cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strategies for Overcoming Linguistic Genocide: How to Avoid Macroaggressions and Microaggressions that Lead Toward Indigenous Language Annihilation

Family settings that value indigenous languages, cultures, and identities are ideal for language preservation for future generations. Government policies and education reform efforts are also helpful in indigenous language preservation efforts. Some government initiatives make every effort to preserve indigenous languages. In other contexts, there are intentional local and national efforts to annihilate indigenous languages. Regardless of the circumstance—intentional or unintentional—many indigenous languages worldwide are threatened with extinction or a linguistic and cultural genocide. This chapter outlines the vicious cycle role that microaggressions and macroaggressions play in perpetuating indigenous language stigma that in many ways leads to diminishing, devaluing, and eliminating indigenous languages. This vicious cycle is unfortunately irreversible in many instances; in others, there is still hope. Four strategies are introduced to avoid linguistic genocide: (1) parental involvement, (2) indigenous peoples involvement, (3) governments should play a leading role, and (4) leverage advances in technology to best meet the needs of language learners. Parents and indigenous peoples are essential in sustained indigenous language acquisition and preservation. Governments also play an important role in establishing and implementing policies that help support language acquisition and eliminate scenarios for micro- and/or macroaggressions. Finally, with current and undoubtedly future advances in technology, languages can be made accessible to learners of all ages, whether in the formal education system or in nonformal, business, and other settings.
Scaffolding Strategies For Integrating Engineering Design and Scientific Inquiry in Project-Based Learning Environments

Project- and Problem-Based Learning are instructional methods that, although not identical, have been used to support learning skills in scientific inquiry and concepts in science, engineering and technology via the investigation of questions, solving of problems, and completion of projects that can sometimes involve design challenges. This chapter describes some of the unique capabilities related to using design tasks in project-based learning environments, and some challenges and controversies associated with using these approaches in K-16 classrooms. One controversy involves a dilemma of teaching (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) that educators face when implementing project-based tasks: when to use direct instruction and when to opt for constructivist approaches.
Galileo and the Methods of Science

There are many reasons why the work of Galileo has been of such great and enduring interest to philosophers and historians. The first, surely, is the drama of the conflict over the religious condemnations of his scientific work. We are often more smug about this issue today than recent events justify, although such conflicts arise most frequently with civil authorities, since religious institutions today have little direct temporal power. And, in all honesty one must admit that, occasionally, conflicts of this character occur even within the academy itself. But that is not the issue I wish to pursue here.
Investigation of Female Firefighter Fit and Ergonomics in Structural Turnout Suits

Despite the growing number of women in firefighting, structural turnout suits are predominately designed to fit the male human form. 80% of female firefighters experience issues with ill-fitting garments. Improper fitting turnout suits may lead to restricted range-of-motion (ROM) when performing critical tasks. The purpose of this research was to assess issues of improper fit and garment design for female firefighters when wearing a structural turnout ensemble. Local firefighters, six female and six male, were recruited to complete a user needs survey and to be body scanned in three garment configurations: base layers (BL), turnout suit (TS), and turnout ensemble (TE). Each subject conducted an ergonomic protocol while wearing all garment configurations. Data from the survey, body scanning, and ergonomic wear trial was analyzed by gender to determine fit differences between male and female firefighters. Results demonstrated the additional fit issues female firefighters face compared to their male counterparts.
Effect of Sedentary Lifestyle on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Healthy Adults With Body Mass Indexes 18.5 to 29.9 kg/m2.

A substantial proportion of adults at healthy body mass index (BMI) are potentially at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this study is to determine if sedentary lifestyle characteristics in healthy weight adults increase their likelihood of being at high CVD risk to that of individuals who are overweight. Adults aged 40 to 79 years in the 2011 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey at a healthy BMI (18.5 to 24.9) and overweight BMI (25 to 29.9; unweighted n = 4,572; weighted n = 43,919,354) were analyzed. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association atherosclerotic CVD risk score was used to assess CVD risk. For individuals with a BMI 18.5 to 24.9, 29.6% had increased risk of a CVD event. In logistic regressions adjusted for age, race, gender, education, poverty/income ratio, insurance status, and number of visits to a healthcare provider in the past year, individuals with unhealthy sagittal abdominal diameter (odds ratio [OR] 2.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 6.14), shortness of breath upon exertion (OR 1.35; 95% CI, 0.65 to 2.79), unhealthy waist circumference (OR 0.99; 95% CI, 0.60 to 1.61), and less than recommended levels of physical activity (OR 0.73; 95% CI, 0.43 to 1.23) were not significantly different than overweight adults in being at high risk for CVD events. Individuals with healthy characteristics and a BMI 18.5 to 24.9 were significantly less likely than overweight adults to be at high risk for CVD. In conclusion, the findings suggest that in individuals at a BMI 18.5 to 24.9, characteristics of a sedentary lifestyle increase the likelihood of being at high risk for CVD to that of overweight individuals.
Mucin-Containing Rectal Carcinomas: Overview of Unique Clinical and Imaging Features.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to review the unique clinical and imaging features of mucin-containing rectal carcinomas. CONCLUSION. Mucinous rectal carcinoma is an uncommon tumor subtype ...
Experimental Analysis of Spatial Sound for Storytelling in Virtual Reality

Spatial sound is useful in enhancing immersion and presence of the user in a virtual world. The spatial audio design allows the game designer to place audio cues that appropriately match with the visual cues in a virtual game environment. These localized audio cues placed in a story based game environment also help to evoke an emotional response from the user and construct the narrative of the game by directing the user’s attention towards the guiding action events in the game. Our paper explores the usefulness of spatial sound for improving the performance and experience of a user in a virtual game environment. Additionally, with the help of the relevant subjective and objective inferences collected from a user study conducted on three different test cases, the paper also analyzes and establishes the potential of spatial sound as a powerful storytelling tool in a virtual game environment designed for Virtual Reality.
The feasibility of contrast echocardiography in the assessment of right ventricular size and function.

BACKGROUND Right ventricle (RV) evaluation requires dedicated imaging to achieve a comprehensive functional and anatomical assessment. Right ventricular imaging could be technically difficult which results in suboptimal visibility and inconsistent assessment between observers. The aim of this study was to assess feasibility and the additive value of contrast enhancement for right ventricular evaluation. METHODS Eighty patients referred for clinically indicated echocardiography studies were included. Patients with irregular rhythms were excluded. Dedicated RV-focused view was attained; RV dimensions measured, and RV segment visualization and wall motion were assessed with and without contrast enhancement. Paired sample t test was used to compare continuous variables, Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare segments visualization on enhanced versus (vs) nonenhanced images, and Cohen kappa coefficient to assess the agreement of wall motion between two observers. Reproducibility was measured by the absolute mean difference method. RESULTS A total of 240 total segments of 80 patients were analyzed, and 178 (74%) were visible on unenhanced while 221 (92%) on enhanced images, P < .05. Further, RV measurements on enhanced images were consistently larger on RV focused, SAX, and RVOT. Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility showed a higher reproducibility with a lower bias on enhanced images. Absolute agreement on RV segmental wall motion between two independent observers was higher on enhanced images. Percent agreement was 78% on UE vs 89% on CE. CONCLUSION Contrast RV imaging is feasible and improves RV segment visualization and inter-observer agreement. Compared with unenhanced images, RV measurements on contrast images are larger and more reproducible with lower bias.
Automated Segmentation of Thyroid Nodule, Gland, and Cystic Components From Ultrasound Images Using Deep Learning

Sonographic features associated with margins, shape, size, and volume of thyroid nodules are used to assess their risk of malignancy. Automatically segmenting nodules from normal thyroid gland would enable an automated estimation of these features. A novel multi-output convolutional neural network algorithm with dilated convolutional layers is presented to segment thyroid nodules, cystic components inside the nodules, and normal thyroid gland from clinical ultrasound B-mode scans. A prospective study was conducted, collecting data from 234 patients undergoing a thyroid ultrasound exam before biopsy. The training and validation sets encompassed 188 patients total; the testing set consisted of 48 patients. The algorithm effectively segmented thyroid anatomy into nodules, normal gland, and cystic components. The algorithm achieved a mean Dice coefficient of 0.76, a mean true positive fraction of 0.90, and a mean false positive fraction of $1.61\times 10^{-6}$ . The values are on par with a conventional seeded algorithm. The proposed algorithm eliminates the need for a seed in the segmentation process, thus automatically detecting and segmenting the thyroid nodules and cystic components. The detection rate for thyroid nodules and cystic components was 82% and 44%, respectively. The inference time per image, per fold was 107ms. The mean error in volume estimation of thyroid nodules for five select cases was 7.47%. The algorithm can be used for detection, segmentation, size estimation, volume estimation, and generating thyroid maps for thyroid nodules. The algorithm has applications in point of care, mobile health monitoring, improving workflow, reducing localization time, and assisting sonographers with limited expertise.
Pancreas transplants from small donors: are the outcomes acceptable? A retrospective study.

Despite good organ quality, pancreata from extremely small pediatric donors ( 30 kg donors (≤30 kg: 96.8%, 86.8%, and 78.1% vs. >30 kg: 96.8%, 89.5%, and 79.1%, P = 0.5). Pancreas graft survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was also similar, ≤30 kg: 93.9%, 73.2%, and 61.0% vs. >30 kg: 87%, 73.3%, and 58.3% (P = 0.7). This graft survival pattern was also seen when comparing pancreata from ≤20 kg donors to those from >20 to 30 kg. Cause of graft loss, and metabolic and physiologic outcomes did not differ between the groups. After assessing the impact of donor weight as a continuous variable and calculating recipient-to-donor weight ratio (RDWR), we observed no effect of donor weight on patient and graft outcomes.
Current Treatment Options for Catheter-Based Pulmonary Valve Replacement in Children

For decades, surgical replacement of the pulmonary valve has been the gold standard. The last 10 years have seen significant progress in improvement in the technology and techniques around percutaneous pulmonary valve Percutaneous pulmonary valve replacement (PPVR). This has allowed us to expand the range of patients who can be treated with percutaneous techniques. This review serves as an update for referring cardiologists. Several studies have demonstrated similar clinical outcomes comparing surgical and percutaneous valve replacement, noting the decreased recovery time and morbidity after PPVR. Along with the overall periprocedural advantages of PPVR, newer devices now allow pulmonary valve replacement in patients with surgically placed conduits and in patients with dilated native right ventricular outflow tracts (RVOT). PPVR is now also performed in smaller patients thanks to newly available techniques and technology. Imaging technology to guide these procedures has also evolved allowing such complex interventions to be performed with minimal radiation and contrast use in the catheterization laboratory. knowledge of technological advancements in PPVR will allow referring cardiologists and patients to make informed decisions about pulmonary valve replacement in each individual case. Technology will continue to evolve and hopefully provide many more surgical and percutaneous options to care for the congenital heart disease population.
Combing the same beach: Analytic eclecticism and the challenge of theoretical multilingualism:

Sil and Katzenstein present analytic eclecticism as a pragmatic, problem-driven, policy-oriented heuristic, posed against the paradigmatism and parsimony inhibiting the study of world politics. I a...
Towards Semantically Guided Traceability

In many regulated domains, traceability is established across diverse artifacts such as requirements, design, code, test cases, and hazards – either manually or with the help of supporting tools, and the resulting trace links are used to support activities such as impact analysis, compliance verification, and safety inspections. Automated tracing techniques need to leverage the semantics of underlying artifacts in order to establish more accurate trace links and to provide explanations of links that have been created in either a manual or automated fashion. To support this, we propose an automated technique which leverages source code, project artifacts and an external domain corpus to generate a domain-specific concept model. We then use the generated concept model to improve traceability results and to provide explanations of the results. Our approach overcomes existing problems with deep-learning traceability algorithms, as it does not require a training set of existing trace links. Finally, as an initial proof-of-concept, we apply our semantically-guided approach to the Dronology project, and show that it improves over other tracing techniques that do not use a concept model.
Just weeds? Comparing assessed and perceived biodiversity of urban spontaneous vegetation in informal greenspaces in the context of two American legacy cities

Abstract Legacy cities are increasingly understood as drivers of various informal landscape patterns and processes which arise from the conditions of economic contraction and neglect. This study finds that the presence of urban spontaneous vegetation (USV) contributes to the biodiversity of informal urban greenspaces (IGS) in two American legacy cities—Detroit and Flint, Michigan. A mixed-method research design was used to compare quantitative measures of in-situ biodiversity (Simpson’s Index), to perceptual measures of biodiversity and landscape preference using an online survey (N = 53). Results of a linear mixed model analysis show a statistically significant (p
Echocardiographic versus Angiographic Measurement of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants and the Utility of Echo Guidance for Transcatheter Closure.

Background Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is increasingly utilized for guiding transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. The objectives of this study were to compare PDA size measurements by TTE with angiographic measurements and to describe TTE techniques used in guiding transcatheter PDA closure (TCPC) in ELBW infants. Methods One hundred twenty-five consecutive ELBW infants (gestational age Results The procedure weight was 600-1,460 g. The TTE and angiographic PDA diameters were comparable (mean ED1 vs CD1 = 4.5 ± 0.68 vs 4.4 ± 0.85 mm, P = .26; and mean ED2 vs CD2 = 3.1 ± 0.72 vs 3.2 ± 0.94 mm, P = .14). The angiographic length was underestimated by EL1 by 2.6 ± 1.6 mm (P Conclusions Transthoracic echocardiography guidance during TCPC in ELBW infants eliminates the need for aortograms via femoral arterial access, preventing the complications associated with it. Transthoracic echocardiography PDA measurements are comparable to angiographic measurements, thereby assisting in appropriate device size selection.
A deep exon cryptic splice site promotes aberrant intron retention in a von Willebrand disease patient

A translationally silent single nucleotide mutation, in exon 44 of the von Willebrand factor (VWF) gene, is associated with inefficient removal of intron 44 in a von Willebrand disease (VWD) patient. This intron retention (IR) event was previously attributed to altered secondary structure that sequesters the normal splice donor site. We propose an alternative mechanism: that the mutation introduces a cryptic splice donor site that interferes with function of the annotated site to favor IR. We evaluated both models using minigene splicing reporters engineered to vary in secondary structure and/or cryptic splice site content. Analysis of reporter splicing efficiency in transfected K562 cells suggested that the mutation-generated internal splice site was sufficient to induce substantial IR. Mutations predicted to vary secondary structure at the annotated site had modest effects on IR, and also shifted the balance of residual splicing between the cryptic site and annotated site, supporting competition between the sites. Further studies demonstrated that introduction of cryptic splice donor motifs at other positions in E44 did not promote IR, indicating that interference with the annotated site is context-dependent. We conclude that mutant deep exon splice sites can interfere with proper splicing by inducing IR.
Interfacing heterogeneous structured FDTD mesh components

A new approach to combine heterogeneous, structured FDTD mesh components with different orientations and discretization sizes is discussed. In order to alleviate the aliasing problem at the mesh interfaces, we use both analytical interpolators and analytical filters at overlapped subdomains. We show that improvements of around 20 dB can be obtained by analytical filters that are good approximations to an ideal low-pass filter. Furthermore, in order to alleviate numerical impedance mismatches, a phase compensation method can be used. In this way, spurious reflections at the mesh interfaces can be reduced by 5 to 20 dB, for the discretization scales considered.
Results of surgical treatment of atrial septal defects. Particular consideration of low defects including ostium primum and atrioventricular canal.

Abstract Repair of defects in the interatrial septum was performed in 191 patients, using the pump oxygenator for temporary cardiopulmonary bypass. Results of operation were related to the nature of the defect and the extent of the cardiac impairment. In uncomplicated cases of septum secundum defects, the risk of surgery was nil and results of closure excellent. In a consecutive series of 110 patients under twentyfive years of age, no deaths occurred. Repair of ostium primum defects with cleft mitral valve was performed in twenty-nine patients, with a 13 per cent mortality. Long-term results were highly favorable and indicate complete repair of this defect. Results in surgical treatment of a complete A-V canal were the least favorable. Congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, right-to-left intracardiac shunts, extremes of age and the nature of the anomaly determine risk of operation.
Understanding the Role of Metal Ions in RNA Folding and Function: Lessons from RNase P, a Ribonucleoprotein Enzyme

There is a large and rapidly growing literature relating RNA function to metal ion identity and concentration; however, due to the complexity and large number of interactions it remains a significant experimental challenge to tie the interactions of individual ions to specific aspects of RNA function. Investigation of the ribonculeopro- tein enzyme RNase P function has assisted in defining characteristics of RNA-metal ion interactions and provided a useful model system for understanding RNA catalysis and ribonucleoprotein assembly. The goal of this chapter is to review progress in under- standing the physical basis of functional metal ion interactions with P RNA and relate this progress to the development of our understanding of RNA metal ion interactions in general. The research results reviewed here encompass: (1) Determination of the contribution of divalent metal ion binding to specific aspects of enzyme function, (2) Identification of individual metal ion binding sites in P RNA and their contribution to function, and (3) The effect of protein binding on RNA-metal ion affinity.
The Evolution of Property Rights: A Synthetic Overview

In this paper I review, extend, and critique two contrasting approaches to the evolution of property rights. The legal literature on the subject is dominated by a conventional approach, which holds a virtual monopoly despite its many shortcomings, and the literature neglects an alternative approach, despite its many virtues (including, but not limited to, the virtue of responding to many of the conventional approach's deficiencies). The paper provides an overview of both approaches, including a brief intellectual history of each - and should thus inform readers without specialized knowledge of the subject but nevertheless interested in it - and aims among other things to make the alternative approach salient, in particular because an integrated treatment that draws on a combination of the two approaches does more explanatory work than can either approach on its own.
Semiautomatic Tracking of Neuronal Processes

As the morphological sciences become more quantitative and experimental, and as more subtle phenomena are explored, the development of appropriate tools becomes important to the production of quantitative data in volume. The need for quantitative morphological data has long been recognized, and quantitative study of the nervous system was emphasized over 50 years ago by S. T. Bok, whose early work is represented in a more recent volume (Bok, 1959) and developed further by Sholl (1956) in studies of the nervous system, especially dendrites. These early efforts were, however, hampered by the lack of appropriate tools and the tedious nature of the manual data-collection procedures. As a result, many early studies dealt with relatively small numbers of measures. Some consequences of this limited data base include statistical imprecision and erroneous conclusions. As a step toward overcoming these limitations, the need for automated techniques in the morphological sciences was coupled to developing electronic technology over 20 years ago by J. Z. Young in his work with Causley on the flying-spot scanner (Causley and Young, 1955). Other early flying-spot scanners and related devices were described by Friesen (1965), Lorch (1967), Mansberg and Segarra (1962), Tolles and Mansberg (1962), Kirsch et al (1957), Ledley (1964), and others. More recent dendrite measurement equipment has been described by Wann et al. (1973), Lindsay (1971), and Garvey et al (1972,1973).
Future earth observing satellites

Presents a revolutionary and advanced satellite imaging concept that could, hopefully, dramatically impact the development of satellite technology in the next 20 to 40 years. The proposed "intelligent" satellite system is a space-based architecture for the dynamic and comprehensive on-board integration of Earth observing sensors, data processors and communication systems to enable simultaneous, global measurement and timely analysis of the Earth's environment for real-time, mobile and common users. The proposed architectures form a seamless integration of diverse components into a smart, adaptable, and robust Earth observation satellite system.
Experiences with Specification-Based Intrusion Detection

Specification-based intrusion detection, where manually specified program behavioral specifications are used as a basis to detect attacks, have been proposed as a promising alternative that combine the strengths of misuse detection (accurate detection of known attacks) and anomaly detection (ability to detect novel attacks). However, the question of whether this promise can be realized in practice has remained open. We answer this question in this paper, based on our experience in building a specification-based intrusion detection system and experimenting with it. Our experiments included the 1999 DARPA/AFRL online evaluation, as well as experiments conducted using 1999 DARPA/ Lincoln Labs offline evaluation data. These experiments show that an effective specification-based IDS can be developed with modest efforts. They also show that the specification-based techniques live up to their promise of detecting known as well as unknown attacks, while maintaining a very low rate of false positives.
Do the Oldest Old Grow Old More Slowly

Although mortality rates rise exponentially through most of the adult age range in humans and many other species, it is well documented that this increase in the risk of death tends to decelerate among the oldest old. Thus, if aging is measured by the increase in mortality, it appears that the oldest old grow old more slowly. Or do they? A popular alternative hypothesis is that heterogeneity in frailty yields aggregate patterns that misrepresent age-related changes in mortality risks at the individual level. In this paper, we review arguments and evidence about the causes of mortality deceleration at older ages. We also distinguish between two fundamentally different models of heterogeneity (regarding variations in either the level or the slope of individual mortality curves), which yield opposite answers to the question posed in the title of this paper. Finally, we discuss epistemological issues affecting current explanations of mortality deceleration, including the impossibility of distinguishing conclusively between major competing hypotheses on the basis of mortality data alone.
Demographic Changes Drive Woody Plant Cover Trends—An Example from the Great Plains☆

Woody plant encroachment—the conversion of grasslands to woodlands—continues to transform rangelands worldwide, yet its causes and consequences remain poorly understood. Despite this being a coupled human–ecological phenomenon, research to date has tended toward ecological aspects of the issue. In this paper, we provide new insight into the long-term relationships between human demographics and woody plant cover at the landscape scale. We used time-series aerial imagery and historical census data to quantify changes in population, land ownership patterns, and woody cover between 1937 and 2012 in three different settings in central Texas, USA. Woody cover closely paralleled population in a semi-urban watershed (R2 = 0.81) and two separate clusters of rural watersheds (R2 = 0.88 and 0.93), despite exhibiting very different directional trends over time in each setting. Woody cover also closely tracked average farm size in each rural watershed cluster (R2 = 0.57 and 0.90). These results highlight a tight coupling between demographic trends and the extent of woody plant cover. Such human factors may explain a great deal of woody plant cover patterns in other global rangeland systems with similar historical contexts and serve as a predictive proxy of landscape trends. Accordingly, policy recommendations should consider these demographic factors, and future woody plant encroachment research should explicitly include human dimensions.
Phonetic priming, neighborhood activation, and PARSYN

Perceptual identification of spoken words in noise is less accurate when the target words are preceded by spoken phonetically related primes (Goldinger, Luce, & Pisoni, 1989). The present investigation replicated and extended this finding. Subjects shadowed target words presented in the clear that were preceded by phonetically related or unrelated primes. In addition, primes were either higher or lower in frequency than the target words. Shadowing latencies were significantly longer for target words preceded by phonetically related primes, but only when the prime-target interstimulus interval was short (50 vs. 500 msec). These results demonstrate that phonetic priming does not depend on target degradation and that it affects processing time. We further demonstrated that PARSYN—a connectionist instantiation of the neighborhood activation model—accurately simulates the observed pattern of priming.
STUDIES ON NUCLEI USING CORRELATED CYTOCHEMICAL, LIGHT, AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPE TECHNIQUES

In this paper, a procedure for correlating electron microscope and light microscope cytochemical studies using immediately adjacent serial thin and thick sections has been described and discussed. This technique, combined with the Feulgen reaction for DNA, has been of particular value in framing and answering both general and specific questions about the nucleus. The results may be summarized as follows:— Apparent nuclear homogeneity in the electron microscope is not due to loss of DNA as evidenced by positive Feulgen reactions in such nuclei. Arrangement of Feulgen-positive material in chromosomes, heterochromatin, perinuclear and perinucleolar chromatin, etc., is similar to that customarily observed in the light microscope but this is not necessarily reflected in a cursory survey of the electron image. Careful comparison of light and electron images shows that fine differences in structure are associated with chromatin localization. Primary spermatocyte prophase chromosomes of crayfish have been positively identified by their Feulgen-positive nature. Core-like axial structures in such chromosomes have been observed (9) and are described further. A remarkable feature of spermiogenesis in the crayfish is an elaboration of the nuclear envelope of the spermatid accompanying the formation of what becomes a mass of convoluted membranes in the sperm. In the spermatid, perinuclear chromatin follows outpocketings of the nuclear envelope into the cytoplasm. In the early sperm, on the other hand, although the nuclear envelope is continuous with the system of convoluted membranes, the chromatin is distinct from it and is retained in the nucleus proper by some mechanism independent of the nuclear envelope. None of the above observations was apparent from the electron microscope images alone; they were possible only by virtue of the correlated cytochemical and electron microscope study of adjacent sections. The successful use of other cytochemical tests, such as the PAS reaction for certain carbohydrates, in such correlated studies is also described.
A need for reevaluation of sports participation recommendations for children with a solitary kidney.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We sought to evaluate the incidence and outcome of blunt renal injury in children by mechanism of injury. These data could then be used to provide the basis for more rational recommendations to parents and physicians regarding participation in sporting activities.Materials and Methods: We analyzed data on 49,651 pediatric trauma cases collected by 92 trauma centers as part of the National Pediatric Trauma Registry from 1995 to 2001. Cases involving renal injury were isolated and the data were stratified according to age, sex and injury, as well as procedures required for treatment and outcomes.Results: Of 49,651 pediatric trauma patients 813 incurred renal injury. There were 516 males and 291 females, and sex was not documented in 6 children. Average age was 10.6 years. There were no reports of a solitary kidney. In the sports group there were 4 nephrectomies, which were associated with sledding (2), skiing (1) and rollerblading (1), and 2 deaths related to skiing (1) and jet skiing (1). ...
Recombinant Glucocerebrosidase (Imiglucerase) as a Therapy for Gaucher Disease

Imiglucerase is a recombinant formulation of human glucocerebrosidase, which is administered to patients with Gaucher disease (GD) as enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Imiglucerase is generated from transduced Chinese hamster ovary cells, and modified by sequential deglycosylation of its carbohydrate side chains to expose alpha-mannosyl residues that mediate the uptake of the intravenously infused enzyme. The majority of patients initiate therapy on a fortnightly basis, using imiglucerase doses ranging from 30 to 60 U/kg bodyweight per infusion. Treatment has been shown to either stabilize or reverse several features of GD resulting from hematologic, visceral, and skeletal involvement. The treatment is well tolerated, and infusion-related adverse events such as pruritus and hives, observed primarily in patients who have developed antibodies to the exogenous enzyme, are readily managed. These findings have made ERT the standard of care for patients with GD type 1 (the non-neuronopathic form). Imiglucerase is also given to a majority of GD type 3 patients, as a means of assuaging their systemic problems. However, ERT has not been shown to eliminate the neurologic problems that these patients ultimately experience. Currently, two different enzyme formulations are in clinical trials. In addition, alternative therapeutic options are being explored as a substitute or complementary approach to ERT in the management of GD patients. The latter medications are oral agents that act to reduce substrate load either by inhibiting its synthesis or enhancing the residual activity of the endogenous mutant enzyme. Ongoing investigations are providing new insights into downstream mechanisms of disease, which may serve as further targets for adjunctive treatments. Cost of care considerations remain a topic of debate.
Diversity of Fusiform Microchlorophyte Algae from Itasca State Park, Minnesota

Through the use of molecular techniques, several different types of fusiform and twisted-fusiform microchlorophyte algae (Monoraphidium, Ankistrodesmus, etc.) have been characterized from samples taken from lakes and ponds of Itasca State Park, MN. PCR–RFLP analysis of 18S ribosomal RNA genes was used to categorize 29 different isolates from the Itasca State Park lakes into nine different types. The 18S ribosomal DNA sequences were determined for one isolate from each type for phylogenetic analysis. Light microscopy was used so that morphological characteristics as well as molecular characteristics can be compared and contrasted. The morphological characteristics were consistent for each PCR–RFLP type. Further discussion will include comparisons of the distribution and diversity of these organisms from Itasca State Park to those from Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, ND.
An inverse performance pattern in a discrimination based on differential magnitudes of reward

In a black-white successive discrimination, rats received a large reward (500 mg) in one alley, and a smaller reward (250 mg) in an alley of a different brightness. Results indicated nondifferential responding in the start segment, but superior performance to the stimulus associated with the smaller reward in the running and goal measures.
Hydraulic Conductivity Limited Equilibration: Effect on Water Retention Characteristics

The effects of the percolation phase transition on equilibration of porous media during drainage are shown to set on at moisture contents, θ, somewhat larger than the critical moisture content for percolation, θ t . An algorithm is developed, which yields the typical upward curvature of log[ h (θ)] curves at low moisture contents, where h is the hydraulic head, as well as a flattening of the curve of log[ K ( h )] for large h , where K is the hydraulic conductivity. Within certain approximations the procedure can be validated through solution of the associated differential equation. The procedure was tested against seven drainage curves from the USDOE Hanford site and found to be predictive. However, theoretical questions remain regarding, among other things, the implicit assumption that the interfacial tension measured is an equilibrium value, even though the moisture content is not. The motivation of the present research is to reduce ambiguities in the interpretation of dry-end pressure–saturation curves.
Exact expressions for radiative transfer in a three-dimensional rectangular geometry☆

Abstract The equations for the source function, flux, and scattered intensity normal to the surface are formulated in cartesian coordinates for a 3-D rectangular absorbing, emitting, isotropically scattering medium exposed to both diffuse and collimated radiation. Simplifications of these equations for certain important geometries and uniform loading are presented. Also, superposition of these equations and radiative equilibrium are discussed. For pure scattering, the source function at the center of the square and cubic geometries is analytically determined for the diffuse boundary condition. The generalized 3-D equations are shown to reduce to the familiar 1-D results. Also, the equations for a strongly anisotropic phase function which is made up of a spike in the forward direction superimposed on an otherwise isotropic phase function are expressed in terms of the isotropic expressions.
Rational Design of Surface Modified Nanoparticles for Modulation of Amyloid Beta Aggregation

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating disease that is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. It is the only disease that is in the top ten most lethal that currently has no known cure. One of the hallmarks of AD is the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates in the brains of those afflicted. Current understanding of the etiology of AD points to general disruption of the aggregation pathway as a promising strategy for a potential cure.Surface modified nanoparticles have demonstrated striking effectiveness as inhibitors of Aβ aggregation. We have observed inhibition of Aβ aggregation by polyacrylic acid-coated gold nanospheres at substoichiometric ratios as low as 1:2,000,000. Nanoparticles coated with weak polyelectrolytes can produce significant local effects on pH of which Aβ aggregation is highly dependent. It is through this mechanism that we propose that these nanospheres can inhibit with such potency. A molecular theory has been developed in which intramolecular interactions are treated exactly and intermolecular interactions are treated within a mean-field approximation. The theory also accounts for the effects of curvature in the system present on the molecular scale with very good agreement with experimental data.When tethered to a surface, weak polyelectrolytes confine electric charge. To mitigate the resulting energetically unfavorable electrostatic repulsions, the polymer layer of polyacrylic-acid coated nanospheres will recruit hydronium ions in weakly ionic aqueous solutions, locally lowering the pH. When the same conditions are used to parameterize the theoretical model as were used in experiment, the resulting sphere of lowered pH is pervasive enough to cause the observed abrogation of Aβ aggregation. Together, surface modified nanoparticles with this robust and accurate molecular model represent a powerful platform to engineer nanotechologies to modulate Aβ aggregation.
The impact of microRNAs on protein output

MicroRNAs are endogenous ∼23-nucleotide RNAs that can pair to sites in the messenger RNAs of protein-coding genes to downregulate the expression from these messages. MicroRNAs are known to influence the evolution and stability of many mRNAs, but their global impact on protein output had not been examined. Here we use quantitative mass spectrometry to measure the response of thousands of proteins after introducing microRNAs into cultured cells and after deleting mir-223 in mouse neutrophils. The identities of the responsive proteins indicate that targeting is primarily through seed-matched sites located within favourable predicted contexts in 3′ untranslated regions. Hundreds of genes were directly repressed, albeit each to a modest degree, by individual microRNAs. Although some targets were repressed without detectable changes in mRNA levels, those translationally repressed by more than a third also displayed detectable mRNA destabilization, and, for the more highly repressed targets, mRNA destabilization usually comprised the major component of repression. The impact of microRNAs on the proteome indicated that for most interactions microRNAs act as rheostats to make fine-scale adjustments to protein output. MicroRNAs can regulate gene expression by either inhibiting translation of a messenger RNA, or inducing its degradation. While previous studies have measured regulation at the mRNA level, it was unknown how much regulation occurred at the protein level. Now two groups led by David Bartel and Nikolaus Rajewsky have used variants of the technique known as SILAC (stable isotope labelling with amino acids in cell culture) to measure proteome-wide changes in protein level as a function of expression of endogenous and exogenous microRNAs. They find that while microRNAs can directly repress the translation of hundreds of genes, additional indirect effects result in changes in expression of thousands of genes. Many of the changes observed are less than twofold in magnitude, however, indicating either directly or indirectly, microRNAs can act as rheostats to fine-tune protein synthesis to match the needs of the cell at any given time. In one of two studies, a technique known as SILAC is used to measure, on a large scale, changes in protein level as a function of expression of endogenous and exogenous miRNAs. It is found that although miRNAs directly repress the translation of hundreds of genes, additional indirect effects result in changes in expression of thousands of genes.
The function of the middle ear in lizards: Eumeces and Mabuya (Scincidae)

The structure of the middle ear and its performance in the reception of sounds are considered in four species among the Scincidae. By use of the alternating potentials of the cochlea the sensitivity to sounds of various frequencies was measured under normal conditions and after certain alterations of the conductive mechanism designed to reveal its operation. By excluding the major part of this mechanism and applying aerial sounds through a tube sealed over the oval window, an assessment was made of the enhancement of sensitivity ordinarily provided by the mechanism acting as a mechanical transformer. Further analysis of the action of the conductive mechanism was carried out by stimulation with mechanical vibrations applied to the system in dif ferent ways. An increase in the effective force of sound vibrations acting on the cochlear elements, which is required in the middle ear's operation as an impedance transformer, appears to be achieved by a combination of two mechanical processes, a lever action in the ossicular chain and a form of hydraulic ampli fication through the difference in areas between tympanic membrane and stapedial footplate. The improvement of sensitivity in the action of the middle ear was found to be highly significant in amount in all specimens. This amount varied some what with species and among individual ears, but averaged 37.8 db. This average compares closely with the results of previous experiments on Iguanidae and Gekkonoidea, and is of the same order of magnitude as corresponding mea surements made on mammalian ears.
Does Contraceptive Use Always Reduce Breast-feeding?

Previous studies suggest that access to modern contraceptives can reduce breast-feeding rates because women who had been using breast-feeding to avoid pregnancy substitute away from it. This article shows that contraceptive use can also have a positive effect on breast-feeding. A mother often weans a child if she becomes pregnant again, which can occur sooner than desired if she lacks access to contraceptives. Thus, by enabling longer birth spacing and preventing unwanted pregnancies, contraceptive use allows for a longer duration of breast-feeding. This positive effect should primarily affect infants who are past the first few months of life because their mothers are more fecund then, and the negative effect should affect infants who are very young because the contraceptive property of breast-feeding is strongest then. I test for these dual effects using Demographic and Health Survey data for Indonesia. I find evidence of the positive birth-spacing effect: contraceptive use increases the likelihood that children continue to be breast-fed past age 1. There is also suggestive evidence of a negative substitution effect among infants age 3 months and younger.
Managing the Human Side of Information Technology: Challenges and Solutions, edited by Edward Szewczak and Coral Snodgrass. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing, 2002. xiii + 351 pp. $59.95. ISBN 1-931777-74-8

I was drawn to reading this book by its title. Like many readers of this journal, I am interested in the relationships among humans and information technologies (IT). So I was intrigued to see what...
Compressive sensing based imaging via Belief Propagation

Multiple description coding (MDC) using Compressive sensing (CS) mainly aims at restoring the image from a small subset of samples with reasonable accuracy using an iterative message passing decoding algorithm commonly known as Belief Propagation (BP). CS technique can accurately recover any compressible or sparse signal from a lesser number of non-adaptive, randomized linear projection samples than that essential by the Nyquist rate. In this paper, we demonstrate how the BP algorithm reconstructs the image from the measurements generated using the sparse image signal and the measurement matrix. Thus we prove that this algorithm is effective even in the absence of side information. The proposed algorithm exhibits remarkable performance in the reconstruction time as well as reconstruction accuracy.
Near-field multiple source localization by passive sensor array

The localization of multiple near-field sources in a spatially white Gaussian noise environment is studied. A modified two-dimensional (2-D) version of the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm is used to localize the signal sources; range and bearing. A global-optimum maximum likelihood searching approach to localize these sources is discussed. It is shown that in the single source situation, the covariances of both the 2-D MUSIC estimator and the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) approach the Cramer-Rao lower bound as the number of snapshots increases to infinity. In the multiple source situation, it is observed that for a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and a large number of snapshots, the root mean square errors (RMSEs) of both localization techniques are relatively small. However, for low SNR and/or small number of snapshots, the performance of the MLE is much superior that of the modified 2-D MUSIC. >
Biological interaction between plasticizers and insecticides.

Because of the structural similarity to DDT-related compounds, II plasticizers were tested for their toxicological interaction with dieldrin and DDT. Many of these polychlorinated biphenyl compounds were toxic to Draso Phila melanogaster Meigen and house flies, Musca domestica L.., but to a lesser extent than dieldrin or DDT. Their toxicity increased with a decrease in their chlorine content. Moreover, sub lethal dosages of several of the plasticizers increased the toxicity of dieldrin and DDT. Since plasticizers are in the environment, their potential effects on biological systems, especially in combination with other synthetic chemicals, should not be disregarded.