cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unusual presentations of Haemophilus influenzae infections in immunocompromised patients

In two years we encountered five invasive Haemophilus influenzae infections in immunocompromised hosts. The clinical presentations, age distribution, and serotypes of organisms were atypical of H. influenzae infections in the pediatric population. All four infections in patients with cancer occurred during remission. Broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy for immunocompromised patients should include coverage for H. influenzae .
Testing definitions of dysphoric mania and hypomania: prevalence, clinical characteristics and inter-episode stability

37 outpatients with at least one prospectively observed manic or hypomanic episode comprised a sample for comparison of five definitions of dysphoric (hypo)mania. Dysphoric symptoms were continuously rather than bimodally distributed. Prevalence of dysphoria varied from 5 to 73% depending on the definition used. Female gender was associated with dysphoria under two of the five definitions. Inter-episode stability in patients with at least two prospectively observed episodes (n = 15) was not significantly different from chance. These data do not indicate that (hypo)mania can be dichotomized on the basis of dysphoria. Advantages and disadvantages of dimensional and categorical approaches to specifying mood in mania or hypomania are discussed.
Control of separated flow behind a cylinder using discrete suction

I. Background T HE wake of a bluff body such as a cylinder is characterizedby the formation of vortices at a wide range of  ow conditions. The upstream feedback of the vortices induces an oscillatory force on the body, leading to problems such as  ow-induced oscillation. The near- eld wake of the cylinder can be viewed as consisting of two free shear layers with opposing senses of vorticity. When the development of the shear layers is altered, the characteristicsof the wake may be controlled.
The Effect of Fluid Volume on Syrup of Ipecac Emesis Time

Large volumes of fluid have been recommended to aid rapid ipecac-induced emesis, however, large volume intake may also have deleterious effects. We prospectively studied 121 children treated at home by a regional poison center to determine if a relationship existed between fluid volume and time to emesis. These children were treated in the usual manner except that parents were asked to measure the volume of fluid given and to note the time that fluid was given and the time of first emesis. The time ranged from 6 to 58 minutes (mean 20.6) with two who failed to respond and the volume ranged from 0 to 28 ounces (mean 6.7 ounces). In children who respond to ipecac, there is no significant relationship between the amount of fluid given and the time until emesis. We conclude that the traditional recommendation of forcing fluid with syrup of ipecac does not hasten emesis in children.
Finding, optimization, and verification of transition state structures with semi-empirical and ab-initio computational methods

Abstract With a goal of introducing transition state optimization and estimating reaction barriers into an undergraduate organic curriculum, a simple step by step computational study for three isomerization reactions with MOPAC computational package was described. The procedures for finding optimization, and verification of the transition state structure is quite straightforward and concise. The introductory procedure was further extended to ab-initio and density functional theory computational method. This simple procedure can easily be integrated into most current organic chemistry curriculums.
Global EDF scheduling for parallel real-time tasks

As multicore processors become ever more prevalent, it is important for real-time programs to take advantage of intra-task parallelism in order to support computation-intensive applications with tight deadlines. In this paper, we consider the global earliest deadline first (GEDF) scheduling policy for task sets consisting of parallel tasks. Each task can be represented by a directed acyclic graph (DAG) where nodes represent computational work and edges represent dependences between nodes. In this model, we prove that GEDF provides a capacity augmentation bound of$$4-\frac{2}{m}$$4-2m and a resource augmentation bound of$$2-\frac{1}{m}$$2-1m. The capacity augmentation bound acts as a linear-time schedulability test since it guarantees that any task set with total utilization of at most $$m/(4-\frac{2}{m})$$m/(4-2m) where each task's critical-path length is at most $$1/(4-\frac{2}{m})$$1/(4-2m) of its deadline is schedulable on $$m$$m cores under GEDF. In addition, we present a pseudo-polynomial time fixed-point schedulability test for GEDF; this test uses a carry-in work calculation based on the proof for the capacity bound. Finally, we present and evaluate a prototype platform--called PGEDF--for scheduling parallel tasks using global earliest deadline first (GEDF). PGEDF is built by combining the GNU OpenMP runtime system and the $$\text {LITMUS}^\text {RT}$$LITMUSRT operating system. This platform allows programmers to write parallel OpenMP tasks and specify real-time parameters such as deadlines for tasks. We perform two kinds of experiments to evaluate the performance of GEDF for parallel tasks. (1) We run numerical simulations for DAG tasks. (2) We execute randomly generated tasks using PGEDF. Both sets of experiments indicate that GEDF performs surprisingly well and outperforms an existing scheduling techniques that involves task decomposition.
The relationship between autism spectrum disorders and anxiety: The moderating effect of communication

Abstract Communication skills have been shown to have differing effects on levels of anxiety depending on whether or not a child has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or is typically developing. This article examined whether or not communication deficits differentially affect children with ASD compared to those without ASD. Ninety-nine children with autistic disorder (n = 33), Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS; n = 33), and no diagnosis (n = 33) were examined using the Autism Spectrum Disorders Diagnostic for Children and Comorbidity for Children scales to determine their level of anxiety and degree of communication deficits. Results indicated that anxiety decreased as communication deficits increased for those with autistic disorder compared to those with PDD-NOS or no diagnosis; however, for those with PDD-NOS anxiety increased as communication deficits increased compared to those with no diagnosis. The importance and differential impact of communication deficits on anxiety for different groups is highlighted.
Observations and implications of grain boundary dislocation networks in high-angle YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ grain boundaries

Regular networks of localized grain boundary dislocations (GBDs) have been imaged by means of transmission electron microscopy in three different types of high-angle grain boundaries in YBa2Cu3O7-δ, implying that these boundaries possess ordered structures upon which a significant periodic strain field is superimposed. The occurrence of these GBD networks is shown to be consistent with the GBD/Structural Unit and Coincidence Site Lattice (CSL)/Near CSL descriptions for grain boundary structure. Thus, these dislocations appear to be intrinsic features of the boundary structure. The spacing of the observed GBDs ranged from ∼10 nm to ∼100 nm. These GBDs make the grain boundaries heterogeneous on a scale that approaches the coherence length and may contribute to their weak-link character by producing the “superconducting micro-bridge” microstructure which has been suggested on the basis of detailed electromagnetic measurements on similar samples.
False discovery control with p-value weighting

We present a method for multiple hypothesis testing that maintains control of the False Discovery Rate while incorporating prior information about the hypotheses. The prior information takes the form of p-value weights. If the assignment of weights is positively associated with the null hypotheses being false, the procedure improves power, except in cases where power is already near one. Even if the assignment of weights is poor, power is only reduced slightly, as long as the weights are not too large. We also provide a similar method to control False Discovery Exceedance.
The cone matrix sheath in the normal and diseased retina: Cytochemical and biochemical studies of peanut agglutinin-binding proteins in cone and rod-cone degeneration

Abstract The fate of the cone-associated extracellular domain, or cone matrix sheath (CMS), was examined in two canine models of hereditary retinal degeneration. The diseases, which affect cones selectively (cd = cone degeneration), or rods and cones temporally (prcd = progressive rod-cone degeneration), were examined biochemically (SDS-PAGE/lectin blots) and cytochemically (light microscopy) using peanut agglutinin lectin (PNA) to selectively label this domain and associated structures. Most of the cones had disappeared in the adult cd retina. In the remaining cones, PNA labeled the ectopically located somata and the CMSs that were present around severely diseased ones. Loss of cones resulted in background label in the IPM and loss of the pedicle-associated label in the OPL. SDS-PAGE of retinal extracts showed that all the major classes of the lower molecular weight PNA-binding proteins were present, but only the 40- and 60-kD bands remained prominent. Because of the selectivity of the cd mutation, this suggests considerable heterogeneity within the various size classifications of the retinal PNA-binding glycoproteins. In prcd, CMSs were normal at a time when cones were structurally normal and disease was limited to the rod outer segments. The CMSs remained intact during the degenerative phase of the disease, and only became compressed in association with the collapse and narrowing of the photoreceptor layer; CMS labeling was lost with disappearance of the cone inner segment. The lectin biochemical results were normal until 1·7 years of age; thereafter, there was a decreased prominence of all major bands. Because of spatial heterogeneity in disease severity, it was not possible to correlate the lectin biochemical and cytochemical results in prcd.
New approach to 193-nm photoresists: polyspironorbornane polymers

We introduce here a novel approach to highly EUV transparent, carbon dense polymers for application as photoresist materials. The backbone of the prototype polymer consists of bicyclic hydrocarbons spiro-fused to cyclohexane moieties decorated with pendant t-butyl esters. This high polymer is formed through the free radical cyclopolymerization of functionalized norbornane derivatives. Imaging experiments conducted at 193 nm demonstrate features below 0.15 microns.
Review of Chrysomya rufifacies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

The taxonomy, distribution, bionomics, and medical and veterinary importance of C. rufifacies are reviewed and summarized. Late instars are beneficial as predators of the maggots of pathogen-transmitting and myiasis-producing flies, but strains from parts of Australia, India, and Hawaii are harmful as secondary myiasis agents. The effects of invasions, possible competition, and displacement of native calliphorids are discussed. The developmental duration of the immature stadia at different temperatures are reviewed. The primary literature (274 papers) dealing with this fly is given and cross-referenced by subject to serve as a reference to research entomologists and governmental agencies involved in the control of this livestock parasite in the Americas and Australia.
Rotavirus morphogenesis: Domains in the major inner capsid protein essential for binding to single-shelled particles and for trimerization

Abstract A cell-free system containing rotavirus subviral particles (SVPs), rabbit reticulocyte lysate, and [35S]methionine was programmed to synthesize viral protein by the addition of messenger RNA (mRNA). Electrophoretic analysis of single-shelled particles recovered from the system by CsCl centrifugation showed that newly made VP6 assembled into the particles in vitro. Electrophoretic analysis also showed that the newly made VP6 which bound to single-shelled particles in vitro was arranged in trimeric units. To identify the domain within VP6 essential for assembly into single-shelled particles, amino- and carboxyl-truncated species of VP6 were assayed for the ability to associate with single-shelled particles in the cell-free system. The truncated proteins were introduced into the system by adding VP6 mRNAs containing 5′- and 3′-terminal deletions. The terminally deleted mRNAs were prepared using SP6 RNA polymerase to transcribe portions of cDNAs of the rotavirus SA11 gene for VP6 (gene 6). Analysis of the ability of truncated VP6 to associate with single-shelled particles showed that a domain essential for assembly resides at the carboxyl-end of VP6 located between amino acid residues 251 and 397. To contrast the domain for assembly with that for trimerization, amino- and carboxyl-truncated species of VP6 were also examined by electrophoretic assay for the ability to trimerize in vitro. The results showed that the domain for trimerization resides near the center of VP6 located between amino acid residues 105 and 328. Comparison of the domains for assembly and trimerization showed that they are unique but may overlap. The fact that some truncated species of VP6, although able to bind to single-shelled particles were unable to form trimers in vitro, suggests that trimerization of VP6 is not prerequisite for the assembly of single-shelled particles.
Role of bivalent cations in the phosphoglucomutase system. V. The phosphoglucomutase-copper(II) complex.

The binding of copper(II) to metal-free phosphoglucomutase produces a unique ultraviolet difference spectrum with a time-independent band (λmax, 242 nm; ϵm,242, 4000) and a band (λmax, 360 nm; ϵm,360, 1800) whose appearance is time-dependent (κobsd, 0.019 min−1). Titration of the enzyme with up to two equivalents of Cu(II) produces a linear increase in A360 nm; no further increase occurs with additional equivalents of Cu(II). Both the enzyme·Cu and the enzyme·Cu2 complexes are inactive. The independent production of a normal substrate difference spectrum and of normal Zn(II), Cd(II), or Be(II) difference spectra in the presence of bound Cu(II) indicates that the sites of Cu(II) binding are not contained in the “active site”. However, the Cu(II) binding sites are at least partially linked to the “active site” since the identity of the moiety bound at the “active site” affects the rate of appearance of the 360 nm absorption band. In fact, the rate of appearance of this band appears to be more sensitive than ultraviolet difference spectroscopy to structural differences in the binary enzyme-metal complexes.
Trajectories of Mexican American and mainstream cultural values among Mexican American adolescents.

Mexican Americans are one of the largest and fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, yet we have limited knowledge regarding changes (i.e., developmental trajectories) in cultural orientation based upon their exposure to the Mexican American and mainstream cultures. We examined the parallel trajectories of Mexican American and mainstream cultural values in a sample of 749 Mexican American adolescents (49 % female) across assessments during the fifth grade (approximately 11 years of age), the seventh grade (approximately 13 years of age) and the tenth grade (approximately 16 years of age). We expected that these values would change over this developmental period and this longitudinal approach is more appropriate than the often used median split classification to identify distinct types of acculturation. We found four distinct acculturation trajectory groups: two trajectory groups that were increasing slightly with age in the endorsement of mainstream cultural values, one of which was relatively stable in Mexican American cultural values while the other was declining in their endorsement of these values; and two trajectory groups that were declining substantially with age in their endorsement of mainstream cultural values, one of which was also declining in Mexican American cultural values and the other which was stable in these values. These four trajectory groups differed in expected ways on a number of theoretically related cultural variables, but were not highly consistent with the median split classifications. The findings highlight the need to utilize longitudinal data to examine the developmental changes of Mexican American individual’s adaptation to the ethnic and mainstream culture in order to understand more fully the processes of acculturation and enculturation.
MIGRATION OF VSP DATA BY RAY EQUATION EXTRAPOLATION IN 2‐D VARIABLE VELOCITY MEDIA*

The standard Kirchhoff algorithm can be generalized for migration of pre-stack finite-offset data from variable-velocity media. The concentric ellipses over which the data are spread in constant velocity media become significantly distorted (even multi-valued) in the variable velocity case. The specific shapes can be explicitly defined by kinematic extrapolation of the source and recorded wave fields with the ray equation. The use of Kirchhoff migration with a surface source and a subsurface recorder requires that two sets of Kirchhoff loci be superimposed. For each trace, the first set of loci is computed with the source and the actual recorder position as foci; the second set is computed with the source and the virtual recorder position as foci. This dual procedure explicitly incorporates the primary diffracted energy and the free-surface reflections, respectively. Implementation involves the construction of a virtual medium, lying above the free surface, with a velocity distribution that is the mirror image of the actual distribution below the free surface. Ray-equation extrapolation is performed through the real/virtual boundary. The resulting image is produced in a split form, with all the contributions of the primary reflected and diffracted energy lying in the lower ‘real’ half and all the contributions of the energy that was reflected at the free surface lying in the upper ‘virtual’ half. The final image is produced by folding the split image about the free surface and adding the two halves. A practical advantage is that the origin of various contributions (and artifacts) can be more readily identified (for interpretation or removal) in the split images. The ray-equation pre-stack migration algorithm is very general. It is applicable to all source-recorder geometries and variable velocity media and reduces exactly to the standard Kirchhoff algorithm when applied to zero or finite-offset surface survey data. The algorithm is illustrated by application to VSP data. For the VSP geometry, the algorithm does not require any specific trace spacing (in depth) and can be used for data from deviated as well as vertical holes.
Multiple Window Display Techniques In Computed Tomography

A simple technique has been developed to simultaneously display regions of a CT image which have large differences in CT numbers, such as lung and soft tissue. The CT image is considered to be the sum of two unimodal distributions of CT numbers and the CT numbers associated with one region are mapped into the other using a simple linear transformation. The significance of this technique is that it permits the entire CT image to be visualized with optimum contrast either on the CT display monitor or on a single photograph. Examples of a body section and a head section are presented.
Emerging roles for plant topoisomerase VI

Topoisomerase VI is a unique type II topoisomerase originally identified in archaea. Although lacking in most eukaryotic phyla, topoisomerase VI homologs have been recently identified and characterized in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Three new studies of Arabidopsis topoisomerase VI show that this enzyme is important to several processes involving DNA replication and gene expression.
Wavefront coding extends the depth of field in high numerical aperture brightfield, phase and interference contrast microscopy

Microscope modes that traditionally modify the back aperture of the imaging objective (such as phase contrast) can now be modified with a custom wavefront coding element to increase the depth of field of the system.
Contemporary Assessment of Medical Morbidity and Mortality in Head and Neck Surgery

Objective. To update the incidence of medical morbidity and mortality in head and neck surgery and factors that influence length of stay (LOS).Study Design. Cross-sectional analysis of a national database.Setting. Academic medical center.Methods. A specific database for head and neck surgical procedures was extracted from the National Hospital Data Survey for 2005 through 2007. Records of inpatient admissions for patients undergoing head and neck surgery as the primary procedure were examined to establish the frequency of medical complications, mortality, and LOS. The association of these medical complications with mortality and LOS was determined.Results. A total of 330,629 head and neck procedures were analyzed. The overall medical morbidity and mortality rates were 5.0% ± 0.7% and 0.4% ± 0.2%, respectively. The most common medical complication was hospital-acquired pneumonia (3.3% ± 0.6%), whereas acute renal failure, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and deep venous thrombosis w...
Attitudinal Militancy Among Teachers

Recent research on teacher militancy report associations between various personal background and organizational variables and attitudinal militancy. These relationships are frequently interpreted by the post hoc application of social psychological concepts. A causal model is developed that incorporates relevant personal and organizational variables and the social psychological variables that presumably mediate the relationship between these and attitudinal militancy. Research designed to test the model shows the model is supported.
Intercore-cladding uniaxial dielectric thin film optical fibers

Light propagation through optical fibers consisting of a glass core coated with a high refractive index uniaxial dielectric thin film, in turn surrounded by a glass cladding, is presented. The dispersion equations are derived, and mode classifications are established for transverse and hybrid modes. Simulation results of lithium niobate thin film with bulk material dispersion are given as an example of uniaxial film. It is shown that modes are guided mainly in the film and the structure is capable of strong light confinement. Investigation of power flow along the propagation direction shows that the higher the film thickness, the higher the power density in the film.
Conversations with landscape

Conversations with landscape, by Karl Benediktsson and Katrin Anna Lund, Padstow, Cornwall Ashgate, 2010, 262 pp. US $114.95 ISBN 978-1-4094-0186-5 Scholars in the sciences, arts, and humanities ‘c...
Understanding the Relationship between School-Based Health Center Use, School Connection, and Academic Performance

School-based health centers (SBHCs) benefit the overall health of underserved communities. In fact, there is an abundance of evidence suggesting the positive effects that SBHCs have on physical and mental health. However, research related to understanding the relationship of SBHCs to academic outcomes such as performance and school connectedness is sparse. The purpose of the current study was to (a) compare differences between elementary, middle, and high school student SBHC users and nonusers on school connectedness and (b) test the pathways between SBHC usage and academic performance. A structural equation model was tested and found significant pathways between SBHCs, school connectedness, and academic performance.
3D skeletal reconstruction from low-resolution multi-view images

This paper demonstrates how 3D skeletal reconstruction can be performed by using a pose-sensitive embedding technique applied to multi-view video recordings. We apply our approach to challenging low-resolution video sequences. Usually skeletal reconstruction can be only achieved with many calibrated high-resolution cameras, and only blob detection can be achieved with such low-resolution imagery. We show that with this embedding technique (a metric learning technique using a deep convolutional architecture), we achieve very good 3D skeletal reconstruction on low-resolution outdoor scenes with many challenges.
Constrained location of competitive facilities in the plane

This paper examines a competitive facility location problem occurring in the plane. A new gravity-based utility model is developed, in which the capacity of a facility serves as its measure of attractiveness. A new problem formulation is given, having elastic gravity-based demand, along with capacity, forbidden region, and budget constraints. Two solution algorithms are presented, one based on the big square small square method, and the second based on a penalty function formulation using fixed-point iteration. Computational testing is presented, comparing these two algorithms along with a general-purpose nonlinear solver.
Combined effects of constant versus variable intensity simulated rainfall and reduced tillage management on cotton preemergence herbicide runoff.

Pesticide runoff research relies heavily on rainfall simulation experiments. Most are conducted at a constant intensity, i.e., at a fixed rainfall rate; however, large differences in natural rainfall intensity is common. To assess implications we quantified runoff of two herbicides, fluometuron and pendimethalin, and applied preemergence after planting cotton on Tifton loamy sand. Rainfall at constant and variable intensity patterns representative of late spring thunderstorms in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region of Georgia (USA) were simulated on 6-m 2 plots under strip- (ST) and conventional-tillage (CT) management. The variable pattern produced significantly higher runoff rates of both compounds from CT but not ST plots. However, on an event-basis, runoff totals (% applied) were not significantly different, with one exception: fluometuron runoff from CT plots. There was about 25% more fluometuron runoff with the variable versus the constant intensity pattern (P 5 0.10). Study results suggest that conduct of simulations using variable intensity storm patterns may provide more representative rainfall simulation-based estimates of pesticide runoff and that the greatest impacts will be observed with CT. The study also found significantly more fluometuron in runoff from ST than CT plots. Further work is needed to determine whether this behavior may be generalized to other active ingredients with similar properties [low Koc (organic carbon partition coefficient) |100 mL g 21 ; high water solubility |100 mg L 21 ]. If so, it should be considered when making tillage-specific herbicide recommendations to reduce runoff potential.
The voyage of the plant nursery, H.M.S. Providence , 1791–1793

I first discovered letters and other documents pertaining to the breadfruit story while I was seeking information on plants which had been introduced into Jamaica. These documents form part of the Brabourne collection of Banks papers and are located along with the Tobin Journal on H.M.S. Providence 1791-93 in the Mitchell Library, Sydney, Australia. The letters were written to Sir Joseph Banks, who had organized the expedition for taking breadfruit from the South Seas to the West Indies, by (among others) James Wiles and Christopher Smith, botanist-gardeners on the Providence; Dr. Arthur Broughton, a physician of Kingston, Jamaica; and Dr. Thomas Dancer, the Island Botanist. After I had obtained a copy of these letters and the part of Tobin's journal relevant to the West Indies, I thought it advisable to combine information they contained with material I had found during my research in the West India Reference Library of the Institute of Jamaica and the Widener Library of Harvard University, to reconstruct and make available a more complete picture of Bligh's very successful introduction of breadfruit into the British West Indies. Special mention must be made of another important source of information, Ida Lee's Captain Bligh's Second Voyage to the South Sea, which is based mainly on Captain Bligh's log.
Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Optical Low-Cost Motion Capture System

This paper describes the design, implementation and evaluation of a low-cost motion capture system with support of interfaces for practically any types of cameras. We present the system’s software architecture design, development of software to implement and integrate several existing algorithms, and effective approaches to address practical issues such as object calibration and synchronizing the real-world and virtual-world coordinate frames. The motion capture system is developed to work with active markers and all the processing is done by the software on a mid-level workstation. With the Firefly MV cameras used, the developed system is capable of working at 60 frames per second, having the ability to simultaneously track the positions and orientations of five objects, with latency averaging about 15 ms, and with an average measurement error of about 0.65 mm between the distance of each pair of four LEDs mounted on a target that is placed 1.5–3.5 m from the cameras.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Family history of various cancers and pancreatic cancer mortality in a large cohort

A family history of pancreatic cancer is associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer, but uncertainty remains about the magnitude of this association, whether it varies by age or smoking and whether a family history of other cancers may also be associated with increased risk. We examined family history of 14 cancers and pancreatic cancer mortality among ~1.1 million men and women in Cancer Prevention Study-II (CPS-II). CPS-II participants completed a questionnaire at enrollment in 1982. During follow-up through 2006, there were 7,306 pancreatic cancer deaths. A family history of pancreatic cancer in a parent or sibling was associated with pancreatic cancer mortality [multivariable adjusted rate ratio (RR) = 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43–1.94]. This association was stronger among participants aged under 60 (RR = 2.89, 95% CI 1.67–5.02) than among participants aged 60 or older (RR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.37–1.88). Weaker associations were observed for family history of stomach cancer (RR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.11–1.37), liver cancer (RR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.10–1.43), and colorectal cancer (RR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.01–1.23). Results from this large prospective study indicate family history of pancreatic cancer is associated with a moderate increase in risk of pancreatic cancer, and also identify associations with the family history of certain other cancers which may be useful in generating hypotheses about shared risk factors.
Molecular modeling of polymers. 10. Characterization of conformational transitions of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(methacrylic acid) using dyad structures

The conformational profiles of nearest side-chain neighbors, methylene-dyad structures, of poly(acrylic acid), PAA, and poly(methacrylic acid), PMA, were determined as a function of tacticity, extent of ionization, and presence of counterion. The dominant backbone conformer states are quite similar for both isotactic and syndiotactic diads in a common charge state. Thus, the overall dimensional properties of isotactic syndiotactic and atactic chains of PAA or PMA, based upon dyad interactions, are predicted to be alike for a given charge state. Significant deviations from precise t, g+, and g− states are found for the dyad minimum energy conformations. The rod-to-coil and coil-to-rod transitions observed in PAA and PMA, respectively, as a function of increasing counterion concentration can be explained, to a large extent, by the conformational profiles of the corresponding dyad model structures. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Developing Teacher Evaluation Systems That Promote Professional Growth.

The two primary purposes for teacher evaluation are accountability and professional growth. Stiggins and Duke (1988) have shown that despite rhetoric to the contrary, conventional teacher evaluation systems tend to focus on accountability to the virtual exclusion of professional growth. It is of interest that this obsession with accountability has not necessarily led to quality evaluations or improved instruction. My purpose in this article is not, however, to assess the weaknesses of contemporary accountability-based teacher evaluation. I intend instead to discuss ways to develop evaluation systems that promote the ongoing professional growth of teachers. My observations and recommendations are based on a review of studies of adult development and teacher evaluation, my efforts with Richard Stiggins to identify the conditions necessary for teacher growth, and a decade's work with dozens of school districts and other agencies to design and implement growth-oriented evaluation systems. The article opens with an analysis of individual characteristics associated with professional growth. It goes on to look at organizational characteristics that facilitate growth. In the next section, I draw on these two bodies of knowledge to suggest how growth-oriented teacher evaluation systems can be designed. Examples of three different types of growth-oriented teacher evaluation systems follow. The article concludes with a discussion of some typical problems that are encountered in the process of developing teacher evaluation systems. Before proceeding, I need to clarify what is meant by professional growth and development. I do not use these terms to describe the achievement of basic competencies or the simple acquisition of factual knowledge. Professional growth and development are reserved for teachers who already are competent, meaning they have demonstrated proficiency in the basic performance standards of teaching. These standards often serve as criteria for accountability-based evaluation.Growt h and development connote learning that leads beyond minimum or basic competence to new levels of understanding and mastery, a fresh sense of professional purpose and capabilities, or a more sophisticated awareness of the context in which one
Birth-season interactions of adult female Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata) without newborn infants

The affiliative interactions of 11 adult female Japanese macaques that did not deliver an infant during the 1981 birth season of the Arashiyama West troop were examined. Consideration was given to the effects of kinship as a structuring element in these birth-season interactions and to the degree of association with various categories of troop members based on age, sex, and (in the case of adult females) whether or not the females were new mothers. Females without infants interacted predominantly with their yearling off-spring, although it was the behavior of the offspring that precipitated the interaction. These females were active in soliciting affiliation with nonkin new mothers, whereas female matrilineal relatives with new infants approached and remained in proximity to them more than did nonrelated new mothers. Females without newborns groomed and approached nonkin infants more than infants within their own matriline, and these infants were predominantly those of females in the highest-ranking matriline of the troop. Adult males were responsible for 40% of all grooming received from nonkin by the females without newborns, and these males approached them significantly more than did other adult females without infants. These patterns demonstrate that the structure of social relationships is influenced by the particular dynamics of troop contexts such as birth seasons, as well as by enduring, broad-based affinities which are less affected by cyclic changes in troop context.
Novel method to characterize CYP21A2 in Florida patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia and commercially available cell lines

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive disorder and affects approximately 1 in 15,000 births in the United States. CAH is one of the disorders included on the Newborn Screening (NBS) Recommended Uniform Screening Panel. The commonly used immunological NBS test is associated with a high false positive rate and there is interest in developing second-tier assays to increase screening specificity. Approximately 90% of the classic forms of CAH, salt-wasting and simple virilizing, are due to mutations in the CYP21A2 gene. These include single nucleotide changes, insertions, deletions, as well as chimeric genes involving CYP21A2 and its highly homologous pseudogene CYP21A1P. A novel loci-specific PCR approach was developed to individually amplify the CYP21A2 gene, the nearby CYP21A1P pseudogene, as well as any 30 kb deletion and gene conversion mutations, if present, as single separate amplicons. Using commercially available CAH positive specimens and 14 families with an affected CAH proband, the single long-range amplicon approach demonstrated higher specificity as compared to previously published methods.
Sheep grazing effects on Mojave Desert vegetation and soils

Some effects of domestic sheep grazing on vegetation and soils were measured at four sites in the western Mojave Desert. Although sheep have grazed the Mojave Desert for the past 50–100 years, the effects of grazing on the desert ecosystem are largely unknown.
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Relative Efficacy of Initial Proximal versus Distal Anastomoses

Abstract Controversy exists concerning the most appropriate sequence of anastomoses in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. While the more commonly employed method of distal coronary anastomoses first has withstood a long clinical experience, a recent study and several cardiac surgical groups have suggested that construction of the proximal anastomoses first offers certain advantages. In 30 patients undergoing CABG, we performed a prospective, randomized trial comparing both techniques. Relative efficacy was assessed by hemodynamic, radionuclide, electrocardiographic, enzymatic, thermographic, and clinical evaluation. The length of cardiopulmonary bypass was longer in the group having the distal anastomoses done first. Myocardial temperature mapping was similar between groups. Hemodynamic changes, including cardiac output, ejection fraction, and regional wall motion, were nearly identical between the groups. The incidence of myocardial damage reflected by levels of myocardial-specific isoenzymes (serum CK-MB) and electrocardiographic changes was also similar. In conclusion, the sequence of anastomoses is not critical in routine CABG operations. However, we speculate that each technique may have certain advantages under different clinical circumstances found on occasion. Ideally, each method should be part of the coronary surgeon's armamentarium.
Central Integrative Role of Oestrogen in Modulating the Communication between the Placenta and Fetus that Results in Primate Fetal–placental Development

Abstract This review summarizes the experimental evidence supporting the concept that oestrogen has a central integrative role in modulating the communication that occurs between the placenta and the fetus which results in primate fetal–placental development. Thus oestrogen, acting within placental trophoblasts, regulates the functional differentiation of syncytiotrophoblasts, manifested as an upregulation of key components of the progesterone biosynthetic pathway and the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD)-1 and -2 enzymes controlling cortisol–cortisone interconversion. The increase in 11β-HSD expression results in the switch in the qualitative and quantitative patterns of transplacental corticosteroid metabolism that induces maturation of the primate fetal hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical axis. The studies outlined in this review, therefore, provide new insight into the role that oestrogen plays during the course of primate pregnancy and demonstrate that an oestrogen-dependent signalling system exists in utero that coordinates the placental and fetal dialogue critical to development of the placenta and endocrine systems underlying neonatal self-sufficiency.
An expert system for the hydraulic analysis of microirrigation systems

Abstract Expert systems are enjoying increased use in engineering design and software development. Over the past several years, the authors have been developing a prototype rule-based expert system for the hydraulic design and evaluation of microirrigation systems. The rule-based system provides an evaluation of a proposed design based upon simple statistics and economics as well as hydraulic design criteria. The hydraulic design and analysis of microirrigation systems is accomplished using the finite element formulation of the flow equations. A computer model called DESIGNER was developed for this purpose. After an evaluation of the design is accomplished, recommendations are made to improve the performance of the system both in terms of uniformity of water application and cost. The current prototype needs additional parameter tuning to cope with ’real-world constraints’ such as discrete pipe sizes. However, the purpose of this study was accomplished by demonstrating the utility and usefulness of a prototype expert system for the hydraulic analysis of microirrigation systems.
‘Good-fit’ teacher–child play interactions and the subsequent autonomous play of preschool children

Abstract The purpose of this study was to test a model of adult–child play interactions in preschool classrooms, based on the work of Vygotsky and neo-Vygotskian scholars. The model predicts that adults will tailor the play support they provide to the immediate needs of individual children, and that this will lead to subsequent independent play. Classroom interactions between eight preschool teachers and 32 students were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed over a six-month period. Interviews were conducted with the eight adult participants to confirm and elucidate findings from observed classroom behaviors. Distinct types of play support needed by children and given by teachers were identified. These were operationally defined; definitions were used to create a coding system that was found to have high inter-rater reliability. Sequential analyses were conducted to determine goodness-of-fit between teacher responses and children's needs. Behavioral outcomes of a good fit were also examined. Findings support the model tested here. Teachers often responded to children's play with behaviors matching the level of support needed. Good-fit interactions more frequently led to autonomous subsequent play than poor-fit interactions.
Effects of river regulation on aeolian landscapes, Colorado River, southwestern USA

[1] Connectivity between fluvial and aeolian sedimentary systems plays an important role in the physical and biological environment of dryland regions. This study examines the coupling between fluvial sand deposits and aeolian dune fields in bedrock canyons of the arid to semiarid Colorado River corridor, southwestern USA. By quantifying significant differences between aeolian landscapes with and without modern fluvial sediment sources, this work demonstrates for the first time that the flow- and sediment-limiting effects of dam operations affect sedimentary processes and ecosystems in aeolian landscapes above the fluvial high water line. Dune fields decoupled from fluvial sand supply have more ground cover (biologic crust and vegetation) and less aeolian sand transport than do dune fields that remain coupled to modern fluvial sand supply. The proportion of active aeolian sand area also is substantially lower in a heavily regulated river reach (Marble–Grand Canyon, Arizona) than in a much less regulated reach with otherwise similar environmental conditions (Cataract Canyon, Utah). The interconnections shown here among river flow and sediment, aeolian sand transport, and biologic communities in aeolian dunes demonstrate a newly recognized means by which anthropogenic influence alters dryland environments. Because fluvial–aeolian coupling is common globally, it is likely that similar sediment-transport connectivity and interaction with upland ecosystems are important in other dryland regions to a greater degree than has been recognized previously.
George Washington Carver and the Art of Technical Communication

The achievements of great men like George Washington Carver are often perpetuated by myth; but more often they are simply overshadowed by the stature of the man himself. Such is the case with Carve...
The Determinants of the Importance of AssetAllocation

Jacobsen and Biwer provide a framework to help evaluate the cross-sectional importance of asset allocation. They propose a closed-form solution of the models posited by previous authors, for example, the well-known Ibbotson and Kaplan model.Not only can the framework be used to evaluate, on an ex post basis, the importance of asset allocation, but it can also be used to establish the “right” number of managers to use per asset class.
Automated synthesis of 3'-metalated oligonucleotides.

We report the first synthesis of a metallonucleoside bound to a solid support and subsequent oligonucleotide synthesis with this precursor. Large-scale syntheses of metal-containing oligonucleotides are achieved using a solid support modified with [Ru(bpy)_2(impy‘)]^(2+) (bpy is 2,2‘-bipyridine; impy‘ is 2‘-iminomethylpyridyl-2‘-deoxyuridine). A duplex formed with the metal-containing oligonucleotide exhibits superior thermal stability when compared to the corresponding unmetalated duplex (Tm = 50 °C vs T_m = 48 °C). Electrochemical (E_(1/2) = 1.3 V vs NHE), absorption (λ_(max) = 480 nm), and emission (λ_(max) = 720 nm, τ = 44 ns, Φ = 0.11 × 10^(-3)) data for the ruthenium-modified oligonucleotides indicate that the presence of the oligonucleotide does not perturb the electronic properties of the ruthenium complex. The absence of any change in the emission properties upon duplex formation suggests that the [Ru(bpy)_2(impy)]^(2+) chromophore will be a valuable probe for DNA-mediated electron-transfer studies. Despite the relatively high Ru(III/II) reduction potential, oxidative quenching of photoexcited [Ru(bpy)_2(impy)]^(2+) does not lead to oxidative damage of guanine or other DNA bases.
Visual selection: The effects of number of encodable elements and physical complexity

Research in the area of visual selection has consistently demonstrated that viewing time increases with the complexity of the stimuli. A theoretical position has been proposed to account for these findings in terms of stimulus encoding. This position by Nunnally and his associates (e.g., Nunnally & Lemond, 1973) places primary emphasis on the number of meaningful encodable elements as the stimulus variables to account for the effects attributed to complexity. Two experiments were performed to examine these two stimulus variables. Both experiments employed college students in a free-viewing time procedure. The dependent variable was length of viewing time for each of a series of slides. Experiment I manipulated the number of encodable elements in each slide and the homogeneity or heterogeneity of the stimulus elements. Experiment II compared physical complexity with the number of encodable elements in a factorial design. Both experiments found significant support for the number of meaningful encodable elements as an important determiner of visual selection.