cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Policy Implications of Better Structure and Process on Birth Outcomes in Jamaica

Background: We investigated if better structural and process elements of prenatal care relate to higher birth weights in the Jamaican population. Methods: We used data from two surveys: (1) a national sample of randomly selected households; and (2) a concurrent facility survey of the public health clinics in Jamaica. In the household survey, all women aged 14–50, who had a pregnancy lasting 7 months during the previous 5 years (n=913) were interviewed. From the household survey, we gathered information on the maternal, clinical and socioeconomic risk factors and on the newborns birth weight (the outcome measure). The facility survey collected data from all public primary care clinics in the country (n=366). This gave us information on the quality of care (structure and process measures) provided in the clinics. Findings: Prenatal care in Jamaica, while generally available, provides care to many women who are at particular risk because of parity, age and poverty. Structural measures of the facilities show that clinics are in general disrepair, have only 70% of the basic equipment and are insufficiently stocked with supplies or medication. Many facilities had poor process of care, as measured by assessing the clinical examination and counseling. The average birth weight was 3232 g and 9.8% weighed <2500 g. The relationships between birth weight and the quality of care were estimated using multiple regression. The biologic and socioeconomic risk factors related to birth weight in the expected direction. None of the structural quality measures were statistically significant. Among the process measures, women who had access to a more complete examination, had infants that weighed an average of 128 g more at birth. Interpretation: Better quality of care, provided by a more thorough clinical evaluation, has a more powerful effect on birth weight in the population than upgraded facilities or equipment. In developed or developing countries, where resources are limited, policy should focus on education and training to improve birth outcomes.
A Nonlocal Damage Theory for Laminated Plate with Application to Aircraft Damage Tolerance

Composite pressure vessel design requires the prediction of failure given large-scale damage. Cracks in composite laminates are known to develop a damage zone that exhibits strain-softening. This investigation sought to develop a computational model that simulates progressive damage and predicts failure of complex laminated shell structures subject to combined tension and flexure. The model assumed a macroscopic definition of orthotropic damage that was allowed to vary linearly through the shell thickness. It was further proposed that nonlocal plate strain and curvature act to force damage growth according to a set of uniaxial criteria. Damage induced strain softening is exhibited by degradation of laminate stiffness. An expression for the damage reduced laminated plate stiffness was derived which assumed the familiar laminated plate [ABD] stiffness matrix format. The model was implemented in a finite element shell program for simulation of fracture and evaluation of damage tolerance. A combined tension plus flexure fracture test was developed for characterizing damage. Analysis was performed on a section of pressurized composite fuselage containing a large crack. Good agreement was found between calculations and test results.
Personality and Values Based Materialism: Their Relationship and Origins

This research investigates the developmental processes by which consumers become more or less materialistic. It begins with a review of Inglehart's work in this area, and then applies his theories to explain conceptions of materialism developed by Richins and Belk. Inglehart predicts that the subjective experience of economic deprivation and insecurity during one's formative years leads to adult materialism. Early subjective experiences of deprivation and insecurity strongly predict materialism as conceptualized by Belk, but are not related to materialism as conceptualized by Richins. Inglehart also allows for the social influence of family and peers to shape materialistic orientations. Findings indicate that the formative social influence of family and peers predicts both Belk's and Richins's materialism. This difference between Belk's and Richins's materialism is explained on the grounds that Belk's materialism reflects personality whereas Richins's reflects personal values.
Sonoelastographic imaging of interference patterns for estimation of shear velocity distribution in biomaterials

The authors have recently demonstrated the shear wave interference patterns created by two coherent vibration sources imaged with the vibration sonoelastography technique. If the two sources vibrate at slightly different frequencies omega and omega+deltaomega, respectively, the interference patterns move at an apparent velocity of (deltaomega/2omega)upsilon(shear), where upsilon(shear) is the shear wave speed. We name the moving interference patterns "crawling waves." In this paper, we extend the techniques to inspect biomaterials with nonuniform stiffness distributions. A relationship between the local crawling wave speed and the local shear wave velocity is derived. In addition, a modified technique is proposed whereby only one shear wave source propagates shear waves into the medium at the frequency omega. The ultrasound probe is externally vibrated at the frequency omega-deltaomega. The resulting field estimated by the ultrasound (US) scanner is proven to be an exact representation of the propagating shear wave field. The authors name the apparent wave motion "holography waves." Real-time video sequences of both types of waves are acquired on various inhomogeneous elastic media. The distribution of the crawling/holographic wave speeds are estimated. The estimated wave speeds correlate with the stiffness distributions.
Drug Migration during Drying of Tablet Granulations II: Effect of Binder Solution Viscosity and Drying Temperature

The effect of binder solution viscosity and drying temperature on the integranular migration of propoxyphene hydrochloride was studied. Wet granulations containing the drug were prepared using binder solutions with viscosities ranging from 1 to 1000 cps. Temperature studies were conducted using granulations prepared with a 3-cps binder solution and dried at 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 degrees. Drug migration decreased with increased binder solution viscosity, and insignificant migration occurred in granulations prepared with binder solutions having apparent viscosities above 90 cps. No significant effect on intergranular drug migration was observed within the drying temperature range studied. Tablets compressed from a granulation in which drug migration was high showed a greater tablet-to-tablet drug content variation than a granulation with lower migration, even though each dried granulation was thoroughly mixed before tableting.
Negative Synergy: A Macro Perspective For Environmental Issues

Synergistic conditions result in situations where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The corollary, negative synergy, exists whenever the reverse is true: the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Research here examines one such case—ecological negative synergy or overstress. Ecological negative synergy results from placing more demand on the environment than it can process within the capability of restorative powers. Ultimately, the negative synergistic effect results in less productive or a permanently unproductive environment. In reality, the effect is worse than that expected from the simple sum of these separate elements. Three ecological disasters are to be examined. The first looks at the Sudan where overgrazing, overpopulation, poor soil conditions, and drought result in a situation where the result is much worse than the sum of the individual crisises being experienced in the region. The second considers the work by Nobel Piece Prize recipient Wangari Maathai and her studies of farms and forests in Kenya. The third reviews the devastation in New Orleans caused by a combination of failed dikes, high winds, torrential rains, and damaged wetlands.
An update on the use of community-based non-profit organizations in capstone projects

This poster updates a paper [3] presented at ITiCSE 2006 and re-examines a ten-year effort of our institution's use of community-based non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the information systems capstone course. Computer science or information systems majors often have adequate technical skills but lack an understanding of organizational processes, team project experience, and the ability to integrate information technology into an organizational setting. To bridge this gap, we use service-learning group projects that leverage local organizations. We document this effort to provide recommendations for successfully implementing similar courses.
Best Practices in the Performing Arts: Transformation and Flourishing in a Progressive Summer Dance Theater Program for Adolescents

The idea of best practices in the performing arts is introduced as a set of progressive educational values and pedagogical strategies that attempt to not only train youth in the performing arts, but also to be transformative. This article builds on the work of educational reformer John Dewey to describe progressive performing arts instruction and introduce the principles of transformative pedagogies as grounded in the progressive education and best practices movements. By presenting a theoretical lens for understanding and interpreting such concepts as Mezirow's “perspective transformation” and Seligman's “flourishing,” the article uses a summer dance theater intensive program as a case study in which progressive multidisciplinary practices produce indicators of meaningful transformation and flourishing in its students. By illustrating the program's particular set of methodologies, values, and daily practices, the article substantiates transformative events as a particular phenomenon of progressive perfor...
‘Beauty Will Save the World’: Beauty Discourse and the Imposition of Gender Hierarchies in the Post-War Chechen Republic

This paper utilises the case study of the recent Miss Chechen Beauty pageant in order to discuss the ways in which gendered discourses and practices have affected the situation of women in the post-war Chechen Republic. Although, on the surface, they appear to have little in common, the paper draws on connections between women's bodies and nation-states in order examine practices such as beauty pageants, honor killings, and government-enforced modesty campaigns that are currently taking place in the republic. Ultimately, the paper argues that beauty contests and modesty campaigns share in common the fact that they are being utilised by the state to relegate women to private spaces and to re-enforce gender hierarchies in the aftermath of two brutal conflicts.
Vibrational spectra and the assignment of the normal modes of 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-propanone

Abstract The i.r. spectra of gaseous and solid 1, 1, 1-trifluoro-2-propanone were recorded between 4000 and 15 cm −1 . The Raman spectra of the gas, liquid and solid were recorded between 300 and 10 cm −1 . A vibrational assignment is presented based on C s symmetry and the results of a preliminary normal coordinate analysis are discussed. The methyl torsion was assigned to a broad weak band in the i.r. spectrum and the frequency of 120 cm −1 yields a barrier to internal rotation of 392 ± 14 cm −1 (1.12 kcal mol −1 ). The perfluoromethyl torsion was observed as a strong broad infrared band centered at about 40 cm −1 from which a barrier of ∼ 320 cm −1 (920 cal mol −1 ) was calculated. These results are compared to the similar quantities in related molecules.
The History of the Development of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids

The history of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) is an interesting tale that has its roots in ancient "endocrinology." More than 6000 years ago, farmers noted enhanced domestication of animals after castration. The development of AASs, and, later, their artificial synthesis, have remained a hot topic in scientific research and pharmaceuticals. Over the years, AASs have been used as a proposed treatment for a wide variety of ailments, despite deleterious side effects. Unfortunately, they have been, and still are, abused by body builders, athletes, and teens.
Effects of group B Streptococcus toxin on long-term survival of mice bearing transplanted Madison lung tumors

GBS toxin is a polysaccharide exotoxin produced by group BStreptococcus. This organism causes sepsis and respiratory distress in human neonates (so-called early onset disease). This disease is marked by a strong inflammatory response only in the lung, with pulmonary sequestration of granulocytes and extensive capillary endothelial damage, and occurs only during the first few days after birth. We have found that a similar inflammatory response can be induced by i.v. infusion of picomole quantities of GBS toxin in the developing vasculature of transplanted tumors in mice and can significantly retard the tumor growth. When optimum treatment with GBS toxin was started shortly after tumor implantation, a majority of tumors in the mice regressed and the mice remained tumor-free for over 5 months. Some tumors regressed in mice receiving short-term treatment with GBS toxin, but recurred after the treatment was stopped. Median survival times were extended by all regimens and all doses of GBS toxin tested. No evidence of toxicity to the vasculature of other tissues was observed. GBS toxin is being tested for cancer therapy in humans.
The Effects of Labeling Students upon Teachers’ Expectations and Intentions

Summary In order to examine the impact of special education labels and students’ behavior on both teachers’ expectations and their behavioral intentions, 75 high school teachers were asked to evaluate a ninth grade student as described in a school psychologist's report. The experiment was a 4 × 2 × 2 factorial design in which diagnostic labels, levels of student achievement, and sex of S were studied. Results indicated that only the emotionally disturbed label and level of student achievement significantly influenced teachers’ expectations; none of the independent variables significantly influenced teachers’ behavioral intentions.
Global distributions of cirrus clouds determined from Sage data

Results are presented from analyses that use SAGE (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment) data to determine the spatial extent and frequency of cirrus clouds over much of the earth's surface. The analyses pertain to a period of 15 months extending from February 1979 to April 1980. The results are compared with those from a climatology of ground-based cirrus cloud observations (Hahn et al., 1982). It is found that optically thick cirrus clouds are most often found in the midlatitudes and over the tropics, with distinct minima near the + or - 20 to 30 deg latitude bands. On the other hand, thin cirrus clouds occur much less often than the optically thick cirrus clouds. The comparison of the SAGE cirrus cloud results made zonally with those obtained from ocean-surface-based observations reveals general agreement. Tropospheric observational opportunities for a limb sounding satellite sensor, as evidenced by successful penetrations to 7 km, were found to occur approximately 60 percent of the time in the higher latitudes, falling to a low of 30 percent over the tropics.
Current status of infrared fiber optics for medical laser power delivery

There are a host of fiber-optic delivery devices available for use with the Er:YAG, HF, CO, and CO2 lasers at 2.9, 2.8, 5.3, and 10.6 microns wavelengths, respectively. While many of these fibers are not as convenient to use as conventional silica fibers, they offer the ability to deliver infrared laser energy for a wide variety of medical applications. The fundamental attributes of fluoride glass, chalcogenide glass, single-crystal sapphire, and polycrystalline silver halide optical fibers are reviewed and their practical properties tabulated.
Satisfying Esthetic Demands with Rotational Path Partial Dentures

Rotational path dentures can meet basic mechanical requirements and eliminate certain clasp arms.
Pharmacological inhibition of the intracellular transport of low-density lipoprotein-derived cholesterol in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Mammalian cells, cultured in the presence of serum lipoproteins, acquire cholesterol necessary for growth from the uptake and lysosomal hydrolysis of low-density lipoproteins (LDL). The mechanism(s) of intracellular transport of LDL-derived cholesterol from lysosomes to other cellular sites is unknown. In this study, various pharmacological agents were assessed for their ability to inhibit the movement of LDL-cholesterol from lysosomes to the plasma membrane. The only pharmacological agent tested in these experiments that specifically inhibited LDL-cholesterol movement was U18666A. Ketoconazole impaired the intracellular transport of LDL-cholesterol; however, ketoconazole also had a general effect on cholesterol movement, since it impeded the desorption of endogenously synthesized cholesterol into the medium. Other drugs that affected cholesterol movement appeared to be nonspecific. Cholesterol transport from lysosomes to plasma membranes was not significantly altered by agents that affect lysosomal function or cytoskeletal organization, as well as energy poisons and cycloheximide.
Trading cost of reuse in KBS development using explicit ontologies

Abstract Since the design and reuse of ontologies are knowledge-intensive and time-consuming processes, it is important to make deliberate design decisions in order to obtain the benefits of reuse at a moderate cost in exchange for some acceptable loss in applicability and flexibility. This article raises issues related to the evolution of knowledge libraries, on the basis of our experiences in enabling the reuse in developing scheduling expert systems. First, the knowledge-modelling process is briefly reviewed, and the design decision on limiting the scope of reuse is discussed. The evolution of a component library is then investigated, showing the ratio of reuse in the development of a real scheduling system. Finally, the article emphasizes the significance of sharing the empirical results from both controlled and real experimentation.
On improving reliability of delay based Physically Unclonable Functions under temperature variations

Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are a special class of circuits used for challenge-response authentication. The challenge-response pair for PUFs should be mathematically unpredictable, but must be reliable and remain unvarying. The reliability of PUFs implemented in CMOS circuits is frequently compromised by environmental conditions such as voltage and temperature. In this paper, we propose two methods for improving the reliability of delay based PUFs, by reducing temperature sensitivity. The first method focuses on improving the gate overdrive (V GS − V t (T)), by operating the PUF at an optimized supply voltage (V′ DD ), also called as ZTC (Zero Temperature Coefficient) voltage. The optimum supply voltage for a 24 stage PUF is almost 23% lower than the nominal supply voltage in 45nm CMOS technology. The second method exploits the negative temperature coefficient (TCR) property of n+ and p+ polysilicon placed as source feedback resistors. A 16% improvement in reliability has been demonstrated for both the methods. Moreover, we also demonstrate that these design optimizations do not compromise the PUF uniqueness.
Thyroiditis following administration of thyroid-stimulating hormone.

ABSTRACT The administration of 10 units of one lot of commercial thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) on two successive mornings to 21 healthy male adults produced acute thyroiditis in 10 of them. The thyroiditis was not accompanied or followed by the appearance of antibody reacting with the TSH used or with an extract of normal human thyroid, as measured by precipitin or hemagglutinin titers in serum. Hence these cases of acute thyroiditis did not appear to belong in the group of auto-immune reactions as seen in chronic thyroiditis. The occurrence of thyroiditis enhanced the net thyroidal uptake of I131 at forty-eight hours and raised the 24-hour and 48-hour conversion ratios (serum PBI131 as a percentage of the total serum radioactivity). Both groups of patients, i.e., those with and without thyroiditis, manifested comparable increases in the serum PBT level. These increases, on the average, were of the order of magnitude observed in subjects given another lot of TSH which did not produce thyroiditis.
MODEL FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE KINETICS OF HARDENING OF PORTLAND CEMENTS

Abstract A new mathematical form of a cement model is introduced for the prediction of concrete strengths obtained at various curing temperatures from the properties of the cement used. This model considers the hydrations of C 3 S and C 2 S as first order reactions in which the C 3 A acts as catalyst. Not only does this model reproduce the strengths of various portland cements, but also it provides quantitative information about several important characteristics of the kinetics of hydration as a function of curing temperature. These characteristics are: the time of beginning of the hardening; rates of hardening; the time when the diffusion control of hydration starts; how much this strength is; and, the final strength potential of various portland cements. It is shown that the new model is well supported by experimentally obtained strength results.
Risk perception as a factor in Wildlife Stakeholder Acceptance Capacity for cougars in montana

The increased frequency of cougar attacks on humans throughout western North America has created a daunting challenge for wildlife managers concerned about sustainable coexistence of humans and lar...
A KERNEL ESTIMATOR FOR DISCRETE DISTRIBUTIONS

We present a discrete kernel estimator appropriate for estimating probability mass functions (p.m.f's) for integer data. Discrete kernel functions analogous to the Beta functions used as kernels in...
A simple and rapid method for processing tissue infected with plum pox potyvirus for use with specific 3′ non-coding region RT-PCR assays.

A rapid, simple method for preparing plant tissue infected with plum pox potyvirus (PPV) using a commercial product known as Gene Releaser is described. The Gene Releaser polymeric matrix method produces plant extracts suitable for PCR amplification without the use of organic solvents, ethanol precipitation, or additional nucleic acid purification techniques. We also describe the development of a PPV-specific amplification assay based on the unique 220 nucleotides present in the 3’non-coding region of the PPV genome. This paper demonstrates the simplicity of the Gene Releaser method combined with the accuracy of the PCR assay for the detection of multiple PPV strains from Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Germany, Egypt, Hungary, and Romania. Amplification of the 3’non-coding region of potato Y potyvirus (PVY) using primers for the 3’non-coding region of the PVY genome was also possible with Gene Releaser preparation of viruliferous Myzus persicae to demonstrate the potential usefulness of this work for PPV detection from aphids.
Embroidered Feminist Rhetoric in Andrea Dezső’s Lessons from My Mother

Artist Andrea Desző’s embroideries, inspired by the Romanian traditional sampler, belong to the material turn in cultural and feminist studies. Based on a comparison with first-wave feminist ideas in Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s Women and Economics, this analysis interrogates what embroidery—as a form of discourse—tells about the little-known Eastern-European woman’s condition. In the region significantly different from Western Europe in both postcolonialist and post-Marxist analyses, these artifacts reveal the ambivalent condition of women situated at the intersection of tradition, feminist thought, and Marxist practice, after Marxist-led governments had provided women with a workplace and equality, at least in theory.
Taxonomic diversity of predominant culturable bacteria associated with microaggregates from two different agroecosystems and their ability to aggregate soil in vitro

Soil macroaggregates (>250 μm) are easily disrupted when wetted quickly, whereas microaggregates (50–250 μm) are highly stable. There is little knowledge of functional groups of bacteria from microaggregates that can stabilize soil and their diversity. We isolated the predominant bacteria from microaggregates collected from two agroecosystems: a site cropped to barley (40 years with tillage) and to alfalfa (9 years with no tillage) and assayed for their potential to aggregate soil in an in vitro assay. Soil suspensions from physically disrupted microaggregates were spiral-plated and bacterial colonies were isolated from the most dilute portion of the spiral then purified. To characterize the culturable bacteria thus isolated, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles, substrate utilization patterns (Biolog), and DNA sequence analysis using 16s rRNA amplification region were performed for bacterial identification. Principal component analysis of FAME profiles and Biolog patterns was conducted to describe patterns of community composition of bacterial species within each agroecosystem. Gram-negative bacteria in microaggregates from barley soil consisted entirely of Pseudomonas spp. whereas Stenotrophomonas, Sphingobacterium, Chryseobacterium, and Acinetobacter spp. were found in addition to the Pseudomonas in microaggregates of alfalfa soil. Artificial aggregates were generated by amending a sandy soil with pure cultures of various species identified from microaggregates of both soils and tested for their water stability and their strength. The results indicated that Stenotrophomonas and Sphingobacterium species exhibited the greatest ability to stabilize soil and to increase aggregate strength among several species tested. This study demonstrated that microaggregates harbor functional groups of bacterial species capable of aggregating soil particles in vitro, and there were a greater range of such species in microaggregates of non-disturbed soil (alfalfa) than in disturbed, yearly tilled soil (barley).
Karyotypic data for five species of anguid lizards.

Die Chromosomensatze von 5 Eidechsenarten der Familie Aguidae, davon vier vom GenusGerrhonotus und eine vom GenusDiploglossus werden beschrieben.D. costatus ist 2n=36 mit 12 grossen metazentrischen Chromosomen und 24 Mikrochromosomen.G. multicarinatus ist 2n=48,G. paucicarinatus 2n=46 undG. coeruleus 2n=38. Diese 3 Arten haben einen identischen «nombre fondamentale» von 48 und alle haben 26 Mikrochromosomen.G. monticolus besitzt 2n=30. Die Anzahl der Mikrochromosomen ist auf 12 reduziert.
Comparison of wide-field fluorescein angiography and 9-field montage angiography in uveitis.

Purpose To compare qualitatively and quantitatively Optos fundus camera fluorescein angiographic images of retinal vascular leakage with 9-field montage Topcon fluorescein angiography (FA) images in patients with uveitis. We hypothesized that Optos images reveal more leakage in patients with uveitis. Design Retrospective, observational case series. Methods Images of all patients with uveitis imaged with same-sitting Optos FA and 9-field montage FA during a 9-month period at a single institution (52 eyes of 31 patients) were graded for the total area of retinal vascular leakage. The main outcome measure was area of fluorescein leakage. Results The area of apparent FA leakage was greater in Optos images than in 9-field montage images (median 22.5 mm 2 vs 4.8 mm 2 , P Conclusions More retinal vascular pathology, in both the periphery and the posterior pole, is seen with Optos FA in patients with uveitis when compared with 9-field montage. The clinical implications of Optos FA findings have yet to be determined.
Effects of Quinidine and Amiodarone on Blood Pressure During Rapid Ventricular Pacing in Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract The hemodynamic response to ventricular tachycardia is an important determinant of prognosis. 1 Many factors determine the hemodynamic response to ventricular tachycardia, including (1) the rate of the ventricular tachycardia, 2,3 (2) systolic and diastolic ventricular function, 4,5 and (3) the neurohumoral response to the arrhythmia. 6,7 Antiarrhythmic drugs such as quinidine and amiodarone may either improve hemodynamics during ventricular tachycardia by slowing the rate of the tachycardia, or may impair the hemodynamic response to ventricular tachycardia by decreasing ventricular contractility, blunting the neurohumoral response to the tachycardia, or by causing vasodilation. 8–14 No prior studies have evaluated the effect of antiarrhythmic drugs on the hemodynamic response to ventricular tachycardia independent of their effects on the rate of the tachycardia. The objective of this study was to determine the relative effects of quinidine and amiodarone on the blood pressure (BP) response to rapid ventricular pacing in humans. Previous studies have demonstrated that the BP response during ventricular tachycardia and during ventricular pacing are similar. 2 Therefore, in this study ventricular pacing was used to assess the effects of antiarrhythmic drugs on the BP response independent of heart rate.
Computed spectral-linewidth minima for radiation of the pulsed cuprous chloride-type laser.

Predicted spectral linewidths have been computed as a function of the laser and physical parameters of a pulsed high-gain three-level multimode self-terminating laser. In particular, the values of the parameters that yield minimum widths have been obtained because of their applications in the fields of holography and lidar. The model previously developed by the author for the cuprous chloride laser and the approximate parametric values found are used as a basis for these computations, since this laser combines visible radiation, high average power, and intrinsically narrow hyperfine lines. It is found that a temporal minimum width occurs prior to termination of the laser pulse for all parameter combinations. This temporal minimum width increases with increased temperature and Cu density, decreases with increased electron-excitation pumping rate from the ground to the upper excited state, and is virtually independent of the homogeneous FWHM. Quantitative relations between the coherence length and the spectral linewidth are derived for several waveforms.
Caseinolytic Activity of Micrococci Isolated from Cheddar Cheese

Abstract Micrococci counts of Cheddar cheese, plated throughout ripening, never exceeded 10×10 3 and, after 3.5 months of ripening, few micrococci (less than 10×l0 2 ) grew on the selective tryptone agar medium. Eighteen micrococci were isolated from 5 lots of cheese at various times during ripening. Three of these formed extracellular proteinase which hydrolyzed preferentially α s -casein. Intracellular extracts from all isolates degraded preferentially the β-casein moiety of isoelectric casein. Casein hydrolyzates did not stimulate acid production by a Cheddar cheese Lactobacillus isolate. β-Casein component of micellar or isoelectric casein was degraded rapidly by the intracellular extracts. However, proteinase(s) did not hydrolyze purified β-casein as rapidly. Apparently, fractionation and purification modify β-casein such that resistance to proteolysis is imparted.
Infomarkers for transition to goals consistent with palliative care in dying patients

Objective Electronic health records (EHRs) may contain infomarkers that identify patients near the end of life for whom it would be appropriate to shift care goals to palliative care. Discovery and use of such infomarkers could be used to conduct effectiveness research that ultimately could help to reduce the monumental costs for dying care. Our aim was to identify changes in the plans of care that represented infomarkers, which signaled the transition of care goals from non-palliative care goals to those consistent with palliative care.
Is Work Beneficial to Teenagers

Is the work experience a positive one for young people? And, further, what effect does teenage employment have on drug use and serious types of delinquency? This writer shares survey results that aim to answer those questions.
Patients report more discomfort after surgical endodontic retreatment than non-surgical

Objective: To observe any systematic difference between surgical and non-surgical endodontic retreatment of endodontic failures. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Intervention Surgical or non-surgical endodontic retreatment. Outcome measures: Patients recorded pain and swelling each postoperative day for 1 week using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Use of analgesia was also recorded. Results: Ninety-two patients were included in the study. Pain and swelling was significantly higher in the surgically retreated patients with 67% of patients in the surgical group recording use of analgesics compared with 16% in the non-surgical group. Only surgical patients reported absences from work post-treatment. Conclusion: Surgical retreatment resulted in more pain and swelling than non-surgical retreatment. Kvist T, Reit C. Postoperative discomfort associated with surgical and nonsurgical endodontic retreatment. Endod Dent Traumatol 2000; 16:71–74
The Struggle for Global Democracy

Sovereignty, Democracy, and Global Civil Society: State-Society Relations at UN World Conferences. By Elisabeth Jay Friedman, Kathryn Hochstetler, Ann Marie Clark. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2005. 221 pp., $60.00 (ISBN: 0-7914-6333-8). Does global civil society really exist? If so, what does it look like, and where might we find it? In Sovereignty, Democracy, and Global Civil Society , Elisabeth Friedman, Kathryn Hochstetler, and Ann Marie Clark argue that global civil society does exist, most evidently at the six major United Nations (UN) conferences of the 1990s (specifically, Rio de Janeiro, Vienna, Beijing, Cairo, Copenhagen, and Instanbul). Thousands of nongovernmental organizations were present at these venues. They networked and debated with each other. They struggled with states over procedures, proceedings, and policies. They worked for a better world. But did they make a difference? As is the case with much of the recent literature on global civil society (and its cognate, transnational social movements), influence and effect are difficult to detect and measure (see, for example, Laxer and Halperin 2003; Eschle and Stammers 2004; Lipschutz 2005b). That something took place at and through these conferences is undeniable; what that something was is not always so clear or, in retrospect, so significant. Friedman, Hochstetler, and Clark propose that “global civil society” must be global, civil, and social. It must also be shown to contribute to the democratization of global governance, to affect both the expression and operation of state sovereignty, and to have a substantive impact on the issue areas targeted. They examine these propositions within the context of the six UN conferences, using data acquired …
Technologies and protocols for data center and cloud networking

Data center and cloud architectures continue to evolve to address the needs of large-scale multi-tenant data centers and clouds. These needs are centered around seven dimensions: scalability in computing, storage, and bandwidth, scalability in network services, efficiency in resource utilization, agility in service creation, cost efficiency, service reliability, and security. This article focuses on the first five dimensions as they pertain to networking. Large data centers are targeting support for tens of thousands of servers, exabytes of storage, terabits per second of traffic, and tens of thousands of tenants. In a data center, server and storage resources are interconnected with packet switches and routers that provide for the bandwidth and multi-tenant virtual networking needs. Data centers are interconnected across the wide area network via routing and transport technologies to provide a pool of resources, known as the cloud. High-speed optical interfaces and dense wavelength-division multiplexing optical transport are used to provide for high-capacity transport intra- and inter-datacenter. This article reviews various switching, routing, and optical transport technologies, and their applicability in addressing the networking needs of large-scale multi-tenant data centers.
Elongational flow behavior of polymeric fluids according to the Leonov model

The viscoelastic behavior of polymeric systems based upon the Leonov model has been examined for (i) the stress growth at constant strain rate, (ii) the stress growth at constant speed and (iii) the elastic recovery in elongational flow. The model parameters have been determined from the available rheological data obtained either in steady shear flow (shear viscosity and first normal-stress difference as a function of shear rate) or oscillatory flow (storage and loss moduli as a function of frequency in the linear region) or from extensional flow at very small strain rates (time-dependent elongation viscosity in the linear viscoelastic limit). In addition, the effect of the parameter characterizing the strain-hardening of the material during elongation has also been studied. The estimation of this parameter has been based upon the structural characteristics of the polymer chain which include the critical molecular weight and molecular weight of an independent segment. Five different polymer melts have been considered with varying number of modes (maximum four modes). Resulting predictions are in fair agreement with corresponding experimental data in the literature.
Abdominal and pelvic computed tomography (CT) interpretation: discrepancy rates among experienced radiologists

To assess the discrepancy rate for the interpretation of abdominal and pelvic computed tomography (CT) examinations among experienced radiologists. Ninety abdominal and pelvic CT examinations reported by three experienced radiologists who specialize in abdominal imaging were randomly selected from the radiological database. The same radiologists, blinded to previous interpretation, were asked to re-interpret 60 examinations: 30 of their previous interpretations and 30 interpreted by others. All reports were assessed for the degree of discrepancy between initial and repeat interpretations according to a three-level scoring system: no discrepancy, minor, or major discrepancy. Inter- and intrareader discrepancy rates and causes were evaluated. CT examinations included in the investigation were performed on 90 patients (43 men, mean age 59 years, SD 14, range 19–88) for the following indications: follow-up/evaluation of malignancy (69/90, 77%), pancreatitis (5/90, 6%), urinary tract stone (4/90, 4%) or other (12/90, 13%). Interobserver and intraobserver major discrepancy rates were 26 and 32%, respectively. Major discrepancies were due to missed findings, different opinions regarding interval change of clinically significant findings, and the presence of recommendation. Major discrepancy of between 26 and 32% was observed in the interpretation of abdominal and pelvic CT examinations.
Explanation systems for computer simulations

Explanation systems supply information that clarifies the structure and problem domain of a computer program for the user. We begin our paper by describing the early explanation systems, which were built for expert system programs, and by reviewing some of the subsequent developments in artificial intelligence that relate to this area. The results of our research are consistent with some of the recent developments in artificial intelligence; we have found that there are a variety of kinds of information that are useful to naive users of computer programs. We have been particularly interested in writing programs that can supply such information to naive users of numerical computer simulations. We describe an implemented explanation system, NATURALIST, which explains the structure and domain of a simulation for inventory control. Our experience with the NATURALIST program suggests that explanation facilities may be valuable additions to numerical computer simulations.
Heuristic estimation of probability densities

Most methods for the estimation of probability densities that have appeared in the literature involve a largely uniform treatment of the data. These include the common histogram, as well as the window method (Rosenblatt, 1956; Parzen, 1962; Bartlett, 1963; Watson & Leadbetter, 1963), the method of Fourier expansion (Tarter and Kronmal, 1968, 1970; Watson, 1969), and the fitting by splines (Boneva, Kendall & Stefanov, 1971). The use of such methods commonly requires the acceptance of a certain amount of roughness in the tails in order to avoid excessive smoothing of the central portion of the estimate. Nonuniform approaches to the estimation of density have been proposed by Whittle (1958) and by Good & Gaskins (1971). Whittle's method requires specification of the firstand second-order moments of the prior distribution of densities. The likelihood approach of Good & Gaskins produces a more general form of estimate, and the authors reduce the problem by constructing a plausible two-parameter family of prior distributions. In this paper, it is assumed that only the first-order moments of the prior distribution of densities are known. The convention of hypothesis testing is used to compensate for the lack of information about the higher-order moments. The method synthesizes the work of Whittle and of Tarter and Kronmal. In ? 2, it is shown that an estimate of the Tarter-Kronmal type is appropriate when the data have been transformed so that the first-order moments of the prior distribution are the uniform (0, 1) density. In ? 3, a heuristic approach related to hypothesis testing is used for the construction of the estimate. Application of the procedure is described in ? 4.
Student Belief and Involvement in the Paranormal and Performance in Introductory Psychology

Student belief and. involvement in 10 paranormal phenomena were assessed via questionnaire. Prevalence of belief was extensive, with over 99% of the sample expressing belief in at least one phenomenon. Personal involvement was less prevalent but substantial. Over 65% indicated personal involvement in at least one phenomenon. In addition, men who believed in ESP/psycho-kinesis and firewalking and women who felt they had personally experienced precognition during dreams had significantly lower course grades than their skeptical and uninvolved counterparts, even when the effect of SAT score was removed. In light of these findings, we discuss the introductory psychology instructor's role in combating unfounded beliefs and fostering critical thinking skills.
Preoperative genetic testing affects surgical decision making in breast cancer patients.

Abstract Objectives Our aim was to determine if BRCA mutation status changes surgical decision making in women who undergo genetic testing after the diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of breast cancer patients who had BRCA mutation testing performed prior to surgery. We compared surgical choice and change in surgical choice in women who tested positive for a BRCA mutation with those who tested negative. Surgery was considered the most definitive surgery within a year of diagnosis. Other data collected included age, race, stage, histology, receptor status, adjuvant treatment, gravity, parity, and family history. Variables were compared by BRCA status using Fisher's exact test and logistic regression. Results Three hundred and two women were included. Thirty-two (10.6%) were identified as carrying a BRCA mutation. Most women had early stage disease (55.6% T1 lesions, 72.8% node negative); 55.6% had breast-conserving surgery, and the remaining had unilateral or bilateral mastectomy. BRCA mutation carriers were more likely to have both a personal history of breast cancer (RR 2.74, 95% CI=1.08–6.98) and hormone receptor-negative tumors (56.0% vs. 26.2%, p =0.002). BRCA mutation carriers were more likely to choose bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction (56.3% vs. 15.9%, p p Conclusions BRCA mutation testing strongly influences surgical decision making in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. For women who meet NCCN referral guidelines, genetic evaluation should be performed prior to surgical intervention.
Probing magnetic field effects in 12-pole linear ion trap frequency standards

The second-order Zeeman shift in a 12-pole buffer-gas-cooled linear ion trap frequency standard is characterized. Results for magnetic shielding effectiveness and long term stability against magnetic field perturbations are presented. The clock frequency is found to be stable against typical ambient magnetic field fluctuations to less than 2/spl times/10/sup -16/. The frequency shift as a function of ion number is also studied and a plausibility argument is given relating this to magnetic field inhomogeneity.
APPLICATION OF GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES FOR CHARACTERIZING VAPOR SORPTION ON SOILS : A REVIEW

Abstract Renewed interest in vapor phase transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through soils and other geologic materials has emphasized the need to better characterize the adsorption of VOCs on a variety of adsorbents and over a wide range of water contents. Although a number of conventional batch equilibrium techniques are available, adapting gas-chromatography (GC) methods for measuring VOC sorption offers a number of advantages, including speed and the ability to make an unlimited number of measurements on the same sorbent. In addition, mixtures of VOCs can easily be accommodated with GC methods for the study of competitive sorption effects. In this paper, we review the current status of physicochemical measurements by GC, the use of soil and other natural materials for GC columns, and the use of water as a liquid phase in GC. Although a number of authors have used GC retention data to derive adsorption isotherms for VOCs, questions remain concerning the reproducibility of the isotherms on different columns and what factors affect isotherms derived from soil columns. Studies of VOC sorption on water films using GC appear to have been restricted to relatively high water contents and to dilute VOC concentrations (i.e., Henry's region).
Host Restriction Factors Blocking Retroviral Replication

Retroviruses are highly successful intracellular parasites, and as such they are found in nearly all branches of life. Some are relatively benign, but many are highly pathogenic and can cause either acute or chronic diseases. Therefore, there is tremendous selective pressure on the host to prevent retroviral replication, and for this reason cells have evolved a variety of restriction factors that act to inhibit or block the viruses. This review is a survey of the best-characterized restriction factors capable of inhibiting retroviral replication and aims to highlight the diversity of strategies used for this task.
The designability of protein structures.

Abstract It has been noted that natural proteins adapt only a limited number of folds. Several researchers have investigated why and how nature has selected this small number of folds. Using simple models of protein folding, we demonstrate systematically that there is a “designability principle” behind nature’s selection of protein folds. The designability of a structure (fold) is measured by the number of sequences that can design the structure—that is, sequences that possess the structure as their unique ground state. Structures differ drastically in terms of their designability. A small number of highly designable structures emerge with a number of associated sequences much larger than the average. These highly designable structures possess proteinlike secondary structures, motifs, and even tertiary symmetries. In addition, they are thermodynamically more stable and fold faster than other structures. These results suggest that protein structures are selected in nature because they are readily designed and stable against mutations, and that such a selection simultaneously leads to thermodynamic stability.