cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Buccal mucosal grafts for urethral reconstruction

Abstract Objectives: Patients requiring urethral reconstruction but who have a paucity of usable genital tissue present a considerable technical challenge. Herein we report the experience of three centers in the use of buccal mucosa for urethral replacement. Methods: From 1991 to 1996, 22 urethral reconstructions were completed using a graft of buccal mucosa. Eighteen of 22 patients had previously failed hypospadias repairs, while three had bulbar urethral stricture and one had penile carcinoma. Grafts were taken from either the inner cheek or the lower lip, and seven were used as a combined graft. Onlay grafts were used in 6 cases and tubularized grafts in 16 cases. Results: Two patients developed complications at the donor site. Nine of 22 patients had complications of the urethroplasty—two had meatal stenosis, four developed a urethral fistula, and three developed urethral stricture. All complications have been managed successfully to date. Conclusions: Buccal mucosa is an excellent source of graft material for urethral replacement in complex urethroplasties. It is readily available, in abundant supply, and has physical properties beneficial to free graft survival.
The Scholarly Conference: Do We Want Democracy and Markets or Authority and Tradition?.

The main attributes of the American Political Science Annual (APSA) Research Conference, and other similar regional conferences, have not changed in decades. These structures and incentives are governed more by authority and tradition than by careful consideration of how best to create stimulating and engaging environments for teaching and learning. As a result, conventional conferences are neither as effective at promoting teaching and learning nor as enjoyable to the participants, as they might be. This article proposes an alternative, the Customized Conference, that uses democratic and market principles to create scholarly conferences that meet the preferences and needs of individuals while building stronger academic communities.
A REANALYSIS OF THE COLLABORATIVE OCULAR MELANOMA STUDY MEDIUM TUMOR TRIAL EYE PLAQUE DOSIMETRY

Purpose: To recalculate the radiation doses delivered to structures of interest within the eye, i.e., the lens, tumor apex, 5-mm point, optic disk, and macula for patients treated with eye plaque radiotherapy on the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) Medium Tumor Trial, using updated dosimetric data. Methods and Materials: Using the Plaque Simulator planning system, doses were recalculated for a sampling of COMS patients for each plaque size. Dosimetry parameters incorporated into the recalculation were line source approximation, a 90% Silastic transmission factor, and a 0% gold transmission factor. Generic solutions were generated from the dose recalculations for each plaque size and structures of interest combination. Doses for the remainder of the patient population were recalculated using the generic solutions and compared with the originally reported COMS doses. Results: Doses to all structures of interest were reduced 7%–21%, depending on the plaque size and structure combination. The reduction in dose for the macula, optic disc, lens, tumor apex, and 5-mm point was on average 10%, 18%, 8%, 11%, and 12%, respectively. The closer the macula and optic disk were to the plaque rim, the greater the dose reduction. Incorporation of the Silastic transmission factor accounted for a large part of the dose reduction. Conclusions: Incorporating anisotropy, line source approximation, and Silastic and gold shield attenuation into dose recalculations resulted in a significant and consistent reduction of doses to structures of interest within the eyes. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. Choroidal melanoma, Plaque radiotherapy, Radiation dosimetry.
A high-speed low-power JFET pull-down ECL circuit

A high-speed low-power ECL (emitter coupled logic) circuit with an active pull-down output stage that utilizes a 'free' JFET (junction FET) available in any n-p-n bipolar technology is described. The JFET pull-down output stage operates as a push-pull follower stage and enhances both the speed and load driving capability. Simulation results based on an 0.8- mu m double-poly self-aligned bipolar technology indicate that the circuit with a typical loading at a power consumption of 1 mW per gate offers 24% improvement in the pull-down delay and 53% improvement in the load driving capability compared with the conventional ECL circuit. >
The Status of Child Nutrition in the Gulf Arab States

Research conducted by the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) in the mid 70s on child nutrition in the Gulf Arab States revealed that in spite of fast growth in volume and funding of childrens programs no qualitative improvement in the conditions of children has occurred. In a study of a sample of 3258 children below the age of 6 1/3 were found to be suffering from some form of malnutrition. While primary malnutrition is predominant in the Gulf countries secondary malnutrition is much more frequent. The main causes of secondary malnutrition are: parasitic infestations diarrheal disease and malaria. The findings of the field research as well as the conclusions of local and regional meetings workshops and seminars organized to deal with childrens problems were of great value in: shaping training programs; selection of consultants; organization of seminars; building demonstration models; developing evaluation surveys; producting of material for a comprehensive education project in health nutrition and personal safety; as well as developing campaigns of advocacy for the children. 28 specific research activities undertaken by UNICEF between 1980-1983 are listed. In addition the impact of UNICEF on developmental planning and decision making in the Gulf is evaluated for the local and regional levels. It is still too early to assess the impact of the actions and projects implemented by UNICEF however early indicators reveal a significant improvement in the area of child nutrition.
Design of a real-time adaptive power optimal system

Wireless sensor systems are currently being deployed in a wide variety of lightweight mobile applications such as distributed object tracking and wearable medical data collection. For such applications to enter the consumer mainstream, it is necessary for them to operate far more power efficiently than they do currently. Using a simple illustrative example, this paper explores some general design rules for techniques which can reduce power consumption by one to two orders of magnitude through a combination of real-time sensor selection based on system state and in-situ feature extraction before storage and/or transmission (if necessary). In the presented example, it is demonstrated that the use of both low and high accuracy sensors for a single parameter (acceleration) can allow system state identification to be far more power-efficient (in this case, by 94%) than with a single sensor alone. Use of sensors with short wakeup times will further improve this result.
Effects of a Mass Media Campaign to Increase Physical Activity Among Children: Year-1 Results of the VERB Campaign

Objective. To determine the effects of a mass media campaign on the levels of physical activity among children 9 to 13 years of age. Design. A prospective, longitudinal, quasi-experimental design was used. A baseline survey was conducted in April to June 2002, before the launch of VERB advertising. Random-digit-dialing methods were used to survey a nationally representative sample of children and parents. The follow-up survey was repeated with the same cohort of children and parents in April to June 2003. Propensity scoring was used to determine the campaign’s effects on awareness and physical activity behaviors. Setting. United States. Participants. A total of 3120 parent-child dyads. Intervention. The VERB campaign is a multiethnic campaign that combines paid advertisements with school and community promotions and Internet activities to encourage children 9 to 13 years of age to be physically active every day. Launched in 2002 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, VERB uses commercial marketing methods to advertise being physically active as cool, fun, and a chance to have a good time with friends. Using the VERB brand, paid advertising ran nationally from June 2002 through June 2003, targeting 9- to 13-year-old youths. Main Outcome Measures. Children’s awareness of the campaign and self-reported estimates of free-time and organized physical activity sessions during nonschool hours in the week before the interview. Results. After 1 year, 74% of children surveyed were aware of the VERB campaign. Levels of reported sessions of free-time physical activity increased for subgroups of children 9 to 13 years of age. A pattern of effects across 2 measures was observed for younger children (9–10 years of age), girls, children whose parents had less than a high school education, children from urban areas that were densely populated, and children who were low active at baseline. These subgroups engaged in more median weekly sessions of free-time physical activity than did children who were unaware of VERB and, as the children’s level of VERB awareness was incrementally higher, the children engaged in incrementally more free-time physical activity sessions. The average 9- to 10-year-old youth engaged in 34% more free-time physical activity sessions per week than did 9- to 10-year-old youths who were unaware of the campaign. A pattern of effects for organized activity was found only for children classified as low active at baseline. Conclusions. The VERB campaign achieved high levels of awareness in 1 year. Higher levels of physical activity were reported for subgroups of US children. Promoting physical activity with child-focused commercial advertising shows promise.
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism has differential effects on alcohol craving and drinking in heavy drinkers.

Background The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, memantine (0, 20, 40 mg/d), upon alcohol drinking and craving in heavy drinkers with or without a family history (FH) of alcoholism, and to explore the modulatory influence of the presence of impulsivity on these outcomes. Methods Ninety-two, nontreatment-seeking, heavy drinkers received memantine or placebo for 8 days. On the eighth day, they received a priming dose of alcohol followed by a 3-hour period of alcohol access. Results Memantine at a dose of 20 mg reduced alcohol craving but did not influence alcohol drinking. No effects of FH were observed. In participants with higher baseline levels of impulsivity, 40 mg of memantine reduced alcohol craving but increased alcohol drinking and alcohol-induced stimulation. Conclusions NMDA receptor signaling may play divergent roles in mediating alcohol cue-induced craving and alcohol drinking in heavy drinkers. The potential efficacy of memantine as monotherapy for alcohol use disorders may be limited by its tendency to disinhibit drinking in some individuals.
A linear growth curve analysis of inpatient treatment response by conduct‐disordered, ADHD, and comorbid preadolescents

Conduct disorder (CD) comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is widely reputed to be treatment refractory, particularly when accompanied by aggression and early-onset symptoms. Few studies, however, have assessed inpatient treatment response among early onset CD/ADHD children in detail. In the present investigation, behavioral and rating scale data were compared among CD (n=13), ADHD (n=20), and CD/ADHD (n=45) preadolescents during one-month of multimodal inpatient treatment that included methylphenidate administration. As expected, linear growth curve analyses revealed that CD/ADHD children were the most symptomatic of the three groups. However, all groups benefited from hospitalization, with few differences in treatment responsiveness observed. Analyses of residualized symptoms suggested that methylphenidate administration was effective in curbing impulsive but not aggressive behaviors. Aggr. Behav. 29:440–456, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Weighted least-squares reconstruction methods for positron emission tomography

We present unpenalized and penalized weighted least-squares (WLS) reconstruction methods for positron emission tomography (PET), where the weights are based on the covariance of a model error and depend on the unknown parameters. The penalty function for the latter method is chosen so that certain a priori information is incorporated. The algorithms used to minimize the WLS objective functions guarantee nonnegative estimates and, experimentally, they converged faster than the maximum likelihood expectation-maximization (ML-EM) algorithm and produced images that had significantly better resolution and contrast. Although simulations suggest that the proposed algorithms are globally convergent, a proof of convergence has not yet been found. Nevertheless, we are able to show that the unpenalized method produces estimates that decrease the objective function monotonically with increasing iterations.
MCP-1 and IL-8 as Pain Biomarkers in Fibromyalgia: A Pilot Study

Objective. Although fibromyalgia (FM) is traditionally a non-inflammatory condition, emerging data also suggest that FM has an immunologic component. Previous studies have reported that peripheral blood concentrations of two chemokines (i.e., interleukin-8 [IL-8] and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 [MCP-1]) were elevated in FM patients compared with normal controls. We sought to determine the longitudinal relationships of changes in the levels (picogram/mL) of IL-8 and MCP-1 with changes in the severity of FM-related pain. Design. Secondary data analysis of a cohort of 16 FM subjects who provided blood samples at two time points: week 1 and week 12. Setting. Urban rheumatology clinic practices. Patients. Individuals who met the American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for FM. Outcome Measures. Changes from week 1 to week 12 of the following variables: Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) pain severity and plasma concentrations of IL-8 and MCP-1. Results. Change in BPI pain severity was significantly associated with changes in IL-8 and MCP-1 plasma concentrations. Specifically, for each unit increase in the change of BPI pain severity, IL-8 increased by 2.5 pg/mL (P = 0.03) and MCP-1 increased by 9.4 pg/mL (P = 0.006). None of the covariates (i.e., body mass index, medications, severity of depression, and overall FM burden) were significantly associated with either chemokines. Conclusion. Although preliminary, our findings raise the hypothesis that IL-8 and MCP-1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of FM. If replicated in a larger study, IL-8 and MCP-1 may assist in determining prognosis and in monitoring of treatment response.
An experimental study of three component gas diffusion

Equimolal countercurrent diffusions runs were made in a two bulb diffusion cell with the system hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. The initial bulb compositions were chosen so that various types of ternary interactions occurred. These interactions were well-described by the Maxwell-Stefan equations. The average deviation of the experimental mole fractions for all runs from those predicted by the Maxwell-Stefan equations was 0.45 mole %.
„Synthetische Metalle“: eine neue Rolle für organische Polymere (Nobel-Vortrag)

Seit der Entdeckung im Jahre 1977, dass Polyacetylen (CH)x, heute im Allgemeinen als Prototyp fur leitfahige Polymere bekannt, durch chemische oder elektrochemische p- oder n-Dotierung in den metallischen Zustand gebracht werden kann, hat sich die Entwicklung auf dem Gebiet leitfahiger Polymere auf unerwartet rasante Weise beschleunigt, und eine Vielzahl anderer leitender Polymere ist seitdem entdeckt worden. Andere Arten der Dotierung, wie Photodotierung und Dotierung durch Ladungsinjektion, bei denen keine Dotierungsgegenionen beteiligt sind, sind ebenfalls bekannt. Eine aufregende Herausforderung ist die Entwicklung preisgunstiger Plastik- oder Papier-Einwegbauteile. Zur Fertigung elektronischer Bauelemente mit konventionellen anorganischen Leitern wie Metallen und Halbleitern wie Silicium sind ublicherweise zahlreiche Atz- und Lithographievorgange notwendig. Die vielen erforderlichen Verarbeitungs- und Atzschritte setzen ein unteres Preislimit. Andererseits ist die Kombination der nutzlichen Eigenschaften bei leitfahigen Polymeren, z. B. Flexibilitat und Verarbeitbarkeit aus Losung, mit der metallischen Leitfahigkeit bzw. Halbleitfahigkeit allzu verlockend; das Fehlen einfacher Methoden zur Herstellung von billigen leitfahigen Polymerformteilen schrankt jedoch die breite Anwendung solcher Materialien ein. Wir beschreiben hier eine neuartige, einfache und billige Methode zur Herstellung von Mustern aus leitfahigem Polymer durch einen von uns als „Line Patterning“ bezeichneten Prozess.
Predictors of locoregional recurrence in patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, mastectomy, and radiotherapy.

Purpose: To identify the clinical and pathologic factors predictive of locoregional recurrence (LRR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, mastectomy, and radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of 542 patients treated on six consecutive institutional prospective trials using neoadjuvant chemotherapy and postmastectomy radiotherapy. The clinical stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer, 1988) was Stage II in 17%, Stage IIIA in 30%, Stage IIIB in 43%, and Stage IV (ipsilateral supraclavicular disease) in 10%. All LRRs were considered events, irrespective of the timing to distant metastases. Results: The median follow-up was 70 months. The 5-year and 10-year actuarial LRR rate was 9% and 11%, respectively. The clinical factors associated with LRR included combined clinical stage, clinical T stage, ipsilateral supraclavicular nodal disease, chemotherapy response, physical examination size after chemotherapy, and no tamoxifen use ( p ≤ 0.04 for all factors). The pathologic predictors of LRR included the number of positive nodes, dissection of p ≤ 0.05 for all factors). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that five factors independently predicted for LRR: skin/nipple involvement, supraclavicular nodal disease, no tamoxifen use, extracapsular extension, and estrogen receptor-negative disease (hazard ratio, 2.1–2.8; p ≤ 0.02 for all factors). The 10-year LRR rate was only 4% for patients with one or none of these five independent factors, 8% for those with two factors, and 28% for those with three or more factors ( p Conclusion: Although the long-term rate of LRR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, mastectomy, and radiotherapy is low, we identified a number of factors that correlated independently with greater rates of LRR. Patients with three or more of these factors may benefit from research protocols investigating alternative treatment strategies.
A Closed Loop Feedback System for Automatic Detection and Inhibition of Mechano-Nociceptive Neural Activity

Clinical studies have shown that spinal or cerebral neurostimulation can significantly relieve pain. Current neurostimulators work in an open loop; hence, their efficacy depends on the patient's or physician's comprehension of pain. We have proposed and developed a real-time automatic recognition program with signal processing functions to detect action potentials. By using a wireless neurorecording module, spinal neuronal responses to mechanical stimuli (brush, pressure, and pinch) applied to rats' hind paws were recorded. Nociceptive spinal responses were detected and suppressed by our automated module through delivering electrical stimulation to the periaqueductal gray (PAG). The interspike intervals (ISIs) of the fired action potentials were used to distinguish among the three different mechanical stimuli. Our system was able to detect the neuronal activity intensities and deliver trigger signals to the neurostimulator according to a pre-set threshold in a closed-loop feedback configuration, thereby suppressing excessive activity in spinal cord dorsal horn neurons.
Supervisory semiactive nonlinear control of a building-magnetorheological damper system

This paper proposes a supervisory semiactive nonlinear control of a building structure equipped with magnetorheological dampers. First, three sets of multi-input-single-output (MISO) linear controllers that are operated in local linear operating regions are designed such that the closed loop system is globally asymptotically stable and the performance on transient responses is also satisfied. Among them, two sets of the MISO linear controllers are blended into two lower level nonlinear controllers via a fuzzy interpolation method, while a set of the linear controllers are blended into a higher level nonlinear controller. Then, a supervisory semiactive nonlinear control system is developed through integration of the lower level nonlinear controllers with the high level controller. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, the performance of the proposed supervisory control approach is compared with that of a fully decentralized semiactive nonlinear controller; while uncontrolled responses are used as the baseline.
Mining software defect data to support software testing management

Achieving high quality software would be easier if effective software development practices were known and deployed in appropriate contexts. Because our theoretical knowledge of the underlying principles of software development is far from complete, empirical analysis of past experience in software projects is essential for acquiring useful software practices. As advances in software technology continue to facilitate automated tracking and data collection, more software data become available. Our research aims to develop methods to exploit such data for improving software development practices. This paper proposes an empirical approach, based on the analysis of defect data, that provides support for software testing management in two ways: (1) construction of a predictive model for defect repair times, and (2) a method for assessing testing quality across multiple releases. The approach employs data mining techniques including statistical methods and machine learning. To illustrate the proposed approach, we present a case study using the defect reports created during the development of three releases of a large medical software system, produced by a large well-established software company. We validate our proposed testing quality assessment using a statistical test at a significance level of 0.1. Despite the limitations of the available data, our predictive models give accuracies as high as 93%.
Failure of protection and enhanced pneumonia with a US H1N2 swine influenza virus in pigs vaccinated with an inactivated classical swine H1N1 vaccine

Two US swine influenza virus (SIV) isolates, A/Swine/Iowa/15/1930 H1N1 (IA30) and A/Swine/Minnesota/00194/2003 H1N2 (MN03), were evaluated in an in vivo vaccination and challenge model. Inactivated vaccines were prepared from each isolate and used to immunize conventional pigs, followed by challenge with homologous or heterologous virus. Both inactivated vaccines provided complete protection against homologous challenge. However, the IA30 vaccine failed to protect against the heterologous MN03 challenge. Three of the nine pigs in this group had substantially greater percentages of lung lesions, suggesting the vaccine potentiated the pneumonia. In contrast, priming with live IA30 virus provided protection from nasal shedding and virus replication in the lung in MN03 challenged pigs. These data indicate that divergent viruses that did not cross-react serologically did not provide complete cross-protection when used in inactivated vaccines against heterologous challenge and may have enhanced disease. In addition, live virus infection conferred protection against heterologous challenge.
Structure-function relationships for the effects of various aminoglycoside antibiotics on dispersed bovine parathyroid cells.

We previously showed that the polycationic aminoglycoside antibiotic neomycin mimics the effects of high extracellular calcium (Ca2+) concentrations on several aspects of parathyroid function. In the present studies we examined the actions of several additional aminoglycosides on dispersed bovine parathyroid cells to investigate the relationship between antibiotic structure and function in eliciting Ca(2+)-like effects on intracellular second messengers and PTH release. Of the antibiotics tested, those with six amino groups (neomycin-B and -C) were most potent in inhibiting dopamine-stimulated cAMP accumulation, showing IC50 values (the concentration producing a half-maximal inhibitory effect) of 7.7 x 10(-5) and 1.5 x 10(-4) M. Gentamicin-C, paromomycin, and tobramycin, which have five amino groups, were less potent, with IC50 values of 4 x 10(-4), 10(-3), and 3.3 x 10(-4) M, respectively, while gentamicin-B, kanamycin, and ribostamycin, with four amino groups, were least potent (respective IC50 values, ...
Defending Klein on Closure and Skepticism

In this paper, I consider some issues involving a certain closure principle for Structural Justification, a relation between a cognitive subject and a proposition that’s expressed by locutions like ‘S has a source of justification for p’ and ‘p is justifiable for S’. I begin by summarizing recent work by Peter Klein that advances the thesis that the indicated closure principle is plausible but lacks Skeptical utility. I then assess objections to Klein’s thesis based on work by Robert Audi and Anthony Brueckner. One finding is that the typical statement of the relevant closure principle can express a number of different closure principles, and that recognizing this helps to resolve certain disputes.
A Morphometric Study of Dedifferentiated and Involutional Dark Keratinocytes in 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-treated Mouse Epidermis

The epidermis of mice treated with 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was investigated using the method of stereological cytology. These procedures were carried out in order to quantify the morphological changes taking place in basal cells, the presumed target cells of TPA in the epidermis. The basal layer of the treated epidermis was composed of TPA-induced dark basal keratinocytes (DC) and clear basal keratinocytes. TPA-induced DC could be divided into two types. Type 1 was characterized by a relatively high volume fraction of ribosome and nonbundled filaments and by a low volume fraction of bundled filaments. These characteristics of type I DC were relatively constant over the observation period. Type II DC were characterized by a high volume density of mitochrondria, bundled filaments, and cytoplasmic vacuoles. This type of DC was seldom seen in normal epidermis but constituted approximately 20% of the dark cells in the epidermis 24 and 48 hr after treatment with TPA. In contrast, clear basal keratinocytes exhibited time-dependent changes such as an increase of the relative volume of nuclei; and increase in the volume density of mitochondria, nonbundled filaments, and ribosomes; and a decrease in the volume density of bundled filaments. Both the qualitative and quantitative analyses of TPA-treated and fetal epidermis suggest a close similarity between type I DC and DC seen in normal fetal epidermis, thus supporting the view that type I DC are poorly differentiated cells or dedifferentiated cells, different from type II or involutional DC.
On the Design of Optical Systems with an Aspheric Surface

This short article is concerned with the problem of designing a correcting aspherical surface which is situated in an arbitrary position within an optical system. The method requires the solution of two first-order differential equations and seems more suitable for the use with an electronic computer than methods previously proposed by other authors. It can be considered as a differential form of a method previously proposed by E. Wolf.
Physiological Model for Hand Movement Control System

Two mechanisms play an important role in the function and adaptive capability of the manual control system, namely, the postural control system and the voluntary control system. The postural system, a feedback system which functions to maintain the posture or position of the body and its limbs, is essentially a position servo loop with position sensors,motor elements, and some data processing. This servosystem is controlled by higher centers which both provide reference inputs and control the parameters of some of the elements of this system, as shown in Fig. 1.
Suppression of Active Neuronal Death by Immune Interferon

The survival of neuronal cells depends on the presence of trophic factors. To date, nerve growth factor (NGF) is the only trophic factor which is chemically well characterized and of proven physiological significance (1). NGF is necessary for the survival and function of sympathetic and neural crest-derived sensory neurons. It is becoming clear that NGF is also important for the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in CNS (2), a cell group involved in memory and which degenerates in Alzheimer’s disease.
The Nature of Science or the Nature of Teachers: Beginning Science Teachers’ Understanding of NOS

This study examines the impact of different induction programs and preservice demographic factors on beginning secondary science teachers’ understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS). The teachers were all secondary science teachers from the Midwest or Southwest regions of the United States. As part of a larger study, all teachers were followed for 3 years and were interviewed prior to their first year of teaching and at the end of each academic year in the classroom. A modified version of the VNOS-C was used to assess the teachers’ understanding of NOS. The analysis of the data revealed that the highest degree that a teacher held prior to teaching, the content area of a teacher’s college degree, the number of History and Philosophy of Science classes that a teacher took prior to teaching, and the gender of a teacher all had a significant effect over time on a teacher’s understanding of NOS.
Convergence of Laws on Separable Metric Spaces

So far we have dealt with convergence of laws mainly on finite-dimensional Euclidean spaces ℝ k , for the central limit theorem (§§9.3–9.5). Now we'll treat converging laws on more general, possibly infinite-dimensional spaces. Here are some cases where such spaces and laws can be helpful. Let x ( t, Ω ) be the position of a randomly moving particle at time t , where Ω ∈ Ω , for some probability space ( Ω, , P ). For each Ω, we then have a continuous function t↦ x ( t, Ω ). Suppose we consider times t with 0 ≤ t ≤ 1 and that x is real-valued (the particle is moving along a line, or we just consider one coordinate of its position). Then x (·, Ω) belongs to the space C[0, 1] of continuous real-valued functions on [0, 1]. The space C[0, 1] has a usual norm, the supremum norm | f | ≔, sup|f( t )|: 0 C[0, 1] is a complete separable metric space for the metric d defined as usual by d ( f, g ) ≔, |f – g|. It may be useful to approximate the process x , for example, by a process y n such that for each Ω and each k = 1, …, n, y n (·, Ω) is linear on the interval [( k – 1)/ n, k / n ]. Thus it may help to define y n converging to x in law (or in probability or a.s.) in C[0, 1] .
The Systematic Use of Radiocarbon Dating in Archaeological Surveys in Coastal and Other Erosional Environments

Traditionally, archaeologists have used l4C dating primarily as a postexcavation analytical tool to establish the age of features, strata, or assemblages. In coastal zones and other environments around the world, however, thousands of archaeological sites are rapidly eroding or endangered by other destructive processes. We believe archaeologists should expand their use of l4C dating, systematically incorporating it into surveys in coastal, lacustrine, riverine, and other environments where erosional exposures often provide access to extensive stratigraphic profiles. With examples from the Pacific Coast of North America, we show how widespread l4C dating of sites during surveys can be used to help manage archaeological sites more effectively and identify significant patterns of paleoenvironmental change, site survival, settlement and demography, technology, and social organization. Without more widespread application of such techniques, and a reallocation of research and cultural resource management funds, thousands of sites will be lost before even the most basic information about their age and contents is known.
Synergism of Toxaphene-DDT Mixtures Applied Topically to the Bollworm and the Tobacco Budworm

Previous information showed that a mixture of toxaphene-DDT was synergistic when it was applied topically to the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Roussel et al. 1959), and the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Graves and Mackensen 1965). Such a mixture has been used extensively against also the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and/or the tobacco budworm, H. virescens (F.), in many of the cotton-growing areas of the United States. However, no information is available indicating that this mixture is synergistic against these 2 species or that any ratio is more synergistic than another when the mixture is applied topically. We therefore investigated whether synergism exists in combinations of these insecticides at the Southwestern Cotton Insects Investigations Laboratory in 1970 by making topical applications as described previously (Wolfenbarger 1972) to larvae of both species. Ca 300 larvae from our laboratory strains (Wolfenbarger 1972) were used to establish each LD50 (the value is expressed as mg toxicant/g body weight for toxaphene and for DDT alone or for the mixture). A maximum of 200 μg/larva of toxaphene and 100 μg/larva of DDT was used alone and in the mixtures; dilutions of 50% to 3.125 or 1.56 μg/larva for both insecticides were tested.
Racial Disparities in Use of Chiropractic Services by Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 65 to 99 in Los Angeles County, California

Racial and ethnic disparities in utilization of chiropractic services have been described at the state level, but little is known about such local disparities. We analyzed Medicare data for the year 2008 to evaluate by ZIP code for utilization of chiropractic services among older adults in Los Angeles County, California. We evaluated for availability and use of chiropractic services by racial/ethnic category, quantified geographic variations by coefficient of variation, and mapped utilization by selected racial/ethnic categories. Among 7502 beneficiaries who used chiropractic services, 72% were white, 12% Asian, 1% black, 1% Hispanic, and 14% other/unknown. Variation in the number of beneficiaries per ZIP code who used chiropractic services was highest among Hispanics, blacks, and Asians. We found evidence of racial disparities in use of chiropractic services at the local level in Los Angeles County. Older blacks and Hispanics in Los Angeles County may be underserved with regard to chiropractic care.
Disparities in Asthma Care, Management, and Education Among Children With Asthma

Health disparities are pervasive in the United States. Health and health care disparities are the differences or gaps in health (eg, life expectancy, morbidity, risk factors, and quality of life) and health care access and quality between segments of the United States population as related to race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (eg, income, education). Multiple factors are associated with such disparities in asthma management and education. This article explores some of those factors and summarizes the strategies developed and interventions implemented to address disparities associated with asthma care and education among racial and ethnic minority children. It also discusses the need for further research to identify effective asthma education approaches for improving the management of asthma among racial and ethnic minority children. More exploration of the root causes of health care disparities, including policy studies in the area of social determinates of health and health equity, is also needed.
Feminine Endings: Music, Gender, and Sexuality

A groundbreaking collection of essays in feminist music criticism, this book addresses problems of gender and sexuality in repertoires ranging from the early seventeenth century to rock and performance art. ". . . this is a major book . . . [McClary's] achievement borders on the miraculous." The Village Voice"No one will read these essays without thinking about and hearing music in new and interesting ways. Exciting reading for adventurous students and staid professionals." Choice"Feminine Endings, a provocative 'sexual politics' of Western classical or art music, rocks conservative musicology at its core. No review can do justice to the wealth of ideas and possibilities [McClary's] book presents. All music-lovers should read it, and cheer." The Women's Review of Books"McClary writes with a racy, vigorous, and consistently entertaining style. . . . What she has to say specifically about the music and the text is sharp, accurate, and telling; she hears what takes place musically with unusual sensitivity."-The New York Review of Books
34 ALTERATIONS AT THE NEUROEFFECTOR JUNCTION OF PERIARTERIAL AND PERIVENOUS NERVES IN A SALT-DEPENDENT MODEL OF HYPERTENSION.

About 33% of American adults have hypertension. However, we can only identify and therefore target an underlying cause in 5 to 10% of cases. Although suboptimal blood pressure may be caused by many contributing factors, sympathetic nervous system activity is increased in human and animal models of hypertension. Norepinephrine and ATP are coreleased from sympathetic nerve endings onto arteries and veins, maintaining vascular tone and controlling blood pressure. Importantly, periarterial and perivenous nerves originate from different neurons in prevertebral ganglia, and these nerve fibers have neurochemical and anatomic differences. There are also differences in the adrenergic and purinergic receptor subtypes found on arterial and venous smooth muscle cells. Studies in our laboratory and others have shown that in animal models of hypertension, increased neurotransmitter release and increased sensitivity of smooth muscle cells in veins precede changes in arteries. In the present work, immunohistochemistry, contractility studies, and electrophysiologic techniques were used to study these differences between arteries and veins. To explore changes occurring at the neuroeffector junction in hypertension, we used the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt model in rats. Mesenteric arteries and veins maintained in vitro were used. Perivascular nerves were stimulated electrically. These studies provide insight into (a) differential regulation of resistance arteries and capacitance veins, (b) the neurotransmitters involved in regulating vascular tone, and (c) alterations in the neuroeffector junction in salt-dependent hypertension. Data from frequency-response curves (0.2-30 Hz) confirmed that veins are more sensitive to nerve stimulation than arteries (p .05). Electophysiologic studies showed that the amplitude of excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) mediated by ATP were not different in sham and DOCA arterial smooth muscle cells. Clonidine (an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist that stimulates prejunctional autoreceptors) caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of EJPs in sham and DOCA-salt arteries, but EJPs in DOCA-salt arteries were less sensitive to inhibition by clonidine (p
Establishment of Detection of Streptococcus Suis Type 2 Using Rapid PCR

[Objective] To develop a rapid,specific and sensitive method for the detection of streptococcus suis.[Methods] DNA was extracted from the blood(anticoagulation) of patients with suspected Streptococcus suis infection as template,and then synthesized the primers to detect 16 Sr RNA,cps2J,mrp,ef.[Results] PCR Amplification results confirmed that the suspected patient was infected with streptococcus suis II.[Conclusion] PCR Reaction System is a rapid,specific and sensitive method for the detection of serotype of streptococcus suis.
On the Openness of the Guidelines in Administrative Judgment

Based on an assessment of the administrative self-control theory and a comparative study,the authors maintain that absolute openness shall not be the sole criterion for the administrative judgment,and,instead,relative openness may not only guarentee the effeciency of legal procedures,but also help prevent extreme subjectiveness in theoretical studies.
The clinical pathway of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

Deep vein thrombosis(DVT) and pulmonary embolism(PE) together are known as venous thromboembolism.DVT are mostly occurred in the lower limb which detached thrombus off usually due to PE.The two diseases were independent but is closely related to each other.Severe cases can significantly affect the quality of life or lead to death.However,for domestic clinical diagnosis and treatment of VTE is still no unified path.It still in the explored period.
The hematopoietic stem cell antigen, CD34, is not expressed on the malignant cells in multiple myeloma

Autologous stem cell transplantation has become an important therapy in multiple myeloma (MM). To develop adequate autograft purging methods, it is necessary to determine whether antigens expressed on early hematopoietic progenitors exist on malignant cells. The Ig heavy chain produced by the MM cells shows evidence of prior somatic mutation without intraclonal diversity. As a result, this sequence can be used as a specific marker to detect all members of the malignant clone. The Ig heavy chain sequence expressed by the MM cells was obtained in five patients with advanced disease. Patient specific oligonucleotide primers were designed based on the complementarity determining regions (CDR) of each MM Ig sequence and used to amplify DNA by polymerase chain reaction for the detection of malignant cells. A highly purified collection of CD34+ cells was obtained after passage of the initial bone marrow cells through an immunoadsorption column and fluorescence- activated cell sorting. Despite an assay sensitivity of 1 tumor cell in 2,500 to 44,000 normal cells, none of the CD34+ samples showed product with the myeloma-specific CDR primers. Therefore, positive selection for cells bearing this antigen should yield a tumor-free autograft capable of providing hematopoietic recovery after myeloablative chemotherapy.
The Autophagy Machinery Controls Cell Death Switching between Apoptosis and Necroptosis

Although autophagy controls cell death and survival, underlying mechanisms are poorly understood, and it is unknown whether autophagy affects only whether or not cells die or also controls other aspects of programmed cell death. MAP3K7 is a tumor suppressor gene associated with poor disease-free survival in prostate cancer. Here, we report that Map3k7 deletion in mouse prostate cells sensitizes to cell death by TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand). Surprisingly, this death occurs primarily through necroptosis, not apoptosis, due to assembly of the necrosome in association with the autophagy machinery, mediated by p62/SQSTM1 recruitment of RIPK1. The mechanism of cell death switches to apoptosis if p62-dependent recruitment of the necrosome to the autophagy machinery is blocked. These data show that the autophagy machinery can control the mechanism of programmed cell death by serving as a scaffold rather than by degrading cargo.
Altered fluxes responsible for reduced hepatic glucose production and gluconeogenesis by exogenous glucose in rats

The net release of glucose from the liver, or hepatic glucose production (HGP), and apparent gluconeogenesis (GNG) are reduced by exogenous glucose. We investigated the changes in metabolic fluxes ...
Effects of adult emergence timing on susceptibility and fitness of Cry3Bb1‐resistant western corn rootworms

Field-evolved resistance by the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte to the Cry3Bb1 trait expressed in maize, has been documented in areas of Nebraska USA. Currently, only limited information is available on life-history traits of Cry3Bb1-resistant field populations. Therefore, the Gassmann on-plant bioassay was used to investigate the potential variability among four Cry3Bb1-resistant WCR field collections made in 2011–2012 by focusing on the key parameters: larval survival, developmental stage and weight with specific emphasis on the impact of adult emergence timing on these parameters in subsequent progeny. Key results: In three of four collections, the susceptibility of larval progeny from adults that emerged early or late within a generation from Cry3Bb1 plants was similar. Each of the three collections exhibited complete resistance; that is, survival on Cry3Bb1 plants was greater or equal to survival on non-Bt isoline plants. Bioassays from an additional field collection from one site 2 years (2013) after the original collection (2011) (both from Cry3Bb1 maize) indicated that resistance to Cry3Bb1 was maintained over time at the site despite Bt trait rotation in 2012. In general, comparative WCR life-history parameter data from Cry3Bb1 and isoline maize indicate that fitness of field collections exhibiting complete resistance was similar on each hybrid. The mean proportion of larvae in third instar and mean weight of larvae recovered in bioassays from progeny of early- and late-emerged adults was not significantly affected by emergence period. This suggests that delays in development and associated mean adult emergence commonly observed in populations that are susceptible to Cry3Bb1 may become smaller as populations become resistant to Cry3Bb1. Results from this article will inform Cry3Bb1 resistance mitigation efforts and contribute to the development of sustainable WCR management programmes.
Networked airborne communications using adaptive multi-beam directional links

Advances in digital arrays provide new techniques for increasing throughput in airborne adaptive directional networks. By adaptive directional linking, we mean systems that can dynamically change both the transmit and receive spatial patterns used for a link on a packet-by-packet basis. Using several arrays at each node, and several beams per array, these systems are able to both focus transmit energy in favorable directions, and reject interference at reception. Our problem space overlaps considerably with Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems and distributed MIMO, but differs in several important ways. First and foremost, our links are largely line of sight, and as such, typically have a maximum rank of one and little time variation; hence, point-to-point multi-stream and diversity techniques have little benefit. We do however consider multiple transmissions at each transmitting array face, not to a common receiver, but to several distributed receiving nodes. As we will show, the primary driver of network performance becomes geometry and array technology rather than channel phenomenology. We explore the utility of various spatial processing strategies both on the receive and transmit side of the networked links, and the gains associated with multiple simultaneous transmissions.