cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variability of Safety Policies Related to Prion Disease Among Top Neurological Institutions (S28.004)

Objective: To analyze variability among top neurology programs regarding safety policies for surgical procedures and lumbar puncture in patients with suspected prion disease. Background: Acquired prion diseases are progressive, fatal encephalopathies spread by prions. Prions pose a potential risk to healthcare workers through contact with infected tissue or contaminated medical instruments. In 1999, the World Health Organization issued guidelines for prevention of iatrogenic prion disease. These include standard precautions for lumbar puncture (LP) and eight specific safety practices for surgical procedures. It is not known to what extent institutions adhere to these guidelines for infection control. Design/Methods: By email, we requested official hospital policies regarding safety precautions related to prion disease from neurologists and neurosurgeons associated with the 2016 US News and World Report top 50 Neurology/Neurosurgery institutions. The policies were analyzed for content and compared to the World Health Organization recommendations Results: The survey response rate was a 56% (28/50). One institution did not have a policy and two institutions declined to share their policies. Of the 25 institutions analyzed, 52% had prion-related safety policies for both LP and surgical procedures, while 48% had a policy for only surgical procedures. Adherence to WHO guidelines was found in 85% of LP policies. In contrast, only 20% of surgical policies were completely adherent to the eight suggested WHO safety practices. Common areas of non-adherence were minimizing personnel (40% of policies), duration of surface cleaning (20%), and incineration of procedural materials (70%). In addition to the WHO guidelines, some programs had multiple additional safety procedures, such as a requirement that LP be performed in an operating room. Conclusions: There is significant variability in policies regarding safety precautions for lumbar puncture and surgical procedures in patients with suspected prion disease. This variability poses a potential risk for occupational exposure of acquired prion disease. Disclosure: Dr Werbaneth has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tummalapalli has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kraler has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gold has nothing to disclose.
Both the N- and C- terminal regions of the Chlamydial inclusion protein D (IncD) are required for interaction with the pleckstrin homology domain of the ceramide transport protein CERT

Abstract Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that replicates within a membranous compartment, the inclusion, in host cells. Its intracellular life cycle requires host sphingolipids, which are in part acquired through the ER-Golgi localized ceramide transport protein (CERT). The Chlamydia-encoded inclusion membrane protein IncD is composed of two closely linked long hydrophobic domains with their N- and C-termini exposed to the host cytosol. IncD binds directly to the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of CERT, likely redirecting ceramide to the inclusion. The precise regions of IncD required for this interaction have not been delineated. Using co-transfection studies together with phylogenetic studies, we demonstrate that both the IncD N- and C-terminal regions are required for binding to the CERT PH domain and define key interaction residues. Native gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrates that the transmembrane region of IncD forms SDS-resistant but dithiothreitol-sensitive homodimers, which in turn can assemble to form higher order oligomers through additional N- and C-terminal domain contacts. IncD oligomerization may facilitate high affinity binding to CERT, allowing C. trachomatis to efficiently redirect host ceramide to the inclusion.
Exploring undergraduates' conceptions of elasticity, within a plate tectonics context, before and after experience with rock's elastic behavior

AbstractThe elastic rebound theory is a fundamental explanatory geoscience construct introduced in most introductory undergraduate geoscience courses. Classroom experience, supported by a recent case study of undergraduate students’ model-building activities, indicates that learning this theory tends to be incomplete, in spite of instruction employing external representations and other analogies. Using conceptual metaphor theory as a lens to investigate such instruction, this project sought to document students’ understandings of elasticity within a plate tectonics context, and identify and describe learning demands that must first be addressed for analogies and models to be effective. The project also evaluated the efficacy of an instructional intervention that provides learners with an experience with rocks that most daily encounters do not: the elastic deformation of rocks. Using a nonequivalent groups design of 81 undergraduate students enrolled in a 100-level geoscience course, this work revealed tha...
FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE-PRODUCING PITUITARY ADENOMA: A CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe an unusual presentation of a follicle-stimulating hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma leading to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. We also discuss the pathophysiolo...
Reliability of Radiomic Features Across Multiple Abdominal CT Image Acquisition Settings: A Pilot Study Using ACR CT Phantom

We studied the reliability of radiomic features on abdominal computed tomography (CT) images reconstructed with multiple CT image acquisition settings using the ACR (American College of Radiology) CT Phantom. Twenty-four sets of CT images of the ACR CT phantom were attained from a GE Discovery 750HD scanner using 24 different image acquisition settings, combinations of 4 tube currents (25, 50, 100, 200 Effective mAs), 3 slice thicknesses (1.25, 2.5, 5 mm), and 2 convolution kernels (STANDARD and SOFT). Polyethylene (−95 HU) and acrylic (120 HU) of the phantom model were selected for calculating real feature value; a noise-free, computer-generated phantom image series that reproduced the 2 objects and the background was used for calculating reference feature value. Feature reliability was defined as the degree of predicting reference feature value from real feature value. Radiomic features mean, std, skewness, kurtosis, gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)-energy, GLCM-contrast, GLCM-correlation, GLCM-homogeneity were investigated. The value of R2 ≥ 0.85 was considered to be of high reliability. The reliability of mean and std were high across all image acquisition settings. At 200 Effective mAs, all features except GLCM-homogeneity showed high reliability, whereas at 25 Effective mAs, most features (except mean and std) showed low reliability. From high to low, reliability was ranked in the following order: mean, std, skewness, kurtosis, GLCM-energy, correlation, contrast and homogeneity. CT image acquisition settings affected the reliability of radiomic features. High reliable features were attained from images reconstructed at high tube current and thick slice thickness.
Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly by Safwan M. Masri and A History of Modern Tunisia, 2nd ed., by Kenneth Perkins

Masri, Safwan M. Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly . New York: Columbia University Press, 2017. Perkins, Kenneth. A History of Modern Tunisia. 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
Application of decision trees and multivariate regression trees in design and optimization

Induction of decision trees and regression trees is a powerful technique not only for performing ordinary classification and regression analysis but also for discovering the often complex knowledge which describes the input-output behavior of a learning system in qualitative forms. In the area of classification (discrimination analysis), a new technique called IDea is presented for performing incremental learning with decision trees. It is demonstrated that IDea's incremental learning can greatly reduce the spatial complexity of a given set of training examples. Furthermore, it is shown that this reduction in complexity can also be used as an effective tool for improving the learning efficiency of other types of inductive learners such as standard backpropagation neural networks. In the area of regression analysis, a new methodology for performing multiobjective optimization has been developed. Specifically, we demonstrate that muitiple-objective optimization through induction of multivariate regression trees is a powerful alternative to the conventional vector optimization techniques. Furthermore, in an attempt to investigate the effect of various types of splitting rules on the overall performance of the optimizing system, we present a tree partitioning algorithm which utilizes a number of techniques derived from diverse fields of statistics and fuzzy logic. These include: two multivariate statistical approaches based on dispersion matrices, an information-theoretic measure of covariance complexity which is typically used for obtaining multivariate linear models, two newly-formulated fuzzy splitting rules based on Pearson's parametric and Kendall's nonparametric measures of association, Bellman and Zadeh's fuzzy decision-maximizing approach within an inductive framework, and finally, the multidimensional extension of a widely-used fuzzy entropy measure. The advantages of this new approach to optimization are highlighted by presenting three examples which respectively deal with design of a three-bar truss, a beam, and an electric discharge machining (EDM) process.
The L1-Norm Distinguishes the Strictly Hyperbolic from a Non-Strictly Hyperbolic Theory of the Initial Value Problem For Systems of Conservation Laws

We discuss recent work of the author in which he proves that solutions to systems of two strictly hyperbolic genuinely nonlinear conservation laws are weakly stable in the global L1-norm. We contrast this with the theory of the initial value problem for a nonstrictly hyperbolic system in which weak stability in L1 is shown to fail. This is understood from a study of the asymptotic wave patterns to which solutions in this problem decay as t → +∞. Since solution in both cases have been shown to be stable in the total variation and sup norms, we conclude that the L1 estimate is the first stability result in a norm that distinguishes the strictly hyperbolic from a nonstrictly hyperbolic theory of the initial value problem.
The Structural Role of Gangliosides: Insights from X-ray Scattering on Model Membranes.

BACKGROUND Gangliosides are an essential component of eukaryotic plasma membranes implicated in multiple physiological processes. Little is known about molecular mechanisms underlying the distribution and functions of membrane gangliosides. The overwhelmingly complex organization of glycocalyx impedes the structural analysis on cell surface and the interplay between the lipid components. Advanced X-ray analytical tools applicable to studying biological interfaces call for the simplistic models that mimic ganglioside-enriched cellular membranes. OBJECTIVE To summarize the mechanistic evidences of ganglioside interactions with lipid environment and biologically active ligands using high-resolution synchrotron X-ray scattering. METHODS A comprehensive review of studies published over the last decade was done to discuss recent accomplishments and future trends. RESULTS Langmuir monolayers represent an adequate model system to assess the effect of gangliosides on membrane structure. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction reveals a condensation effect by gangliosides on zwitterionic phospholipids with the cooperative packing of sialo- and phosphate groups. In turn, the arrangement of negatively charged lipids in ganglioside mixture remains unchanged due to the stretched conformation of carbohydrate moieties. Upon interaction with biological ligands, such as cholera toxin and galectins, the ganglioside redistribution within the ordered regions of monolayer follows distinct mechanistic patterns. The cholera toxin pentamer attached to the oligosaccharide core induces local transition from oblique to the hexagonal lattice resulting in phase coexistence. The incorporation of the A subunit responsible for endocytosis is further promoted by the acidic environment characteristic for endosomal space. X-ray reflectivity shows in-plane orientation of galectin dimers with the spatial mismatch between the lectin binding sites and ganglioside carbohydrates to perturb ceramide alkyl chains. Recent data also demonstrate sialic acid groups to be potential targets for novel peptide mimicking anticancer therapeutics. CONCLUSION Coupled with surface X-ray scattering, the membrane mimetic approach allows for better understanding the biological role of gangliosides and their potential applications.
Comparison of Rapid-Response Systems Across Multisite Locations of a Pediatric Hospital System

OBJECTIVES: Rapid response (RR) systems reduce mortality and cardiopulmonary arrests outside the ICU. Patient characteristics, RR practices, and hospital context and/or mechanism influence post-RR outcomes. We aim to describe and compare RR function and outcomes within our institution’s multiple sites. METHODS: We conducted a 3-year retrospective study to compare RR use, clinical characteristics, and outcomes between our hospital’s central campus (CC) and 2 satellite campuses (SCs). RR training and procedures are uniform across all campuses. RESULTS: Among the 2935 RRs reviewed, 1816 occurred during index admissions at the CC and 405 occurred at SCs. CC, when compared with SCs, had higher age at RR (3.2 years vs 1.4 years), prevalence of complex chronic conditions (62.4% vs 34.4%), surgical complications (20.2% vs 5%), severity of illness, and risk of mortality (P CONCLUSIONS: Patient illness severity, RR characteristics, and outcomes are significantly different in our multisite locations. Outcomes are predominantly affected by patient severity and not RR characteristics. Standardized RR training and procedures likely balance the effect of varying RR characteristics on eventual outcomes.
Toxic fruits: tomatoes, migration, and the new Italian slavery

In Italy, tomatoes exist at the intersection of national-cultural culinary pride, Mediterranean petro-politics, agro-environmental policy, and even gender politics. They occupy such an important pl...
Nutrient profile and effects of carinata meal as alternative feed ingredient on broiler performance, tight junction gene expression and intestinal morphology

ABSTRACT Two studies were conducted to establish carinata meal as a partial replacement of conventional protein sources. Study I was conducted to determine the nutrient profile, nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy (TMEn), and amino acid (AA) digestibility of two groups: low glucosinolate carinata meal (LGCM) and high glucosinolate carinata meal (HGCM) using rooster assays. The LGCM contained 28 μmol/g glucosinolate, 11.5% moisture, 39.2% crude protein (CP), whereas the HGCM had 100 μmol/g glucosinolate, 10.1% moisture, 39.5% CP on as is basis. The precision-fed rooster assays were conducted to determine TMEn and AA digestibility. The TMEn levels of LGCM and HGCM were 1,814 and 1,690 kcal/kg on as is basis, respectively. Standardized digestibility for lysine, methionine, cysteine, threonine, and valine were 72, 88, 69, 75, and 79% for LGCM and 80, 89, 71, 76, and 80% for HGCM, respectively. Based on the nutrient profiles from study I, study II was conducted to evaluate the effects of LGCM and HGCM in broilers. A total of 504 one-day-old Cobb500 male broiler chickens were randomly divided into 42 battery cages with 6 replicates of 12 bird per cage. The seven dietary treatments were control diet, three inclusion levels of LGCM (4, 8, and 12%), and three of HGCM (4, 8, and12%) in a corn-SBM based diet fed for 21 days. No significant differences in BW, BWG, and FI were observed except for significantly lower BWG in 12% HGCM group compared to control for 14-21 days (P
Neighborhood-level predictors of African American and Latinx parents' ethnic-racial socialization.

Few studies examine how neighborhood structural factors (e.g., socioeconomic status [SES] and diversity) and perceived disorder may influence the messages parents communicate to their youth about race/ethnicity. Guided by the integrative model and social disorganization theory, this study examines how parents' ethnic-racial socialization messages (ERS) are shaped by the broader environment. Data come from the MacArthur Studies of Diversity in Midlife. Latinx and African American parents N = 508 (Mage = 39) with a child between 6- and 17-years old living in two urban US cities were included. Cultural perceptions were assessed at both the individual level (e.g., perceived discrimination and ethnic affirmation) and neighborhood level along with demographic and structural neighborhood characteristics at the individual and neighborhood level, respectively. Multilevel analyses revealed that at both the individual level and neighborhood levels, perceived neighborhood problems were associated with more frequent messages about ethnicity and race (e.g., cultural socialization and preparation for bias). In addition, neighborhood-level affirmation promoted cultural messages; in contrast, neighborhood-level discrimination experiences positively impacted preparation for unfair treatment. Results reveal how parents' ERS is informed by their own characteristics as well as neighborhood factors. Further, cross-level interactions were found. Findings are discussed in terms of contextual and cultural-developmental theorizing about parenting.
Informal Care Shocks and Social Security Claiming Behavior

Long term care needs are growing in the U.S., given an aging population. More than two thirds of these needs are met informally through family members, including spouses and children, caring for their frail loved ones. However, this care arrangement may require re-adjustments in the retirement plans for older working children. Utilizing longitudinal data from the Heath and Retirement Study, we empirically show that parental informal care provision initiate both early retirement and Social Security claiming for married children providing care. At the same, we find that spouses of care providers delay benefit claiming and labor supply exits. We find no statistically significant effect of these caregiving shocks on the benefit claiming and labor supply outcomes of singles. Our findings indicate that married households are perhaps able to utilize the various Social Security spousal benefit claiming pathways, to maximize their joint household retirement benefits, in ways which single households are not.
Evaluation of Predictors for Successful Residency Match in General Surgery.

OBJECTIVE To determine predictive factors for a successful residency match among general surgery applicants from 2018 to 2021. DESIGN A retrospective cross-sectional study of general surgery applicants who matched and went unmatched in match years 2018 to 2021. Applicant characteristics, geographic connections to a program, and away rotations were compared among matched and unmatched applicants. SETTING Data were sourced from the Texas Seeking Transparency in Applications to Residency initiative for general surgery applicants. PARTICIPANTS All fourth-year medical students applying in the 2018 to 2021 cycles at participating U.S. medical schools were eligible to respond to the Texas Seeking Transparency in Applications to Residency survey. This study included a total of 1,425 general surgery applicants. RESULTS Of 1,425 general surgery applicants, 88% matched and 12% went unmatched. Significant predictors for a successful match included Step 1 Score ≥237 (odds ratio (OR) 1.59 [95% CI 1.15-2.19]; p = 0.005); Step 2 CK Score ≥252 (OR 1.88 [95% CI 1.36-2.60]; p CONCLUSIONS We found that Step 2 CK score, research productivity, honored clerkships, AOA status, and away rotations are significant predictors for successfully matching into general surgery residency. Medical schools can encourage students to prepare a holistic application incorporating variables quantified in this study in preparation for the Step 1 reporting change.
General and Analytic Unit Hydrograph and Its Applications

AbstractUnit hydrograph (UH) is widely used for predictions of flood hydrograph from a known storm. Its concept and theory are simple and straightforward, but its practical applications are cumbers...
On the Modelling of Dissipative Processes

A basic premise in the classical theory of elasticity (see Truesdell and Noll [1]) is that the body has a unique “natural configuration” modulo rigid motion, the “natural configuration” being usually understood as the stress free state. Such a premise is not generally true for most if not all materials, there being numerous other “configurations” in which they can exist naturally. Not all such states may be accessed by a body in a specific process, but that is not to say that such natural configurations do not exist. For instance, a virgin specimen of metal (if such a specimen is possible for after all such a specimen is produced via a complicated manufacturing process), that is in a stress free state, could be subject to sufficiently small deformations by the application of sufficiently small loads, which on the removal of the loads could return to its original stress free state (or “natural configuration”). However, the same body when subjected to a sufficiently large homogenous deformation would not return to its original stress free configuration on the removal of the load, as it might have undergone “plastic” deformation. A piece of steel, for instance, can undergo classical slip, or twin, or undergo solid to solid phase change on the application of loads, or it could melt due to an increase in temperature. At the end of any one of these above mentioned processes, the piece of steel would be associated with a different natural configuration from its initial natural configuration. In order to model the response of materials undergoing such processes, it is imperative to explicitly take cognizance of the fact that different natural configurations are accessed during such processes.
Studies on the design of a room for worship

The following thesis is an investigation into the design of spaces to be used for religious worship. It will look at a space created in terms of the historical context to which it will belong, and will study those elements which most appropriately communicate a place of worship for today. The design is specifically for a small chapel viewed through the requirements of the Catholic Church. It is based on the recent trends in Christian worship and more importantly on Catholic attitudes since Vatican II. The intention is to create a space into which many people may bring their god with them for worship, and also a space that might be comfortable for someone not familiar with the Church. It looks at the building in terms of a return to the early notion of worshiping in a house as early Christians did and at the same time it provides a path made up of a series of gateways through which one passes toward a sacred center. Thesis Supervisor: Imre Halasz Title: Professor of Architecture ABSTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN CHURCH APPROPRIATE RESPONSES FOR THE FUTURE DESIGN SUMMARY INTRODUCTION Design Process. . . . . . . . . Precedents. . . . . . The Building Program. Site. . . . . . . . . EVALUATION . . . . . . . . PLATES . . . . . . . . . . SOURCES OF ILLUSTRATIONS . BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . 0 0 0 0 .3
Offline signature verification and forgery detection using a 2-D geometric warping approach

We present a method of discriminating between authentic and forged signatures using 2-D geometric warping. After an initial coarse-alignment step, we use an automatic morphing correspondence algorithm to compute 2-D geometric warps that align the strokes of a questioned signature with those of known reference examples. We use distance maps to compute a difference metric, and then either accept the signature as genuine or reject it as a forgery depending on how different it is from the reference examples. Our method achieves equal error rate (EER) accuracies of about 94%–96% on our English dataset of blind forgeries and 87%–91% on casual forgeries (unprac-ticed imitations). Further evaluation of our method using the SigComp2011 competition dataset shows that our accuracies for skilled forgeries are comparable to those of several other recent methods. We are particularly encouraged by the performance of our method on the Chinese portion of the dataset, in which our EER accuracy (74%) is better than all but one of the systems that participated in the 2011 competition.
Mandibular reconstruction in an irradiated field using median sternotomy and anterior rib axial graft

Mandibular reconstruction in an irradiated field continues to be a challenge to the reconstructing surgeon. Several methods use rib grafts to bring vascularized tissue to the mandibular region. A median sternotomy provides excellent exposure to harvest the internal mammary artery and anterior axial rib graft for subsequent mandibular reconstruction. The modified technique described provides an alternative method of bringing a vascularized rib graft to an irradiated field for mandibular reconstruction avoiding multiple rib resections and microvascular anastomosis. This technique has been used in two patients who had anterior mandibular resection and irradiation therapy for advanced squamous cell carcinoma. The results from this technique were excellent and without major complications.
CHEMTREC®'s role in hazardous materials emergency response

Abstract There is an increasing expectation on the part of the public for the chemical industry to do more to minimize the risks posed by the manufacture, transportation, use, and disposal of chemicals. In addition, many jurisdictions feel unprepared or unequipped to effectively handle an incident involving hazardous materials, and therefore, rely on industry resources for assistance in the event an incident occurs. The chemical industry is constantly striving to meet the needs of the public and emergency responders and has developed several programs to address these concerns. The chemical industry's primary resource to provide these services is the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC ® ) located at CMA headquarters in Washington, DC.
Trend-following trading using recursive stochastic optimization algorithms

This work develops with trend following trading strategies under a bull-bear market switching model. The asset model is assumed to be geometric Brownian motion type of process, in which drift of the stock price is allowed to switch between two parameters corresponding to an up-trend (bull market) and a downtrend (bear market) corresponding to a partially observable Markov chain. Our objective is to buy and sell the underlying stock to maximize an expected return. It is shown in [6], [7] that an optimal trading strategy can be obtained in terms of two threshold levels, but finding the threshold levels is a difficult task. In this paper, we develop a stochastic approximation algorithm to approximate the threshold levels. The main advantage of our method is that one need not solve the associated HamiltonJacobiBellman (HJB) equations. We establish the convergence of the algorithm and provide numerical examples to illustrate the results.
Spinal tuberculosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection: Clinical presentation, therapy and outcome

Abstract Setting: Bellevue Hospital, a large public hospital in New York City. Objective: To discern the clinical characteristics of spinal tuberculosis (Pott's disease) in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Design: Review of all cases of spinal tuberculosis seen at the hospital from 1988 to 1995, with comparison of HIV-positive and HIV-negative cases. Chart reviews for all cases were performed and information regarding signs and symptoms, neurological findings, laboratory and radiographic data, medical and surgical treatment and eventual outcome were recorded. Results: We collected 26 cases of tuberculosis of the spine between July 1988 and June 1995. Seven of our 26 patients (27%) were HIV seropositive. Six of these were PPD+ on presentation. When compared with HIVnegative patients, those with HIV and spinal tuberculosis had similar clinical presentations; most patients had a diagnosis made with percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy of clinically involved areas, and open procedures added little diagnostic information. Most were treated without surgery, and response to antituberculosis therapy was uniformly good. Conclusion: We conclude that clinical presentations of spinal tuberculosis are similar in HIV-positive and -negative patients, and good outcomes can be expected with regard to mycobacterial disease.
Parameters for Creating Culturally Sensitive CBT: Implementing CBT in Global Settings

Abstract The current article is a commentary on the article, “A Common Elements Approach for Adult Mental Health Problems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries,” which describes a form of transdiagnostic CBT and its implementation among a highly traumatized Burmese and Iraqi group. Murray et al.’s (this issue) article is one of several new studies indicating the efficacy of CBT in global contexts. In this commentary, we suggest a set of parameters to create culturally sensitive CBT in global settings in a way to maximize efficacy and effectiveness. When applicable, we will discuss ways in which these parameters are illustrated by Murray et al. in this pilot study. These parameters can be used more generally to design culturally sensitive CBT studies in global contexts and to evaluate such studies. Some examples of these parameters are culturally appropriate framing of CBT techniques, assessing and addressing key local complaints (e.g., somatic symptoms) and local catastrophic cognitions, and incorporating key local sources of recovery and resilience.
Experimental Reproduction of Proventriculitis Using Homogenates of Proventricuiar Tissue

Proventriculitis is a problem affecting the processing of broiler carcasses, particularly those processed at 4 to 5 wk of age. The proventriculus and the gastric isthmus connecting the proventriculus to the gizzard are enlarged and swollen and often rupture during processing, causing carcass contamination. This study suggested that a filterable agent found in homogenated proventriculi can cause lesions similar to those seen in field cases. Proventriculitis was produced independently of an effect on growth, and only unfiltered homogenate caused stunting. Field birds with severe proventriculitis were shown to have increased body weights compared with birds without proventriculitis or with milder lesions. Intestinal weakness was not associated with proventriculitis and field birds with the most severe proventriculitis had stronger intestines. Although infectious proventriculitis has generally been reported as one of the lesions associated with stunting syndrome, these data suggest that it may have an independent etiology.
THE EFFECT OF MINIATURIZED BODY SIZE ON SKELETAL MORPHOLOGY IN FROGS

Miniaturization has evolved numerous times and reached impressive extremes in the Anura. I compared the skeletons of miniature frog species to those of closely related larger species to assess patterns of morphological change, sampling 129 species from 12 families. Two types of morphological data were examined: (1) qualitative data on bone presence and absence; and (2) thin-plate spline morphometric descriptions of skull structure and bone shape. Phylogenetic comparative methods were used to address the shared history of species. Miniature anurans were more likely to lose skull bones and phalangeal elements of the limbs. Their skulls also showed consistent differences compared to those of their larger relatives, including relatively larger braincases and sensory capsules, verticalization of lateral elements, rostral displacement of the jaw joint, and reduction of some skull elements. These features are explained by functional constraints and by paedomorphosis. Variation among lineages in the morphological response to miniaturization was also explored. Certain lineages appear to be unusually resistant to the morphological trends that characterize miniature frogs as a whole. This study represents the first large-scale examination of morphology and miniaturization across a major, diverse group of organisms conducted in a phylogenetic framework and with statistical rigor.
The Wake Behavior Behind a Heated Cylinder in Forced and Mixed Convection Regimes

The effect of buoyancy on the wake instability of a heated circular cylinder in a contra flow arrangement is investigated experimentally in the present study. A novel optical diagnostic technique, Molecular Tagging Velocimetry and Thermometry (MTV&T), was used for qualitative flow visualization and quantitative simultaneous measurements of velocity and temperature fields in the wake of the heated cylinder. The experiment was conducted in a water channel with the temperature and Reynolds number of the approaching flow being held constant at C T o 24
SHRIMP‐RG U‐Pb Zircon Geochronology of Mesoproterozoic Metamorphism and Plutonism in the Southwesternmost United States

Abstract Mesoproterozoic intrusive and granulite‐grade metamorphic rocks in southern California have been inferred to be exotic to North America on the basis of perceived chronologic incompatibility with autochthonous cratonal rocks. Ion microprobe geochronology indicates that zircons in granulite‐grade gneisses, dated at 1.4 Ga using conventional methods, are composed of 1.68–1.80‐Ga cores and 1.19‐Ga rims. These Early Proterozoic gneisses were metamorphosed at extremely high temperatures and moderate pressures during emplacement of the 1.19‐Ga San Gabriel anorthosite complex. The lack of a 1.4‐Ga metamorphic event suggests that Proterozoic rocks in this region, rather than being exotic to North America, may in fact be a midcrustal window into Mesoproterozoic crustal evolutionary processes in southwestern North America.
Numerical deconvolution of gas chromatograph peaks using Jansson's method

Severely overlapped gas chromatographic peaks can be resolved using Jansson's method. Jansson's method is an iterative nonlinear deconvolution technique and consists of Van Cittert's algorithm with the relaxation factor a function of the kth estimate of the peak shape. The maximum peak amplitude of the instrument and peak non-negativity serve as constraints to improve the peak estimate. Super-resolution is achieved without significantly degrading the chromatogram signal-to-noise ratio. The method only requires a knowledge of the instrument impulse response function and maximum peak height.
Dying in a nursing home: the role of local bed supply in nursing home discharges.

Objective: The relationship of nursing home (NH) discharges due to death to NH bed supply and hospital bed supply was examined. Method: Data on discharges came from the 1999 National Nursing Home Survey (N = 6,335). County-level bed supply, controls for hospice agency supply, and a nursing facility's percentage of area NH beds came from the Area Resource File. Multinomial logistic regression was used to compare deaths with live discharges. Marginal effects were calculated. Results: Discharges due to death increased with increasing NH bed supply and decreased in areas with greater hospital bed supply, areas where hospitalizations were more likely. Hospice supply and a facility's share of area NH beds also affected the probability of discharges due to death. Discussion: Supply factors appear related to discharge decisions in a manner affecting the probability of discharges due to death, although the magnitude of the relationship may be less than expected.
Composition studies on tobacco. XX.—Bases of cigarette smoke

The major components in the basic fraction of cigarette smoke studied herein were pyridine, isomeric picolines, 3-vinylpyridine, nicotine, nornicotine, myosmine and 2,3′-bipyridyl. Evidence for the presence of several isomeric lutidines, pyrrole, nicotinonitrile, 3-ethylpyridine, methyl 3-pyridyl ketone, metanicotine and anabasine was also obtained. The levels of the major bases in smoke from blended or unblended flue-cured, burley, Maryland and Turkish cigarettes showed some differences which were discussed. The amounts of certain bases in the smoke from flue-cured cigarettes having different organoleptic properties were determined and possible relationships between smoke flavour and chemical composition were discussed.
A low switching frequency AC-DC boost converter for wireless powered miniaturized implants

Providing electrical power to an implantable microelectronic device (IMD) via wireless power transfer technology is critical to implant's efficacy. The inductive coupling based wireless power transfer technology has been the primary approach to remotely power an IMD [1]. Reducing the coil size and improving efficiency are the two primary design goals for the power harvesting component in an IMD. A pulse-width-modulated (PWM) boost converter has been demonstrated to efficiently convert the low-voltage (much less than the regular diode's turn-on voltage) AC power generated by a miniaturized receiving coil to a desired high-voltage DC power [2]. In [2], the switching frequency of the PWM is much higher than the frequency of the input AC power. The high switching frequency not only dissipates more power during the switching, which deteriorates the converter's overall efficiency, but also prevents the circuit from handling the high-frequency input AC power. In this paper, a low switching frequency AC to DC boost converter is demonstrated. By aligning the PWM signal with the input AC, the boost converter is able to convert the AC power, whose amplitude is 500 mV at the open-circuit condition, to a >5 V DC output. The converter demonstrated in this paper has the potential to significantly improve the conversion efficiency by reducing the dissipated power associated with the PWM switch, especially when the input AC is at higher frequencies.
Neural model of first-order and second-order motion perception and magnocellular dynamics

A neural model of motion perception simulates psychophysical data concerning first-order and second-order motion stimuli, including the reversal of perceived motion direction with distance from the stimulus (Γ display), and data about directional judgments as a function of relative spatial phase or spatial and temporal frequency. Many other second-order motion percepts that have been ascribed to a second non-Fourier processing stream can also be explained in the model by interactions between ON and OFF cells within a single, neurobiologically interpreted magnocellular processing stream. Yet other percepts may be traced to interactions between form and motion processing streams, rather than to processing within multiple motion processing streams. The model hereby explains why monkeys with lesions of the parvocellular layers, but not of the magnocellular layers, of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) are capable of detecting the correct direction of second-order motion, why most cells in area MT are sensitive to both first-order and second-order motion, and why after 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate injection selectively blocks retinal ON bipolar cells, cortical cells are sensitive only to the motion of a moving bright bar’s trailing edge. Magnocellular LGN cells show relatively transient responses, whereas parvocellular LGN cells show relatively sustained responses. Correspondingly, the model bases its directional estimates on the outputs of model ON and OFF transient cells that are organized in opponent circuits wherein antagonistic rebounds occur in response to stimulus offset. Center–surround interactions convert these ON and OFF outputs into responses of lightening and darkening cells that are sensitive both to direct inputs and to rebound responses in their receptive field centers and surrounds. The total pattern of activity increments and decrements is used by subsequent processing stages (spatially short-range filters, competitive interactions, spatially long-range filters, and directional grouping cells) to determine the perceived direction of motion.
Short-term influence of breastfeeding on the infants' interaction with the environment.

The present study tested the hypothesis that around the age of weaning, human infants are more interactive with their environment immediately after breastfeeding. To this aim, we assessed 4- to 6-month-old infants' responsiveness to a rotating, musical mobile before breastfeeding on one test day, and after breastfeeding on another. Thirteen infants, fitted with miniature movement detectors on both their left leg and wrist, were videotaped for 4 consecutive min during which the mobile was alternately switched on and off in 1-min intervals. Although the infants showed no significant differences in limb activity as a function of the timing of a breastfeed, they looked at the mobile significantly longer when tested after breastfeeding. This finding suggests that breastfeeding has a substantial effect on 4- to 6-month-old infants' attentiveness to and interaction with their environment. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 36: 40–48, 2000
Thermodynamic properties of a two-dimensional nearest-neighbor interacting lattice gas

Abstract Utilizing transfer matrices obtained from the shift operator matrix (SOM) method, we determine the coverage, entropy and heat capacity for a system of simple, indistinguishable. nearest-neighbor interacting particles distributed on an M × ∞ (M = 2,3,4,...) cylindrical square-cell lattice in equilibrium with a gaseous environment. The lattice coverage and entropy show clearly the nature and position of a critical point as well as the presence of a coexistence line. The heat capacity calculations demonstrate the effect of lattice size (i.e. M) on the position and evolution of the phase transition at a coverage of one half.
Determination of the degree of acetylation (DA) of chitin and chitosan by an improved first derivative UV method

An economical and accurate determination of degree of acetylation (DA) for highly acetylated chitin has always been a challenge for researchers dealing with chitin and chitosan. A new protocol for the first derivative UV method using concentrated phosphoric acid as a solvent for highly acetylated chitin was developed in this study. The solvent was proposed based on thorough investigation of the effects of associated reactions including chain degradation, monomer dehydration, and oxazolinium ion formation. The reproducibility and performance of the new protocol was evaluated using commercial samples and the results showed the DA values of both chitin and chitosan could be determined accurately by a single analytical technique in less than 3 h.
Glucose-6-phosphatase activity in experimental tuberculosis and following isoniazid treatment.

Bei den tuberkulosen Meerschweinchen wurde in der Niere eine erhohte Aktivitat der Glukose-6-Phosphatase beobachtet. Isoniazid hat die erhohte Aktivitat des Enzyms nicht erniedrigt, wenn es tuberkulosen Tieren vom 8. bis zum 38. Tage nach der Infektion oral verabreicht wurde. Es wird angenommen, dass die erhohte Aktivitat Ausdruck der Adaptionsfahigkeit von Glukose-6-Phosphatase ist.
Evaluating the vaccine potential of an influenza A viral hemagglutinin and matrix double insertion DNA plasmid.

Abstract A DNA plasmid expressing both the influenza viral matrix protein (M1) and hemagglutinin (HA) (pHA/M1) as a potential vaccine candidate was investigated. Vaccination with pHA/M1 double insertion plasmids not only induced HA-specific protective antibodies, but also elicited HA and M1-specific CD8 T cell responses. Mice immunized with pHA/M1 dual expressing plasmid showed enhanced HA inhibition titer and increased CD69 + CD8α + T cell response compared to groups that received either the vector or a mixture of both pHA and pM1 (pHA + pM1). Furthermore, pHA/M1 immunization resulted in improved protection against both homologous and heterologous challenges.
The use of echocardiography in the critical care setting.

Echocardiography has become an invaluable tool in the management of critically ill patients. Its safety and portability allow for use at the bedside to provide rapid, detailed information regarding the cardiovascular system. Echocardiography can elucidate cardiac structure and mechanical function. Recently, the power of clinical echocardiography has been augmented by the use of Doppler techniques to evaluate cardiovascular hemodynamics. The use of echocardiography has been enhanced further by the advent of digital imaging, which allows for transmission of echocardiographic studies over telephone lines for immediate review. 72 For these reasons, an in-depth understanding of the proper use of echocardiography is a prerequisite for the intensivist.
PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE SOCIAL FEAR SCALE

The present study attempted to replicate the internal consistency of the Social Fear Scale as well as test-retest, normative and item analysis because these estimates have not been reported. Cronbach alpha s of 0.87 for 38 men and 0.88 for 74 women in college were similar to those reported in 1984 by Raulin and Wee. Test-retest reliability coefficients for the total sample and for each subsample (normative data) indicated strong support for the stability of responses over a 4-wk. period. An item analysis suggested two items may not be useful for assessing social fear. Questions for research are discussed.
Learning to Question: The Roles of Multiple Hypotheses, Successive Approximations, Balloons and Toilet Paper in University Science Programs of Southwestern Amazonia

Learning to question is essential for determining pathways of conservation and development in southwestern Amazonia during a time of rapid global environmental change. Teaching such an approach in graduate science programs in regional universities can be done using play-acting and simulation exercises. Multiple working hypotheses help students learn to question their own research results and expert witnesses. The method of successive approximations enables students to question the results of complex calculations, such as estimates of forest biomass. Balloons and rolls of toilet paper provide means of questioning two-dimensional representations of a three-dimensional Earth and the value of pi. Generation of systematic errors can illustrate the pitfalls of blind acceptance of data. While learning to question is essential, it is insufficient by itself; students must also learn how to be solutionologists in order to satisfy societal demands for solutions to environmental problems. A little irreverence can be an excellent didactic tool for helping students develop the skills necessary to lead conservation and development efforts in the region.
Making a mesh of it: a STELLAR approach to teacher professional development

We propose a model for Internet learning grounded in a theoretical analysis of transfer and embodied within a general tool called STELLAR (Socio-Technical Environment for Learning and Learning-Activity Research). STELLAR supports creation and management of online courses that systematically integrate collaborative design with study of text and video. The objective of STELLAR is to help learners develop "meshed" cognitive representations that support transfer of course knowledge to professional practice. Using STELLAR, we created experimental online courses in the learning sciences for pre-service teachers. Our research produced substantial evidence supporting our approach and a body of empirically tested online materials and collaborative activities for teacher education.