cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A modular CMOS-LSI TV receiver tuning and control system

RECENT TREXDS in clcctronic control of' TV rcceivcrs, predominantly channel sclcction, havc been ex tc:lld(:d to all primary control functions. The approach is modular and can be functionally upgraded to form a low to high performance scries of receiver control systems. The primary control functions provided arc on-off, channel sclection, volume, color, and tint. In addition, user convenience features including rcmotc control and on-screen display of channel numbcr and time of day arc available.
Geometric approach for finding HPD-credible sets with applications

An algorithm, based on computational geometry, for computing optimum Bayes credible intervals is presented. A credible interval is the Bayesian version of a classical confidence interval estimate, except it does not require the existence of a pivotal quantity, and it is easier to interpret than the classical confidence interval. For the problem of confidence interval estimation, the standard technique in applied statistics is the use of equal-tailed confidence intervals. The algorithm has been implemented in Java and its performance is tested using Monte Carlo simulation on environmental data from Superfund sites. The results show that the credible interval sets generated by the proposed algorithm is significantly shorter than the interval computed by the standard equal-tailed method.
HODGE THEORY AND GEOMETRY

This expository paper is an expanded version of a talk given at the joint meeting of the Edinburgh and London Mathematical Societies in Edinburgh to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Sir William Hodge. In the talk the emphasis was on the relationship between Hodge theory and geometry, especially the study of algebraic cycles that was of such interest to Hodge. Special attention will be placed on the construction of geometric objects with Hodge-theoretic assumptions. An objective in the talk was to make the following points:
Economic Imperatives and Race Relations The Rise and Fall of the American Apartheid System

Drawing on secondary sources, the authors analyze how contemporary U.S. social institutions continue to produce racial differentials despite considerable pressures for institutional changes to reduce or eliminate those differentials. They argue that the post-Civil War industrial revolution brought economic imperatives that shaped the labor pool and created occupational segregation by race. The principle of racial segregation subsequently permeated other social institutions, most notably the political, educational, and residential institutions, to form the American apartheid system by 1918. Between the world wars, the United States strove for global economic dominance by a state collaboration with corporate interests to maintain the apartheid system. The apartheid system was the basis for the 1945 achievement of U.S. economic dominance. During the phase of unchallenged economic dominance, Black resistance combined with global criticisms of racism to dismantle the apartheid system. When U.S. global economic...
A qualitative analysis of the form, function and interrelationships of fat body and associated tissues in adult ticks (Acari-Ixodoidea).

Tick peripheral and central fat body (FB) contains distinct acidophilic and basophilic cell types. Previous workers call them trophocytes and nephrocytes, respectively, but overlapping physiological functions make histological descriptors more serviceable. Acidophils in Argasidae and Ixodidae contain sudanophilic vacuoles with localized caps showing nonspecific esterase activity. They are implicated in trophic lipid storage but also contain carbohydrate and protein. FB acidophils are also implicated in purine metabolism and may serve the function of insect urate cells. Basophils may contain abundant carbohydrate and protein but little lipid. Pinocytosis of dyes and incorporation of presumptive hemoglobin derivatives implicates them in deposit excretion. Pinocytosis by hemocytes, pericardial cells, Malpighian tubules and basophils indicates a probable division of labor in uptake of various sized particles from tick hemolymph. Differentiation of central FB is coordinated with maturation of reproductive organs, usually in response to adult blood meals. There is a simultaneous development of central and peripheral FB only in ixodid females. Timing and extent of FB differentiation implicates these tissues in vitellogenic processes associated with the extensive fecundity and strict gonotrophic requirements of female ixodids. Absence of peripheral differentiation in male ixodids and most argasids appears related to persistence of gonotrophic rhythms. Ixodid peripheral FB autolysis may be related to connective tissue formation or reproductive development but should also release tick symbiotes or agents of disease. Resulting increases in circulating titer should significantly affect the vector capacity of ixodid ticks.
Wintertime Convection in a Gulf stream Warm Core Ring

Abstract Wintertime convection creates deep mixed layers which determine the water mass characteristics and potential vorticity for waters in the main pycnocline of the world ocean. Diabatic cooling is most intense in the Northern Hemisphere near the northwestern boundary of subtropical gyres where outbreaks of cold, dry continental air over warm surfaces waters produce large sensible and latent heat losses from the ocean. Gulf Stream warm-core rings containing warm salty Sargasso Sea Water are cast off to the north of the Gulf Stream in close proximity to the northeastern coast of North America. We have observed the convective cooling of one these rings, 821, during January 1982 from the USNS Bartlett. During one cold air outbreak, we calculate a net surface hear loss from the ring to the atmosphere of 800 W m−2 and a deepening of the surface mixed layer form 50 to 190 m. The heat budget for the ring required a lateral heat exchange with the surrounding Slope Water, in order to achieve a balanced heat bu...
Age-Related Change in Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls

Purpose To determine the annual rate at which physical activity changes in girls during middle school using both objective and self-report measures of physical activity.
Implementing the radio course

(1946). Implementing the radio course. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 335-339.
Genomic structure of human anion exchanger 3 and its potential role in hereditary neurological disease.

Alterations in ion channel permeability or selectivity have been shown to cause neurological defects in humans. Anion exchanger isoform 3 (AE3) is prominently expressed in the brain and performs an electroneutral exchange of chloride and bicarbonate ions. In order to study the potential role of AE3 in human neurological disease, we characterized AE3 genomic structure and performed mutational analysis on patients with an episodic movement disorder that maps to the same genetic locus. AE3 genomic organization, including the nucleotide sequence of the 5′-untranslated region and intron/exon boundaries, is highly conserved between humans and homologs from mouse and rat. Mutational analysis revealed no disease-causing defect in patients with familial paroxysmal dyskinesia, although several benign polymorphisms were identified. AE3 variation may prove useful for further genetic studies, such as finer resolution mapping. Characterization of genomic structure will facilitate mutational analysis of AE3 in studies of neurological diseases mapped to the same locus.
Reactions of group III biheterocyclic complexes.

Group III alkyl complexes supported by a ferrocene diamide ligand (1,1′-fc(NSitBuMe_2)_2) have been found to be reactive toward aromatic N-heterocycles such as 1-methylimidazole and pyridines. These reactions were investigated experimentally and computationally. An initial C−H activation event is followed by a coupling reaction to form biheterocyclic complexes, in which one of the rings is dearomatized. In the case of 1-methylimidazole, the biheterocyclic compound could not be isolated and further led to an imidazole ring-opened product; in the case of pyridines, it transformed into an isomer with extended conjugation of double bonds. Mechanisms for both reactions are proposed on the basis of experimental and computational results. DFT calculations were also used to show that an energetically accessible pathway for the ring-opening of pyridines exists.
An atomistic dislocation mechanism of pressure-dependent plastic flow in aluminum

Abstract An embedded atom (EAM) potential was employed to examine the lattice resistance to dislocation motion in pure aluminum under pressure. The sign and the magnitude of the pressure effect on glide (Peierls) stress in Al are obtained by direct atomistic calculation (molecular statics technique) in agreement with experimental data (Richmond and Spitzig, Pressure Dependence and Dilatancy of Plastic Flow. Int. Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 1980). Additionally, a significant transient dilatancy is observed associated with the activated state of dislocation motion. The latter result supports the conclusion reached in Richmond and Spitzig (Pressure Dependence and Dilatancy of Plastic Flow. Int. Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 1980) and Spitzig and Richmond (Acta metall., 1984, 32, 457) that pressure-dependent slip in metals is due to the interaction of a transient activation dilatancy of the moving dislocations with external pressure. Although in pure aluminum the tension–compression yield strength differential (SD) is only about 0.3%, the effect is significant for quantitative modeling of the performance of high strength aluminum alloys in tension and compression.
Monotherapy with hMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors and secondary prevention in coronary artery disease

Although thrombolytic drugs, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass grafting have provided major advances in the treatment of coronary artery disease, the use of lipid-lowering drugs for secondary prevention has significantly reduced cardiovascular events in the population with coronary artery disease. Secondary prevention trials using HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors include the Familial Atherosclerosis Treatment Study (FATS), the Monitored Atherosclerosis Regression Study (MARS), the Canadian Coronary Atherosclerosis Intervention Trial (CCAIT), the Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Progression Study (ACAPS), the Multi Anti-Atheroma Study (MAAS), the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S), the Pravastatin Limitation of Atherosclerosis in Coronary Arteries (PLAC I), the Regression Growth Evaluation Statin Study (REGRESS), the Pravastatin Multinational Study, and the Pravastatin, Lipids, and Atherosclerosis in Carotids (PLAC II). Mean changes from baseline of lipid fractions in these trials included: total cholesterol 18 to 35% reduction; low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol 26 to 46% reduction; high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol 5 to 15% increase; and triglyceride 7 to 22% reduction. Angiographic regression or lack of progression was statistically demonstrated in the FATS, MARS, CCAIT, MAAS, PLAC I, and REGRESS trials. Cardiovascular events decreased 25 to 92% in all trials, and there was a significant reduction in both cardiovascular and total mortality in the 4S. The greater reduction in cardiovascular events than in anatomic changes suggests that the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors stabilized the surface of plaques. Monotherapy with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors provides the clinical opportunity to modify the natural history of coronary artery disease.
Genetic diversity and effective size of Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhinchus oxyrhinchus river spawning populations estimated from the microsatellite genotypes of marine-captured juveniles

Juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhinchus oxyrhinchus) forming aggregations at coastal sites in the mid-Atlantic Bight were subjected to a mixed stock analysis (MSA) and individual-based assignment using twelve microsatellite loci. We confirmed earlier findings from an analysis of mitochondrial DNA that three river spawning populations (Hudson, James and Delaware Rivers) are the primary sources of these particular marine aggregations. Of the 460 individuals sampled 322, 36 and 47 were assigned to the Hudson, James and Delaware Rivers, respectively. MSA estimated that the New York Bight Distinct Population Segment (Hudson River and Delaware River) contributed 83–90 % of individuals to the marine aggregations and the Chesapeake (James River) and Southeast Distinct Population Segments contributed 5.5–11 %. Mean M-ratios were lower than expected at equilibrium in all three rivers (Delaware = 0.726, Hudson = 0.748, James = 0.664), indicative of genetic bottlenecks affecting all three spawning populations. Further, there were low but detectable levels of inbreeding in all three rivers populations. Effective population size (Ne) was estimated for three populations: Hudson River (172–230 individuals), James River (40–100 individuals) and Delaware River (75–186 individuals). Despite these issues, simulations based on life-history information and the Ne estimates suggest that if ongoing management measures are effective, contemporary levels of population genetic diversity are likely to be retained over the next century.
Knowing Where They Went: Six Years of Online Access Statistics via the Online Catalog for Federal Government Information

As federal government information is increasingly migrating to online formats, libraries are providing links to this content via URLs or persistent URLs (PURLs) in their online public access catalogs (OPACs). Clickthrough statistics that accumulated as users visited links to online content in the University of Denver’s library OPAC were gathered over a six-year period and were analyzed. Among the conclusions were that DU users prefer online content over print for both newer and older documents and that there is great benefit in adding URLs above and beyond the URLs supplied by GPO cataloging.
Differential effects of cartilage-derived growth factor stimulation of collagen secretion by bovine aortic and microvascular endothelial cells.

Abstract Cartilage-derived growth factor (CDGF), a protein closely related to basic fibroblast growth factor, is known to have both mitogenic and chemokinetic properties in microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC). Becaue of the angiogenic properties of CDGF and its rate in accelerating wound repair, the capacity of this factor to stimulate both proliferation and matrix synthesis was compared in distinct populations of vascular endothelial cells: MVEC from bovine adrenal cortex and macrovascular endothelial cells from the bovine aorta (BAEC). No significant differences in the responses to mitogenic stimulation using CDGF (5-100 units/ml) were observed using MVEC and BAEC. Only rapidly dividing MVEC, however, showed significant increases in collagen secretion in the presence of CDGF. The differential responsiveness of these two cell populations to a defined growth factor underscores the phenotypic diversity of endothelium.
A microscopic, anharmonic quasiparticle-phonon coupling theory for vibrational nuclei

Abstract A microscopic method of describing quasiparticle-phonon coupling, based upon an equation-of-motion technique for the pairing plus quadrupole Hamiltonian, retaining anharmonic terms, is used to calculate the spectra of both even and odd isotopes of paladium and cadmium. The spurious states in the odd nucleus calculation are removed before diagonalization. The basis is up to three phonons for even nuclei and up to two phonons plus a quasiparticle for odd nuclei.
Monoalkyl viologens are effective carbohydrate O2-oxidation catalysts for electrical energy generation by fuel cells

Abstract Dialkyl viologens are known to be effective catalysts for carbohydrate oxidation by O2 under the mild conditions of room temperature and pH 9–12 and have been used to construct a simple carbohydrate fuel cell. The mechanism of carbohydrate oxidation proceeds by a stepwise, dialkyl viologen-mediated, sequential oxidation starting at the anomeric carbon and continuing down the carbohydrate chain producing carbonate and formate as products without loss of dialkyl viologen catalytic function. At pH values >13 the dialkyl viologens undergo a complex hydrolysis reaction forming monoalkyl viologen. The hydrolysis mixture catalytically oxidizes carbohydrate and monoalkyl viologen was confirmed as the active catalysts using independently synthesized monoalkyl viologens. Monoalkyl viologens are stable and catalytically active toward carbohydrate oxidation from pH 9.0 to conditions of 3.0 M KOH. Monoalkyl viologens react at a rate approximately 50% of that of dialkyl viologens, but are more stable at high pH, making them versatile carbohydrate oxidation catalysts for fuel cell use. Because of a more negative redox potential, monoalkyl viologens more efficiently convert the chemical energy of carbohydrates into electrical energy. The catalytic reactivity of monoalkyl viologens reported here should be of use as homogeneous and immobilized catalysts in alkaline carbohydrate fuel cells.
Measuring demographics and performance in computer science education at a nationwide scale using AP CS data

We examine the current state of computing education in the United States, in order to be able to identify problems in diversity and performance. Data on computing education are difficult to come by, since computer science courses are not tracked in US public education systems. By using a large and nationwide quantitative data source, we can gain new insights into who is participating in computing education, where the greatest need is, and what factors explain the variance between states. We used data from the Advanced Placement Computer Science A (AP CS A) exam to get a detailed view of the demographics of who is taking the exam across the United States and in each state, and how they are performing on the exam. We use economic and census data to provide explanations for some of the AP CS data. We find that minority group involvement is low in AP CS A, but the variance between states in terms of exam-takers is driven by minority group involvement. We find that wealth in a state influences the number of students taking the AP CS A exam, but indirectly.
In situ formed multifilamentary composites part I: Coupling mechanisms, stress effects and flux pinning mechanisms

Recent developments on in situ formed multifilamentary composites are reviewed and their superconducting and mechanical properties discussed in terms of the underlying physical mechanisms. The evidence is presented for a strong size dependence of the strengthening, flux-pinning and coupling mechanisms and, in turn, the composite normal-state and superconducting transport properties. The importance of the composite microstructure and micro-geometry is illustrated with data on Cu-Nb, Cu-Nb 3 Sn and Cu-V 3 Ga conductors. In particular densely spaced interfaces are shown to interact effectively with both matrix crystal dislocations and flux-line lattice, resulting in strongly anisotropic material properties. The importance of the proximity-effect coupling is discussed for Nb 3 Sn-based composites below the microstructural percolation threshold where the self-field critical current densities (normalized to the filament volume fraction) reached values of 1.4 × 107A/cm2. At high fields, the performance of Cu-V 3 Ga in situ composites is significantly better than that of Cu-Nb 3 Sn conductors, with typical normalized values of J c of 1.4 × 107A/cm2at 18 Tesla and 4.2 K. Possible use of Cu-Nb in situ composites in high-field magnet design is also discussed in view of their remarkable strength (up to 2.9 GPa at 77 K) and high normal-state conductivity.
Characterization of two putative smooth muscle cell lines from rat thoracic aorta

Abstract Two clonal cell lines have been derived from the thoracic aorta of embryonic rats. Both of these cell lines, at some stage of their development possess membranes capable of generating overshooting action potentials spontaneously. Contiguous cells of each of these lines are electrically coupled. Ultrastructural analysis consistently reveals the presence of rows of pinocytotic vesicles, a well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, massive tracts of thin filaments oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cell and randomly dispersed intermediate sized filaments. The specific activities of the enzymes myokinase and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) increase 3- to 5-fold after growth has ceased. These two cell lines synthesize a muscle type CPK isoenzyme after the cessation of cell division. It is concluded that these cell lines proliferate as myoblasts and develop into cells which phenotypically resemble smooth muscle. A third clonal cell line, from fetal rat aorta, with properties of both smooth and skeletal muscle, is also described.
Simulations of nuclear resonance fluorescence in GEANT4

Abstract The nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) technique has been used effectively to identify isotopes based on their nuclear energy levels. Specific examples of its modern-day applications include detecting spent nuclear waste and cargo scanning for homeland security. The experimental designs for these NRF applications can be more efficiently optimized using Monte Carlo simulations before the experiment is implemented. One of the most widely used Monte Carlo physics simulations is the open-source toolkit Geant4 . However, NRF physics has not been incorporated into the Geant4 simulation toolkit in publicly available software. Here we describe the development and testing of an NRF simulation in Geant4 . We describe in depth the development and architecture of this software for the simulation of NRF in any isotope in Geant4 ; as well as verification and validation testing of the simulation for NRF in boron. In the verification testing, the simulation showed agreement with the analytical model to be within 0.6% difference for boron and iron. In the validation testing, the simulation showed agreement to be within 20.5% difference with the experimental measurements for boron, with the percent difference likely due to small uncertainties in beam polarization, energy distribution, and detector composition.
Fine-Aggregate Angularity: Automated Image Analysis Approach:

Angularity is one of the important aggregate properties contributing to the permanent deformation resistance of asphalt mixtures. Therefore, methods that are able to rapidly and accurately describe aggregate angularity are valuable in the design process of asphalt mixtures. Two computer-automated procedures, which make use of the advances in digital-image processing, to quantify fine aggregate angularity, are presented. The first method relies on the concepts of the erosion-dilation techniques. This consists of subjecting the aggregate surface to a smoothing effect that causes the angularity elements to disappear from the image. Then, the area lost as a result of the smoothing effect is calculated and used to quantify angularity. The second method is based on the fractal approach. Image-analysis techniques are used to measure the fractal length of aggregate boundary. The fractal length increases with aggregate angularity. The proposed imaging techniques are used to capture the aggregate angularity of 23 sand samples that represent a wide range of materials. The results are compared with visual analysis and indirect methods of measuring fine-aggregate angularity, such as the uncompacted air voids, and the angle of internal friction of aggregate mass. In general, the results indicate much promise for measuring aggregate properties using automated imaging technologies.
Assisting Children in the Creation of New Life Performances: Expanding Possibilities for Social and Emotional Development

This paper examines a therapeutic after-school theater program based on performance social therapy, a postmodern approach to human development and therapeutic change. A description of the therapeutic approach is followed by a discussion of the process by which a group of 22 school age children between the ages of 6 and 12 came to experience performance in everyday life, to function as co-creators of their environment, and to develop new social-emotional capacities. Challenges faced by practitioners working to facilitate a process of co-creation with children are also addressed.
Rounding in redundant digit floating point systems

Redundant representations are used to increase the performance of arithmetic units. If redundancy is eliminated, the bits needed to represent a number may increase or decrease depending on the type of redundancy used. In such a redundant representation, finding the exact location and correct decision for rounding without eliminating the redundancy or loosing its performance gains is difficult. This paper discusses the different issues related to rounding in redundant systems. It also presents a solution that was used to maintain the gains of redundancy in a floating point unit while correctly implementing the IEEE rounding modes.
Configurations of Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency

This study examined the relationship between various characteristics of organizations—including resource inputs, context, rules and regulations, goals, climate, and informal systems—and the effecti...
Tuna Dreams: Resource Nationalism and the Pacific Islands' Tuna Industry

The 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea was expected by many to lead to a drastic redistribution of income from the world's fisheries. This article explores the extent to which this happened by examining the case of the Pacific Islands' tuna industry. The analysis shows that even though these developing countries gained legal jurisdiction over some of the largest tuna stocks in the world, they encountered tremendous obstacles when they attempted to convert those tenure rights into concrete economic gains. Notwithstanding their success in organizing and co-operating amongst themselves, the Pacific Island countries (PICs) were unable to compel the distant water fishing nations to pay them more than a nominal access fee. When the PICs tried instead to develop their own tuna industries, they were disadvantaged by being located at the raw material end of the commodity chain. This case study suggests that a change in property rights is only a starting point for achieving increased equity in a global natural resource industry; not only do the new resource owners have to develop expertise in managing their ‘property’; they also need to develop a good understanding of the organization and operation of these natural resource industries.
Modulation of epidermal growth factor receptors on 3T3 cells by platelet-derived growth factor

Platelet-derived growth factor does not compete with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for binding to EGF receptors on the murine 3T3 cell surface, but it modulates EGF receptors in two ways: (i) it induces a transient down regulation of EGF receptors and (ii) it inhibits EGF-induced down regulation of EGF receptors. These data suggest a common cellular internalization mechanism for the receptors for both hormones.
Side Effects and Complications of Androgen Deprivation in Prostate Cancer Patients

Androgen deprivation therapy has been used for years and its use has increased recently in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer patients. Frequent side effects of androgen deprivation therapy are hot flashes, neuropsychological, sexual dysfunction, anemia and physical and metabolic changes. The most concerning ones are an increase risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fractures and in some cases a possibly increase in mortality. Since not every patient with prostate cancer will die due to their disease the benefit and risk of androgen deprivation therapy should be discussed. We encourage in these patients to have routine surveillance and control of their glucose, modification of cardiac risk factors and to have preventive measures and treatment of osteoporosis.
Managing Short-Lived Climate Forcers in Curbing Climate Change: An Atmospheric Chemistry Synopsis

The Montreal Protocol has set an extraordinary example by applying scientific discoveries, technological innovations, and swift political actions to solving one of the most urgent environmental problems facing humans. With its ongoing implementation, the stratospheric ozone is expected to return to its 1980 levels around mid-twenty-first century. In addition, the Montreal Protocol has contributed to mitigating climate change by reducing the emissions of certain greenhouse gases. The management of several short-lived climate forcers, including hydrofluorocarbons, tropospheric ozone, black carbon, and methane, is worthy of consideration as a fast-response, near-term measure to curb climate change, while international treaties to reduce the emissions of long-lived climate forcers, such as carbon dioxide, are under discussion. This paper aims to provide a concise overview of the scientific concepts and atmospheric processes behind these policy considerations. The focus is on the fundamental atmospheric chemistry that provides the basis for a co-benefits approach in mitigating both climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion.
EXEC: An Evolvable and eXtensible Environment for Collaboration

This paper presents an Evolvable and eXtensible Environment for Collaboration (EXEC), which aims to address the long-identified flexibility and reusability issues in collaborative systems. Due to the clean separation between data and control, both user interface components (data) and coordination service components (control) can be reused for developing collaborative applications and be flexibly bound at run time to address the evolutionary needs of collaboration tasks. Additionally, new collaboration tools can be easily prototyped to extend the functionality of the environment.
Laser Transformed SiC Thin Films

Silicon carbide has excellent physical and electronic properties for use in devices when higher temperatures or higher power densities are required. We have investigated a direct laser conversion technique to create electrical conductors on the high band-gap silicon carbide. Thin films of silicon carbide (SiC) were sputter deposited on AI2O3, SiO2, and Si substrates using a SiC target with an RF planar magnetron. These films were irradiated at 308 nm with multiple 15 ns excimer laser pulses creating 0.5 to 2 mm wide electrically conducting paths. Both the irradiated and unirradiated films were evaluated as a function of substrate type, deposition temperature, finish, stoichiomelry, annealing temperature, sputter gas, film thickness, and laser processing conditions. The lowest resistivity films, originally 10 ohm-m, were calculated to be 160 μohm-m obtained after irradiation, which compares to a value of 50 μohm-m obtained after irradiating bulk SiC. The films were characterized using XPS, SIMS, AES, SEM, and Raman spectroscopy. We were able to characterize the composition of the films and conducting traces, the surface oxide, the critical binding energies, the lattice structure, and the morphology of the microstructure. Models for the phase transformations and conductivity have been formulated.
Risk and Resistance Factors in the Adaptation in Mothers of Children With Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: To examine the importance of illness severity, child functional status, psychosocial stress, intrapersonal factors, stress processing, and social-ecological factors in predicting psychological symptoms among mothers of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Methods: Mothers of 92 children with JRA completed surveys while waiting with their children for physician appointments or during JRA meeting breaks. Results: Mothers reported higher mean levels of psychological symptoms than a normative group. Higher levels of psychosocial stress predicted increased psychological symptoms after accounting for disease severity and functional status. Maternal appraisal of the illness tended to moderate the relationship between illness stress and psychological symptoms, and maternal education moderated the relationship between daily hassles stress and psychological symptoms. Conclusions: These data indicate that mothers of children with JRA are at risk for psychological distress. Inteventions that take into account the buffering effects of maternal education and appraisal may serve to decrease the effects of maternal stress.
Die laparoskopische Nierenbeckenplastik mit Kontinuitätstrennung nach Anderson-Hynes

Because of the minimal invasiveness of the laparoscopic approach, we introduced the laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty in our treatment modalities for patients with primary UPJ obstruction. We report on our technique and the results after a median follow-up of more than 2 years. Between August 1997 and September 2002, 52 patients underwent a laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty at our institution. All patients had a symptomatic primary PJ obstruction. We prefer the transperitoneal route with laterocolic exposure of the kidney. After preparation and exposure of the ureter and the renal pelvis, we performed in each case the dismembered Anderson-Hynes pyeloplasty with resection of the pelvis and reanastomosis between the ureter and renal pelvis. Intracorporeal suturing and knotting techniques were used exclusively. All procedures could be performed successfully. In no case was conversion to open surgery necessary. The mean operative time was 180 min. Crossing vessels were present in 57% of patients. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 4 days. The first patient had an anastomosis insufficiency, which required laparoscopic repair. The same patient failed in the follow-up. He developed a late recurrence of the stenosis and needed an open repair. In all other patients the obstruction was resolved or significantly improved. The long-term success rate is 98% with a follow-up of 25 months. Our results with laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasties compare favorably with those achieved by open pyeloplasties with less perioperative morbidity and discomfort. We do believe that laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty will be the method of choice in the treatment of UPJ obstruction.
The Perceived and Built Environment Surrounding Urban Schools and Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls

Background Neighborhood perceived/built environment and physical activity (PA) associations have been examined for adolescents around homes, but not surrounding schools.
Novel Proteins with Binding Specificity for DNA CTG Repeats And RNA Cug Repeats: Implications for Myotonic Dystrophy

While an unstable CTG triplet repeat expansion is responsible for myotonic dystrophy, the mechanism whereby this genetic defect induces the disease remains unknown. To detect proteins binding to CTG triplet repeats, we performed bandshift analysis using as probes double-stranded DNA fragments having CTG repeats [ds(CTG)6-10] and single-stranded oligonucleotides having CTG repeats ss(CTG)8 or RNA CUG triplet repeats (CUG)8. The source of protein was nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts of HeLa cells, fibroblasts and myotubes. Proteins binding to the double-stranded DNA repeat [ds(CTG)6-10], were inhibited by nonlabeled ds(CTG)6-10, but not by a non-specific DNA fragment (USF/AD-ML). Another protein binding to ssCTG probe and RNA CUG probe was inhibited by nonlabeled (CTG)8 and (CUG)8. Nonlabeled oligos with different triplet repeat sequences, ss(CAG)8 or ss(CGG)8, did not inhibit binding to the ss(CTG)8 probe. However, when labeled as probes, the (CAG)8 and (CGG)8 bound to proteins distinct from the CTG proteins and binding was inhibited by nonlabeled (CAG)8 or (CGG)8 respectively. The protein binding only to the RNA repeat (CUG)8 was inhibited by nonlabeled (CUG)8 but not by nonlabeled single- or double-stranded CTG repeats. Furthermore, the CUG-BP exhibited no binding to an RNA oligonucleotide of triplet repeats of the same length but having a different sequence, CGG. The CUG binding protein was localized to the cytoplasm, whereas dsDNA binding proteins were localized to the nuclear extract. Thus, several trinucleotide binding proteins exist and their specificity is determined by the triplet sequence. The novel protein, CUG-BP, is particularly interesting since it binds to triplet repeats known to be present in myotonin protein kinase mRNA which is responsible for myotonic dystrophy.
Action Planning in Special Education Project APSE

One of the central elements of teacher training programs in special education is the practicum experience. In October, the Journal published a description of a humanistic competency-based training program which focused on the content of instruction. The present paper is concerned with the structure of teacher training, specifically, the practicum experience. This model is geared to providing the student with varied, yet intensive, experience in diagnosis and remediation. The author describes various aspects of the practicum model which distinguish it from university clinic-based practica and from traditional student teaching practica in the public schools. With the monies for special education under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) earmarked for local and state control as opposed to university control, university programs must be structured to provide teacher training experiences more directly responsive to community needs. The practicum structure described in this article has th...
The effect of radiofrequency neurotomy on chronic low back pain.

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study. PURPOSE: To determine the success rate and duration of relief of radiofrequency neurotomy for lumbar facet joint pain. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: There is a lack of effective treatment for chronic low back pain. Radiofrequency denervation appears to be an emerging technology, with substantial variations in use. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients underwent radiofrequent neurotomy on the posterior primary ramus for chronic low back pain. All patients with low back pain of more than 3 months duration, with or without non-radicular radiation to the buttock and hip, were included in the study. From October 2005 to December 2006, eligible patients underwent a standardized diagnostic work-up, which included the use of a visual analog scale (VAS), physical examination, review of imaging studies, and diagnostic blockades. Pain relief was assessed on the third day, and at 3 months and 6 months post-treatment, using the visual analog scale. RESULTS: There were 44 women and 14 men included in the study. The mean age was 57.7 years (range, 20~80 years). Radiofrequency neurotomy denervated three segments and a bilateral lesion in all patients. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores on the third day (mean VAS score: 1.48) and 3 months (mean VAS score: 1.79) after treatment decreased significantly when compared with the pre-treatment scores (mean VAS score: 6.56). However, the final values of the VAS scores after 6 months were slightly increased as compared to the VAS scores measured at the beginning of the study (mean VAS score: 2.91). No cases of infection, new motor deficits, or new sensory deficits were identified. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that radiofrequency neurotomy offers an effective palliative management of lumbar facet pain. However, there is limited evidence that radiofrequency neurotomy offers short-term relief for chronic low back pain. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed with larger patient numbers and more data on the long-term effects, for which current evidence is inconclusive.
Health Outcomes Among Women Trafficked for Sex in the United States: A Closer Look

Human trafficking is recognized as a major public health problem and a tragic transnational crime. Little is known about the health outcomes of victims of human trafficking. This study identifies the relationship of risk factors to physical, sexual, and mental health outcomes in three groups of women (N = 38) exploited for sex in the United States: international trafficking victims, domestic trafficking victims, and nontrafficked sex workers. To date this is the first study to examine the impact of risk factors on health outcomes using a sample of women trafficked for sex in the United States that includes both domestic and international victims. Overall, findings suggest that the experiences in sex work of domestic trafficking victims were dissimilar to those of international trafficking victims. Moreover, domestic trafficking victims displayed poorer health outcomes compared to international trafficking victims. In terms of risk factors, a higher percentage of women involved in street prostitution reported sexual health problems, co-occurring health issues, and addiction. Childhood physical/sexual victimization was related to poor physical health.
ITERATIONS OF CONCAVE MAPS, THE PERRON-FROBENIUS THEORY, AND APPLICATIONS TO CIRCLE PACKINGS ∗

The theory of pseudo circle packings is developed. It generalizes the theory of circle packings. It allows the realization of almost any graph embedding by a geometric structure of circles. The corresponding Thurston's relaxation mapping is defined and is used to prove the existence and the rigidity of the pseudo circle packing. It is shown that iterates of this mapping, starting from an arbitrary point, converge to its unique positive fixed point. The coordinates of this fixed point give the radii of the packing. A key property of the relaxation mapping is its superadditivity. The proof of that is reduced to show that a certain real polynomial in four variables and of degree 20 is always nonnegative. This in turn is proved by using recently developed algorithms from real algebraic geometry. Another important ingredient in the development of the theory is the use of nonnegative matrices and the corresponding Perron-Frobenius theory.
APL as a Software Design Specification Language

A proposed extension of APL as a software design tool is presented. The approach of system specification using a programming language is compared to the non-programming language system PROPLAN presented by Pengilly (1975). Illustrative examples given by Pengilly are translated into the extended APL format. Advocating the adoption of a programming language in software design is not intended to exclude the use of natural language or other formalisms and documentation aids such as HIPO which are commonplace in a software engineering environment. However, the importance and even necessity of specification languages which, when used in a design, can enhance the process of verifying correctness is increasing. This concern is further supported by the reliability that 'no programming philosophy will improve software reliability if the underlying system specifications are erroneous or have been incorrectly translated' (Belford and Taylor, 1976). Thus the selection or development of a software design language is inextricably intertwined with the specification verification problem. Falkoff (1976) has suggested the following criteria for the choice of a formal design language:
Robert Hornik and Robert Orwin on Stephen Magura's "Failure of intervention or failure of evaluation: a meta-evaluation of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign Evaluation".

Each of Dr. Magura’s specific critiques is right in the abstract, and in our view deeply wrong in the practice of evaluation. Our comments here will be both specific—direct responses to the elements of his critique, and general—a statement of contrasting philosophies of evaluation. 1. The basic design concern. Dr. Magura believes that our use of a longitudinal panel observational design was problematic and perhaps unethical. We should have been doing some form of cluster-randomized design, instead. His argument is that our results were guaranteed to be useless, because we could never be sure that all confounders (measured and unmeasured) were balanced between more and less exposed youth. Our counter-argument is as follows: (a) we had no choice—none of the relevant political actors had any interest in spending $1 billion on an experiment—so we had to decide whether we could learn something valuable from a nonexperimental design. There were specific discussions about the need for such a clusterrandomized design before the RFP for the evaluation was developed, and they were specifically rejected by ONDCP and NIDA. As we note below, we think that was a correct decision. (b) He argues that the government should not have been investing in the campaign without adequate a priori experimental evidence of its effects. This argument ignores the actual context of the decision: while the government involvement in the campaign was new, the actual campaign had been operating for 20 years under the sponsorship of the Partnership for a Drug Free America (PDFA)—whose ability to obtain free advertising time had been reduced—and which had gone to the Congress for support on the basis of its own long-term trend data and its political clout. There was some experimental evidence for suc
Variations in the magneto-optic coupling coefficient in a bismuth-lutetium-iron-garnet film

Magnetostatic wave-optical interactions are studied in the transverse geometry using a [BiLu]/sub 3/Fe/sub 5/O/sub 12/ film. Non-monotonic variations in the magneto-optic coupling coefficient are observed as we increase the input microwave power at a fixed frequency. Similar variations are also seen in the transmitted microwave signal, though the features appear at higher power levels. The non-monotonic behavior is due to a shift in the microwave passband with increasing power. Density plots are used to correlate the two sets of data over a 350 MHz region. The discrepancy in power levels associated with a feature in the line plots is a consequence of the different curvatures of the two density plots.
Design and testing of photonic band gap channel-drop-filters

We have designed, fabricated and tested several novel passive mm-wave spectrometers based on Photonic Band Gap (PBG) structures. Our spectrometers were designed to operate in the frequency ranges of 90–130 and 220–300 GHz. We built and tested both metallic and dielectric silicon Channel-Drop-Filter (CDF) structures at 90–130 GHz. We are currently fabricating a dielectric CDF structure to operate at 220–300 GHz. The complete recent test results for the metal version and preliminary test results for the higher frequency silicon versions will be presented at the conference.
The Courtship Behavior of the Santeetlah Dusky Salamander, Desmognathus santeetlah Tilley (Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae)

We provide the first description of courtship behavior in the North American salamander Desmognathus santeetlab Tilley from the Great Smoky Mountains. As appears typical for the genus, the courtship of D. santeetlab is comprised of three phases : orientation of the male to the female, persuasion of the female by the male (especially through tactile and olfactory stimulation) and indirect sperm transfer by means of a spermatophore. The female is more likely to remain with the male during the last phase (tail-straddle walk resulting in spermatophore deposition) if the preceding persuasion phase is long in duration. Behavioral elements in the courtship of D. santeetlab are broadly similar to those described in other congeneric species of medium body size