cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microstrip Coupling Control of Dielectric Resonator for High-Q Applications

This paper presents a novel band pass dielectric resonator filter. An elliptic dielectnrc resonator filter is designed by controlling the coupling of the dielectric resonators. The coupling control is achieved through a novel concept where other dielectric resonators are implemented to increase Qof the filter. The quality factor can be increased by up to 300% with sidelobes of less than 20 dB. An experimental filter resulted in a Q of 101 with an insertion loss of about 3.2 dB with significant improvements in the offband rejection.
Bone microdamage, remodeling and bone fragility: how much damage is too much damage?

Microdamage resulting from fatigue or ‘wear and tear' loading contributes to bone fragility; however, the full extent of its influence is not completely understood. Linear microcracks (∼50–100 μm) and diffuse damage (clusters of sublamellar-sized cracks) are the two major bone microdamage types, each with different mechanical and biological consequences. Healthy bone, due to its numerous microstructural interfaces and its ability to affect matrix level repair, deals effectively with microdamage. From a material standpoint, healthy bone behaves much like engineering composites like carbon-fiber reinforced plastics. Both materials allow matrix damage to form during fatigue loading and use microstructural interfaces to dissipate energy and limit microcrack propagation to slow fracture. The terms fracture toughness and 'toughening mechanism', respectively, describe mechanical behavior and microstructural features that prevent crack growth and make it harder to fracture a material. Critically, toughness is independent of strength. In bone, primary toughening features include mineral and collagen interfaces, lamellae and tissue heterogeneity among osteons. The damage tolerance of bone and other composites can be overcome with sustained loading and/or matrix changes such that the microstructure no longer limits microcrack propagation. With reduced remodeling due to aging, disease or remodeling suppression, microdamage accumulation can occur along with loss of tissue heterogeneity. Both contribute additively to reduced fracture toughness. Thus, the answer to the key question for bone fragility of how much microdamage is too much is extremely complex. It ultimately depends on the interplay between matrix damage content, internal repair and effectiveness of matrix-toughening mechanisms.
Management of biliary tract stones in heart transplant patients.

Objective The authors report their experience with biliary tract stones in adult and pediatric heart transplant patients, and review the current literature relative to this problem. Background Data Prior studies in adults have noted that heart transplant patients frequently have cholelithiasis, but offer no consensus about treatment strategy. Few studies exist for pediatric heart transplant patients. A higher rate of hemolysis and cyclosporine-induced changes in bile metabolism may contribute to lithogenesis in this population. Methods A chart review was conducted for 211 patients who had heart transplants between January 1988 and September 1994 to determine prevalence of biliary tract stones, management strategies used, and outcome. Results Of 175 long-term heart transplant survivors, 52 (29.7%) had stones detected : 32.8% of adults (47/143) and 15.6% of children (5/32). The majority of patients (31) were diagnosed 4 months (mean) after transplantation ; cholelithiasis developed in 10 of these patients (32%) within 11 months (median) after a negative ultrasound. Symptoms developed in 45% of patients. All patients underwent either elective (36) or urgent (6) cholecystectomy via an open (32) or laparoscopic (10) approach, or endoscopy for common bile duct stones (2). There were no deaths or complications during a follow-up period of up to 7 years. Conclusion Heart transplant patients have a high prevalence of symptomatic biliary tract stone disease. They can be treated safely via an open or laparoscopic approach after transplantation. The authors recommend routine gallbladder ultrasound screening and elective cholecystectomy in the post-transplant period if stones are detected.
School mental health programming for youth with ADHD: addressing needs across the academic career

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic childhood disorder with impairment experienced early in childhood and persisting though adolescence. Due to the chronic nature of the disorder and the associated functional problems that manifest in the school setting, school mental health practitioners are in an optimal position to facilitate and implement evidence-based interventions to support students with ADHD as they transition through school. This article serves as introduction to the special issue and a commentary on a collection of papers that illustrate how school mental health approaches for ADHD may be conceptualized and applied throughout an academic career. We discuss several issues that emerge from these studies, including research approaches that narrow the gap between research and practice, the importance of interventions that develop competencies across multiple domains of student functioning, the role of school mental health within a multi-modal intervention context, and the policy implications of the findings within this collection of articles. The relationship between the articles in the special issue and these parameters of school mental health interventions for ADHD are discussed, and future directions for this field are suggested.
Limitations of testing methods for evaluation of dual chamber versus single chamber adaptive rate pacing

Abstract As new modes of cardiac pacing are developed, it is important to determine if these modes offer additional benefits over already existing options. Comparisons between dual (DDDR) and single chamber ventricular (VVIR) rate-modulated pacing using standard exercise protocols have produced conflicting results. 1–4 Exercise duration alone does not appear to accurately reflect differences in cardiac efficiency and tissue perfusion. Similarly, maximal oxygen uptake tends to reflect exercise duration rather than cardiac performance. 5 This study was designed to compare the DDDR and VVIR pacing modes using measures of exercise duration and maximal oxygen uptake, as well as less frequently used parameters, including anaerobic threshold time, maximal carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratio, cardiac output, and the ratio of cardiac output to oxygen uptake.
Reasoning about Programs With Effects

Abstract This note presents a summary of my research on reasoning about programs with effects. This work has been carried out in collaboration with several colleagues over roughly the past ten years. The work has had two major sub-themes: reasoning about functional programs extended with imperative features; and reasoning about components of open distributed systems. Functional programming languages extended with imperative features include languages like Scheme and ML as well as object-based languages such as Java. This work has focused on operationally based semantics and formalisms for specifying and reasoning about such programs. The work on components of open distributed systems has been based on the actor model of computation and has focused on developing semantic models for modular specification and composition of actor systems.
Theoretical performance of simple multi-channel systems using frequency modulation

Formulae normally used for multiplex systems using large numbers of channels are extended to cover systems using small numbers of channels, and the results expressed graphically. The improvements due to non-simultaneous loading in the F.D.M. case or companding in the P.A.M. case are discussed, and typical values suggested.
The Impact of Inflation on the Real Income of U.S. Farmers

According to conventional economic theory, an unanticipated increase in the rate of general price inflation benefits those whose money incomes are flexible at the expense of those whose money incomes are fixed. Farmers have flexible money incomes. Hence, theory suggests that farmers should benefit from an unanticipated increase in the rate of inflation. Yet, at least for recent time periods, empirical studies have not found that farmers gain real income as a result of an increase in the rate of general price inflation. For example, Tweeten concluded that the terms of trade for farmers deteriorates (improves) as the rate of inflation rises (falls). This conclusion was based on his empirical finding that, as inflation increases, prices paid by farmers increase faster than the prices they receive. On the other hand, studies by Gardner, Prentice and Schertz, and Chambers found no significant effects of inflation on farmers' terms of trade. In this paper, we examine various measures of relative prices over different time periods to test the hypothesis suggested by economic theory that farmers are benefitted by an acceleration in the rate of general price inflation and, conversely, are harmed by a deceleration in the inflation rate. The real income of farmers is equal to the sum of the physical quantities which they produce multiplied by the money prices they receive, all then divided by the general price level. Here we ignore changes in the physical production of farmers and concentrate on the behavior of the prices they receive for this physical production relative to the behavior of other prices. We assume that if the prices farmers receive for their physical production rise (fall) relative to other prices, the economic well-being of farmers is enhanced (diminished).
Investigating household food interpurchase behavior through market segmentation

In this study, a market segmentation approach is developed and applied to analyze U.S. households' cheese purchases. The segmentation is based on household interpurchase time, or the hazard rate of purchases. In this study, four segments have been discovered in the U.S. market for household cheese purchases. Two of the segments jointly represent about 40% of all cheese-purchasing households and are characterized as frequent buyers with an average interpurchase time of 2 weeks. These frequent-purchase households are larger in size, have greater incomes, have a smaller proportion of African Americans, and are insensitive to coupons. They are often described in the marketing literature as loyal customers. In contrast, the other two segments, which jointly represent about 60% of the households, are characterized by infrequent buyers with an average interpurchase time of 6 weeks. These infrequent-purchase households are smaller in size, have less income, have a higher proportion of African Americans, and are sensitive to coupons. Marketing promotions typically target the infrequent-purchase households. [EconLit citations: D12, C51, C41]. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluating the effects of orchestrated, game-based learning in virtual environments for informal education

In informal learning spaces employing digital content, such as museums, visitors often do not get adequate exposure to content, or they passively receive instruction offered by a museum docent to the whole group. This research aims to identify which elements of co-located group collaboration, virtual environments, and serious games can be leveraged for an enhanced museum learning and entertaining experience. We developed C-OLiVE, an interactive virtual environment supporting tripartite group collaboration, which we used to explore our hypothesis that synchronous, co-located, group collaboration will afford greater learning compared to conventional approaches. In an empirical study, we found some evidence supporting this hypothesis, taking into consideration other factors such as game experience and social presence. Students participating in the three-player condition demonstrated a better understanding of the collaborative tasks compared to their single-player counterparts. We discuss these results and outline future studies using the same virtual environment.
Analysis of metabolism of carcinogenic polycyclic hydrocarbons by position-sensing proportional counting of thin-layer chromatograms.

Abstract A procedure which combines thin-layer chromatography with position-sensing proportional counting has been developed for analyzing the metabolism of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The profiles of the metabolites of [3H]benzo(a)pyrene and 7,12-[12-14C]dimethylbenz(a)anthracene produced in cell culture were comparable when obtained by this procedure and by standard methods. However, position-sensing proportional counting allows simultaneous counting of all components of a sample within 10–20 min, and thereby permits the analysis of many hydrocarbon samples in a short time. In addition, the procedure eliminates the necessity of cutting or scraping carcinogen-containing thin-layer chromatograms.
Development of a faculty salary-growth model and establishment of regional norms

Several years ago an equation was reported which had been fitted to the results of a specific national salary survey of one faculty subset. This equation and the survey norms were used as the basis of a procedure that provided more equitable and pertinently motivating salary increments. The description, uses, and benefits of the equation as a faculty salary-growth model, along with some order-of-magnitude national norms, were subsequently reported for a few additional faculty subsets to demonstrate general applicability. This paper includes (1) the theoretical development of that model, (2) the identification of the specific salary survey that provides regional salary-experience-performance norms from which local norms can be derived, and (3) the results of nonlinear regression analyses.
Variability of arterial blood gas values over time in stable medical ICU patients

The spontaneous variability of arterial blood gas and pH values (ABGs) was examined in a group of 28 typical stable medical ICU patients under a variety of ventilatory conditions. In each patient, 13 ABG specimens were measured at 5-min intervals during a 1-h study period using a new bedside, extravascular fluorescent blood gas monitor. For all patients, the mean coefficient of variation (C) was 6.1 percent for Po 2 and 4.7 percent for Pco 2 . The average SD for pH was 0.012. We conclude that the spontaneous variability for ABG values over a 1-h period is substantial and that this variability should be taken into account when making clinical decisions based on ABG values.
Instructional programs for psychology: A review and analysis

This paper presents 10 general observations about current software for instruction in psychol­ ogy and examines selected examples employing four instructional techniques for computer-assisted instruction. We find that although the number of programs employing experimental or data­ oriented approaches to psychology as a primary vehicle of instruction is increasing, tutorial drill and practice programs and gaming are not well represented. Two years ago, a "sampler" of microcomputer (mostly Apple) programs usable for research and/or instruction in psychology included abut 25 programs and/or program sets (Eamon, 1983). About 15 were directly related to, or had as a primary use, instructional applications; the remainder were statistical packages or what we might now call "miscellaneous." A more recent listing of programs for psychologists (Academic Computing Center of Get­ tysburg College, 1984) included 40 programs or program sets we could reasonably identify as instructionally oriented. In this paper, we make 10 general observations about the current state of instructional computing in psychol­ ogy as represented by the programs in the Gettysburg Soft­ ware Guide and provide a discussion of the character of these programs. A companion paper in this issue (Butler & Eamon, 1985) considers statistical programs in partic­ ular; here, our focus is on programs designed for computer-assisted instruction (CAl) in a classroom or laboratory setting.
Effects of magnesium pemoline on the habituation of an innate fear response in Carassius auratus.

After an initial adaptation period in a tall, narrow tank, goldfish typically swim up and down at a fairly constant rate. If a loud buzzer is sounded during the ascent, a fish will either become immobile and remain near or actively swim to the bottom of the tank. Upon repeated experience with the buzzer, this apparently innate response habituates and the ascending latency gradually approaches baseline. This innate response was enhanced by a 10 mg/kg ip injection of magnesium pemoline. While the amount of habituation was greater in the experimental drug group than either the drug or buzzer control, this was apparently due to the initially higher response level. Neither spontaneous activity nor total testing time differed reliably among the three groups.
The effect of the tilt of the HCS on the solar wind speed in the outer heliosphere

The flow of solar wind from the Sun is bimodal. High speed, low density plasma comes from high magnetic latitude regions and low speed, high density flow from near the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). We investigate whether this bimodal flow combined with the HCS tilt controls the solar wind velocities in the outer heliosphere near solar minimum when the Sun's magnetic field is roughly dipolar. We present a simple model of radial solar wind flow with regions of fast and slow flow and a HCS tilt provided by the Wilcox Solar Observatory. This is the first time a model has been used to make quantitative predictions of the solar wind speed in the outer heliosphere based on solar observations. A reasonable fit to the main features of the observed velocity profile at Voyager 2 is obtained if the full-width of the slow speed region is 30°. We conclude that the main physical parameter determining the solar wind speed observed by Voyager 2 near solar minimum in the outer heliosphere is the tilt of the HCS.
Data-Based Decision Making in Professional Learning for School Speech-Language Pathologists

Purpose School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are often asked to adopt new policies or practices at the school, district, or state level. Professional learning (PL) opportunities usually...
Light- and electron-microscopic study of substance P-immunoreactive neurons in the guinea pig retina

Substance P (SP) immunoreactivity in the guinea pig retina was studied by light and electron microscopy. The morphology and distribution of SP-immunoreactive neurons was defined by light microscopy. The SP-immunoreactive neurons formed one population of amacrine cells whose cell bodies were located in the proximal row of the inner nuclear layer. A single dendrite emerged from each soma and descended through the inner plexiform layer toward the ganglion cell layer. SP-immunoreactive processes ramified mainly in strata 4 and 5 of the inner plexiform layer. SP-immunoreactive amacrine cells were present at a higher density in the central region around the optic nerve head and at a lower density in the peripheral region of the retina. The synaptic connectivity of SP-immunoreactive amacrine cells was identified by electron microscopy. SP-labeled amacrine cell processes received synaptic inputs from other amacrine cell processes in all strata of the inner plexiform layer and from bipolar cell axon terminals in sublamina b of the same layer. The most frequent postsynaptic targets of SP-immunoreactive amacrine cells were the somata of ganglion cells and their dendrites in sublamina b of the inner plexiform layer. Amacrine cell processes were also postsynaptic to SP-immunoreactive neurons in this sublamina. No synaptic outputs onto the bipolar cells were observed.
Current trends in application of laparoscopic and robotic technologies in pediatric urology

Purpose In this study we sought to capture current trends of laparoscopic and robotic technologies and its predicted future application in pediatric urology. Material and Methods An electronic survey was distributed among pediatric urologists through Society of Endourology, Section of Urology of American Academy of Pediatricians, and European Society of Pediatric Urologists. The survey addressed details of training, type of practice, number and type of procedures performed, and use of laparoscopy or robotics technology. Results A total of 91 pediatric urologists replied to the survey. Most of the participants were fellowship trained. 52.1% were practicing for more than 10 years. The academic set up was 62.8%. 60% use robot-assisted laparoscopy, while 99% use laparoscopy. Thirty two percent perform 50-100 laparoscopic procedures annually, 23% of cases are performed with robot-assisted laparoscopy. Half of respondents have experience with robotics and 24% have been using it for 2-5 years. Pyeloplasty is the preferred procedure for robotic approach in 41%, followed by reimplantation. The reported advantages of robotic technology are improved dexterity (47%), being less physically demanding (40%) and more accurate (40%). The DaVinci system is shared with adult urologist in 86%, 25% have S system with HD and 81% use 8 mm ports. Finally, almost half of respondents who do not use the robot, anticipate using it in the future. Conclusions Laparoscopy became a standard tool in Pediatric Urology armamentarium. There is current and anticipated increase in the use of Robotic technology. The advantages reported are the dexterity and precision in reconstructive surgery.
An Item Bank of Diabetes-Related Test Questions

Most published tests of knowledge and skill do not fit the instructional content, setting, and audience of specific diabetes education pro grams, so diabetes education program direc tors must develop their own. A computerized item bank of diabetes test questions can save the program director time in constructing appro priate tests by taking advantage of computers and compatible software for entering, sorting, and retrieving test questions; analyzing results; revising items; and printing a master copy of the test for reproduction. Such an item bank of diabetes- related test questions is described, and procedures for requesting test ques tions from the item bank are included.
The lady health worker program in Pakistan--a commentary.

Internationally, approximately 4 million neonatal deaths occur each year, the majority within the first few days of birth in communities with inadequately designed health systems.1 Value is defined as patient health outcomes per dollar spent.2 Neonatal deaths account for an increasing proportion of child deaths.1 Newborn survival is related to Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 for child survival and is also related to MDG 5 for maternal health as the interventions are closely linked.3 This often requires health system strengthening.1,3 Health-care challenges in developing nations are several:3,4 there is a lack of basic health-care services and of health-care professionals, insufficient Infrastructure, incompetent health education, lack of understandable association between health service needs and education, and lack of continued medical education leading to out dated treatments. The financial health situation is generally: low per capita incomes (GDP); poor health status indicators; inadequate budgets and lack of reliable funding; ineffective implementation of health-care practices due to inadequate technical skills and capacities; poor knowledge and practice of social health insurance; poor understanding on the link between health, poverty and economic growth.4 The health status of the people of Pakistan is well below the averages for all low-income countries in key indicators.4–7 In Pakistan, a typical district health infrastructure comprises basic health units, rural health centres and a referral hospital. However, in many rural settings, staffing levels are inadequate and referral …
Local convection heat transfer coefficient measurement in a wavy channel with flow disturbers

The need for high performance heat exchangers has led to the development of many types of surfaces that enhance the rate of heat transfer. The simplest and most common surface configuration for a two-fluid compact heat exchanger is the plate-fin arrangement. Examples of types of plate-fin surfaces are: plain, louvered, strip, pin, perforated and wavy. Wavy-fin surfaces are high performance surfaces whose performance characteristics are similar to those of strip and louvered-fin surfaces. The change in flow direction induced by fins causes boundary-layer separation that produces effects similar to those produced by complete fin interruption. In the current work, the effect of flow disturbers mounted on the first six peaks of a twelve-peak (15.28 cm /spl times/ 0.9525 cm /spl times/ 30.48 cm) Plexiglas/spl trade/ wavy channel was investigated. The effect of placing additional flow disturbers mid-way on the downhill side of the first six peaks on bottom channel plate was studied. Using a short duration transient conduction test, local heat transfer coefficients were determined and both the pressure drop and friction factor were measured. Experimental test results indicated that the new test model performed better than the model having flow disturbers mounted on its first six-peaks. Placing six additional flow disturbers downhill of the first six peaks resulted in a lower pressure drop and higher heat transfer rate for Reynolds Numbers of 1500 and 2900 when compared to the results obtained from a similar wavy channel with six flow disturbers. The experimental results agreed with the results obtained using Fluent/spl trade/, a Computational Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer package.
Parallel software for inductance extraction

The next generation VLSI circuits will be designed with millions of densely packed interconnect segments on a single chip. Inductive effects between these segments begin to dominate signal delay as the clock frequency is increased. Modern parasitic extraction tools to estimate the onchip inductive effects with high accuracy have had limited impact due to large computational and storage requirements. This work describes a parallel software package for inductance extraction called ParIS, which is capable of analyzing interconnect configurations involving several conductors within reasonable time. The main component of the software is a novel preconditioned iterative method that is used to solve a dense complex linear system of equations. The linear system represents the inductive coupling between filaments that are used to discretize the conductors. A variant of the fast multipole method is used to compute dense matrix-vector products with the coefficient matrix. ParIS uses a two-tier parallel formulation that allows mixed mode parallelization using both MPIand OpenMP. An MPI process is associated with each conductor. The computation within a conductor is parallelized using OpenMP. The parallel efficiency and scalability of the software is demonstrated through experiments on the IBM p690 and Intel and AMD Linux clusters. These experiments highlight the portability and efficiency of the software on multiprocessors with shared, distributed, and distributed-shared memory architectures.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Gene Regulation: Enhancement of C/EBPβ-Induced Activation by c-Jun

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is a key regulatory cytokine whose expression is controlled by a complex set of stimuli in a variety of cell types. Previously, we found that the monocyte/macrophage-enriched nuclear transcription factor C/EBPβ played an important role in the regulation of the TNFα gene in myelomonocytic cells. Abundant evidence suggests that other transcription factors participate as well. Here we have analyzed interactions between C/EBPβ and c-Jun, a component of the ubiquitously expressed AP-1 complex. In phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-treated Jurkat T cells, which did not possess endogenous C/EBPβ, expression of c-Jun by itself had relatively little effect on TNFα promoter activity. However, the combination of C/EBPβ and c-Jun was synergistic, resulting in greater than 130-fold activation. This effect required both the leucine zipper and DNA binding domains, but not the transactivation domain, of c-Jun, plus the AP-1 binding site centered 102/103 bp upstream of the transcription start site in the TNFα promoter. To determine if C/EBPβ and c-Jun might cooperate to regulate the cellular TNFα gene in myelomonocytic cells, U937 cells that possess endogenous C/EBPβ and were stably transfected with either wild-type c-Jun or the transactivation domain deletion mutant (TAM-67) were examined. U937 cells expressing ectopic wild-type c-Jun or TAM-67 secreted over threefold more TNFα than the control line in response to PMA plus lipopolysaccharide. Transient transfection of the U937 cells expressing TAM-67 suggested that TAM-67 binding to the −106/−99-bp AP-1 binding site cooperated with endogenous C/EBPβ in the activation of the −120 TNFα promoter-reporter. DNA binding assays using oligonucleotides derived from the TNFα promoter suggested that C/EBPβ and c-Jun interact in vitro and that the interaction may be DNA dependent. Our data demonstrate that the TNFα gene is regulated by the interaction of the ubiquitous AP-1 complex protein c-Jun and the monocyte/macrophage-enriched transcription factor C/EBPβ and that this interaction contributes to the expression of the cellular TNFα gene in myelomonocytic cells. This interaction was unique in that it did not require the c-Jun transactivation domain, providing new insight into the cell-type-specific regulation of the TNFα gene.
The impact of tourism on rural livelihoods in the Dominican Republic's coastal areas.

Abstract Tourism has rapidly grown in the Dominican Republic in recent years. This paper evaluates the impact of tourism on rural livelihoods through a survey conducted in 23 coastal communities covering a range of tourism levels and types. Tourism generally has a positive impact as measured by increased household income and job satisfaction. Personal and community characteristics, such as knowledge of a second language, young age, and predominance of domestic and day-trip tourism, are the most important factors in determining tourism-related employment in the studied communities. Policy implications for pro-poor tourism are discussed, followed by a cautionary note on tourism-induced population displacements.
Are urban habitats ecological traps for a native songbird? Season‐long productivity, apparent survival, and site fidelity in urban and rural habitats

The northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos is a native species that is more abundant in urban than nonâurban habitats (i.e. an urbanâpositive species). Abundance alone, however, is not an accurate index of habitat quality because urban habitats could represent ecological traps (attractive sink habitat) for urbanâpositive species. We compared mockingbird nesting productivity, apparent survival, and decision rules governing site fidelity in urban and rural habitats. If the higher abundance of mockingbirds in urban habitats is driven by higher quality urban habitat, then we predicted that productivity of urban mockingbirds would exceed the estimated sourceâsink threshold and productivity of nonâurban mockingbirds. If, on the other hand, urban habitats act as ecological traps, productivity would be lower in urban habitats and would fall below the estimated sourceâsink threshold. Productivity of urban pairs exceeded that of nonâurban pairs and more than offset estimated adult mortality, which makes urban habitat a likely source habitat. Apparent adult survival was higher in urban habitats than in nonâurban habitats, although this could be driven by dispersal more than mortality. Decision rules also appeared to differ between urban and nonâurban populations. Females in urban habitats with successful nests were more likely to return than those with unsuccessful nests, whereas return rates of females in nonurban habitats were unrelated to nesting success and may be more related to nesting habitat availability. We conclude that urban habitats do not act as ecological traps that lure mockingbirds into sink habitat and that increased breeding productivity contributes to their success in urban habitats.
Outcome in infants less than 3 kilograms for placement of saphenous venous homografts as systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunts

BACKGROUND Establishing stable and adequate flow of blood to the lungs using a systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunt in infants with low birth weight may involve significant morbidity and mortality. We reviewed our experience with this procedure in patients weighing less than 3 kilograms. METHODS Between June, 2002, and June, 2007, we placed systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunts in 32 infants weighing less than 3 kilograms, the range being 1.8 to 2.86 kg, with a median of 2.5 kg. The median age at placement of the shunt was 8 days, with a range from 2 to 70 days. In 17 patients (53%), the anatomic defects had produced a functionally univentricular heart, while 15 (47%) had defects which permitted staging to biventricular repair. Patients staged to univentricular palliation were much more likely to have a circulation dependent on the arterial duct as compared with those staged to biventricular palliation (p < 0.001). The latter patients tended to have smaller pulmonary arteries, significantly the left pulmonary artery, which has a median diameter of 3.6 versus 2.0 mm, p = 0.01. In all patients a saphenous venous homograft was used as the conduit, its size ranging in diameter from 2.5 to 4 mm, with a median of 3.0 mm. RESULTS The overall hospital mortality rate for the entire cohort was 6.25%, with 2 patients dying. There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to length of stay in intensive care or hospital. Follow-up has ranged from 3 months to 4.7 years, with a mean of 2.1 years). Of those with functionally univentricular hearts, 3 have subsequently died, along with 1 patient having a biventricular circulation (p = 0.3). All deaths occurred before takedown of the shunt. A trend toward longer survival was noted in those with biventricular as compared to functionally univentricular circulations (p = 0.06). CONCLUSION Systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunts can be constructed safely in infants with biventricular physiology born with low weight. Those having functionally univentricular circulations carry an increased rate of mortality for the period of shunting. Using the saphenous venous homograft permits use of smaller grafts, which does not significantly increase the risk for thrombosis or survival when compared to previous studies using polytetrafluoroethylene grafts.
An optoelectronic testing system of rapid, single-flux quantum circuits

We have generated picosecond voltage pulses on a superconducting microstrip line by using a metal-semiconductor-metal photodiode as an optoelectronic switch. These pulses are fed into a two-Josephson-junction pulse shaper to generate single-flux quantum (SFQ) pulses. Using a reflective electro-optic sampling system, SFQ pulses are directly observed for the first time. This important demonstration of nonintrusively detecting electrical signals from superconducting microstrip lines at the level of rapid, single-flux quantum (RSFQ) circuits opens up a new way to test such circuits, on issues such as design verification, jitter, and failure-mode testing. Further, we propose a variable-rate optoelectronic clock for testing the functional speed of RSFQ logic circuits, with an adjustable clock rate up to 38 Gb/s. >
Bovine pepsinogen and pepsin. IV. A new method of purification of the pepsin.

A new purification procedure for bovine pepsin (EC 3.4.4.1) based on affinity chromatography, is more rapid, and gives a higher yield and activity than previous procedures. It may be used for purification of other pepsins and of pepsinogen. Pepsinogen is extracted from gastric mucosa, fractionated with ammonium sulfate, and activated to pepsin. The pepsin is purified by chromatography on poly-l-lysine Sepharose 4B, CM-cellulose and Sephadex G-100. The final product is almost homogeneous.
Analysis of delta-sigma modulators with bandlimited Gaussian inputs

Delta-sigma modulation is gaining widespread use as a monolithic analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion technique in a wide variety of applications. The behavior of delta-sigma modulators depends on the statistics and nature of the input signal. The behavior of the circuit is input-amplitude-dependent, due to the nonlinearity (two-level quantizer). The nonlinear behavior of high-order delta-sigma modulators with bandlimited Gaussian inputs is analyzed. >
An efficient and practical entry to 2-amido-dienes and 3-amido-trienes from allenamides through stereoselective 1,3-hydrogen shifts.

Preparations of de novo acyclic 2-amido-dienes and 3-amido-trienes through 1,3-hydrogen shifts from allenamides are described. These 1,3-hydrogen shifts could be achieved thermally or they could be promoted by the use of Bronsted acids. Under either condition, these processes are highly regioselective in favour of the α-position, and highly stereoselective in favour of the E-configuration. In addition, 6π-electron electrocyclic ring-closure could be carried out with 3-amido-trienes to afford cyclic 2-amido-dienes, and such electrocyclic ring-closure could be rendered in tandem with the 1,3-hydrogen shift.
An intervention for treating alcohol dependence: relating elements of Medical Management to patient outcomes with implications for primary care.

PURPOSE Alcohol dependence, frequently seen in medical settings, is a major problem that affects the health and well-being of many individuals and their families. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between treatment outcomes and patient and clinician factors specifically associated with a medically oriented intervention given for the treatment of alcohol dependence. The intervention was developed for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism–sponsored COMBINE Study, a randomized controlled trial combining 2 medications, naltrexone and acamprosate, with Medical Management, with or without specialty alcohol treatment. METHODS We examined the effect of patient adherence to treatment (number of Medical Management visits, total minutes in treatment, alliance or therapeutic relationship with the clinician, patient satisfaction with treatment, and clinician adherence to the Medical Management protocol) on abstinence from alcohol, amount of heavy drinking, and clinical improvement during treatment. RESULTS More Medical Management visits attended and less total time spent in Medical Management treatment was associated with more days of abstinence from alcohol, reductions in heavy alcohol drinking, and a higher likelihood of clinical improvement. The patients’ positive perceptions of their alliance with their clinician and their satisfaction with treatment was significantly associated with more days of abstinence from alcohol during treatment. Two clinician factors clinician confidence in the Medical Management treatment and flexibility in delivering Medical Management were also associated with better patient outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Medically trained clinicians with minimal specialty training in alcohol dependence treatments were able to deliver a brief and effective medication management intervention that was designed to be consistent with primary care practice.
Improving the Accuracy of UML Class Model Recovery

The gap between UML class models and their implementations impedes program understanding and analysis, and is a source of program errors. Although many reverse engineering techniques were proposed to bridge this gap, two major problems still exist. First, the accuracy of association inference from container classes is not adequate without considering iterators. Second, associations implemented by inherited fields are missed by existing techniques. In this paper, we present an approach to precisely and automatically recover a class model from Java byte code. Our approach tackles the above problems and improves the accuracy of the recovered models. The preliminary empirical results show that our approach achieved a higher accuracy for association inference than existing reverse engineering tools.
THE INFLUENCE OF ASSESSEE PERFORMANCE VARIATION ON ASSESSORS’JUDGMENTS

Assessors evaluated assessees’performances in one of three performance conditions in an assessment center simulation: a consistent performance condition, a within-assessee performance variation condition, or a between-assessee performance variation condition. Contrast effects influenced ratings of assessees when there was variation in performance within assessees. For each assessee, the low target performance was rated lower when the assessee's prior performance had been dissimilar (high) than when the assessee's prior performance had been similar (low). Contrast effects also infiuenced assessors’ratings of the target assessee when there was variation in performance among assessees. The low performing target assessee was rated significantly lower when he was evaluated with two high performers than when he was evaluated with two low performers. In addition, ratings obtained when there was performance variation among assessees were more accurate than those obtained when there was no performance variation, suggesting that under some circumstances contrast effects may not lead to inferior judgments.
Keeping Up with the Congressmen: Evaluating Constituents’ Awareness of Redistricting

Existing political science research suggests that citizens know little about the decennial reapportionment and redistricting processes, although they have substantial effects on their representation at the national, state, and local levels. However, much of this evidence comes from national-level surveys in which many respondents are minimally affected by redistricting, if at all, and there is no real district-level evidence from open-seat contests. We reconsider these findings using a focused telephone survey of the Myrtle Beach–Conway–Florence “Pee Dee” region of northeastern South Carolina that historically had lacked local representation but recently received a new district as a result of the decennial census. We also consider whether some groups of citizens were more likely to be conscious of redistricting’s effects on their region than others. The effects of congressional redistricting on voters can vary dramatically in magnitude. In many cases, in states with fairly stable population trends across the state, we would expect redistricting plans to have few substantive effects on representation. In other cases, either due to political manipulation of the redistricting process or unequal population growth, the effects may be quite profound. However, most existing political science research focuses on the effects of redistricting on the outcomes of elections, particularly in terms of the partisan and racial identity of the candidates that are elected and the effects of redistricting on the incumbency advantage (see, for example, Overby and Cosgrove 1996; Desposato and Petrocik 2003; Grose 2005; Juenke and Preuhs 2012). * We thank Winthrop University and the West Forum on Politics and Policy for their financial support for the survey whose results are analyzed here. Any errors in the analysis or reporting of the survey results are the sole responsibility of the authors.
Executive Perceptions of the Top 10 Soft Skills Needed in Today’s Workplace

Hard skills are the technical expertise and knowledge needed for a job. Soft skills are interpersonal qualities, also known as people skills, and personal attributes that one possesses. Business executives consider soft skills a very important attribute in job applicants. Employers want new employees to have strong soft skills, as well as hard skills. This study identified the top 10 soft skills as perceived the most important by business executives: integrity, communication, courtesy, responsibility, social skills, positive attitude, professionalism, flexibility, teamwork, and work ethic.
Structural characterization of nylon 7 by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy

Abstract Samples of commercial nylon 7 were given different thermal or precipitation histories. Structure and crystallinity were followed by d.s.c., solid-state n.m.r. and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (ATR FT i.r.). Heat of fusion and melting temperature values ranged from 52 to 93 J g −1 and 228 to 242°C, respectively. Surprisingly, annealing did not give material with the greatest heat of fusion although it possessed the highest melting point. Solid-state 13 C and 15 N n.m.r. methods were used to observe the amorphous and crystalline fractions. For example, the amide nitrogens show resonances near 86.5 ppm in amorphous domains, near 84 ppm in α-crystals and near 89 ppm in γ-crystals. 15 N cross-polarization/magic angle spinning spectra of solution cast samples contained peaks consistent with all three domains in various intensity ratios but with the γ-peak being the most intense for most samples. Solid-state 13 C spectra contained peaks which supported the presence of these phases but with the α-phase peaks predominating. Treatment of solution-cast thin films with aqueous KI I 2 gave materials whose n.m.r. spectra contained peaks consistent with these three phases in different ratios than for the initial solution-cast samples. Spectra of the melt crystallized samples contained peaks for amorphous and α-domains only. 13 C spin-lattice relaxation ( T 1 ) magnetization decays could be fit to two or three exponentials ( T 1 s of hundreds of milliseconds, a few seconds and hundreds of seconds) consistent with semicrystalline polymer behaviour. T 1 values for the long-relaxing component ranged from 350 to 23 s for the annealed and precipitated samples, respectively. Amide V bands near 682 cm −1 , assigned previously to the α-phase, were present in the ATR FT i.r. spectra of all the samples. However, the chemically treated and solution cast samples contained additional bands at 690 and 620 cm −1 due to the γ-phase. Spectra of quenched samples contained bands not seen in the other spectra.
Retail food availability, obesity, and cigarette smoking in rural communities.

Context: Disparities in the availability of nutritionally important foods and their influence on health have been studied in US urban communities. Purpose: To assess the availability of selected retail foods and cigarettes, and explore ecologic relationships of the availability with obesity and smoking in rural communities. Methods: Inventories of all food stores (n = 182) in 2 rural New York counties were surveyed. The study area was divided into 4 regions through cluster analysis of 2000 Census and geographic information system data. Weight-adjusted per 10,000-population density of stores carrying selected foods was used as a standardized measure of availability. Prevalence of overweight/obesity (BMI ≥25.0 kg/m 2 ) and smoking among adults was obtained from secondary data. Bivariate correlations among availability of foods and cigarettes, overweight/obesity, and smoking were analyzed at the regional level. Findings: Nutritionally important foods, including fresh fruit, vegetables (dark green or orange colored), low-fat (≤1%) milk, high-fiber (≥2g per slice) bread, and fish were most available in the semiurbanized region, followed by the rural heartland, the remote mountains region, and the most urbanized inner-town. No significant difference was found in the availability of general food items and cigarettes. Overweight/obesity was inversely associated with the availability of fresh fruit, vegetables, and low-fat milk. Smoking was positively associated with the availability of cigarettes, white bread, whole milk, and eggs. Conclusions: The observed disparities in food availability and their ecologic association with health risks in rural adults expanded the knowledge base of built environment and its association with health beyond the urban setting.