cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Survey of Respiratory Therapist Preparedness for End-of-Life Care

Background: End of life care (EOL) is often a difficult time for medical professionals. Respiratory therapists (RTs) are often called upon to stop treatments or life support for patients who are near death. Like all professionals, RTs struggle with emotions in EOL. These issues are further magnified when the patient dying is a child. Most RTs have not had specific training in dealing with EOL issues and have entered EOL situations without any training. This has forced the RTs to encounter EOL situations ill prepared. The lack of preparation may add anxiety to an already tense and stressful situation1. Methods: The study was approved by the local IRB. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach, the research was conducted at a large pediatric hospital. RTs that were in clinical settings and were performing EOL were recruited by email. Interviews were conducted with 1/3 of the participants. The remainder of the participants submitted their answers using an online survey. Results: Online participants (N=39), 42% (15/39) cited ineffective hospital orientation about EOL and 44% (16/39) cited no hospital orientation about EOL. When asked about EOL training in RT school, 50% (18/39) responded with ineffective training and 36% (13/39) stated that they did not get any training in RT school. Regarding the interviews (N=13), there were 84% (11/13) female participants, 77% (9/13) had bachelor degrees and 77% (9/13) had NPS certification. All the participants (13/13) stated that they did not receive any EOL training in hospital orientation. With respect to EOL training in respiratory school, 15% (2/13) recalled receiving EOL training in respiratory school. Both participants are female. One is over 40 years old, has a bachelor9s degree and less than 10 years of experience. The other is over 50 years old, has an associate9s degree, NPS certification and over 20 years of experience. Conclusions: RTs are a required participant in all areas of this institution during EOL. However, they consistently lack structured training specifically in EOL. Based on the survey results from this institution, more training and discussion on EOL should be conducted in both RT schools and during hospital orientation. More research needs to be conducted specifically with RTs concerning EOL. 1. Brown-Saltzman K, Upadhya D, Larner L, Wenger N. An intervention to improve respiratory therapists9 comfort with end-of-life care. Respir Care 2010;55(7):858-865.
Long-term Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death After Adenoma Removal in a Large, Community-based Population

Abstract: Background & Aims The long-term risks of colorectal cancer (CRC) and CRC-related death following adenoma removal are uncertain. Data are needed to inform evidence-based surveillance guidelines, which vary in follow-up recommendations for some polyp types. Using data from a large, community-based integrated health care setting, we examined the risks of CRC and related death by baseline colonoscopy adenoma findings. Methods Participants at 21 medical centers underwent baseline colonoscopies from 2004 through 2010; findings were categorized as no adenoma, low-risk adenoma, or high-risk adenoma. Participants were followed until the earliest of CRC diagnosis, death, health plan disenrollment, or December 31, 2017. Risks of CRC and related deaths among the high- and low-risk adenoma groups were compared with the no adenoma group using Cox regression adjusting for confounders. Results Among 186,046 patients, 64,422 met eligibility criteria (54.3% female; mean age, 61.6±7.1 y; median follow-up time, 8.1 y from the baseline colonoscopy). Compared with the no-adenoma group (45,881 patients), the high-risk adenoma group (7563 patients) had a higher risk of CRC (hazard ratio [HR], 2.61; 95% CI, 1.87–3.63) and related death (HR, 3.94; 95% CI, 1.90–6.56), whereas the low-risk adenoma group (10,978 patients) did not have a significant increase in risk of CRC (HR, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 0.89–1.88) or related death (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.19–2.18). Conclusions With up to 14-years of follow-up, high-risk adenomas were associated with an increased risk of CRC and related death, supporting early colonoscopy surveillance. Low-risk adenomas were not associated with a significantly increased risk of CRC or related deaths. These results can inform current surveillance guidelines for high- and low-risk adenomas.
The Role of Fellowship Experience in Decreasing Burnout for Child Abuse Pediatricians

Background: Burnout is an important issue in medicine, and may be especially relevant for Child Abuse Pediatricians (CAPs). While the ACGME mandates activities focused on burnout, there is currently no data to assist program directors in developing effective curricula. Objective: 1) Determine the educational activities related to burnout available in CAP fellowship and their perceived usefulness. 2) …
Analysis of Misalignment Effects on Link Budget of an Implantable Antenna

In this paper, we investigate the effects of lateral and angular misalignment on the link budget of a dual-band antenna operating at ultra-high frequency bands (1.64 GHz and 3.56 GHz) for usage in implanted medical devices. The antennas were simulated when located inside muscle tissue. Insertion loss and transmission efficiency for different misalignment conditions were examined. Based on simulation results, antenna performance is stable in the range of lateral misalignment of -20 mm to 20 mm, and angular misalignment of −90° to 90°.
Surgery for Male Infertility

There have been significant refinements in the surgical procedures available for many infertile men. Microsurgery for vasovasostomy and vasoepididymostomy described more than 25 yr ago has been further defined and expanded to include surgery for varicoceles and sperm retrieval from men with obstructive and nonobstructive azoospermia.
Analyzing the Use of the Fifth Position in Dance Training

A dancer often performs one hundred or more closing actions of the leg to fifth position during one ballet or contemporary technique class. Ideally, the effectiveness of the battement tendu or degage closing movement is achieved through maintaining a straight, well-aligned leg throughout the movement trajectory; however, visual observation indicates that dancers often make unhealthy biomechanical adjustments to accommodate the closing action, when the leg closes from the front into the fifth position. Given the prevalence of lower body overuse injuries in dance and the multiple risk factors involved in dance training practice, this study examined dancers’ traditional, repetitive tendu closing training practice. More specifically, the study sought to identify if there were compensatory actions taking place at the knee joint during the closing action and to what extent this was a common occurrence. This study investigated the biomechanics of dancers’ knee motions during a tendu closing from front in first, third, and fifth positions. Quantitative motion analysis data were contextualized and combined with dancers’ verbal reporting, instructor video analysis, and survey data. Data analysis revealed that 100% of dancers (23/23) flexed and outwardly rotated the leg at the knee joint more significantly in the closing to fifth than any other positions. Based on the findings of the study, we recommend modified closing strategies and suggest additional lines of inquiry.
Perceived market orientation in the product return experience and its impact on post-purchase behavior

This study examines the role of customer perceived justice in the product return process with a physical retailer. These experiences serve to form a perceived market orientation of the retailer – w...
Information for anticipatory neuromotor control in catching under load uncertainty

Humans employ anticipatory muscle activation when catching under conditions of load uncertainty. Questions addressed were (a) on what information referent do catchers base their anticipatory neuromotor control when catching balls of unknown weight?, and (b) how do catchers use this functional referent? Thirty-six participants caught visually identical balls dropped from 0.75 m. Participants performed 40 trials, half with knowledge of ball weight and half without. Group L caught balls with a large weight range, while group S caught balls with a smaller range of weights. EMG integrals were computed for the ball flight period in five muscles. Anticipatory EMG integrals in the unknown weight condition were normalized to anticipatory EMG integrals for the maximum, minimum and average ball weights in the known ball weight condition. We assumed participants would base anticipatory control in the unknown weight condition on similar information, regardless of group. Therefore, differences in normalized EMG integrals between groups L and S would suggest that the specific referent tested (e.g., minimum possible ball weight) was not used to scale anticipatory muscle activation under load uncertainty. Independent sample t tests ascertained differences in normalized EMG integrals between groups L and S. The results suggested that the information referent participants used to catch balls of an unknown weight was knowledge of the maximum ball weight. Participants used this referent to generate a submaximal level of anticipatory muscle activation, i.e., about 93.2% of that used to catch the heaviest ball when ball weight was known in advance.
Polypyrrole and cellulose nanofiber based composite films with improved physical and electrical properties for electromagnetic shielding applications.

Polypyrrole (PPy) and cellulose nanofiber (CNF) based conducting composite films were synthesized using two new approaches, in-situ polymerization of pyrrole onto cellulose nanopaper (PPy/CNP) and polyvinyl alcohol coated cellulose nanopaper (PPy/PVA-CNP). Significant improvement in the conductivity, tensile strength, water resistance, and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (SE) was observed for these composite films compared to commonly used in-situ nanofiber (ISF) approach, where PPy is coated on nanofibers prior to film preparation. Maximum improvement in conductivity, SE and tensile strength of PPy/PVA-CNP compared to ISF films was attributed to highly uniform and compact PPy coating and reduced porosity. SE of -23 dB (thickness upto 138.4 μm) and tensile strength of 103.8 MPa for PPy/PVA-CNP films are the highest values found in the literature for PPy and CNF based composite films at a comparable thickness. These new approaches could enable a scalable preparation of flexible conducting composite films with superior physical and electrical properties for EMI shielding applications.
Education in Virtual Environments

The bricks-and-mortar schools contemplated by American education law and regulation are discrete, bureaucratic institutions, where children interact in person with one another, and with adults who supervise them, inside fixed physical borders at fixed times. Their governance is likewise defined geographically. Virtual schooling, by contrast, is untethered from geography, is ubiquitously asynchronous, and involves the interaction of machine representations of people rather than of people themselves. Virtuality privileges the consumer over the bureaucrat, encourages the disaggregation and recombination of educational components on a bespoke basis, and brings different economies of scale and competitive features to the educational marketplace. The education law we have—the law of the traditional, embodied school—fits virtual technology poorly in critical respects. Virtuality demands fundamentally new legal approaches to areas as diverse as curriculum, attendance, student health and safety, privacy, parental responsibility, disability, student rights, discipline, governance, and equity. Responding to these demands provides occasion to see the law afresh, to reassess and redirect, to align principle and practice more closely, and ultimately to transform educational regulation in the service of equity and learning. This is an opportunity of a kind that has not presented itself since the beginning of the Progressive Era. Note to readers: This chapter, from the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of U.S. Education Law (Kristine Bowman ed., Oxford UP 2020), considers in a condensed way many of the issues discussed at greater length in Schoolhouse in the Cloud, a book-length manuscript in progress, forthcoming from Oxford University Press. The chapter was finalized within a few weeks of the wholesale, abrupt, nationwide transition of American schools from in-person to remote teaching and learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. It makes some reference to these events, but eschews systematic analysis of the early pandemic, focusing instead on likely developments in the medium term.
Gender Equality and the Usual Suspects: A Cross-National Study on Female and Male Homicide Victimization:

Gender inequality is a central concept in cross-national feminist criminological literature. There is not a readily agreed-upon operationalization of gender inequality. The variation in the operati...
Effect of seed-applied fluopyram on Meloidogyne incognita infection and maturity in cotton and soybean.

Fluopyram is being used to manage plant-parasitic nematodes in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and soybean (Glycine max), but the duration and depth of root protection from Meloidogyne incognita by seed-applied fluopyram is unknown. Both M. incognita susceptible cotton, Stoneville 'ST 4848 GLT', and soybean, Delta Grow 'DG 4880 GLY', cultivars were treated with fluopyram or abamectin and inoculated with second-stage juveniles in two greenhouse studies. Root penetration by M. incognita was suppressed from 7 to 21 d after planting by seed-applied fluopyram in soybean, while a similar trend in suppression was observed in cotton. Fewer nematodes per root system by fluopyram contributed to a reduction in root gall counts and nematode reproduction at 28 and 35 d after planting in both crops. Based on nematode developmental stages from 7 to 21 d after planting, fluopyram had no effect on nematode maturity. Root penetration by M. incognita was suppressed at 7 d after planting by fluopyram at a depth up to 5.0 cm in cotton and 2.5 cm in soybean. These results were similar to that of abamectin-treated seed. Seed-applied fluopyram and abamectin were most effective at suppressing nematode root entry rather than nematode maturity in cotton and soybean.
Deep-fUS: functional ultrasound imaging of the brain using deep learning and sparse data

Abstract Functional ultrasound imaging is rapidly establishing itself as a state-of-the-art neuroimaging modality owing to its ability to image neural activation in awake and mobile small animals, its relatively low cost, and its unequaled portability. To achieve high blood flow sensitivity in the brain microvasculature, functional ultrasound relies on long sequences of ultrasound data acquired at high frame rates, which pose high demands on the hardware architecture and effectively limit the practical utility and clinical translation of this imaging modality. Here we propose Deep-fUS, a deep learning approach that aims to significantly reduce the amount of ultrasound data necessary, while retaining the imaging performance. We trained a neural network to learn the power Doppler reconstruction function from sparse sequences of compound ultrasound data, using ground truth images from high-quality in vivo acquisitions in rats, and with a custom loss function. The network produces highly accurate images with restored sensitivity in the smaller blood vessels even when using heavily under-sampled data. We tested the network performance in a task-evoked functional neuroimaging application, demonstrating that time series of power Doppler images can be reconstructed with adequate accuracy to compute functional activity maps. Notably, the network reduces the occurrence of motion artifacts in awake functional ultrasound imaging experiments. The proposed platform can facilitate the development of this neuroimaging modality in any setting where dedicated hardware is not available or even in clinical scanners, opening the way to new potential applications based on this technology. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to implement a convolutional neural network approach for power Doppler reconstruction from sparse ultrasonic datasets.
ProteoVision: web server for advanced visualization of ribosomal proteins

ProteoVision is a web server designed to explore protein structure and evolution through simultaneous visualization of multiple sequence alignments, topology diagrams and 3D structures. Starting with a multiple sequence alignment, ProteoVision computes conservation scores and a variety of physicochemical properties and simultaneously maps and visualizes alignments and other data on multiple levels of representation. The web server calculates and displays frequencies of amino acids. ProteoVision is optimized for ribosomal proteins but is applicable to analysis of any protein. ProteoVision handles internally generated and user uploaded alignments and connects them with a selected structure, found in the PDB or uploaded by the user. It can generate de novo topology diagrams from three-dimensional structures. All displayed data is interactive and can be saved in various formats as publication quality images or external datasets or PyMol Scripts. ProteoVision enables detailed study of protein fragments defined by Evolutionary Classification of protein Domains (ECOD) classification. ProteoVision is available at http://proteovision.chemistry.gatech.edu/.
The Future of Museum Studies with Dr. Nicholaus Pumphrey

“The Profession” opens a window onto the myriad ways scholars have made use of their training in and beyond the academy. In this issue, editorial assistant Emma Welch speaks with Dr. Nicholaus Pumphrey—curator of the Quayle Bible Collection at Baker University—looking into the discourse on museums and archives and the questions it brings for the scholar of religion. What follows is an introduction to the Quayle Bible Collection and its artifacts, plus what the students and staff of Baker University have to say about the future of museum studies as it pertains to the study of religion.
A remark on skew factorization and new &#x1d53d;4-linear codes

Nine new &#x1d53d;4 linear codes with lengths 52, 56, 64 and 72 that improve previously best known parameters are constructed. By modifying these codes, another 17 new codes are obtained. It is conjectured...
Size-controlled nickel oxide nanoparticle synthesis using mesoporous silicon thin films

A process for chemically synthesizing size-controllable nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles (NPs) within the interior of mesoporous silicon (PSi) thin films is presented. The method is demonstrated to provide control of the average NP size over an order of magnitude, from 9 nm to 128 nm diameter, by fabricating PSi films with mean pore diameters ranging from 32 to 140 nm and annealing at temperatures between 300 and 1100 °C. NiO NPs are readily detached from the PSi films through electrolytic dissolution of the PSi host matrix. Nanocomposite films and NPs are characterized through x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Optical absorbance measurements of free NiO NPs in aqueous suspension indicate that the optical bandgap is tuned from 3.65 to 3.9 eV, as expected from the effects of quantum confinement. This synthesis process is amenable to the batch fabrication of a wide variety of metal oxide NPs at temperatures up to 1000 °C with sizes below 100 nm. The method is advantageous over conventional chemical synthesis techniques as it facilitates control of the resulting NP size across a wide range and also permits high-temperature annealing while precluding extended crystallite formation. Furthermore, the use of a PSi template enables direct integration of nanoparticulate metal oxide into Si-based, on-chip applications. NiO was selected here as the model system to demonstrate this technique due to its numerous applications including energy storage and memristor technologies.
Campus Stories: Three Case Studies. Part A: Institutionalizing Pedagogical Change--A Case Study in Building a Learning Organization.

Campus implementation of experiential education can seem daunting. This chapter shares three case studies of successful implementation at very different types of institutions.
Mobile instructional laboratory environments and their use in computing sciences

The term 'mobile instructional laboratory' refers to using mobile computing devices such as notebooks for transforming a classroom into a lab setting with the goal of enhancing the practical experience, interaction and understanding. A major goal in all the computing disciplines is to provide students with hands on activities that will enhance their learning of concepts and their professional experience. As such, CS and IT programs require investments in dedicated laboratories that will support applied activities for most of the courses. Unfortunately, space and other resource limitations usually do not allow for permanent creation of such labs. In parallel, current educational philosophy suggests that increased student-student and student-faculty interaction and active learning in the classroom are helpful in increasing students' understanding of the topics. Consequently instructors are employing techniques that facilitate the interaction and self discovery and rely on technology for support. In both cases, mobile instructional laboratories are a valuable solution.
Privatization and the Public Good

Legislators generally know little about higher education, and some exhibit hostility toward it for its emphasis on research and for the curriculum's perceived lack of focus and practical applicabil...
Five penicillin-binding components occur in Bacillus subtilis membranes.

Abstract Membranes of Bacillus subtilis to which [14C]penicillin G had been bound were fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Five labeled components were separated. These five components differed from each other in the rates at which they bound penicillins and cephalosporins by up to four orders of magnitude. The major penicillin-binding component, V, was identified as the d-alanine carboxypeptidase, whose activity is not vital for the cell. Three of the other components, in contrast, bound penicillins and cephalosporins at rates comparable to that of the penicillin killing site in this organism.
Channel modeling and range extension for UWB communications using directional antenna in LOS and NLOS path loss models

Ultra-Wideband Technology (UWB) is increasingly being considered as an attractive solution for high data rate short- range wireless and position location applications. In this paper, we are investigating the role of directional antenna, which shows significant improvement in the range extension while sustaining high throughput. The experiment carried out is for two different path loss models (LOS and NLOS), which are show in the following sections. Research is needed for performance improvements using better modulation schemes, channel coding, antenna types, and/or Rake receivers. In this paper the M-array PPM modulation technique, Horn antennas have been used and simulation results are given in Figure 1-Figure 5.
High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents

(1987). High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents. Health Education: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 31-33.
Dehydrogenase Activity of Pseudomonas Species

Single-strain cultures of Pseudomonas fragi, P. fluorescens, P. putrefaciens, and strains of two marine species, Pseudomonas type I and Pseudomonas type II, were found to be capable of reducing added acetaldehyde, proprionaldehyde, and butyraldehyde to the corresponding alcohols at 21 C. All species studied reduced propionaldehyde at 6 C. P. fragi, Pseudomonas type I, and Pseudomonas type II reduced butanone at 6 and 21 C. P. fragi and Pseudomonas type II reduced acetone at 21 C. Dehydrogenase activity was found in some cultures in which growth was not evident. Under aerobic conditions, a strain of P. fragi reduced added propionaldehyde to n-propanol quantitatively within 36 hr at 21 C.
The Effect of Ion Implantation on the Lattice Location of Arsenic in Arsenic — Doped Si

Bombardment of arsenic doped silicon with 400 keV helium ions and with 220 keV tellurium ions at 250°C has been found to cause arsenic to move off lattice sites, as previously observed for 1.8 MeV helium ion bombardment. The fraction of the arsenic which is off lattice sites approaches a saturation at high fluences which seems to be independent of the energy and type of the bombarding ion and temperature between room temperature and 400°C. The movement of arsenic off lattice sites is caused by defects introduced in the silicon as a result of the bombardment. These defects appear to be capable of diffusing distances greater than lμm before causing the off site movement of an arsenic atom. Annealing of the tellurium bombarded samples to 700 to 800°C restores most of the off site arsenic to substitutional positions in the lattice.
National versus local brands: : examining the influences of credence and experience services on customer perceptions of quality in a franchise context

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to investigate differences in customer perceptions of quality between credence and experience industries. The paper expands on the implications of national versus local firms and does so within a franchise context. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a sample of 349 consumers, three core SERVQUAL dimensions (reliability, security and tangibility) were analyzed to determine customer perceptions of quality. A mixed-factorial designed was used to evaluate different scenarios of purchasing intentions, measuring the main and interactive effects of service type and criticality among franchised and local brands. Findings – Significant differences were found in customer perceptions of quality between experience- and credence-based services. A significant moderating effect of the level of criticality was shown to play an important role in customers’ perceptions. Research limitations/implications – This experimental laboratory study highlights the importance for managers to understand the differences in perceptions of customers when dealing between service types and acting under conditions of varying criticality. This holds true for both franchised and non-franchised businesses. Originality/value – This study offers one of the first investigations of customer perceptions of quality in specific industry types (i.e. credence and experience) within a franchise system. Depending on the industry type, customers have different expectations of quality. The authors offer several specific ways in which managers can use this knowledge to their advantage.
An index structure for private data outsourcing

Data outsourcing provides companies a cost effective method for their data to be stored, managed, and maintained by a third-party. Data outsourcing offers many economical benefits, but also introduces several privacy concerns. Many solutions have been proposed for maintaining privacy while outsourcing data in the data as plain-text model. We propose a method that can maintain a similar level of privacy while improving upon the query performance of previous solutions. The motivating principle behind our solution is that if the data owner possesses a small amount of secure local storage, it can be used as a pseudoindex table to improve query performance for selection queries involving conjunctions. We offer a heuristic approach for calculating the required storage resources and provide experimental analysis of the scheme.
Characterization and origin of extrachromosomal DNA granules in Sarcophaga bullata.

We have used endonuclease treatment in situ, followed by Giemsa or ethidium bromide staining, for mapping repetitive sequences on the chromosomes of the flesh fly Sarcophaga bullata and thus for studying extrachromosomal DNA granules in this species. All three restriction enzymes employed (HaeIII, A1uI and HindIII) show the same cytological effects, except for a single interstitial band. In both polytene and mitotic chromosomes, chromatin resistant to these endonucleases presumably includes at least three endonucleases presumably includes at least three previously unrecognized buoyant density satellites (1.663, 1.670 and 1.692 g ml-1 in neutral CsCl), and is predominantly localized in the pericentric regions of all five autosomes. Mitotic treated chromosomes show that the entire rod-shaped X chromosome, but no part of the dot-like Y chromosome, consists of endonuclease-resistant chromatin. The most unusual heterochromatic component of polytene nuclei in this species, the ‘extrachromosomal DNA granules’, are also entirely resistant to digestion with endonucleases. We think that these DNA granules represent dispersed X chromatin and not, as previously assumed, extruded autosomal heterochromatin.
Performance Analysis of WDM Optical Networks with Wavelength Usage Constraint

Due to power considerations, it is possible that not all wavelengths available in a fiber can be used at a given time. In this paper, an analytical model is proposed to evaluate the blocking performance of wavelength-routed optical networks with and without wavelength conversion where the usable wavelengths in a fiber is limited to a certain maximum number, referred to as wavelength usage constraint. The effect of the wavelength usage constraint is studied on ring and mesh-torus networks. It is shown that the analytical model closely approximates the simulation results. We also evaluate the performance of the first-fit wavelength assignment algorithm and compare its performance with the random wavelength assignment algorithm through simulation. It is observed that increasing the total number of wavelengths in a fiber is an attractive alternative to wavelength conversion when the number of usable wavelengths in a fiber is maintained the same.
Altered Neural Activity during Semantic Object Memory Retrieval in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment as Measured by Event-Related Potentials

Deficits in semantic memory in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) have been previously reported, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain to be clarified. We examined event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with semantic memory retrieval in 16 individuals with aMCI as compared to 17 normal controls using the Semantic Object Retrieval Task (EEG SORT). In this task, subjects judged whether pairs of words (object features) elicited retrieval of an object (retrieval trials) or not (non-retrieval trials). Behavioral findings revealed that aMCI subjects had lower accuracy scores and marginally longer reaction time compared to controls. We used a multivariate analytical technique (STAT-PCA) to investigate similarities and differences in ERPs between aMCI and control groups. STAT-PCA revealed a left fronto-temporal component starting at around 750 ms post-stimulus in both groups. However, unlike controls, aMCI subjects showed an increase in the frontal-parietal scalp potential that distinguished retrieval from non-retrieval trials between 950 and 1050 ms post-stimulus negatively correlated with the performance on the logical memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III. Thus, individuals with aMCI were not only impaired in their behavioral performance on SORT relative to controls, but also displayed alteration in the corresponding ERPs. The altered neural activity in aMCI compared to controls suggests a more sustained and effortful search during object memory retrieval, which may be a potential marker indicating disease processes at the pre-dementia stage.
Some mathematical structures for computational information

Abstract This paper is about the basic underlying mathematical structures of various types of imprecise information. Set theory and probability measures are basic ingredients in extracting some specific type of information and in reasoning with uncertain knowledge. But in this era of information technology, it is desirable to consider also more complex types of information, for example, information coming from human perception (see e.g., L.A. Zadeh, IEEE Trans. Circuits and Systems 45 (1) (1999) 105–119). As a first approximation, the classical ingredients could be generalized to adequately model new types of information. As such, we will describe in this paper four types of non-classical sets, namely random sets, rough sets, conditional sets and fuzzy sets , as well as their associated non-additive measures .
Microwave resistivities of some singlet-ground-state paramagnetic systems

Abstract Microwave resistivities of the singlet-ground-state systems TmX, PrX(X=N, P, As, Sb, and Bi) and Pr3Tl, have been measured. The crystal-field splittings of Tm3+ and Pr3+ in these systems have been obtained by comparing our resistivity data with Hirst's first-order scattering theory. The splittings obtained in this fashion are in good agreement with those measured by neutron scattering and EPR. We discuss the absence of the maximum in resistivity with variation of temperature expected from the Kondo sideband (second-order inelastic scattering) mechanism.
Effects of drugs on the initiation and maintenance of status epilepticus induced by administration of pilocarpine to lithium-pretreated rats.

The ability of various drugs to prevent the onset of status epilepticus induced by administration of the muscarinic agonist, pilocarpine, to lithium-pretreated rats was determined. Motor limbic seizures and status epilepticus occurred in 100% of rats administered pilocarpine (30 mg/kg, s.c.) 20 h after pretreatment with lithium (3 meq/kg, i.p.). The latency to spike activity and to status epilepticus was 20 +/- 1 min and 24 +/- 1 min, respectively. Atropine, diazepam, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, paraldehyde, and L-phenylisopropyladenosine (L-PIA) prevented all phases of seizure activity induced by lithium/pilocarpine treatment. The initiation of status epilepticus was significantly prolonged by pretreatment with sodium valproate. These findings indicate that the seizures induced by administration of lithium and pilocarpine accurately model generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy. The anticonvulsant activity of L-PIA was prevented by prior treatment with the adenosine antagonist, theophylline. The latency to spike and seizure activity was decreased by theophylline, indicating that endogenous adenosine may have a tonic inhibitory influence on cholinergic neurons. Atropine, diazepam, phenobarbital, phenytoin, sodium valproate, L-PIA, and carbamazepine did not interrupt seizure activity when administered 60 min after pilocarpine (approximately 35 min after initiation of status epilepticus). When rats were administered paraldehyde at this time, status epilepticus was rapidly terminated and all rats survived. Thus, status epilepticus induced by lithium and pilocarpine provides a seizure model that is not responsive to conventional anticonvulsants.
The Cultural Tribes of Public Relations

This article applies a cultural theory of rhetoric to discourse about public relations. It proposes that 5 distinct cultural voices are recognizable in conversations about public relations. These voices are illustrated in texts that define and critique public relations practice. These competing cultural visions cannot be united into 1 coherent vision. Public relations is a multicultural field that is constituted by this ongoing competitive dialogue.
3-Methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol excretion and behavioural changes in rat and monkey after central sympathectomy with 6-hydroxy-dopamine

INVESTIGATION of the role of noradrenaline (NA) in behavioural disorders has been hampered by the absence of human tissue or body fluid suitable for repeated analysis which reflects NA metabolism in brain. Several laboratories have shown that brain NA is metabolized primarily to 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG)1–3 which provides a likely indicator in urine for NA neuronal activity in brain. Unfortunately, MHPG found in urine is also derived from NA and adrenaline released peripherally4. It has been shown5–7 that injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) caused permanent destruction of central catecholamine-containing fibres while leaving the peripheral sympathetic system intact5. Urinary MHPG in 6-OHDA-treated animals should, therefore, provide a means to examine the effect of a decrease in NA function due to brain neuronal destruction, upon urinary excretion of this metabolite.
Elastic After-Effect Due to Oxygen Relaxation in Yba2Cu3O7-δAbove Tc

Isothermal elastic after-effect measurements to obtain relaxation times for the stress-induced motion of oxygen in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ have been made from 50 ° C to 110 ° C. These results extend our previous internal friction measurements of the same oxygen relaxation to lower temperatures. The combined results, which cover nine orders of magnitude in relaxation time, show a classical Arrhenius temperature dependence, activation energy Q−1.13±0.01 eV and attempt frequency τ 0 −1.6×10 −13 s (log τ 0 −.12.79±0.13). The mechanism of the relaxation is considered to be stress-induced ordering of oxygen atoms on theCuO basal plane. Diffusivities obtained from these results are compared with those from tracer diffusion of oxygen.
Stochastic prey-predator relationships: A random differential equation approach

A stochastic model describing two interacting populations is considered. The model involves a random differential equation of the form dX/dt=A(t)X+Y(t) where the random matrixA and vectorY represent the interactions and growth rates respectively andX is a (random) vector the components of which are the logarithms of the population's sizes. An expression for the solution of the above equation is obtained whence its statistical properties can be determined. Alternatively, a method based on Liouville's theorem is used to obtain the probability distribution of the solution. Application of both methods to simple cases indicates that the random solution is asymptotically stable in the mean even when the solution to the associated deterministic equation is not, viz. in the absence of self interactions.
Variation in the phenotypic expression of β-glucuronidase deficiency

Deficiency of β-glucuronidase was demonstrated in serum, leukocytes, and cultured skin fibroblasts of two unrelated patients. One patient died at 2 9/12 years with a phenotype consistent with severe mucopolysaccharidosis; the other is 14 years of age and well, except for hypertension and obstructive lesions of large blood vessels. Analysis of urinary mucopolysaccharides revealed impaired degradation of dermatan sulfate and, to a lesser extent, of heparan sulfate. Cultured skin fibroblasts accumulated excess glycosaminoglycans (the tem glycosaminoglycans is synonymous with acid mucopolysaccharides) as indicated by 35 SO 4 uptake.
Complexity and Rationality in Public Life

Increasing complexity in the contemporary world calls into question prevailing notions of rationality in public policy and political life. Even in their most refined forms, instrumental-analytic st...
An integrated life cycle-based software reliability assurance approach for NASA projects

This paper proposes a software reliability assurance approach for NASA projects. The approach provides a success road-map of integrated system risk management from early development phases for timely identification of valued proactive improvement on software while striving for achieving mission reliability goals. The informed decision making process throughout the life cycle is supported to ensure successful deployment of the system.
Inhibition of liver aldehyde dehydrogenase by pyrogallol and related compounds.

Nachweis, dass Pyrogallol und ahnliche Substanzen eine der mitochondrialen Alkoholdehydrogenasen aus Rattenleber hemmen.
Human fallopian tubes express prostacyclin (PGI) synthase and cyclooxygenases and synthesize abundant PGI.

Animal studies unequivocally support the indispensable role of prostaglandin (PG) and cyclooxygenase (COX) in ovulation and implantation. Available data also suggest that PG and COX may be important in the transport of embryos. The effects of PGE2 and PGF2α on the contractility of human tubal muscle have been studied extensively; the expression of COX in human fallopian tubes was also reported. Despite all these, two fundamentally important questions remained to be answered: 1) which PGs are produced by human fallopian tubes; and 2) which COX isoform(s) is expressed by the fallopian tubes. We used reverse-phase HPLC to study the metabolism of [1-14C] arachidonic acid by the fallopian tubes. We found that 6 keto-PGF1α, a stable metabolite of prostacyclin (PGI), and PGE2 constituted 56% ± 10% and 35% ± 10% (mean ± sem, four samples), respectively, of total eicosanoids synthesized. Western blot analysis revealed the expression of both COX isoforms. Immunohistochemistry study showed that both COX-1 and -2 wer...
Nocturnal sleep-wake parameters of adolescents at home following cancer chemotherapy.

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, longitudinal study was to describe objective nocturnal sleep–wake parameters of adolescents at home after receiving chemotherapy in the hospital or outpatient clinic and explore differences in sleep variables by age, gender, and corticosteroid use. Methods: We collected 7 days of wrist actigraphy and sleep diary data from 48 adolescents (10–19 years) who were receiving cancer chemotherapy for a primary or secondary cancer or a relapse. The actigraphic sleep variables included rest interval (i.e., time in bed), sleep onset, sleep offset, sleep duration, total sleep time (TST), wake after sleep onset (WASO), and %WASO. Results: Of the 48 adolescents, 38 had at least five nights of scored actigraphy and were included in analyses. Older (13–18 years) adolescents went to bed later and had fewer minutes of TST than younger adolescents (10–12 years). Exploratory analyses revealed no differences between adolescents who were taking oral corticosteroids (i.e., prednisone, d...
Activation of ras oncogenes preceding the onset of neoplasia

The identification of ras oncogenes in human and animal cancers including precancerous lesions indicates that these genes participate in the early stages of neoplastic development. Yet, these observations do not define the timing of ras oncogene activation in the multistep process of carcinogenesis. To ascertain the timing of ras oncogene activation, an animal model system was devised that involves the induction of mammary carcinomas in rats exposed at birth to the carcinogen nitrosomethylurea. High-resolution restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of polymerase chain reaction-amplified ras sequences revealed the presence of both H-ras and K-ras oncogenes in normal mammary glands 2 weeks after carcinogen treatment and at least 2 months before the onset of neoplasia. These ras oncogenes can remain latent within the mammary gland until exposure to estrogens, demonstrating that activation of ras oncogenes can precede the onset of neoplasia and suggesting that normal physiological proliferative processes such as estrogen-induced mammary gland development may lead to neoplasia if the targeted cells harbor latent ras oncogenes.
"What the Hell Is Revise?": A Qualitative Study of Student Approaches to Coursework in Developmental English at One Urban-Serving Community College.

Objective:To learn how interactions among the content, professor, and students shaped passing and failing developmental English at one urban-serving community college (USCC).Method:I observed three sections of developmental English at USCC throughout a semester and conducted semi-structured interviews with all three professors and a sample of 23 student volunteers from across the three courses. The analysis drew on field notes from 58 classroom session observations, transcripts of the instructor, and student interviews, and more than 100 pages of course documents handed out to students (i.e., syllabi, assignments, rubrics, etc.).Results:Students’ high school experiences shaped approaches to coursework (at least initially), whereby students quickly completed assignments without regard to the assessmentcriteria and expected passing grades for their effort. However, passing required students to adopt a new approach whereby they revised an unacceptable draft of an essay assignment intoa satisfactory one.Concl...
Behavioral consequences of visual deprivation and restriction in the golden hamster.

Abstract Hamsters reared in total darkness and animals reared in a stroboscopic environment required more trials to attain criterion performance on a visual pattern discrimination than control animals. As a group, the strobe-reared hamsters needed a significantly greater number of trials than the dark-reared animals to master this discrimination. In addition, the response latencies on correct responses were longer for dark-reared animals than for the other two groups. These behavioral results were related to our previous electrophysiological studies dealing with the role of visual experience in the functional organization of the hamster's visual system.
The magneto-elastic properties of the invar alloy, Fe3Pt

The variations of the lattice parameter, the Curie temperature (determined from specific heat measurements), and the temperature variation of the elastic constants C, C′, and Cl in an applied magnetic field of 0.8 T have all been measured as a function of the long-range order in a single crystal of iron-platinum alloy with very nearly the stoichiometric composition Fe3Pt. It is found that the Invar effect in partially ordered Fe-25 Pt is larger than in other Fe-Pt alloys or in well-known Invar alloys such as Fe-35 Ni. The results for Fe-25 Pt are analyzed and interpreted in terms of a model of nearest-neighbor exchange interaction which takes account of the spatial variation of the average exchange integral. The best fit with the experimental data is obtained by assuming an average spin of unity. Using ordering as the controlled variable avoids the difficulties inherent in studies which have relied on a compositional variable. The model satisfactorily describes the magnetic contribution to the elastic constants and the variation of Curie temperature with changes in the long-range order. It is concluded that Fe-Pt coupling is ferromagnetic and Fe-Fe coupling antiferromagnetic.
Semiclassical methods at finite temperature

Semiclassical path-integral methods are applied to the quantum-mechanical double-well potential at finite temperature. When all parameters are fixed and h ..-->.. 0 the quantum tunneling transitions which maintain the symmetry at zero temperature are absent. Classical thermal fluctuations, however, give transitions which partially disorder the system.
An Effective Decomposition Procedure for Computing Equilibrium Single Commodity Trade Flows

The objective is to compute equilibrium interregional trade flows in relation to approximately linear supply and demand curves for a single commodity. There are n regions on a network characterized by approximately linear interregional transportation costs. Quadratic programming approaches can be greatly simplified by exploiting the special structure of the problem. This paper shows how the reduced quadratic program can then be partitioned using Benders decomposition. The computation then involves solving relatively small transportation problems and quadratic programming problems. Numerical experiments show the method to be effective in reducing computational requirements.
Serotonin-stimulated intracellular calcium mobilization in platelets from alcoholic men

Numerous lines of evidence have suggested a key role for serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) pathways in the regulation of alcohol consumption. To explore the functioning of the 5HT2 receptor in alcoholism, 5HT-stimulated intracellular calcium response was measured in platelets from abstinent alcoholic patients and normal comparison subjects. No difference in resting or stimulated calcium levels was observed. This finding suggests that 5HT2 receptor function is unaffected in non-drinking alcoholic subjects. The previously reported 5HT inhibition in actively drinking alcoholic subjects is likely to be a state rather than trait marker of alcoholism.