cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Noncomparative trial of ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid in skin and soft tissue infections.

Ticarcillin, a broad-spectrum penicillin [l], is susceptible in inactivation by a number of beta-lactamases. Clavulanic acid, a naturally occurring beta-lactamase inhibitor, has been shown to prevent the enzymatic degradation of beta-lactam antibiotics by a number of bacterial species [2]. In vitro studies have shown that in combination, ticarcillin and clavulanic acid may be synergistic in activity [3,4]. In the current study, we evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of this combination in hospitalized patients with skin and skin structure infections. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patient Population. This research protocol was approved by the Human Studies Committee at both Hahnemann University Hospital and St. Michael’s Medical Center. The 79 patients in this study were adults hospitalized at either of the just mentioned medical centers, and informed consent was obtained by the investigators from each patient who entered the study. Each patient had either an acute or chronic skin or skin structure infection caused by an organism or organisms known or suspected to be susceptible to the combination of ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid. Patients excluded from the study included: pregnant or lactating women; recipients of an antimicrobial agent within the previous 72 hours to which the pathogen was susceptible; subjects with a known hypersensitivity to penicillin; and patients with known moderate to severe renal or hepatic dysfunction. Laboratory Studies. The following laboratory determinations were made before, during, and after treatment with ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid: complete hemogram, prothrombin time, quantitative platelet count, direct Coombs’ test, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase, serum concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, blood glucose, and urinalysis. Blood, purulent exudates from wounds, pus from abscesses, and excised tissue were obtained before, during, and after antibiotic therapy for aero
MMPs and Soluble ICAM-5 Increase Neuronal Excitability within In Vitro Networks of Hippocampal Neurons

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases that are released from neurons in an activity dependent manner. Published studies suggest their activity is important to varied forms of learning and memory. At least one MMP can stimulate an increase in the size of dendritic spines, structures which represent the post synaptic component for a large number of glutamatergic synapses. This change may be associated with increased synaptic glutamate receptor incorporation, and an increased amplitude and/or frequency of α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) mini excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs). An associated increase in the probability of action potential occurrence would be expected. While the mechanism(s) by which MMPs may influence synaptic structure and function are not completely understood, MMP dependent shedding of specific cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) could play an important role. CAMs are ideally positioned to be cleaved by synaptically released MMPs, and shed N terminal domains could potentially interact with previously unengaged integrins to stimulate dendritic actin polymerization with spine expansion. In the present study, we have used multielectrode arrays (MEAs) to investigate MMP and soluble CAM dependent changes in neuronal activity recorded from hippocampal cultures. We have focused on intercellular adhesion molecule-5 (ICAM-5) in particular, as this CAM is expressed on glutamatergic dendrites and shed in an MMP dependent manner. We show that chemical long-term potentiation (cLTP) evoked changes in recorded activity, and the dynamics of action potential bursts in particular, are altered by MMP inhibition. A blocking antibody to β1 integrins has a similar effect. We also show that the ectodomain of ICAM-5 can stimulate β1 integrin dependent increases in spike counts and burst number. These results support a growing body of literature suggesting that MMPs have important effects on neuronal excitability. They also support the possibility that MMP dependent shedding of specific synaptic CAMs can contribute to these effects.
Adaptive key management for wireless sensor networks

Network security protocols for wireless sensor networks (WSN) require each node to store context information, such as cryptographic keys, for each active security association that it maintains with its peers. While the storage requirements for such context information is generally small enough to be overlooked in regular networks, it becomes an important issue in memory-constrained WSN. Under such constraints, a WSN node may become memory saturated and thereby become unable to accommodate new nodes dynamically. What can be done to keep expanding the network with newly joining nodes under such memory constraints? How many security associations are ‘enough’ and how does the choice of the number of associations affect performance and coverage? To address these issues, we introduce a novel authentication and key management mechanism called Adaptive Key Management (AKM) that is robust and scalable under limited memory constraints and works along with the RPL routing protocol to provide strong security guarantees. We present a simulation study of AKM to demonstrate its scalability and to provide insight on how to allocate a node's memory to store a sufficient number of security associations.
The effect of certain chemical and physical agents on the radiation sensitivity of mouse tumors.

By a technique employing transplanted mouse tumors, the following observations were made on radiation sensitivity: Intravenous administration of glutathione prior to radiation therapy increased radiation resistance and significantly lowered the tumor remission rate; this effect could be re versed by concomitant testosterone administration; tesiosterone administered alone produced a more favorable response initially but this was not significant after 40 days; increased temperature appeared to accelerate radiation response of the tumors and produced marked increase of the normal tissue without improving the ultimate remission rate. There was a suggestion that cold might delay radiation response; anoxia produced by a tourniquet appeared to decrease radiation sensitivity of both tumor and normal tissue; and surgical incision into the tumor 1 hr prior to radiation therapy improved the remission rate of the tumors. Incisions 3 days after radiation therapy had somewhat less effect, but there was no evidence that surgery interfered with tumor radiation response.
File evaluation in auxiliary storage

This paper investigates, in detail, the evaluation of files in auxiliary storage. We are seeking an evaluation procedure whereby those files most critical to throughput time minimization are exposed. Such a procedure can then be used by a storage management routine to move data so that throughput time is improved. The linear objective function defined here considers parameters not only for the file under evaluation but also for the jobs that reference the file and the overall system needs. Exogenous variables in the evaluation function make it an attractive tool for managers. This particular evaluation function is incorporated in the Dynamic File Management model and significant time savings have been realized under simulation.
Numerical analysis of asymmetric frequency and buckling eigenvalues of prestressed rotating anisotropic shells of revolution

Abstract A numerical integration procedure is developed which can obtain the frequency and buckling eigenvalues and associated eigenfunctions of prestressed rotating anisotropic shells of revolution. The axisymmetric prestress state incorporated in the analysis can consist of torque as well as anisotropy induced circumferential effects. Apart from the usual centripetal load, the rotation effects treated by the analysis also consist of Coriolis acceleration forces. The material and/or structural anisotropy included in the analysis is of the most general linear Hookean form. Hence, the stiffness matrix of the governing shell constitutive relation can be fully populated. To illustrate the numerical procedure as well as the significant effects of general axisymmetric prestress states (including torsion), Coriolis acceleration forces and material and/or structural anisotropy, several numerical experiments are given along with comparisons with analytical treatments.
Genetic & Evolutionary Biometrics: Hybrid feature selection and weighting for a multi-modal biometric system

The Genetic & Evolutionary Computation (GEC) research community is seeing the emergence of a new and exciting subarea, referred to as Genetic & Evolutionary Biometrics (GEB), as GECs are increasingly being applied to a variety of biometric problems. In this paper, we present successful GEB techniques for multi-biometric fusion and multi-biometric feature selection and weighting. The first technique, known as GEF (Genetic & Evolutionary Fusion), seeks to optimize weights for score-level fusion. The second technique is known as GEFeWS ML (Genetic & Evolutionary Feature Weighting and Selection-Machine Learning). The goal of GEFeWS ML is to evolve feature masks (FMs) that achieve high recognition accuracy, use a low percentage of features, and generalize well to unseen subjects. GEFeWS ML differs from the other GEB techniques for feature selection and weighting in that it incorporates cross validation in an effort to evolve FMs that generalize well to unseen subjects.
Dynamics of batch sedimentation of polydispersed suspensions

Abstract The dynamics of batch sedimentation of polydispersed suspensions was studied assuming that under batch sedimentation polydispersed particles in a suspension segregate and group themselves into several zones of constant composition. These zones move downward with constant velocity. Equations were derived to describe the particle concentration profile throughout the suspension phase and the composition profile of the sediment. The results agreed with those obtained by numerically solving the particles' conservation equations.
Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase from white lupin: molecular cloning, expression, and purification of the expressed protein.

Abstract Plants produce a variety of sesquiterpenoid compounds with diverse biological functions, whose synthesis is initiated by farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase [EC 2.5.1.1, EC 2.5.1.10], The lack of availability of molecular tools to analyze this enzyme has, thus far, prevented the study of its expression and regulation in plants, A DNA fragment corresponding to a portion of the farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction using degenerate primers designed from two highly conserved domains (FLV(A/L)DD(I/M)MD and FQIQDD-DYLD) found in eukaryotic farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase sequences. A clone, pS19 , of a 438-bp PCR fragment was used to screen a white lupin root cDNA library, Two full-length cDNA clones ( pFPS1 and pFPS2 ) were isolated and sequenced, and one of them ( pFPS2 ) was expressed in a bacterial system and the enzyme protein encoded by the clone was purified, The 1345-bp insert of pFPS2 contains a 1026-bp open reading frame, encoding a 342-amino-acid peptide with a calculated molecular mass of 39,310 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of lupin farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase pFPS2 shares 90 and 79% identity with those from Lupinus albus ( pFPSI ) and Arabidopsis thaliana , respectively, 51% with the yeast enzyme, and 44% identity with those from rat and human. The overexpressed protein, which was purified to near homogeneity, displayed both dimethylalkyl transferase and geranyl transferase activities. Polyclonal antibodies raised against the purified protein immunorecognized a ca 39-kDa protein in lupin root extracts.
Nonlinear Initialization on an Equatorial Beta-Plane

Abstract The efficacy of the nonlinear initialization technique for use on global-scale numerical models is tested using a normal-mode, spectral model of the shallow-water equations on an equatorial beta-plane. Despite the nonexistence of strong, frequency separation for the ultralong, equatorially trapped modes, test integrations show that the nonlinear initialization scheme acts to smooth the most rapid oscillations in the system. Further integrations involving only spectral components associated with low-frequency, rotational modes show that the rotational mode trajectories are nearly unaffected by the presence of the balanced gravitational modes. The likely distortion of the divergence field obtained from a rotational-mode-only calculation makes this filtering-through-truncation technique appear unattractive, so an alternative scheme which uses both the truncation and nonlinear initialization schemes is proposed.
Thermal instability of two-dimensional stagnation-point boundary layers

A study of thermal instability for the two-dimensional stagnation flow for Prandtl numbers ranging from 0.7 to infinity is presented. The analysis represents an exact solution since neither the boundary-layer approximation nor the parallel-flow assumption was invoked. Of particular interest is that the critical Rayleigh number and the critical wavenumber, when defined on the basis of the thermal boundary-layer lengthscale, are found to be relatively insensitive to the Prandtl number for the range of Prandtl numbers studied.
The Family as an Income Source for the Older Adult

There is little attention given to the issue of the family as a source of income for the older adult. Yet this is a topic of increasing importance with the current funding problems in the Social Security system. This article presents an empirical analysis of family contributions to the income of adults in or near retirement. Findings confirm that the within-family transfer of money is rarely a source of income for the older adult. Those who receive mone from relatives are more likely to be poor, female, and in bad health. Despite family efforts, these people are likely to remain at low income levels.
Tension Hydrothorax in a Patient with Renal Failure

A patient with renal failure who received acute peritoneal dialysis rapidly developed a tension hydrothorax which required immediate drainage of the pleural space. Rapid identification and therapeutic intervention for this rare complication of peritoneal dialysis is necessary because of its life-threatening potential.
Multipass cell for molecular beam absorption spectroscopy.

We report a two-spherical mirror multipass cell which allows efficient coupling of a laser beam to a collimated molecular beam at the center of the cell. With near-concentric alignment and the laser beam coupled into and out of the cell at the edges of opposite mirrors, an approximately parabolic pattern of reflections is observed on each mirror. Aligned for forty to fifty passes, the cell is used for direct absorption spectroscopy of jet-cooled acetylene, propyne, and 1-butyne in the 3-μm region. Sub-Doppler linewidths as narrow as 12 MHz have been recorded.
Condition-dependent mate choice of a parasitoid wasp in the field

Recent studies have emphasized that the choosiness of mate-seeking individuals may differ greatly in response to the size and age of both participants. As haplodiploids, parasitoid wasps provide unusual opportunities for studies of mating preferences, since females can produce male offspring without mating, thus changing the consequences of not mating from the standard diploid model. Few studies of wasp mating systems have examined mating patterns in the field, even though the limited dimensions of laboratory cages may prevent normal search patterns or dispersal ranges and thereby potentially alter mating patterns. We thus investigated several size- and age-related variables that may influence the mate choice behaviour of male and female solitary parasitoid wasps Alabagrus texanus (Cresson) (Braconidae) under both field and confined laboratory conditions. In the field, similar numbers of tethered virgin females (1) mated with the first male visitor, (2) rejected the first but then mated with a subsequent male and (3) did not mate at all. Heavy females mated more often than light ones, but male mating success did not significantly differ with male or female mass. Early-arriving males of intermediate mass (and age) obtained the most matings, but the youngest (1-day-old) and oldest males were all unsuccessful. Age-related variance of females did not play a significant role, since they mated immediately after emergence. However, under highly constrained spatial conditions in the laboratory, several of the previously field-resistant females mated despite the limited number of males present, demonstrating the importance of space in the Alabagrus mating system.
Preferential interaction parameters in biological systems by Kirkwood-Buff theory and computer simulation

Abstract Recent results concerning the formulation and evaluation of preferential interactions in biological systems in terms of Kirkwood–Buff (KB) integrals are presented. In particular, experimental and simulated preferential interactions of a cosolvent with a biomolecule in the presence of water are described. It is argued that the preferential interaction parameter defined in a system open to both cosolvent and solvent corresponds to the situation most relevant to the analysis of computer simulation results of cosolvent interactions with proteins and small peptides. Hence, KB theory provides a path from quantities determined from simulation data to the corresponding thermodynamic data.
Multiple-regression analysis of counselor characteristics and competencies.

To investigate the predictive value of the counselor's personal characteristics which are associated with a counselor's initial and terminal competency 28 counselor trainees were rated on 2 counseling interviews at the beginning and 2 at the end of training on the following dimensions: Self-congruence, Unconditional Positive Regard, Accurate Empathy, and Total Competency. Their personal characteristics were measured at the beginning of training with the following: the Allport-Vernon-Lindzey Study of Values, the Social Service Group of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank for Men, the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, the Dogmatism Scale D, the National Defense Education Act Examination in Guidance and Counseling, teaching experience, counseling experience, and age of counselors. The four best combinations of personal predictors were determined through multiple-regression analysis. It was concluded that this population of counselor trainees demonstrated no preferred characteristics in relation to compe...
The long QT syndrome. Prospective longitudinal study of 328 families.

BACKGROUNDThe Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is an infrequently occurring familial disorder in which affected individuals have electrocardiographic QT interval prolongation and a propensity to ventricular tachyarrhythmic syncope and sudden death. We prospectively investigated the clinical characteristics and the long-term course of 3,343 individuals from 328 families in which one or more members were identified as affected with LQTS (QTc greater than 0.44 sec1/2).METHODS AND RESULTSThe first member of a family to be identified with LQTS, the proband, was usually brought to medical attention because of a syncopal episode during childhood or teenage years. Probands (n = 328) were younger at first contact (age 21 +/- 15 years), more likely to be female (69%), and had a higher frequency of preenrollment syncope or cardiac arrest with resuscitation (80%), congenital deafness (7%), a resting heart rate less than 60 beats/min (31%), QTc greater than or equal to 0.50 sec1/2 (52%), and a history of ventricular tachyarrhy...
Biochar impact on Midwestern Mollisols and maize nutrient availability

Abstract Biochar applications have been shown to increase crop yields on acidic and low activity soils in the tropics but fewer positive yield responses have been reported for temperate soils. We hypothesized that even without a yield response, applying biochar to a Midwestern Mollisol could improve soil quality and plant nutrient availability because of the carbon it supplies and its conditioning effect. Eighteen small field plots (23.7 m 2 ) on a glacial-till derived soil were established by incorporating 0 to 96 Mg ha − 1 of hardwood biochar to a depth of 30 cm. Several soil quality indicators, plant nutrient availability, uptake, and yield of two consecutive maize ( Zea mays L.) crops were monitored. Biochar application significantly increased soil pH, readily available water (RAW) content (defined as volumetric water available between − 10 kPa and − 100 kPa) and soil organic C (SOC). It decreased bulk density (BD), but had no consistent effect on soil infiltration rates, CEC, or nutrient uptake. Biochar application did increase grain yield during the first year by 11 to 55% following very high stover application rates (3.5 × the typical amount), presumably because biochar mitigated adverse effects of allelochemicals released from the decomposing maize residue. There was no detectable biochar effect on maize yield during the second year when the crop was limited by severe drought.
Is the U.S. unique in the decline of private sector unionism

The U.S. is not unique in the decline of private sector unionism. Contrary to assertions of the “unique school,” unionism in the private sectors of Canada and Western Europe has also declined and for the same reason, structural changes in the labor market.
RISK-TAKING AND SELF-CONTROL: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF DELINQUENCY

ABSTRACT Analysis presented provides strong support for considering individual differences along personality dimensions to predict self-reported delinquency. The paper provides an explicit test of the Gottfredson and Hirschi concept of self-control and its utility in explaining variation in interpersonal delinquency, theft, vandalism, legal substance use, illegal substance use, and impnident behaviors. Multivariate analysis demonstrates that while the predictive power of the composite self-control measure is substantial, the six dimensions of self-control outlined by Gottfredson and Hirschi should not be combined into one self-control construct, but should instead be treated as six different personality characteristics when seeking (o explain different types of delinquency. The self-control construct and its six dimensions are tested independently on a sample of 975 juvenile respondents from Oklahoma who participated in a self-report survey in 1991. Findings suggest the dissagregation of both the Gottfred...
Cortisol secretion rate during fasting of obese adolescent subjects.

ABSTRACT Adrenal function in six obese adolescents was evaluated by estimation of cortisol secretion rate (CSR) and urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroid excretion (17-OHCS). CSR and 17-OHCS were elevated in comparison to nonobese adolescents (p p<0.1) than that in 17-OHCS occurred; the longer the fast, the greater was the decrement in CSR. Metyrapone responsiveness was unimpaired during fasting.
Managing process variance in analog designs

Methods to manage the effect of process normal and process variance on analog circuit designs have driven significant invention within the analog design community. Has test kept up with ensuring outgoing quality? The application of digital algorithms, which control various types of trimming devices, has enabled built in self-calibration (BISC) of sophisticated analog functions. High speed serial applications, phase locked loops, analog-to-digital converters, low voltage amplifiers and digital radios all benefit from improvements to their respective signal-to-noise ratios. In the very large scale integrated digital design space, embedded analog monitors are used to support optimization of power-performance metrics by adjustments to clock tree timing, power supply domain voltage adjustments and circuit redundancy. Memories benefit from redundancy and are a true mixed signal analog design, relying on sophisticated sense amplifiers. All integrated circuits are based on analog circuit behaviors influenced by process variance. Analog functions continue to be specification tested, which has it's own unique coverage issues, but what about the supporting digital circuitry, analog calibration circuitry and redundant logic circuitry? “Who is watching the watchers?” How often is calibration circuitry used? Calibration and redundant circuitry are subject to aging and reliability issues. What needs to be considered in managing these issues? Can useful process feedback information be developed from manufacturing test use of BISC results? Are some calibrations required to be traceable to a standard? How is the relationship managed between analog designers and manufacturing test? Are test access port standards exploited or are ad-hoc access methods used? What can be done to improve the engineering design automation (EDA) environment? Panelists will be asked to present a specific application (case study.) The case study should describe the EDA environment, design/test development flow, the method of BISC or other tuning application and finally manufacturing test application and coverage. Panelists will each be asked to provide an “axiom” intended to provide guidance to engineers working in the area of calibration.
Erratum to: Neuroprotective role of taurine during aging

Aging of the brain is characterized by several neurochemical modifications involving structural proteins, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and related receptors. Alterations of neurochemical indices of synaptic function are indicators of age-related impairment of central functions, such as locomotion, memory and sensory performances. Several studies demonstrate that ionotropic GABA receptors, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), and somatostatinergic subpopulations of GABAergic neurons are markedly decreased in experimental animal brains during aging. Additionally, levels of several neuropeptides coexpressed with GAD decrease during aging. Thus, the agerelated decline in cognitive functions could be attributable, at least in part, to decrements in GABA inhibitory neurotransmission. In this study, we showed that chronic supplementation of taurine to aged mice significantly ameliorated the age-dependent decline in spatial memory acquisition and retention. We also demonstrated that concomitant with the amelioration in cognitive function, taurine caused significant alterations in the GABAergic and somatostatinergic system. These changes included (1) increased levels of the neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate, (2) increased expression of both isoforms of GAD (65 and 67) and the neuropeptide somatostatin, (3) decreased hippocampal expression of the b3 subunits of the GABAA receptor, (4) increased expression in the number of somatostatin-positive neurons, (5) increased amplitude and duration of population spikes recorded from CA1 in response to Schaefer collateral stimulation and (6) enhanced paired pulse facilitation in the hippocampus. These specific alterations of the inhibitory system caused by taurine treatment oppose those naturally occurring in the aging brain, suggesting a protective role of taurine in this process. An increased understanding of age-related neurochemical changes in the GABAergic system will be important in elucidating the underpinnings of the functional changes of aging. Taurine supplementation might help forestall the age-related decline in cognitive functions through interaction with the GABAergic system.
Age, but Not Experience, Affects Courtship Gene Expression in Male Drosophila melanogaster

Mutation screens in model organisms have helped identify the foundation of many fundamental organismal phenotypes. An emerging question in evolutionary and behavioral biology is the extent to which these “developmental” genes contribute to the subtle individual variation that characterizes natural populations. A related question is whether individual differences arise from static differences in gene expression that arose during previous life stages, or whether they are due to dynamic regulation of expression during the life stage under investigation. Here, we address these questions using genes that have been discovered to control the development of normal courtship behavior in male Drosophila melanogaster. We examined whether these genes have static or dynamic expression in the heads of adult male flies of different ages and with different levels of social experience. We found that 16 genes of the 25 genes examined were statically expressed, and 9 genes were dynamically expressed with changes related to adult age. No genes exhibited rapid dynamic expression changes due to social experience or age*experience interaction. We therefore conclude that a majority of fly “courtship” genes are statically expressed, while a minority are regulated in adults with respect to age, but not with respect to relevant social experience. These results are consistent with those from a recent microarray analysis that found none of the canonical courtship genes changed expression in male flies after brief exposure to females.
Kinetics of the Hydrolysis of Pilocarpine in Aqueous Solution

The kinetics of the hydrolysis of pilocarpine in aqueous solution were investigated utilizing pH-stat titrimetry and polarimetry. A cyclic mechanism was proposed for the hydrolysis, which is catalyzed by both hydrogen ion and hydroxide ion. The appropriate rate constants, equilibrium constants, and the energy of activation for the hydroxide-ion catalyzed hydrolysis were calculated. The hydrolysis in high alkaline pH was found to be accompanied by some epimerization. An optimum condition for the preparation of pilocarpine ophthalmic solution was also suggested.
Regional variation in the effect of structural factors on homicide in rural areas

Abstract A significant literature has evolved in the last 40 years investigating regional variation in lethal violence, with most studies focusing on Southern homicide rates. One question posed by this research involves the effect of structural conditions on violence in the context of a regional culture of violence. We take a unique approach to this problem by detailing two distinct conceptual processes, amplification and attenuation of structural influences on violence. We then investigate regional variations in the effects of resource deprivation on White homicide in rural areas—a context in which the Southern culture of violence should be most prominent. The results of our county-level analyses of census and homicide data around the year 2000 reveal that White homicide rates are higher in Confederate South states and that resource deprivation has a positive association with White homicide. The effect of resource deprivation also accounts for the Confederate South effect, and an interaction model indicates that the effect of this variable is significantly stronger in the non-South as predicted by the attenuation argument. Overall, these results suggest that both structural and cultural forces contribute to rural White homicide rates.
Shaping Social Work Science: What Should Quantitative Researchers Do?

Based on a review of economists’ debates on mathematical economics, this article discusses a key issue for shaping the science of social work—research methodology. The article describes three important tasks quantitative researchers need to fulfill in order to enhance the scientific rigor of social work research. First, to test theories using empirical data, researchers should follow the positivistic/postpositivistic principles. Second, social work researchers should incorporate the latest advances in methods from other disciplines. Third, researchers should use quantitative methods to address the most pressing and challenging issues of social work research and practice.
An application of C++ to manufacturing system control

Abstract An event-driven control system was developed for the control of a physical simulator of a computerized manufacturing system using the object-oriented features of C++. The control architecture includes four distinct layers: a PC/386 computer running a Turbo C++ control program, an onboard microcomputer with a built-in BASIC interpreter running a polling and packet processing program, an OPTO 22 I/O controller, and the system's control devices such as motors, solenoids, and sensors. The two top levels (the PC/386 and the onboard microcomputer) are application dependent, while the other two are hard-wired devices that require no modifications for different operations.
GPU Repressions of Zionists: Ukraine in the 1920s

This essay explores repressions against Zionist political parties in Soviet Ukraine in the 1920s, and considers the formation of an efficient synergetic structure of Soviet secret organs in Moscow and Ukraine. The narrative identifies participants from central and regional secret departments who engaged in systematic mass operations against Zionists, and reveals that despite Moscow's initial vacillation between tolerance and persecution of Zionist parties, the Soviet secret police exhibited a continual escalation of repressions against Zionists. The policies of the secret police in Ukraine illuminate their personal adaptation to the coercive Soviet system of centralisation and ideological exclusion.
Design of an external schema facility to define and process recursive structures

The role of the external schema is to support user views of data and thus to provide programmers with easier data access. This author believes that an external schema facility is best based on hierarchies, both simple and recursive. After a brief introduction to an external schema facility to support simple hierarchical user views, the requirements for a facility for recursive hierarchies are listed and the necessary extensions to the external schema definition language are offered.Functions that must be provided for generality in definition are node specification and node control. Tree traversal functions must be provided for processing. Definitions of each and examples of use are presented.
Quantum-Coherence-Enhanced Surface Plasmon Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

We investigate surface plasmon amplification in a silver nanoparticle coupled to an externally driven three-level gain medium and show that quantum coherence significantly enhances the generation of surface plasmons. Surface plasmon amplification by stimulated emission of radiation is achieved in the absence of population inversion on the spasing transition, which reduces the pump requirements. The coherent drive allows us to control the dynamics and holds promise for quantum control of nanoplasmonic devices.
Multiple shunt failures : an analysis of relevant factors

Ventricular shunts that require multiple revisions are familiar to pediatric neurosurgeons. We conducted a retrospective study to determine whether patients who require repeated shunt revisions represent a particular cohort within shunted hydrocephalic children. The clinical records of 244 children who had undergone shunt procedures between January 1990 and January 1996 were examined. They were divided into group 1: children with no shunt failure (n=136), group 2: children with one shunt revision (n=52), group 3: children with 2 or 3 shunt revisions (n=34), and group 4: patients who had 4 or more shunt revisions (n=22). Patients in groups 3 and 4 accounted for 54.8% of the total of 531 shunt procedures. Etiology of hydrocephalus, nature of the dysfunction, CSF characteristics, and variables related to the surgical procedure were analyzed for each group. We observed a progressive shortening of the intervals between revisions as the numbers of surgeries increased, indicating that shunts that tended to fail repeatedly did so sooner than those that did not. A Kaplan-Meier shunt survival curve showed that group 2 had a slower rate of failure than either group 3 (chi2=7.13, P<0.01) or group 4 (chi2=4.76, P<0.05). The etiologies of the hydrocephalus were not randomly distributed among the four groups (chi2=81.4, P<0.001); there was a predominance of congenital conditions in group 1. Repeated shunt revisions were associated with a progressive increase in the concentration of monocytes in the CSF (Kruskal-Wallis, P<0.05). Our data suggest that multiple shunt revisions constitute a phenomenon that may be caused by specific, still unidentified, biological factors.
A role of team and organizational identification in the success of cause-related sport marketing

► Examine the direct and moderating impacts of team and organizational identification on attitudes toward CRSM. ► Respondents showed more positive attitudes toward high-fit CRSM messages. ► Team id...
Parametric study of multi-wall structural response to hypervelocity impact by non-spherical projectiles

Abstract As an alternative to experimental testing and analytical models, numerical modelling is often used to analyze structural response under high-speed impact loading conditions. Since the response of multi-wall structures to spherical projectile impact is well documented, the objective of this paper is to present the results of a numerical parametric study of multi-wall structural response to high-speed cylindrical projectile impact. Numerical impact simulation results were generated by the HULL hydrodynamic computer code for a variety of cylindrical projectiles, impact conditions, and structural geometries. Impact response characteristics are reviewed qualitatively and quantitatively in a parametric analysis of structural response to hypervelocity cylindrical projectile impact. Long rod impacts of single-bumper systems were found to be more damaging than equal-weight spherical projectiles because the trailing end of the rods survived the initial bumper plate impacts. Thin disk impacts of single-bumper systems were also found to be potentially more lethal because the impact of a thin disk on a bumper plate caused a relatively intact section of the bumper plate to rip away and impact the pressure wall. Splitting the bumper of a single-bumper system into two equal-weight bumpers was found to alleviate many of the problems associated with long rod and thin disk impact of single-bumper systems.
The cellulase content of various species of cockroaches.

Abstract Cellulase was demonstrated in many groups of cockroaches. The enzyme is secreted by the salivary glands and in the lumen of the intestines. Wide variation was shown in the content of enzyme per unit weight of insect and in its origin and distribution between the intestines and the salivary glands. As exemplified by the blattids, which produce the largest amount of cellulase per unit weight, there is no loss of cellulase-producing activity by the omnivorous species to correspond with their lessened dependence on wood, as contrasted with the wood-eating Cryptocercus and Panesthia . Although some species were alike, there was no consistent familial relationship in the overall content of cellulase and its production by the salivary glands. There was no consistent pattern of evolutionary development.
K x-ray transition probabilities*

Most probable values of L x-ray transition ratios were determined by drawing smooth curves through the available data points plotted as a function of atomic number. The adapted values are presented in four tables: one for each of the three L-subshells, and a fourth for additional L-transition ratios. Graphic presentation of the experimental points and the results of the calculations based on the relativistic Hartree-- Fock-- Slater potential are also included. (auth)
Transgenic mice with chronically elevated luteinizing hormone are infertile due to anovulation, defects in uterine receptivity, and midgestation pregnancy failure.

Elevated levels of LH have been associated with infertility and miscarriage in women. Previously, we have reported generating a transgenic mouse model that hypersecretes LH. Female transgenics exhibit extensive pathology including enlarged, cystic, and hemorrhagic ovaries; elevated testosterone:estradiol ratios; and infertility primarily due to anovulation. Here we show that anovulation can be reversed in transgenics and that, despite development within a pathological ovary, oocytes from transgenics are remarkably healthy. Fertilized ova from transgenics are capable of normal development to term when transferred into nontransgenic pseudopregnant recipients. However, reciprocal transfers of nontransgenic embryos into transgenic recipients failed due to lack of uterine receptivity. In addition, while superovulated and mated transgenics appear to have normal early pregnancy, embryos are resorbed at midgestation due to maternal hormonal defects. Transgenic infertility can be rescued by ovariectomy with proges...
A simplified schematic method for deriving steady-state rate equations using a modification of the "theory of graphs" procedure.

Abstract A simple schematic procedure for the derivation of steady-state enzyme rate equations is presented. The method is a modification of an approach described by Volkenstein and Goldstein (1966) based upon the “Theory of Graphs” procedure. The advantage of this method for rate equation derivations is that it requires little algebra and avoids problems of the type encountered in other schematic methods.
Bayesian inference for randomized clinical trials with treatment failures

During the course of a clinical trial, subjects may experience treatment failure. For ethical reasons, it is necessary to administer emergency or rescue medications for such subjects. However, the rescue medications may bias the set of response measurements. This bias is of particular concern if a subject has been randomized to the control group, and the rescue medications improve the subject's condition. The standard approach to analysing data from a clinical trial is to perform an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis, wherein the data are analysed according to treatment randomization. Supplementary analyses may be performed in addition to the ITT analysis to account for the effect of treatment failures and rescue medications. A Bayesian, counterfactual approach, which uses the data augmentation (DA) algorithm, is proposed for supplemental analysis. A simulation study is conducted to compare the operating characteristics of this procedure with a likelihood-based, counterfactual approach based on the EM algorithm. An example from the Asthma Clinical Research Network (ACRN) is used to illustrate the Bayesian procedure.
Controller Design of Left Ventricle Assist Device

A left ventricle assist device (LVAD) is a device composed mainly of a pump and a controller. It is used not only to save lives of patients who suffer from left ventricle failure, but also to help them live like healthy people. Due to the continuing increasing number of left ventricle heart failure cases and limited number of heart donations for heart transplant, the need for LVADs become more and more demanding.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Flower Morphogenesis: Timing Is Key

Flowers are unique parts of plants because they form a predictable number of organs of defined identity. This exquisite regularity defines entire plant families and has been used for taxonomic classification since ancient times. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Liu et al. reveal that timing of the onset of flower differentiation is key for the stereotypic architecture of flowers.
Amelioration of oxygen-induced osteoporosis in the in vitro fetal rat tibia with a capacitively coupled electrical field.

Near-term fetal rat tibiae were grown in M.E.M. Eagle/NCTC 135/15% newborn calf serum in 5% carbon dioxide and 5, 10, 21, 35, 60, and 90% oxygen for 3, 7, 10, and 14 days. Linear growth of the explants, as measured from macrophotographs of the explants at day zero and each of the days above, was greastest in the lower oxygen concentrations and least in the days above, was greastest in the lower oxygen concentration and least in the higher oxygen concentrations. Breaking strengths of the tibial diaphyses were signigicantly reduced in those explants grown in 60 and 90% oxygen. When the fetal rat tibiae were grown in 60% oxygen for 7 days and were subjected to a capacitively coupled electrical signal (sine wave, 60 kHz, 10 V peak-to-peak output signal; current density and field in the culture dish calculated to be 5.2 μA/ cm2 and 0.32 mV/cm, respectively), the breaking strengths and middiaphyseal widths were statistically significantly greater than control tibiae grown in 60% oxygen alone. It is concluded that an appropriate capacitively coupled elecmalian long bone model.
Role relationships between nonphysician treatment team leaders and team psychiatrists.

Many nonpsychiatrists are now functioning as psychiatric team leaders and ward administrators. Some authors have pointed out several advantages of this organizational arrangement, whereas others have reported on the problems that can and do arise. Specifically, conflicts between nonphysician team leaders and psychiatrists have been reported. Yet little has been written about the precise nature and cause of these conflicts. This paper attempts to assess the roles of the team leader and psychiatrist in order to discover areas of role overlap and conflicts. It is suggested that more formal structure and clarity in role delineation could eliminate many such conflicts.
Does the Slope of the High-Energy Elastic Proton-Proton Scattering Cross Section Increase at Small Momentum Transfer?

Experimental information relating to the slope of the elastic proton-proton scattering cross section in the region of $\ensuremath{-}t=0.15$ ${(\mathrm{B}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$ is reviewed. For proton energies greater than 18 BeV, most of the available data indicate that the slope changes from less than 9.0 ${(\mathrm{B}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ for $\ensuremath{-}tg0.2$ ${(\mathrm{B}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$ to a value greater than 10.0 ${(\mathrm{B}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ for $\ensuremath{-}tl0.15$ ${(\mathrm{B}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$.
The Human C3b Receptor

The C3b receptor of human erythrocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, all mature B cells, a subpopulation of T cells, and glomerular podocytes is a single chain glycoprotein that exists in two allotypic forms having Mr's of approximately 250,000 (F) and 260,000 (S). The number of receptors present on erythrocytes varies by eight-fold among different individuals and is genetically regulated by two codominant alleles that are distinct from the alleles determining the structural polymorphism. The number of receptors expressed by neutrophils is subject to rapid increases from 5000 per cell to 40,000 per cell by exposure to nanomolar concentrations of C5adesArg, in vitro, and a similar mechanism is probably the basis for observing increased receptor expression on neutrophils in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Cytoskeletal association of the C3b receptor on monocytes and neutrophils is suggested by experiments demonstrating receptor-mediated phagocytosis, adsorptive endocytosis through coated pits, and restricted lateral diffusion, and by the reciprocal co-redistribution of cross-linked C3b and Fc receptors, and the detergent-insolubility of cross-linked C3b receptors. The factor H-like cofactor activity of the C3b receptor promotes the cleavage of bound C3b to iC3b, C3c and C3d, g, reactions that may enhance the clearance of circulating immune complexes and the generation of ligands for CR2 and CR3. The inherited partial deficiency of erythrocyte C3b receptors in patients with SLE, and the absence of glomerular C3b receptors in these patients with proliferative glomerulonephritis may contribute to systemic and organ-specific abnormalities in the clearance of immune complexes that contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease.
Speaking rate: effects on children's comprehension of normal speech.

This study investigated the comprehension of speech among children in maturational stages of linguistic development when speech was presented at varying rates of utterance by a trained speaker. Fiv...