cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Performance of BMI Percentiles to Identify Adolescents With Metabolic Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic performance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and FITNESSGRAM (FGram) BMI standards for quantifying metabolic risk in youth. METHODS: Adolescents in the NHANES ( n = 3385) were measured for anthropometric variables and metabolic risk factors. BMI percentiles were calculated, and youth were categorized by weight status (using CDC and FGram thresholds). Participants were also categorized by presence or absence of metabolic syndrome. The CDC and FGram standards were compared by prevalence of metabolic abnormalities, various diagnostic criteria, and odds of metabolic syndrome. Receiver operating characteristic curves were also created to identify optimal BMI percentiles to detect metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in obese youth was 19% to 35%, compared with <2% in the normal-weight groups. The odds of metabolic syndrome for obese boys and girls were 46 to 67 and 19 to 22 times greater, respectively, than for normal-weight youth. The receiver operating characteristic analyses identified optimal thresholds similar to the CDC standards for boys and the FGram standards for girls. Overall, BMI thresholds were more strongly associated with metabolic syndrome in boys than in girls. CONCLUSIONS: Both the CDC and FGram standards are predictive of metabolic syndrome. The diagnostic utility of the CDC thresholds outperformed the FGram values for boys, whereas FGram standards were slightly better thresholds for girls. The use of a common set of thresholds for school and clinical applications would provide advantages for public health and clinical research and practice. * Abbreviations: ATP III — : Adult Treatment Panel III CDC — : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention FGram — : FITNESSGRAM HDL — : high-density lipoprotein NHANES — : National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey NLR — : negative likelihood ratio NPV — : negative predictive value PLR — : positive likelihood ratio PPV — : positive predictive value ROC — : receiver operating characteristic %BF — : percentage body fat
Cytochromes P-450

Abstract 1. 1. The cytochromes P-450 are of interest in fields as diverse as biochemistry, pharmacology, mechanistic and synthetic chemistry, carcinogenesis, toxicology, endocrinology, and nutrition. 2. 2. Cytochrome P-450 enzymes are coded by a multi-gene family. 3. 3. The many forms have some elements of similarity in their primary sequences and catalyze chemically equivalent reactions, either mixed-function oxidations or reductions. 4. 4. The catalytic specificity of the individual forms of the enzyme is related to three-dimensional interactions between individual substrates and their binding sites, and the reactions are related in their chemistry. 5. 5. Regulation of enzyme levels appears to involve transcriptional and post-transcriptional aspects.
Severity of obstructive sleep apnea between black and white patients.

AbstractObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a relatively common problem with potentially serious health consequences. The purpose of this study was to identify whether race has any effect on the severity of OSA. Our hypothesis was that OSA, when present, is more severe in black patients than white patients. This cross-sectional study was performed at Truman Medical Centers, a teaching hospital affiliated with University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine (Kansas City, MO). Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to establish if race was predictive of apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) score when controlling for age, sex, and body mass index. The analysis included 280 patients with complete data for each of the variables in the model. Race (the primary predictor of interest) did not significantly predict AHI score (P = 0.172), and neither did age (P = 0.783). Men had higher AHI scores than women (P < 0.001), and higher body mass index was associated with higher AHI score (P < 0.001). There were more...
Checkpointing for workflow recovery

Workflow technology targets supporting reliable and scaleable execution, for workflow management systems (WfMS) to support large-scale multi-system applications, involving both humans and legacy systems, in distributed and often heterogeneous environments. In case of failures, workflow processes usually need to resume their executions from one of their saved states, called a checkpoint, achieved by saving the states from time to time persistently. The activity of restoring a checkpoint and resuming the execution from the checkpoint is called rollback. Those techniques have long been used in database systems. A checkpoint is an action consistent checkpoint if it represents a state between complete update operations. A consistent state in the database domain is a state when no update transactions were active. This checkpoint representing a consistent state is a transaction consistent checkpoint. A checkpoint does not need to satisfy any consistency constraints. But recovery after failure must always guarantee that the resultant state is transaction consistent even though any checkpoint used may not be. A checkpoint can be either local or global. A local checkpoint is a checkpoint taken locally, with or without cooperation with any other local checkpointing activities at different sites. A local checkpoint can be a fuzzy or consistent checkpoint. During global reconstruction, a set of local checkpoints, usually taken at different site, will be used to find global consistent state. To facilitate the global reconstruction, a global checkpoint, derived from a set of local checkpoints taken at different site, provides a rollback boundary, thus reducing the recovery time
H theorem and kinetic equations for a reacting gas

A previously developed set of kinetic model equations for a chemically-reacting gas is modified. By examining closely the H theorem, a new set of constraints is obtained. These conditions are then used to determine the inelastic collision parameters proposed in the model. The kinetic equations so obtained are able to produce exactly the same rate equations as prescribed by the actual chemical reactions.
Relation of Psycholinguistic Development to Imaginative Play of Disadvantaged Preschool Children.

The relation of imaginative play to psycholinguistic development was investigated in a sample of disadvantaged preschool children. The children were assigned to high and low play groups based on their level of play organization. The high play group was significantly more mature in overall psycholinguistic development than the low play group. Further analyses revealed that while the groups did not vary in Auditory Reception, the high play group earned more advanced scores on the Auditory-Vocal Association and Verbal Expression tasks that did the low play group. Moreover, the high play group engaged in more task-relevant speech during play than did the low play group, although the groups did not differ in amount of task-irrelevant speech. The role of psycholinguistic, cognitive, and environmental factors in the development and organization of imaginative play was discussed.
Image-guided tumor motion modeling and tracking

Radiation therapy (RT) is an important procedure in the treatment of cancer in the thorax and abdomen. However, its efficacy can be severely limited by breathing induced tumor motion. Tumor motion causes uncertainty in the tumor's location and consequently limits the radiation dosage (for fear of damaging normal tissue). This paper describes a novel signal model for tumor motion tracking/prediction that can potentially improve RT results. Using CT and breathing sensor data, it provides a more accurate characterization of the breathing and tumor motion than previous work and is non-invasive. The efficacy of our model is demonstrated on patient data.
Compressing Electrical Power Grids

In this paper we apply the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) analysis to examining the coupling structure of an electrical power grid in order to highlight opportunities for reducing the network traffic, by identifying what are the salient data that need to be communicated between parts of the infrastructure to apply a control action. Our main finding is that typical grid admittance matrices have singular values and vectors with only a small number of strong components. The SVD sparsity can be exploited to construct an efficient decentralized system-wide monitoring and control architecture. We also discuss the potential applications of the proposed architecture and its robustness under contingency; and experiment the SVD analysis with the NYISO-2935 system and the IEEE-300 system.
Coding Markov chains from the past

It is shown that a mixing Markov chain is a unilateral or one-sided factor of every ergodic process of equal or greater entropy. This extends the work of Sinai, who showed that the result holds for independent processes, and the work of Ornstein and Weiss, who showed that the result holds for mixing Markov chains in which all transition probabilities are positive. The proof exploits the Rothstein-Burton joinings-space formulation of Ornstein’s isomorphism theory, and uses a random coding argument.
Latent Supervised Learning

This article introduces a new machine learning task, called latent supervised learning, where the goal is to learn a binary classifier from continuous training labels that serve as surrogates for the unobserved class labels. We investigate a specific model where the surrogate variable arises from a two-component Gaussian mixture with unknown means and variances, and the component membership is determined by a hyperplane in the covariate space. The estimation of the separating hyperplane and the Gaussian mixture parameters forms what shall be referred to as the change-line classification problem. We propose a data-driven sieve maximum likelihood estimator for the hyperplane, which in turn can be used to estimate the parameters of the Gaussian mixture. The estimator is shown to be consistent. Simulations as well as empirical data show the estimator has high classification accuracy.
The impact of intercurrent EBV infection on ATP levels in CD4+ T cells of pediatric kidney transplant recipients

ImmuKnow ® measures ATP (ng/mL) in PHA-activated CD4 + T cells from patient's whole blood. According to published reports, median ImmuKnow ® is 258 ng/mL in stable pediatric kidney transplant (PKT) recipients ≥12 yr, and 165 ng/mL in those < 12 yr. However, data on the effect of infection or AR on ImmuKnow ® are scarce. We studied the effect of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viremia on ImmuKnow ® in PKT with GD. Twenty-eight PKT with GD were reviewed. Group 1 has 19 PKT ≥12 yr, and group 2 has nine PKT < 12 yr. Mean follow-up was 19.4 ± 12 months. All ImmuKnow ® values discussed in this study were measured during GD ± fever. None had ImmuKnow ® pretransplant. EBV DNA was isolated from patient blood by real-time PCR. Group 1 has eight boys and 11 girls (mean age = 16.6 ± 2.4 yr). Group 2 has two boys and seven girls (mean age = 6 ± 3.1 yr). Median ImmuKnow ® was 292 ng/mL in group 1, and 370 ng/mL in group 2. Nine children developed EBV viremia: two in groupl (median ImmuKnow ® = 273 ng/mL), and seven in group 2 (median ImmuKnow ® = 475 ng/mL). Overall mean ImmuKnow ® in the nine EBV viremic patients was higher than that in the 19 non-viremic ones (422 ± 176 ng/mL, and 302 ± 113 ng/mL, respectively, unequal variance t-test, p = 0.08). Eight children developed AR (all in G1, median ImmuKnow ® = 272 ng/mL). In group 1, one patient developed concurrent EBV viremia and rejection, while another patient developed EBV viremia six months following a rejection episode. In group 2, none developed simultaneous AR, CMV, or BK virus infection with EBV viremia. None developed post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. In summary, EBV viremia was paradoxically associated with high ImmuKnow ® in PKT < 12 yr. This suggests strong co-stimulation of PHA-activated CD4 + T cells by EBV-transformed B cells.
Pathways of children's long-term living arrangements: A latent class analysis.

Abstract This study employed latent class analysis to create children’s family structure trajectories from birth through adolescence using merged mother and child data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth ( N = 1870). Input variables distinguished between biological fathers and stepfathers as well as mother’s marriages and cohabitations. The best-fitting model revealed five latent trajectories of children’s long-term family structure: continuously married biological parents (55%), long-term single mothers (18%), married biological parents who divorce (12%), a highly unstable trajectory distinguished by gaining at least one stepfather (11%), and cohabiting biological parents who either marry or break up (4%). Multinomial logistic regression indicated that mother’s education, race, teen birth status, and family of origin characteristics were important predictors of the long-term family trajectories in which their children grew up. These findings suggest that latent class analysis is a valuable statistical tool for understanding children’s complete family structure experiences.
The effect of software upgrade on optical coherence tomography measurement of the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness.

Purpose: To determine the effect of software upgrades on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements taken by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Methods: Eighty normal eyes (40 patients) were scanned for RNFL thickness measurements using Spectralis (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) SD-OCT. Scan analysis was performed using version 4.0 software and then reanalyzed with version 5.1.3. Student paired t testing and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis. Results: Average and quadrant RNFL thicknesses generated using version 4.0 and 5.1.3 software on Spectralis demonstrated high correlation (r = 0.955-0.998). Average RNFL thickness using version 4.0 was 0.08΅m thinner than version 5.1.3 (p = 0.409). Quadrant RNFL differences ranged from -0.26 to +0.97΅m (p = 0.146-0.915). Segmentation errors were reduced 33% after the upgrade. Conclusion: Minor RNFL thickness changes may occur after software upgrades in Spectralis OCT. The differences did not reach statistical significance but segmentation errors were improved.
Quality Engineering Using Robust Design

From the Publisher: Phadke was trained in robust design techniques by Genichi Taguchi, the mastermind behind Japanese quality manufacturing technologies and the father of Japanese quality control. Taguchi's approach is currently under consideration to be adopted as a student protocol with the US govrnment. The foreword is written by Taguchi. This book offers a complete blueprint for structuring projects to achieve rapid completion with high engineering productivity during the research and development phase to ensure that high quality products can be made quickly and at the lowest possible cost. Some topics covered are: orthogonol arrays, how to construct orthogonal arrays, computer-aided robutst design techniques, dynamic systems design methods, and more.
RAT OVARIAN INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR I I GENE EXPRESSION IS THECA-INTERSTITIAL CELL-EXCLUSIVE: HORMONAL REGULATION AND RECEPTOR DISTRIBUTION

While the potential role of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. in ovarian physiology has been extensively studied, relatively limited attention has been paid to IGF-II the very presence of which in the mature rat ovary has been questioned. In the present study, we have reevaluated rat ovarian IGF-II gene expression, i t s cellular localization, hormonal regulation, and site(s) of receptor interaction. IGF-II mRNA was detected in whole ovaries from immature as well as mature intact rats. Cellular localization studies revealed IGF-II transcripts in theca-interstitial but not granulosa cells (a site of IGF-I gene expression). In contrast, no cellular selectivity was noted for Type I and Type I I IGF receptor gene expression, both of which were clearly detectable in both granulosa and theca-interstitial cells. In vivo treatment of immature hypophysectomized rats with diethylstilbestrol reduced ovarian IGF-II mRNA levels while increasing IGF-I mRNA levels. Taken together, these and previous observations revea...
Psychiatric and Medical Factors Associated With Disability in Patients With Dizziness

Dizziness is a common patient symptom and often remains medically unexplained even after an extensive work-up. The otologic disorders, psychiatric disorders, and functional disability of 75 patients presenting with dizziness to a community otolaryn gology practice were assessed in 1991. The patients were classified according to the presence or absence of at least one current DSM-III-R psychiatric disorder and the presence or absence of a peripheral vestibular disorder. Decrements in mental health and role functioning, and increases in bodily pain and hypochondriacal focus were significantly associated with the presence of a psychiatric disorder and whether the etiology of dizziness was due to a peripheral vestibular dysfunction.
Implications and applications of current-induced dynamics in molecular junctions.

Instances of strongly nonadiabatic electronic−vibrational energy transfer have been studied since the early days of quantum mechanics and remain a topic of fundamental interest. Often such transfers are associated with electronic resonances, temporary states where transient localization of charge on the molecule provides a mechanism for channeling electronic energy into vibrational excitation. Extensively studied in the gas phase, electron resonance scattering also occurs with surface adsorbed molecules, where it manifests itself in broadened cross sections and desorption of adsorbates from metal surfaces. In this Account, we focus on a related topic: the implications of nonadiabatic, resonance-mediated scattering to the exciting field of molecular electronics. In this context, researchers can induce directed nuclear dynamics and control these processes in single molecules in contact with metallic and semiconducting electrodes. We discuss a variety of consequences and applications of current-driven nuclea...
School disorder, victimization, and general v. place-specific student avoidance

Abstract This study utilizes a national sample of 3, 776 high-school students to test two theoretical models of school avoidance behavior. More specifically, this study examines the relationships between student avoidance and both school disorder (or, incivilities) and previous victimization experiences. Further, the study also examines whether the presumed effects of incivilities and victimization on avoidance operate indirectly, through student fear. Negative Binomial regression analyses showed that perceived disorder in the form of presence of gangs and previous bullying victimization are key sources of student fear. In turn, student fear is positively correlated with two distinct types of avoidance behavior. Interestingly, controlling for student fear does not dissolve the significant, positive effects of perceived gang presence and bullying victimization.
IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MICROFLORA AND SPOILAGE BACTERIA IN FRESHWATER CRAYFISH Procambarus clarkii (Girard)

Crayfish tails were collected from two commercial peeling plants in South Louisiana and stored at 0° and 5°C. Initially and after various periods of storage, bacteria were isolated from the peeled tails, identified generically and subsequently classified on the basis of their ability to produce “spoilage” in sterile crayfish tail flesh. Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Alcaligenes and Achromobacter were the predominant genera in the fresh samples of tails. Achromobacter predominated during early storage and Pseudomonas and Achromobacter were the dominating organisms in the spoiled tails. Of the 280 isolated bacteria, 22.1% were classified as “rapid spoilers,” 16.4% were “slow spoilers” and 61.5% were “nonspoilers.” Most of the spoilers were Pseudomonas, while an appreciable number belonged to Achromobacter.
Determination of anions in an epoxy curing agent by ion chromatography

Abstract Within Martin Marietta's Analytical Services Organization (ASO), epoxy samples have traditionally been analyzed by high performance ion chromatography (HPIC) using a bomb-prep method. Erratic sulfate results prompted an experimental 10% methanol preparation dissolution method to be used with subsequent analysis by HPIC. An HPIC method with isocratic separation and micro membrane suppression is discussed in this paper. This method is specifically for the determination of sulfur as sulfate and fluoride in an epoxy curing agent. The new method will be used as a replacement for a current production laboratory bomb-prep HPIC method. Matrix interferences caused by Parr bomb (see Oxygen Combustion Bombs, Bulletin 1100, Parr Instrument, Moline, IL, USA) combustion product were eliminated using this method. A precision and bias study was done to document the effectiveness of the new method.
Radical Cyclization and Fragmentation of Azoxy Compounds

Photolysis of azoazoxyalkane 9 and thermolysis of β-azoxyperester 13 afford β-azoxy radicals 1 and 14, respectively. One reaction pathway of these radicals is cyclization to azoxy oxygen to form cyclic hydrazyl radicals 2 and 16 that fragment to a ketone or aldehyde plus hydrazonyl radical 3. The analogous hydrazyl radical 6 need not be invoked in the case of γ-azoxy radical 5, which instead undergoes a rare solution phase β-scission to lose ethylene. Surprisingly, the same β-scission was found in the 3,3-dimethyl-4-pentenyl radical (34), a hydrocarbon analogue of 5.
Binding Affinity for Penicillin-Binding Protein 2a Correlates with In Activity of β-Lactan Antibiotics against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The beta-lactam antibiotics ticarcillin, nafcillin, imipenem, and ampicillin, which differ in antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, were examined for affinity to penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2a, which mediates methicillin resistance. The relative efficacy of each antibiotic was compared to vancomycin in a rabbit model of aortic valve endocarditis caused by either a methicillin-susceptible or methicillin-resistant strain of beta-lactamase-producing S. aureus. beta-lactamase inhibitors clavulanate and sulbactam were used in combination with ticarcillin and ampicillin, respectively. All beta-lactam antibiotics were effective against the susceptible strain. beta-lactam antibiotic activity in vitro and in vivo against the resistant strain correlated with its affinity for binding to PBP 2a. Lack of efficacy of beta-lactam antibiotics for the resistant strain was due to an inability to eradicate the resistant subpopulation of cells. Vancomycin was the most effective agent.
THE USE OF PIXE IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

This paper presents both historical and current research regarding the application of PIXE to agriculture. These applications are particularly important because of the necessity to produce food in an environment with deteriorating water and soil quality. The research presented has application to understanding transport of materials and nutrient uptake in plants. Given the critical nature of the problems facing this area, it is imperative that all avenues be approached including PIXE. PIXE has many advantages ranging from the simultaneous detection of many elements to the ability to scan materials with a small beam spot. Examples of these advantages are discussed.
HABITAT FRAGMENTATION AND EFFECTS OF HERBIVORE (HOWLER MONKEY) ABUNDANCES ON BIRD SPECIES RICHNESS

Habitat fragmentation can alter herbivore abundances, potentially causing changes in the plant community that can propagate through the food web and eventually influence other important taxonomic groups such as birds. Here we test the relationship between the density of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) and bird species richness on a large set of recently isolated land-bridge islands in Lago Guri, Venezuela (n = 29 islands). Several of these islands host relict populations of howler monkeys at densities up to more than 30 times greater than those on the mainland. These "hyperabundant" herbivores previously have been shown to have a strong positive influence on aboveground plant productivity. We predicted that this should lead to a positive, indirect effect of howler monkey density on bird species richness. After accounting for passive sampling (the tendency for species richness to be positively associated with island area, regardless of differences in habitat quality) we found a significant positive correlation between howler monkey density and bird species richness. A path analysis incorporating data on tree growth rates from a subset of islands (n = 9) supported the hypothesis that the effect of howler monkeys on the resident bird communities is indirect and is mediated through changes in plant productivity and habitat quality. These results highlight the potential for disparate taxonomic groups to be related through indirect interactions and trophic cascades.
Phenomenological solar signature in 400 years of reconstructed Northern Hemisphere temperature record

[1] We study the solar impact on 400 years of a global surface temperature record since 1600. This period includes the pre-industrial era (roughly 1600–1800 or 1600–1900), when negligible amount of anthropogenic-added climate forcing was present and the sun realistically was the only climate force affecting climate on a secular scale, and the industrial era (roughly since 1800–1900), when anthropogenic-added climate forcing has been present in some degree. We use a recent secular Northern Hemisphere temperature reconstruction (Moberg et al., 2005), three alternative total solar irradiance (TSI) proxy reconstructions (Lean et al., 1995; Lean, 2000; Wang et al., 2005) and a scale-by-scale transfer climate sensitivity model to solar changes (Scafetta and West, 2005, 2006). The phenomenological approach we propose is an alternative to the more traditional computer-based climate model approach, and yields results proven to be almost independent on the secular TSI proxy reconstruction used. We find good correspondence between global temperature and solar induced temperature curves during the pre-industrial period such as the cooling periods occurring during the Maunder Minimum (1645–1715) and the Dalton Minimum (1795–1825). The sun might have contributed approximately 50% of the observed global warming since 1900 (Scafetta and West, 2006). We briefly discuss the global cooling that occurred from the medieval maximum (≈1000–1100 AD) to the 17th century minimum.
Chemotherapy given near the end of life by community oncologists for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose. To characterize the chemotherapy given near the end of life to advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated in the community oncology setting using a medical records database. Methods. We conducted a retrospective chart review of expired advanced (stage IIIb/IV) NSCLC patients treated with chemotherapy. Patients who initiated chemotherapy in 2000–2003 were eligible. Patient demographics, all chemotherapy including dose and schedule, and disease-related events were collected. Results. We report data from 10 community practices including 417 patients treated for advanced NSCLC in 2000–2003. The mean age was 67 years (median, 62 years) and 54% were male. Forty percent of patients were >69 years of age and 35% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of ≥2. First-line chemotherapy included combination therapy in 84% of patients. Second-line therapy was given to 56% of patients. Twenty-six percent of patients received third-line therapy, while 10% received fourth-line therapy and 5% received fifth-line therapy or greater. Patients received a mean of 6.1 cycles of chemotherapy. For patients receiving chemotherapy at the time of death, the mean line of therapy being given was second line. Chemotherapy was given within 1 month and 2 weeks of death to 43% and 20% of patients, respectively. Conclusion. The availability of new chemotherapeutic agents has caused a subsequent increase in the length of time patients are receiving chemotherapy with advanced NSCLC. This would suggest an increased use of chemotherapy near the end of life, which was identified in thiudy. The Oncologist 2006;11:1095–1099
Factors Affecting Altruism: Sex, Urgency, and Time of Day:

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of sex, urgency, and time of day on altruism among 160 subjects who were telephoned by a male or a female either early or late at night and t...
Open Source as Practice and Ideology: The Origin of Howard Dean's Innovations in Electoral Politics

ABSTRACT Extending an emerging body of work documenting the migration of technical production models into other domains of social activity, this article analyzes how “open source” works at the levels of both practice and ideology. Through interviews and analysis of public documents relating to Howard Dean's run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2003–2004, this article reveals how many Internet Division staffers drew on open source projects such as the collaborative building of the Linux operating system as a model for their campaign work. In the process, they helped create a series of technical and organizational innovations in online campaigning that have subsequently become core features of electoral politics. At the same time, staffers strategically and publicly deployed the frame of the “open source campaign” as a cultural resource. Situated within narratives of the new economy and participatory democracy, staffers' framing of the campaign as a radical techno-democratic effort provided jou...
Understanding a Lack of Motivation to Excel

Giftedness has often been equated with being academically talented or being a high achiever in in school. Now there is growing concern about those gifted students who could be described as unmotivated and underachieving in one or many academic areas. Parents and teachers who have observed the exceptional potential of these youngsters become intensely frustrated in efforts to increase the students' achievement, motivation and self-discipline. The purposes of this article are to help parents and teachers in understanding the nature and causes of underachievement, and to show them how to work more effectively with underachieving gifted students. The information and guidelines provided will be helpfulin preventing as well as reversing student patterns of attitude and behavior.
An efficient multi-level placement technique using hierarchical partitioning

The authors apply ratio cut hierarchical partitioning, which enables efficient multilevel simulated annealing. An overlapping moving window scheme is used to compensate for the effect of partitioning on the placement quality. Due to the hierarchical partitioning, the asymptotic run-time complexity of this algorithm is linear to the circuit size. The system is called PRC (placement by ratio cut partitioning). Experimental results have been consistently better than TimberWolfSC ver.5.6 for the available test cases and show significant run-time reduction for the large test cases of more than 2000 cells. For a 100 K sea of gates test case, a 7% improvement in wirelength over TimberWolfSC ver.5.6 and a more than 50% of savings in CPU time were observed. >
A Survey of Public Acceptance of Restitution as an Alternative to Imprisonment for Property Offenders

The proposition that the public will be likely to accept a reduction in the use of imprisonment as a penalty for property offenders if these offenders are required to make restitution was tested through the use of simultaneously conducted surveys of two random samples of 1200 persons each drawn from the New Zealand electoral rolls. Both the control and experimental (restitution) groups were presented with six crime incidents describing serious property crimes, were asked to indicate if imprisonment or some other penalty was selected, were permitted to indicate one or more penalties from descriptive statements representing fine, probation, community service sentence, and non-residential periodic detention; the restitution group was permitted to include restitution as a non-custodial penalty. Response rates of 76% for the control group and 80% for the restitution group were achieved from postal questionnaires. For all six crime incidents higher proportions of the control than restitution group recommended i...
MolProbity: all-atom contacts and structure validation for proteins and nucleic acids

MolProbity is a general-purpose web server offering quality validation for 3D structures of proteins, nucleic acids and complexes. It provides detailed all-atom contact analysis of any steric problems within the molecules as well as updated dihedral-angle diagnostics, and it can calculate and display the H-bond and van der Waals contacts in the interfaces between components. An integral step in the process is the addition and full optimization of all hydrogen atoms, both polar and nonpolar. New analysis functions have been added for RNA, for interfaces, and for NMR ensembles. Additionally, both the web site and major component programs have been rewritten to improve speed, convenience, clarity and integration with other resources. MolProbity results are reported in multiple forms: as overall numeric scores, as lists or charts of local problems, as downloadable PDB and graphics files, and most notably as informative, manipulable 3D kinemage graphics shown online in the KiNG viewer. This service is available free to all users at http://molprobity.biochem.duke.edu.
Clinical engineering and biomedical equipment technician education in the developing world

The importance of educational training programs for developing practical biomedical equipment technician (BMET) and clinical engineering capability in the developing world are discussed. Four basic components of the project HOPE biomedical engineering (BME) program are discussed. These entail the development of (1) a functioning BME repair-maintenance capability in a major hospital, (2) an education training program in BMET and/or clinical engineering with an intership component, (3) an organizational structure to accept and support BME at the Ministry of Health and hospital director level, and (4) user and continuing education programs. A suggested plan of study is presented, and the internship program operation is described. >
Defect-mediated ferromagnetism and controlled switching characteristics in ZnO

We report a detailed study of the structural, chemical, electrical, and magnetic properties of undoped ZnO thin films grown under different conditions and the films that were annealed in various environments and irradiated with an ultraviolet laser. Samples prepared in low oxygen pressure or subsequently annealed in vacuum have always been strongly magnetic. Oxygen-annealed films displayed a sequential transition from the ferromagnetic to the diamagnetic state as a function of the annealing temperature. Reversible switching of room temperature ferromagnetism and n-type conductivity have been demonstrated either by annealing in different environments or by a novel laser irradiation treatment. Enhancements in both the electrical conductivity and magnetic moment have been controlled precisely with laser pulses, without altering the crystal structure. Electron paramagnetic resonance data were found to be in good agreement with the magnetization and conductivity measurements. Our secondary ion mass spectrometer and electron energy loss spectrometer studies conclusively rule out the presence of any external ferromagnetic impurities.
The European Court of Justice, Democracy, and Enlargement

In Europe, there is increasing concern with how the operation of the Commission, Council of Ministers, and European Parliament is creating a democratic deficit. One institution that is generally considered central to the effective functioning of a democratic system, but tends to be neglected in these discussions, is the European Court of Justice (ECJ). After all, it is at least ostensibly the job of the legal system to ensure that no one is above the law, not even governments. This study applies a theory of judicial politics to identify under what conditions the ECJ can act as an effective democratic check in the European Union and how enlargement may affect that role.
Regulators of G-Protein Signaling and Their Gα Substrates: Promises and Challenges in Their Use as Drug Discovery Targets

Because G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) continue to represent excellent targets for the discovery and development of small-molecule therapeutics, it is posited that additional protein components of the signal transduction pathways emanating from activated GPCRs themselves are attractive as drug discovery targets. This review considers the drug discovery potential of two such components: members of the “regulators of G-protein signaling” (RGS protein) superfamily, as well as their substrates, the heterotrimeric G-protein α subunits. Highlighted are recent advances, stemming from mouse knockout studies and the use of “RGS-insensitivity” and fast-hydrolysis mutations to Gα, in our understanding of how RGS proteins selectively act in (patho)physiologic conditions controlled by GPCR signaling and how they act on the nucleotide cycling of heterotrimeric G-proteins in shaping the kinetics and sensitivity of GPCR signaling. Progress is documented regarding recent activities along the path to devising screening assays and chemical probes for the RGS protein target, not only in pursuits of inhibitors of RGS domain-mediated acceleration of Gα GTP hydrolysis but also to embrace the potential of finding allosteric activators of this RGS protein action. The review concludes in considering the Gα subunit itself as a drug target, as brought to focus by recent reports of activating mutations to GNAQ and GNA11 in ocular (uveal) melanoma. We consider the likelihood of several strategies for antagonizing the function of these oncogene alleles and their gene products, including the use of RGS proteins with Gαq selectivity.
Tools for safety analysis of vehicle automation systems

As convenience and safety become difficult to maintain on today's increasingly overcrowded highways, vehicle automation systems have gained attention as a possible source of driver performance enhancement. The functionality of these systems ranges from the provision of driver advisory information to the complete control of the lateral and longitudinal motion of each vehicle. Two safety analysis tools are presented here which help compare the safety merits of potential vehicle designs that incorporate various automation devices. The vehicle following analysis tool abstracts two vehicles traveling at constant speed and spacing into seven random variables with associated probability distributions. The tool kinematically derives a probability distribution for the worst case collision velocity caused by the front vehicle suddenly applying full brakes. From this distribution, measures of collision frequency and severity can be derived and used to compare various vehicle automation systems. The general maneuver analysis tool extends the first tool to analyze two vehicles involved in a maneuver in which the speeds and relative spacing of the vehicles varies according to a maneuver trajectory. Examples are given of tool usage and types of safety studies which the tools facilitate.
THE FLIP-FLOP CIRCUIT AS A NEUTRAL EQUATION

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the flip–flop circuit as a neutral equation. The usefulness of the flip–flop circuit lies in the fact that it possesses multiple equilibria and is thus ideally suited for its role as a memory storage device. Both lumped and distributed models have been hypothesized for these circuits; however, because of the flip–flop circuits, high operating speed distributed models seem more reasonable. The voltage v across the line and current i flowing through it, are functions of the neutral equation and obey the following partial differential equations. The circuits at the ends of the line give rise to the boundary conditions. The reduction to the neutral equation is obtained by using the d'Alembert representation of solutions to the wave equation. Criteria for global asymptotic stability in the case of a single equilibrium point were then obtained by the Liapunov stability theory for neutral equations.
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) SM Protein Induces and Recruits Cellular Sp110b To Stabilize mRNAs and Enhance EBV Lytic Gene Expression

Promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies or nuclear domain 10s (ND10s) are multiprotein nuclear structures implicated in transcriptional and posttranscriptional gene regulation that are disrupted during replication of many DNA viruses. Interferon increases the size and number of PML nuclear bodies and stimulates transcription of several genes encoding PML nuclear body proteins. Moreover, some PML nuclear body proteins colocalize at sites of viral DNA synthesis and transcription. In this study, the relationship between lytic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) replication and Sp110b, a PML nuclear body protein, was investigated. Sp110b is shown to physically and functionally interact with the EBV protein SM. SM is expressed early in the EBV replicative cycle and posttranscriptionally increases the level of target EBV lytic transcripts. SM bound to Sp110b via two distinct sites in Sp110b in an RNA-independent manner. SM also specifically induced expression of Sp110b during lytic EBV replication and in several cell types. Exogenous expression of Sp110b synergistically enhanced SM-mediated accumulation of intronless and lytic viral transcripts. This synergistic effect was shown to be promoter independent, posttranscriptional, and the result of increased stabilization of target transcripts. Finally, inhibiting Sp110b expression decreased accumulation of an SM-responsive lytic EBV transcript in EBV-infected cells. These findings imply that SM induces Sp110b expression, binds to Sp110b, and utilizes the recruited Sp110b protein to increase the stability of lytic EBV transcripts, indicating that Sp110b is a component of the cellular machinery that EBV utilizes to enhance lytic EBV replication.
Efficacy of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria, Acibenzolar-S-Methyl, and Soil Amendment for Integrated Management of Bacterial Wilt on Tomato

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to study the effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR; Bacillus pumilus SE 34, Pseudomonas putida 89B61, BioYield, and Equity), acibenzolar-S-methyl (Actigard), and a soil amendment with S-H mixture (contains agricultural and industrial wastes such as bagasse, rice husk, oyster shell powder, urea, potassium nitrate, calcium super phosphate, and mineral ash) on bacterial wilt incidence caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (race 1, biovar 1) in susceptible tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Solar Set). In experiments with PGPR, Pseudomonas putida 89B61 significantly reduced bacterial wilt incidence when applied to the transplants at the time of seeding and 1 week prior to inoculation with Ralstonia solanacearum. BioYield, a formulated PGPR that contained two Bacillus strains, decreased disease significantly in three experiments. Equity, a formulation containing more than 40 different microbial strains, did not reduced wilt incidence compared with the untreated control. With inoculum at low pathogen densities of 1 × 105 and 1 × 106 CFU/ml, disease incidence of Actigard-treated plants was significantly less than with nontreated plants. This is the first report of Actigard-mediated reduction of bacterial wilt incidence in a susceptible tomato cultivar. When PGPR and Actigard applications were combined, Actigard plus P. putida 89B61 or BioYield reduced bacterial wilt incidence compared with the untreated control. Incorporation of S-H mixture into infested soil 2 weeks before transplanting reduced bacterial wilt incidence in one experiment. Combination of Actigard with the S-H mixture significantly reduced bacterial wilt incidence in tomato in two experiments.
Waterfront Revitalization in Postindustrial Port Cities of North America

SURPRISINGLY SIMILAR DEVELOPMENTS in planning, land use, and cultural life are evident in "revitalized" waterfronts in many port cities throughout North America. This article presents a cultural theory of waterfront redevelopment, viewing the process as a characteristic response of similarly situated postindustrial port cities to international economic restructuring, technological obsolescence of port facilities, and corporatization. Major themes in revitalized waterfronts—environmentalism, history and heritage, and tourism and festival —serve to connect newcomer elite groups to a changing urban environment, by reconceptualizing the relationship of the city toward nature, the past, and work, [port cities, urban renewal, waterfronts, postindustrialism]
The anaerobic dissimilation of D-ribose-1-C14, D-xylose-1-C14, D-xylose-2-C14, and D-xylose-5-C14 by Aerobacter aerogenes.

The lactic acid produced from D-ribose-1-C14 or D-xylose-1-C14 had only a trace of isotopic carbon in the carbinol group, while the methyl carbon had 40% and carboxyl carbon 20% of the specific activity of carbon-1 of the pentose. The lactic acid from D-xylose-2-C14 was labelled to a slight extent in the methyl group, while the carbinol carbon and the carboxyl carbon had 40% and 20% respectively of the C14 concentration of carbon-2 of the sugar. D-Xylose-5-C14 gave lactic acid labelled mainly in the methyl carbon, which had about 60% of the specific activity of carbon-5 of the pentose. The other fermentation products (2,3-butanediol, ethanol, acetic acid, formic acid, and carbon dioxide) were labelled as if they had been formed from pyruvate with the same labelling as the lactic acid. These results offer additional support to the hypothesis whereby complete conversion of pentose to triose occurs via a heptulose.
The block optimal realization of denominator-separable 2-D digital filters

The problem of block optimal realizations of separable-in-denominator 2-D filters are considered. A general partial fraction expansion of a denominator separable 2-D transfer function is presented. Based on such expansion a new block optimal realization is derived with emphasis on real time processing in multiprocessor environment. In sequel, maximum parallelism, pipelining, reduction throughput delays are followed which can be utilized for VLSI circuit implementation. Furthermore, a criterion for the absence of limit cycles for a second order 2-D block is proposed. >
Optimization models to characterize the broadcast capacity of vehicular ad hoc networks

Broadcast capacity of the entire network is one of the fundamental properties of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). It measures how efficiently the information can be transmitted in the network and usually it is limited by the interference between the concurrent transmissions in the physical layer of the network. This study defines the broadcast capacity of vehicular ad hoc network as the maximum successful concurrent transmissions. In other words, we measure the maximum number of packets which can be transmitted in a VANET simultaneously, which characterizes how fast a new message such as a traffic incident can be transmitted in a VANET. Integer programming (IP) models are first developed to explore the maximum number of successful receiving nodes as well as the maximum number of transmitting nodes in a VANET. The models embed an traffic flow model in the optimization problem. Since IP model cannot be efficiently solved as the network size increases, this study develops a statistical model to predict the network capacity based on the significant parameters in the transportation and communication networks. MITSIMLab is used to generate the necessary traffic flow data. Response surface method and linear regression technologies are applied to build the statistical models. Thus, this paper brings together an array of tools to solve the broadcast capacity problem in VANETs. The proposed methodology provides an efficient approach to estimate the performance of a VANET in real-time, which will impact the efficacy of travel decision making.