cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate with standard transurethral prostatectomy: shorter stay, earlier catheter removal and fewer complications.

Authors from Detroit assess the use of the bipolar TURP against the monopolar technique; there were relatively few patients, reflecting the decreasing requirement for TURP in the USA. In addition, the amount of resected tissue was not particularly large, almost certainly a reflection of the decreasing size of resected prostatic tissue in that country. They found the bipolar TURP to have many advantages over standard monopolar TURP, and these are described. Acute urinary retention is a common urological emergency, and authors from London found that it had a measurable impact on the health-related quality of life of patients who develop this problem. They describe particularly how painful a condition it is, and that it had a significant economic burden. OBJECTIVE To assess bipolar transurethral prostatectomy (TURP) using the Gyrus system (Gyrus Medical, Maple Grove, MD) compared with a standard monopolar TURP. PATIENTS AND METHODS All 43 patients undergoing TURP from November 2000 to August 2002 were reviewed retrospectively; the 1.5-year observation period allowed for the detection of late complications. In all, 18 consecutive patients had standard and 25 had bipolar TURP. RESULTS The resection was 18 g for standard and 15 g for the Gyrus TURP (part of the Gyrus chips are vaporized during resection). The Foley catheter was removed sooner (1.8 vs 3.2 days) and the hospital stay was less in the Gyrus group (1.2 vs 2.1 days). Acute complications occurred in a third of the standard group and four (16%) of the Gyrus group. Long-term complications were comparable, at two each in the standard and Gyrus groups. Four patients (15%) with small glands went home on the day of surgery, needing no bladder irrigation after Gyrus TURP. CONCLUSION Few innovations in TURP technique have been described in the past few decades but comparing Gyrus to standard TURP showed that the former allows earlier removal of the urinary catheter and earlier discharge from hospital, while decreasing complications. The Gyrus system also has other benefits; it allows coagulation of tissue during resection, resulting in excellent intraoperative visualization, and normal saline is used as the irrigant fluid, reducing the potential for TUR syndrome. The shorter stay after Gyrus TURP can result in cost savings of up to $1200/patient/day at our institution.
The use of computers in the assessment and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder

This article reviews the empirical literature related to the use of computer-administered, cognitive-behaviorally based assessment and treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Such research has increased steadily over the years, and has shown that treatments such as BT STEPS are effective at both assessing for and treating OCD. More large-scale studies examining the utility of such programs are needed, but initial research shows moderate to large effect sizes for reduction of OCD symptoms and impairment in functioning. The article concludes with recommendations for future directions for both clinical work and research in this area, including expansion of such services to assist in gaining more knowledge of how effective such treatments are, expand the number of people who could benefit from receiving such services, and examining the use of computers in treatments for other anxiety disorders to suggest new ways to move forward with OCD treatment.
MicroRNA signatures differentiate Crohn’s disease from ulcerative colitis

Excessive and inappropriate immune responses are the hallmark of several autoimmune disorders, including the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD): Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). A complex etiology involving both environmental and genetic factors influences IBD pathogenesis. The role of microRNAs (miRNAs), noncoding RNAs involved in regulating numerous biological processes, to IBD pathology, in terms of initiation and progression, remains ill-defined. In the present study, we evaluated the relationship between colon, peripheral blood, and saliva whole miRNome expression in IBD patients and non-inflammatory bowel disease (non-IBD) controls to identify miRNAs that could discriminate CD from UC. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to validate and assess miRNA expression. Microarray analysis demonstrated that upwards of twenty six miRNAs were changed in CD and UC colon biopsies relative to the non-IBD controls. CD was associated with the differential expression of 10 miRNAs while UC was associated with 6 miRNAs in matched colon tissues. CD was associated with altered expression of 6 miRNAs while UC was associated with 9 miRNAs in whole blood. Expression of miR-101 in CD patients and miR-21, miR-31, miR-142-3p, and miR-142-5p in UC patients were altered in saliva. Our results suggest that there is specific miRNA expression patterns associated with UC versus CD in three separate tissue/body fluids (colon, blood, and saliva). Further, the aberrant miRNA expression profiles indicate that miRNAs may be contributory to IBD pathogenesis, or at least reflect the underlying inflammation. Scrutinizing miRNA expression in saliva and blood samples may be beneficial in monitoring or diagnosing disease in IBD patients. A panel of miRNAs (miR-19a, miR-21, miR-31, miR-101, miR-146a, and miR-375) may be used as markers to identify and discriminate between CD and UC.
The Soviet Union and detente of the 1970s

Detente of the 1970s was a vital stage in global history of the 20th century, when the rise of Soviet communism stopped and the collapse of the Soviet bloc began. Soviet behaviour during detente was not a consistent policy, but rather an extension of Soviet conservative ideological regime under Leonid Brezhnev. Despite some windfall gains, the Soviet Union failed to capitalize on detente as it expected. Soviet overextension in the Third World and growing dependence of Soviet semi-autarchic economy on global trends prepared the ground for Soviet collapse one decade later.
Taxing Debate for Taxonomists

As editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Botany , which regularly publishes articles dealing with plant molecular and morphological systematics, I found Elizabeth Pennisi's News Focus article “Linnaeus's last stand?” (23 Mar., p. [2304][1]) as cogent and well balanced as the logic of the
Community Evacuation Following A Chlorine Release, Mississippi

On 7th September 1986, four miles north of Collins, Mississippi, a train transporting chlorine derailed. Two cars ruptured and gas escaped. As a result, 100 families were evacuated. To study the evacuation process, we conducted person-to-person interviews with sixty-two families staying in the evacuation center. Only 52.5% of the families received their first directive to evacuate directly from police or other officials. Delays in evacuating tended to be shorter when people were warned by the police and were told the reason for evacuating. Lack of personal transportation and preexisting health problems resulted in delays in evacuation. Concerns about evacuation included fear of looting, lack of a place to go, lack of transportation, difficulty in moving with children and elderly persons, and the need to take care of pets. One third of the interviewees reported feeling panic. Community evacuation procedures would be improved if: (1) officials contact all households directly; (2) the warning message addresses people's concerns; and (3) transportation is provided.
Diffusion of Copolymer Surfactant to a Polymer/Polymer Interface

I consider a situation in which a homogeneous concentration of diblock copolymer greater than the critical micelle concentration (cmc) is initially added to phase I of a system of two immiscible polymer liquids (I and II), and diffuses to the interface. I consider only diffusion-limited transport, in which micelle dissolution and interfacial adsorption and desorption "reactions" are assumed to be rapid, while allowing for both free molecule and micelle diffusion. In an early time regime during which surfactant accumulates on the interface, an "exclusion zone" with no micelles is created near the interface. If the surfactant has a non-negligible solubility in phase II, there also exists an intermediate time regime during which copolymer diffuses through the interface without further interfacial accumulation, leading to a time-independent interfacial coverage and interfacial tension while transport continues. The exclusion zone may either close at intermediate times, which leads to an interfacial tension equal to the equilibrium value for a micellar solution, or it may persist, leading to a higher nonequilibrium tension, depending on the rate of diffusion into phase II. Asymptotically exact solutions to the diffusion problem are given for both early and intermediate times, in which the width of the exclusion zone (when present) increases with time t as √t.
Multiple scattering causes the low energy–low angle constant wavelength topographical instability of argon ion bombarded silicon surfaces

Abstract We show that holes and perpendicular mode ripples that are generated at low argon ion beam energies and incidence angles on room temperature silicon targets (C.S. Madi, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 101 (2008) 246102; C.S. Madi, et al., J. Phys. Condens. Matter 21 (2009) 224010) are caused by multiple scattering events from the impingement of the primary ion beam on adjacent silicon shields. We show that in a geometry that minimizes these multiple scattering events, only ultra-smooth stable silicon surfaces are for incidence angles + ion bombarded silicon surfaces in the linear regime of surface dynamics in the absence of secondary scattering effects. It is characterized only by a diverging wavelength phase transition from parallel mode ripples to a flat stable surface as the incidence angle falls below about 50° from normal incidence, and a crossover to perpendicular mode ripples as the incidence angle crosses above about 80°.
White-matter diffusion fMRI of mouse optic nerve.

Non-invasive assessment of white-matter functionality in the nervous system would be a valuable basic neuroscience and clinical diagnostic tool. Using standard MRI techniques, a visual-stimulus-induced 27% decrease in the apparent diffusion coefficient of water perpendicular to the axonal fibers (ADC⊥) is demonstrated for C57BL/6 mouse optic nerve in vivo. No change in ADC|| (diffusion parallel to the optic nerve fibers) was observed during visual stimulation. The stimulus-induced changes are completely reversible. A possible vascular contribution was sought by carrying out the ADC⊥ measurements in hypercapnic mice with and without visual stimulus. Similar effects were seen in room-air-breathing and hypercapnic animals. The in vivo stimulus-induced ADC⊥ decreases are roughly similar to literature reports for ex vivo rat optic nerve preparations under conditions of osmotic swelling. The experimental results strongly suggest that osmotic after-effects of nerve impulses through the axonal fibers are responsible for the observed ADC decrease.
A problem in determining fitness differences

Although differential contributions to the next generation have frequently been used to measure differences in fitness, a t genetic equilibrium there will be no such differences among genotypes with balanced polymorphism. For a single locus the frequencies, after selection, of the three genotypes, AA, Aa, aa, will be: qlp2/K 2W,,pq/W and W,, q2/v, where v = w,, p2 + 2W,, pq + tyz2 pa. To estimate the contribution of any genotype to the next generation, the average fitness of the offspring can be calculated from the frequencies of possible matings for that genotype and the average fitness of the offspring of each mating. For the AA genotype the average fitness of the offspring will be (K1p2/W) W,, + (2 W,,pdP) (0.5 K + 0.5%~) + (%2 a 2 / W K2
Effects of a Physical Education Supportive Curriculum and Technological Devices on Physical Activity.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a physical education supportive curriculum and technological devices, heart rate monitor (HRM) and pedometer (PED), on physical activity. A single-subject ABAB research design was used to examine amount and level of participation in physical activity among 106 suburban fourth and fifth graders during physical education class. A curriculum, which was pedagogically centered on the use of the technological devices, was also developed and studied. Six children from each group and the physical education teacher were interviewed. The results of a one-way ANCOVA indicated group differences between the supportive curriculum and technology for HRMs, PEDs, and increased physical activity.
Decoding of B.C.H. and R.S. codes with errors and erasures using continued fractions

Using continued fractions, a simplified algorithm for decoding B.C.H. and R.S. codes is developed that corrects both erasures and errors on a finite field GF(qm). The decoding method is a modification of the Forney-Belekamp technique. It is believed that the present scheme is both simpler to understand and to implement than more conventional algorithms.
Wind farm control: Addressing the aerodynamic interaction among wind turbines

Wind farms help reduce the average wind cost of energy due to many economies of scale compared to individual turbines located far from each other. However, these groupings introduce the problem of aerodynamic interaction among turbines, which can decrease the total energy converted to electricity compared to the same number of isolated turbines operating under the same wind inflow conditions. In this paper, we describe a simulation model under development to examine the aerodynamic interaction among turbines and increase the total energy captured by an array of turbines. We then discuss various control strategies to maximize the energy capture for wind farms containing multiple turbines.
Empowering designers with creativity support tools

When conceiving of and implementing interactive behaviors, most designers rely on professional software developers to prototype and implement their designs. They often use static drawings or animations to convey how their application should work. While these drawings are effective in conveying the look of an application, they do not effectively communicate its feel. In addition, other barriers prevent many interaction designers from taking full advantage of computational tools. We plan to address this by building a new development language and environment especially suited for creating and prototyping interactive applications. In this paper, several related studies and their implications for the design of such a language are discussed.
Discussion of “Tension Buckling in Multilayer Elastomeric Bearings” by James M. Kelly

The compression buckling of mutilayer elastomeric bearings which are widely used as vibration mounts, bridge bearings, and seismic isolators for buildings is well understood and is governed by theoretical analysis and confirmed by extensive experimental work. This article discusses a research study (Kelly, 2003) that presented the buckling solution to an ideal double-symmetric prismatic column clamped at both ends and free to sway and subjected to vertical loads at the ends only. The discusser finds this research of great value to test and verify a solution that is much more general. The solution, as proposed by Aristizabal-Ochoa, includes not only the combined effects of flexural deformations and shear distortions and the effect of the shear force along the member induced by the applied end axial force as the member deforms and deflects, but also includes the effects of flexural connections and lateral bracings at both ends. This discussion article includes a brief description of the discusser's solution, a discussion on the effects of shear on the buckling loads of five classical column cases, and a discussion of some important features not presented by Kelly in the original paper.
Environmental phthalate exposure in relation to reproductive outcomes and other health endpoints in humans

After briefly discussing human exposure to phthalates—diesters of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid (phthalic acid)—this article first presents recent findings from the Study for Future Families, a multicenter pregnancy study in which the human analogue of the phthalate syndrome was first identified. This is one of an increasing number of studies that have investigated human endpoints in relation to environmental exposure to these ubiquitous compounds. This literature, which includes a range of human health endpoints following prenatal, neonatal, childhood, and adult exposures, is then summarized. At least one significant association has been reported for urinary metabolites of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BzBP), diethyl phthlate (DEP), and di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and for three of the urinary metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Many of the findings reported in humans—most of which have been in males—are consistent with the anti-androgenic action that has been demonstrated for several phthalates. Replication of the results described here and further mechanistic studies are needed to strengthen links between phthalates and adverse health outcomes.
Compiler-Managed Software-based Redundant Multi-Threading for Transient Fault Detection

As transistors become increasingly smaller and faster with tighter noise margins, modern processors are becoming increasingly more susceptible to transient hardware faults. Existing Hardware-based Redundant Multi-Threading (HRMT) approaches rely mostly on special-purpose hardware to replicate the program into redundant execution threads and compare their computation results. In this paper, we present a Software-based Redundant Multi-Threading (SRMT) approach for transient fault detection. Our SRMT technique uses compiler to automatically generate redundant threads so they can run on general-purpose chip multi-processors (CMPs). We exploit high-level program information available at compile time to optimize data communication between redundant threads. Furthermore, our software-based technique provides flexible program execution environment where the legacy binary codes and the reliability-enhanced codes can co-exist in a mix-and-match fashion, depending on the desired level of reliability and software compatibility. Our experimental results show that compiler analysis and optimization techniques can reduce data communication requirement by up to 88% of HRMT. With general-purpose intra-chip communication mechanisms in CMP machine, SRMT overhead can be as low as 19%. Moreover, SRMT technique achieves error coverage rates of 99.98% and 99.6% for SPEC CPU2000 integer and floating-point benchmarks, respectively. These results demonstrate the competitiveness of SRMT to HRMT approaches.
Selenium accumulation, reproductive status, and histopathological changes in environmentally exposed redear sunfish.

Comparisons were made of the accumulation of selenium, histopathological damage, and reproductive status of redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) collected in July 1986 from Martin Lake (a contaminated site) and Lake Tyler (a reference site). Hepatic concentrations of selenium were four times higher in Martin Lake sunfish (7.6±0.5 ppm) than in fish from the reference lake (2.1±0.2 ppm). Redears collected from the contaminated lake had lower condition factors than individuals collected from the reference site. Sunfish with elevated levels of hepatic selenium had substantial alterations in the liver including necrosis, cytoplasmic vacuolation, and Kupffer cell proliferation. The ovaries of mature fish collected from Martin Lake frequently had atretic follicles, abnormally shaped follicles, connective tissue hypertrophy, asynchronous oocyte development, and an overall reduction in the number of developing oocytes. These histopathological changes in the ovaries of Martin Lake sunfish were not accompanied by alterations in gonadal steroid titers in the blood. No histopathological lesions could be detected in the testes of Martin Lake fish. Most of the males collected from the contaminated site were immature and had lower circulating levels of sex steroid hormones than reference males. The results show that tissue burdens of selenium have declined by 25% since this sunfish population was sampled last in 1981. Further, the results of this study indicate that the overall health and reproductive status of selenium-contaminated fish collected from Martin Lake is still seriously impaired.
Survey of Statistical Methodology

In this chapter, we will give a brief description of the statistical methodology used in this study. We are interested in formulating and estimating models of the length of time from an individual’s release from prison until his or her recidivism; we will use these models to predict the rate of recidivism among other groups of individuals. The details of estimation will be given in the section Estimation of Survival Time Models, and the details of prediction, including assessing the accuracy of the predictions, will be given in the section Predictions Using Survival Time Models. In this first section, we will give a brief, general discussion of the nature of the problem. A more thorough treatment of this topic can be found in Schmidt and Witte (1984, Chapter 6).
School personnel’s perceptions of family-school communication: a qualitative study

Family involvement contributes to student success, and family—school communication (FSC) is intended to promote parent involvement; however, little is known about the communication processes that enlist that involvement. There are unanswered questions about how elementary educators perceive, prepare for, and engage in communication with families. Using an ecological framework and qualitative design, this study explored educator perceptions of FSC at elementary schools serving a US military population. Individual interviews were analyzed for thematic content, resulting in six themes: the critical importance of communication; its types and formats; school climate; teacher preparation; roles and skills; and contextual influences including considerations for military families. Teachers described effective and ineffective approaches and skills, role and time pressures, and recommended practices. Participants lacked formal preparation for FSC and constructed their skills based on experience. The authors discuss...
A Field Programmable RFID Tag and Associated Design Flow

Current Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems generally have long design times and low tolerance to changes in specification. This paper describes a field programmable, low-power active RFID tag, and its associated specification and automated design flow. RFID primitives to be supported by the tag are enumerated with RFID macros, or assembly-like descriptions of the tag operations. From these, the RFID preprocessor generates templates automatically. The behavior of each RFID primitive is specified using ANSI C in the template. The resulting file is compiled by the RFID compiler. A smart buffer sits between the transceiver and the tag controller, to detect whether incoming packets are intended for the tag. By doing so, the main controller may remain powered down to reduce power consumption. Two System-on-a-Chip implementation strategies are presented. First, a microprocessor based system for which a C program is automatically generated. The second includes a block of low-power FPGA logic. The user supplied RFID logic in ANSI-C is automatically converted into combinational VHDL by the RFID compiler. Based on a test program, the processors required 183, 43, and 19 ?J per transaction for StrongARM, XScale, and EISC processors, respectively. By replacing the processor with a Coolrunner II, the controller can be reduced to 1.11 nJ per transaction.
The Effects of Emotion and Politics on Field Research on Organizational Crises

Emotion and politics are two factors that have a powerful effect on field research on organizational crises. These effects add to the complexity of understanding crises. This article describes the effects of emotion and politics on field research on organizational crises, and some strategies for managing them. The article is primarily based on the first author's experiences, gained while conducting 190 interviews on the crisis preparations of nine organizations.
Impact of jail sanctions during drug court participation upon substance abuse treatment completion

Aims—This study of participants in a U.S. drug treatment court describes the relationship between the imposition of short-term jail sanctions and substance abuse treatment drop-out, and examines offender characteristics moderating or modifying the impact of jail sanctions on treatment drop-out. Methods—Data were derived from administrative information collected by the Dane County Wisconsin Drug Treatment Court from 1996–2004 on all 573 participants achieving a final disposition of treatment completion or failure during those program years. Iterative Cox proportional hazards models of time to treatment failure were created; jail sanctions during drug court participation were framed as time-dependent co-variates. A theoretical framework and specific statistical criteria guided construction of a final parsimonious model of time to treatment drop-out. Findings—Treatment failure was associated with unemployment [hazard ratio (HR) in unemployed vs. employed = 1.41, p-value 0.0079], lower educational attainment (HR in high school non-graduate vs. graduate = 1.41, p = 0.02), and application of the first jail sanction (HR 2.71, p < 0.0001). The association between treatment failure and a first sanction was considerably stronger for sanctions administered earlier in participation (HR for sanction 1 at < 30 days 11.34, p-value 0.0002). Conclusions—An initial jail sanction for non-adherence may be more likely to foster treatment compliance in less refractory individuals (i.e. those not already acclimated or socialized to incarceration or other corrections interventions). More stringent supervisory conditions and individualized services may be required to reintegrate such offenders and promote longer term public safety.
Engaging Students with Learning Disabilities in Instructional Discourse: A Commentary on the REACH Papers

The four articles on instructional discourse contributed by the members of the REACH project offer rich examples of the learning opportunities for students with learning disabilities (LD) in upper-elementary and middle-school content classrooms. In this commentary, I highlight possible reasons for variations in instructional engagement within and across the studies, discuss the challenges to engaging students with LD in discipline-based instruction, and stress the value for the LD field of greater attention to instructional discourse.
Oxidized Fatty Acids Promote Atherosclerosis Only in the Presence of Dietary Cholesterol in Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor Knockout Mice

Studies suggest that heated oils contribute to the presence of oxidized components in the circulating lipoproteins and to the development of atherosclerosis in animals. We evaluated the effects of 11-13 wk of consumption of a well defined dietary oxidized fatty acid, 13-hydroxylinoleic acid (13-HODE) (8 mg), on atherosclerotic lesion development and plasma cholesterol concentrations in mice fed diets varying in fat and cholesterol contents. LDL receptor knockout mice were used in two feeding studies. In study 1, oxidized fatty acid consumption in association with a high fat diet increased aortic lesion areas by >100% (P < 0.05). Surprisingly, oxidized fatty acid intake also tended to increase plasma total cholesterol (P = 0.12) and LDL cholesterol (P < 0.05) as well as oxidative stress as measured by higher levels of autoantibodies to oxidatively modified proteins (P = 0.008). However, in mice fed a nonpurified diet, oxidized fatty acids were not atherogenic and may even have been beneficial, as indicated by a lower plasma triglyceride (TG) concentration (P < 0.05). In study 2, mice were fed either a high fat, medium fat or low fat diet to evaluate whether the increase in aortic lesions due to oxidized fatty acid consumption in study 1 was a result of the associated higher plasma total and LDL cholesterol concentrations. In study 2, 13-HODE-treated mice in the medium and low fat diet groups but not those fed the high fat diet had larger atherosclerotic lesions (P < 0.05). Additionally, plasma total and LDL cholesterol as well as TG were not affected by HODE treatment. However, the total cholesterol:HDL cholesterol ratio was higher in treated mice (P < 0.05) and HDL cholesterol was lower in HODE-treated mice that were fed the low fat diet (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that, in mice fed cholesterol, oxidized fatty acids may be atherogenic, both in terms of increased oxidative stress (as seen in study 1) and by increasing the atherogenicity of the plasma cholesterol profile.
Statistical gate delay calculation with crosstalk alignment consideration

We study gate delay variation caused by crosstalk aggressor alignment, i.e., difference of signal arrival times in coupled neighboring interconnects. This effect is as significant as multiple-input switching on gate delay variation [2]. We establish a functional relationship between driver gate delay and crosstalk alignment by deterministic circuit simulation, and derive closed form formulas for statistical distributions of driver gate delay and output signal arrival time.Our proposed method can be smoothly integrated into a static timing analyzer, which runtime is dominated by sampling deterministic delay calculation, while probabilistic computation and updating take constant time. Our experimental results on 70nm technology global interconnect structures and 130nm technology industry designs show respectively 159:4% and 147:4% differences in mean and standard deviation of gate delay without crosstalk aggressor alignment consideration, while our method gives within 2:57% and 3:86% offset in gate output signal arrival time mean and standard deviation, respectively.
Electronic results management in pediatric ambulatory care: qualitative assessment.

BACKGROUND. Electronic results management may improve the reliability and efficiency of test results management, but few studies have investigated this topic in pediatrics. METHODS. We conducted semi-structured, key informant interviews before and after implementation of electronic results management at 8 pediatric ambulatory care practices. We also surveyed all pediatricians at 18 practices (10 additional practices). All practices were members of Partners Healthcare and had been using an electronic health record when they were offered electronic results management. We assessed baseline processes for results management, barriers to electronic results management adoption, and the perceived impact of electronic results management on quality, efficiency, and provider satisfaction. RESULTS. From interviews, we found a range of processes in place to manage test results, but all practices reported losing some results and no practice tracked all test results from the time of ordering to parent/patient notification. Practices that fully adopted electronic results management reported gains in efficiency, reliability, timeliness, and provider satisfaction, whereas some partial adopters reported decreased efficiency and increased risk of lost test results. Barriers to electronic results management adoption included lack of inclusion of all ordered tests in the electronic results management system, user interface design issues, and lack of sufficient pediatric customization. Survey results (response rate: 62%) indicated that pediatricians thought electronic results management improved the quality and efficiency of care, with 72% of pediatricians reporting safer care and 63% reporting more-effective care. CONCLUSIONS. We found that pediatric practices have room for improvement in the management of test results, and electronic results management may be an effective method for improving the efficiency and safety of test results management. However, partial adoption of electronic results management may decrease efficiency and pose a threat to patient safety.
Comparison of Thoroughbred and Arabian horses using RAPD markers

We compared pools of DNA from 10 Thoroughbred horses and 10 Arabian horses for the presence of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers which might be useful in distinguishing between the breeds. Using 212 decamer oligonucleotides and our polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conditions, 173 of the primers produced scoreable bands. The number of bands ranged from 0 to 9 with an average of 3.6. In family studies using 11 arbitrarily selected primers, five of the 11 primers produced polymorphic bands which exhibited Mendelian inheritance as dominant markers. When comparing the pooled DNA from Thoroughbred and Arabian horses we found 10 primers which identified markers present in the pooled DNA from one breed but absent in the pool from the other breed. Testing individual horses revealed that only two markers were wholly absent for one group while being present among members of the other. Primer UBC-85 (5'-GTGCTCGTGC-3') detected a pair of markers absent in Thoroughbred horses but present among 11 of 31 Arabian horses. These markers were 1500 and 1700 base pairs (bp) long and designated UBC-85C and UBC-85D, respectively. Primer UBC-126 (5'-CTTTCGTGCT-3') detected a 1000 bp marker (designated UBC-126C) absent in 20 of 20 Thoroughbred horses but present in 31 of 31 Arabian horses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Neighbor Turn Taking MAC - A Loosely Scheduled Access Protocol for Wireless Networks

In this paper a new approach to medium access in a wireless ad hoc network based on neighbor knowledge and their activity is presented. Nodes take turns to transmit based on their neighbors and their transmissions, which reduces the collision probability and avoids the latency due to backoff (and exponential backoff) experienced in random access protocols. The scheme uses features from 802.11 DCF MAC and adopts a loose scheduling approach which is distributed. The performance of this scheme is compared with 802.11 DCF MAC as this is the more popular random access MAC for wireless ad hoc networks.
Unilateral choanal atresia: initial presentation and endoscopic repair

The purpose of this study was to investigate the severity of presenting symptomatology in patients with unilateral choanal atresia and to assess the surgical results of patients undergoing transnasal endoscopic repair. A retrospective review of all patients with choanal atresia presenting to the author between 1990 and 1997 was performed, identifying 13 patients with unilateral choanal atresia. These patients were analyzed with respect to presenting symptomatology, preoperative computed tomography scans, appearance, type of surgical repair, and surgical results for patients undergoing endoscopic transnasal repair. Eleven patients underwent successful endoscopic transnasal repair, one patient underwent conversion to transpalatal repair after an unsuccessful attempt at transnasal endoscopic repair and one patient underwent a planned transpalatal repair. Eleven patients who underwent repair by transnasal endoscopic technique have all done well with follow-up ranging from 3 months to 7 years. Although the symptomatology of unilateral choanal atresia is not as dramatic as bilateral choanal atresia, significant airway symptomatology may be present, especially in children presenting at a very young age. It appears that transnasal repair of unilateral choanal atresia is an excellent treatment modality with excellent postoperative surgical results.
A study of aliphatic polyurethane elastomers prepared from diisocyanate isomer mixtures

Abstract Linear polyurethane elastomers are block copolymers which are elastomeric because they are phase separated. The soft block is derived from a hydroxy terminated telechelic polymer, frequently a polyether or polyester of a molecular weight less than 3000 and a glass transition temperature well below room temperature. The hard block, having a Tg above room temperature, consists of a diisocyanate and a diol. Most frequently the diisocyanate is aromatic and the diol is 1,4-butanediol. The elastomers produced are frequently opaque and then yellow in storage due to the presence of the aromatic rings. For applications where transparency and nonyellowing are important, aliphatic diisocyanates are the compounds of choice. One such diisocyanate is methylene bis(4-cyclohexyl-isocyanate), which is conveniently called H12MDI. It is prepared from the same diamine as methylene dianiline diisocyanate (MDI), but the aromatic rings are hydrogenated before phosgenation. The hydrogenation leads to a mixture of three ...
Determinants of the Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets Under SFAS No. 109

This paper explores the determinants of the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets under SFAS No. 109. We find that, consistent with SFAS No. 109, the allowance is larger for firms with relatively more deferred tax assets and smaller for firms with higher levels of expected future taxable income. The most important explanatory variable for the valuation allowance is the level of firms' tax credit and tax loss carryforwards, consistent with these items being more difficult to realize. We find little evidence that managers use the valuation allowance for earnings management purposes, although these tests may not be very powerful.
Aleph Field Solver Challenge Problem Results Summary

Aleph models continuum electrostatic and steady and transient thermal fields using a finite-element method. Much work has gone into expanding the core solver capability to support enriched mod- eling consisting of multiple interacting fields, special boundary conditions and two-way interfacial coupling with particles modeled using Aleph's complementary particle-in-cell capability. This report provides quantitative evidence for correct implementation of Aleph's field solver via order- of-convergence assessments on a collection of problems of increasing complexity. It is intended to provide Aleph with a pedigree and to establish a basis for confidence in results for more challeng- ing problems important to Sandia's mission that Aleph was specifically designed to address.
Scoring Frequency Data for Discriminant Analysis: Perhaps Discrete Procedures can be Avoided:

Because of the availability of easy-to-use canned computer software packages such as SPSS and BMDP, the marketing practitioner is likely to continue to rely on the linear discriminant function (LDF) when faced with a discrimination problem. However, results of prior simulation studies suggest that when categorical predictors are used in the LDF its performance can be adversely affected. The authors extend previous work on LDF performance in nonoptimal settings by considering situations in which the categorical predictors can take on more than two levels. First, they examine whether a “scoring” of the raw frequency data can improve LDF performance in situations where it is known to perform poorly. Second, as the effect of using such data in an LDF analysis is not clear, they study LDF performance as the number of levels of a categorical variable is increased to determine whether the relative gains from using discrete discriminant procedures disappear. The results of Monte Carlo sampling experiments suggest...
469 FZD8 ACTIVATES THE BETA-CATENIN PATHWAY IN LUNG DEVELOPMENT.

Purpose of Study Frizzleds (Fzds) are a family of seven-transmembrane receptor proteins that mediate signaling of Wnts, the cystein-rich secreted molecules that play critical roles in various developmental processes. Strict regulation of spatial and temporal expression of Wnt and Fzd is critical for distinct functions of Wnts. In the current study, we have observed a cell-specific expression pattern of Fzd8 in lung and determined its function by overexpressing Fzd8 specifically in distal lung epithelia. Methods Fzd8 distribution during lung morphogenesis was determined by IHC with Fzd8 antibody (R&D). We have generated and characterized transgenic mice with lung-specific overexpression of Fzd8 from the SpC promoter. To determine that transgenic Fzd8 is functional, Fzd8 transgenic mice were crossed with Top-gal transgenic mice, a reporter for canonical Wnt signaling. Lungs of the double transgenic mice were analyzed by β-Gal staining. Summary of Results Fzd8 transgenic lines are postnatally viable. Fzd8 is highly expressed in proximal epithelial cells of developing lung after embryonic day 14 (E14). Overexpression of Fzd8 by Sp-C promoter results in proximalization of the distal epithelial airways around E15. Interestingly, this pattern of proximalization becomes normalized by E18. Lungs of double transgenic mice show increased β-Gal staining, suggesting that the Wnt/Beta-catenin pathway is activated by transgenic Fzd8. Conclusions Our results show that Fzd8 activates the beta-catenin pathway in lung development. Supported by the Hastings Foundation, HL56590 & HL073471.
Epidemiology of Measles in 2005 in Shunde District of Foshan

Objective To study the epidemiology of measles in 2005 in Shunde District,and to investigate the new ways of controlling measles.Method Measles cases in 2005 in Shunde were analyzed.Result In 2005,481 measles cases were reported,with an incidence of 41.4/100000,which was higher than that of past year by 923.4%.There were measles outbreaks in most of the towns(street)in Shunde.The cases were mainly children,and most of them appeared in the latter half of the year.There were 5 meales outbreaks.2 of which were happened in community and 2 of which were happened in school.Conclusion The main reason of the high measles incidence in 2005 in Shunde was the low immunization rate especially in the children of the floating population.
The experimental transfer of immature Fasciola hepatica from donor mice and hamsters to rats immunised against the donors.

Summary Immature Fasciola hepatica (18 days old) were transferred into the body cavities of rats immunised 3 weeks previously against the donor animals’ tissues. These flukes migrated to the liver, gained access to the bile ducts, became sexually mature and laid normal eggs. When these flukes were compared with flukes of the same age transplanted into normal rats, no differences could be found and there was no evidence of any harmful ‘host antigen’ effect.
Neurosurgical Relief of Chronic Pain

The most favorable candidates for neurosurgical procedures to relieve chronic pain are patients with unresectable malignancies. Percutaneous technics are replacing open procedures and extend the usefulness of neurolytic operations.
Monte Carlo Simulations of Focused Ion Beam Induced Processing

Focused ion beam technologies have revolutionized the modern material research, development and production. It has offered new possibilities for materials modification and fabrication with a higher spatial resolution by using helium and neon ions. In recent years, various experimental and numerical simulation approaches have been developed and implemented to broaden the applications of focused ion beam technology. The Monte Carlo (MC) simulation approach is one of the useful techniques to study the ion-solid interactions which provides crucial quantitative information which cannot be achieved, in some cases, from the experiments. The MC approaches have a number of advantages over analytical calculations. It allows a more rigorous treatment of scattering events, energy distribution of incident ions, recoil target atoms or molecules and secondary electrons as well as their angular distributions. This chapter presents a brief introduction of a Monte Carlo simulator called EnvizION and some simulation results related to focused ion beam induced physical sputtering, Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) mask repairs, and sputtering-limiting as well as resolution-limiting effects.
Competition and corporate tax evasion: An institution-based view ☆

Abstract Why do firms evade taxes? We tackle this question by studying firms in the formal sector operating in countries with different institutional backgrounds, and comparing the incentives and constraints of staying within the formal sector against the competitive pressures originating from the informal sector. We argue that it is the combination of these factors that largely explains formal firms’ tax evasion decisions. Our findings highlight the dark side of competition, particularly when it originates from perceivably unfair sources (i.e. from the informal sector). We also shed light on how this effect is moderated by the institutional conditions of the environment.
NOVEL ROUTE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A TRIAZINE RING

Как ссылаться Danagulyan, G. G.; Tumanyan, A. K. Chem. Heterocycl. Compd. 2010 , 46 , 639. [ Химия гетероцикл. соединений 2010 , 794.] Статья в английском издании журнала: DOI 10.1007/s10593-010-0564-4
Intraoperative Femur Fracture Risk During Primary Direct Anterior Approach Cementless Total Hip Arthroplasty With and Without a Fracture Table.

Abstract Background There is no study to date comparing intraoperative femur fractures (IFFs) in the direct anterior approach (DAA) with and without a fracture table. We hypothesize that there is no significant difference in the IFF with and without a fracture table when performed by experienced DAA hip surgeons. Methods This study is a 1-year retrospective review of patients who underwent DAA total hip arthroplasty by 2 surgeons: one surgeon uses a flat table and manually elevates the femur with a large bone hook, while the other surgeon uses a fracture table and a mechanical femoral elevator. Exclusion criteria included cemented femoral implants, femoral neck fractures, and lack of 6-month follow-up. Results We identified 487 patients for analysis (220 male and 267 female, average age 66.55 years). There were 12 total IFFs (2.46%): 8 female and 4 male patients. The average age of IFF patients was 70.67 years and in nonfracture patients was 66.00 years. There was no difference in gender ( P = .2981) or age ( P = .2099) between IFF and nonfracture patients. In the fracture table group, there were 6 IFFs (2.22%) in 271 patients; in the nonfracture table group, there were 6 IFFs (2.76%) in 216 patients. There was no statistical difference in IFF between the 2 groups ( P = .6973). We observed just 2 patients (0.4%) in this series where the IFFs changed management requiring a revision femoral stem. Conclusion There was no statistical difference in IFF with or without the use of fracture table. Both DAA surgical technique variations are felt to be equivalent regarding the risk for IFF during DAA cementless total hip arthroplasty.
Tumor p53 biomarkers personalize selection of adenoviral p53 gene therapy or methotrexate as potentially efficacious treatments in different and complementary groups of recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN)

B36 Biomarkers of the p53 target of adenoviral p53 gene therapy (Advexin) were evaluated for their ability to predict efficacy in 186 patients with recurrent SCCHN. Biomarker profiles predictive of adenoviral p53 efficacy were based upon p53 gene configurations assessed by sequence analyses and their level of protein expression determined by immunohistochemistry. The absence of high level protein expression of “dominant negative” p53 mutations that can block p53 activity were predictive of adenoviral p53 efficacy. In a Phase 3 randomized controlled trial comparing adenoviral p53 and methotrexate, p53 biomarker profiles in the adenoviral p53 treated patients favorable for adenoviral p53 efficacy were associated with a statistically significant increased survival compared to patients with unfavorable p53 profiles (median survival 7.2 vs. 2.7 months, p