cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Birth weight and McGoon Index predict mortality in newborn infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Abstract Background Despite improvements in clinical management, mortality of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) remains high. Early prediction of mortality risk helps in comparing strategies and/or performances of different centers. Birth weight (BW), Apgar Score at 5 minutes, and modified McGoon Index (MGI) calculated by the ratio between the diameters of pulmonary arteries and the descending aorta have been used to determine mortality of CDH. Aim The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between early detectable variables and survival in newborns with CDH intubated at birth, managed with "gentle" ventilation and delayed surgery. Methods All medical records of patients affected by high-risk CDH and treated with a standardized protocol at Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy, between January 2002 and September 2004 were reviewed. Prenatal diagnosis, gestational age, BW, sex, side of hernia, and MGI were recorded on admission. The relationship with mortality of each variable was evaluated by univariate analysis. Subsequently, a predictive model of mortality was developed using a logistic regression: the explanatory variables, BW, and MGI were dichotomized in high (HBW and HMGI) and low (LBW and LMGI) according to the best cutoff found with receiver-operating characteristic curves. Results Thirty-four newborns with CDH, treated with a standardized protocol, were studied. The main characteristics of the 34 patients were BW, 2886 g (1500-3620 g); gestational age, 37.7 weeks (32-42 weeks); male/female, 22/12; right/left, 8/26; prenatal diagnosis, 29; MGI, 1.31 (0.9-1.85). Only BW and MGI were significantly ( P Conclusions Birth weight and MGI, variously combined, were predictive of mortality. Because they are not influenced by subsequent modalities of care, they can be considered as valid early severity scores in CDH and used for comparing strategies and/or performances of different centers.
STUDIES OF A MYXOVIRUS RECOVERED FROM PATIENTS WITH INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS I. ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION

A virus has been isolated from the serum and urine of patients with infectious hepatitis. This virus is a member of the parinfluenza group. It is serologically distinct from the known members of the group, but apparently is antigenically related to the simian type-2 parainfluenza viruses. A causal relationship between WB virus and infectious hepatitis has not been established.
Click chemistry in materials synthesis. 1. Adhesive polymers from copper‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition

The copper(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition reaction between azides and alkynes has been employed to make metal-adhesive materials. Copper and brass surfaces supply the necessary catalytic Cu ions, and thus the polymerization process occurs selectively on these metals in the absence of added catalysts. Alternatively, copper compounds can be added to monomer mixtures and then introduced to reducing metal surfaces such as zinc to initiate polymerization. The resulting materials were found to possess comparable or superior adhesive strength to standard commercial glues, and structure-activity correlations have identified several important properties of the monomers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4392–4403, 2004
Estimates of penetrance for recurrent pathogenic copy-number variations.

Although an increasing number of copy-number variations are being identified as susceptibility loci for a variety of pediatric diseases, the penetrance of these copy-number variations remains mostly unknown. This poses challenges for counseling, both for recurrence risks and prenatal diagnosis. We sought to provide empiric estimates for penetrance for some of these recurrent, disease-susceptibility loci. We conducted a Bayesian analysis, based on the copy-number variation frequencies in control populations (n = 22,246) and in our database of >48,000 postnatal microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization samples. The background risk for congenital anomalies/developmental delay/intellectual disability was assumed to be ~5%. Copy-number variations studied were 1q21.1 proximal duplications, 1q21.1 distal deletions and duplications, 15q11.2 deletions, 16p13.11 deletions, 16p12.1 deletions, 16p11.2 proximal and distal deletions and duplications, 17q12 deletions and duplications, and 22q11.21 duplications. Estimates for the risk of an abnormal phenotype ranged from 10.4% for 15q11.2 deletions to 62.4% for distal 16p11.2 deletions. This model can be used to provide more precise estimates for the chance of an abnormal phenotype for many copy-number variations encountered in the prenatal setting. By providing the penetrance, additional, critical information can be given to prospective parents in the genetic counseling session. Genet Med 2013:15(6):478–481
Within- and between-session variety effects in a food-seeking habituation paradigm

Appetitive behavior is stronger when organisms are given a variety of foods than when they are repeatedly given the same food (the variety effect). Two experiments examined the variety effect in an operant food-seeking task. In both experiments, rats received a 45-mg food pellet for every 4th lever press over a series of daily 30-min sessions. The rats responded at a high rate early in the session, but the rate declined systematically over time within the session. In Experiment 1, alternating unpredictably between grain and sucrose pellets caused a higher level of responding, and a slower within-session decline in responding, than presenting either type of pellet consistently. In groups receiving one pellet consistently, a switch to the alternate pellet caused lawful changes in response rate that reflected both habituation and incentive contrast processes. In Experiment 2, an experimental group received grain only and sucrose only in daily alternating sessions. In sucrose sessions, they responded more than controls that always received either sucrose or grain (a type of variety effect); in grain sessions, they responded less than the controls. The results indicated a within-session variety effect that was controlled by habituation processes and a between-session variety effect that was controlled by incentive contrast. Both types of processes can come into play when organisms are exposed to food variety.
Who killed George Washington

The issue of standards for professional practice ranks high among the ethical, moral, and legal concerns of guidance and counseling. We are troubled not only about what these standards shall be but also about the problem of deciding by whom and in what manner they are to be developed and enforced. This article presents one perspective on the dilemma, and suggests steps that might lead to its partial resolution.
An effective localization algorithm based on received signal strength

Efficient tracking schemes are becoming very important due to the increasing availability of wireless networks and the importance of location information for applications such as vehicle and object tracking, surveillance, military uses etc. This paper12 presents a simple approach based on the measurements of the received signal strength to determine the position of wireless nodes. An estimation algorithm, using range measurements from multiple, scattered, beacon transmitter stations with known locations, is presented that lowers position location inaccuracies, has relatively low complexity and uses only the local information. Various simulation results are presented that demonstrate the performance of the algorithm.
SYNTHESIS AND METABOLISM OF l‐KYNURENINE IN RAT BRAIN

— A method for the quantitative analysis of femtomole amounts of kynurenine (along with tryptophan, 3-hydroxykynurenine and kynuramine) in rat brain using high pressure liquid chroma-tography and electron-capture GLC is described. Endogenous concentrations of these substances in rat brain regions were measured, and their formation after the injection of radioactive tryptophan or kynurenine was determined. Kynurenine was formed from tryptophan in brain and was also taken up from the periphery. Extracerebral kynurenine was calculated to account for 60% of the cerebral pool of kynurenine. The cerebral rates of synthesis of kynurenine and 3-hydroxykynurenine were 0.29 and 0.17nmol/g/h. The turnover rate of kynurenine in the brain was 1.02 nmol/g/h measured from [14C]tryptophan or 1.14 nmol/g/h from [3H]kynurenine injected intraperitoneally. Kynuramine levels in different areas of the brain were similar to those of tryptamine. Following intraperitoneal injection of [14C]tryptophan, the presence of anthranilic, 3-hydroxyanthranilic, xanthurenic, kynurenic and quinaldic acids was demonstrated in the brain.
Evidence that a free-running oscillator drives G1 events in the budding yeast cell cycle.

In yeast and somatic cells, mechanisms ensure cell-cycle events are initiated only when preceding events have been completed1. In contrast, interruption of specific cell-cycle processes in early embryonic cells of many organisms does not affect the timing of subsequent events2, indicating that cell-cycle events are triggered by a free-running cell-cycle oscillator. Here we present evidence for an independent cell-cycle oscillator in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We observed periodic activation of events normally restricted to the G1 phase of the cell cycle, in cells lacking mitotic cyclin-dependent kinase activities that are essential for cell-cycle progression. As in embryonic cells, G1 events cycled on schedule, in the absence of S phase or mitosis, with a period similar to the cell-cycle time of wild-type cells. Oscillations of similar periodicity were observed in cells responding to mating pheromone in the absence of G1 cyclin (Cln)- and mitotic cyclin (Clb)-associated kinase activity, indicating that the oscillator may function independently of cyclin-dependent kinase dynamics. We also show that Clb-associated kinase activity is essential for ensuring dependencies by preventing the initiation of new G1 events when cell-cycle progression is delayed.
Fibonacci Patterns: Common or Rare?

Using a partial differential equation model derived from the ideas of the Meyerowitz and Traas groups on the role of the growth hormone auxin and those of Green and his group on the role compressive stresses can play in plants, we demonstrate how all features of spiral phyllotaxis can be recovered by the passage of a pushed pattern forming front. The front is generated primarily by a PIN1 mediated instability of a uniform auxin concentration and leaves in its wake an auxin fluctuation field at whose maxima new primordia are assumed to be initiated. Because it propagates through a slowly changing metric, the patterns have to make transitions between spirals enumerated by decreasing parastichy numbers. The point configurations of maxima coincide almost exactly with those configurations generated by the use of discrete algorithms based on optimal packing ideas which suggests that pushed pattern forming fronts may be a general mechanism by which natural organisms can follow optimal strategies.
Organizational Impression Management: Utilizing Anticipatory Tactics

The current pair of studies are the first to empirically show that the proposed tactics/processes (i.e., accommodation, legitimation, intimidation, bureaucratic) of the anticipatory organizational impression management (OIM) model decrease initial challenges to an event and prevent the escalation of an already existing challenge. Moreover, our data showed that variables specified by the model mediated the relationship between the tactics and the respective dependent measures (i.e., initial challenges, escalation of challenges). Our results offer compelling evidence for the OIM model, an empirical case that has been heretofore absent from the literature.
Intracellular signal transduction pathways activated by ceramide and its metabolites.

The sphingolipid ceramide has proven to be a powerful second-signal effector molecule that regulates diverse cellular processes including apoptosis, cell senescence, the cell cycle, and cellular differentiation. Ceramide has been shown to activate a number of enzymes involved in stress signaling cascades including both protein kinases and protein phosphatases. Ceramide kinase targets include stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs) such as the jun kinases (JNKs), kinase suppressor of Ras (KSR), and the atypical protein kinase C (PKC) isoform, PKC zeta. Ceramide also is capable of activating protein phosphatases such as protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). It is through these protein phosphatases that ceramide can indirectly inhibit kinases that are key components of pro-growth signaling processes such as the classical and novel PKC isoforms and protein kinase B (PKB; also known as Akt). However, the mechanisms how ceramide directly activates enzymes such as JNK and PP2A are still not clear. Elucidation of these mechanisms will reveal how ceramide functions in stress signaling cascades and will provide important information on cellular processes such as apoptosis. It is becoming clear that the ceramide generation is a near universal feature of programmed cell death. It is possible that during at least some apoptotic events, ceramide may be required to activate stress-signal cascades that lead to cell death, while concurrently, suppressing growth and survival pathways in the dying cell. Such a versatile role for ceramide is not unreasonable since ceramide has been implicated as having a role in both intrinsic (i.e. mitochondrial) and extrinsic (i.e. death receptor-mediated) apoptotic pathways. The recent data suggesting that aberrant glycosylation of ceramide (i.e. inactivation of the molecule) may be an important cause of drug resistance in certain cancers suggests that ceramide-mediated signaling cascades are critical components of chemotherapy-induced cell killing. Taken together, these properties of ceramide suggest that this important second-signal molecule may be an important target in anti-neoplastic strategies.
Estimation of spatial averaging of temperatures from coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy

Spatial averaging is a potential problem in the application of coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) to combustion diagnostics when varying temperatures and composition are present at spatial scales smaller than the typical 1–2-mm spatial resolution of CARS. The observed CARS spectrum is then a mixture of the hot and cold components. We show that simulated, spatially averaged spectra, generated by the incoherent addition of intensities, can be significantly different from those obtained by the coherent addition of the electric field amplitudes of the component spectra. The analyses of these simulated, spatially averaged CARS spectra demonstrate that the use of theoretical CARS spectra, generated by the addition of intensities of the hot and cold components of a binary gas mixture, can lead to errors in the estimated flame temperatures.
Dynamic Modelling and Identification of a Waterjet Cutting System

This paper describes a new dynamic model for a waterjet cutting system that includes a double-acting reciprocating intensifier pump. Since the system operates at high pressures the fluid flow is assumed to be compressible. The dynamic model includes the characteristics of the intensifier pump, the check valves, the accumulator, the system piping and compressible jet flow through the nozzle. The system model is presented as a set of differential-algebraic equations. Experimental results for an actual system are used to identify the discharge coefficient of the nozzle, certain unknown parameters associated with the check valve, and to determine the velocity profile of the piston in the intensifier pump. The identification is accomplished by formulating and solving a parameter optimization problem. The paper also includes numerical simulation results that validate the dynamic model.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Predictors of decreased short- and long-term survival following open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of decreased survival after open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair at a single university hospital. Methods Patients undergoing open AAA repair from June 2003 to June 2009 were identified. Primary outcomes were 30-day and 5-year survival. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were assessed for their influence on outcomes using univariate and multivariate analysis, as appropriate. One- and 5-year survival were determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results Four hundred eight patients (289 men; 70.8%) with a mean age of 72.4 ± 8.3 years underwent open AAA repair. Sixty-seven patients (16.4%) underwent nonelective repair. The clamp site was infrarenal in 137 patients (33.6%), suprarenal in 97 patients (23.8%), and supraceliac in 174 patients (42.6%). Thirty-day survival was 95.6%. One- and 5-year survival were 90.0% ± 1.5% and 65.1% ± 3.0%, respectively. Seventy-nine patients (19.4%) had decreased renal function postoperatively compared to preoperatively, 71 patients (17.4%) sustained cardiac complications, and 45 patients (11.0%) sustained pulmonary complications. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (91.9% vs 97.2%; P = .004) and chronic renal insufficiency (92.0% vs 98.3%; P = .009) had decreased 30-day survival. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (55.8% ± 5.8% vs 67.3% ± 3.6%; P = .013), chronic renal insufficiency (51.2% ± 5.2% vs 72.8% ± 3.7%; P = .043), and cerebrovascular disease (46.8% ± 7.4% vs 67.4% ± 3.4%; P = .003) had decreased 5-year survival. Patients who had decreased postoperative renal function (41.0% ± 7.4% vs 72.2% ± 3.4%; P = .004), and patients who sustained pulmonary complications (45.6% ± 8.8% vs 66.3% ± 3.3%; P = .042) had worse 5-year survival. Conclusions Open AAA repair can be done with low morbidity and mortality in the era of endovascular aneurysm repair. Careful consideration should be given to preoperative optimization and perioperative care in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic renal insufficiency, and cerebrovascular disease. Postoperative decrease in renal function and pulmonary complication portend decreased 5-year survival; strategies to ameliorate these factors should be sought.
Snow Catch and Soil Water Recharge in Standing Sunflower Residue

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an economically viable crop for dryland rotations in the central Great Plains. Sunflower's ability to extract large amounts of soil water can depress subsequent crop yields unless significant soil water recharge occurs. The objectives of this study were to measure the effects of differences in standing sunflower stalk height and population on snow deposition and subsequent overwinter soil water recharge. Observations of snow depth and overwinter soil water recharge were made at seven sites near Akron, CO, over three winters. Sunflower stalks were laid flat after harvest, or left standing at approximately 18 or 28 in. Stalk population varied from approximately 10 600 to 26 100/acre. Silhouette factor (stalk height x diameter x population) ranged from 0 to 111 sq in./1600 sq in. Soil types in the study areas were Rago silt loam (fine, smectitic, mesic Pachic Argiustoll) or Weld silt loam (fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Paleustoll). Increasing stalk height (and silhouette factor) increased snow catch and soil water content during the winter, but amounts of increase varied depending on wind speed and snow amount. With near-average snowfall amounts and number of drifting storms, soil water recharged linearly with increasing silhouette factor, thereby increasing stored soil water by nearly 5 in. where silhouette factor was 80 sq in./1600 sq in. Maintaining standing sunflower residue during the winter and spring following sunflower harvest can provide critically needed soil water recharge by increasing depth of snow deposition.
Toxicokinetics of [3H]saxitoxinol in peripheraland central nervous system of rats

Abstract This study evaluated the toxicokinetics of a saxitoxin (STX)analog, [3H]saxitoxinol (STXOL), in rats. [3H]saxitoxinol (18.9 μCi/kg body weight) was administered iv to male Wistar rats via the penile vein. After injection, [3H]STXOL disappeared rapidly from plasma (t1/2 = 29.3 min, and 75% of the radiolabel was cleared from plasma within 2 hr. Radioactivity associated with red blood cell membranes was inversely related with the radioactivity associated with hemoglobin, suggesting internalization of STXOL. Distribution of [3H]STXOL, 48 hr after iv exposure, showed that muscle tissues retained 91.2 ± 7.1%, liver 63.7 ± 3.8%, heart 17.4 ± 1.6%, and lung 91.2 ± 0.8% of the residual dose. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis for saxitoxinol showed three to four major radiolabeled peaks for Bach of these tissues. By 48 hr, radiolabel associated with the saxitoxinol peak decreased 95% in Jungs, heart, and kidneys, with a concomitant increase in unidentified, more polar peaks. No STXOL metabolites were detected in the urine from these animals. Radioactivity accumulation in the brain increased to a maximum of 162% at 8-hr postexposure, compared to values obtained at 10 min, then gradually declined to 148% by 48 hr. HPLC analysis of brain extracts showed that the relative percentage of radioactivity associated with parent toxin gradually decreased, with a concomitant rise in the levels of more polar peaks. Similar results were obtained for spinal cord. The data suggest that saxitoxinol was rapidly cleared from most of the peripheral organs and was little, if any metabolized by muscle cells.
Anterior segmental distraction for a Class III maxillary prosthetic defect in a cleft palate patient.

Abstract Reconstruction of a partially dentate skeletal Class III patient who has had repair of a bilateral cleft lip and palate can be challenging. In this article we present our results with a se...
Mass transport during electromigration in aluminum-magnesium thin films☆

Single-crystal and polycrystalline aluminum thin film conductors, containing up to 6 at.% magnesium, were subjected to electromigration experiments at 175° and 225°C with current densities up to 4 × 106 A/cm2 and for times up to 50 000 h. These conductors were subsequently examined in order to obtain quantitative data on mass transport during electromigration. The results indicate that in an alloy containing about 6 at.% magnesium the lattice diffusivity of aluminum is larger by an order of magnitude than the corresponding lattice diffusivity in pure aluminum, whereas the grain boundary diffusivity of aluminum in this alloy is two orders of magnitude smaller than the corresponding value in pure aluminum. Further, the lattice and grain boundary diffusivities of magnesium in this alloy are of the same order of magnitude as the aluminum diffusivities, and appear to be slightly smaller in both cases.
New 2,4-Diamino-5-(2‘,5‘-substituted benzyl)pyrimidines as Potential Drugs against Opportunistic Infections of AIDS and Other Immune Disorders. Synthesis and Species-Dependent Antifolate Activity

In a continuing effort to design small-molecule inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) that combine the enzyme-binding selectivity of 2,4-diamino-5-(3‘,4‘,5‘-trimethoxybenzyl)pyrimidine (trimethoprim, TMP) with the potency of 2,4-diamino-5-methyl-6-(2‘,5‘-dimethoxybenzyl)pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine (piritrexim, PTX), seven previously undescribed 2,4-diamino-5-[2‘-methoxy-5‘-(substituted benzyl)]pyrimidines were synthesized in which the substituent at the 5‘-position was a carboxyphenyl group linked to the benzyl moiety by a bridge of two or four atoms in length. The new analogues were all obtained from 2,4-diamino-5-(5‘-iodo-2‘-methoxybenzyl)pyrimidine via a Sonogashira reaction, followed, where appropriate, by catalytic hydrogenation. The new analogues were tested as inhibitors of DHFR from Pneumocystis carinii (Pc), Toxoplasma gondii (Tg), and Mycobacterium avium (Ma), three life-threatening pathogens often found in AIDS patients and individuals whose immune system is impaired as a result of treatment...
MeshEye: a hybrid-resolution smart camera mote for applications in distributed intelligent surveillance

Surveillance is one of the promising applications to which smart camera motes forming a vision-enabled network can add increasing levels of intelligence. We see a high degree of in-node processing in combination with distributed reasoning algorithms as the key enablers for such intelligent surveillance systems. To put these systems into practice still requires a considerable amount of research ranging from mote architectures, pixel-processing algorithms, up to distributed reasoning engines. This paper introduces MeshEye, an energy-efficient smart camera mote architecture that has been designed with intelligent surveillance as the target application in mind. Special attention is given to MeshEye's unique vision system: a low-resolution stereo vision system continuously determines position, range, and size of moving objects entering its field of view. This information triggers a color camera module to acquire a high-resolution image sub-array containing the object, which can be efficiently processed in subsequent stages. It offers reduced complexity, response time, and power consumption over conventional solutions. Basic vision algorithms for object detection, acquisition, and tracking are described and illustrated on real- world data. The paper also presents a basic power model that estimates lifetime of our smart camera mote in battery-powered operation for intelligent surveillance event processing.
Pathway analysis following association study

Genome-wide association studies often emphasize single-nucleotide polymorphisms with the smallest p-values with less attention given to single-nucleotide polymorphisms not ranked near the top. We suggest that gene pathways contain valuable information that can enable identification of additional associations. We used gene set information to identify disease-related pathways using three methods: gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), empirical enrichment p-values, and Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). Association tests were performed for common single-nucleotide polymorphisms and aggregated rare variants with traits Q1 and Q4. These pathway methods were evaluated by type I error, power, and the ranking of the VEGF pathway, the gene set used in the simulation model. GSEA and IPA had high power for detecting the VEGF pathway for trait Q1 (91.2% and 93%, respectively). These two methods were conservative with deflated type I errors (0.0083 and 0.0072, respectively). The VEGF pathway ranked 1 or 2 in 123 of 200 replicates using IPA and ranked among the top 5 in 114 of 200 replicates for GSEA. The empirical enrichment method had lower power and higher type I error. Thus pathway analysis approaches may be useful in identifying biological pathways that influence disease outcomes.
CNTFET SRAM cell with tolerance to removed metallic CNTs

A metallic CNT renders a short circuit between drain and source in a CNTFET. Technologies capable of removing metallic CNTs create open circuits which degrades SRAM cell performance and functionality. In this paper we present a design approach to tolerate removed metallic CNT in CNTFET SRAM. –x00D7; CNTs to form a CNTFET. An extremely high probability of having a functional memory array can be obtained with a modest semiconducting CNT probability (P semi ) of 90% and a 1×4 uncorrelated CNT array. Three optimization schemes are also proposed to minimize the impact of metallic CNT removal.
Changing crustal velocities preceded 2011 Tohoku‐oki quake

For decades leading up to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the east coast of Japan, GPS stations on the island of Honshu recorded changes at the rate at which the Earth's surface deformed. Previous work attributed this to the lasting effects of earlier earthquakes, such as the series of Mw 6.5+ events that struck between 2003 and 2011. Temblors can influence deformation long after shaking stops through gradual postseismic slip and, for large events, through decades-long relaxation of stress in the lower crust and mantle.
Explicit dimensional renormalization of quantum field theory in curved space-time

The dimensional renormalization of scalar and spinor field theories quantized in a conformally flat ($k=0$) Robertson-Walker space-time is discussed. The theories considered are conformally invariant save explicit mass terms. All calculations are performed on the level of the canonical, Heisenberg-picture field theory, and explicit formulas derived for renormalized Heisenberg-state expectation values, such as particle production. Some solvable models are presented as illustrations of the formalism.
Research on Direct versus Translated Writing: Students' Strategies and Their Results

This study explored an alternative approach to short essay writing on language assessment tasks. Thirty-nine intermediate learners of French performed 2 essay writing tasks: writing directly in French as well as writing in the first language and then translating into French. Two-thirds of the students did better on the direct writing task across all rating scales; one-third, better on the translated task. While raters found no significant differences in the grammatical scales across the 2 types of writing, differences did emerge in the scales for expression, transitions, and clauses. Retrospective verbal report data from the students indicated that they were often thinking through English when writing in French, suggesting that the writing tasks were not necessarily distinct in nature. Since the study was intended to simulate writing situations that students encounter in typical classroom assessments, the findings suggest that direct writing in French as a target language may be the most effective choice for some learners when under time pressure.
Some situational and experiential determinants of maternal aggression in mice.

Abstract Five experiments were conducted in order to examine the influence of some simple situational and experiential factors on the maternal aggression displayed by Rockland-Swiss (R-S) Albino mice toward adult male R-S intruders. The results of Experiment 1 showed that aggression is highest during the early lactation period (Postpartum Days 4 and 8) and is absent by the end of the lactation period (Postpartum Days 16 and 20). Experiment 2 showed that the aggression displayed by recently parturient (i.e., early lactating) females rapidly declines during a 10 minute test session with most attacks exhibited during the first 3 minutes of the encounter and few thereafter. The results of Experiment 3 showed that the behavior is significantly reduced when aggression testing takes place in a neutral cage as compared to testing in the homecage environment. The findings of Experiment 4 showed that young male and female intruders (25 and 45 days of age) are attacked as vigorously as adult (65 days of age) intruders of both sexes. The results of Experiment 5 showed that postweaning social deprivation (i.e., isolation) does not influence the development of aggression by lactating females. The significance of these findings for our understanding of the psychobiological basis of maternal aggression and other forms of agonistic behavior is discussed.
Optimizing revenue in CDMA networks under demand uncertainty

Mathematical programming models for telecommunications network design are prevalent in the literature, but little research has been reported on stochastic models for cellular networks. We present a stochastic revenue optimization model for CDMA networks inspired by bid pricing models from the airline industry. We describe the optimality conditions for the model and develop a supergradient algorithm to solve it. We provide computational results that show the effects of the distribution and variance of demand. Finally, we discuss areas of future research, including a method to optimize the locations of the towers.
Selenium status of term infants fed human milk or selenite-supplemented soy formula

Infants fed a soy formula supplemented with selenite had plasma and erythrocyte selenium values lower than those of infants fed human milk. However, plasma and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activities were normal, indicating that the physiologic requirement for selenium was being met.
Relinquish the dog?: Movie messages about misbehavior

Content analysis of selected films (Beethoven, K-9, Turner & Hooch) and a TV show (The Simpsons) revealed frequent instances of undesirable acts by dog characters including damaging, disobedience, soiling, and stealing. One reaction of human characters was frequent scolding. More seriously, all the dogs were explicitly put at risk for relinquishment (surrender). Even so, no dog was permanently relinquished. In two cases, animals eventually redeemed themselves, one going so far as to become a hero. In the two remaining cases, resistant humans eventually became convinced of the inherent good in the animals. All the dogs gained status as valued companion animals. Treating these titles as a type of fable, their common moral (message) was interpreted to be that dogs should simply not be relinquished. Corollary recommendations offered in these movies counseled human patience and sensitivity concerning dog behavior.
1805 PNEUMOTHORAX IN MECHANICALLY VENTILATED INFANTS: ASSOCIATION WITH BRAND OF SUCTION CATHETER

1805 PNEUMOTHORAX IN MECHANICALLY VENTILATED INFANTS: ASSOCIATION WITH BRAND OF SUCTION CATHETER
A systematic approach to the discovery of new proteins of ultrastructural interest

A systematic approach to the discovery of new proteins of ultrastructural interest is discussed. It involves the merging of monoclonal antibody technology with immunocytochemical technology, particularly immunoelectron microscopy. In this approach, monoclonal antibodies are raised to a cellular preparation that can be grossly heterogeneous in its protein composition. The hybridoma culture fluids are screened by immunocytochemistry for the ultrastructural localization of their antibodies. Those monoclonal antibodies that show specific ultrastructural localizations of interest are then selected for further investigation. The antigen to which a given monoclonal antibody is directed is then identified by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting with that antibody. By this approach, two new striated muscle proteins of ultrastructural interest have been discovered and are named zeugmatin and enactin. The former is a protein of over 500 kD localized by immunoelectron microscopy to the Z-bands, the latter of 245 kD localized to the N1 line of striated muscle.
Immediate reconstruction of the perineal wound with gracilis muscle flaps following abdominoperineal resection and intraoperative radiation therapy for recurrent carcinoma of the rectum.

Background: Morbidity associated with a nonhealing perineal wound is the most common complication following proctectomy, particularly in the setting of recurrent carcinoma of the rectum and radiation therapy. Immediate reconstruction using the gracilis myocutaneous and muscle flaps significantly reduces the incidence of major infection associated with perineal wound closure. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of immediate reconstruction of the perineal wound using a gracilis flap in patients undergoing abdominoperineal resection and intraoperative radiation therapy.
Go Math! How Research Anchors New Mobile Learning Environments

A reciprocal research and design process (RR&D) became central to the development of mobile learning environments for families. Go Math! applications were developed to support families in the situations they face in their daily activities where problem solving involves mathematics. The RR&D process is effective for synthesizing design and development choices with consideration of the results of basic research on mathematics in everyday life, the voices of users, the social context of use, and mobile affordances. The RR&D process is described, and two mobile mathematics applications illustrate how the process maintains fidelity among research, the development of design criteria, and user voice and practice. We consider the process important in the development of mobile learning environments.
An improved design of wind towers for natural ventilation and passive cooling

Abstract A design is proposed to improve the performance of wind towers (or Baud-Geers) for natural ventilation and passive cooling. Under similar climatological and design conditions, the new design is capable of delivering air to the building at higher flow rates. It can also cool the air evaporatively to lower temperatures. Higher airflow rates and the evaporative cooling capability of the new Baud-Geer design can be fully utilized at nigh in summer to cool the building mass to lower temperatures. Momentum, mass and energy analyses are carried out for the proposed design. The results are presented in graphical forms which may be used as guidelines for employing the design for specific applications in the hot, arid areas of the world. An example is worked out to show the use of the results.
Adolescents' Attitudes and Experiences Regarding Levonorgestrel 100 mcg/Ethinyl Estradiol 20 mcg

Abstract Study Objective: Oral contraceptive pills (OCs) are a commonly prescribed method of birth control for sexually experienced adolescents. The purpose of the current study was to describe anticipated parental involvement and adolescent compliance with pill taking, and to describe experiences with a 20-mcg OC regarding satisfaction and side effects after six cycles. Design: Anticipated parental involvement and anticipated compliance, and experiences with an OC, were assessed at baseline, and after the first and sixth cycles during a clinical trial of oral contraceptives, which required parental consent. Setting: Three adolescent medicine clinics in New York, NY; Cincinnati, OH; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Participants: The sample consisted of 43 female adolescents with a mean age of 17 years. Results: The majority of adolescents living with a parent anticipated parental involvement, and few adolescents anticipated difficulties with consistent pill taking. For two side effects (weight and mood changes), more than 30% of the adolescents anticipated the occurrence or worsening of side effects. However, few adolescents actually experienced increases in any of the nine side effects assessed. Ninety-seven percent of adolescents in this trial reported being satisfied with a 20-mcg OC. Conclusions: Health care providers can assess adolescents' anticipated difficulties with compliance with daily pill taking, and desire for help from their parents. This information can be incorporated into counseling to promote consistent and correct use.
Contributions of Atmospheric CO and Hydrogen Uptake to Microbial Dynamics on Recent Hawaiian Volcanic Deposits

A series of sites were established on Hawaiian volcanic deposits ranging from about 18 to 300 years old. Three sites occurred in areas that supported tropical rain forests; the remaining sites were in areas that supported little or no plant growth. Sites >26 years old consumed atmospheric CO and hydrogen at rates ranging from about 0.2 to 5 mg of CO m(-2) day(-1) and 0.1 to 4 mg of H(2) m(-2) day(-1), respectively. Respiration, measured as CO(2) production, for a subset of the sites ranged from about 40 to >1,400 mg of CO(2) m(-2) day(-1). CO and H(2) accounted for about 13 to 25% of reducing equivalent flow for all but a forested site, where neither substrate appeared significant. Based on responses to chloroform fumigation, hydrogen utilization appeared largely due to microbial uptake. In contrast to results for CO and hydrogen, methane uptake occurred consistently only at the forest site. Increasing deposit age was generally accompanied by increasing concentrations of organic matter and microbial biomass, measured as phospholipid phosphate. Exoenzymatic activities (acid and alkaline phosphatases and alpha- and beta-glucosidases) were positively correlated with deposit age in spite of considerable variability within sites. The diversity of substrates utilized in Biolog Ecoplate assays also increased with deposit age, possibly reflecting changes in microbial community complexity.
Venlafaxine-Induced Orthostatic Hypotension in a Geriatric Patient

Venlafaxine is not usually associated with risk of orthostatic hypotension. A 65-year-old US Caucasian female taking 225 mg/day of venlafaxine extended-release developed symptomatic orthostatic hypotension. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped by 25 and 18 mm Hg, respectively, from supine position to standing position within 3 minutes. The patient was otherwise healthy and the orthostatic hypotension resolved with venlafaxine discontinuation. This was a probable venlafaxine adverse drug reaction according to the Naranjo scale. This case contributes to the scarce literature that indicates that clinicians need to be aware that occasionally venlafaxine can induce clinically significant orthostatic hypotension, particularly in geriatric patients. Our patient did not have orthostatic hypotension when she was taking venlafaxine at 60 years of age in higher venlafaxine doses (300 mg/day) but developed this adverse drug reaction when venlafaxine was restarted at the geriatric age. This case indicates that a history of prior tolerance to venlafaxine does not guarantee tolerance after 65 years of age. If a clinician decides to use venlafaxine in geriatric patients, the clinician should warn the patient about the risk of orthostatic hypotension and consider very slow titration and low doses.
Janus kinase 2 signaling in the angiotensin II-dependent activation of StAR expression.

Angiotensin II (Ang II)‐stimulated aldosterone production in adrenocortical glomerulosa cells requires de novo expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR). We previously reported that StAR mRNA levels and promoter–reporter gene activity in transiently transfected H295R human adrenocortical cells were stimulated by Ang II and the goals for the current study were to identify signaling pathways activated by Ang II that contribute to StAR transcriptional activation. Using StAR promoter–reporter gene activity and pharmacological inhibition of signaling pathways, we have shown that Ang II‐stimulated StAR transcription in H295R cells is dependent upon both influx of external Ca2 + and tyrosine kinase signaling and is enhanced by protein kinase C and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (ERK1/2) activation. In particular, Janus tyrosine kinase‐2 (Jak2) activation was increased with Ang‐II treatment of H295R cells and the select Jak2 inhibitor, AG490, blocked Ang II‐dependent Jak2 activation, StAR ...
Optical properties of TiO2–SiO2 glass over a wide spectral range

Optical properties of vitreous SiO{sub 2} with 7.4 wt.% TiO{sub 2} are found by dispersion analysis of reflectivity measured in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet augmented with literature values of vacuum-ultraviolet reflectivity and absorption. The principal infrared absorption associated with the titanium dopant occurs at 950 cm{sup -1} in a deep minimum of the host silica absorption. We attribute this to a perturbation of the silica's absorption at 1076 cm{sup -1} involving oxygen atoms bridging SiO{sub 4} and TiO{sub 4} tetrahedra. Strong ultraviolet absorptions of Ti{sup 4+} occur just below the silica exciton peak between 5.5 and 7.8 eV. We attribute these to charge-transfer transitions at TiO{sub 4} tetrahedra; i.e., bound excitons consisting of a Ti{sup 3+} ion and a hole shared by four oxygen neighbours.
Hierarchical scheduling and allocation of multirate systems on heterogeneous multiprocessors

This paper describes new algorithms for system-level software synthesis, namely the scheduling and allocation of a set of complex tasks running at multiple rates on a heterogeneous multiprocessor. The tasks may have precedence constraints within them. The multiprocessor may be composed of both programmable and fixed-function processing elements and may have arbitrary interconnect topology. Our hierarchical algorithm takes advantage of the hierarchical structure of the system's task graph to hierarchically allocate and schedule processes on the multiprocessor to meet the hard real-time constraints on the tasks. Multimedia is an important application of our algorithm.
Third generation photovoltaics

We review recent progress towards increasing solar cell efficiencies beyond the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Four main approaches are highlighted: multi-junction cells, intermediate-band cells, hot carrier cells and spectrum conversion. Multi-junction cells use multiple solar cells that selectively absorb different regions of the solar spectrum. Intermediate-band cells use one junction with multiple bandgaps to increase efficiencies. Hot-carrier cells convert the excess energy of above-bandgap photons into electrical energy. Spectrum conversion solar cells convert the incoming polychromatic sunlight into a narrower distribution of photons suited to the bandgap of the solar cell.
The effects of long-term interferon-beta-1b treatment on cognitive functioning in multiple sclerosis: a 16-year longitudinal study.

Background:Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease of the central nervous system that affects cognition. Short-term treatment with interferon-beta-1b (IFN-b-1b) has been shown to have beneficial effects on cognition.Objective:The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effects of IFN-b-1b on cognitive functioning in patients with MS over the course of 16 years.Methods:Sixteen subjects with relapsing–remitting MS participated in the study. Nine of these subjects received IFN-b-1b, while seven received placebo treatment in the pivotal MS trial. After five years, all subjects were switched to IFN-b-1b treatment. At two and four years into the study, all subjects underwent a brief neuropsychological test battery, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and neurologic ratings; measures were repeated at 16 years.Results:Across the total cohort, cognitive functioning remained relatively stable over the course of 16 years. The placebo/IFN-b-b group exhibited increased visual memory performance relative to t...
Functional Expression of a Fungal Laccase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Directed Evolution

Laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila (MtL) was expressed in functional form in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Directed evolution improved expression eightfold to the highest yet reported for a laccase in yeast (18 mg/liter). Together with a 22-fold increase in k(cat), the total activity was enhanced 170-fold. Specific activities of MtL mutants toward 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and syringaldazine indicate that substrate specificity was not changed by the introduced mutations. The most effective mutation (10-fold increase in total activity) introduced a Kex2 protease recognition site at the C-terminal processing site of the protein, adjusting the protein sequence to the different protease specificities of the heterologous host. The C terminus is shown to be important for laccase activity, since removing it by a truncation of the gene reduces activity sixfold. Mutations accumulated during nine generations of evolution for higher activity decreased enzyme stability. Screening for improved stability in one generation produced a mutant more stable than the heterologous wild type and retaining the improved activity. The molecular mass of MtL expressed in S. cerevisiae is 30% higher than that of the same enzyme expressed in M. thermophila (110 kDa versus 85 kDa). Hyperglycosylation, corresponding to a 120-monomer glycan on one N-glycosylation site, is responsible for this increase. This S. cerevisiae expression system makes MtL available for functional tailoring by directed evolution.
High-voltage SiC and GaN power devices

Wide bandgap semiconductors, particularly SiC and GaN, have recently attracted much attention for power electronics applications because they are projected to have more than 100 times better performance than silicon. In this paper, we review the recent progress in SiC and GaN high-voltage power switching device demonstrations.