cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
#51 Pesticides in carpet dust and self-reported pesticide use in four areas of the us

Abstract PURPOSE: As part of a case-control study of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), exposure to home/garden pesticides is being assessed based on self-reported pest treatments and analysis of carpet dust samples. Here, we compare the study centers in terms of reported pesticide use and pesticide levels in carpet dust sampled from control subjects' current homes. METHODS: Of 1,057 controls, 53 refused dust collection (5%). About half of those who consented were eligible (owned carpets 5 years and used vacuum cleaner within past year) (530 subjects). Southwest Research Institute sieved and extracted dust from a used vacuum cleaner bag collected from each subject's current home. For 513 samples with sufficient dust (78 in Detroit, 147 in Iowa, 127 in Los Angeles, and 161 in Seattle), analysis for 30 pesticides was performed by GC/MS. RESULTS: In LA, 85% of subjects treated for crawling insects in/around the home (excluding lawns/gardens), higher than any other site. Dust from LA had the highest median levels of propoxur, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and permethrin, insecticides often used for crawling insects. Termite treatments were most prevalent in LA, consistent with LA's relatively high median levels of chlorpyrifos, permethrin, and chlordane. Although lawn/garden insects were treated most often in Seattle (61%), none of the lawn/garden insecticides analyzed were detected most frequently in Seattle. The herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba were highest in Iowa, which had the highest reported treatment of lawn/garden weeds (69%). The agricultural herbicides atrazine, alachlor, and metolachlor were detected only in Iowa. CONCLUSION: Dust levels of residential pesticides were generally reflective of self-reported pest treatment practices. Seattle's relatively low prevalence of lawn/garden insecticides in dust, despite high reported use of these pesticides, is perhaps related to the relatively moist climate in Seattle.
Electronics in astronomy: Early applications of the photoelectric cell and photomultiplier for studies of point-source celestial phenomena

Photoelectric detection devices have been in use in astronomy for over 80 years, but gained wide popularity and utility only since World War II. After the turn of the Century, early photoconductive selenium cells were quickly replaced by photoemissive cells utilizing potassium hydride photocathodes, and then by photoelectric photomultipliers amplified by vacuum tube dc circuits. As the reliability and sensitivity of photoelectric systems increased, and as electronic components became more accessible, more and more astronomers turned to this new technology to measure with previously unobtainable precision the brightness of celestial objects. This paper identifies those who helped to improve and apply electronic detector technology to astronomy. Their research interests and backgrounds will be discussed, as will the role of World War II in bringing astronomers into contact with electronic technology.
Factors associated with the use of screening mammography in a primary care setting.

Despite consensus recommendations the usse of screening mammography remins low. We examined physician and patient related variables associated with requests to undergo screening mammography in a primary care setting, in order to assess current barriers to screening mammography at the level of the physician-patient interaction. A sample of 261 women over the age of 50, whose primary care was provided by resident physician in a large, urban, academic medical center were examined. Data concerning patients and physicians demographic and clinical chracteristics were abstracted. The data were analyzed by Chi-square and stepwise logistic regression. Forty-five percent of the patients were offered screening mammography within the study year and 53% were offered mammography over the preceding two years. Variables significantly associated with a request for screening included a previous history of breast disease (p<.001) and the severity of the patient's overall medical conditoin. Patients with an overall medical condition rated as mild were more likely to be requested to undergo screening than patients rated as moderately or severely ill (p<.01). Patients with higher educational levels were also more likely to be offered screening (P=.06). First year popstgraduate (PGY 1) physicians requested more mammograms than PGY 2 or PGY 3 physicians (P<.05). A multivariable model utilizing logistic regression confirmed the association of the significant variables above with screening requests. Physicians were more likely to request mammography in patients at higher risk for developing breast cancer and less likely to request it in patients who had co-morbid illness. Increasing physician understanding of the importance and benefits of mammography and further investigation of strategies to ensure ophysician compliance with mammography recommendations are necessary to increase utilization.
Indirect Life-Threatening Behavior in Elderly Patients

SUMMARY Older adults frequently engage in such indirect life-threatening behaviors as extreme lack of self-care, refusal to eat, refusal to take medications, and failure to comply with an understood medical regimen. These behaviors are often classified as non-compliance or passive suicide. Analysis of such phenomena reveals that these actions can represent attempts by the person to gain control of and to ameliorate a negative life situation. A case is presented which demonstrates the ultimate outcome of engagement in such behavior when it is misinterpreted and left untreated. The functions of indirect life-threatening behavior are discussed.
Performance and Operation Analysis of a Quadra Sectors Rotary Airheater Adopted by CFB Boiler

Based on the aspects of thermal properties, resistance properties, air Leakage Control and boiler output adaptability, the operation modes and their impact of a quad-sector rotary airheater adopted by a 330MWe circulating fluidized bed boiler are analyzed by tests. And the operation methods of Leakage Control System are concluded. In order to improve the reliability of rotary airheater with main and auxiliary motors, recommendations for improvement are extended.
Principals’ Perception of Influence on Factors Affecting Student Achievement in Low- and High-Achieving Urban High Schools

The purpose of the study was to compare and contrast influences principals have on staffing, curriculum issues, and discipline policies in high- and low-performing urban high schools. The data for the present study were drawn from the first year follow up of the Educational Longitudinal Survey of 2002-2004 (ELS: 02), administered by the National Center for Educational Statistics. Of the 14,000 school administrators surveyed, only high-and low-performing urban high schools were included for this study. The results of this study revealed four areas where principals differed in their perceptions of their individual influences on academic achievement at their respective schools. Principals from high achieving urban school tend to have more influence on hiring and firing teaching staff and curriculum issues, such as course offerings and curricular guidelines. Principals from low achieving schools have more influence on school funding.
Sexual Information and Internet Resources

Internet Web pages providing sexual information are prolific. Finding factual, relevant sexual information responsibly written can be an arduous task for the public and counselors. This article contains an annotated “webliography” containing Internet addresses and descriptions of pertinent Internet sexuality resources for the general public, adolescents, young adults, and older adults. Internet addresses for mental health professionals interested in working with sexual issues are provided as well as Web sites that contain Internet screening information.
Efficient collective communication in WDM networks with a power budget

This paper addresses the problem of efficient multicast communication in wavelength-division multiplexed optical networks. In particular, we consider all-optical networks in which each transmitting node may deliver its message to some fixed number of destination nodes on a light path. The number of destination nodes that may receive the message using a single path depends on the power budget of the transmitting node. We study the wavelength requirements for multicast communication under this model.
Risk factors for recurrence after surgery in non-metastatic RCC with thrombus: A contemporary multicentre analysis

Objective To determine the predictors of post-surgical recurrence for patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and venous thrombus. Methods Records from consecutive patients with non-metastatic RCC with tumour thrombus, treated surgically between 2000 and 2012 at one of three centres, were reviewed. Univariable and multivariable analysis were used to evaluate the association of risk factors for post-surgical recurrence. Results A total of 465 patients with non-metastatic RCC were identified, including patients with thrombus present in the renal vein (257 patients, 55.3%), infrahepatic inferior vena cava (IVC; 144 patients, 31.0%) and suprahepatic IVC (64 patients, 13.8%). The median (interquartile range) follow-up was 28.3 (12.2–56.4) months, with metastatic RCC developing in 188 patients (40.5%). Independent predictors of recurrence included: body mass index ≤20 kg/m2 (hazard ratio [HR] 2.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29–5.49), low preoperative haemoglobin (HR 1.54; 95% CI 1.07–2.20), perinephric fat invasion (HR 1.51; 95% CI 1.09–2.10), IVC thrombus height (HR 2.64; 95% CI 1.47–4.74), tumour diameter (HR 1.04 95% CI 1.00–1.09), nuclear grade (HR 1.56 95% CI 1.12–2.15) and non-clear-cell histology (HR 2.13; 95% CI 1.30–3.50). Independently predictive variables were used to create a recurrence model for three risk groups based on 0, 1–2, or >2 risk factors, respectively. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was significantly different in patients with favourable-risk (79.1%) compared with intermediate- (55.1%) or high-risk (22.1%) disease (P < 0.001). Conclusions Seven risk factors for recurrence were identified for patients with non-metastatic RCC with thrombus, which can be used to select patients who may benefit from increased surveillance or adjuvant therapy clinical trials.
Acquisitions and Performance: A Re-Assessment of the Evidence

We examine the characteristics, strategies, and performance of acquirers in 12,476 completed US acquisitions. We document that a portfolio of acquiring firms significantly outperformed market benchmarks during the 1990s, and that frequent acquirers outperformed infrequent acquirers. This outperformance reflects superior stock price performance that occurs before, not after, acquisition announcements, implying that it is good performance that begets acquisitions rather than the reverse. In addition to this pre-acquisition stock price run-up, in the vast majority of cases, we observe a statistically and economically significant positive market reaction to the acquisition announcement itself. Further, we find that acquirer size is not the most important determinant of the market reaction to an acquisition announcement. Instead, the target organizational form – i.e., whether the target is public or non-public – dominates all else. In addition, the size of the target and the medium of exchange are at least as important as acquirer size. Our empirical results lead us to conclude that the widely accepted attributions of “hubris” and “agency costs” to the motivations of the managers of acquiring firms are perhaps overstated, since they apply only to a small subset of cases where the target is relatively large and publicly traded, and stock is used as the sole medium of exchange. A substantial portion of M&A activity is consistent with shareholder value-maximizing behavior.
EARLY VS. ASYMPTOTIC GROWTH RESPONSES OF HERBACEOUS PLANTS TO ELEVATED CO2

Although many studies have examined the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on plant "growth," the dynamics of growth involve at least two parameters, namely, an early rate of exponential size increase and an asymptotic size reached late in plant ontogeny. The common practice of quantifying CO2 responses as a single "response ratio" thus obscures two qualitatively distinct kinds of effects. The present experiment examines effects of elevated CO2 on both early and asymptotic growth parameters in eight C3 herbaceous plant species (Abutilon theophrasti, Cassia obtusifolia, Plantago major, Rumex crispus, Taraxacum officinale, Dactylis glomerata, Lolium multiflorum, and Panicum dichotomoflo- rum). Plants were grown for 118-172 d in a factorial design of CO2 (350 and 700 FIL/L) and plant density (individually grown vs. high-density monocultures) under edaphic con- ditions approximating those of coastal areas in Massachusetts. For Abutilon theophrasti, intraspecific patterns of plant response were also assessed using eight genotypes randomly sampled from a natural population and propagated as inbred lines. The species and genotypes examined generally showed enhanced early relative growth rates (RGR) under elevated C02; however, such early growth responses did not necessarily correspond to increases in asymptotic size. As a result, interspecific and genetic correlations between early RGR enhancements and asymptotic size enhancements were weak. Effects of elevated CO2 also varied systematically among the size metrics examined. The maximum leaf area attained by individually grown plants was generally reduced under elevated C02; however, most species showed positive effects of CO2 on vegetative mass at final harvest. Final biomass responses were greatest in species showing large enhancements in root growth. In addition, CO2 responses of plants grown in dense monocultures differed from plants grown individually, showing reduced responses for both early RGR and final biomass. Average reproductive responses to elevated CO2 were positive for individually grown plants, but negative for dense monocultures. It has previously been suggested that differences in species' growth rates may be the best single predictor of plant growth responses to CO2. Here we found that RGR (at ambient C02) appeared to limit potential early growth responses among species, but that there was no such relationship between RGR and asymptotic size responses. We suggest that the latter may be determined in part by the degree to which large carbon sinks are formed late in plant ontogeny. The overall pattern of early and asymptotic growth responses to elevated CO2 varied widely both among and within species, and we found little evidence for the existence of discrete "functional types." We argue that both early and asymptotic responses are of fundamental interest from a modeling and a physiological perspective. Both types of growth response should be incorporated in all efforts to understand and predict responses of terrestrial vegetation to rising CO2 and other aspects of global change.
A comparison of androgens determined biologically and 17-ketosteroids determined chemically in urine (normal and abnormal).

DURING the last fifteen years estimations of the urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids and androgens have been made in a variety of clinical disturbances with the hope that they might give some indication of the functional status of the testis and the suprarenal cortex (1, 2, 3, 4). The question of the relative significance of biologic assay for androgens and chemical analysis for 17–ketosteroids, when applied to suitably prepared urine extracts, has been raised repeatedly. It is the primary purpose of this paper to compare, in several distinct clinical syndromes, the results obtained by the two methods with the same urine extracts. We were particularly interested to learn whether the decreased urinary 17–ketosteroid excretion in gynecomastia previously observed by Salter, Klatskin and Humm (5) would be reflected in lower excretion of androgens also. EXPERIMENTAL PLAN Three groups were selected among male patients who might be expected to exhibit evidence of androgenic disturbance. In addition, a group of ...
Organizational disruptions and triggers for divergent sensemaking

In recent years, scholars and practitioners alike have sought to better understand the emergent communicative processes involved in the implementation of strategic organizational initiatives. In response, this article builds on sensemaking and sensegiving theory to understand the interactions that developed between internal and external stakeholders in response to a post-9/11 change in the Maritime Transportation Security Act. A detailed, emergent account of a failed initiative was derived from public comments in the Federal Register, transcripts from public meetings, newspaper articles, and semistructured interviews with key internal informants. In-depth analysis of these data allowed us to examine a divergent sensemaking process and identify four critical triggers that led to a communication breakdown: (a) unidirectional and parsimonious communication, (b) multifaceted understandings of organizational identities, (c) misaligned cues, and (d) an emergence of interorganizational sensemaking. A first-order...
Sensor fusion in telerobotic task controls

This paper describes a display and control methodology for combining (or fusing) different multidimensional sensor data to guide the performance of telerobotic contact or near-contact tasks successfully in both manual and supervised automatic modes of control. Success is defined as a mapping of control goals or subgoals into a multidimensional data space. Several implemented examples are presented and illustrated. The methodology can also be extended to virtual reality simulation of telerobotic task scenarios through proper physical modeling of sensors.
Preliminary results from WOCE hydrographic sections at 80°E and 32°S in the central Indian Ocean

The hydrographic properties and circulation along sections at 80°E and 32°S in March, 1995, in the Indian Ocean are described very briefly. A halocline was well-developed in the tropics. A westward coastal jet of fresh Bay of Bengal water was present at the sea surface at Sri Lanka with eastward flow of saline Arabian Sea water below. The Equatorial Undercurrent was well developed as were the deep equatorial jets. The Indonesian throughflow jet presented a large dynamic signature at 10 to 14°S coinciding with a strong front in all properties to great depth. Its mid-depth salinity minimum is separated from that of the Antarctic Intermediate Water. The Subantarctic Mode Water of the southeastern Indian Ocean imparts its high oxygen ventilation signature to the whole of the transects, including the tropical portion. The deepest water in the Central Indian Basin is pooled in the center of the basin, and its principal source appears to be the sill at 11°S through the Ninetyeast Ridge. Northward deep water transports across the 32°S section were similar to those observed in 1987 but the deep water was lower in oxygen and fresher than in 1987. Upper ocean waters at 32°S were more saline and warmer in 1995.
A Helical Twist-induced Conformational Switch Activates Cleavage in the Hammerhead Ribozyme

We have captured the structure of a pre-catalytic conformational intermediate of the hammerhead ribozyme using a phosphodiester tether formed between I and Stem II. This phosphodiester tether appears to mimic interactions in the wild-type hammerhead RNA that enable switching between nuclease and ligase activities, both of which are required in the replicative cycles of the satellite RNA viruses from which the hammerhead ribozyme is derived. The structure of this conformational intermediate reveals how the attacking nucleophile is positioned prior to cleavage, and demonstrates how restricting the ability of Stem I to rotate about its helical axis, via interactions with Stem II, can inhibit cleavage. Analogous covalent crosslinking experiments have demonstrated that imposing such restrictions on interhelical movement can change the hammerhead ribozyme from a nuclease to a ligase. Taken together, these results permit us to suggest that switching between ligase and nuclease activity is determined by the helical orientation of Stem I relative to Stem II.
Does Micro-Credit Empower Women : Evidence from Bangladesh

This paper examines the effects of men's and women's participation in group-based micro-credit programs on a large set of qualitative responses to questions that characterize women's autonomy and gender relations within the household. The data come from a special survey carried out in rural Bangladesh in 1998-99. The results are consistent with the view that women's participation in micro-credit programs helps to increase women's empowerment. Credit program participation leads to women taking a greater role in household decisionmaking, having greater access to financial and economic resources, having greater social networks, having greater bargaining power compared with their husbands, and having greater freedom of mobility. Female credit also tended to increase spousal communication in general about family planning and parenting concerns. The effects of male credit on women's empowerment were, at best, neutral, and at worse, decidedly negative. Male credit had a negative effect on several arenas of women's empowerment, including physical mobility, access to savings and economic resources, and power to manage some household transactions.
Optimal MMSE transmission using block encoder/decoder and DFE

The design of an optimum (in the minimum mean-squared error sense) block encoded communication system is considered. It is shown that the optimal overall system consists of uncoupled channels in parallel, for arbitrary input data and additive noise characteristics. Some implications of this result for the capacity of the optimized system are highlighted. An adaptation scheme for joint optimization of the block encoder and decoder together with a block decision feedback equalizer (DFE) for elimination of interblock interference is proposed. The convergence analysis of the adaptive algorithm is presented. >
Host-like carbohydrates promote bloodstream survival of Vibrio vulnificus in vivo

Sialic acids are found on all vertebrate cell surfaces and are part of a larger class of molecules known as nonulosonic acids. Many bacterial pathogens synthesize related nine-carbon backbone sugars; however, the role(s) of these non-sialic acid molecules in host-pathogen interactions is poorly understood. Vibrio vulnificus is the leading cause of seafood-related death in the United States due to its ability to quickly access the host bloodstream, which it can accomplish through gastrointestinal or wound infection. However, little is known about how this organism persists systemically. Here we demonstrate that sialic acid-like molecules are present on the lipopolysaccharide of V. vulnificus, are required for full motility and biofilm formation, and also contribute to the organism's natural resistance to polymyxin B. Further experiments in a murine model of intravenous V. vulnificus infection demonstrated that expression of nonulosonic acids had a striking benefit for bacterial survival during bloodstream infection and dissemination to other tissues in vivo. In fact, levels of bacterial persistence in the blood corresponded to the overall levels of these molecules expressed by V. vulnificus isolates. Taken together, these results suggest that molecules similar to sialic acids evolved to facilitate the aquatic lifestyle of V. vulnificus but that their emergence also resulted in a gain of function with life-threatening potential in the human host.
Bird communities of natural and modified habitats in Panama

Only a small proportion of land can realistically be protected as nature reserves and thus conservation efforts also must focus on the ecological value of agroecosystems and developed areas surrounding nature reserves. In this study, avian communities were surveyed in 11 habitat types in central Panama, across a gradient from extensive forest to intensive agricultural land uses, to examine patterns of species richness and abundance and community composition. Wooded habitats, including extensive and fragmented forests, shade coffee plantations, and residential areas supported the most species and individuals. Nearctic-Neotropical migratory species were most numerous in lowland forest fragments, shade coffee, and residential areas. Introduced Pinus caribbea and sugar cane plantations supported the fewest species compared to all other habitats. Cattle pastures left fallow for less than two years supported more than twice as many total species as actively grazed pastures, such that species richness in fallow pastures was similar to that found in wooded habitats. Community similarities were relatively low among all habitat types (none exceeding the observed 65% similarity between extensive and fragmented lowland forests), but communities in shade coffee and residential areas were 43% and 54′% similar to lowland forest fragments, respectively. Fallow pastures and residential areas shared 60% of their species. Bird communities in shade coffee and residential areas were characterized by higher proportions of frugivorous and nectarivorous species than in native forests. These same guilds also were better represented in fallow than in grazed pastures. Raptors and piscivorous species were most prevalent in cattle pastures and rice fields. These results, though based upon only species richness and abundance, demonstrate that many human-altered habitats have potential ecological value for birds, and conservation efforts in tropical areas should focus greater attention on enhancement of agricultural and developed lands as wildlife habitat. To understand the true conservation value of these modified lands will require examination not only of numbers but also of the types of species supported by these habitats, their reproductive output and survival rates.
B-lymphocyte depletion for the treatment of multiple sclerosis: now things really get interesting.

Conventional wisdom is that B lymphocytes are a major driving force behind autoantibody-dependent autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, and the autoimmune blistering diseases, ...
Intermittent Visceral Edema Induced by Long-Term Enalapril Administration:

OBJECTIVETo describe a case of intermittent visceral angioedema associated with long-term enalapril use.CASE SUMMARYA 72-year-old white woman developed severe abdominal pain as a result of visceral angioedema associated with long-term enalapril therapy. She had been taking enalapril 20 mg/day for 9 years prior to the first reported episodes of abdominal pain.DISCUSSIONVisceral angioedema associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors is a documented adverse effect. However, onset of symptoms has never been reported after 9 years of use. Not until 2 years after initial presentation were the symptoms correlated to enalapril administration. Since discontinuation of enalapril, the patient has not reported any symptoms for >2 years. An objective causality assessment categorized this adverse drug event as a result of enalapril as possible.CONCLUSIONSDevelopment of angioedema from ACE inhibitors occurs in <1% of the population. Limited case reports have identified intermittent visceral angioedema...
Role of gastrointestinal permeability in exertional heatstroke

Reduced splanchnic blood flow and hyperthermia during exercise-heat stress can produce gastrointestinal barrier dysfunction and increased gastrointestinal permeability. This may allow endotoxin to enter the internal environment, causing local and systemic immune responses. These responses may be involved in the cause and outcome of exertional heatstroke. Countermeasures may reduce gastrointestinal permeability and possibly exertional heatstroke occurrence and outcome.
Salvation and the ‘Other’ in Islamic Thought: The Contemporary Pluralism Debate (in English)

In recent decades, certain prominent Muslim academics have produced works written in English that portray Islam as a pluralistic faith, specifically one that affirms the salvific efficacy of other religious traditions. These advocates of Islamic pluralism hold that even a non-Muslim who has a deep understanding of Islamic revelation yet chooses to remain as an ‘Other’ may attain salvation and dwell in Paradise. Although these scholars tend to reference similar passages of the Quran in making their case for religious ecumenism and against exclusivism, their approaches and assumptions tend to vary significantly. Whatever one makes of their diverse arguments, they are unlikely to attract a significant following among traditionally trained Muslim theologians in the near future. Nevertheless, the debate that the contemporary pluralist discourse has generated involves important discussions, pertinent not just to scholars of Islamic thought, but also to participants in interfaith and interreligious dialog.
A Reexamination of How Athletic Success Impacts Graduation Rates: Comparing Student-Athletes to All Other Undergraduates

Past research has found conflicting evidence concerning whether higher levels of athletic success positively or negatively impact college graduation rates. This paper intends to improve on past research by separating the graduation rate of student-athletes from all other undergraduates. Results using generalized least squared estimation and paired t-tests from a sample of Division I schools suggest that neither the graduation rate for student-athletes nor the graduation rate for all other undergraduates is sensitive to the level of a school's athletic success. However, the graduation gap between student-athletes and all other undergraduates is sensitive to various measures of a school's athletic success. Women have higher graduation rates than men in general, and this gender graduation gap is exacerbated when focusing on student-athletes at schools with the most prominent athletic programs.
Symptom predictability of reflux-induced respiratory disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) often is associated with pulmonary problems such as asthma as well as recurrent and nocturnal cough. Dual-probe 24-hr pH monitoring may assist in establishing a correlation between these symptoms and GERD-related symptoms. To determine if any specific symptom was predictive of aspiration, this study was undertaken. Ambulatory dual-probe esophageal pH monitoring was performed on 133 patients who had upper airway and additional symptoms for GERD. All patients had esophageal manometric studies of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), and the esophageal body before dual-probe pH monitoring was performed. Using two assembled glass probes, the distal and the proximal sensors were placed 5 cm above the proximal border of the LES and 1 cm below the lower border of the UES, respectively. Patients were classified into three groups: proximal and distal probe positive (group I), proximal probe negative and distal probe positive (group II) and proximal and distal probe negative (Group III) Upper airway and additional symptoms plus manometry results of the LES, body and UES study were compared between groups. In addition, positive distal probe patients (groups I and II) were compared for distal fraction of time at pH 14.8). A proximal probe test result was considered positive if percent time pH 1.1 for total, 1.7 for upright, and 0.6 for supine positions. The ages of the subjects ranged from 18 to 83 years (mean age: 50.5 ± 1.5 years). Groups I, II, and III included 16 patients, 38 patients, and 79 patients, respectively. Group I had a significantly higher incidence of nocturnal cough than the other two groups. (P < 0.05). The manometric data revealed between groups that LES pressure (LESP) for groups I and II was significantly lower than LESP for group III (P = 0.003). Cricoid pressure, pharyngeal pressure, length, and relaxation of UES were not different between groups. Fraction of reflux time for group I was significantly higher than for group II in the supine position and at mealtime (P < 0.05). The number of reflux episodes for group I was significantly higher at meal time (P < 0.01). In conclusion, nocturnal cough is strongly predictive of proximal esophageal reflux. Proximal reflux episodes are significantly more frequent in the supine position and correlate well with the high predictive value of nocturnal cough.
Correlation of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

IN 1959 DUNN published the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) ". . . to provide a well standardized estimate of a subject's verbal intel ligence through measuring . . . hearing vocabu lary" (3:21). He also indicated it should be an advantageous instrument in many clinical situa tions where speech impairment, withdrawal be havior, or physical handicaps would otherwise make it difficult to elicit subject responses. The subject needs only to see pictures presented four at a time, hear the stimulus word, and be able in some way to indicate his choice of the picture representing the stimulus word. Since the pic tures are heavy-line drawings it might be possible to administer the test to persons with sight im pairment, although the authors do not report attempting such application. Norms are not given for children with any impairments and it is not known the extent to which such handicaps might influence the score. Norms are limited to a stand ardization group of 4012 white children and youth ranging in age from 2% to 18 years, who were residents of Nashville, Tennessee. Evidence exists that the instrument may be used in individual or group situations.
Carolene Products Footnote Four and the New Deal Constitutional Settlement

This brief Article discusses the 1938 U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous footnote four in its decision in U.S. v. Carolene Products. It was this footnote that suggested how the New Deal Court would conduct future judicial review. According to this footnote, the Court would give more heightened scrutiny to legislation impacting liberties found in the Bill of Rights than to legislation impacting economic or property rights.
Integrating Domestic Violence Issues into the Law School TortsCurriculum

When one considers law school courses whose subject matters relate to domestic violence issues, many come to mind, including domestic relations/family law, criminal law, women's issues and the law, etc. Upon reflection, however, it becomes apparent that one of the most mundane of courses, torts, is fraught with topics that can be taught through exploring domestic violence situations. Indeed, a considerable number of tort issues could be taught almost exclusively by using domestic violence cases as a starting point. Many treatises and law review articles have been written about various aspects of the interaction of torts and domestic violence both in the United States and abroad. This paper will attempt to explore how domestic violence issues can relate to the ordinary first year torts course, and in the process point out some of the many torts topics which can be connected to this overwhelming social problem.
Are School Nurses an Overlooked Resource in Reducing Childhood Obesity? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND Schools are a key setting for childhood obesity interventions, yet nurses are not often included in delivering these interventions. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine school-based interventions involving nurses in a role beyond anthropometric measurement for effect on change in body measures. METHODS We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of these papers. RESULTS The literature search produced 2412 articles. Eleven met inclusion criteria for the systematic review (4 randomized controlled trail [RCT], 7 quasi-experimental) and 8 for the meta-analysis. None have been included in prior meta-analyses. Four studies restricted eligibility to overweight and/or obese children; 7 included all children regardless of body weight. Random effects meta-analytic models represent data from 6050 (body mass index [BMI]), 5863 (BMIz), and 416 (BMI percentile) children, respectively. Pooled analyses demonstrated statistically significant decreases in BMI (6 studies: −0.48 [95% CI −0.84, −0.12]; I2=91.2%, Q=68.1), BMIz (5 studies: −0.10 [95% CI: −0.15, −0.05]; I2=0, Q=2.3), and BMI percentile (3 studies: −0.41 [95% CI: −0.60, −0.21]; I2=0, Q=2.0). CONCLUSIONS These findings are similar to those of other meta-analyses of school-based interventions and suggest that school nurses can play a key role in implementing sustainable, effective school-based obesity interventions.
On a Few Points in the History of Elementary Mathematics

(1909). On a Few Points in the History of Elementary Mathematics. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 16, No. 11, pp. 177-179.
Scattered Data Approximation of Weapons Bay Flow Classification

Acoustic tones are sometimes produced in the open internal weapons bays of military aircraft in flight that can be intense enough to affect store separation and intensify structural fatigue. Such concerns motivate research of pressure fluctuations in rectangular cavities through windtunnel testing. The goal of this paper is to investigate the possibility of accelerating this type of windtunnel experiment with the use of a machine learning algorithm in conjunction with design of experiments techniques. The idea is to be able to choose the fewest number of data sets in the test matrix that will provide an accurate representation of the entire multidimensional problem space with the help of scattered data approximation. In this work, a Latin hypercube design was used to select a data subset from an existing database with known outputs. The data subset was then used to train a Galerkin derived adaptive and matrix-free scattered data approximation scheme based on artificial neural networks, known as Sequential Function Approximation (SFA) and the complete approximation was then used to predict the output of the remaining database. The database was taken from experiments run in the NASA Langley eight-foot transonic pressure tunnel on a variable geometry rectangular cavity dependent on length-to-depth ratio, width-to-depth ratio, and the freestream Mach number. The results were separated into six classes indicative of whether or not cavity resonance was detected. Results of the SFA approximation were compared against Support Vector Machine (SVM) solutions from SMVTorch and LS-SVM.
When and why to consider estrogen therapy.

Estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women reduces the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Yet only 14% of postmenopausal women who could benefit from estrogen therapy are receiving it.
Awareness and Treatment of Hypertension in Rural Residents of Changshu City

[Objective]To investigate the prevalence,awareness,treatment and control rates changes among rural residents in Changshu City. [Methods]A stratified multistage cluster sampling was used to select 22 423 and 4 634 rural residents aged over 35 in 1999 and 2010 separately.They were investigated by a self-designed questionnaire on general condition,prevalence and treatment of hypertension.Blood pressure measurement was performed simultaneously. [Results]①The crude prevalence rates of hypertension were 37.58% and 36.75% of 2 times.There was no significant difference.The standardized prevalence rates were 35.04% and 26.92%.The last was significant lower than front.②The prevalence was significantly decreased in males(χ2=9.37,P0.01),however it was not significantly different in females.The crude prevalence rates and standardized prevalence rates of males were higher than those of females in both 2 times.The prevalence increased significantly with age in each age group.In 1999,the prevalence of male was significantly higher than that of female in 70~79 years age groups,while the difference was not significant in 70~79 years age groups.In 2010,the prevalence of male was significantly higher than that of female in 60~69 years age groups,while the difference was not significant in 60~69 years age groups.In ≤50~59 years age groups,the prevalence in 1999 was higher than that in 2010;while the difference was not significant between ≥ 60~69 years age groups.③The rates of hypertension awareness,treatment,control and curers under control in 2010 were significant higher than those in 1999.In 1999,the rates of awareness,treatment in females were higher than those in males,but there was no significant difference in 2010.In 1999,the rates of control and curers under control in females were higher than those in males,but the result was contrary in 2010. [Conclusion]Compared the surveys,the prevalence of hypertension in rural residents is under control.The prevalence of hypertension of older residents is increasing as the percentage of older residents increased.The rates of awareness,treatment,control and curers under control are increasing,however the rates of control and curers under control are still low.
Seven Reasons to Dictate in the Presence of Your Patients

By simply moving dictation into the exam room, you may improve your practice in at least seven ways.
The usefulness of rubrics in computer science

Researchers in the past have studied the use of rubrics by instructors and the effort involved to maintain a level of fairness in grading. However, few studies have attempted an in-depth analysis of rubrics as a tool for the student to improve performance in a programming course. This paper serves to investigate the usefulness of rubrics as a programming guideline for students' assignments in Data Structures & ADTs, a second course in the computer science major. The aim is to determine whether rubrics are helpful to students in completing their assignments and achieving better grades. To this end, an analysis of the rubric scores and student surveys are conducted.
Controlling Ourselves: Emotional Intelligence, the Marshmallow Test, and the Inheritance of Race

What does the immensely successful and culturally influential “marshmallow test,” developed by psychologist Walter Mischel to measure a child’s ability to demonstrate self-control and resist immediate temptation, have to do with the history of race in the United States? Already in the 1960s, Mischel’s experiments on the delay of gratification had been cited in the Moynihan Report as well as other public policy pronouncements that sought to analyze why many African Americans remained mired in poverty. Yet the story of race and self-control has a far longer history that dates back at least to the New Deal era when social scientists linked self-denial to middle-class and white neuroses. By the 1950s, however, self-control assumed a prominent (if contradictory) place in criminology and studies in juvenile delinquency. Although this was a legacy Mischel initially critiqued, his gratification delay experiments came by the 1970s and 1980s directly to inform more overtly right-wing (and racialized) social theories that openly linked low delay with low IQ and criminal behavior. By the 1990s, with the rise of positive psychology and a concept of emotional intelligence (EI) that heralded self-control as a “master aptitude,” the ways in which self-control had been inseparable from the histories of race and class were erased almost entirely. Reconstructing this ambiguous history offers insights not only into a forgotten postwar American story, but also what has been at stake in debates over educational reforms in our present.
Applying a computer-aided scheme to detect a new radiographic image marker for prediction of chemotherapy outcome

To investigate the feasibility of automated segmentation of visceral and subcutaneous fat areas from computed tomography (CT) images of ovarian cancer patients and applying the computed adiposity-related image features to predict chemotherapy outcome. A computerized image processing scheme was developed to segment visceral and subcutaneous fat areas, and compute adiposity-related image features. Then, logistic regression models were applied to analyze association between the scheme-generated assessment scores and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients using a leave-one-case-out cross-validation method and a dataset involving 32 patients. The correlation coefficients between automated and radiologist’s manual segmentation of visceral and subcutaneous fat areas were 0.76 and 0.89, respectively. The scheme-generated prediction scores using adiposity-related radiographic image features significantly associated with patients’ PFS (p < 0.01). Using a computerized scheme enables to more efficiently and robustly segment visceral and subcutaneous fat areas. The computed adiposity-related image features also have potential to improve accuracy in predicting chemotherapy outcome.
Reading Graphs of Motion: How Multiple Textual Resources Mediate Student Interpretations of Horizontal Segments

This chapter analyzes interpretations of a graph of motion by bilingual adolescents using multiple representations of motion: a written story, a graph, and an oral description. The chapter uses a socio-cultural conceptual framework, complex views of language and academic literacy in mathematics, and assumes that mathematical discourse is multi-modal and multi-semiotic. Data from a bilingual classroom and transcript excerpts illustrate the multimodal and multi-semiotic nature of mathematical language. The analysis describes how pairs of students interpreted stories of bicycle trips using multiple modes, sign systems, and texts. The analysis examines how multiple modes provided tools for students to make sense of mathematical ideas and how inter-textuality functioned as students negotiated the mathematical meaning of motion through multiple texts (graphs, written questions, written responses, and oral discussions). We describe how four pairs of eighth-grade bilingual students interpreted horizontal segments on a distance versus time graph as they answered questions using a story about a bicycle trip. While students shifted between two interpretations (moving and not moving) of the three horizontal segments above the x-axis, pairs interpreted the segment located on the x-axis as representing the biker not moving. We examine how students shifted among alternative interpretations of the horizontal segments and describe how the graph and the written text mediated these student interpretations.
Examining the Role of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender on Social and Behavioral Ratings Within the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) is widely used to assess symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Given well-documented differences in social behaviors across cultures, this study examined whether item-level biases exist in ADOS scores across sociodemographic groups (race, ethnicity, and gender). We examined a subset of ten ADOS items among participants (N = 2458). Holding level of overall ADOS behavioral symptoms constant, we found significant item level bias (measurement noninvariance) for race and ethnicity on three ADOS items. Item-level bias was not apparent across gender. Although the magnitude of bias was small, our findings highlight the need to reevaluate norms and operational definitions used in assessments to increase ASD diagnostic accuracy among culturally-diverse groups.
Multiple Interactions of a DNA Binding Protein, Gene-32 Protein of Phage T4, during DNA Replication and Recombination

It is now generally accepted that proteins involved in DNA synthesis function as complexes (Kornberg, 1974; Alberts et al., 1975). Genetic and biochemical studies have shown that, in addition to other proteins, DNA binding proteins, DNA polymerases, ligases and nucleases are required in various steps of DNA replication, repair of radiation damages and genetic recombination. While some of these proteins are essential in all processes, others appear to be important in only some, e.g., certain nucleases function in recombination, but not in DNA elongation. How do these proteins interact in the various steps of DNA metabolism ? Our results indicate that they function in different ways in DNA replication or recombination, forming different complexes. They interact with a DNA-binding protein which coordinates their different actions on DNA.