cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Patron Satisfaction at the M. M. Bennett Library

Abstract St. Petersburg College's M. M. Bennett Library has utilized a patron user survey for the past five years to assess the satisfaction level of its patrons with equipment and services, and to collect other information from its users. From the data collected, both college-wide and individual campus reports are produced. Reaction to reference assistance has shown some variability in satisfaction level although there has been an improvement in the rating of library instructions since that question was first posed in 1999. Since the creation of the Campus head librarian position, each head librarian formulates a plan for improvement based on the results of the survey. Over the five years the method of collecting the surveys has primarily been to distribute paper surveys to patrons in the Library or in front of the Library. An Internet form was tried in 1999 and again during the April 2002 survey. Because so few patrons online were completing the web-based questionnaire, most campuses utilized paper surv...
A Novel Selection Marker for Efficient DNA Cloning and Recombineering in E. coli

Production of recombinant DNA in bacterial cells is an essential technique in molecular biology. Plasmids are usually maintained in an E. coli host by antibiotic selection. However, there are only a few antibiotic-resistance markers available in common use. Here we report the adoption of a novel selection marker, mfabI (mutant fabI) for plasmid propagation in E. coli. mfabI expands the limited repertoire of selection markers and allows for more efficient molecular manipulation and plasmid propagation in E. coli. We show that mfabI is not only an efficient plasmid selection marker, but it also possesses unique activity that may facilitate molecular manipulation of unstable sequences. Furthermore, we have incorporated mfabI in the recombineering tool kit for generating mouse gene targeting vectors and demonstrate the advantage of using mfabI-containing recombineering vectors.
Neutron irradiation and defect recovery of tungsten

Abstract A detailed study of the recovery of defects in tungsten after fast neutron ( E m ⩾ 1 MeV ) irradiation at about 70° C over a fast neutron fluence range from 8.5 × 10 17 n/cm 2 to 1.5 × 10 21 n/cm 2 has been completed. Three principal recovery regions have been observed at about 0.15 T m , 0.22 T m , and 0.31 T m where T m is the melting temperature of tungsten in °K. The 0.15 T m recovery involves an activation energy of about 1.7 eV and second-order kinetics. A shift of this recovery, with increasing neutron fluence, to lower temperatures is in keeping with second-order kinetics. These results are completely compatible with essentially a mobile self-interstitial, immobile vacancy, recovery process. The 0.22 T m recovery is suggested to be due to divacancy migration on the basis of its relative magnitude. The 0.31 T m recovery involves a first-order process with an activation energy of 3.3 eV in excellent agreement with other studies of monovacancy recovery. A non-annealing residual resistivity remaining after completion of the annealing studies has been shown to be due to rhenium. Rhenium is produced from the transmutation of tungsten by the β-decay of unstable isotopes of tungsten formed by thermal-neutron (n, γ) reactions. Rhenium appears to appreciably influence the migration energies for the various defects when its concentration is of the order of one atomic percent or greater. Small recoveries are also observed at about 0.27 T m and 0.35 T m . It is suggested that these recoveries may be due to the annealing of trivacancies and defect clusters or loops, respectively, with polygonization also contributing to the latter.
Ray transforms in hyperbolic geometry

Abstract We derive explicit inversion formulae for the attenuated geodesic and horocyclic ray transforms of functions and vector fields on two-dimensional manifolds equipped with the hyperbolic metric. The inversion formulae are based on a suitable complexification of the associated vector fields so as to recast the reconstruction as a Riemann–Hilbert problem. The inversion formulae have a very similar structure to their counterparts in Euclidean geometry and may therefore be amenable to efficient discretizations and numerical inversions. An important field of application is geophysical imaging when absorption effects are accounted for.
Parallel, tag-directed assembly of locally derived short sequence reads

We demonstrate subassembly, an in vitro library construction method that extends the utility of short-read sequencing platforms to applications requiring long, accurate reads. A long DNA fragment library is converted to a population of nested sublibraries, and a tag sequence directs grouping of short reads derived from the same long fragment, enabling localized assembly of long fragment sequences. Subassembly may facilitate accurate de novo genome assembly and metagenome sequencing.
EVALUATION OF NEW NONNUCLEAR PAVEMENT DENSITY GAUGES WITH DATA FROM FIELD PROJECTS

The introduction of new devices to measure pavement density requires an evaluation method that is both accurate and fair. Evaluations are commonly done by taking a density measurement with the gauge and comparing this density to the density obtained from a core taken at the same location. This approach must meet two requirements; first, enough cores must be taken at each location to make the comparisons meaningful, and second, evaluation of these devices must be done with as many projects in as many locations as possible to account for all materials used in pavement construction. Unfortunately, given the difficulties in obtaining field cores, large numbers of cores that can be used for evaluations are not available from all projects. Therefore, any evaluation of density gauges must balance rigor with practicality. The correlation coefficient was selected to evaluate the new nonnuclear pavement density gauge. However, because only a limited number of cores are available at each site for development of the correlation coefficient, this parameter by itself cannot be used to evaluate the new gauge. Instead, results from side-by-side comparisons with the accepted nuclear density gauge were used to aid in the evaluation of the new density-measuring device. It was concluded, on the basis of data from 76 projects in six different states, that the proposed nonnuclear density gauge must be further developed before it can be used to determine pavement density. In its current form, the densities obtained with the device do not correlate with the measured densities to the same degree that the densities measured with existing devices do. Use of this nonnuclear device will introduce more uncertainty in pavement density measurements than that which already exists.
Lights and siren: A review of emergency vehicle warning systems

Emergency medical services providers routinely respond to emergencies using lights and siren. This practice is not without risk of collision. Audible and visual warning devices and vehicle markings are integral to efficient negotiation of traffic and reduction of collision risk. An understanding of warning system characteristics is necessary to implement appropriate guidelines for prehospital transportation systems. The pertinent literature on emergency vehicle warning systems is reviewed, with emphasis on potential health hazards associated with these techniques. Important findings inferred from the literature are 1) red flashing lights alone may not be as effective as other color combinations, 2) there are no data to support a seizure risk with strobe lights, 3) lime-yellow is probably superior to traditional emergency vehicle colors, 4) the siren is an extremely limited warning device, and 5) exposure to siren noise can cause hearing loss. Emergency physicians must ensure that emergency medical services transportation systems consider the pertinent literature on emergency vehicle warning systems.
Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Current treatment options

The Philadelphia chromosome (Ph), t(9;22), is seen in about 20 % to 30 % of adults diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It has been associated with poorer prognosis compared with Ph-negative ALL. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the BCR-ABL oncogenic protein from this translocation have been incorporated into treatment regimens used to treat patients with Ph-positive ALL. Imatinib has been the most widely used TKI with several published trials showing it produced better outcomes when combined with chemotherapy. Dasatinib, a more potent inhibitor than imatinib, has also been evaluated with promising results. However, relapses still occur at a high rate, and allogeneic stem cell transplant is considered, so far, a better curative option in first remission. Additional strategies have also included incorporation of TKIs in the post-transplant setting and the use of newer third generation TKIs. This review provides an update on emerging therapies for adults with Ph-positive ALL.
Effect of cortisone on growing bones of the rat.

SummaryWhen cortisone acetate in appropriate doses is administered to growing rats, a dense zone composed of spicules of calcified cartilagenous matrix encased in bone appears at the growing ends of the bone. The width of this zone may be correlated with the duration of administration of the hormone. It is concluded that this area of increased density results from a disturbance in normal osteolytic activity.
Amphiphilic pyridinium salts block TNFα/NFκB signaling and constitutive hypersecretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8) from cystic fibrosis lung epithelial cells

Abstract Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common, lethal genetic disease, which is due to mutations in the CFTR gene. The CF lung expresses a profoundly proinflammatory phenotype, due to constitutive hypersecretion of IL-8 from epithelial cells lining the airways. In a systematic search for candidate drugs that might be used therapeutically to suppress IL-8 secretion from these cells, we have identified a potent and efficacious series of amphiphilic pyridinium salts. The most potent of these salts is MRS2481, an (R)-1-phenylpropionic acid ester, with an IC50 of ca. 1 μM. We have synthesized 21 analogues of MRS2481, which have proven sufficient to develop a preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR). For optimal activity, we have found that the ester must be connected to the pyridinium derivative by an eight-carbon chain. An optical isomer of the lead compound, containing an (S)-1-phenylpropionic acid ester, has been found to be a much less active. The mechanism of action of MRS2481 appears to involve inhibition of signaling of the NFκB and AP-1 transcription factors to the IL-8 promoter. MRS2481 is a potent inhibitor of TNFα-induced phosphorylation and proteosomal destruction of IκBα. Inasmuch as IκBα is the principal inhibitor of the NFκB signaling pathway, preservation of intact IκBα would serve to keep the IL-8 promoter silent. We also find that MRS2481 blocks TNFα-activated phosphorylation of JNK, the c-JUN kinase. The IL-8 promoter is also activated by an AP-1 site, which requires a phospho-c-JUN/c-FOS dimer for activity. We therefore interpret these data to suggest that the mechanism of MRS2481 action is to inhibit both NFκB and AP-1 signaling on the IL-8 promoter. Given the medicinally promising properties of water-solubility, potency in the low μM concentration range, and high efficacy, we anticipate that MRS2481, or a further optimized derivative, may find an important place in the armamentarium of pharmaceutical strategies yet to be arrayed against the inflammatory phenotype of the CF lung.
Three-dimensional image segmentation using neural networks

We have integrated a neural network model. Kohonen's self-organizing feature maps, with the idea of fuzzy sets and applied this model to the problem of 3-D image segmentation. In the proposed method, a Kohonen network provides the basic structure and update rule, whereas fuzzy membership values control the learning rate. The calculation of learning rate is based on a fuzzy clustering algorithm. The experimental results show that the speed of convergence is fast. The major strength of the proposed approach is its unsupervised nature. Moreover, the computer memory requirement is smaller and the computation time is less than that of a conventional 3-D region-based method.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Adsorption of methanol and water vapor on lunar soil 15081,2

Abstract Adsorption-desorption-resorption isotherms were measured for methanol vapor adsorption at 20°C on an Apollo 15 lunar soil 15081,2 both before and after water vapor adsorption. Specific surface areas were calculated from all the isotherms obtained, and the data were analyzed by the nS−nR method recently proposed by the authors. Methanol measured a relatively small surface area, which essentially remained the same pre- and post-water adsorption. The major effect found was an increase in the total pore volume adsorbed at saturation following the water cycle. Water measures a much higher surface area than does methanol, though still lower than that measured by nitrogen. The results are discussed and are related to the microstructure of the adsorbent. It is proposed that the immediate outer layer of lunar materials exposed to solar wind, solar flare, and micrometeorite bombardment is microcrystalline rather than amorphous and that polar vapors are capable of penetrating and swelling such structures.
Improving Aerosol Dispersion through Processing and Dissemination Techniques

Abstract The state of dispersion is a vital aspect of powder technology impacting both traditional and emerging technologies in many diverse areas of interest including health care, industry, the environment, and the military. In such applications, the properties and quality of the resultant product will be directly and noticeably affected by the degree to which the particles are dispersed. In any operation where satisfactory particle dispersion is imperative, a reduction in dispersion, or increased agglomeration, leads to poor efficiency and ultimately results in lower yields and increased cost. As powder technology moves into the nano-age, the challenges of maintaining and improving particle dispersion become increasingly important. Decreasing particle size into the submicron range can significantly increases the effect of surface forces leading to an increase in the cohesive forces of the powder, thus, making an understanding of dispersion even more essential. In order to develop the knowledge base to understand and control aerosol dispersion, a fundamental study into significant powder characteristics and environmental conditions that influence dispersion has been conducted. This paper discusses the results of testing various techniques employed to improve the dispersion of sub-micron aluminum flakes such as using a fumed silica spacer to reduce interparticle contact area and, in turn, attractive van der Waals forces, as well as examining the effect of dissemination pressure on the state of dispersion of the particles. This research was conducted using statistical experimental design in order to efficiently study significant factors.
Relation of Pore Size to Green Density: The Kozeny Equation

A relation between nitrogen desorption/mercury intrusion porosimetry-measured pore size and green density of a powder compact is examined with respect to data from the literature, as well as data from the current study on three ceramic oxides. In almost all cases, the relationship is well obeyed. Deviations from the relation (originally developed by Kozeny) in the current study are shown to be due to the presence of large, interagglomerate pores which persist during low-pressure pressing. Thus, a powder compact's adherence to the Kozeny relation can be used to gauge its degree of packing homogeneity.
TH‐E‐ValB‐03: Tumor Volume Regression During Radiation Therapy to Predict Treatment Outcome for Cervical Cancer

Purpose: To investigate the outcome predictive power of tumor volume measured by serial MR imaging(MRI) of cervical cancer, including the sensitivity and specificity to identify patients at risk of local failure. Method and Materials: Seventy‐nine patients with cervical cancer stages IB2‐IVA, treated with radiation/chemotherapy (RT/CT), underwent serial MRI:MRI 1(pre‐RT), MRI 2(at 20–25 Gy/2 weeks), MRI 3(at 40–50 Gy/4 weeks), and MRI 4(at 1–2 months post‐RT). Mean follow up was 6.2 (0.2–9.4) years. Tumor volumes (V1,V2,V3,V4) and regression ratios (V2/V1,V3/V1,V4/V1) were measured by MRI 3D volumetry, and correlated with local tumor‐control and disease‐free survival using Mann‐Whitney rank‐sum test. Results: The volume data collected in this study were analyzed and the predictive power in terms of p‐value to discriminate local tumor‐control and disease‐free survival was computed. The absolute tumor volumes (V2,V3,V4) and the regression ratios (V2/V1,V3/V1,V4/V1) strongly correlated with local tumor‐control (p 20% and V4/V1 >10%), which have a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 100%. Local failure can also be predicted as early as 2–3 weeks (MRI 2), the method of V1 >40 cc and V2/V1 >75% shows a sensitivity of 61% and a specificity of 93%. Conclusion: MRI‐based volumetric tumor measurement provides important predictive information about tumor response to the ongoing RT/CT. The methods developed in this study demonstrate a high specificity (87%–100%) for patients at risk of local failure based on long‐term follow‐up. These methods may classify patients who require more aggressive therapeutic intervention.
The draft directive on legal protection of computer programs

Abstract The proposed EC Directive on the Legal Protection of Computer Programs continues to be an important issue, given the priority allocated to it in Brussels and Luxembourg. Here, Professor Ray August looks at the Commission's proposals from a US perspective. He believes that certain changes need to be made to knock the draft into shape if harmonisation of rules (within the EC) is to be achieved.
Forest Ray Moulton: 1872-1952

In the obituary on F. R. Moulton published in the May 22 issue of SCIENCE, the date of Dr. Moulton9s retirement from the AAAS was wrongly given. Although Dr. Moulton served the Association as Permanent Secretary until 1946, he continued to fill this position under the new title of Administrative Secretary until January 1949.
Important parameters for processing long lengths of Ag-sheathed Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox conductors

Abstract The key issues that limit the critical current density across the entire length of long Ag-sheathed Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O x conductors are identified. They are bubbling of the Ag sheath and nonuniform distribution of nonsuperconducting phases throughout the conductor. The causes of bubbling are identified and methods to eliminate bubbling are discussed. The microstructure of Ag-sheathed conductors fully processed in atmospheres with different p O 2 are summarized. The most homogeneous microstructures are for tapes made with powder of composition 2.1:2:1:1.95 that is processed in 0.4 to 1 atm O 2 .
Yellow-bellied Marmots (Marmota flaviventris) preserve bone strength and microstructure during hibernation

Reduced skeletal loading typically results in decreased bone strength and increased fracture risk for humans and many other animals. Previous studies have shown bears are able to prevent bone loss during the disuse that occurs during hibernation. Studies with smaller hibernators, which arouse intermittently during hibernation, show that they may lose bone at the microstructural level. These small hibernators, like bats and squirrels, do not utilize intracortical remodeling. However, slightly larger mammals like marmots do. In this study we examined the effects of hibernation on bone structural, mineral, and mechanical properties in yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris). This was done by comparing cortical bone properties in femurs and trabecular bone properties in tibias from marmots killed before hibernation (fall) and after hibernation (spring). Age data were not available for this study; however, based on femur length the post-hibernation marmots were larger than the pre-hibernation marmots. Thus, cross-sectional properties were normalized by allometric functions of bone length for comparisons between pre- and post-hibernation. Cortical thickness and normalized cortical area were higher in post-hibernation samples; no other normalized cross-sectional properties were different. No cortical bone microstructural loss was evident in osteocyte lacunar measurements, intracortical porosity, or intracortical remodeling cavity density. Osteocyte lacunar area, porosity, and density were surprisingly lower in post-hibernation samples. Trabecular bone volume fraction was not different between pre- and post-hibernation. Measures of both trabecular and cortical bone mineral content were higher in post-hibernation samples. Three-point bending failure load, failure energy, elastic energy, ultimate stress, and yield stress were all higher in post-hibernation samples. These results support the idea that, like bears, marmots are able to prevent disuse osteoporosis during hibernation, thus preventing increased fracture risk and promoting survival of the extreme environmental conditions that occur in hibernation.
Etiology and Prognostic Significance of Eosinophilic Pleural Effusions: A Prospective Study

Study objective To determine the diagnostic and prognostic significance of eosinophilic pleural effusions. Design A prospective cohort study of patients undergoing thoracentesis between September 1990 and September 1995. Setting A university-affiliated VA Medical Center. Patients Four hundred seventy-six consecutive patients. Measurements and results Eosinophilic pleural effusions were identified in 44 of the 476 patients (9.2%). Malignancy was diagnosed as frequently in eosinophilic as in noneosinophilic effusions (20.5% vs 20.1%). The only diagnoses that were significantly associated with eosinophilic effusions were idiopathic (25% vs 8%; p=0.001) and postthoracic surgery (11% vs 3%; p=0.023). Median survival was 7.7 months for those with a noneosinophilic effusion compared to 16.8 months for those with eosinophilia (p=0.017). This difference in survival persisted after adjustment for age and diagnosis. Conclusions We conclude that malignancy is as prevalent among eosinophilic as noneosinophilic pleural effusions. However, the survival of patients with pleural fluid eosinophilia may be better than that of patients with noneosinophilic effusions.
A metabolic map of cytochrome oxidase in the rat brain: Histochemical, densitometric and biochemical studies

Abstract To examine brain patterns of metabolic and functional activity, the distribution of cytochrome oxidase, a mitochondrial enzyme marker for neuronal functional activity, was mapped throughout the rat brain. Mapping was done qualitatively by enzyme histochemistry of brain sections cut in three planes (coronal, sagittal and horizontal), and quantitatively by optical densitometry of stained sections and by biochemical assays of brain tissue homogenates. Activity of the enzyme was distributed in characteristic patterns and amounts that differed among various neural pathways, brain nuclei, cerebral cortical areas and layers, and neuron types. Gray matter essentially always had higher enzyme activity than did white matter, by a factor of eight- to 12-fold. Among different neural pathways, cytochrome oxidase activity was relatively high in special sensory, somatosensory and motor systems, and was relatively low in associative, limbic, autonomic and visceral regulatory systems (though exceptional areas were present). Among 11 different neuron types, nearly a two-fold range of histochemical staining intensities was observed, with the darkest staining in neurons of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus. The observed patterns of cytochrome oxidase activity were mostly similar to the patterns of 2-deoxyglucose uptake seen previously [Schwartz W. J. and Sharp F. R. (1978) J. comp. Neurol. 177, 335–360; Sokoloff L. et al. (1977) J. Neurochem. 28, 897–916] in conscious, “resting” animals, though some differences were found. For example, whereas 2-deoxyglucose uptake was about three-fold higher in gray matter than in white matter [Sokoloff L. et al. (1977) J. Neurochem. 28, 897–916], cytochrome oxidase activity was about eight- to 12-fold higher. This and other discrepancies probably reflect basic technical differences between these two methods. Compared to 2-deoxyglucose, cytochrome oxidase is more specific for oxidative rather than glycolytic metabolism, and more reflective of overall neuronal functional activity occurring over longer time periods lasting hours to weeks, rather than minutes. The anatomical resolution of cytochrome oxidase histochemistry is also finer than that of 2-deoxyglucose autoradiography, extending to the electron microscopic level. The metabolic map of cytochrome oxidase activity reveals patterns of normal brain function, and may be useful as a baseline for comparison in studies of brain disease, development, ageing and plasticity.
Kaolinite Stability in the Central Piedmont of Georgia

A study of weathered profiles from fresh rock to the surface in granitic rocks and biotite-plagioclase gneiss shows the following: 1. The particle size of the kaolin increases from not subject to estimate in fresh rock to a maximum of approximately 60 μ in the vicinity of the contact between the B horizon and the saprolite, then it decreases to approximately 13 μ in the A horizon. 2. Gibbsite occurs most abundantly when the abrasion pH of rock slurries is greater than 6 or less than 5.5. In outcrop, gibbsite is abundant in the upper soil horizons and in the partially weathered rock but is sparse in the intervening saprolite. 3. The total amount of kaolin increases steadily upward from zero in fresh rock to a maximum in the B horizon then declines sharply in the A horizon. These data are interpreted to mean that kaolin forms, grows and is stable in saprock, saprolite and B horizon, but it is not stable in the upper B and A horizons or in the very basic environment of incipient weathering.
The Control of Stoichiometry in Oxide Systems

The experimental methods for the control and determination of the metal/oxygen ratio in binary metallic oxides are critically reviewed. The present limitations on classical analytical procedures as well as the newer solid state electrochemical and mass spectrometric techniques are discussed using data from systems already reported in the literature.
28th Annual IATUL Conference Report

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a report of the 2007 annual meeting of the International Association of Technological University Libraries (IATUL) held at the KTH, Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.Design/methodology/approach – conference report.Findings – Scientific publishing directions are changing the environmental landscapes of science and academic research libraries as well as in how scientists are conducting their work in all disciplines and communicating and collaborating with each other. The increasingly more complex and global environments indicate that access to the scientific literature and information sharing are paramount interests of scientists, national governments, the scientific community at‐large, professional societies and commercial publishing interests.Originality/value – Libraries are evolving into far more than repositories of bound volumes as eScience and eCollections mature. The changing role of librarians and of the physical library to handle a...
A cross-correlation method for burst searches with networks of misaligned gravitational-wave detectors

Coherent detection techniques are beginning to play more and more prominent roles in searches for gravitational-wave bursts with networks of interferometric detectors. Such techniques often involve cross-correlations of data streams from different detectors and therefore rely on similarity of their signals, which occurs only when the detectors are closely aligned. A simple extension of the cross-correlation test which can be applied even to completely misaligned interferometers is presented here. In this method, searches for bursts in one of the detectors are performed with noisy templates built out of the data streams from other detectors in the network. The efficiency of this algorithm is studied with numerical simulations. We show that by properly mixing the signals from misaligned detectors one can achieve a degree of their correlation which is close to that of a perfectly aligned pair of detectors. The redundancy in the signal mixing is used to improve the detection efficiency.
The one-phonon octupole vibration of 151Eu

Abstract A multiplet based on the one-phonon octupole vibration of 151Eu has been observed near 900 keV by inelastic deutron scattering. The magnitude of the splitting and the relative intensities of the multiplet states are consistent with the weak-coupling model.
Prevalence and predictors of nasal and extranasal staphylococcal colonization in patients presenting to the emergency department.

Study objective Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common causes of skin and soft tissue infections in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). The prevalence of asymptomatic MRSA colonization in ED patients is less well described, particularly in the absence of a skin and soft tissue infection–related complaint. The goals of this study are to assess the prevalence of nasal and extranasal staphylococcal colonization in ED patients, evaluate risk factors, and molecularly characterize the strains. Methods We performed active surveillance for methicillin-susceptible S aureus (MSSA) and MRSA colonization in 400 subjects presenting to an urban ED. Risk factor assessment was performed and culture testing was conducted on anterior nares, oropharynx, palms, groin, perirectal area, wounds, and catheter insertion sites. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction was used to identify the USA300/400 clonal types. Results The prevalence of colonization with MSSA was 39% (95% confidence interval 34.2% to 44.0%), and prevalence of colonization with MRSA was 5% (95% confidence interval 3.1% to 7.6%). Among MRSA-colonized subjects, an extranasal site tested positive in 80% of subjects, and 45% had exclusive extranasal colonization. USA300 was identified in 55% of MRSA-colonized subjects. The main risk factors for MRSA colonization included HIV infection, diabetes, and participation in contact sports. Conclusion The overall prevalence of MRSA colonization in this ED population was lower than that reported in other high-risk ambulatory care settings. However, extranasal colonization was present in more than half of MRSA-colonized subjects, and USA300 was the predominant clonal type.
Openness to trade in manufactures in the OECD

Abstract How open are the advanced economies to trade with each other? In this paper, openness is calculated relative to the predictions of the monopolistic competition trade model using data on manufacturing trade and production in the OECD in 1985. The paper finds that (1) Japan imports much less than other large OECD countries, while the European countries have larger import volumes than does the US, (2) Japan and the US engage in less intra-industry trade than the rest of the OECD, and (3) the EU countries are less open to imports from Japan and the US than those countries are open to imports from the EU.
Comparison of the Climatologies of High-Level Clouds from HIRS and ISCCP

Abstract Comparison of individually matched analyses of high-level cloudiness from the High-Resolution Infrared Sounder (HIRS) CO2-slicing analysis and the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) analysis of satellite data for 4 months shows that the former reports about 0.12 more high-level clouds than the latter. Almost all of the difference in high-level cloud amounts occurs as differences of thin cirrus, defined by infrared emissivity ϵ < 0.5 or τvis < 1.3, consistent with a previous comparison of Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II and ISCCP. Some of this difference may be caused by the large field of view of the HIRS instrument. Over oceans the differences in cirrus cloud amounts are caused by the higher sensitivity of the HIRS analysis to optically thin clouds, aided by a small high bias of the sea surface temperatures used in the HIRS cloud detection step. Over land the higher detection sensitivity of the HIRS analysis was partially offset by the effect of large low biase...
Barriers to mental health care for urban, lower income families referred from pediatric primary care.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of parent-reported barriers on the likelihood of attending a mental health evaluation after referral from pediatric primary care. As the part of procedure, parents of children (N = 55) referred for mental health from primary care completed a 23-item questionnaire (three subscales; Cronbach alpha > 0.7): intangible barriers, tangible barriers, and child functioning. Logistic regression examined associations between responses and referral follow-through. The results showed that the high levels of intangible barriers were associated with decreased odds of attending the mental health evaluation (OR = 0.20, 0.06–0.83; P = 0.03). Therefore, we conclude that parental concerns about mental health care may be important for engagement in treatment.
The Importance of Being Ironic: Narrative Openness and Personal Resilience in Later Life

This essay applies a narrative perspective to the topic of resilience. On various fronts (physical, social, biographical), aging itself, it argues, pushes us past a perception of aging as intrinsically tragic and toward a more ironic stance instead, one marked by increased acceptance of uncertainty and ambiguity. Moreover, intentional engagement in narrative reflection-by means of integrative reminiscence, life review, and the like-fosters such a stance directly by facilitating narrative openness and, with it, "a good strong story" for coping with the challenges of later life.
Mechanical variation of plasma potential, electron temperature and plasma density

It is shown that the plasma potential and electron temperature of capacitively coupled RF plasmas, confined in a multi-dipole plasma device, can be varied by changing the position of a grounded plate located in the surface multi-dipole magnetic field.
Hyperglycemic clamp assessment of insulin secretory responses in normal subjects treated with olanzapine, risperidone, or placebo.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of olanzapine or risperidone treatment on β-cell function in healthy volunteers. Subjects were randomly assigned to single-blind therapy with olanzapine (10 mg/d; n = 17), risperidone (4 mg/d; n = 13), or placebo (n = 18) for 15–17 d. Insulin secretion was quantitatively assessed at baseline and the end of the study period using the hyperglycemic clamp. Weight increased significantly (P < 0.01) in the olanzapine (2.8 ± 1.7 kg) and risperidone (3.1 ± 2.1 kg) treatment groups. An increase (∼25%) in the insulin response to hyperglycemia and a decrease (∼18%) in the insulin sensitivity index were observed after treatment with olanzapine and risperidone. The change in insulin response was correlated (r = 0.5576; P = 0.019) with a change in body mass index. When the impact of weight change was accounted for by multivariate regression analyses, no significant change in insulin response or insulin sensitivity was detected after treatment with olanzapine or risperi...
Reversal of an aluminum-induced behavioral deficit by administration of deferoxamine.

Administration of aluminum sulfate in the drinking water of male Sprague-Dawley rats for 30 days resulted in a reduction in the number of days to reach extinction criterion on a passive avoidance task (38% control level). The behavioral deficit was not due to nonspecific effects caused by lower fluid consumption. Partial reversal of the deficit was produced by discontinuing aluminum treatment 2 weeks prior to testing (p less than .05). Injection of the aluminum chelator deferoxamine returned the performance of the aluminum-treated animals to control levels in a dose-dependent manner but had no effect on control animals. No differences in open-field activity were evident across groups. These results indicate that the behavioral impairment is a specific, reversible, toxic effect of the aluminum administration.
Elementary school nurses' perceptions and practices regarding body mass index measurement in school children.

This study examines elementary school nurses’ perceived efficacy expectations, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits to measuring body mass index (BMI) in students in schools with mandated BMI policies versus schools without mandated policies. Of the 2,629 school nurses participating in the study, 67% believe nurses should measure BMI in schools, 62% believe BMI results should be sent home, and 81% believe nurses should be designing programs to help children address overweight issues. In schools with a BMI assessment mandate, the nurses’ efficacy expectations are statistically significantly greater and nurses’ perceptions of barriers to measuring BMI are significantly lower. The most common perceived barriers to measuring BMI are inadequate school resources (57.6%) and inadequate or inappropriate parental responses (55.2%). Obese school nurses perceive significantly more barriers to measuring youths’ BMIs than do nonobese school nurses. Having mandates has a positive influence on school nurses and th...
Restorative proctocolectomy without diverting ileostomy

PURPOSE: Restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) by abdominal colectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in the setting of chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) has gained widespread popularity among surgeons and patients. Traditionally, temporary loop ileostomy has been established proximal to the ileal pouch in an effort to mitigate the effects of any suture line complications that may occur. This study compares functional results and complications encountered after RPC with mucosectomy with and without temporary ileostomy. METHODS: One hundred forty-three consecutive patients with either CUC or FAP underwent RPC including mucosectomy and ileal “J” reservoir. Proximal loop ileostomy was performed in 69 patients, and ileostomy was omitted in 74. Ileostomy was omitted if the patient was taking no immunosuppressives and less than 20 mg of prednisone daily in the month preceding surgery, the anastomosis was absolutely tension-free, and blood supply to the pouch was excellent. RESULTS: There were no perioperative deaths. There were two instances of pelvic abscess, one in the diverted group and one in the nondiverted group. Occurrence of IPAA suture line dehiscence was not significantly different between the two groups (ileostomy, 4/69 (6 percent),vs. no ileostomy, 6/74 (8 percent);P>0.05). Comparison of 129 patients with colitis with and without diversion also failed to demonstrate a significant difference with regard to IPAA suture line dehiscence (ileostomy, 4/69 (6 percent) vs. 4/60 (7 percent);P>0.05). Frequency of bowel movements and continence were the same in both groups and were comparable with results obtained without mucosectomy. Mean hospital stay at the time of RPC for the nondiverted group was significantly longer (12 days vs. 10 days; P=0.0004). Significantly fewer patients without an ileostomy were hospitalized for partial intestinal obstruction (ileostomy, 13/69 (19 percent),vs. no ileostomy, 3/74 (4 percent);P=0.02), and significantly fewer required enterolysis (ileostomy, 7/69 (10 percent),vs. no ileostomy, 1/74 (1 percent);P=0.04). On average, patients without an ileostomy spent significantly fewer total days in the hospital (17 vs. 24;P=0.002). CONCLUSION: Restorative proctocolectomy with mucosectomy and without ileostomy is the procedure of choice for selected patients with FAP and CUC. Septic complications and functional results are similar to those seen in patients managed with a stoma. Anastomotic leakage, when it occurs, can be safely managed in most cases without surgery. RPC without ileostomy results in significantly fewer episodes of intestinal obstruction, fewer instances of re-exploration, and fewer total days in the hospital.
A design for a number theory package with an optimized trial division routine

A number theory package is described which uses doubly linked list structures for storing multiprecise integers. The package has been coded in IBM's Basic Assembly Language and makes heavy use of the macro language and conditional assembly. An optimally coded trial division routine is also described which can be used to determine the unique factorization of large integers.
Scatter-add in data parallel architectures

Many important applications exhibit large amounts of data parallelism, and modern computer systems are designed to take advantage of it. While much of the computation in the multimedia and scientific application domains is data parallel, certain operations require costly serialization that increase the run time. Examples include superposition type updates in scientific computing and histogram computations in media processing. We introduce scatter-add, which is the data-parallel form of the well-known scalar fetch-and-op, specifically tuned for SIMD/vector/stream style memory systems. The scatter-add mechanism scatters a set of data values to a set of memory addresses and adds each data value to each referenced memory location instead of overwriting it. This novel architecture extension allows us to efficiently support data-parallel atomic update computations found in parallel programming languages such as HPF, and applies both to single-processor and multiprocessor SIMD data-parallel systems. We detail the microarchitecture of a scatter-add implementation on a stream architecture, which requires less than 2% increase in die area yet shows performance speedups ranging from 1.45 to over 11 on a set of applications that require a scatter-add computation.
Concurrent error detection for combinational and sequential logic via output compaction

We discuss the problem of non-intrusive concurrent error detection (CED) for random logic. We analyze the optimal solution model and we point out the limitations that prevent logic synthesis from yielding a minimal cost implementation. We explain how duplication-based CED exploits decomposition to alleviate these limitations for the unrestricted error model. We then examine a compaction-based CED method, which employs a similar decomposition principle to alleviate synthesis limitations for restricted error models. We demonstrate the cost reduction achieved by the decomposed method through experimental results and we discuss the points where optimality is lost, possible remedies, and extension to finite state machines (FSMs).
Importance of Cross‐Training and Research Strategies in Clinical Medicine

In summary, some of the conditions for research in clinical settings cannot be viewed as stemming from the more applied nature of the research. Most applied research involves underlying theoretical issues; it sheds light on both applied and theoretical questions. What makes the clinical research situation unique are the working conditions. Attention to explicating research methods, developing replicability, working in research teams, and taking responsibility for the impact of our research interventions as well as our findings are all current aspects of work in clinical settings which presage changing conditions for anthropological research in all other areas as well.
Identification of Patterns of Farm Equipment Utilization in Two Agricultural Regions of Central and Northern México

Using a descriptive approach, a study of the dynamics of farm mechanization was performed in the agricultural regions of Delicias, Chihuahua and La Begona, Guanajuato, Mexico. The study was aimed at identifying patterns of farm equipment utilization through multivariate analyses of relevant data. A total of 135 farmers were interviewed, along with 21 extension agents and 22 farm machinery dealers. A mechanization index was developed to characterize the mechanization level of individual farmers. The methodology used for pattern definition was based on dimensionality reduction through principal component analysis. Three principal components were subjected to hierarchical clustering in order to assemble respondents into groups. Five distinct groups of farmers were identified in Delicias and four in La Begona. Each group featured a unique combination of characteristics for which the use of farm equipment was well differentiated, including subsistence, and various forms of commercial agriculture. Results suggest that most farmers in the two regions have access to relatively large amounts of tractor power and other mechanical inputs through a diverse set of mechanisms. The proposed mechanization index relates actual mechanical work expenditure to mean regional values. The index was derived for each farmer from descriptions of farm operations obtained by survey. The mechanization index integrated values for all crops grown during a single season using area-weighted averages. The mechanization index has the potential to be used in establishing optimal levels of mechanical inputs where adequate productivity information is available.
Terrestrial hydrological controls on land surface phenology of African savannas and woodlands

This paper presents a continental-scale phenological analysis of African savannas and woodlands. We apply an array of synergistic vegetation and hydrological data records from satellite remote sensing and model simulations to explore the influence of rainy season timing and duration on regional land surface phenology and ecosystem structure. We find that (i) the rainy season onset precedes and is an effective predictor of the growing season onset in African grasslands. (ii) African woodlands generally have early green-up before rainy season onset and have a variable delayed senescence period after the rainy season, with this delay correlated nonlinearly with tree fraction. These woodland responses suggest their complex water use mechanisms (either from potential groundwater use by relatively deep roots or stem-water reserve) to maintain dry season activity. (iii) We empirically find that the rainy season length has strong nonlinear impacts on tree fractional cover in the annual rainfall range from 600 to 1800 mm/yr, which may lend some support to the previous modeling study that given the same amount of total rainfall to the tree fraction may first increase with the lengthening of rainy season until reaching an “optimal rainy season length,” after which tree fraction decreases with the further lengthening of rainy season. This nonlinear response is resulted from compound mechanisms of hydrological cycle, fire, and other factors. We conclude that African savannas and deciduous woodlands have distinctive responses in their phenology and ecosystem functioning to rainy season. Further research is needed to address interaction between groundwater and tropical woodland as well as to explicitly consider the ecological significance of rainy season length under climate change.