cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Late-onset sepsis in very low birth weight preterm infants: 7 years' experience at a tertiary hospital in China.

Objective Studies about the epidemiology and risk factors of late onset of sepsis (LOS) in preterm very low birth weight (PVLBW) infants of developing countries are limited and variable. The objective of this study was to explore the epidemiology, risk factors and pathogens of LOS in VLBW infants in a Chinese tertiary hospital. Methods Data concerning demographies, pathogens, risk factors and outcomes of LOS were collected in a cohort of 710 VLBW infants discharged from January 2012 to December 2018. Chi-square, t-test and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors. Results The overall incidence of LOS was 24.08% and blood culture-proven sepsis was 19.58%. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 57.93%, and 32.41% of the isolates were Klebsiella pneumoniae. LOS led to a longer hospital stay, higher hospitalization cost and higher mortality compared to infants without LOS. Mortality in Gram-negative or fungi LOS was higher than in Gram-positive LOS. The factor of PVLBW infants with registered permanent residence (PR) was associated with 80% lower likelihood of LOS compared to those without registered PR (P = 0.000, 95% CI 0.096–0.420). Infants with thrombocytopenia had 2.5 times LOS of control (P = 0.014, CI 1.210–5.132). Duration of parenteral nutrition was a risk of LOS (P = 0.009, CI 1.010–1.069). Conclusion Gram-negative bacteria, especially Klebsiella pneumonia, were the dominant pathogens in this study. Social factors might be a risk of LOS in PVLBW infants in developing countries. Taking measures to reduce the duration of parenteral nutrition may be helpful in decreasing the incidence of LOS. Awareness of thrombocytopenia may help to recognized diagnosis of LOS.
Mechanism of innate immune reprogramming by a fungal meningitis pathogen

How deadly fungal pathogens overcome mammalian innate immunity is largely unknown. Cryptococcus neoformans, the most common cause of fungal meningitis, induces a pathogenic type 2 response characterized by pulmonary eosinophilia and alternatively activated macrophages. Using forward genetics, we identified a fungal secreted protein, Cpl1, necessary and sufficient to enhance alternative activation of primary macrophages in vitro. Cpl1-enhanced polarization requires Toll-like receptor 4, a known mediator of allergen-induced type 2 responses. Cpl1 is essential for virulence, drives polarization of interstitial macrophages in vivo, and requires type 2 cytokine signaling for its impact on infectivity. C. neoformans selectively associates with polarized interstitial macrophages during infection, supporting a direct host-pathogen interaction. This work identifies a secreted effector produced by a human fungal pathogen that reprograms innate immunity to enable tissue infection.
Leadership and dental aesthetics of adults as perceived by laypersons

Leadership and dental aesthetics of adults as perceived by laypersons By E. Britton Montgomery, D.M.D. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Thesis Director: Bhavna Shroff, D.D.S., M.Dent.Sci., M.P.A. Professor and Graduate Program Director, Department of Orthodontics The purpose of this study was to determine if dental aesthetics is perceived by adult laypersons to affect an individual’s ability to emerge as a leader. An electronic survey was constructed using facial frontal smiling photographs of 10 patients selected from a private orthodontic practice in Richmond, VA. Statements were formulated to evaluate four leadership characteristics: intelligence, self-confidence, friendliness, and trustworthiness. Evaluators indicated their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement for each subject using a 100mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and each answer was recorded as a numerical value. Using the data obtained from the 214 evaluators, picture ratings were analyzed using repeated-measures mixed-model analyses (SAS version 9.1, SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Evaluator factors (gender, race, age, questionnaire group) and
Three-dimensional kinematics of the pelvis and hind limbs in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and human bipedal walking

The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is a facultative biped and our closest living relative. As such, the musculoskeletal anatomies of their pelvis and hind limbs have long provided a comparative context for studies of human and fossil hominin locomotion. Yet, how the chimpanzee pelvis and hind limb actually move during bipedal walking is still not well defined. Here, we describe the three-dimensional (3-D) kinematics of the pelvis, hip, knee and ankle during bipedal walking and compare those values to humans walking at the same dimensionless and dimensional velocities. The stride-to-stride and intraspecific variations in 3-D kinematics were calculated using the adjusted coefficient of multiple correlation. Our results indicate that humans walk with a more stable pelvis than chimpanzees, especially in tilt and rotation. Both species exhibit similar magnitudes of pelvis list, but with segment motion that is opposite in phasing. In the hind limb, chimpanzees walk with a more flexed and abducted limb posture, and substantially exceed humans in the magnitude of hip rotation during a stride. The average stride-to-stride variation in joint and segment motion was greater in chimpanzees than humans, while the intraspecific variation was similar on average. These results demonstrate substantial differences between human and chimpanzee bipedal walking, in both the sagittal and non-sagittal planes. These new 3-D kinematic data are fundamental to a comprehensive understanding of the mechanics, energetics and control of chimpanzee bipedalism.
The Pragmatics of Slurs

I argue that the offense generation pattern of slurring terms parallels that of impoliteness behaviors, and is best explained by appeal to similar purely pragmatic mechanisms. In choosing to use a slurring term rather than its neutral counterpart, the speaker signals that she endorses the term (and its associations). Such an endorsement warrants offense, and consequently slurs generate offense whenever a speaker's use demonstrates a contrastive preference for the slurring term. Since this explanation comes at low theoretical cost and imposes few constraints on an account of the semantics of slurs, this suggests that we should not require semantic accounts to provide an independent explanation of the offense profile.
Adenine Nucleotide Changes Associated with the Initiation of Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis

At the end of the exponential growth phase of Bacillus subtilis, there is a decrease in the energy level of the cell, whether expressed as adenosine triphosphate concentration or adenylate energy charge. Phosphate limitation of exponentially growing cells produces a similar decrease in the energy level of the cell, and sporulation is derepressed in the presence of 10 mM glucose. A reduction in the tryptophan concentration of the medium during phosphate limitation of the tryptophan auxotroph B. subtilis 168 prevented the decrease in energy charge. Cells do not sporulate under these conditions. Energy charge values of 0.30 to 0.35 found during sporulation do not lead to cell death.
A comprehensive, integrated survey of the research on capital structure and dividend policy

This project provides a comprehensive survey and synthesis of theories and empirical models that have been employed to study capital structure and dividend payout policies. While these theories and empirical models take substantially different roads toward understanding the firms’ behavior, they all are united in identifying contemporaneous patterns in observed capital structure and payout policies, and relating these policies to the firms’ various characteristics. I provide the main properties of all the well-established theories of capital structure and payout policy, highlight their strengths and weaknesses, their main conclusions and contributions, and their relation with each other. Another aspect of the survey is to investigate the major statistical tools employed in corporate finance literature to provide structural explanations for the observed financing and payout decisions and the issues that potentially limit drawing conclusions from these models.
The historical emergence of a “familial society” in Japan

In 1893, Goh Diagoro, chancellor of the Imperial Japanese ConsulateGeneral in London, spoke to the Japan Society of London on the subject of family relations in Japan. Comparing the role of the ie (family system) to that of Christianity in the West, Goh advised that to understand the ethical structure of Japanese society, the "Family System is the primary element that students of Japanese matters should first acquaint themselves with." But what is this "family system?" Is it a religion calling for ancestors to be deified? Is it a tribal mentality that makes individuals in Japan identify primarily with their family/clan? Is it a set of cultural motifs that shape artistic and cultural production? While Goh touches on all of these possibilities, his use of the term "family system" alludes to a more fundamental aspect of Japanese society.
Algorithm-based fault tolerance in computation of power flow

The LU decomposition followed by forward/backward substitution is a very powerful technique for power flow studies. In order to ensure the reliability of computation, the algorithm-based fault tolerance (ABFT) is applied to LU decomposition in power flow studies. This technique is proposed not only to detect and correct errors caused by hardware failure but also to debug programs. Since the ABFT often suffers from roundoff errors when applied to the floating-point number system, a new technique called significant-bit maintenance arithmetic (SBMA) is also suggested for handling numerical problems. >
Altered Tissue Content and Cytosol Distribution of Trace Metals in Experimental Diabetes

An insulin-dependent diabetic condition was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by streptozotocin injection. Ten days after administration of the diabetogenic drug, tissue levels of copper, zinc, iron and manganese were determined and compared to control animals. Increased quantities of hepatic copper, zinc and manganese, renal copper and zinc and plasma zinc were observed in the diabetic group. Intestinal, muscle and spleen contents of the metals were similar in control and diabetic rats. Elevated levels of zinc- and copper-metallothionein were found in liver and kidney of diabetic rats. The distribution of zinc among soluble proteins in the diabetic liver was also content of tissues, intracellular distribution of zinc and the quantity of zinc-and copper-metallothionein to normal levels. Pair-feeding copper, zinc, iron and manganese to diabetic and control groups demonstrated that the enhanced food consumption of the diabetic rat was not a significant factor in the observed accumulation of trace metals in liver and kidney. These data suggest that the hormonal imbalance characteristic of the insulin-dependent diabetic condition influences trace metal metabolism. These studies also demonstrate the usefulness of the streptozotocin-diabetic rat as an animal model for investigations concerning hormone-mediated regulation of trace metal metabolism.
Mixed-Signal System Verification: A High-Speed Link Example

This tutorial begins by visiting various mixed-signal circuit examples in high-speed interfaces, of which verification cannot be done via the established methods for digital systems and instead has relied on exhaustive time domain circuit simulations. While recognizing the vast literature on trying to extending the prevailing digital verification methods to analog and mixed-signal systems, this tutorial suggests that a promising approach might be to extend the way that digital methods leverage the design intent and choose the proper abstraction for it. After examining the properties that the designers would most want to verify for the high-speed interface circuits, it is claimed that those are mostly the properties of a linear or weakly-nonlinear system, e.g. gain, bandwidth, local stability, etc. It is because most of the mixed-signal circuits in highspeed links are motivated by the need to replace analog circuits with digital for the ease of process migration. Although in digital forms, the resulting circuits are still supposed to have analog functionalities which are best described in linear or weakly-nonlinear system models. Therefore, a possible formal verification for those circuits might be to extend the traditional small-signal linear analysis. For example, this tutorial will demonstrate ways to extend the linear AC analysis in SPICE to measure the phase-domain transfer functions of PLLs or the noise transfer functions of delta-sigma ADCs. It also examines the limitations of linear analysis, for instance, the inability to detect start-up failures, which is the problem that can be more properly addressed by extending the digital verification methods and coverage concepts.
Dimethanesulphonoxybutane (Myleran): Preliminary studies on distribution and metabolic fate in the rat

Abstract (1) Dimethanesulphonoxybutane (Myleran) was synthesized with the sulphonoxy groups labelled with 35 S and, separately, with the butane moiety labelled with 14 C in the 1- and 4-positions. (2) The distribution of isotopic drug following intravenous or oral administrations was determined in the rat. The specific activities of the organs at various times after administration of the drug were measured. The high specific activities of liver and kidney were thought to be related to the metabolic breakdown of the drug rather than to its assumed chemotherapeutic mode of action by alkylation of sensitive molecules. (3) There was appreciable metabolic alteration of Myleran but some of the drug was excreted unchanged by the rat. The non.alkylating portion of the drug was excreted almost exclusively as methanesulphonic acid. The alkylating portion was partially degraded to carbon dioxide and to a compound with the characteristics of a glycol. Numerous metabolic products carried part of the isotopic carbon label. Part of this labelling appeared to be due to recycling of small carbon fragments and part to alkylation of normal constituents.
Clinical Instructor Characteristics, Behaviors and Skills in Allied Health Care Settings: A Literature Review.

The purpose of this literature review is to compare both clinical instructor and student perceptions of helpful and hindering clinical instructor characteristics, behaviors and skills in athletic training and allied health care settings. Clinical education in athletic training is similar to that of other allied health care professions. Clinical education is used to practice didactic information in a hands-on environment, with the goal of integrating theory and practice in a controlled setting. Students are taught skills, behaviors and attitudes required to enter into professional practice. Athletic training clinical education evolved from the medical education model for training physicians and is currently based on the nursing model. Other allied health care professionals employ similar practices. Objective: To provide an overview of helpful and hindering clinical instructor characteristics, behaviors and skills in athletic training and in other allied health professions. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Health Sou...
It's a small world: underwater sound transmission from the southern Indian Ocean to the western North Atlantic

Sounds transmitted through the air are rarely detectable more than a few kilometers from their source. Beneath the sea, however, acoustic signals at frequencies less than a few hundred Hertz can often be detected at ranges of several thousand kilometers. The authors show that low-frequency acoustic signals entering the ocean near Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean can be detected off the east coast of North America and that relatively crude modelling is sufficient to reproduce the signal levels observed, despite the long path length of approximately 17000 km (17 Mm)
Dynamic interactions among property types: International evidence based on cointegration tests

Purpose – The aim of the study is to utilize cointegration techniques and analyze the degree of linkages among four key property types (retail, office, industrial, and residential) of eight major countries throughout North America and Europe. Additionally, the study evaluates whether investors can attain greater diversification benefits by investing across specific property sectors within their own nations in the long‐run. Finally, the study examines whether certain property sectors can be considered the “leader” that drives the remaining sectors over time.Design/methodology/approach – Multivariate cointegration tests developed by Johansen and Johansen and Juselius are utilized to evaluate whether long‐run equilibrium relationship(s) exist among the four property sectors. If evidence of cointegration is found, hypothesis tests are implemented to separate out the markets that can be excluded from the cointegrating relationships and to identify the markets that are the sources of the common trends (weakly e...
Light Scattering, Classical: Size and Size Distribution Characterization

The use of classical, or time-averaged, light scattering methods to characterize the size and size distribution of macromolecules in dilute solutions or particles in dilute dispersions is discussed. The necessary scattering relations are presented systematically, starting with three cases at infinite dilution: the scattering extrapolated to zero angle, the scattering at small angle, and the scattering for arbitrary angle, including the inversion of the scattering data to estimate the size distribution. The relationships needed to effect an extrapolation to infinite dilution from data on dilute solutions are also discussed. These are followed by remarks on light scattering methods, and the concluding sections give examples for several applications. The Rayleigh-Gans-Debye (RGD) approximation is usually appropriate in the scattering from dilute polymer solutions and is also adequate for the scattering from dilute dispersions of small particles. The approximation is assumed when appropriate, but more complete theories are introduced where necessary, as in the use of the Mie-Lorentz theory for large spherical particles. Keywords: light scattering; Rayleigh-Gans-Debye; Mie scattering; static scattering; Mie scatteing; non-ergodic scattering; diffuse scattering
Human Growth Hormone but Not Human Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Enhances Recovery from Neonatal Malnutrition in Rats

The ability of hormonal therapy to enhance recovery from neonatal malnutrition was assessed in rats. Pups were malnourished via maternal food restriction (60% control intake). On d 16, restricted pups (n = 50) (62% control body wt) were refed until d 20 and were given growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I, destripeptide [1,3] insulin-like growth factor-I, or saline (placebo). Refed-placebo pups attained 80% of control body weight by d 20. Growth hormone treatment caused a greater weight gain than refeeding alone (P < or = 0.05). Treatment with insulin-like growth factor-I and destripeptide [1,3] insulin-like growth factor-I did not affect body weight. All three hormones increased spleen and kidney weights (P < or = 0.05) compared with the refed-placebo group, whereas only growth hormone increased muscle weight (P < or = 0.05). Malnourished pups had lower serum insulin-like growth factor-I (P < or = 0.05) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (P < or = 0.05), and higher serum insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (P < or = 0.05) and hepatic insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 mRNA (P < or = 0.05) than controls. Refeeding increased serum insulin-like growth factor-I compared with restricted pups (P < or = 0.05), and insulin-like growth factor-I treatment caused a further increase in serum insulin-like growth factor-I compared with the refed-placebo group (P < or = 0.05). These results show that growth hormone was moderately effective at increasing body weight gain and muscle growth during recovery from malnutrition.
Cooperative Extension's Urban Expansion: The Default of Leadership or a Responsiveness to Changing Times?

In 1914, Congress established the Cooperative Agricultural Extension Service. This unique and complex educational system is a three-way cooperative relationship between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, land-grant colleges and universities, and several thousand county governments. The Extension Service was created to disseminate scientific information (generated at the land-grant institutions) to farmers and their families in order to improve agricultural production and the quality of rural life. In recent years, however, Extension's leadership has made a commitment to expand the system's operations in urban areas. This expansion has sparked an intense debate regarding the interpretation of Extension's mission. Using various approaches to statutory interpretation as an analytical framework, this article seeks to answer the question, Is Extension's urban expansion a failure of leadership or a responsiveness to changing times?
Nitric Oxide and Airway Epithelial Barrier Function: Regulation of Tight Junction Proteins and Epithelial Permeability

Abstract Acute airway inflammation is associated with enhanced production of nitric oxide (NO ) and altered airway epithelial barrier function, suggesting a role of NO or its metabolites in epithelial permeability. While high concentrations of S-nitrosothiols disrupted transepithelial resistance (TER) and increased permeability in 16HBE14o− cells, no significant barrier disruption was observed by NONOates, in spite of altered distribution and expression of some TJ proteins. Barrier disruption of mouse tracheal epithelial (MTE) cell monolayers in response to inflammatory cytokines was independent of NOS2, based on similar effects in MTE cells from NOS2−/− mice and a lack of effect of the NOS2-inhibitor 1400W. Cell pre-incubation with LPS protected MTE cells from TER loss and increased permeability by H2O2, which was independent of NOS2. However, NOS2 was found to contribute to epithelial wound repair and TER recovery after mechanical injury. Overall, our results demonstrate that epithelial NOS2 is not responsible for epithelial barrier dysfunction during inflammation, but may contribute to restoration of epithelial integrity.
Gas chromatography--mass spectrometry studies of tetramethyl uric acids.

Abstract Of the 12 possible isomers of tetramethyl uric acid, 6 are obtained by methylation with diazomethane and 4 by on column methylation with trimethylphenyl ammonium hydroxide. Elution patterns on three different columns, quantitative data, and mass spectra are presented. In addition, elution data and the mass spectrum of 8-methoxy-1,3,8-trimethylxanthine are given. The results may be useful for studies of incorporation of [ 13 C]glycine and other stable isotope precursors into uric acid.
Assessing group-based cutoffs and the Ewald method for electrostatic interactions in clusters and in saturated, superheated, and supersaturated vapor phases of dipolar molecules

Monte Carlo simulations in the canonical, isobaric-isothermal, grand canonical, and Gibbs ensembles were used to assess whether the computationally expensive Ewald summation method for the computation of the first-order electrostatic energy can be replaced with a simpler truncation approach for accurate simulations of the saturated, superheated, and supersaturated vapor phases of dipolar and hydrogen-bonding molecules. Rotationally averaged hydrogen fluoride dimer and trimer energies, thermophysical properties and aggregation in the superheated vapor phase of hydrogen fluoride, nucleation free energy barriers for water, and the vapor–liquid coexistence properties of hydrogen fluoride and water were investigated over a wide range of state points. We find that for densities not too close to the critical density, results obtained from simulations using a spherical potential truncation based on neutral groups (molecules or fragments) for the Coulomb interactions are statistically identical to those obtained using the Ewald summation method. Use of the simpler spherical truncation results in a significant reduction of the computational effort for simulations employing molecular mechanics force fields and also allows for straightforward implementation of many-body expansion methods to compute the potential energy from electronic structure calculations of subsystems of the entire vapor-phase system.
Mutagenic sterol hydroperoxides

Abstract Sterol hydroperoxides 3β-hydroxy-5α-cholest-6-ene-hydroperoxide and 3β-hydroxycholest-5-ene-7α-hydroperoxide show weak dose-response direct mutagenicity towards Salmonella typhimurium strain TA1537 in a liquid medium incubation bioassay. Responses were compromised by metabolism of the sterol hydroperoxides and by phase separation during the incubation period. Mutagenicity responses were increased by added superoxide dismutase but diminished by added rat liver S9 enzymes and abolished by added catalase. Catalase also abolished the stimulatory effect of superoxide dismutase. These results indicate that superoxide and peroxide be implicated in the mutagenicity responses.
Platinum Group Elements in Airborne Particles in Mexico City

Automobile exhaust catalysts using platinum group elements (PGE) have been mandatory on new cars in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) since 1991. Platinum, Pd, Rh, Ir, and Os concentrations and the isotopic composition of Os were determined in PM10 samples from the MCMA. Samples were prepared by isotope dilution NiS fire assay, and analysis was performed by magnetic sector ICP-MS using a single collector instrument for Pt, Pd, Rh, and Ir analysis and a multicollector instrument for Os analysis. Pt, Pd, and Rh concentrations at a downtown location (Merced) increased from 1.7 pg of Pt m-3, 2.7 (4.0) pg of Pd m-3, and 1.2 ± 0.9 pg of Rh m-3 in 1991 to 9.6 ± 1.8 pg of Pt m-3, 10.2 ± 1.8 pg of Pd m-3, and 2.8 ± 0.6 pg of Rh m-3 in 2003. Concentrations at five sites in MCMA in 2003 averaged 9.3 ± 1.9 pg of Pt m-3, 11 ± 4 pg of Pd m-3, and 3.2 ± 1.0 pg of Rh m-3. In contrast, Ir and Os concentrations and Os isotopic composition remained relatively constant and were 0.08 ± 0.04 pg of Ir m-3, 0.030 ± 0.007 pg of Os m-3, and 0.60 ± 0.04, respectively, in the MCMA in 2003. Elevated Pt, Pd, and Rh concentrations in the MCMA are attributed to automobile catalysts. A Pt-Pd-Rh concentration peak in 1993 suggests that early catalysts emitted a larger amount of PGE, possibly due to factors inherent in the technology or the use of inappropriate gasoline. Therefore, this study suggests that the current introduction of automobile catalysts in developing countries may result in elevated PGE concentrations if it is not accompanied by infrastructures and policy measures supporting their efficient use.
Effect of Chlorpromazine on Bovine Sperm Respiration

Chlorpromazine (CPZ), an antipsychosis drug, causes the in vitro inhibition of sperm motility in various species, but the effect of this drug on sperm respiration is not well studied. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of this drug on ejaculated bovine sperm endogenous respiration. CPZ acted as a stimulator and an inhibitor of respiration at 0.1 and 0.75 mM CPZ, in the respiration medium, respectively. CPZ caused the release of sperm protein in the supernatant in a dose-dependent manner and the lactate dehydrogenase activity has also been demonstrated in the supernatant. Succinate and glycerol 3-phosphate supported the respiration among the respiratory substrates used in the present study, even after inhibition of endogenous respiration by 0.75 mM CPZ. Chlorpromazine has biphasic actions on bovine sperm respiration. The mechanism of action of the drug is discussed.
Detection of separated analytes in subnanoliter volumes using coaxial thermal lensing.

A collinear-beam thermal lens detector has been constructed and its properties were characterized. Its application to the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation of a mixture of five anthraquinone dyes dissolved in water shows a linear response over 3.5 orders of magnitude and a detection limit that is subnanomolar in the dye concentrations. These results are compared with those obtained previously using cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) in a Brewster's angle flow cell (Bechtel, K. L.; Zare, R. N.; Kachanov, A. A.; Sanders, S. S.; Paldus, B. A. Anal. Chem. 2005, 77, 1177−1182). The peak-to-peak baseline noise of the thermal lensing detection is 3.5 × 10-8 absorbance units (AU) with a path length of 200 μm, whereas the peak-to-peak baseline noise of CRDS detection is ∼2 × 10-7 AU with a path length of 300 μm. Both of these figures of merit should be compared to the peak-to-peak baseline noise of one of the best commercial UV−vis HPLC detection systems, which is ∼5 × 10-6 AU with a path ...
Novel mapping techniques for cardiac electrophysiology

Because of its high success rate and low morbidity, radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation has become first line treatment for many arrhythmias. In this procedure, one or more electrode catheters are advanced percutaneously through the vasculature to contact cardiac tissues. A diagnostic study is performed to define the arrhythmia mechanism, and subsequently an ablation catheter is positioned adjacent to the arrhythmogenic substrate. Radiofrequency energy of up to 50 W is delivered in the form of a continuous unmodulated sinusoidal waveform, typically for 60 seconds. Energy delivery is well tolerated by a mildly sedated patient, and results in a small (5 mm) well circumscribed lesion. Destruction of tissue critical for arrhythmogenesis (such as an accessory pathway) and its subsequent replacement with scar eliminates arrhythmia. The small size of radiofrequency lesions has led to the greatest success in the treatment of those arrhythmias that have a focal origin or depend on a narrow isthmus for maintenance. Furthermore, since precise lesion placement is required, arrhythmias for which ablation is most effective (accessory pathways, atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia (AVNRT)) have largely anatomically based or directed substrates. Accessory pathways are anomalous epicardial connections between the atria and ventricles, and are located along the mitral or tricuspid valve annulus, reducing the problem of localisation to identification of a point on a line. An electrode catheter in the coronary sinus outlines the mitral annulus fluoroscopically, and is used to guide ablation catheter position. The relative amplitude of the atrial and ventricular components of the bipolar electrogram recorded by the ablation catheter further defines tip position relative to the annulus. Earliest atrial or ventricular activation during pathway conduction identifies pathway location along the annulus. The target for catheter ablation of AVNRT (the AV nodal slow pathway) occurs even more predictably in the posteroseptum. Ablation may be guided entirely by …
Personal Privacy without Computational Obscurity: Rethinking Privacy Protection Strategies for Open Information Networks

Summary form only given. Throughout the history of computer and network security research, privacy has been treated as synonymous with confidentiality, with the presumed high water mark of privacy being mathematically provable anonymity. Despite the fact that technical innovation in cryptography and network security has enabled all manner of confidentiality control over the exposure of identity in information systems, the vast majority of Internet user remain deeply worried about their privacy rights and correctly believe that they are far more exposed today than they might have been a generation earlier. Have we just failed to deploy the proper security technology to protect privacy, are our laws inadequate to meet present day privacy threats, or have business practices and social conventions simply rendered privacy dead? While there is some truth to each possibility, the central failure to achieve robust privacy in the information age can be traced to an a long-standing misassocation of privacy with confidentiality and access control. In order to revitalize privacy protection, we should shift our legal attention away from rules limiting disclosure of personal information toward policies governing how personal information can be used. And technical efforts currently focused on access control and anonymization should be redirected toward technical measures that make information usage more transparent and accountable to clearly stated policies that address proper and improper users of personal information.
Multicultural Education and National Unity

(1983). Multicultural Education and National Unity. The Educational Forum: Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 263-277.
A millipore--blue dextran affinity binding system.

Abstract Blue dextran has been adsorbed to millipore filter discs in a linkage stable under a variety of conditions. These discs have been used to bind lactic dehydrogenase, which may then be specifically eluted with NADH, one of its substrates. In contrast, another enzyme, alkaline phosphate, not expected to bind to blue dextran, was indeed completely recovered in the filtrate.
New sensitive and selective fluorescent probes for fluoride using boronic acids.

We report the spectroscopic characterization of six fluorescent probes for fluoride sensing and/or monitoring. All probes are based on the ability of the boronic acid group to interact with fluoride. The probes combine electron donor and withdrawing groups and involve the excited charge transfer mechanism. The change between the neutral form of the boronic acid group [R-B(OH)2], which is an electron withdrawing group, and the anionic trifluoro form [R-BF−3], which is an electron donating group, is at the origin of the different spectral changes observed for the investigated probes. Two probes are based on the stilbene structure where the boronic group in the 4 position is coupled with a cyano group, in one case, and the dimethylamino group in the other case, both at the 4′ position. Another probe is based on the diphenyl-1,4-butadiene possessing the boronic acid group in the 4′ position and a dimethylamino group in the 4" position. One probe is based on the diphenyloxazole structure having both the boronic acid and the dimethylamino groups in para positions. The two last probes reported are based on the benzalacetophenone (chalcone) structure, again coupling the boronic acid and dimethylamino groups. All probes show spectral shifts and/or intensity changes in the presence of fluoride resulting in most of the cases to a wavelength-ratiometric way for the detection and/or analysis of fluoride. Selectivity and stability constants are also presented and discussed.
Bounds on Relic Neutrino Masses in the Z-burst Model

Neutrinos from far-away sources annihilating at the Z resonance on relic neutrinos may give origin to the extreme-energy cosmic rays (EECR). If “Z-bursts” are responsible for the EECR events, then we show that the non-observation of cosmic ray events at energies above 2 ×10 20 eV by the AGASA Collaboration implies a lower bound ∼ 0.3 eV on the relic neutrino mass. Since this mass exceeds the mass-squared differences inferred from oscillation physics, the bound in fact applies to all three neutrino masses. Together with the upper bound provided by comparisons of the CMB anisotropy with largescale structure, this bound leaves only a small interval for neutrino masses around 0.3 eV, if Z-bursts are to explain the existing EECR events.
Adolescent depressed mood and young adult functioning: A longitudinal study

The present study examined two aspects of depressed mood in adolescence: (1) stability across the adolescent years and (2) ability to predict functioning in young adulthood. Participants included 82 Caucasian individuals (46 females and 36 males) who were assessed one time per year for 4 consecutive years during adolescence (mean age at initial assessment = 13.5 years) and again during young adulthood (mean age = 19). The results indicated that depressed mood, as measured by the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), remained relatively stable across at least 3 consecutive years of data collection during adolescence. In addition, adolescent CDI scores predicted young adult functioning in each of four areas: prosocial competence, self-esteem, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems.
Credibility, smooth expectation and inflation persistence

Abstract This paper examines the situation where the public's inflationary expectation varies smoothly with current and past inflation realizations. We construct a stationary Markov perfect public equilibrium with a continuous expectations mechanism, in which government reputation plays an important role. The sustainable steady-state inflations are multiple and the degrees of persistence are indeterminate. This makes our equilibria explain not only high and persistent inflations but also equally abundant episodes of successful disinflations. Interestingly enough, the analysis here and the recent contributions to the dynamic seigniorage literature potentially may generate some observationally equivalent economic phenomena despite their marked contrasts in causes and effects.
Lagrangian Formulation and Numerical Solutions to Dump Truck Vibrations Under HISLO Conditions

Heavy mining machinery has exposed the human body to extreme vibrations that may limit the performance of operators and further impact the overall system performance. Large capacity shovels and dump trucks have been deployed in surface mines to achieve economic, bulk production operations. The high-impact shovel loading operation (HISLO) causes severe truck vibrations that expose operators to whole-body vibrations (WBV) levels that may exceed ISO standards. The effects of these shockwaves on the human body are severe resulting in long-term lower-back disorders and other health problems. There is a need for fundamental and applied research to determine HISLO vibration levels, their comparisons to ISO 2631 limits, and the safety of operators under these conditions. A fundamental research has been carried to model these HISLO shockwave generation and propagation through the truck body and attenuated via the suspension mechanism and within the rollover protective structures (ROPS) cabin. The Lagrangian mechanics technique has been used to formulate the equations of motions governing the HISLO problem. The Fehberg fourth–fifth order Runge–Kutta (RKF45) numerical method in maple environment (maple classic Version 10.00, 2006, Maplesoft, a division of Waterloo Maple Inc., Waterloo, ON, Canada) is used to solve the equations of motions symbolically. The Lagrangian formulation and the RKF45 solutions provide efficient solutions to complex functions with stability, convergence, and minimum errors. The results of this analysis show that the vertical root mean square (rms) accelerations are equal to 3.56, 1.12, and 0.87 m/s2 for the operator's seat, lower-back, and cervical regions, respectively. These vibration levels also fall within the extremely uncomfortable zone compared to the ISO 2631-1 comfort zone (less than 0.315 m/s2), which pose severe health threats to truck operators over long-term exposure to these vibrations.
Assessment of Identity Status in College Women Using Outer Space and Inner Space Interviews.

Ego identity status was assessed using two interviews, one based on Outer Space issues and the other based on Inner Space issues, as described by Erikson. Sixty-nine college women were classified in one of four identity statuses for each interview. Additional data were obtained on age, level of ego development, and cognitive style. As predicted, subjects in the “high” identity statuses (Moratorium and Achievement) showed higher levels of ego development and a more mature cognitive style than subjects in the “low” statuses (Diffusion and Foreclosure). Outer Space statuses showed a positive relationship to age, but Inner Space statuses did not. Factor analysis showed that the interviews measure separate aspects of identity. Consideration of these results led to the suggestion that Outer Space as well as Inner Space issues are central to female identity status.
Learning science through inquiry in kindergarten

This paper examines the nature of kindergarten students' science learning from an inquiry unit in which they investigated the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. The unit was implemented in a public school serving a socioeconomically, ethnically, and linguistically diverse student population. The paper provides descriptive data on children's science learning from their investigations. The descriptive data were collected during the implementation of the inquiry unit using an electronic portfolio system. A second set of data on science learning was collected using an objective, researcher-designed instrument called the Science Learning Assessment (SLA). These data were collected from children in the intervention who completed the inquiry unit and from a comparison group of kindergarten students that was similar in demographic characteristics but did not receive systematic science instruction. The comparison group provides baseline data about kindergarten students' science concepts in the absence of targeted science instruction. There were 100 participants (65 intervention and 35 comparison students). Results indicate that intervention students demonstrated a functional understanding of scientific inquiry processes and of important life science concepts during their investigations. Statistical analyses of SLA data indicate that the intervention group showed significantly better understanding of scientific inquiry processes than the comparison group. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed92:868–908, 2008
A MODEL OF FOOD SPREADABILITY FROM FLUID MECHANICS

Subjective spreadability was predicted through understanding of psychophysical mechanisms involved during the back and forth spreading action of foods on crackers. Transient complex Theology of food products is incorporated into mass and momentum balances used to model the spreading action. Furthermore, because the consumer is in contact with the food product through a knife, it is assumed that the inverse of the torque needed to generate the deformation is assessed as spreadability. Torque is assumed to be equal to the shear stress on the knife multiplied by the distance the knife traueled across the cracker. Because this distance is constant, the final form for the psychophysical model is: Using magnitude estimation, subjective spreadability scores ranged from 0.13 for marshmallow cream to 5.23 for squeeze margarine. When these scores were plotted versus the model on log-log coordinates, the best slope was 0.85 with a correlation coefficient of 0.95. The results strongly support the assumption that shear stresses generated on the knife are assessed as spreadability by the consumer.
Configurations resulting from iso-chromatid and iso-subchromatid unions after meiotic and mitotic prophase irradiation.

By making use of the chromosomes of Trillium erectum as a model, potential and actual configurations arising from presumed iso-chromatid and iso-subchromatid unions after irradiation of meiotic or mitotic prophase have been studied and analyzed. Diagrams and photographs of various recognizable types of chromatid or subchromatid rearrangements are presented. A minimum of two iso-chromatid unions within an arm of a single chromosome in meiotic prophase, if separated by a single chiasma, can give rise to a monocentric chromosome with a triplicated segment, the middle portion of which is an inversion. A minimum of two iso-subchromatid breaks within an arm at either meiotic or mitotic prophase also can result in the production of a monocentric chromosome containing a triplicated segment. The stage of appearance of dicentrics or bridges arising from chromatid or subchromatid unions in meiotic prophase is influenced by chiasma number and pattern and by the number of strands per chromosome or chromatid. Some of the rearrangements described may have genetic and evolutionary implication of considerable potential importance which has not been recognized previously.
Surface roughness monitoring using computer vision

In this paper, a comparative experimental surface roughness measurement method based on the speckle pattern caused by a laser beam on a rough surface is presented. Surfaces with known surface roughness are measured using this method to obtain a calibration curve. This information is used to measure surfaces produced by surface grinding, and the results compared with stylus measurements. The online use of this method for tracking the roughness of a workpiece being processed on a surface grinder and to monitor the condition of the grinding wheel is also reported.
SYREN: Synergistic Link Correlation-Aware and Network Coding-Based Dissemination in Wireless Sensor Networks

Rapid flooding is necessary for code updates and routing tree formation in wireless sensor networks. Link correlation-aware collective flooding (CF) is a recently proposed technique that provides a substrate for efficiently disseminating a single packet. Applying CF to multiple packet dissemination poses several challenges, such as reliability degradation, redundant transmissions, and increased contention among node transmissions. The varying link correlation observed in real networks makes the problem harder. In this paper, we propose a multi-packet flooding protocol, SYREN, that exploits the synergy among link correlation and network coding. In particular, SYREN exploits link correlation to eliminate the overhead of explicit control packets in networks with high correlation, and uses network coding to pipeline transmission of multiple packets via a novel, single yet scalable timer per node. SYREN reduces the number of redundant transmissions while achieving near-perfect reliability, especially in networks with low link correlation. Test bed experiments and simulations show that SYREN reduces the average number of transmissions by 30% and dissemination delay by more than 60% while achieving the same reliability as state-of-the-art protocols.
Dot or pointillistic method for improvement in results of hypertrophic scarring in the argon laser treatment of portwine hemangiomas

In an attempt to limit scarring, 51 patients have been treated over a period of 2 years with the argon laser in a dot or pointillistic fashion. One- to 2-mm dots are blanched at intervals of 1-2 mm with minimal power, and the interspaces are filled in at 12 weeks. Scar-prone areas of the face such as the upper lip, nasolabial fold, nose, and lower lip have been successfully treated with minimal scarring and good fading. Lesions of the trunk and extremity have also been successfully treated.
Religion, socialization, and fertility

Longitudinal data from a large .sample of Wisconsin men and women are used to examine the effects on fertility of religious and secular socialization, including farm upbringing. Analyses of children ever born (CEB) and of parity progression show that current religious choice is more important in explaining fertility than is religion of orientation or denomination of secondary school. The effects of current and background religion are additive, and the effect of current religion is the same for men as for women at each parity progression. Catholic religious background affects fertility primarily by increasing the likelihood of having a third or fourth child; its indirect effects on fertility operate through religious schooling and current religious affiliation. Unlike religious background, the positive influence of farm background on fertility persists among men and women, even when current farm employment is controlled.