cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can a Summary Laboratory Score Predict Health Status and Inpatient Utilization

The Genie score is a summary laboratory score derived from the average of a patient's deviations from specified normal laboratory values. The ability of the Genie score to predict important inpatie...
Experiments in binocular synchronization.

AS applied to eye guidance, Helmholtz's classical empirical theory of space perception1 contains two basic assumptions: first, that direction and location in space are learned by temporal association between visual and tactile experience, and second, that the two eyes are exactly conjugate in their response to visual stimuli. The second assumption is logically necessary because the theory of temporal association permits no time discrepancy between the two eyes in forming visual and tactual associations. If such binocular differences did occur, each eye would “learn” separate directions. We have set out to test this second assumption.
7.1: Presentation session: Poster session and reception: “Clustering model to identify biological signatures for English language anxiety”

We propose a clustering model to identify biological signatures for language anxiety in non-native English speakers. We use the Gas Discharge Visualization (GDV)-based Electro-photonic impulse analyzer to collect electro-photonic emission of fingertips, called GDV-grams, of students belonging to three different categories: Native English speakers, Indians (Commonwealth country) and Confucian Heritage Cultures (CHC). The built-in GDV-software analyzes the GDV-grams of an individual and quantifies the activity status of the organs/organ systems in the form of energy coefficients (EC). Our clustering model first computes the average of the absolute difference in the EC values, Δ(EC), for each of the three categories of the students, before and after a language test. Using the average Δ(EC) values for native English speakers as the baseline, we compute the relative absolute difference, ΔΔ(EC), in the energy coefficient values for the CHC group and the Indians. We run the K-Means clustering algorithm on a ΔΔ superset comprising of ΔΔ(EC) values obtained for the different organs/organ systems for the CHC group and the Indian students and classify these values to three different clusters representing organs/organ systems that have low, moderate and high impact due to English language anxiety. The corresponding range of the ΔΔ(EC) values are the biological signatures for anxiety of non-native English speakers with respect to any particular language activity and can be used as benchmarks to classify a test subject as having low, moderate or high levels of English language anxiety.
A rapid and efficient method for migration-free acylation of lysophospholipids : synthesis of phosphatidylcholines with sn-2-chain-terminal reporter groups

A rapid and efficient method for migration-free acylation of lysophosphatidylcholines has been developed using ultrasound for agitation of the reaction mixture and glass beads for increasing the surface in the reaction vessel. The products were obtained in good yields and short reaction times. The method has been applied for the preparation of a variety of substituted phospholipid substrates.
Negotiations of Benevolent (Colonial) Tutelage in Carlos Bulosan

US colonial education in the Philippines, begun as a means of pacification, was a complex mixture of military necessity and a biopolitical technology of colonial management through racialization and benevolent uplift. This essay examines the engagement of Filipino American writer Carlos Bulosan with the project of colonial tutelage in two satiric stories, ‘My Mother's Boarders’ and ‘The Education of My Father’ and in his fictionalized autobiography, ‘America is in the Heart’. It demonstrates the historically specific ways in which Bulosan critiques the racialized assumptions of colonial education in which Filipinos were deemed primitive and, like Native Americans and African Americans, deemed fit only for industrial education. It also analyses the possibilities for decolonial thinking as articulated in America is in the Heart. At the same time, it suggests that Bulosan's reverence for education and his use of the rhetoric of exceptional democracy, which replicates that of US imperialism, points to the dif...
Organosilicate glass dielectric films with backbone carbon: Enhanced resistance to carbon loss in plasma environments

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data indicate that organosilicate glass (OSG) films with backbone carbon (Si-R-Si) exhibit significantly enhanced resistance to carbon loss upon exposure to either atomic oxygen (O(3P)) or to vacuum ultraviolet light in the presence of O 2 (VUV+O 2 )—important factors in O 2 plasma environments—compared to films with terminal methyl groups (Si-CH 3 ). These results and comparisons to ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations indicate films with backbone carbon exhibit fundamentally different Si-C bond-breaking mechanisms, with more resistance to carbon loss, compared to those with terminal methyl groups.
Impulse Oscillometry and Respiratory Symptoms in World Trade Center Responders, 6 Years Post-9/11

This study evaluated whether impulse oscillometry (IOS) testing revealed signs of respiratory disease in New York State (NYS) World Trade Center (WTC) responders in comparison with unexposed NYS employees. It also compared self-reported respiratory symptoms between the two groups, 6 years post-9/11. For this evaluation participants completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding respiratory symptoms. IOS testing included measures of resistance and reactance to assess for peripheral versus central airway effects. Two hundred forty-eight subjects (99 exposed and 149 unexposed) were included in the final analysis. Since September 11, 2001, NYS responders were more likely to report new or worsening cough in the absence of a respiratory infection, cough consistent with chronic bronchitis, current respiratory symptoms, or lower respiratory symptoms in the last 12 months. Significant associations were found between IOS indices and gender, smoking history, and obesity. When comparing exposed and unexposed participants, there were no significant differences in the geometric means of the IOS indices. Responders who used a respirator with canister demonstrated significantly lower respiratory resistance at 5 and 20 Hz (R5 and R20). While this study has provided no evidence of an association between WTC exposure and peripheral airways disease in this cohort of responders, results do suggest that use of a respirator with canister may be protective for central airways in responders exposed to dust and smoke. This emphasizes the importance of stressing proper respirator use in planning responses to future disasters. Our control data also provide useful reference values for future IOS research.
SHARE 2012: Large Edge Targets for Hyperspectral Imaging Applications

Spectral unmixing is a type of hyperspectral imagery (HSI) sub-pixel analysis where the constituent spectra and abundances within the pixel are identified. However, validating the results obtained from spectral unmixing is very difficult due to a lack of real-world data and ground-truth information associated with these real-world images. Real HSI data is preferred for validating spectral unmixing, but when there is no HSI truth-data available, then validation of spectral unmixing algorithms relies on user-defined synthetic images which can be generated to exploit the benefits (or hide the flaws) in the new unmixing approaches. Here we introduce a new dataset (SHARE 2012: large edge targets) for the validation of spectral unmixing algorithms. The SHARE 2012 large edge targets are uniform 9m by 9m square regions of a single material (grass, sand, black felt, or white TyVek). The spectral profile and the GPS of the corners of the materials were recorded so that the heading of the edge separating any two materials can be determined from the imagery. An estimate for the abundance of two neighboring materials along a common edge can be calculated geometrically by identifying the edge which spans multiple pixels. These geometrically calculated abundances can then be used as validation of spectral unmixing algorithms. The size, shape, and spectral profiles of these targets also make them useful for radiometric calibration, atmospheric adjacency effects, and sensor MTF calculations. The imagery and ground-truth information are presented here.
Relationship of sport classification and gender to injury for the athlete with cerebral palsy

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of both sport classification and gender to injury in the athlete with cerebral palsy (CP). Of 217 participants, 54 (25%) reported an injury episode. A relationship between both gender and sport classification to injury (p = 0.001) was discovered. For the nonambulatory, a female was more likely than a male to have an injury, and for the ambulatory, a male was more likely than a female to have an injury. For the nonambulatory, a female had a greater number of injuries to the shoulder, hand/finger, and knee compared with the male. For the ambulatory, the male had a greater frequency of injury to the shoulder, knee, and leg/ankle region. Sport participation for the athlete with CP is largely an adult phenomenon (mean age, 24.23 years) with a late introduction to begin sports activity (mean age, 18 years). This may impede the development of sport skills and result in improper mechanics of movement that may lead to injury. An aggressive approach to the...
Roles of Mineral Matter in the Early Stages of Coal Combustion

In a recent study, we discovered that oxygen from the gas phase, organic portions of the coal, and minerals in the coal have profound influence on the formation and desorption of stable surface oxides in the early stages of coal combustion. In an attempt to isolate the effects of minerals, demineralized coals (DMC) are oxidized in O{sub 2} with a contact time less than 1 s, and the amount and strength of stable surface oxides are characterized by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) up to 1650{sup o}C. Young chars derived from both demineralized lignite and bituminous coals show low and flat TPD profiles over a wide temperature range, signifying the minerals' catalytic activities in forming stable surface oxides for both coals. Indeed, the oxidation rates of chars from both bituminous coals and lignite, estimated based on the O{sub 2} concentrations entering and exiting the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} reactor, were higher than their DMC counterparts. Moreover, graphite, containing no minerals and organically bound oxygen, has an even lower oxidation rate. Similar to those for the raw coals, the combined oxygen balance and elemental analysis of chars from DMC suggests that the oxygen in the organic portion of the lignite activates oxygen turnover andmore » carbon oxidation during its combustion; neither chars from raw nor demineralized bituminous coals possess these properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of raw and demineralized bituminous coals and their char show peaks at around 532.0 eV in the O(1s) difference spectrum, suggesting the possible existence of intercalated stable surface oxides. 35 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs.« less
Help for the Novice Researcher

Karban, Richard, and Mikaela Huntzinger. 2006. How to do ecology: a concise handbook. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. vi + 145 p. $45.00 (cloth), ISBN: 978-0-691-12576-3 (alk. paper); $16.95 (paper), ISBN: 978-0-691-12577-0 (alk. paper).
Constrained semantic transference: A formal theory of metaphors

In this paper we propose a formal theory of metaphors called Constrained Semantic Transference [CST]. We start from the assumptions that metaphors are characterized by the description of one domain, called the target domain, in terms of another domain, called the source domain; and that a metaphor works by transferring a set of structural relationships from the source domain to the target domain coherently. Starting from these assumptions, we formally define the concept of T-MAPs which are partial coherent mappings from the source domain to the target domain. We also define two operators, called Augmentation and Positing Structure that extend a given T-MAP by adding new structure to the target domain. We show how T-MAPs can be used to characterize metaphorical interpretations of a given set of sentences. This characterization allows several cognitive features of metaphors to be described in CST. In particular, our characterization uses the same criterion for deciding metaphorical truth as for literal truths.
Behavior of Mercury in Hazardous Waste Treatment by Reverse-Burn Gasification

Abstract The fate of mercury in the treatment of hazardous waste by reverse-burn gasification was investigated. Mercuric chloride was loaded into coal char at a rate of 333 μg/g and the char was subjected to reverse-burn gasification to determine if mercury would be vaporized in the process as it is in typical incineration processes. Two types of mercury vapor traps, Amberlite IR-124 (a sulfur-containing cation-exchange resin) and triple-reverse-burned coal char (TRB Char), were examined for their ability to remove mercury vapor from the gasification reactor exhaust gas. Detection of mercury vapor exiting the gasification reactor or mercury traps was accomplished by collection on a gold surface in a specially designed mercury vapor collection tube. Mercury was measured by flameless atomic absorption following thermal desorption from the collection tube. Although mercury was vaporized in the gasification process, TRB Char proved to be an effective sorbent for the removal of mercury vapor from the exhaust gas.
Shake Table Studies of Energy-Dissipating Segmental Bridge Columns

Five one-third scale segmental bridge columns with plastic hinges incorporating different advanced materials were designed and tested on one of the shake tables at the University of Nevada, Reno. The columns were subjected to the Sylmar Earthquake record with increasing amplitudes until failure. All the models were cantilever with longitudinal steel dowels connecting the base segment to the footing. Unbonded posttensioning was used to connect the segments and to minimize the residual displacements. Energy dissipation took place mostly through the yielding of the longitudinal bars in the base segment. Conventional RC was used in the plastic hinge of a reference column. In one of the models, a built in elastomeric pad integrated with the footing and a concrete segment constituted the plastic hinge. The other two columns incorporated engineered cementitious composite (ECC) and unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabrics at the lower two segments. The effectiveness of repair with CFRP wraps was also studied by repairing and retesting the reference column. The test results showed that the proposed models with advanced materials are suitable for accelerated bridge construction in high seismic zones because of their fast construction, high energy dissipation, minimal damage in the plastic hinge zone, and minimal residual displacement.
Effect of tin-doped indium oxide electrode preparation methods on the mediated electrochemical detection of nucleic acids

Oxidation of guanine residues in nucleic acids using a metal mediator, tris(bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+), provides a sensitive and simple method for detection of unmodified nucleic acids. ...
Characterization of emulsion polyethylene

Polyethylene which was made by emulsion polymerization was characterized by means of osmometry, light scattering, and viscometry. The samples have unusually high weight- and number-average molecular weights. Low molecular weight polymer which is usually present in commercial polyethylenes was not detected. The data indicate a compact, highly ramified molecular structure. The light-scattering data suggest each latex particle is made up of essentially one giant molecule which swells but does not dissolve in organic solvents at 100°C. Swelling factors calculated from viscosity and lightscattering data indicate low degrees of crosslinking. A clear distinction cannot be made between a highly long-chain branched structure and the crosslinked structure of microgels. Of the low-density polyethylene, 1–2 wt.-% is made up of molecules which have a comparable structure. In contrast, the greatest portion of the experimental samples is composed of the high molecular weight, highly ramified molecules.
Screening for familial hypercholesterolemia in childhood

• Widespread blood cholesterol screening in childhood is not an effective strategy for decreasing the burden of coronary heart disease in the US population. Screening to identify older children and adolescents at high risk for developing coronary heart disease in early adulthood makes sense, but only if it is limited to individuals with positive family histories and if the cutoff point for further diagnosis and treatment is set high enough so that the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. These conditions are met for the case of the heterozygous form of familial hypercholesterolemia, which accounts for approximately 5 % of cases of premature coronary heart disease. Screening for familial hypercholesterolemia is defensible because of (1) the serious prognosis and relatively high prevalence of familial hypercholesterolemia, (2) the existence of appropriate initial screening and follow-up diagnostic tests, (3) the fact that family history—directed screening is likely to be effective in detecting affected individuals, and (4) the apparent effectiveness of intervention in adolescence for a disease that would otherwise manifest in early adulthood. ( AJDC . 1993;147:393-396)
Comparison of Age-Related Differences in Expression of Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase mRNA and Activity in Various Tissues of Pigs

Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPX) is the second identified Se-dependent intracellular glutathione peroxidase (PHGPX) that reduces phospholipid hydroperoxides. The objective of this study was to determine the developmental regulation of PHGPX expression in tissues of neonatal, weanling and finishing pigs (Sus scrofa) compared with the expression of the classic Se-dependent cellular glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and the Se-independent enzyme, glutathione S-transferase (GST). Eight different tissues were collected from Se-adequate male pigs aged 1, 28 and 180 days, and supernatant of the tissue homogenate was assayed for PHGPX, GPX and GST activities by using phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide, hydrogen peroxide and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as substrate, respectively. Total RNA was isolated from four tissues and assayed for PHGPX mRNA expression. Both mRNA and activity expression of PHGPX in most assayed tissues was increased as pigs became older (P < 0.05), but increases in PHGPX mRNA levels between ages did not fully account for all changes in activity. Expression of GPX activity was increased more than that of PHGPX between day 1 and day 28 (P < 0.0001). Expression of GST activity in various tissues was also affected by age (P < 0.01) but lacked a consistent relationship with the changes in GPX and PHGPX activity. Tissue-specific patterns of developmental expression of these enzymes may be related to the susceptibility of organs to pro-oxidant injuries. In conclusion, expression of PHGPX mRNA and activity in various tissues of pigs is developmentally increased over ages, and the pattern is somewhat different from that of GPX.
One-particle-irreducible consistency relations for cosmological perturbations

We derive consistency relations for correlators of scalar cosmological perturbations that hold in the ``squeezed limit'' in which one or more of the external momenta become soft. Our results are formulated as relations between suitably defined one-particle-irreducible $N$-point and ($N\ensuremath{-}1$)-point functions that follow from residual spatial conformal diffeomorphisms of the unitary gauge Lagrangian. As such, some of these relations are exact to all orders in perturbation theory and do not rely on approximate de Sitter invariance or other dynamical assumptions (e.g., properties of the operator product expansion or the behavior of modes at the horizon crossing). The consistency relations apply model-independently to cosmological scenarios in which the time evolution is driven by a single scalar field. Besides reproducing the known results for single-field inflation in the slow-roll limit, we verify that our consistency relations hold more generally, for instance, in ghost condensate models in flat space. We comment on possible extensions of our results to multifield models.
Alkaline-active xylanase produced by an alkaliphilic Bacillus sp isolated from kraft pulp

ABacillus sp (V1-4) was isolated from hardwood kraft pulp. It was capable of growing in diluted kraft black liquor at pH 11.5 and produced 49 IU (μmol xylose min−1 ml−1) of xylanase when cultivated in alkaline medium at pH 9. Maximal enzyme activity was obtained by cultivation in a defined alkaline medium with 2% birchwood xylan and 1% corn steep liquor at pH 9, but high enzyme production was also obtained on wheat bran. The apparent pH optimum of the enzyme varied with the pH used for cultivation and the buffer system employed for enzyme assay. With cultivation at pH 10 and assays performed in glycine buffer, maximal activity was observed at pH 8.5; with phosphate buffer, maximal activity was between pH 6 and 7. The xylanase temperature optimum (at pH 7.0) was 55°C. In the absence of substrate, at pH 9.0, the enzyme was stable at 50°C for at least 30 min. Elecrophoretic analysis of the crude preparation showed one predominant xylanase with an alkaline pl. Biobleaching studies showed that the enzyme would brighten both hardwood and softwood kraft pulp and release chromophores at pH 7 and 9. Because kraft pulps are alkaline, this enzyme could be used for prebleaching with minimal pH adjustment.
COTS middleware for real-time distributed interactive simulations - fact or fiction?

Current and planned real-time distributed interactive simulation systems must collaborate with many event sources, provide interactive response to human operators, and respond jexibly to unanticipated factors arising at run-time. Moreovel; large-scale federated simulation systems must run largely autonomously, shielding operators from unnecessary details, while simultaneously communicating and responding to events at an accelerated operational tempo. In next-generation simulation “systems of systems” it will be hard to predict or even approximate system conjigurations or workload mixes a priori. While it is possible in theory to develop complex real-time distributed interactive simulation systems from scratch, contemporary economic and organizational constraints, as well as increasingly complex requirements, are making it implausible to do so in practice. Thus, the role played by “commodity-off-the-shelf” (COTS) hardware and software has become increasingly significant. In its formative years, COTS middleware, such as CORBA, was generally unsuited for real-time distributed interactive simulation systems due to its lack of I. Standard QoS inte~aces in standard specifications 2. QoS enforcement mechanisms 3. Real-time programming features and 4. Optimizations for eficiency, predictability, and dependability. Howevel; the current generation of middleware specifications and implementations provide much better QoS support for real-time distributed interactive simulation systems. This talk describes how the evolution of middleware capabilities, particularly the OMG Real-time CORBA standardization effort and the DMSO HLMRTI, and the maturation of COTS middleware implementations make it increasingly well-suited as the infrastructure for real-time distributed interactive simulation systems. The material in this talk is based on experience gained with the TA0 Real-time CORBA ORB and the SAIC implementation of the HMRTI, which is based on TAO.
Teachers’ Practices and Beliefs Regarding Teaching Tuning in Elementary and Middle School Group String Classes:

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ practices and beliefs related to the teaching of stringed instrument tuning in elementary and middle school group classes. The aspects examined included the following: (a) teachers’ beliefs about teaching tuning in their string classes, (b) activities teachers used when teaching tuning in string classes, (c) methods for assessing students’ tuning skills, (d) the grade level that tuning instruction begins, (e) the amount of instructional time used for teaching tuning, (f) teachers’ goals for students’ tuning independence, and (g) teacher, program, or school characteristics that affect how and when tuning is taught. Participants (N = 139) reported that the average time required to develop tuning independence is 4.5 years. The amount of instructional time available and the level of students’ aural skills were the greatest perceived obstacles to developing tuning independence. Significant differences were found in tuning activities, beliefs about students’ tu...
Evaluation of iteration methods used when modeling scattering from features on surfaces using the discrete-dipole approximation

Abstract We address modeling of light scattering from features on surfaces and the numerical aspects associated with it. In this context, the features represent micro-circuit components and/or particle contaminates on silicon wafers. The discrete dipole approximation method is used to model the scattering features, and various solution routines are presented. The quasi-minimal residual method is shown to be the most efficient iteration method used considering the wide range of parameters investigated.
Liberty and Justice for All? Implications of Exposure to the U.S. Flag for Intergroup Relations

Three studies examined the implications of nationalistic ideologies and exposure to the U.S. flag for the activation of egalitarian concepts and outgroup hostility. Study 1 demonstrated that subliminal exposure to the U.S. flag activated participants' egalitarian concepts. In Study 2, highly nationalistic participants who were exposed to the U.S. flag reported less hostility than did those not exposed to the flag, whereas the flag did not influence the hostility of participants low in nationalism. Study 3 demonstrated that for participants high in nationalism, greater activation of egalitarian concepts on subliminal exposure to the U.S. flag was associated with less hostility toward Arabs and Muslims in the presence of the U.S. flag. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Patient safety, error reduction, and ethical practice.

Currently, patient safety and adverse outcomes are receiving an increasing emphasis within both the healthcare community and society. Redesigning systems and instituting safe practices within the healthcare environment are being seen as essential to decrease the likelihood that patients are placed a
Family System Variables in Alcoholism

The social system of the family is a major variable in the syndrome of alcoholism. The family system may generate or promote the development of alcoholism in a family member. The alcoholic behavior of a family member may disrupt and impair family system function. Although these relationships highlight important correlations between alcoholism and family function, research evidence demonstrates that the relationship is complex. Simple models of a typical alcoholic family no longer suffice. Research on four aspects of family alcoholism are reviewed: family reactivity patterns, ethnic family styles, gender of the alcoholic spouse, and stages of alcoholism. These data support the conclusion that family systems are an important variable in the genesis, consequences, and treatment of alcoholism.
A view from the SIGCPR conference: what have we learned in this decade?

Previous research on computer personnel, or the "people part" of the computer technology equation, has stimulated understanding of the interaction between people and technology. This paper presents the results of quantitative and qualitative analysis of proceedings from the 1991 through 1999 annual conference of the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Personnel Research. The study develops a framework defining the domain of management information systems personnel research, summarizes lessons learned, organizes and presents research questions from the past decade's research, and identifies exemplary research streams that provide support for expanding theory and application knowledge in this field. While the continual evolution of technology sets the stage for future research, the need for development of new knowledge in several specific areas is suggested.
Use of eCompliance, an Innovative Biometric System for Monitoring of Tuberculosis Treatment in Rural Uganda

Directly observed therapy short-course (DOTS) requires direct observation of tuberculosis (TB) patients and manual recording of doses taken. Programmatically, manual tracking is both time-consuming and prone to human error. Our project in western Uganda assessed the impact on TB treatment outcomes of a comprehensive patient support program including eCompliance, a biometric medical record device, with the aim of increasing TB patient retention. Through an observational study of 142 patients, DOTS outcomes of patients in the intervention group were compared with two control groups. Descriptive statistical comparisons, case-cohort analysis, and difference in change over time were used to assess the impact. Intervention patients had a higher cure rate than all other patients (55.6% versus 28.3% [P < 0.01]) and the odds of having a "cured" outcome were 3.17 higher (P < 0.05). The intervention group had a statistically significantly lower odds of having a negative outcome (0% versus.17% [P < 0.01]) than patients from the control groups. Additionally, the intervention group had a lost to follow-up rate lower than all other groups (0% versus 7%) that was trending on significant. In resource-limited settings, implementing comprehensive DOTS including eCompliance may reduce the occurrence of negative DOTS outcomes for patients.
An innovative quality improvement curriculum for third-year medical students.

Background: Competence in quality improvement (QI) is a priority for medical students. We describe a self-directed QI skills curriculum for medical students in a 1-year longitudinal integrated third-year clerkship: an ideal context to learn and practice QI. Methods: Two groups of four students identified a quality gap, described existing efforts to address the gap, made quantifying measures, and proposed a QI intervention. The program was assessed with knowledge and attitude surveys and a validated tool for rating trainee QI proposals. Reaction to the curriculum was assessed by survey and focus group. Results: Knowledge of QI concepts did not improve (mean knowledge score±SD): pre: 5.9±1.5 vs. post: 6.6±1.3, p =0.20. There were significant improvements in attitudes (mean topic attitude score±SD) toward the value of QI (pre: 9.9±1.8 vs. post: 12.6±1.9, p =0.03) and confidence in QI skills (pre: 13.4±2.8 vs. post: 16.1±3.0, p =0.05). Proposals lacked sufficient analysis of interventions and evaluation plans. Reaction was mixed, including appreciation for the experience and frustration with finding appropriate mentorship. Conclusion: Clinical-year students were able to conduct a self-directed QI project. Lack of improvement in QI knowledge suggests that self-directed learning in this domain may be insufficient without targeted didactics. Higher order skills such as developing measurement plans would benefit from explicit instruction and mentorship. Lessons from this experience will allow educators to better target QI curricula to medical students in the clinical years. Keywords: quality improvement education; undergraduate medical education; experiential learning; self-directed learning (Published: 16 May 2012) Citation: Med Educ Online 2012, 17 : 18391 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v17i0.18391
Cognitive/information processing psychology and instruction: Reviewing recent theory and practice

With increasing frequency, constructs developed within the field of cognitive/information processing psychology are being employed in the development of instructional theory. This article attempts to organize a broad range of developments in instructional psychology which have this common origin. Particular emphasis is placed on the applicability of constructs such as data structures and procedures. Recent developments in instructional psychology are discussed relative to cognitive task analysis, individual difference variables, and cognitive models of interactive instructional decision-making. Implications for future theory and practice are considered.
Behavior in magnetic field and spatial resolution of a drift chamber without electric field shaping

Abstract We present results on the behavior in a magnetic field parallel to the sense wires and the spatial resolution of a drift chamber with relatively short drift length (7.5 mm) but without electric field shaping. This chamber operates quite well for a field as high as 15 kG, and the spatial resolution is better than ± 100 μm over the major part of the chamber for normally incident tracks. At 4 kG we give results on the spatial resolution as a function of the incident angle.
Tunneling in Pb-YBCO junctions: Determining the symmetry of the pairing state

Abstract We report on our efforts to understand the origin of supercurrent observed in c-axis tunnel junctions on YBCO [Sun A. G. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 2267 (1994).] by studying the phase coherence of a-axis/c-axis and b-axis/c-axis Pb-YBCO SQUIDs and Josephson junctions. We also discuss the quasiparticle tunneling spectra measured in c-axis Pb-YBCO junctions which should give information about the pairing mechanism responsible for high temperature superconductivity.
Analysis of homogeneous combustion in Monolithic structures

An analytical method is used to solve the problem of homogeneous combustion in a monolith. The solid phase acts as burner support. Heat is conducted much more effectively in the solid phase and preheating of the gas is more effective. The flame temperature exceeds the adiabatic value. Solutions are presented for different velocities and feed concentrations.
Loss of antimicrobial susceptibility in aerobic gram-negative bacilli repeatedly isolated from patients in intensive-care units.

Objective: To study the loss of antimicrobial susceptibility in repeat (same patient, same bacterial species, and same site) aerobic gram-negative bacilli (AGNB) isolated from individual patients during their stay in the intensive-care unit (ICU). Setting: A 792-bed, tertiary-care community hospital with a total of 107 adult, pediatric, and neonatal ICU beds. METHOD: An obser vational prospective study performed November 1992 through mid-July 1993. Results: Of 594 consecutive AGNB from 287 ICU patients, 117 isolates (20%) from 55 patients (19%) were repeat isolates, with the majority obtained from respiratory secretions (83%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species accounted for 61% of the isolates. Forty-two (36%) of the repeat isolates from 24 patients (44%) had >4-fold increase in minimum inhibitory concentration to at least one antibiotic and no longer were considered fully susceptible based on National Committee on Clinical Laboratory Standards criteria. Loss of antimicrobial susceptibility often developed within several (median 8) days and was associated only infrequently with simultaneous transition from colonization to infection in the individual patient. Use of certain β-lactam antibiotics was associated with increasing resistance to several other antibiotics in the same class. Concurrent use of β-lactams and aminoglycosides did not prevent loss of antimicrobial susceptibility to the former in repeat isolates. Conclusion: We conclude that loss of antimicrobial susceptibility in repeat AGNB isolated from ICU patients is common, usually is not associated with transition from colonization to infection, and often is associated with prior use of antibiotics. Minimizing antibiotic use in ICU patients should help reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance in repeat AGNB isolates.
The future of therapeutics in the north

Abstract Health-care systems occupy from 6% up to 15% of developed countries' GDPs. Therapeutics, particularly hospital care, occupy the bulk of these expenditures, despite their focus on dealing with disease after it arises. In the 21st century health-care systems will focus on health gains. Therapeutics will have broadened to encompass prevention and treatment, and will be focused on each individual's unique biological, psychological and social needs. Major killers, most particularly heart disease and cancer, will be far more preventable or curable, because of changes in therapeutic paradigms to more holistic approaches as well as important biomedical breakthroughs. There are a variety of negative possibilities, including continued preeminence of the medical model, growing costs, increased inequality in access, and greater poverty and social disintegration. The movement to therapeutics more focused on health gains will be accelerated by a variety of trends, particularly the development by communities in the USA and many other countries of shared visions that guide the evolution of health care in these directions.
Subcritical crack growth processes in SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites

Abstract Ceramic matrix composites have the potential to operate at high temperatures and are, therefore being considered for a variety of advanced energy technologies such as combustor liners in land-based gas turbo/generators, heat exchangers and advanced fission and fusion reactors. Ceramic matrix composites exhibit a range of crack growth mechanisms driven by a range of environmental and nuclear conditions. The crack growth mechanisms include: (1) fiber relaxation by thermal (FR) and irradiation (FIR) processes, (2) fiber stress-rupture (SR), (3) interface removal (IR) by oxidation, and (4) oxidation embrittlement (OE) resulting from glass formation including effects of glass viscosity. Analysis of these crack growth processes has been accomplished with a combination experimental/modeling effort. Dynamic, high-temperature, in situ crack growth measurements have been made in variable Ar + O 2 environments while a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) developed model has been used to extrapolate this data and to add radiation effects. In addition to the modeling effort, a map showing these mechanisms as a function of environmental parameters was developed. This mechanism map is an effective tool for identifying operating regimes and predicting behavior. The process used to develop the crack growth mechanism map was to: (1) hypothesize and experimentally verify the operative mechanisms, (2) develop an analytical model for each mechanism, and (3) define the operating regime and boundary conditions for each mechanism. A map for SiC/SiC composites has been developed for chemical and nuclear environments as a function of temperature and time.
Reviving the killers: all you need is IL-2

Comment on Moll et al, page [3081][1] Natural killer T (NKT) cells, which link innate to adaptive immunity, are targeted by HIV-1 and selectively lost in HIV-infected individuals. In this issue of Blood, Moll and colleagues report that IL-2 treatment of HIV patients effectively restores NKT cells
A Novel Priority-Slot Based Continuous-Time Formulation for Crude-Oil Scheduling Problems

The optimal scheduling of crude-oil operations in refineries has been studied by various groups during the past decade leading to different mixed integer linear programming (MILP) or mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) formulations. This paper presents a new continuous-time formulation, called single-operation sequencing (SOS) model, which can be used to solve a crude-oil operations problem introduced in previous publications. It is different from previous formulations as it requires to postulate the number of priority-slots in which operations take place, instead of specifying the number of time intervals or event points to be used in the schedule. This MINLP model is also based on the representation of a crude-oil schedule by a single sequence of transfer operations. It allows breaking symmetries involved in the problem, thus enormously reducing the computational times (all instances can be solved within 2 min). A simple two step MILP-NLP procedure has been used to solve the nonconvex MINLP mode...
Marriage and Subjective Well-Being: How and Why Context Matters

Over the last 20 years the academic community has experienced a burgeoning interest in the causes and correlates of subjective well-being. One of the most consistent findings has been that married respondents report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction than unmarried respondents. Despite its prevalence, scant empirical research has focused on the potential mechanisms driving this relationship. The current work draws on the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System along with 2000 US Census data to investigate the role of context and reference groups in shaping the relationship between marriage and well-being. The primary research question is whether marriage has a greater influence on life satisfaction when it is more common and thus more normative? The findings offer new insight into the marriage/well-being relationship and have broad implication for how we think about the study of the causes and correlates of subjective well-being.
The 1998 Yangtze Floods: The Use of Short-Term Forecasts in the Context of Seasonal to Interannual Water Resource Management

This paper reviews changes in the use of short-term climate information for water management in China after the 1998 Great Flood in the Yangtze River basin. This devastating flood is now believed to have been caused mainly by the 1997–98 El Nino event. Although the short-term climate forecasts and weather forecasts are considered to be useful in planning for flood prevention activities and for making key decisions during combating floods, the gap between the meteorological services (producers of climate forecasts) and water management agencies (users of climate forecasts) has grown in terms of credibility given to climate forecasting: weather services put more efforts on improving the technology for increasing forecast accuracy, whereas water managers put their efforts and investment into upstream ecological restoration and flood control systems. By reviewing the published and ‘gray’ (unpublished) literature, we found that assessments of the 1998 Great Flood in the Yangtze River basin really helped the central government and water resources agencies to recognize the weaknesses of the existing flood control system, the mismanagement in the ecological systems, and the need for developing a national water resource management plan to deal with the problems of ‘too much water, too little water, and very polluted water’.
Interfacial Tension of Liquid Crystalline Droplets

The interfacial tension between two low-molar-mass biphenylcarbonitriles that exhibit liquid crystalline phases (4‘-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile and 4‘-octyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) was measured as a function of temperature using pendant drop tensiometry enhanced by video-image digitization. Interfacial tensions are increasing functions of temperature, an apparent consequence of homeotropic orientation in the nematic phase and decreasing nematic order with increasing temperature. Nematic order near the interface persists above the bulk nematic−isotropic transition temperature. The interfacial tension in the smectic phase is too low to obtain a stable droplet.
When we all need someone to lean on.

In the midst of reading the articles that appear in this special issue of the Journal, I discovered one of those pictures that speak a thousand words on the front page of the New York Times. An unidentified girl who looked no older than nine years old looked to the camera with an expression that was just blank enough for the viewer to fill in any of a broad range of painful emotions. She held a sign with her handwritten appeal for help to find her family members lost in the tsunami waves that crashed in on her life and the lives of hundreds of thousands of other victims on December 26, 2004. As in the aftermath of 9/11, we have once again been confronted with the horrors of destruction, death, loss, and chaos that conjure up myriad notions of what we mean by the term “trauma.” As clinicians and researchers and as citizens of a world community, we are in the strongest position to aid those most affected by catastrophic events when we are guided by the clearest appreciation of the details of the most human of experiences— overwhelming fear. When this appreciation is based on the combination of our capacity for self–observation, scientific investigation, psychological theory, and observations from clinical practice, our clinical and consultative efforts will come closest to
Protein interactions with oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) self-assembled monolayers : OEG stability, surface packing density and protein adsorption

We present a study of protein adsorption on oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) at a range of OEG surface densities. OEG SAMs were formed in mixed ethanol and water solutions at different assembly temperatures to adjust the packing density of EG4-SAMs. These SAMs were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Fibrinogen adsorption on these surfaces was measured by a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor at different temperatures. This work is aimed at addressing three important issues for protein–OEG interactions, i.e., (i) OEG stability, (ii) the correlation between OEG surface densities and surface non-fouling properties, and (iii) protein adsorption on OEG surfaces at different temperatures.
γ-irradiation of styrene copolymers

Copolymers of styrene-methyl methacrylate were irradiated in vacuo with γ-rays; viscosity changes and gas yields (moles gas per mole methyl methacrylate in copolymer) for H2, CO, CO2, CH4, HCOOCH3, and CH3OH were examined at doses of 1.0 Mrep to 10.0 Mrep. It was found that styrene molecules protect the copolymer from degrading while decreasing the gas yields up to a styrene concentration of about 0.5 mole fraction; above this concentration, these radiation effects are independent of composition. When styrene–methyl acrylate copolymers were irradiated, styrene offered protection aganist gelation but simultaneously increased the gas yields (gases liberated were identical with those from the first system).
Children in no-parent households: The continuity of arrangements and the composition of households

Abstract In contrast to previous research on children living in households without either biological parent, which tends to rely on cross-sectional samples, this study uses longitudinal data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine the duration and stability of non-parental living arrangements over time. It also provides detailed information about others residing in these households as a way of highlighting the resources and responsibilities of non-parental caregivers. Our results show that there is heterogeneity in the duration of non-parental living arrangements, with some lasting for only a few months and others lasting for years. This heterogeneity means that past research based on cross-sectional samples has likely underestimated the prevalence of non-parental living arrangements. In addition, while these households are not substantially larger than parental households, many children in non-parental care are living with other, non-sibling children. We discuss the implications of these findings for developmental research and social policy.