cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION VERSUS PROGRAM DESIGN: WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR POLICY “FAILURE”?

Many influential implementation scholars now argue that “street-level” bureaucrats, rather than legislators or high-level administrators, make public policy in the U.S. Such authors as Pressman and Wildavsky cite creaming in employment and training programs as an especially clear example of well-meaning programs that fail when implemented. This paper argues that two of the most significant and lasting of these programs, the U.S. Employment Service and the Manpower Development and Training Act, were designed to encourage creaming. The essay asserts implementation scholars overstate the disconnection between program design and program implementation because they assume there is little disconnection between program legitimation and program design. A better conception of design permits one to perceive that these programs were legitimated on the grounds they would serve a large number of constituents, but were designed to do so by serving employers. The combination of these premises made creaming an imperative of program operation, and the implementors who cream remain faith ful to original program strategy. This finding suggests a redirection of policy research toward a more rlgorous analysis of program design and a better understanding of the relationship between legitimation, design, and implementation.
Influence of Oral Administration of Orally Active Estrogen and Progestin on Oviduct Development of the Immature Pullet

Abstract THE reproductive system of the female bird undergoes remarkable changes at sexual maturity which result in major increases in oviduct weight and length in a short period of time. However, relatively little is known about the hormonal factors that influence these structural alterations. Juhn and Gustavson (1930) were apparently the first to report the effects of hormones on the oviducts of hens. They reported that the tubular gland and smooth muscle development of the oviduct was dependent upon ovarian hormones. However, estrogen alone was unable to bring the oviduct of immature pullets to full functional activity, as measured by the secretion of albumen (Hertz, 1950; Brant and Nalbandov, 1952, 1956; and Bolton, 1952). Estrogen appears to be primarily concerned with inducing morphological changes in the magnum of the oviduct of the puberal pullet, while the other sex hormones are concerned with inducing functional changes (Brant and Nalbandov, 1952). A combination…
FEASIBILITY OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF RADIATION THERAPY ONCOLOGY GROUP (RTOG) 91-11 USING MEDICARE DATA

Purpose The specific aim of this analysis was to evaluate the feasibility of performing a cost-effectiveness analysis using Medicare data from patients treated on a randomized Phase III clinical trial. Methods and Materials Cost data included Medicare Part A and Part B costs from all providers—inpatient, outpatient, skilled nursing facility, home health, hospice, and physicians—and were obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for patients eligible for Medicare, treated on Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 9111 between 1992 and 1996. The 47-month expected discounted (annual discount rate of 3%) cost for each arm of the trial was calculated in 1996 dollars, with Kaplan-Meier sampling average estimates of survival probabilities for each month and mean monthly costs. Overall and disease-free survival was also discounted 3%/year. The analysis was performed from a payer's perspective. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated comparing the chemotherapy arms to the radiation alone arm. Results Of the 547 patients entered, Medicare cost data and clinical outcomes were available for 66 patients. Reasons for exclusion included no RTOG follow-up, Medicare HMO enrollment, no Medicare claims since trial entry, and trial entry after 1996. Differences existed between groups in tumor characteristics, toxicity, and survival, all which could affect resource utilization. Conclusions Although we were able to test the methodology of economic analysis alongside a clinical trial using Medicare data, the results may be difficult to translate to the entire trial population because of non-random missing data. Methods to improve Medicare data capture and matching to clinical trial samples are required.
Optimal learning in a virtual patient simulation of cranial nerve palsies: The interaction between social learning context and student aptitude

Background: Simulation in medical education provides students with opportunities to practice interviews, examinations, and diagnosis formulation related to complex conditions without risks to patients.Aim: To examine differences between individual and team participation on learning outcomes and student perspectives through use of virtual patients (VPs) for teaching cranial nerve (CN) evaluation.Methods: Fifty-seven medical students were randomly assigned to complete simulation exercises either as individuals or as members of three-person teams. Students interviewed, examined, and diagnosed VPs with possible CN damage in the Neurological Exam Rehearsal Virtual Environment (NERVE). Knowledge of CN abnormalities was assessed pre- and post-simulation. Student perspectives of system usability were evaluated post-simulation.Results: An aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) effect was detected; at pre-test scores ≤ 50%, students in teams scored higher (83%) at post-test than did students as individuals (62%, p = ...
Effect of Exposure to Cigarette Smoke on Carotid Artery Intimal Thickening The Role of Inducible NO Synthase

Objective— We investigated the role of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in intimal thickening with exposure to cigarette smoke (CS). Methods and Results— Intimal thickening in wild-type (WT) and iNOS-d...
In vivo morphologic imaging taken to a higher level

The numerous diseases referenced in these papers that are now diagnosed by using relatively “low-resolution” ex vivo light microscopy may be made in the future with “high- resolution” in vivo MR imaging.
Book reviews - Signal analysis

This latest text by Professor Papoulis dealing with Fourier transforms and linear systeims os rganized into three parts, each having its own unique character. Part One, ?Signals, Systems and Transforms,? comes closest to the conventional, undergraduate-level treatment of linear systems giving approximately equal, but separate, attention to discrete-time and continuous-time versions of the topics. After an introductory chapter on the basics of both kinds of signalsand systems, there follows a chapter on z-transforms, then a chapter on Fourier analysis which concludes with a case study discussion relating Fourier integrals, Part Two is entitle?Selelected Topics?. It is a collection of various results, some of which are the most interesting in the entire text, but primarily of mathematical nature.
Associations of PM2.5 constituents and sources with hospital admissions: Analysis of four counties in connecticut and Massachusetts (USA) for persons ≥ 65 years of age

Background: Epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between short-term exposure to PM2.5 and hospital admissions. The chemical composition of particles varies across locations and ti...
Fuzzy logic to fuse data communicated among multiple pursuing agents

This paper investigates the use of fuzzy logic as a tool to fuse sensed and communicated data from multiple pursuers in a pursuit problem, to improve the individual pursuer's target tracking. An intuitive approach enables the development of a fuzzy inference system (FIS) to fuse pursuers' sensed and communicated information. To show that the FIS aids the pursuers in a pursuit, a simulation models the sensor uncertainty and the movement of the targets and pursuers. The paper shows that the introduction of the FIS yields faster mean capture times of all targets with simpler pursuit trajectories as compared to a baseline algorithm.
Dimerization of Organic Dyes on Luminescent Gold Nanoparticles for Ratiometric pH Sensing

Synergistic effects arising from the conjugation of organic dyes onto non-luminescent metal nanoparticles (NPs) have greatly broadened their applications in both imaging and sensing. Herein, we report that conjugation of a well-known pH-insensitive dye, tetramethyl-rhodamine (TAMRA), to pH-insensitive luminescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can lead to an ultrasmall nanoindicator that can fluorescently report local pH in a ratiometric way. Such synergy originated from the dimerization of TAMRA on AuNPs, of which geometry was very sensitive to surface charges of the AuNPs and can be reversely modulated through protonation of surrounding glutathione ligands. Not limited to pH-insensitive dyes, this pH-dependent dimerization can also enhance the pH sensitivity of fluorescein, a well-known pH-sensitive dye, within a larger pH range, opening up a new pathway to design ultrasmall fluorescent ratiometric nanoindicators with tunable wavelengths and pH response ranges.
Toward a deeper understanding of how experiments constrain the underlying physics of heavy-ion collisions

High-energy heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC are complex dynamical phenomena. To understand them one typically relies upon complex numerical simulations that are compared to an array of experimental measurements. This paper presents a novel extension of the standard Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method that helps establish a relationship of the model parameters to the measurements, as well as determine the uncertainties in the inferred parameters. The approach may have applications in other areas of physics and astrophysics.
Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver with an unusual presentation: case report and review of the literature

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is a rare malignant mesenchymal neoplasm, relatively unique to the liver that occurs primarily in children and teenagers. Delay in diagnosis is not uncommon due to lack of a characteristic clinical presentation, serological markers and radiological changes. We report a case of UESL in a 9-year-old girl who presented with right upper quadrant pain and a palpable mass. Laboratory and imaging workup revealed a complex hepatic cyst, increased IgE, transient peripheral eosinophilia and a normal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Initial empirical treatment with albendazole was implemented for presumed hydatid cyst disease, but the child failed to improve. Subsequent surgical resection resulted in the correct diagnosis of UESL. She received 6 months of chemotherapy and remains well with no evidence of tumor about 12 months after resection. We herein review the typical clinical, radiologic and pathologic features of this rare tumor.
Applying SAT-Solvers to Extension Fields of Low Degree

In this book we have been discussing polynomial equations over finite fields of characteristic two for quite some time. However, the finite field in question has almost always been \(\mathbb{G}\mathbb{F}\)(2). In cryptanalysis, this is usually the field of interest, with notable exceptions, including several ciphers: Rijndael [89] which later become the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which uses \(\mathbb{G}\mathbb{F}\)(256); the cryptosystem called TTM [127], over the same field; the Courtois Toy Cipher (CTC) [14] [73], can be modeled over \(\mathbb{G}\mathbb{F}\)(8) for certain settings. The stream cipher family QUAD [42] can operate over any finite field, but finite fields of characteristic two would be the natural setting (see Section 5.2 on Page 66).
Effects of adding carbon dioxide to inspired oxygen on tolerance to high altitudes.

Summary1. The addition of 10.5% or 21.7% carbon dioxide to oxygen does not improve the altitude ceiling of mice.2. Mice taken to altitude in 100% oxygen, with continuous ascent from 30,000 feet at a rate of about 6,000 feet per minute, collapse at a lower ceiling than mice which ascend from 40,000 feet in 2,000-foot steps with 5-minute stops at each stage.3. In experiments on human subjects no favorable physiological effects were observed when 10% CO2 was added to the inspired oxygen at 40,000 ft.
Emissions Performance of the Macrolaminate Premixer Tested Under Simulated Engine Conditions

Single injector, high pressure, rig evaluation of the prototype Parker macrolaminate dual fuel premixer (previously tested at NETL, see Mansour et al., 2001) [1] with pressure swirl macrolaminate atomizers was conducted under simulated engine operating conditions running on No. 2 diesel fuel (DF2). Emissions, oscillations and lean blowout (LBO) performance on liquid fuel at high, part and no load operating points (pressures of 160, 100, 120 psig, and inlet temperatures of 690, 570, 590°F, respectively) and various pressure drops (ΔP/P) and air fuel ratio conditions were investigated. The results indicate that the Parker premixer design has the potential to reduce the DF2 NOX emission to below 15 ppmv, 15% O2 . At simulated high load conditions with a nominal flame temperature (TPZ ) of 2700°F, the NOX and CO emissions are approximately 10 and 2.5 ppmv at 15% O2 , respectively. These results compare extremely favorable to existing commercially available premixer technologies tested under similar rig operating conditions. More importantly, the NOX yield for the Parker Macrolaminate premixer appears to be independent of operating conditions (from high to no load and various pressure drop conditions). Variations in combustor pressure, inlet temperature (T2 ) and residence time (τ) or pressure drop (ΔP/P) does not seem to have an effect on the formation of NOX . According to Leonard and Stegmaier (1993) [2], insensitivity of NOX formation to operating conditions is a good indication of high degree of premixing. Additionally, the premixer NOX data is only 1 to 2 ppmv higher than the jet stirred reactor (JSR) results (ran at T2 = 661°F, PCD = 14.7 psi and TPZ = 2762°F with similar DF2) of Lee et al., 2001 [3], further confirming the quality of premixing achieved. Combustion driven oscillations was not investigated by tuning the rig so that oscillations would not be a factor.© 2003 ASME
Making Decisions as if Lives Depend on Them

The article discusses an article by Michael Useem, James Cook and Larry Sutton on decision making published within this issue.
Differential Optical Imaging Using Vasoactive Agents for Cancer Detection

Infrared transillumination is used to detect cancerous tissue in a human xenograft mouse model. Vasoactive agents are used to provide exogenous contrast by altering response from blood chromophores hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin.
Research on the Distribution Automation Terminal Precision, Function, Communication Protocol Integrated Testing Technology

According to distribution automation terminal are lack of comprehensive and effective means of detecting the actual situation,this paper introduces a kind of power distribution automation terminal integrated detection scheme.The detection platform consists of the main station system simulation,interface,terminal to be tested and site condition simulation system,realizing the basic error detection,communication protocol,function test in one multi-functional detection,so that the tested terminal integrated detection possible.There is a certain reference value.This platform is useful to further standardize and guarantee the functions of the terminal which will be more portable,improve testing efficiency and detection level.
Relationship of pyrimidine biosynthetic enzymes to cellular proliferation in rat intestine during development.

Two enzymes of the de novo pathway of pyrimidine biosynthesis, aspartate transcarbamylase and dihydroorotase, and two enzymes of the salvage pathway, uridine kinase and thymidine kinase, were assayed in crypts, villi, and whole intestinal mucosa of the rat during development. Elevated activities of these enzymes could be correlated with active cellular proliferation. The activities of the enzymes were greatest in crypts and decreased as cells migrated along the length of the villi. Also, changes in cellular proliferation during development of intestinal mucosa mirrored changes in enzymatic activities of both the de novo and salvage pathways. In colonic mucosa, where cellular turnover does not increase at weaning, there was no change in activities of these enzymes, offering a biochemical basis for determination of cellular turnover in the intestine.
Infectious Complications of Human Retroviruses and Human Retroviruses as Infectious Complications

As of June 1, 1988, The World Health Organization had received reports of 96,433 cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and had estimated a worldwide cumulative total of over 200,000 cases. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control reported a cumulative total of 63,726 cases of whom 56% were known to have died. Such grim statistics grossly underestimate the magnitude of the pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Current estimates are of between 5 and 10 million people infected worldwide, with a potential of a 10-fold increase in the next 5 years. Individuals infected with HIV-1 are reservoirs of infection for others and live with what now appears to be a very high probability of developing AIDS (CDC, 1988a; Kreiss et al. 1986; Mann, 1988; Quinn et al. 1986).
Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia and Implications of Atypical Neuroleptic Treatment

Cognitive impairment is considered a central feature of schizophrenia. Many aspects of cognition are impaired in schizophrenia. Careful evaluation of the relationship between cognitive impairment and the other symptoms of schizophrenia has revealed several important findings. In this article, we discuss these findings, the effects of typical neuroleptic therapy on cognitive impairment, and important issues to address in cognitive enhancement studies in schizophrenia.
Fast-condensing nanofoams: Suppressing localization of intense stress waves

Abstract We investigated the propagation of intense stress waves across silica nanofoams, with the pore size ranging from ~50 nm to ~1 µm and the porosity of ~60%. The experimental results showed that if the pore size was relatively large, the stress wave remained localized and its energy was dissipated in narrow bands; if the pore size was below ~200 nm, however, the stress wave was homogenized in a broad area and consequently, bulk distributed energy absorption was promoted and the maximum transmitted-wave pressure was significantly reduced. We attribute this phenomenon to the fast condensation of the smallest pores at the wave front. The ability of nanofoams to promote widespread energy absorption may enable efficient stress-wave mitigation techniques. The classic Grady model was modified to take account for the nanopore size effect.
GeoVEs as Tools to Communicate in Urban Projects: Requirements for Functionality and Visualization

Urban planning is a complex decision-making process involving a large number of actors who interact intensively. Such groups often have conflicting expectations and backgrounds. Therefore, consultation and interaction is vital for the success of urban projects. A Geo-Virtual Environment (geoVE) can play an important role as a communication tool in the field of spatial planning, but such tools are still in limited use. We investigate the requirements for visualization in urban planning by analyzing user perceptions of visual materials and their needs for interaction in the different urban phases. The study is completed with the cooperation of several large municipalities in the Netherlands.
Bott Periodicity, Submanifolds, and Vector Bundles

We sketch a geometric proof of the classical theorem of Atiyah, Bott, and Shapiro [3] which relates Clifford modules to vector bundles over spheres. Every module of the Clifford algebra \(Cl_k\) defines a particular vector bundle over \(\mathord {\mathbb S}^{k+1}\), a generalized Hopf bundle, and the theorem asserts that this correspondence between \(Cl_k\)-modules and stable vector bundles over \(\mathord {\mathbb S}^{k+1}\) is an isomorphism modulo \(Cl_{k+1}\)-modules. We prove this theorem directly, based on explicit deformations as in Milnor’s book on Morse theory [8], and without referring to the Bott periodicity theorem as in [3].
On decompositions of finite horizon DP Problems with linear dynamics

We consider finite horizon dynamic programming problems with linear dynamics over a finite dimensional, but otherwise arbitrary, state-space. For the case where the cost function is a function only of the state, we consider a decomposition of the underlying state-space under the system transformation: We begin by refining a previously introduced notion of decomposition of the original DP problem in terms of families of suitably defined smaller DP problems. We then introduce a second notion of decomposition, and we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such decompositions. Finally, we investigate the relations between these two notions of decompositions, and we show that they are equivalent in certain instances that we explicitly identify.
Collective Leadership Works: Preparing Youth & Adults for Community Change

Collective Leadership Works is the latest resource kit developed by the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development. The 181 page tool kit is filled with detailed lesson plans designed for youth and adult leadership activities. The resources will benefit groups at any stage of development. Contents have been divided into eight sections including Team Building, Youth-Adult Partnerships, Knowing Community and Place, Creating Ways to Come Together, Leadership and Relationship Development, Planning for Action, Reflection and Spreading the Word. Youth professionals will appreciate this well designed, interactive resource as they engage youth and adults in community building efforts.
Identification of Mercury and Dissolved Organic Matter Complexes Using Ultrahigh Resolution Mass Spectrometry

The chemical speciation and bioavailability of mercury (Hg) is markedly influenced by its complexation with naturally dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic environments. To date, however, analytical methodologies capable of identifying such complexes are scarce. Here, we utilize ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) coupled with electrospray ionization to identify individual Hg–DOM complexes. The measurements were performed by direct infusion of DOM in a 1:1 methanol:water solution at a Hg to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) molar ratio of 3 × 10–4. Heteroatomic molecules, especially those containing multiple S and N atoms, were found to be among the most important in forming strong complexes with Hg. Major Hg–DOM complexes of C10H21N2S4Hg+ and C8H17N2S4Hg+ were identified based on both the exact molecular mass and patterns of Hg stable isotope distributions detected by FTICR-MS. Density functional theory was used to predict the solution-phase struct...
Guanosine Nucleotide Analogues as General Ligands in Affinity Chromatography

The development in recent years of biospecific adsorbents of the general ligand type used in affinity chromatography has proven most valuable. The most widely used ligands for enzyme purification have been analogues of adenosine mono- and dinucleotides (1–5). We now report on the synthesis of a new guanosine nucleotide analogue, 8(6-aminohexyl)-amino-GMP and its utilization for the purification of IMP dehydrogenase from Aerobacter aerogenes.
Replicating: Creating Evidence and Systems to Support More of the Same

The Citizen Schools program recently was introduced in Durham, North Carolina. Started in Boston in 1995 by Eric Schwarz, the initiative serves low-income, middle-school children in after-school programs supervised and taught by a mixture of paid staff and volunteers. The lessons cover topics like “College to Career Connections” and “Student Success Habits.” Rigorously conducted evaluations of the program’s interventions have found that students who have gone through the Citizen Schools program are 20 percent more likely to graduate from high school than a control group of comparable students who have not received the interventions. These data have given donors, funders, and potential host schools confidence that the program works, and with the development of a “playbook” or system that new schools could easily understand and adopt, the program is scaling rapidly. There are now seven states that run Citizen School programs, serving thousands of children, and evaluation results continue to report strong positive results.1
Memory and the realization of the nothingness: On a letter from Vittorio Sereni to Giuseppe Ungaretti:

Ungaretti’s problematic relationship with his city of birth sheds light on the interplay between memory and oblivion in his poetry and prose. The shuttling back and forth between these poles marks ...
Borrowing constraints and saving in Turkey

Abstract The Turkish macroeconomic experience since 2002 has been characterized by three striking trends: (1) an accelerated growth rate of income, (2) a sharp decline in the real interest rate, and (3) a sustained fall in the saving rate of different age-groups. During the same period, there has also been a significant increase in access to credit by Turkish households. In this paper, we argue that a model which incorporates a borrowing constraint mechanism together with the observed increases in the expected growth rate of income and the substantial declines in the real interest rate is able to explain the change in saving across cohorts in Turkey over the last decade. We provide both micro-level evidence on the age-saving profile for Turkey as well as quantitative results from a simple three-period OLG framework with borrowing constraints to account for the change in the saving rate for different age-groups between 2004 and 2014.
CHAPTER 9 - Materials Applications of Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

This chapter presents first a chronological account of the incorporation of Nion aberration correctors into the VG Microscopes HB501UX and HB603U (Vacuum Generators, Ltd., Hastings, Sussex, UK) scanning transmission electron microscopes (STEMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the improvement in resolution, and the realization of the additional benefits of the sharper probe. This chapter discusses the improved capability for imaging individual heavy atoms on surfaces or inside a bulk material, which enables spectroscopic identification of a single atom. Subsequently, this chapter also presents a number of case studies in various areas of materials research in which these instrumental advances have provided new insights or provided a new explanation for an old issue. In many cases, microscopy data are coupled with density functional theory, allowing structures suggested from the microscope to be verified and refined. Theory can quantitatively investigate potential impurity sites and determine segregation energies and activation barriers.
Insecticide resistance in western flower thrips.

Leaf dip bioassays were used to determine the breadth of tolerance of three pesticides for western flower thrips (WFT) populations collected from greenhouses with minimal (’sD’ strain) and intensive insecticide use (’sB’ strain), and from a susceptible colony where no pesticides were applied for 1 yr prior to the study (‘UC’ strain). Additionally, five doses of three pesticides were applied topically. In the bioassays insecticide treatments were more efficacious against the ‘UC’strain than the field-collected strains; topical applications showed increased resistance levels in the’ sB’ strain.
CHAPTER 9 – Saccharides in Fat Replacement

This chapter discusses the properties and various uses of saccharides, and as fat replacement in food. Many saccharides comprise a sizable fraction of the cell-wall matrix of terrestrial plant. These saccharides display hydrocolloidal activity, are nongelling, and are immune to the action of human digestive enzymes. Some properties of saccharides such as dispersion, transparency, and stability are superior to those of the polymers. The hemicelluloses are polymolecular, random-coil, often branched heteroglycans interspersed with cellulose microfibrils and starch granules. Oligosacharides are intermediate DP hydrolysates of polysaccharides, or are synthesized by enzymes. They are empirically differentiated from polysaccharides by a chain length of 2–20 monomers. These species are important moieties in polysaccharide structural elucidation by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy, because their long segments are identical to those of the original primary chain. Hemicellulose and oligosaccharides are characterized according to their water and alkali solubility, and branching and density are the major distinguishing features.
Endocardial Mapping Using Real Time Three Dimensional Ultrasound-Ranging Tracking System

Mapping during a catheter ablation procedure is needed for a variety of reasons. The main objective is the visualization of catheter position at a particular time. Such a static identification of catheter location can be achieved with standard fluoroscopy coupled with the information obtained from the intracardiac electrical signal. In the performance of a more complex ablation, such as the creation of a large or linear lesion, additional information would be needed. To facilitate the formation of contiguous ablations and to minimize overlapping of lesions, the mapping procedure would have to include identification of previous catheter tip locations. Furthermore, to guide the direction of the proposed lesion, the mapping data should ideally provide other cardiac landmarks. Also of great importance, the data should be available almost instantly because catheter positioning is frequently not stable.
Experimental correlation of laminar flame pollutant emission indices with methyl ester fuel degree of unsaturation and equivalence ratio

Abstract Fuel unsaturation has been widely cited as a reason for the increased nitric oxide emissions from compression ignition engines when fueled with methyl esters (biodiesels) and their blends with petroleum counterparts. In an earlier study, a parameter called degree of unsaturation (DOU) was established to serve as a common platform across different fuel families (esters/alkanes/aromatics) to quantify the effects of fuel unsaturation, particularly with petroleum/biodiesel blends. DOU can be evaluated based on the average molecular formula of the fuel alone without involving complex and expensive experimental procedures such as those involved in the measurement of iodine number and bromine number. In this article, the fuel unsaturation effects on the emission characteristics from the laminar flames of blends of various pre-vaporized methyl esters, such as methyl oleate, neat biodiesels (from methyl esters of soy, canola, palm and rapeseed feedstock) and biodiesel blends were investigated at four burner-exit equivalence ratios of 0.9, 1.0, 1.2 and 1.5. The selection of these fuels for this study was an attempt to isolate the fuel unsaturation effect of biodiesels, and their blending effect with petroleum fuels. Experimental correlations were developed between DOU (over a range of 1.7–2.5) and global NO and CO emission indices as a function of equivalence ratio. The effects of DOU on EINO were significantly influenced by the equivalence ratio, with the maximum influence at an equivalence ratio of 1.2.
A Meta-Analysis of Intervention Effects on Depression And/Or Anxiety in Youth Exposed to Political Violence or Natural Disasters.

Meta-analyses of youth mass trauma intervention studies have focused primarily on posttraumatic stress even though depression and anxiety are common maladaptive outcomes that require intervention. This meta-analysis examined youth mass trauma intervention effects on depression and anxiety relative to natural recovery and characteristics of the event, context, population, intervention, and intervention delivery that may have moderated these effects. A literature search identified 21 studies investigating the effectiveness of 24 randomized controlled trials with inactive controls (21 trials examined depression and 8 examined anxiety; 5 examined both). Intervention effects were computed as Hedge’s g estimates and combined using random effects models. Moderator analysis computed intervention effect sizes across selected covariates. The summary intervention effect was not significant for either depression or anxiety. There were statistically significant effects for depression with interventions delivered following a natural disaster (g = 0.40; p = 0.0192) or in a high income country (g = 0.30; p = 0.0253) and with non-trauma-focused interventions (g = 0.29; p = 0.0155) and those delivered in more than eight sessions (g = 0.23; p = 0.0416). The effect for anxiety symptoms was significant only with non-trauma-focused interventions (g = 0.83; p = 0.0428). Given the prevalence of depression and anxiety post event, greater attention is warranted to develop and maximize the benefit of interventions for these outcomes. The findings suggest that trauma-focused interventions may need to be augmented with specific components directed at depression and/or anxiety.
The rural identity and the encroaching city: Governance, policy and development in Northern Virginia's Wine Country

In exurban areas, there are commonly issues and tensions associated with development and rural life. We assess how two counties located approximately one hour west of Washington, DC manage these tensions. Although both have enabled development, they have done so in different ways and neither has simply succumbed to exurban development as a given. Utilizing stakeholder interviews and document analysis, we note the different policy approaches that the two counties have taken and contrast them with the more common imagery of areas that fully acquiesce to suburban style development. Our findings suggest that tensions between the pressures of development and the persistent appeal of the rural identity occupy much time and attention in these two counties. Both counties have adopted observable policy changes driven by development pressures in recent years, underscoring a policy landscape that is in flux and the modern tension between the commercial economy of modernity, and the rural identity that is retained from the past. We observe that rural governance is largely about land, while urban governance is largely about people. As these two cases suggest, exurban governance has to be about both issues and this tension may lead to governance that is inherently unstable.
Collaborative learning in online business education: Evidence from a field experiment

Although online business degrees and student enrollments have increased, course quality and outcomes remain a challenge. We designed a collaborative learning activity at a large public university i...
Transradial approach for pediatric interventions: A review and analysis of the literature.

Background:Transradial access for interventions has been well studied in the adult population, but there is a paucity of literature of its use in the pediatric population.Methods:We conducted a sys...
Acquired Subclinical Diabetes Mellitus in Women Receiving Oral Contraceptive Agents

Although several conflicting observations have been reported concerning the effects of oral contraceptive agents on standard glucose tolerance tests, there is little doubt that the frequency of abnormal steroid-provocative glucose tolerance tests (GTT) is extraordinarily high among subjects on this regimen. diPaola and I co-workers (1) and Gershberg and associates (2) have observed independently that the incidence of positive steroid tests in: women receiving agents containing mestranol ranges from 45 to 85 percent or 10 to 20-fold greater than a general population. These findings imply that oral contraceptives induce an acquired form of subclinical diabetes mellitus. Possible etiologies of this defect and its reversibility after discontinuation of birth control medications are the subjects of this presentation.
Clinical observations and laboratory analysis of factors that affect the survival and performance of beef cattle

Clinical and laboratory trials on the survival and performance of beef calves were carried out during 1985-1987, in Idaho, USA. Maternal factors examined were: calving, lactation and mothering scores; body weight; calving intervals; udder conformation; age; colostrum quality (total immunoglobulin (TIG) concentration). Factors examined in calves were: rectal temperature and vigour scores; morbidity and mortality; age at first sucking; age of first observed illness; serum TIG concentration; use of protective shelters. Mortality was low. The majority of illness was enteric and occurred during the first 2 weeks of life. Morbidity was lower in 1986 and 1987, which may be explained by improved sanitation procedures, use of protective shelters and improvements in the passive immunity of the calves.
Design, synthesis and characterization of lysozyme-gentisic acid dual-functional conjugates with antibacterial/antioxidant activities.

Abstract Both microbiological and chemical food spoilages remain to be the major challenges in the food industry's efforts to combat food waste and loss because of the lack of high efficacy food preservatives. In this study, dual-functional conjugates that simultaneously suppress both lipid oxidation and microorganism growth are fabricated by covalently conjugating natural antioxidant gentisic acid (GA) on native antibacterial lysozyme (Lys). The mixing ratio of Lys and GA determines the particle size, morphology, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial performance of the ensuing conjugates. With more of GA being grafted, a drastic decrease in the net surface charge with the concomitant occurrence of aggregations are observed in the conjugates. The maximum antioxidant activity and antibacterial performance of the conjugates is achieved when Lys:GA molar ratio is 1:112. The findings could guide the rational design of future functional food ingredients that combine multiple natural bioactive compounds to effectively intervene food waste and loss.
Safe-by-default Concurrency for Modern Programming Languages

Modern “safe” programming languages follow a design principle that we call safety by default and performance by choice. By default, these languages enforce important programming abstractions, such ...
Animal Disease Challenges to the Emergence of Pastoralism in Sub-Saharan Africa

Despite the antiquity of domestic cattle in the Sahara-Sahel, archaeological evidence from two sub-Saharan regions indicates that the first pastoralist colonization of sub-Saharan Africa may not have proceeded so smoothly as modern appearances suggest. The first appearance of cattle-based economies seems to have been delayed by as much as a thousand years after the first appearance of small stock, in both eastern and southern Africa. This article reviews the relevant archaeological evidence and argues that the lag in successful introduction of cattle stems from new animal diseases encountered by pastoral colonists entering biogeographic zones south of the Sahel. Diseases that are often fatal to cattle, including wildebeest-derived malignant catarrhal fever (WD-MCF), East Coast fever (ECF), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and Rift Valley fever (RVF), as well as trypanosomiasis, are described as probable barriers to the early entry of cattle-based economies into these regions.
Applying multimedia technology to undergraduate engineering laboratories

This article presents efforts to improve the presentation of material in high frequency, microwave, and electronics laboratories using multimedia technology. A crowded undergraduate curriculum leaves little time to dwell on difficult concepts in these areas of study, yet the laboratory experience is enhanced by greater understanding. A moderate or small-sized electrical engineering department is well suited for a one-on-one approach to teaching where close faculty-student interaction serves to fill many student needs. Even in this environment, better visualization tools may increase learning by reinforcing material introduced in the classroom. This project uses multimedia to enhance instruction and presentation in the high frequency, microwave, and electronics laboratories.
The Properties of Blazars Detected by EGRET

One of the most exciting recent developments in astrophysics is the detection of members of the blazar class of AGN at ∼1 GeV by the EGRET instrument aboard the Cdmpton Observatory. Although a weak detection of 3C 273 was obtained by the COS B mission, the very strong detection of 3C 279 by EGRET (Hartman et al 1992) two months after launch was not anticipated.
EXTENDING THE RESOLVING POWER OF SHAKE-AND-BAKE

Direct methods are based on the fact that suitable conditional probability distributions of structure invariants permit their values to be estimated. As with traditional multisolution direct-method protocols, the dual-space Shake-and-Bake procedure typically fails at resolutions below 1.1–1.2A, although solutions are obtainable at 1.4A in favorable cases. It is the nonavailability of sufficiently accurate invariant estimates, and not the peak-picking algorithm employed in the real-space density-modification step, that appears to impose the initial limitation on the resolving power of Shake-and-Bake. The feasibility of using three-beam diffraction to provide a limited number of sufficiently accurate estimates and a formalism for incorporating this information into the Shake-and-Bake procedure are discussed. The same formalism will accommodate SIR and SAS information as well.
PATHOGENESIS OF LETHAL SHOCK AFTER INTRAVENOUS STAPHYLOCOCCAL ENTEROTOXIN B IN MONKEYS

The pathogenesis of shock in the rhesus monkey given intravenous staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is not understood. Several cardiovascular changes produced by a highly purified preparation of SEB were studied after administration of doses ranging from 50 to 1,000 mug/kg. Irreversible arterial hypotension was found consistently at the higher doses. Arterial blood pressure and cardiac output declined substantially as shock developed. Total peripheral vascular resistance did not rise at any time, but showed a significant fall during the late stages of shock. Portal and central venous pressures remained essentially unchanged. Venous O(2) content and pO(2) declined gradually throughout the period of toxemia, but arterial O(2) content remained constant until just prior to death, when a slight fall was noted in some monkeys. These changes were consistent with a pooling of blood in the peripheral vascular beds and seemed to resemble cardiovascular responses reported to occur in monkeys during shock due to bacterial endotoxin. Epinephrine, administered in the late stages of shock, caused arterial pressure to increase almost immediately and cardiac output to return to normal about 1 min later. Although life could occasionally be prolonged for several hours by continuous or intermittent epinephrine infusions, this therapy never succeeded in reversing the lethal effects of high doses of SEB.
Post-anoxic myoclonus

Myoclonus is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary, sudden, brief muscle jerks caused by muscular contraction (positive myoclonus) or inhibition (negative myoclonus). 1,2 Myoclonus is generally a medical sign and not a diagnosis. It can occur in multiple disorders. A short differential diagnosis list includes anoxic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. One way to classify the etiologies is through review of the clinical presentation and comorbid conditions. This article presents a review of anoxic brain injury related myoclonus. Post-anoxic myoclonus (PAM) can develop in either acute or chronic phase. Acute PAM occurs within hours after hypoxic event; chronic PAM (Lance-Adams syndrome) develops in survivors several days to weeks after the episodes of brain hypoxia.
Lyapunov stability analysis of the quantization error for DCS neural networks

In this paper we show that the quantization error for Dynamic Cell Structures (DCS) Neural Networks (NN) as defined by Bruske and Sommer provides a measure of the Lyapunov stability of the weight centers of the neural net. We also show, however, that this error is insufficient in itself to verify that DCS neural networks provide stable topological representation of a given fixed input feature manifold. While it is true that DCS generates a topology preserving feature map, it is unclear when and under what circumstances DCS will have achieved an accurate representation. This is especially important in safety critical systems where it is necessary to understand when the topological representation is complete and accurate. The stability analysis here shows that there exists a Lyapunov function for the weight adaptation of the DCS NN system applied to a fixed feature manifold. The Lyapunov function works in parallel during DCS learning, and is able to provide a measure of the effective placement of neural units during the NN's approximation. It does not, however, guarantee the formation of an accurate representation of the feature manifold. Simulation studies from a selected CMU-Benchmark involving the use of the constructed Lyapunov function indicate the existence of a Globally Asymptotically Stable (GAS) state for the placement of neural units, but an example is given where the topology of the constructed network fails to mirror that of the input manifold even though the quantization error continues to decrease monotonically.
Purification and Characterization of a Lipophilic Factor From Testicular Macrophages That Stimulates Testosterone Production by Leydig Cells

Testicular macrophages have been shown to secrete a factor that stimulates testosterone production by Leydig cells. The purpose of this investigation was to purify and characterize this factor. Medium was collected from 24- to 48-hour cultures of testicular macrophages isolated from adult rats. This medium induced a sevenfold increase in testosterone production by cultured Leydig cells. When the medium was extracted with ether, all biological activity was found in the organic phase, indicating that the factor was lipophilic. The ether extract was then fractionated on a C18 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column, using a gradient of acidified methanol as the mobile phase. Leydig cell-stimulating activity eluted at approximately 11 minutes. Standards of testosterone, dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), pregnenolone, progesterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) all had elution times of between 5 and 6 minutes, under identical column conditions. The biological activity of the HPLC-purified fraction was partly resistant to boiling but was completely abolished by Dextran-coated charcoal treatment. Biological activity of testicular macrophage-conditioned medium was not abolished following chymotrypsin treatment, indicating that this molecule was not a hydrophilic peptide. It was found that the factor obtained by reversed-phase HPLC could be further purified by normal-phase HPLC. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the testicular macrophage-derived factor that stimulates testosterone production by Leydig cells can be purified by organic extraction and HPLC, and that it is a highly potent chymotrypsin-resistant heat-stable lipophilic factor.