cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The future is now: pediatric neuropsychological presurgical epilepsy evaluation in the age of COVID-19

The objective of this brief report is to review an assessment paradigm for conducting virtual neuropsychological pre-surgical evaluations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A multidisciplinary epilepsy team at a Level 4 epilepsy center within a large children's academic medical center convened to discuss the challenges and possible solutions for Phase II evaluations for pediatric patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The neuropsychologists explored evidence-based methods of virtual evaluation and developed a systematic decision-making process for youth requiring a Phase II evaluation. We propose models of assessment which prioritize teleneuropsychology when possible to reduce the risk of infection: (1) evaluation with directly administered tests through a completely virtual format; (2) virtual/in-person hybrid evaluation; and (3) clinical observation/interview in a virtual format supplemented by survey data. These models are illustrated by three cases. Using virtual assessment models, the team was able to meet the urgent patient care needs and collect useful data while minimizing the risk of virus spread. The paradigms presented may be useful examples for other multidisciplinary surgical teams interested in incorporating teleneuropsychology into their practices.
Correlational selection and genetic architecture promote the leaf economics spectrum in a perennial grass

The leaf economics spectrum (LES) is hypothesized to result from a trade-off between resource acquisition and conservation. Yet few studies have examined the evolutionary mechanisms behind the LES, perhaps because most species exhibit relatively specialized leaf economics strategies. In a genetic mapping population of the phenotypically diverse grass Panicum virgatum, we evaluate two interacting mechanisms that may drive LES evolution: 1) genetic architecture, where multiple traits are coded by the same gene (pleiotropy) or by genes in close physical proximity (linkage), and 2) correlational selection, where selection acts non-additively on combinations of multiple traits. We found evidence suggesting that shared genetic architecture (pleiotropy) controls covariation between two pairs of leaf economics traits. Additionally, at five common gardens spanning 17 degrees of latitude, correlational selection favored particular combinations of leaf economics traits. Together, these results demonstrate how the LES can evolve within species.
Client Report of Delivery of Common Elements in Usual Care and the Association to Satisfaction

Recently, scholars have advocated for the use of a new flexible approach to evidence-based practice through the use of “common elements”, which are treatment procedures that are utilized in a variety of evidence-based mental health interventions. The objective of this study was to describe the extent to which clinicians are using common elements of evidence-based treatment (EBT) in routine mental health care for children and if they are utilizing more of the elements associated with their client’s diagnosis. A second objective was to determine whether use of these elements was associated with client satisfaction. The Youth Services Survey was administered to a diverse sample of youth and their caregivers (total sample = 1075) to measure satisfaction with services and use of both talk-based and skill-based common elements. More than 74 % of caregivers indicated that their child’s clinician utilized the talk-based common elements frequently or almost always. Additionally, at least 69 % of youth agreed with this finding. Youth and caregivers reported that the common elements related to skill building were utilized less frequently. A Generalized Estimating Equation approach was used to examine the relationship between use of common elements and client diagnosis and satisfaction. The results for diagnosis were mixed and varied by parent and youth report. Finally, the more clinicians discussed and practiced common elements of EBT with their clients, both youth and caregivers were more likely to be satisfied. Due to clients’ reporting that on average clinicians utilized skill building common elements less often, targeted clinician training may be important, since practicing skill-building therapeutic elements is key to adopting new methods of managing behavior and emotions. Further, if families are more satisfied with a common elements approach, then clinicians may be more likely to utilize it.
Intuition in Education: Teaching and Learning Without Thinking

Albert Einstein once said that intuition is “the only truly valuable thing,” claiming that only “intuition resting on sympathetic understanding of experience” can apprehend the elementary laws of the universe. He also felt that, even in everyday activities, people should emulate the instincts of animals by being “more intuitive — they should not be too conscious of what they are doing while they are doing it.” “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, while the rational mind is only its faithful servant,” he cautioned, “but our society honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” The gift of intuition has been forgotten in education. The time may, however, be ripe for renewed interest in educational intuition. The best jobs in the global economy are going to so-called “knowledge workers” who address ill-structured problems in unpredictable ways by combining real time information flows with available knowledge to generate rapid new intuitive insight. Perhaps as a result, intuition has recently become a hot research topic in psychology. Malcolm Gladwell’s survey of that research in Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking has been one of the big best sellers of 2005.
Testimony as a Social Foundation of Knowledge

Testimony is the mainstay of human communication and essential for the spread of knowledge. But testimony may also spread error. Under what conditions does it yield knowledge in the person addressed? Must the recipient trust the attester? And does the attester have to know what is affirmed? A related question is what is required for the recipient to be justified in believing testimony. Is testimony-based justification acquired in the same way as testimony-based knowledge? This paper addresses these and other questions. It offers a theory of the role of testimony in producing knowledge and justification, a sketch of a conception of knowledge that supports this theory, a brief account of how trust of others can be squared with critical habits of mind, and an outline of some important standards for intellectual responsibility in giving and receiving testimony.
An Extensible Compiler for Creating Scriptable Scientific Software

Scripting languages such as Python and Tcl have become a powerful tool for the construction of flexible scientific software because they provide scientists with an interpreted problem solving environment and they form a modular framework for controlling software components written in C,C++, and Fortran. However, a common problem faced by the developers of a scripted scientific application is that of integrating compiled code with a high-level interpreter. This paper describes SWIG, an extensible compiler that automates the task of integrating compiled code with scripting language interpreters. SWIG requires no modifications to existing code and can create bindings for eight different target languages including Python, Perl, Tcl, Ruby, Guile, and Java. By automating language integration, SWIG enables scientists to use scripting languages at all stages of software development and allows existing software to be more easily integrated into a scripting environment.
ABC, 123: Can you text me now? The Impact of a Mobile Phone Literacy Program on Educational Outcomes

We report the short-term results from a randomized evaluation of a mobile phone literacy and numeracy program (Project ABC) in Niger, in which adult literacy students learned how to use mobile phones as part of a literacy and numeracy class. Students in ABC villages showed substantial gains in numeracy exam scores. There is also evidence of heterogeneity in program effects across regions, suggesting the impact is context dependent. These results were stronger in one region, for women and for participants younger than 45. There was also evidence of persistent impacts: six months after the end of the first year of classes, students in ABC villages retained what they had learned better than the non-ABC students. These effects do not appear to be driven by differences in teacher quality and motivation, nor student attendance.
REM Sleep Rebound On A First CPAP Recovery Night In Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients (P5.277)

Objective: In order to better understand the factors related to sleep architecture (SA) changes in patients with OSA on successful CPAP titration night (CPAPTN), we studied SA on CPAPTN as compared with diagnostic baseline night (BN), in patients with different severity of OSA. Background: CPAPTN is frequently associated with increase amount of delta sleep and REM sleep. CPAPTN is followed by an improvement of daytime sleepiness (EDS) in OSA patients. More severe OSA is associated with more EDS based on MSLT. It is unclear if SA changes on CPAPRT are related to the degree of sleep fragmentation associated with severity of OSA. Methods: SA, based on standard polysomnography, were compared in patients with mild (AHI-5-20, n=44), moderate (AHI-21-45, n=47) and severe (AHI->45, n=136) OSA on the BN and on CPAPTN. Results: Severe OSA is associated with most sleep fragmentation causing profound reduction of delta sleep and REM sleep. Severe OSA has longer REM rebound on CPAPTN (REM% and REM min) as compared with moderate and mild OSA. AHI is strongly correlated with the amount of REM sleep on CPAPTN (r= 0.457, p<0001). REM sleep latency is significantly shorter in severe OSA on CPAPN, as compared with other groups. There is an increase of delta sleep on CPAPN in all OSA groups. Delta sleep increase on CPAPTN is more pronounced in severe OSA. No correlation was found between baseline AHI and delta sleep increase on CPAPTN. Conclusion: Successful CPAP titration in severe OSA is associated with greater rebound of REM sleep (increase REM amount and decrease REM latency) in severe OSA associated with higher AHI and more fragmented baseline sleep. It can be concluded that REM sleep rebound is related to an important compensatory homeostatic mechanism, which plays an important role in functional restoration of the brain systems responsible for maintaining of alertness and the effective daytime functioning. Disclosure: Dr. Biniaurishvili has nothing to disclose.
Low power LC-VCO design using direct cross-coupled cell biasing

This paper presents a low power LC-VCO design using a direct cross-coupled cell biasing topology. In the proposed topology, the bias current mirror is directly connected to the gate of the cross-coupled cell that generates a negative resistance, and hence removes the voltage drop in the top- or tail-transistor used for current biasing. A capacitive degenerated buffer stage generates an extra negative resistance and relieves the current requirement for the VCO core, and further reduces the power consumption. The proposed topology is also insensitive to the power supply noise. An example 10 GHz VCO in 0.13 /spl mu/m CMOS technology drains only 0.6 mA from 1.2 V power supply. It shows 13.6% tuning range and -108 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 MHz offset. For an operation under 0.8 V power supply with 0.45 mA current, the tuning range and phase noise degrade to 12.3% and -103dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset respectively.
Congenital hypothyroidism in infant following maternal I131 therapy

A clinical conference was recorded which dealt with an infant with congenitalhypothyroidism whose mother had received 14.5 mc. of I 131 as therapy for Graves' disease during the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. It is estimated that the fetal thyroid received around 250,000 rads, contrasted with the usual estimated 10,000 to 20,000 rads for the thyroid of adults treated for hyperthyroidism. The danger of I 131 therapy to women of child-bearing age was emphasized. The discussion dealt with the hazards of radioactive isotopes in the environment to children, the description of the fallout pattern of Sr 90 and the difficulties in accurately estimating its danger to children, several possible approaches to the reduction of dietary Sr 90 , I 131 contamination of the environment, and the use of nonradioactive iodide to interfere with the thyroidal uptake of I 131 .
Percutaneous Suture Closure for Management of Large French Size Arterial and Venous Puncture

Aortic valvuloplasty procedures have been limited principally by the occurrence of restenosis in this patient population. Once a decision has been made to proceed with aortic valvuloplasty, one of the next major concerns is management of the femoral artery puncture. For these procedures, 12Fr and 14Fr sheath introducers and prolonged compression with clamps or hemostatic devices have been necessary. Prolonged immobilization is painful for the elderly population in whom aortic valvuloplasty is used. The ability to use percutaneous suture closure to eliminate the need for manual compression, especially for clamp or hemostatic devices, has greatly improved patient tolerance for these procedures. A technique for preloading the suture closure device prior to insertion of a large bore sheath is the technique of choice to make this possible. Mitral valvuloplasty has faced fewer limitations and of course yields results equivalent to surgical commissurotomy in randomized trials. Improved management of the 14Fr femoral venous site has made outpatient treatment simpler. The technical approach necessary for success in the venous system uses contrast injections through the Perclose device marker port to insure that the device is properly positioned prior to deployment of the sutures. More rapid immobilization and simplified postprocedural management can be achieved using percutaneous suture closure for large caliber sheaths after mitral and aortic valvuloplasty.
Validation of the Differential Emotions Scale in 613 mothers

Mothers (N=613) with infants who took the Differential Emotions Scale (DES) were compared in a cross-validation study by factor analysis to 957 high school and college students. Despite differences in factor-analytic technique, similarities in factor structure suggested that the DES discriminates the majority of fundamental emotions as posited by Izard.
HYAL1 Hyaluronidase: A Molecular Determinant of Bladder Tumor Growth and Invasion

Hyaluronic acid and HYAL1-type hyaluronidase show high accuracy in detecting bladder cancer and evaluating its grade, respectively. Hyaluronic acid promotes tumor progression; however, the functions of hyaluronidase in cancer are largely unknown. In this study, we stably transfected HT1376 bladder cancer cells with HYAL1-sense (HYAL1-S), HYAL1-antisense (HYAL1-AS), or vector cDNA constructs. Whereas HYAL1-S transfectants produced 3-fold more HYAL1 than vector transfectants, HYAL1-AS transfectants showed approximately 90% reduction in HYAL1 production. HYAL1-AS transfectants grew four times slower than vector and HYAL1-S transfectants and were blocked in the G2-M phase of the cell cycle. The expression of cdc25c and cyclin B1 and cdc2/p34-associated H1 histone kinase activity also decreased in HYAL1-AS transfectants. HYAL1-S transfectants were 30% to 44% more invasive, and HYAL1-AS transfectants were approximately 50% less invasive than the vector transfectants in vitro. In xenografts, there was a 4- to 5-fold delay in the generation of palpable HYAL1-AS tumors, and the weight of HYAL1-AS tumors was 9- to 17-fold less than vector and HYAL1-S tumors, respectively (P < 0.001). Whereas HYAL1-S and vector tumors infiltrated skeletal muscle and blood vessels, HYAL1-AS tumors resembled benign neoplasia. HYAL1-S and vector tumors expressed significantly higher amounts of HYAL1 (in tumor cells) and hyaluronic acid (in tumor-associated stroma) than HYAL1-AS tumors. Microvessel density in HYAL1-S tumors was 3.8- and 9.5-fold higher than that in vector and HYAL1-AS tumors, respectively. These results show that HYAL1 expression in bladder cancer cells regulates tumor growth and progression and therefore serves as a marker for high-grade bladder cancer.
The effect of cholesterol administration on lipid biosynthesis by rabbit aortic mitochondria.

Abstract An aqueous suspension of cholesterol (5.0 gm/day) was administered by stomach tube to 19 rabbits for 18–22 days. The rate of acetate incorporation into fatty acids and complex lipids was measured in isolated aortic mitochondria from the experimental and control animals, both of which were on an otherwise similar low-fat diet. Following cholesterol administration, acetate-1- 14 C was incorporated into fatty acids at a faster rate and the distribution of label into complex lipids and specific fatty acids was altered. In the control mitochondria the complex lipids acquiring the largest percentages of 14 C were: unesterified fatty acids (42%), phosphatidyl ethanolamine (20%), and lecithin (13%); the majority of labeled fatty acids were those emerging from the gas-liquid chromatographic column after C 18:3 . Following cholesterol administration, the most impressive changes were the large increases in percentages of label appearing in phosphatidic acid and octadecadienoic acid (C 18:2 ), indicating an increased rate of turnover of these species. These described changes in mitochondrial lipid turnover are additions to the still growing list of physiological and biochemical consequences of cholesterol feeding. Understanding their functional interrelations may ultimately reveal the mechanism of lesion formation.
A refinement of the coupling method in renewal theory

Abstract An overjump Markov chain associated with a pair of random walks is used to obtain a sharp estimate of their coupling time; and thence of the convergence rate of a renewal process. Lattice valued and non-singular cases are treated.
The Egocentric Basis of Language Use: Insights From a Processing Approach

1. Address correspondence to Michael E. Lamb, Section on Social and Emotional Development, National In stitute of Child Health and Human De velopment, 9190 Rockville Pike, Be thesda, MD 20814; e-mail: michael_ lamb@nih.gov. 2. Readers interested in a more complete and exhaustively referenced review than is possible here are re ferred to Lamb, Sternberg, Esplin, Hershkowitz, and Orbach (1997). References
A Service-Oriented After-Sales Services System in Mechanical Engineering Industry

This paper presents a service-oriented After-sales services system in Mechanical Engineering Industry. Typical After-sales services include status tracking services by customers, customer services, assignors and assignees. Therefore, the proposed After-sales service tracking management system work in the progress from the case study is conducted. Our system can connect with other service-related systems, such as enterprise content management repository system and business process management system. The After-sales services system is developed by consulting and visiting the machine tools manufacturers.
Elimination of socioeconomic and racial disparities related to lung cancer: closing the gap at a high volume community cancer center.

Abstract Background Healthcare disparities have afflicted the healthcare industry for decades and there have been many campaigns in recent years to identify and eliminate disparities. The purpose of this study was to identify disparities in the lung cancer population of a single community cancer center and to report the results in accordance with industry goals. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of data on non-small cell lung cancer patients recorded in the Christiana Care Tumor Registry (CCTR) in Delaware. Gender, age, race, socioeconomic status and insurance status were used as potential variables in identifying disparities. Results We found no significant disparities between sexes, race or patients who were classified as having socioeconomic status 1–3. There was a lower survival rate associated with having the poorest socioeconomic status and in patients who used Medicare. Uninsured patients had the best survival outcomes and patients with Medicare had the poorest survival outcomes. Conclusion Although we have closed the gap on sex and racial disparities, there remains a difference in survival outcomes across socioeconomic classes and insurance types.
Interfacial Effects During Thermal Cycling of Cu-Filled Through-Silicon Vias (TSV)

Large shear stresses may develop at interfaces between dissimilar materials during thermal excursions when there is a significant difference in their coefficients of thermal expansion. The shear stress may cause interfaces to slide via diffusional process, thereby accommodating the relative dimensional changes between the two materials. This phenomenon presents a significant reliability issue in three-dimensional (3-D) interconnect structures involving through-silicon vias (TSVs), which are subjected not only to continuous thermal cycling but also to large electric current densities during service. This paper reports experimental evidence of interfacial sliding between Cu and Si in Cu-filled TSVs during thermal cycling conditions, and in the presence of electric current. Two different thermal cycling conditions were used: (i) small ΔT thermal cycling (−25°C to 135°C) and (ii) large ΔT thermal cycling (25°C to 425°C). Prior to thermal cycling, a few Cu-filled TSV samples were annealed for 30 min at 425°C. Cu intruded inside Si in nonannealed samples during small ΔT thermal cycling, whereas protrusion of Cu relative to Si occurred during all other thermal excursions. Application of electric current biased the net displacement of the Cu in the direction of electron flow, leading to enhanced protrusion (or intrusion) of Cu relative to the thermal cycling only (i.e., without electric current) condition. A simple one-dimensional analytical model and associated numerical simulations are utilized to rationalize the experimental observations.
Fluorescence quenching of poly(methylphenylsilane) in solution

The solution, electron-transfer fluorescence quenching of a typical aromatic polysilane[poly(methylphenylsilane)] by a series of electronic deficient aromatic monomers is described. The rate of fluorescence quenching is a function of the reduction potential of the quencher, and only very fast processes can be observed, due to the short polymer fluorescence lifetime. The measurement of quenching rate constants, which are considerably larger than diffusion control, suggests that extensive energy migration occurs in the polymer. Although the fluorescence quenching at low quencher concentrations follows Stern-Volmer kinetics, at high concentrations, contributions from static quenching are apparent. Strong fluorescence quenching can either accelerate or inhibit photodegradation, depending on the structure of the quencher.
Translating biomarkers to clinical practice

Biomarkers are the measurable characteristics of an individual that may represent risk factors for a disease or outcome, or that may be indicators of disease progression or of treatment-associated changes. In general, the process by which biomarkers, once identified, might be translated into clinical practice has received scant attention in recent psychiatric literature. A body of work in diagnostic development suggests a framework for evaluating and validating novel biomarkers, but this work may be unfamiliar to clinical and translational researchers in psychiatry. Therefore, this review focuses on the steps that might follow the identification of putative biomarkers. It first addresses standard approaches to characterizing biomarker performance, followed by demonstrations of how a putative biomarker might be shown to have clinical relevance. Finally, it addresses ways in which a biomarker-based test might be validated for clinical application in terms of efficacy and cost-effectiveness.
Chemosterilization and Mating Behavior of Male House Flies

Male and female house flies, Musca domestica L., reached sexual maturity in 20 and 40 hr, respectively, after emergence. From a single batch of pupae, matings occurred during the first 24 hr after emergence. The average time flies remained in coitu was 56 min, with a range of 34–93 min, and a standard deviation of 12 min. Insemination began as soon as copulation was physically established. Male flies, handicapped by removal of a wing or a leg, successfully mated with females. One microgram of tepa injected into male flies reached 50% sterilizing effectiveness in 23 min and full effectiveness in about 3½ hr. Male flies remain sterile for about 1 week. Partial restoration of male fertility occurred thereafter. Tepa was equally effective in sterilizing males of different ages.
On the Attributes of an Asset

Definition of the elements of financial accounting has been a much discussed topic since the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) began work on their Conceptual Framework Project. Defining assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and other elements has been attempted by many knowledgeable accountants but, to date, no single, generally accepted set of definitions exists. This paper will focus upon the definition of assets and will, through an examination of FASB Statements, attempt to derive an implicit definition of assets from the pronouncements of the FASB.
Quality of Life of Couples Dealing with Cancer: Dyadic and Individual Adjustment among Breast and Prostate Cancer Survivors and Their Spousal Caregivers

Although evidence suggests that survivors and spousal caregivers tend to experience somewhat similar levels of distress and that the survivor’s distress affects his/her own quality of life, the degree to which each person’s distress has an independent effect on their partner’s quality of life is unknown. Thus, this study aimed to examine the dyadic effects of psychological distress on the quality of life of couples dealing with cancer. A total of 168 married survivor–caregiver dyads participating in the American Cancer Society’s Study of Cancer Survivors-I and Quality of Life Survey for Caregivers provided complete data for study variables. Participating survivors were diagnosed with either breast or prostate cancer approximately 2 years prior to participating in the study. Using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model, results revealed that although each person’s psychological distress is the strongest predictor of their own quality of life, partner’s distress and (dis)similarity in distress of the couple also play significant roles in one’s quality of life. In addition, the adverse effect of having a partner who is less emotionally resourceful was especially pronounced on men’s physical health. Our systematic investigation provided valuable evidence for identifying the subgroup of cancer survivors and their spouses who are vulnerable to poor quality of life due to their mutual psychological distress. These findings suggest that couples may benefit from interventions that enhance their ability to manage psychological distress, particularly the wife’s, which may improve the mental and physical health of both partners when they are dealing with cancer.
Edge Probe Measurements of the Dynamo in the MST RFP

Summary form only given. The Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) is a toroidal reversed-field pinch (RFP) device for plasma physics and fusion research. Standard discharges in the MST RFP are characterized by cyclical rapid relaxation events (sawtooth oscillations), when the substantial toroidal flux (and edge poloidal current) is generated due to the RFP dynamo. Previous work indicated that the MHD dynamo is operating at the plasma edge, but is substantially reduced at the reversal surface. Present dynamo measurements with a newly developed insertable optical probe (which has improved design and resolution) and magnetic probes are aimed to understand the cause of this reduction. It is observed that B tildeT changes phase by pi near reversal surface, while phases of all the other fluctuating quantities remain unchanged. Thus, component of the MHD dynamo changes sign and cancels . The Hall dynamo is believed to be important for balancing the parallel component of the generalized Ohm's law near the reversal surface. A new magnetic probe, which combines 6 magnetic coil triplets is presently under construction and will be employed to study this effect. We have also recently developed a Mach probe with embedded magnetic coils, which will be used to measure other components of the MHD dynamo. This set of tools, combined with other MST diagnostics, will allow study of the relative importance of different terms in the generalized Ohm's law across the plasma minor radius. The magnetic probe will also be utilized to measure the Maxwell stress tensor in the edge of MST, and to characterize the degree of the charge transport non-ambipolarity. Both of these effects might play an important role in providing torques, which cause intrinsic (without external momentum input) plasma rotation.
Spirometric Criteria for Hospital Admission of Patients with Acute Exacerbation of COPD

Recent studies have demonstrated that there is a high relapse rate for patients discharged from the Emergency Department (ED) following treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Objective criteria have not been established to determine when to hospitalize these patients. This study evaluated spirometric criteria for that use. Eighty-three patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD were studied; 45 percent were admitted to the hospital while 17 percent of the patients who were discharged suffered a relapse. An FEV 1 of less than 40 percent of predicted normal identified patients who required hospital admission or suffered a relapse with a sensitivity of 0.96, specificity of 0.58, and overall accuracy of 0.78. Combining clinical assessment with spirometry led to an improvement in specificity to 0.73 with a minimal decrease in sensitivity. Patients with an FEV 1 of 40 percent or greater of predicted normal or no clinical evidence of respiratory distress after treatment may be safely discharged from the hospital. Patients not meeting these criteria are at high risk for relapse and should either be admitted or have further aggressive ED therapy. (Chest 1991; 99:595–599)
Co-kriging for stochastic flow models

Co-kriging equations for log-transmissivity and heads are derived for a two-dimensional stochastic model. The behavior of the weights as a function of the unknown value of mean hydraulic gradient J are discussed and the procedure is illustrated by studying the ‘screening’ effects of adjacent measurements and added head measurements. In addition, the bias of the estimator for head values is studied when J is also estimated.
Identifying workers' industries: Survey responses versus corporate product lines

Abstract This article compares workers' self-reported industries with published reports of their employing companies' product lines in order to assess the level of agreement between these two sources of industrial information. Significant discrepancies between self-reported and published industries are found for comparisons across aggregate industry categories, two-digit industry categories, and three-digit industry categories. Alternative hypotheses are evaluated to help discern the causes of nonmatching. Nonmatches are better explained by job and organizational characteristics than by workers' characteristics. Large organizational size, employment in retail and wholesale trade, subcontracting, and conglomerate interlocks are all found to be strongly associated with nonmatching. The implications of these findings for the use of industrial measures based on individual level survey data are that we must begin to develop more complex measures and concepts of structural location in the economy.
Stress based fracture envelope for damage plastic solids

Recent development of damage plasticity theory shows the critical plastic strain at fracture for ductile solids depends on the pressure and the Lode angle on the octahedral plane along the loading path. The determination of the fracture strain envelope is usually a difficult and time consuming process. This is due to the experimental difficulties in maintaining a constant pressure and Lode angle at the fracture site, which is further complicated by the coupled nature of the parameters to be calibrated and the geometrical localization of the deformation. The fracture strain envelope is one of the key ingredients of the damage plasticity theory and relates to the accuracy of predicted results. In the present paper, the Lode angle dependence and the pressure sensitivity functions for the fracture strain envelope are derived from the hardening rule of the matrix using Tresca type fracture condition and Drucker–Prager formula, respectively. Quantitative analyses of Clausing’s and Bridgman’s test data are presented. Then a pressure modified maximum shear stress condition is adopted as fracture initiation condition to examine their joint effects on the fracture strain envelope. The relationship of the strain hardening, the pressure sensitivity and the Lode angle dependence are examined and verified by existing experimental results. We show that within the moderate range of stress triaxiality, the pressure modified maximum shear condition can be used as the fracture stress envelope for ductile metals within the framework of damage plasticity. The present method reduces significantly the amount of work to calibrate the material parameters for ductile fracture.
Economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - Impact of new treatment options

The incidence, morbidity and mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is rising throughout the world. The total economic cost of COPD in the US in 1993 was estimated to be over $US15.5 billion, with $US6.1 billion for hospitalisation, $US4.4 billion for physician and other fees, $US2.5 billion for drugs, $US1.5 billion for nursing home care and $US1.0 billion for home care. Office visits, hospital outpatient visits and emergency department visits accounted for 17.3% of the direct costs for COPD in the US. When stratified by severity, COPD treatment costs strongly correlate with disease severity. The American Thoracic Society, the European Respiratory Society and the British Thoracic Society have developed guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of COPD. However, the guidelines establish inhaled bronchodilators (anticholinergic agents and beta 2-adrenergic agonists) as the mainstay of therapy for patients with COPD. The guidelines were not based on cost analyses and thus are not a priori cost-effective guidelines. Since the publication of these guidelines, several new pharmacological products have been approved for use in patients with COPD including a combination of an anticholinergic and selective beta 2-adrenergic agonist [ipratropium/salbutamol (albuterol)] and a long-acting beta 2-adrenergic agonist (salmeterol). Both products are effective bronchodilators in COPD. The purpose of this report is to place these new agents in an updated pharmacological guideline scheme, utilising recently published data on clinical efficacy as well as pharmacoeconomics. The annualised healthcare costs were computed to be $US788/patient/year for the combination ipratropium/salbutamol inhaler and $US1059/patient/year for salmeterol (1999 values). Based upon an improved understanding of the complexity of COPD, the response of patients to newer bronchodilators (given individually or in combination), and recent pharmacoeconomic data for COPD treatment, a new treatment algorithm with associated costs is proposed. The use of an algorithm, based on medical and pharmacoeconomic data, will improve lung function in patients with COPD, improve patient satisfaction (e.g. quality of life, dyspnoea) and outcomes (e.g. exacerbations). It will also result in a positive effect on healthcare costs.
Actinide targets for neutron cross section measurements

The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) and the Generation IV Reactor Initiative have demonstrated a lack of detailed neutron cross-sections for certain "minor" actinides, those other than the most common (235U, 238U, and 239Pu). For some closed-fuel-cycle reactor designs more than 50% of reactivity will, at some point, be derived from "minor" actinides that currently have poorly known or in some cases not measured (n,?) and (n,f) cross sections. A program of measurements under AFCI has begun to correct this. One of the initial hurdles has been to produce well-characterized, highly isotopically enriched, and chemically pure actinide targets on thin backings. Using a combination of resurrected techniques and new developments, we have made a series of targets including highly enriched 239Pu, 240Pu, and 242Pu. Thus far, we have electrodeposited these actinide targets. In the future, we plan to study reductive distillation to achieve homogeneous, adherent targets on thin metal foils and polymer backings. As we move forward, separated isotopes become scarcer, and safety concerns become greater. The chemical purification and electodeposition techniques will be described.
Moore’s Paradox Revisited

Wittgenstein “once remarked that the only work of Moore’s that greatly impressed him was his discovery of the peculiar kind of nonsense involved in such a sentence as, e.g., ‘It is raining but I don’t believe it’”.1Present practice is to refer to the difficulties generated by sentences of this form, as well as to sentences of the form “I believe that p but not p”, as “Moore’s paradox”.2 Despite Wittgenstein’s great reputation and regard for the importance of Moore’s “discovery”, little interest has been generated in the topic. And yet, central issues in epistemology and the philosophy of language are involved in the resolution of this paradox. Since this is not generally appreciated, we begin our discussion by establishing what some of those important issues are, thereby crediting Wittgenstein’s assessment of the importance of the paradox. Then, we develop an account of the aberrant nature of Moore’s sentences (hereafter labelled “MS”) that is indebted to Wittgenstein, and which challenges the assumptions that motivate the standard form of discussion of these sentences initiated by Moore.
Dialogues of Deliberation: Conversation in the Teacher-Student Writing Conference

Through the use of case study portraits, this article examines naturally occurring one-to-one writing conference conversations between a ninth-grade English teacher and three students in his class....
Pricing American options under partial observation of stochastic volatility

Stochastic volatility models capture the impact of time-varying volatility on the financial markets, and hence are heavily used in financial engineering. However, stochastic volatility is not directly observable in reality, but is only "partially" observable through the inference from the observed asset price. Most of the past research studied American option pricing in stochastic volatility models under the assumption that the volatility is fully observable, which often leads to overpricing of the option. In this paper, we treat the problem under the more realistic assumption of partially observable stochastic volatility, and propose a numerical solution method by extending the regression method and the martingale duality approach to the partially observable case. More specifically, we develop a filtering-based martingale duality approach that complements a lower bound on the option price with an approximate upper bound. Numerical experiments show that our method reduces overpricing of the option with a moderate computational cost.
From egg to organism

The embryo is a remarkable self-assembly machine. From a single cell, the fertilized egg, arises all of the differentiated cell types of the body. Embryos unfold in an elegantly choreographed manner that we strive to understand by observing the process, dissecting it into smaller bits, and mucking up the works by expressing too much or too little of some protein. Yet the mystery remains and, as knowledge and technology advance, we understand more about the depth of its complexity than about the process itself.
Web-based laboratories in the introductory curriculum enhance formal methods

In order to be effective, the content of the introductory curriculum must strike a proper balance between the highly motivating (i.e. "fun") aspects of programming and the development of sound scientific background and analytical thinking. As part of an NSF-funded Education Infrastructure project at Oberlin College, we have developed a curriculum that maintains a high level of scientific rigor, while making use of the new technology of HTML and the World Wide Web to instruct and motivate. We provide our students with an integrated experience which includes web-based guided-study laboratory materials, an interactive programming environment and a syllabus which emphasizes the interplay between abstract and formal concepts on the one hand, and concrete implementations and experimental investigations on the other. Scheme is used as the primary programming environment, to illustrate the salient features of the imperative and the object-oriented paradigms, along with the functional paradigm with which it is usually associated. We believe that our approach: 1) revitalizes the material for students who expect a more modern presentation; 2) provides a balanced view of competing perspectives on programming style and methodology; and 3) provides a well-balanced mixture of formal analysis and experimental measurement.In order to produce laboratory materials without the overhead entailed by creating them directly in HTML, we have developed a tool capable of abstracting the functionality and style of HTML documents; thus we can engage both faculty and student authors in the development of laboratories with a uniform style. The very tools used to develop the online materials are themselves an excellent illustration of the empowerment which results from a thorough understanding of the principles of abstraction.
Persistent internal polarizations in poly(ethylene terephthalate) films. III. Cold crystallization

Abstract A polarization process, which may be induced in commercial poly(ethylene terephthalate) films by annealing, has been found to exhibit a current peak under zero bias near 120[ddot]C. This process is identified as the “cold crystallization” phenomenon, and involves the simultaneous gauche-to-trans isomerization and paracrystalline ordering of the glycol linkages.
Map dynamics and Newton's second law

Abstract Newton's second law is examined for the motion of a particle subject to a fluctuating force applied impulsively at equal increments of time. The result is coupled mappings which generalize previous two-dimensional map studies. Application is made to the motion of a particle in a symmetric double well potential. Transitions between the wells and escape can be understood in terms of complementary diffusion and impulsive processes which can arise by either self-generated or externally induced fluctuations. The results suggest that stochastic dynamical processes may be understood in terms of the map dynamics.
Interaction parameters for blends containing polycarbonates: 1. Tetramethyl bisphenol-A polycarbonate/polystyrene

Abstract The interaction parameters for polystyrene and tetramethyl bisphenol-A polycarbonate blends were evaluated by fitting experimental PVT behaviour and a lower critical solution temperature (LCST)-type phase boundary to the lattice fluid theory of Sanchez and Lacombe. The phase boundaries of these blends were obtained by using a differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.) method, and were compared with those obtained by light transmission and visual methods. The characteristic properties for these polymers were determined by the non-linear least-squares fitting of specific volume data as a function of temperature and pressure to the equation of state. The net bare interaction parameters from the Sanchez-Lacombe theory, ΔP∗ , calculated at several compositions yielded negative values ( ΔP∗ = −0.17 ± 0.01 cal cm −3 ) and did not depend on composition. Flory-Huggins type interaction parameters reported in the literature for this system determined by a small-angle neutron scattering technique compare favourably with the results of this study except in terms of composition dependence.
The Indispensable Nature of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities to the Church

ABSTRACT In relation to 1 Corinthians 12: 22, why would persons with intellectual disabilities be indispensable to the Christian church? This article examines that question by looking at one core aspect of Christian faith, love. Discussion is then made as to how persons with cognitive and other disabilities contribute to the core aspect and what their absence may imply about the church and love as currently evidenced in the church.
An evaluation of three algorithms for reconstructing images from data with missing projections

Three iterative reconstruction algorithm for reconstructing images from tomographic data with missing projections are evaluated. One algorithm iteratively minimizes a squared-error criteria; the other two, both transform algorithms, estimate the missing projections by placing constraints on the missing data. These algorithms are evaluated on the basis of their accuracy and computational speed. The transform methods are shown to be both faster and more accurate than the least-squares method. >
Maturation of antroduodenal motor activity in preterm and term infants

Previous studies have shown that duodenal motility patterns differ in preterm and term infants, but antral motor activities were not compared. Using a validated, low-compliance, continuous-perfusion, neonatal manometric system, antral and duodenal motility was studied in 19 preterm and nine term infants. Antral motility consisted of isolated single contractions and clustered phasic contractions in term and preterm infants. There were no differences in the occurrence or amplitude of antral activity between the two groups of infants. Thus, there was no change of antral motor activity with advancing gestational age. As has been shown in other previous studies, however, intestinal motor characteristics were more immature in preterm than term infants; clustered phasic contractions occurred more frequently (P less than 0.02) and were of shorter duration (P less than 0.02) and lower amplitude (P less than 0.005). Duodenal clusters were significantly less common, while their amplitudes were significantly increased with increasing gestational age. The proportion of antral clusters that were temporally associated with duodenal activity was significantly lower in preterm infants than in term infants (P less than 0.001). Moreover, the degree of association of antral and duodenal activity increased significantly with gestational age (r = 0.5, P = 0.006). These data show that fasting antral motor activity per se is comparable in preterm and term infants; they also suggest that the temporal association of antral and duodenal activity develops in association with progressive changes in duodenal motor activity in the preterm infant.