cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fathers' child feeding practices: a review of the evidence.

Despite their expanding role in child rearing, fathers are underrepresented in child feeding research. To address this knowledge gap and encourage father-focused research, this review compiles child feeding research that has included fathers and (i) documents characteristics of studies assessing fathers' feeding practices including study design, setting, recruitment strategies, participant characteristics, theoretical models utilized and measures of child feeding, (ii) outlines general patterns in fathers' feeding practices along with similarities and differences in mothers' and fathers' feeding practices, (iii) summarizes evidence on child and parent correlates of fathers' feeding practices and (iv) generates future research recommendations. A literature review of relevant articles published up to February 2014 was conducted. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they: (i) included fathers, or primary male caregivers, of children 2-18 years of age, (ii) measured fathers' child feeding practices or perceived role in child feeding through objective (e.g., meal observations) or subjective (i.e., fathers' self-report) methods, (iii) analyzed and presented data on fathers separately from mothers and (iv) were published in a peer reviewed journal in the English language. Twenty studies met eligibility criteria. Few studies included an operational definition of "father". Samples were generally small and focused on white, well-educated fathers, cohabiting with the child's mother. Most studies utilized self-report measures of child feeding practices that have not been validated specifically for use with fathers. Pressuring children to eat was a common feeding strategy adopted by fathers. Some differences were noted in mothers' and fathers' feeding practices; fathers were generally less likely to monitor children's food intake and to limit access to food compared with mothers. Child adiposity and a range of child and parent characteristics were associated with fathers' feeding practices. The literature on fathers' child feeding practices is scant. This review consolidates what is known to date and highlights focal areas for future research including the need to recruit diverse samples of fathers and utilize measures validated for use with fathers.
Comparison of the microstructure and chemistry of GaN(0001) films grown using trimethylgallium and triethylgallium on AlN/SiC substrates

The metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of GaN(0001) films using triethylgallium (TEG) and trimethylgallium (TMG) precursors on AlN/6H-SiC(0001) substrates has been conducted using various sets of two temperatures, and the microstructural and chemical differences in the films determined. Growth of films at 980 °C and 1020 °C using TEG and TMG, respectively, resulted in the formation of separate elongated islands. Growth at the optimum temperatures (for our system) of 1020 °C and 1050 °C using these two respective precursors resulted in smooth surface microstructures. Analogous depositions at 1050 °C and 1080 °C resulted in the formation of hillocks over most of the surfaces. In the GaN films grown using TEG at 1020 °C the concentrations of carbon (3 × 1017 cm–3) and hydrogen (1 × 1018 cm–3) were ∼10 times and ∼2 times lower than in the films deposited using TMG at 1050 °C. The concentrations of oxygen and silicon were 1 × 1017cm–3 in the films grown using either precursor. Atomic force microscopy of the films grown using TEG and TMG at 1020 °C and 1050 °C, respectively, revealed a similar surface roughness with rms values of ∼1.8 nm within 50 µm × 50 µm scans. The full width at half maxima determined from omega scans of the GaN(0002) peak were ∼250 arcsec for films grown using both precursors. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Prostaglandin-dependent activation of ERK mediates cell proliferation induced by transforming growth factor β in mouse osteoblastic cells

Abstract Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) is a major coupling factor for bone turnover and is known to stimulate osteoblastic proliferation. Recent information indicates that, in addition to the Smad pathway, TGFβ also activates MAP kinases in osteoblastic cells. The role of these signaling cascades in cell proliferation induced by TGFβ as well as the cellular and molecular mechanisms of their activation by TGFβ has been investigated in this study. In MC3T3-E1 cells, TGFβ enhanced cell proliferation by about 2-fold and induced activation of the three MAP kinases, extracellular regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Surprisingly, however, whereas activation of Smad2 was rapid and maximal after 15-min incubation, activation of MAP kinases was delayed with p38 stimulation detected after 1-h exposure and activation of ERK and JNK after 3 h, suggesting indirect activation of MAP kinases by TGFβ. Among factors known to be released in response to TGFβ in osteoblastic cells and influence their growth, prostaglandins (PGs) were good candidates that were further investigated for mediating TGFβ-induced activation of MAP kinases and cell proliferation. Indomethacin, a selective inhibitor of PG synthesis, completely blunted cell proliferation induced by TGFβ and markedly reduced activation of MAP kinases without influencing Smad2 phosphorylation. EP4A, a specific PGE2 receptor antagonist, also blunted TGFβ-induced osteoblastic proliferation. In addition to these effects, PGE2 rapidly activated MAP kinases in MC3T3-E1 cells and increased cell proliferation by about 2-fold. The role of each MAP kinases in mediating TGFβ- and PGE2-induced cell proliferation was investigated using selective inhibitors. U0126, a specific inhibitor of the ERK pathway, completely blocked both TGFβ- and PGE2-induced cell proliferation whereas SB203580 and SP600125, which are selective inhibitors of, respectively, p38 and JNK pathways, had no effect. Finally, the effect of PGE2 on activation of ERK was mimicked by phorbol esters and not by forskolin, and was associated with activation of protein kinase C. This latter effect and the stimulation of ERK induced by PGE2 were completely blocked by a specific inhibitor of PKC. In conclusion, data presented in this study strongly suggest that the local release of PGE2 is involved in cell proliferation induced by TGFβ in osteoblastic cells. This effect is mediated by the ERK pathway activated by a PKC-dependent mechanism.
Assessing Option Grid® practicability and feasibility for facilitating shared decision making: An exploratory study

Abstract Objective To assess the feasibility of Option Grids ® for facilitating shared decision making (SDM) in simulated clinical consultations and explore clinicians’ views on their practicability. Methods We used mixed methods approach to analyze clinical consultations using the Observer OPTION instrument and thematic analysis for follow-up interviews with clinicians. Results Clinicians achieved high scores on information sharing and low scores on preference elicitation and integration. Four themes were identified: (1) Barriers affect practicability of Option Grids ® ; (2) Option Grids ® facilitate the SDM process; (3) Clinicians are aware of the gaps in their practice of SDM; (4) Training and ongoing feedback on the optimal use of Option Grids ® are necessary. Conclusion Use of Option Grids ® by clinicians with background knowledge in SDM did not facilitate optimal levels of competency on the SDM core concepts of preference elicitation and integration. Future research must evaluate the impact of training on the use of Option Grids ® , and explore how best to help clinicians bridge the gap between knowledge and action. Practice implications Clinicians proficiently imparting information in simulations struggled to elicit and integrate patient preferences – understanding this gap and developing strategies to close it are the next steps for implementing SDM into clinical practice.
Computer lessons for a social psychology research methods course

The development and use of three computer-based lessons for an undergraduate course on research methods in social psychology are described. One lesson is essentially a tutorial on main effects and interactions. Two additional lessons are simulations demonstrating the concepts of experimental power and survey sampling. A rationale and description of each lesson is provided.
Post-Fabrication Electrical Trimming of Silicon Bulk Acoustic Resonators using Joule Heating

This paper presents a new method to electrically trim the resonance frequency of a Silicon Bulk Acoustic Resonator (SiBAR) post fabrication. Width-extensional mode silicon resonators are heated by passing a current through their resonating elements. This causes a mass loading gold pattern to diffuse into the bulk of the resonator. Upon cooling, the gold diffusion increases the stiffness of the resonating structure slightly, which reflects as an upward shift in resonance frequency. Thus, silicon resonators can be permanently trimmed to a desired frequency value by an electrical calibration step. As a proof of concept, an upward frequency shift of 240 kHz is demonstrated for a 40% mass loaded 100 MHz SiBAR after one hour of Joule heating with 30 mA of DC current.
Optimal Routing Algorithms for Generalized de Bruijn Digraphs

Generalized de Bruijn digraph, G_{B}(d,n), was proposed independently by Imase and Itoh, and Reddy, Pradhan and Kuhl to include any number of nodes. Du and Hwang showed that G_{B}(d, n) essentially retains all the nice properties of de Bruijn digraphs, and presented a \left\lceil {\log _d n} \right\rceil -step routing algorithm, where d is the indegree and outdegree, and n is the number of nodes in the graph.
Creating a Strategic Partnership for Educating Nurse Practitioner Students about Sexual Health

Sexual health is an essential and often neglected component of primary care. Nurse practitioners are ideal members of the healthcare team to be providing sexual health information, diagnoses, and treatments. Unfortunately, this is an area that has been lacking in the education of all healthcare providers. This paper describes a program that incorporates sexual health into the curriculum for nurse practitioner students through collaboration between the university school of nursing and the local health department. Given the increasing shortage of clinical sites and the need to train nurse practitioners to be competent in the delivery of sexual health, this is a model that could benefit other schools of nursing.
Uncovering Discrimination: A Comparison of the Methods Used by Scholars and Civil Rights Enforcement Officials

The responsibility for uncovering discrimination falls on both scholars and civil rights enforcement officials. Scholars ask whether discrimination exists and why it arises; enforcement officials ask whether particular firms are discriminating. This article investigates the points of commonality and divergence in these two lines of inquiry. We demonstrate a need for more research focusing on discrimination as defined by the law and for more enforcement building on the methodological lessons in the research literature. We also show that disparate-impact discrimination cannot be identified with current enforcement tools but could be identified with methods in the scholarly literature.
Remarks on subgradients and ɛ-subgradients

We show that Rockafellar's maximal monotonicity and maximal cyclical monotonicity theorems for subdifferentials can be reformulated and proved for the family of ɛ-subdifferentials of a proper, lower semicontinuous, convex function defined on a normed space. We also show that the subdifferential map of a lower semicontinuous convex function defined on a Banach space is bothX andX* locally maximal monotone.
Effective bending stiffness for plates with microcracks

In this paper, micromechanics methods are applied to characterize the damage of plate structures, both Love-Kirchhoff and Reissner-Mindlin plates, due to microcrack distribution. Analytical expressions for effective stiffness of a damaged plate with distributed microcracks are derived for the first time. The results are compared with the results based on continuum damage theory, and it is found that there are significant differences between the two. It is well known that constitutive relations at the structural level, e.g. curvature/moment relation, and shear/transverse strain relation, are fundamentally different from the constitutive relation at the material level, i.e. stress/strain relations. This is because a priori kinematic assumptions in engineering structural theories pose additional constitutive constraints on the relationships between stress resultant/couple and strain measures. The newly derived effective stiffness formulae for various plates reflect such constitutive constraints, and therefore are consistent with engineering plate theories. They provide an alternative means in structure designs and structure damage evaluations.
Paleomagnetism of Precambrian rocks from El Paso, Texas

Abstract Of six Precambrian rock types sampled at 12 sites in the Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Texas, a remanence which is stable to AF and/or thermal demagnetization has been isolated from Red Bluff granite, Franklin Mountain rhyolite, Fusselman Canyon diabase and hornfels in the Castner marble. Additional stability test are provided by reversals in the igneous rocks, the agreement of directions in the granite and its baked margin, a conglomerate test using granite cobbles from Recent Bolson deposits, and the randomness of directions in a tuffisite horizon at the base of the rhyolite pile. After structural correction the mean directions of magnetization from these four units are identical and give a paleomagnetic pole at 160° W, 28° N ( δp = 5°, δm = 6°), which is considered to represent the field axis at the time of granite/rhyolite emplacement at 950 × 10 6 y. An older magnetic event may be recorded in the Castner hornfels. The 950 × 10 6 y pole is northeast of poles from North American rocks of the same age, but is identical with a pole from the 935 × 10 6 y Scottish Lower Torridonian Series, making allowance for continental drift: this suggest that a short period excursion of the field axis occurred during 935–950 × 10 6 y away from the main polar wandering path.
Subspace scheduling and parallel implementation of non-systolic regular iterative algorithms

The study of Regular Iterative Algorithms (RIAs) was introduced in a seminal paper by Karp, Miller, and Winograd in 1967. In more recent years, the study of systolic architectures has led to a renewed interest in this class of algorithms, and the class of algorithms implementable on systolic arrays (as commonly understood) has been identified as a precise subclass of RIAs. In this paper, we shall study the dependence structure of RIAs that are not systolic; examples of such RIAs include matrix pivoting algorithms and certain forms of numerically stable two-dimensional filtering algorithms. It has been shown that the so-called hyperplanar scheduling for systolic algorithms can no longer be used to schedule and implement non-systolic RIAs. Based on the analysis of a so-called computability tree we generalize the concept of hyperplanar scheduling and determine linear subspaces in the index space of a given RIA such that all variables lying on the same subspace can be scheduled at the same time. This subspace scheduling technique is shown to be asymptotically optimal, and formal procedures are developed for designing processor arrays that will be compatible with our scheduling schemes. Explicit formulas for the schedule of a given variable are determined whenever possible; subspace scheduling is also applied to obtain lower dimensional processor arrays for systolic algorithms.
A Graphic Method for the Exact Solution of Transmission Lines

There seems to be a popular superstition among engineers that the voltage and current relations at different points in a transmission line are peculiar and are not governed by Ohms law. This idea is not true. A transmission line is governed by Ohms law just as is any other alternating-current circuit containing resistance inductance and capacity. The only difference from an ordinary circuit is that in a transmission line we must make a correction for the effect of distributed constants. If we change the current flowing through a line by an amount I, there will be a voltage change eq-ual to I Z between the two ends of the line. The Z in this case, however, is corrected for the distributed constants of the line. The hyperbolic formula which are so widely coming into use, since Doctor Kennelly has given us tables of complex hyperbolic functions, are merely short methods of determining this Z as well as certain other constants which we must use. If we start wth a certain voltage Eg at the generator; on open circuit, we will have a slightly higher voltage at the receiver, due to the line capacity drawing a leading current through the inductance. As we load the line with a lagging current this voltage rise is counteracted by the impedance drop. In a similar manner the generator current is equal to the vector sum of the charging current, and the load current which has been multiplied by a constant.
Endotoxemia and the Effects of Dopamine on Renal Functions of Neonatal Piglets

In this study, we observed the effects of moderate and high doses of dopamine on the renal functions of neonatal piglets during endotoxic shock. We found that fluid therapy alone was better at maintaining cardiac index and preventing elevation of systemic vascular resistance, than dopamine at 10 and at 20 microg/kg/min. Furthermore, urine output and glomerular filtration rate were reduced by dopamine. Following endotoxin administration dopamine decreased SVR and maintained a CI better than fluid alone. However, in spite of a better CI, greater deterioration in renal functions occurred in the dopamine groups as compared to the fluid group.
Distinct Lysosome Phenotypes Influence Inflammatory Function in Peritoneal and Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages

Lysosomes play a critical role in the degradation of both extracellular and intracellular material. These dynamic organelles also contribute to nutrient sensing and cell signaling pathways. Macrophages represent a heterogeneous group of phagocytic cells that contribute to tissue homeostasis and inflammation. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in understanding the role of macrophage autophagy and lysosome function in health and disease. Thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal and bone marrow-derived macrophages are commonly used ex vivo systems to study primary macrophage function. In this study, we reveal dramatic baseline differences in the lysosome morphology and function between these macrophage populations and provide evidence that these differences can be functionally relevant. Our results provide important insights into the diversity of lysosomes in primary macrophages and illustrate the importance of accounting for this in data interpretation.
A Fair Capacity Distribution Framework for Wireless Networks with Contention-based Medium Access

This paper presents a network-triggered feedback control framework for addressing an inherent hop-unfairness in random access wireless networks. It is experimentally shown that when multiple flows with varying hop-counts compete for wireless bandwidth, the shorter flows can consume an unfair share of the total bandwidth by diverting capacity from longer hop flows. Experimentally we also demonstrate that this effect is not mitigated by the end-to-end feedback mechanism used by rate adaptive transport protocols such as TCP. The goal of this paper is to devise an alternative feedback mechanism that can alleviate this problem of unfair capacity distribution, by introducing a hop-count independent feedback propagation mechanism. This has been accomplished by a network-triggered framework that, unlike TCP, relies on network generated feedbacks for application data rate adaptations. The proposed framework is developed using the Ad Hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol and is characterized using ns-2 network simulator. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed mechanism can alleviate the described hop-unfairness problem to a great extent by trading the overall network capacity. Performance of the framework is evaluated for a large number of scenarios and is compared with optimal results, when feasible.
Comparison of WindSat brightness temperatures with two-scale model predictions

Predictions of the polarized microwave brightness temperatures over the ocean are made using a two-scale surface bidirectional reflectance model combined with an atmospheric radiative transfer model. The reflected atmospheric radiation is found to contribute significantly to the magnitude and directional dependence of the brightness temperatures. The predicted brightness temperatures are also sensitive to the form of the shortwave spectrum. Calculations are made using a new physically based model for the wave spectrum, and preliminary comparisons are made with WindSat observations at 10.7, 18.7, and 37 GHz, for wind speeds ranging from 0-20 m/s and for vertically integrated atmospheric water vapor concentrations from 0-70 mm. Predictions of the mean (azimuthally averaged) brightness temperatures for vertical and horizontal polarization agree quite well with WindSat observations over this range of wind speeds and water vapor concentrations. The predicted azimuthal variations of the third and fourth Stokes parameters also agree fairly well with the observations, except for the fourth Stokes parameter at 37 GHz. Further adjustments of the wave spectrum are expected to improve the agreement.
Interpretation of positive edrophonium (Tensilon) test in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Many patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have signs and symptoms of easy fatigability, fluctuating weakness, apathy, dry mouth, and blurring of vision. These symptoms can be confused with disorders of neuromuscular transmission. When present, the physician may want to determine whether the patient has myasthenia gravis—the commonest of all neuromuscular disorders—and administer the edrophonium (Tensilon) test. An unequivocally positive response to the test must be interpreted with caution in ESRD. However, the exact mechanism of a positive response is unclear but may be explained by metabolic abnormalities related to end-stage renal disease, i.e., uremic toxins, disordered calcium metabolism, abnormal neuromuscular mechanism, associated neurological disorders, or myopathic processes in uremia, all of which can affect neuromuscular transmission.
Fundamental and Gradient Differences in Language Development.

This article reexamines Bley-Vroman’s original (1990) and evolved (this issue) fundamental difference hypothesis that argues that differences in path and endstate of first language acquisition and adult foreign language learning result from differences in the acquisition procedure (i.e., language faculty and cognitive strategies, respectively). The evolved assessment of the theoretical and empirical developments of the past 20 years is taken into account with respect to Universal Grammar and parameters in generative theory and with respect to cognition and acquisition in data processing. This article supports the spirit of Bley-Vroman’s proposals in light of the discussion of three topics: pathway of acquisition, endstate age of acquisition effects, and language processing by monolinguals and bilinguals. I argue that the difference between child and adult language acquisition is, above all, quantitative not qualitative, a gradient continuum rather than a precipitous break.
A Wiener—Wintner property for the helical transform

Let (X,ℱ,μ,ϕ) be a dynamical system ϕ is an invertible measure-preserving transformation on the measure space (X,ℱ,μ). We show that for each p, 1<p<∞,f ∈ Lp(μ) we can find a single null set off which exists for all e ℝ.
Tablet PCs in undergraduate mathematics

Undergraduate students often struggle to learn mathematics because introductory classes are taught in large lectures that do not engage students in active problem-solving. These students do not connect mathematics to their lives and feel that learning mathematics is a solitary undertaking. We now use Tablet PCs in a networked classroom to address these challenges. Students in classes that use the Tablet PCs can view and annotate the instructor's Powerpoint slides in real time and also participate in interactive problem-solving. Students save their own annotated slides for subsequent review. They also have immediate access to the synchronized screen capture and audio recording of the class since the instructor posts this file to the course management website. These technological interventions allow students to focus on classroom activities rather than on note-taking. To date, students have taken three introductory undergraduate mathematics courses (College Algebra and Trigonometry, Calculus I, and Calculus II) using Tablet PCs. Student attendance and retention were better in the cohort of students who participated in the Tablet PC courses than in comparable non-Tablet PC courses taught by the same instructor. The evaluation of the instructor was unchanged.
Physicians’ Perceived Knowledge of and Responsibility for Managing Patients’ Out-of-Pocket Costs for Prescription Drugs

Background:Most insurers in the US have implemented incentive-based formularies that rely on out-of-pocket costs to influence prescription drug utilization. Medicare Part D plans have broadly adopted such benefit designs.Objective:To evaluate physicians’ perceptions of their knowledge of formularies and out-of-pocket costs, factors that influence knowledge of costs, physicians’ perceived responsibility for helping patients manage their out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, and physicians’ perceptions of the role of pharmacists in managing these costs.Methods:A multiple-choice survey was mailed to a random sample of 1200 physician members of the California Medical Association; a phone survey of nonresponders was then conducted.Results:Of 1027 surveys delivered to correct addresses, 509 (49.6%) responses were received. Thirty-three percent of physicians reported that they were usually or always aware of patients’ formularies and 20% were usually or always aware of patients’ out-of-pocket costs for med...
Flux Guides for Permanent-Magnet Machines

A study for the enhancement of effective flux of permanent magnet (PM) machines using flux guides is presented. An intrinsic demagnetization curve that considers the leakage flux is introduced. On the basis of a higher effective flux the stator winding can be more compact; consequently, a lighter stator and a higher efficiency PM machine can be obtained.
Developing world rehabilitation strategy II: Flex the muscles, train the brain, and adapt to the impairment

Purpose. To understand some reasons behind the lack of medical rehabilitation resources in developing regions and to propose some actions that can change this problem.Methods. Focused Medline literature review on AIDS disability in Africa. Editorial observation.Results. Disability, rather than death or cost of treatment, is likely the greatest burden from AIDS. However only 0.05% of published research on AIDS in Africa relates to disability, so we cannot know this with certainty. This is a direct result of funding priorities, and a consequence of both traditional epidemiological methods and old-line ‘cure or die’ medical education. The disproportionate lack of medical rehabilitation specialists and facilities is a consequence of the same forces. Similar patterns are seen in rural and developing regions around the world.Conclusions. Rehabilitation professionals must change healthcare service by using rehabilitation techniques: flexing muscle by insisting that governments, agencies, and philanthropists look...
The teratogenic effect of tetanus toxin on the central nervous system of the early chick embryo.

Chick embryos, incubated at 38–39°C to stages 8–11 (Hamburger-Hamilton staging), were injected (under the vitelline membrane) with ten MLD (mice) per 0.05 ml of tetanus toxin or with avian physiological saline solution. Seventeen hours after the injection the embryos were harvested and fixed in Bouin's solution. Selected control and experimental specimens were sectioned for histological study. Observations of gross specimens show that open neural folds of younger embryos are more susceptible than are the more extensively closed tubes of older embryos. The progressively more caudal restriction of toxin-susceptible sites with increasing age is a manifestation of this correlation with the degree of closure at injection time. Study of serial sections establishes the concentration of lesions almost exclusively in neural tissue, especially in the alar region of the neuraxis. Tetanus-induced lesions include encephaloschisis, myeloschisis and platyneury at various levels of the neural tube. These basic defects are comparable to those reported after treatment with many CNS teratogens. Suggestions are made concerning the possible effect of tetanus toxin on biochemical interactions that might lead to aberrations from the normal morphogenesis of the central nervous system.
Case studies in middle management supervision

The author uses case studies to explore challenging supervisory situations and draws upon her experience to suggest possible approaches.
Heritable variation in testosterone levels in male garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis)

Circulating testosterone levels were measured at 195, 318 and 437 days of age in 76 male garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) born to 26 wild-caught females. Testosterone levels increased significantly with increasing mass at all three ages and differed significantly among families at 318 and 437 days. ‘Full-sib’ estimates of heritability were near one at 318 and 437 days but these estimates may be inflated by maternal effects, dominance and epistasis. Evidence of heritable variation in circulating testosterone levels suggests that the evolution of traits affected by this hormone (reproductive, territorial and agonistic behaviour; body size and shape) might be mediated through changes in this hormonal control mechanism.
Comparison of Inflammatory Events during Developing Immunoglobulin E-Mediated Late-Phase Reactions and Delayed-Hypersensitivity Reactions

To compare cellular and mediator responses in early developing late-phase skin reactions (LPR) and delayed-hypersensitivity (DH) reactions in the same subjects, responses in skin chambers overlying sites of challenge with pollen antigen and Candida albicans antigens were compared in six humans with demonstrated prominent LPR and DH responses. Histamine levels in overlying chamber fluids at 1 h were much higher at LPR than at DH sites (P = 0.002). After the next 4 h, leukocyte exudation was higher at LPR than at DH sites (P = 0.005). Most leukocytes were activated neutrophils with greater frequency of superoxide-secreting cells and released lactoferrin at LPR than at DH sites (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). The frequency of exuding eosinophils was higher, but not significantly so (P = 0.5), at LPR sites. Although significantly more eosinophils at LPR sites were activated (P = 0.02), the levels of released eosinophilic cationic protein were not significantly higher at LPR sites (P = 0.09). The levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8), but not IL-6, were greater at LPR than at DH sites. During the first 5 h of challenge there was greater mast cell activation and subsequent exudation of activated neutrophils at sites of developing LPR than at DH sites, possibly related to greater local IL-8 levels. The frequency of activated eosinophils was also greater at LPR sites. These different initial inflammatory responses could play a role in determining expression of LPR or DH reactions.
Study on the effects of battery capacity on the performance of hybrid electric vehicles

Hybrid electric vehicles are gaining a significant presence in the auto market. However, the present day hybrid electric vehicles mostly use battery as a secondary source of power. If the battery were to be used as a primary source of power then the battery capacity is one of the important features in the design of a hybrid electric vehicle. Hybrid electric vehicles which are powered by more than one energy source have to follow a good energy management strategy to provide the best fuel economy in all situations. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the effect of variation of the energy storage system size on the fuel economy of a hybrid electric vehicle and the important design criteria involved in the design of the energy storage system. Simulations carried out using ADVISOR software show that increase in battery capacity alone cannot improve the fuel economy.
The development of thermoelectric power generators

This work is a review of the technical developments that have led from early semiconductor research to the emergence of the thermoelectric generator as a rapidly growing power source of high reliability.
Solving Relational Similarity Problems Using the Web as a Corpus

We present a simple linguistically-motivated method for characterizing the semantic relations that hold between two nouns. The approach leverages the vast size of the Web in order to build lexically-specific features. The main idea is to look for verbs, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions that can help make explicit the hidden relations between the target nouns. Using these features in instance-based classifiers, we demonstrate state-of-the-art results on various relational similarity problems, including mapping noun-modifier pairs to abstract relations like TIME, LOCATION and CONTAINER, characterizing noun-noun compounds in terms of abstract linguistic predicates like CAUSE, USE, and FROM, classifying the relations between nominals in context, and solving SAT verbal analogy problems. In essence, the approach puts together some existing ideas, showing that they apply generally to various semantic tasks, finding that verbs are especially useful features.
The linear sampling method for anisotropic media

We consider the inverse scattering problem of determining the support of an anisotropic inhomogeneous medium from a knowledge of the incident and scattered time harmonic acoustic wave at fixed frequency. To this end, we extend the linear sampling method from the isotropic case to the case of anisotropic medium. In the case when the coefficients are real we also show that the set of transmission eigenvalues forms a discrete set.
Plasma Calcium, Phosphorus, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, and 1-25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 of Hens with Fatty Liver Syndrome

Abstract Plasma was obtained from normal laying hens, 30 weeks of age, and from laying hens, 60 weeks of age, with fatty liver syndrome (FLS). The 60-week-old hens were divided into two groups based on whether they were laying or nonlaying. Plasma phosphorus and calcium was significantly higher for hens with FLS. The younger hens had significantly lower 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) plasma levels than the older hens. The older hens that were laying had significantly lower 25-OH-D3 plasma levels than the nonlaying hens. Old nonlaying hens with FLS had lower 1, 25-OH-D3 than young hens or old laying hens with FLS; however, the levels were not different for the two groups of laying hens.
Paradoxical Induction of Endless Loop Tachycardia by Magnet Application Over a DDD Pacemaker

It is well known that removal of a testing magnet from a DDD pulse generator may cause endless loop tachycardia in patients with retrograde ventriculoatrial conduction; application of the magnet then terminates the tachycardia. We have observed the opposite response to the magnet and in this report we describe the paradoxical induction of endless loop tachycardia by magnet application over a DDD pulse generator and its persistence despite repeated removal and reapplication of the magnet. This unusual behavior occurred only in the "magnet off" function and is due to magnet-induced signals sensed by the atrial channel circuitry.
Design techniques and tradeoffs in implementing non-destructive field test using logic BIST self-test

Periodic testing of electronic devices on the field during application execution is becoming increasingly important. In addition, some of these applications are embedded and real-time, requiring the system to be operational for extended periods. In such applications, field test must be cleverly interleaved with normal operation, such that the latter is not impacted, while at the same time guaranteeing the correct operation of the device, and identification of any malfunction or defects within a reasonable time. This paper discusses the design techniques and tradeoffs in implementing non-destructive field test using logic BIST self-test. Three specific designs aspects are discussed, namely (i) choice of logic BIST self-test architecture, (ii) optimizations in test time and additional memory requirements for attaining a given coverage, and (iii) DUT interface to self-test DFT logic to enable such form of test and application interleaving. Data is presented for an IP core, which is presently being designed in Texas Instruments (India), wherein such tests are being supported for use in automotive applications.
β-Adrenergic potentiation of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release in brown fat cells

We find that the adrenergic agonist isoproterenol increases intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in cultured rat brown adipocytes. At the concentration used (10 μM), isoproterenol-induced Ca2...
Removing bias from diversity curves: the effects of spatially organized biodiversity on sampling-standardization

The study of ancient biodiversity trends is confounded by biases of the paleontologic record, but standardizing sampling intensity among time intervals can ameliorate sample-size biases. We show that several existing standardization methods are intimately linked to the spatial components of diversity (alpha, the within-assemblage diversity; and beta, the between-assemblage diversity). The subsampling curves generated by these methods can also be generated by various manipulations of alpha and beta, so that one can predict the responses of the methods to specific changes in alpha or beta diversity. The responses of the subsampling methods to changes in total diversity depend on whether measured alpha or measured beta diversity changed. Like biodiversity, sampling consists of a within-sample component (the number of specimens collected per locality) and a between-sample component (the number of localities). Several subsampling methods (rarefaction, OW, O2W) attempt to standardize sampling effort at both levels, although they use no direct information on the former. Instead, they alter sampling intensity at the beta level to compensate for perceived biases at the alpha level. We show that alpha and beta diversity are not so easily interchangeable and that the accuracy of the subsampling methods depends critically on the spatial characteristics of diversity in a data set. Current methods are calibrated only to the abundance-richness characteristics of individual collections, but the amount of beta diversity and the degree to which the rareness/commonness of taxa correlates among samples also strongly affect the accuracy of the subsampling methods. We offer new calibrations based on empirical data sets that account for these factors. Our findings do not support Alroy et al.'s (2001) tentative claim that the taxonomic radiation in the Cenozoic marine realm is an artifact of biased sampling intensity. Their diversity curves that most strongly contradict Sepkoski's traditional Phanerozoic curve are based on a method that overcorrects for local sample-size biases, whereas the remaining curves are either consistent with the traditional curve or ambiguous because of the limited temporal and taxonomic coverage of the analysis. Other factors may bias Sepkoski's curve, but there is insufficient evidence to claim that variations in sampling intensity are the major determinant of its long-term trajectory.
Therapeutic drug monitoring of immunosuppressants by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Immunosuppressant medications allow the transplantation of tens of thousands of allografts per year and consequently have great potential to decrease patient morbidity and mortality. However, some medications have great risk associated with over- and under-dosing leading to adverse effects or allograft rejection, respectively. This necessitates immunosuppressant therapeutic drug monitoring accomplished by immunoassay or liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The former's accuracy can be hindered by metabolites of immunosuppressant medications, antibodies against these medications and heterophilic antibodies. Although LC-MS/MS has superior specificity which allows it to be less susceptible to interference, this methodology lacks standardization and the necessary throughput. Recent developments in LC-MS/MS quantitation, however, include patient-friendly sample submission as dried blood spots, higher sample throughput and commercialization. Here we critically review recent LC-MS/MS publications (January 2010 to July 2015) on the quantitation of cyclosporine A, tacrolimus, sirolimus and everolimus.
The NCLAN Economic Assessment: Approach, Findings and Implications

The role of food and fiber in human welfare make agriculture an important sector in most economies. It is thus not surprising that concerns about pollution or other adverse environmental changes often focus on agricultural effects. In the United States, potential adverse effects of air pollutants such as ozone (O3) on agriculture and other vegetation are one motivation for regulating such pollutants. In turn, this regulatory interest leads plant scientists, economists, and policymakers to expend considerable effort on measuring and interpreting the economic and other consequences of pollution on agriculture. Given the recent interest regarding the effects of air pollutants on vegetation and the regulatory importance of economic information on such effects, it is instructive to examine the current state of knowledge about the economic effects of O3 on agriculture.
Structural stability from solution to the gas phase: native solution structure of ubiquitin survives analysis in a solvent-free ion mobility-mass spectrometry environment.

The conformations of desolvated ubiquitin ions, lifted into the gas phase by electrospray ionization (ESI), were characterized by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and compared to the solution structures they originated from. The IMS instrument combining a two-meter helium drift tube with a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer was built in-house. Solutions stabilizing the native state of ubiquitin yielded essentially one family of tightly folded desolvated ubiquitin structures with a cross section matching the size of the native state (1000 A2). Solutions favoring the A state yielded several well-defined families of significantly unfolded conformations (1800–2000 A2) matching in size conformations between the A state and a fully unfolded state. On the basis of these results and a wealth of data available in the literature, we conclude that the native state of ubiquitin is preserved in the transition from solution to the desolvated state during the ESI process and survives for >100 ms in a 294 K solve...
The Application of Amine - Quinone Polymers in High Density Recording Media for Improved Corrosion Protection

High density, metal particle recording media consists of micron-sized iron particles in a polyurethane based polymer binder. In order to improve the corrosion resistance of the particles, two new amine-quinone (AQ) polymers, AQPU15 and AQPU100, have been investigated. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to evaluate the corrosion behavior of iron substrates coated with two different thicknesses of each polymer. Results showed that the AQ polymers provide better protection compared with commercial polyurethane. The nature of the interaction at the polymer/metal interface has been investigated by FTIR-RA and XPS, which indicate that bonding probably occurs through the n system of the AQ functional group and the nitrogen of the soft segment, and through the quinone carbonyl functional group.
C-Kit Positive Diffuse Cutaneous Mastocytosis with Systemic Manifestations in a Neonate

Mastocytosis is a disease characterized by local or diffuse increased growth and accumulation of mast cells in the skin and/or in the internal organs. We describe a case of severe DCM with systemic involvement. A 37wk M born via c/s for known hepatosplenomegaly. He had generalized hyperpigmented crusty lesions with some hypopigmented and nodular areas. The neck and inguinal area had thickened skin folds, and blisters on the palm. [Figures 1 and 2.] Darian sign was positive. Skin biopsy …
Dimensions of Candidate Evaluation

The story of a presidential election year is in many ways the story of the actions and interactions of those considered as possible candidates for their nation's highest office. If this is true in the abstract, it certainly was true in the election of 1968. The political headlines of 1968 were captured by those who ran for the nominations of their parties, those who pondered over whether or not to run, those who chose to pull out of the race or were struck down during the campaign, those who raised a third party banner, and those who resisted suggestions to run outside the two-party structure. While 1968 may have been unusual in the extent to which many prospective candidates dominated the political scene, every presidential election is, in its own way, highlighted by those considered for the office of President. The political scientist has shown scholarly interest in the candidates. His interest, however, has been selective in its focus—mainly concentrating on the two actual party nominees and not the larger set of possible presidential candidates. Research in electoral behavior has detailed the popular image of the nominees in terms of the public's reactions to their record and experience, personal qualities, and party affiliation. Furthermore, attitudes toward the nominees have been shown to constitute a major short-term influence on the vote. Yet attitudes toward other candidates have been surveyed only to ascertain the behavior of those people who favored someone other than the ultimate nominees.
Evaluation of the Effect of Vaginal Midwifery Applied to Full-term Parturient Fetal Distress in Uterus

Objective To explore the effect of vaginal midwifery for full-term fetal distress and the maternal and neonatal outcomes. Methods Vaginal midwifery was adopted at the end of pregnancy of 146 cases in the observation group, and cesarean section was used in 135 cases in the control group. The total amount of intraoperative blood loss, the incidence of neonatal asphyxia and maternal complications of two groups were compared. Results The rate of implementing cesarean section of the control group was 100%, while that of the observation group was 1.37%; the incidence of neonatal asphyxia of the observation group was 13.01%, and that of the control group was 18.52%; the total amount of intraoperative blood loss, and the number of postpartum hemorrhage patients were significantly less than those of the control group; the statistical results of the indications, P0.05. Conclusion Vaginal midwifery adopted in full-term parturient fetal distress can achieve good maternal and neonatal outcome. And improving and promoting vaginal midwifery technology is expected to reduce the rate of cesarean section.
Moxalactam Myoclonus, Seizures, and Encephalopathy:

Severe myoclonus, generalized seizures, and marked stupor occurred in a 39-year-old woman with chronic renal insufficiency after one week of moxalactam 2 g iv q8h. Moxalactam serum levels far exceeded the recommended therapeutic range. The drug half-life was 17 hours (normal 1.9). Excessively high levels of moxalactam, which penetrates the blood-brain-barrier relatively easily, may provoke seizures and encephalopathy.