earlier (178 days). Dialysis access failure tends to recur in patients with a history of previous access problems. The time-to-failure was similar for new prosthetic grafts and arteriovenous fistulas, but twice as long compared to revision of a previous access site.
Theory and Formalization: Some Reflections on Experience

I describe in this paper some of my efforts in developing formal theories of social processes. These include work on models of occupational mobility, on models to describe the emergence of expectations out of performance evaluations, and on the graph theory formulation of the Status Characteristics theory. Not all models have been equally significant in developing theory. However, the graph theory formulation has played a central role in the growth of the Expectation States program. It has been involved in the generalization of theories, the integration of theories, and in the construction of highly sensitive tests of theories that would be impossible without the inferential capacities of formalization.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Anomalies with Ultrasound: What Have We Learned?

: The use of routine obstetric ultrasound has been shown to accurately diagnose fetal gastrointestinal anomalies, both during and after the midtrimester. These are among the most accurately diagnosed of all anomalies, comprising 5-7% of all fetal anomalies. From a review of the literature it is clear that the use of routine ultrasound allows: (1) the detection of multiple anomalies that are often present and affect outcome significantly, (2) preparation for delivery at a tertiary center where neonatal surgical experience will allow optimal outcome, and (3) decisions about mode and timing of delivery in cases where this is important, i.e., cases of omphalocele and gastroschisis.
The Hamiltonians of NMR. part I

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has evolved in complexity to the extent that it is often useful to carry out computer simulations of experiments as a way to refine experimental conditions, to maximize usable information, or to interpret results reliably. The starting point for such simulations is an appropriate quantum mechanical formulation. This article presents many of the physical ideas that are important in high-resolution NMR spectroscopy and then develops expressions for the contribution of each of these to the Hamiltonian for the system under consideration. The Hamiltonians for the Zeeman interaction, scalar coupling, and the chemical shielding effect are discussed with the aim of explaining the quantum mechanics of NMR in a manner understandable to a nontheoretician. Consequently, much of the discussion is explicit and includes points skimmed over in other presentations in the literature.
Use of chlorinated carbon and silicon precursors for epitaxial growth of 4H-SiC at very high growth rates

A possibility to apply the advantages of chlorinated carbon precursors, which had been previously used in low-temperature epitaxial growth of 4H-SiC, to achieve very high growth rates at higher growth temperatures was investigated. Silicon tetrachloride was used as the silicon precursor to suppress gas-phase homogeneous nucleation. The temperature increase from 1300 °C (which is the temperature of the previously reported low-temperature halo-carbon epitaxial growth) to 1600 °C enabled an increase of the precursor flow rates and consequently of the growth rate from 5 to more than 100 μm/h without morphology degradation. High quality of the epilayers was confirmed by low-temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy and time-resolved luminescence. No evidences of homogeneous nucleation were detected, however, liquid Si droplet formation on the epilayer surface seems to remain a bottleneck at very high growth rate. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Multifunctional ZnO-Based Thin-Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator for Biosensors

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and its ternary alloy magnesium zinc oxide (Mg x Zn1−x O) are piezoelectric materials that can be used for high-quality-factor bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators operating at GHz frequencies. Thin-film bulk acoustic resonators (TFBARs) are attractive for applications in advanced communication and in various sensors as they offer the capability of monolithic integration of BAW resonators with radio-frequency integrated circuits (RF ICs). In this paper we report Mg x Zn1−x O-based TFBAR biosensors. The devices are built on Si substrates with an acoustic mirror consisting of alternating quarter-wavelength silicon dioxide (SiO2) and tungsten (W) layers to isolate the TFBAR from the Si substrate. High-quality ZnO and Mg x Zn1−x O thin films are achieved through a radio-frequency (RF) sputtering technique. Tuning of the device operating frequency is realized by varying the Mg composition in the piezoelectric Mg x Zn1−x O layer. Simulation results based on a transmission-line model of the TFBAR show close agreement with the experimental results. ZnO nanostructures are grown on the TFBAR’s top surface using metal- organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to form the nano-TFBAR sensor, which offers giant sensing area, faster response, and higher sensitivity over the planar sensor configuration. Mass sensitivity higher than 103 Hz cm2/ng is achieved. In order to study the feasibility of the nano-TFBAR for biosensing, the nanostructured ZnO surfaces were functionalized to selectively immobilize␣DNA, as verified by hybridization with its fluorescence-tagged DNA complement.
Adaptive Kalman filter for voltage sag detection in power system

This paper proposed an adaptive Kalman filter to detect the voltage sag problem in power system, the state covariance matrix is changed through the simulation to enhance the Kalman filter in order to detect the amplitude changing of the fundamental component. In the proposed method, there is no need to estimate the noise covariance matrices, which is usually needs a lot of calculation and assumptions, it will depend only on updating the state covariance matrix, where there is no need for extra calculations. The proposed algorithm was tested in several severe circumstances such as high order harmonics and frequency changing.
Assessment of Autoxidation in Freeze-Dried Meats by a Fluorescence Assay

A simple and sensitive fluorescence-measuring technique was developed to assess extent of lipid oxidation in freeze-dried meats. Solvent extracts of reconstituted stored samples were assayed by fluorimetry. Spectra of “oxidized” meats show maximum excitation and emission wavelengths of λex = 350 and λem = 440 nm, respectively. At λem of 440 nm, “unoxidized” meats show three peaks in excitation spectrum at λex1= 308, λex2= 318 (max.), and λex3= 350 nm. However, at λex of 350 nm, these samples show a peak at λem = 476 nm. The intensity ratio of λex3 or λem over λex2 are useful as sensitive and reliable “internal standards” of lipid oxidation. Presence of 100 ppm TBHQ (monotertiary butylhydroquinone), absence of oxygen, and compression of meat before freeze-drying, which protect against oxidation also result in corresponding reductions of these ratios.
EFFECTS OF SEX, AGE, PRESLAUGHTER FACTORS AND HOLDING CONDITIONS ON THE QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF TURKEY BREAST MUSCLES

Abstract One-hundred-sixty 16- and 20-week-old hen and tom turkeys were randomized into five groups and treated to certain preslaughter factors and holding conditions. Variables studied included the effect of feed withdrawal, excitation prior to slaughter, anesthetization, sex, and age on certain quality characteristics and chemical composition of turkey breast muscle. Anesthesia completely eliminated struggle at slaughter and caused significant increases in initial pH (P Feed withdrawal had a significant effect on final pH (P Excitation prior to anesthetization resulted in muscles with a significantly higher WHC (P As age of the bird increased, tissue glycogen (P
Measurement of the Risk for Substance Use Disorders: Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of an Index of Common Liability

The inability to quantify the risk for disorders, such as substance use disorders (SUD), hinders etiology research and development of targeted intervention. Based on the concept of common transmissible liability to SUD related to illicit drugs, a method enabling quantification of this latent trait has been developed, utilizing high-risk design and item response theory. This study examined properties of a SUD transmissible liability index (TLI) derived using this method. Sons of males with or without SUD were studied longitudinally from preadolescence to young adulthood. The properties of TLI, including its psychometric characteristics, longitudinal risk assessment and ethnic variation, were examined. A pilot twin study was conducted to analyze the composition of TLI’s phenotypic variance. The data suggest that TLI has concurrent, incremental, predictive and discriminant validity, as well as ethnic differences. The data suggest a high heritability of the index in males. The results suggest applicability of the method for genetic and other etiology-related research, and for evaluation of individual risk.
Long-term adaptation in hearing impaired ears

Recovery from adaptation was measured in acoustically-traumatized ears for pure-tone adapters 2-15 min in duration at levels of 70-110 dB SPL. The whole-nerve potential was recorded in cats. The decrease in response to a probe stimulus (normalized decrement) was used as a measure of adaptation and, for a particular adapter, was assessed at different probe frequencies. Impaired animals showed generally less effect of the adapting stimuli at a given adapter level (in dB SPL) and faster recovery than in normal ears. The form of the normalized decrement vs probe frequency functions were generally normal. We interpret these observations to mean that while the effectiveness of the adapter is reduced the spread of adaptation to different frequency regions is relatively normal.
RPI: A remote process interface library for distributed clusters

Abstract A fundamental issue in working with and designing software applications for distributed computer clusters is selecting the mechanism for providing inter-process and inter-computer communication and coordination. Although several well-established facilities exist for managing access to remote computers, there are applications where these facilities do not adequately meet the application needs. In this paper, we summarize the characteristics of these applications and present a new software package – the remote process interface (RPI) library – as a viable alternative for managing independent processes executing on remote computers.
Infection Control Risk Assessment Activities for Floods, Sewage Spills, and Malfunctions

ISSUE: During the 2004 hurricane season, our facility was undergoing major renovation. Infection Control Risk Assessments had been completed for all projects. However, through a malfunction of a contractor's sump pump, rain water and construction debris were pumped into radiology and central supply areas causing major flood damage. Prompt remediation of this crisis was impaired through stress on systems, poor communication and documentation of appropriate steps. PROJECT: A performance improvement team was formed to address communication and remediation steps which included infection control, facilities operation and development, environmental services, and safety. A checklist was developed to address all components of an infection control assessment. This checklist included a place to indicate which activity was appropriate for the situation and the responsible party to carry it out as well as a place for signoff when the task was completed. The form listed the key components identified from the Guideline for Environmental Infection Control, 2003 which are: patient and supply management, furniture removal, traffic control, access restriction, removal of sewage and other solid wastes, and removal of water. Elements listed in structure remediation included cleaning and disinfection of hard surfaces, management of carpeting, assessment and replacement of tiles and flooring, evaluation of wallboard and other porous structural material. Furniture assessment and recommendations for management of furniture and cubicle panels (i.e. hard surface, cloth and wood) as well as electrical equipment assessment were included. The checklist was posted on the infection control website making it available to all employees. All areas were inserviced on the tool to facilitate teamwork, communications, and quick and appropriate remediation of affected areas. RESULTS: The tool was developed and approved by the Infection Prevention and Control Committee. The tool provided an efficient and effective way to assess the impacted area after flooding, sewage spills or malfunctions. The team found that all parties understood their roles and responsibilities better and the process was documented. Improved communication facilitated by the tool streamlined the response effort and improved turn around time. LESSONS LEARNED: Infection control risk assessment for remediation after a flood, sewage spills or other malfunctions can be streamlined via the use of checklist form that includes key elements, assigns responsibility and documents when tasks are completed. This tool facilitates communications during a time of crisis and assures that all key factors are addressed. Placing the tool on a hospital website makes it available for use to all areas. Checklist was used as an example in the APIC/JCAHO workbook in 2005 but not discussed in depth that this presentation will cover.
Effects of Bases and Halides on the Amination of Chloroarenes Catalyzed by Pd(PtBu3)2.

We report a detailed study of the effects of anions on the rates of the amination of aryl halides catalyzed by palladium complexes of the hindered alkylmonophosphine PtBu3. These reactions occur by turnover-limiting oxidative addition. The extent of the dependence of the rates on the concentration and identity of bases was found to depend on the electronic properties of the haloarenes. The rates of reactions of electron-rich and electron-neutral chloroarenes were independent of the concentration of the bulky alkoxide base OCEt3-, but they were dependent on the concentrations of the less hindered OtBu- and the softer 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenoxide bases. The reactions were fastest when 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenoxide was used as base and slowest when NaOCEt3 was used as base. A concurrent reaction pathway involving simultaneous oxidative addition of chloroarenes to [Pd(PtBu3)] and [(PtBu3)Pd(OR)]- may explain the dependence of the rates of reactions of electron-rich and electron-neutral chloroarenes on the id...
Lateral p‐n junctions and quantum wires formed by quasi two‐dimensional electron and hole systems at corrugated GaAs/AlGaAs interfaces

We report the results of modeling lateral p‐n junctions and p‐n‐p quantum wire structures at corrugated GaAs/AlGaAs interfaces, using the surface orientation dependent amphoteric nature of Si doping. We determine the potential landscape and the electron and hole charge densities within a semiclassical Thomas–Fermi screening model, and then solve the two‐dimensional Schrodinger equation using finite elements for the quantized electron and hole states at the heterointerfaces. We demonstrate the formation of a one‐dimensional electron system confined between two lateral p‐n junctions, and discuss the advantages of this structure compared to conventional electrostatic confinement schemes for fabricating quantum wires.
A NUMERICAL MODEL TO PREDICT THE NONLINEAR RESPONSE OF EXTERNAL FLOW OVER VIBRATING BODIES (PLANAR FLOW)

A model is developed to simulate two-dimensional laminar flow over an arbitrarily shaped body, a portion of which is subjected to time varying harmonic motion. The model is tested by comparison to previous numerical simulations for flow over a square cavity, oscillatory flow through a wavy channel and boundary layer flow along a flat plate. The model is applied to predict the flow over a flat plate with a section forced in simple sinusoidal motion. The dimensionless vibration amplitude, H0 , and the Reynolds number, Re are maintained at 0.1 and 1000, respectively. The Strouhal number, St , defined as the ratio of the flow advective time scale to the plate oscillation period, is varied in the range 0.0 ≦ St ≦ 1.0. The friction and pressure coefficients over the vibrating portion of the body are analyzed using Fast Fourier Transform techniques. For low frequency vibrations (low Strouhal number) the pressure and friction coefficients match the steady state results for flow over a fixed sinusoidal bump. A small amplitude pressure wave generated by the oscillating plate propagates downstream with the flow. For high frequency vibrations (high Strouhal number) the pressure and friction coefficients over the vibrating portion of the body deviate from the steady state results and a high amplitude pressure wave propagates downstream. The pressure at one chord length upstream is also affected. As St increases the flow becomes highly nonlinear and harmonics appear in the downstream velocity and pressure fields. The nonlinearity is controlled by the convective acceleration term near the vibrating plate surface.
Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase A: Characterization of Embryonic Fibroblasts

Methionine residues in protein can be oxidized by reactive oxygen species to generate methionine sulfoxide. Aerobic organisms have methionine sulfoxide reductases capable of reducing methionine sulfoxide back to methionine. Methionine sulfoxide reductase A acts on the S-epimer of methionine sulfoxide, and it is known that altering its cellular level by genetic ablation or overexpression has notable effects on resistance to oxidative stress and on life span in species from microorganisms to animals. In mammals, the enzyme is present in both the cytosol and the mitochondria, and this study was undertaken to assess the contribution of each subcellular compartment's reductase activity to resistance against oxidative stresses. Nontransgenic mouse embryonic fibroblasts lack methionine sulfoxide reductase A activity, providing a convenient cell type to determine the effects of expression of the enzyme in each compartment. We created transgenic mice with methionine sulfoxide reductase A targeted to the cytosol, mitochondria, or both and studied embryonic fibroblasts derived from each line. Unexpectedly, none of the transgenic cells gained resistance to a variety of oxidative stresses even though the expressed enzymes were catalytically active when assayed in vitro. Noting that activity in vivo requires thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase, we determined the levels of these proteins in the fibroblasts and found that they were very low in both the nontransgenic and the transgenic cells. We conclude that overexpression of methionine sulfoxide reductase A did not confer resistance to oxidative stress because the cells lacked other proteins required to constitute a functional methionine sulfoxide reduction system.
Vibronic coupling in dicyano-complex-bridged mixed-valence complexes. Relaxation of vibronic constraints in systems with degenerate bridging-ligand and electron-transfer excited states.

Intense near-infrared (NIR) absorption bands have been found in mixed-valence Ru(NH{sub 3}){sub 5}{sup 2+,3+} complexes bridged by trans-Ru(py){sub 4}(CN){sub 2} and cis-Os(bpy){sub 2}(CN){sub 2}, {epsilon}{sub max {approximately}} 1.5 x 10{sup 3} cm{sup {minus}1} and {Delta}{nu}{sub 1/2} {approximately} 5 x 10{sup 3} cm{sup {minus}1} for bands at 1000 and 1300 nm, respectively. The NIR transitions implicate substantial comproportionation constants (64 and 175, respectively) characteristic of moderately strong electronic coupling in the mixed-valence complexes. This stands in contrast to the weakly forbidden electronic coupling of Ru(NH {sub 3}){sub 5}{sup 2+,3+} couples bridged by M(MCL)-(CN){sub 2}{sup +} complexes (MCL = a tetraazamacrocyclic ligand). A straightforward perturbation theory argument is used to account for t his contrasting behavior. The electronic coupling between a cyanide-bridged, donor-acceptor pair, D-(CN{sup {minus}})-A, alters the properties of the bridging ligand. Such systems are described by a vibronic model in which the electronic matrix element, H{sub DA}, is a function of the nuclear coordinates, Q{sub N}, of the bridging ligand: H{sub DA} = H{sub DA}{degree} + b!{sub N}. Electronic coupling in the dicyano-complex-bridged, D-[(NC)M(CN)]-A, systems is treated as the consequence of the perturbational mixing of the local, D(NC)M and M(CN)A, vibronic interactions. If M is an electron-transfer acceptor, then themore » nuclear coordinates are assumed to be configured so that bQ{sub N} is larger for D(NC)M but very small (bQ{sub N}{approximately}0) for M(CN)A. When the vertical energies of the corresponding charge-transfer transitions, E{sub DM} and E{sub DA}, differ significantly, a perturbation theory treatment results in H{sub DA}= H{sub DA}H{sub AM}/E{sub ave} independent of M and consistent with the earlier report. When E{sub DM} {approx{underscore}equal} E{sub DA}, configurational mixing of the excited states leads to H{sub DA} proportional to H{sub DM}, consistent with the relatively intense intervalence bands reported in this paper. Some implications of the model are discussed.« less
Predicting the need for calcium and calcitriol supplementation after total thyroidectomy: Results of a prospective, randomized study

Background The optimal protocol for the detection and treatment of postthyroidectomy hypoparathyroidism is unknown. We sought to identify and treat patients at risk for symptomatic hypocalcemia on the basis of a single parathyroid hormone (PTH) obtained the morning after surgery (POD1). Methods We performed a prospective, randomized study of total thyroidectomy patients who had POD1 calcium and PTH (pg/mL) levels. Randomization was determined by POD1 PTH: if ≥10, patients received no supplementation unless symptomatic; if Results Of 143 patients, 112 (78%) had a POD1 PTH ≥10. Hypocalcemic symptoms were transiently reported in 11 (10%) and managed with outpatient calcium. Of 31 patients with PTH Conclusion A single POD1 PTH level
Ross sea oceanography and antarctic bottom water formation

The oceanographic features of the Ross Sea during the austral summer are described, based primarily upon observations taken aboard the U.S.N.S. Eltanin in 1968. Surface-actuated multiple samplers (SAMS) provided calibration data for electronically recorded in situ salinity-temperature-depth (STD) measurements. The eastern portion of Pennell Bank differs considerably from its outline on earlier charts. The westerly current of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) over the Ross Sea continental slope provides an dynamic barrier to northwanrd thermohaline flow of dense Ross Sea Shelf Water (RSSW). Insufficient brine may be releasd by the freezing of sea ice to produce the major portion of RSSW. Ice Shelf Water (ISW), identified by a deep temperature minimum, has temperatures as low as — 2·13°C near its source at the base of the Ross Ice Shelf. Low-salinity Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is formed during sumer over the continental slope in the eastern Ross Sea from a mixture of CDW and ISW. High salinity AABW is produced in summer in the western Ross Sea from a combination of RSSW and CDW. On the continental slope both AABW types are characterized by a sharp decrease in temperature and increase in oxygen near bottom. Gradient changes in continuously-recorded vertical profiles of temperature, salinity and light scattering were observed between CDW and AABW on several stations. Bottom current measurements revealed strong westerly and northerly flows down and along the continental slope, with magnitudes exceeding 15 cm/sec at eight locations.
Specified-Deflection Command Shapers for Second-Order Position Input Systems

This paper documents new command shapers designed to both eliminate the residual vibration and reduce the transient deflection of a flexible system. Equations are derived to predict both the residual vibration and the transient deflection for a mass-spring-damper system with position input, or equivalently, a mass under PD control. The solution of equations containing constraints on both the transient deflection and the residual vibration leads to the creation of specified-deflection, zero-vibration command shapers. These specified-deflection shapers limit the transient deflection to a predetermined ratio of the base line deflection resulting from an arbitrary reference command. Computer simulations and experiments on a bridge crane verify the efficacy of the new command shapers.
Recent developments in ceramic actuators

In these several years, piezoelectric and electrostrictive materials have become key components in smart actuator/sensor systems such as precision positioners, miniature ultrasonic motors and adaptive mechanical dampers. This paper reviews recent developments of piezoelectric and related ceramic actuators with particular focus on the improvement of actuator materials, device designs and drive/control techniques of actuators. Developments will be compared among USA, Japan and Europe.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.