cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Negative Symptoms in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease.

This study applies the concept of "negative symptoms," previously used in schizophrenia, to dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and examines the relationship of negative symptoms to cognitive deficits and depression. The negative symptom subscale of the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS-N), the Hamilton Depression Scale (Ham-D), and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were administered to 26 patients with DAT and to 13 normal control subjects. The mean PANSS-N score in DAT patients was significantly higher than in control subjects. DAT patients demonstrated significant correlation between negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. Ham-D scores did not significantly correlate with MMSE or PANSS-N scores. These results indicate that negative symptoms are prevalent in DAT and do not result from depression.
First-Year Teacher Knowledge of Phonemic Awareness and Its Instruction

Converging evidence has identified phonemic awareness (PA) as one of five essential components of beginning reading instruction. Evidence suggests that many teachers do not have the recommended knowledge or skills sufficient to provide effective PA instruction within the context of scientifically validated reading education. This study examines the knowledge of PA instruction of 223 first-year teachers initially certified in special education, early childhood education, and elementary education. Results indicate that significant numbers of beginning special and general education teachers in this sample appear to be inadequately prepared with respect to PA instruction. They have limited knowledge of PA, confuse PA with phonics, are generally unable to select task-appropriate materials or activities, and lack skill in analyzing written words into phonemes. Special educators did not have significantly more knowledge or skills than their general education counterparts. These findings suggest that university t...
Behind a bicycling boom: Governance, cultural change and place character in Memphis, Tennessee:

Drawing on theories of place, new political cultures, and idio-cultural perceptions, this paper examines the case of recent place character change in Memphis, Tennessee. Since 2009, a burgeoning bicycling culture has taken root in the city alongside a massive increase in bicycling infrastructure. We analyse how these changes are paralleled by shifts in governance emphasising amenity-based urbanism that favours themes of creative class-centred economic development. Changes also highlight the ability of contemporary urban governance to make place malleable by upending negative conceptions of the city and providing for new alternatives. Implications centre on how place may be more malleable than previously theorised, but recognise that changes serve only some populations, namely creatives and pre-existing power structures, while maintaining traditions that exclude others and contribute to racialised gentrification.
Nanoscale characterization of interphase properties in maleated polypropylene‐treated natural fiber‐reinforced polymer composites

Contact resonance force microscopy has been used to evaluate the effect of maleated polypropylene (MAPP) concentration on interphase thickness as well as the spatial distribution of mechanical properties within the interphase of cellulose fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites. The average interphase thickness values ranged from 25 nm to 104 nm for different concentrations of MAPP. The interphase region showed a gradient in the elastic modulus, with a gradual decrease in modulus from fiber to matrix. The interphase region in the specimen containing 0% MAPP showed a narrow interphase with steep gradient in modulus from fiber to matrix, whereas the use of MAPP significantly increased the interphase thickness which resulted in a more gradual change in modulus from fiber to matrix. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © Society of Plastics Engineers
Linalool, neral and geranial in the mandibular glands ofColletes bees — an aggregation pheromone

Mandibular glands of 3 species ofColletes were analyzed by combined gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry. Linalool, neral and geranial in 3∶1∶1 ratio were present and highly attractive to both sexes in field tests. Linalool has not previously been reported in Hymenoptera.
Soap films spanning rectangular prisms

In this paper, we consider soap films spanning rectangular prisms with regular n-gon bases. As the number of edges n varies, we show that there are significant changes in the qualitative properties of the spanning soap films as well as a change in the number of spanning soap films whose existence we can prove: We can find two nontrivial soap films for n = 3, 4, 5 but only one for n ≥ 6. We also prove some results concerning the interval of aspect ratios through which the soap films exist: The interval is finite if n = 3, 4, 5 and infinite if n ≥ 6. Furthermore, for n > 6, we have that the spanning soap film converges to a soap film spanning the vertical lines through the vertices of a regular n-gon as the aspect ratio goes to infinity. We can also make sense of the case n = ∞. Here, we discover some interesting singly and triply periodic soap films spanning singly and doubly periodic sets of vertical lines or spanning singly periodic sets of vertical line segments connected by pairs of parallel, horizontal lines. Finally, for n = 3, 4, 5, 6, we can derive parameterizations for the spanning soap films, and these parameterizations are explicit up to knowing the aspect ratio.
Application of the geographical information systems approach to watershed mass balance studies

This study was undertaken to test the utility of a geographical information systems (GIS) approach to problems of watershed mass balance. This approach proved most useful in exploring the effects that watershed scale, lithology and land use have on chemical weathering rates, and in assessing whether mass balance calculations could be applied to large multilithological watersheds. Water quality data from 52 stations were retrieved from STORET and a complete GIS database consisting of the watershed divide, lithology and land use was compiled for each station. Water quality data were also obtained from 7 experimental watersheds to develop a methodology to estimate annual fluxes from incomplete data sets. The methodology consists of preparing a composite of daily flux data, calculating a best fit sinusoid and integrating the equation to obtain an annual flux. Comparison with annual fluxes calculated from high resolution data sets suggests that this method predicts fluxes within about 10% of the true annual flux. Annual magnesium fluxes (moles km−2 yr−1) were calculated for all stations and adjusted for fluxes from atmospheric deposition. Magnesium flux was found to be a strong function of the amount of carbonate in the watershed, and silica fluxes were found to increase with the fraction of sandstone present in the watershed. All fluxes were strongly influenced by mining practices, with magnesium fluxes from affected watersheds being 6–10 times higher than fluxes from comparable pristine watersheds. Mining practices enhance chemical weathering by increasing the surface area of unweathered rock to which water has access and by increasing acidity and rate of mineral weathering. Fluxes were also found to increase with watershed size. This scale dependence is most likely caused by the sensitivity of weathering fluxes to even minor quantities of carbonates, which are likely to be found in all lithologies at larger scales. Mass balances were carried out in watersheds where gauged sub-watersheds made up more than 95% of the area. The calculations show large magnesium flux and water balance discrepancies. These errors may be a result of significant groundwater inputs to streams between gauges. The results suggest that improvements in how we measure discharge and estimate fluxes may be required before we can apply mass balance techniques to larger scales. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The conditional variance for gamma mixtures of normal distributions

This paper is concerned with obtaining an expression for the conditional variance-covariance matrix when the random vector is gamma scaled of a multivariate normal distribution. We show that the conditional variance is not degenerate as in the multivariate normal distribution, but depends upon a positive function for which various asymptotic properties are derived. A discussion section is included commenting on the usefulness of these results
Assessment matters: Moving beyond surveys

Do our students have survey burnout? Vicki L. Wise and Mary Ann Barham share their suggestions for encouraging student engagement in the assessment process and increasing the validity of the data collected as we do so.
Medicine, ethics and the living body: a response to Thomasma and Pellegrino.

This commentary, while sympathetic to Thomasma and Pellegrino [15], raises three sets of questions concerning the adequacy of their view of medicine as a foundation for medical ethical decision-making. The first set of questions concerns the account of the nature of medicine presented by Thomasma and Pellegrino. It is argued that the account is not clearly univocal and that even the most important description offered requires further clarification. Questioned, secondly, is the reasoning used by Thomasma and Pellegrino to propel their movement from establishing an evaluative component in medicine to asserting an ethical dimension to medical judgment. It is argued that the authors equivocate in their presentation between the medical and moral uses of value terms. Finally, the role of the living body as a foundation for medical ethics is questioned, both in terms of the normative force such a ground can generate, and in terms of the range of duties to which this foundation must commit the profession.
Theories and fear of gang crime among Whites and Latinos: A replication and extension of prior research

Fear of gang crime was used as a key justification for harsh punishment policies recently, and gangs were known to be associated with more disorder and crime. There was little systematic evidence about the presence, causes, or consequences of gang-related fear for the public. Prior studies showed that in some people's minds, racial and ethnic diversity was blamed for disorder, community decline, and crime. Using latent variable structural equation models, this article tests this idea and examines the causal relationships among perceived diversity, disorder, decline, and gang fear among Orange County, California residents. Results indicated that for Whites, diversity concerns increased perceptions of disorder, which increased concern about decline and therefore gang fear. For Latinos, concern about diversity increased perceptions of disorder and consequently gang fear, but community concern (decline) was unrelated to gang fear.
Nitrogen Fixation in Termites

Nitrogen fixation, measured by the reduction of acetylene to ethylene, was found in workers of the dry-wood termite Kalotermes minor. The soldiers and reproductive castes fixed little or no nitrogen. The fixation rates ranged between 24 and 566 micrograms of nitrogen fixed per month per gram (wet weight) of termite. Nitrogen fixation can be a significant source of nitrogen for these termites.
Cellular Mechanisms for Direction Selectivity in the Retina

Direction selectivity represents a fundamental computation found across multiple sensory systems. In the mammalian visual system, direction selectivity appears first in the retina, where excitatory and inhibitory interneurons release neurotransmitter most rapidly during movement in a preferred direction. Two parallel sets of interneuron signals are integrated by a direction-selective ganglion cell, which creates a direction preference for both bright and dark moving objects. Direction selectivity of synaptic input becomes amplified by action potentials in the ganglion cell dendrites. Recent work has elucidated direction-selective mechanisms in inhibitory circuitry, but mechanisms in excitatory circuitry remain unexplained.
On the determination of the order of an autoregressive model

To determine the order of an autoregressive model, a new method based on information theoretic criterion is proposed. This method is shown to be strongly consistent and the convergence rate of the probability of wrong determination is established.
Nominal constituents in French lexifier creoles: Probing the structuring role of grammaticalization

The paper offers a comparative study of the syntactic structure of nominal constituents in French Lexifier Creoles (FLC). In spite of the variability observed in the distribution of FLC determiners, the paper argues that FLC have a common functional architecture and presents both conceptual and empirical arguments in support of this view. Order variability, the paper proposes, is the result of extensive phrasal movement inside this common architecture that is triggered by the functional heads of FLC. Whether a given FLC determiner is a functional head or not is taken to reflect grammaticalization processes modeled in the Minimalist framework. A novel approach to grammaticalization and particularly to 'semantic bleaching' is shown to have a structuring effect that accounts for the ordering differences manifest across FLC determiners.
The "V.I.T.A. project": An experimental study for psychotherapeutic interventions in telemedicine

Background and aims:The “telepresence” allows innovative strategies of intervention in psychiatry and new forms of high therapeutic potential in mental healthcare assistance. Within this general framework the authors introduce the “Velletri Intensive Telepsychotherapy Assistance - V.I.T.A. Project”. The project has started four years ago and it consists of psychotherapeutic treatments systematically carried out in videoconference modality. It is aimed at: - defining the feasibility criteria (technical and psychopathological ones) of this kind of treatment; - comparing it with “face to face” psychotherapy; - pinpoint pointing out its elective fields of application in psychotherapy, especially with regards to acute episodes of “crisis”.Methods:Twelve patients have been recruited involved, six for the control group treated by traditional “face to face” cognitive therapy and six for experimental group treated by videoconferencing cognitive therapy. This Psychotherapeutic treatments were carried out by means of regular video connections (ISDN-based, 384 Kb/s) between the research centre and patients who live in towns near Rome. Both the treatments were assessed by: WHO-Quality of Life, HDRS (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale), HRSA (Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety), ZDS (Zung Depression Scale), STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced), MSPSS (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), DES (Dissociative Experiences Scale), BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning scale) and WAI (Working Alliance Inventory); at regular intervals of three months for four years.Results:A more detailed description of “V.I.T.A. Project” methodology and its preliminary results will be presented.
Moral Maps and Medical Imaginaries: Clinical Tourism at Malawi's College of Medicine

ABSTRACT At an understaffed and underresourced urban African training hospital, Malawian medical students learn to be doctors while foreign medical students, visiting Malawi as clinical tourists on short-term electives, learn about “global health.” Scientific ideas circulate fast there; clinical tourists circulate readily from outside to Malawi but not the reverse; medical technologies circulate slowly, erratically, and sometimes not at all. Medicine's uneven globalization is on full display. I extend scholarship on moral imaginations and medical imaginaries to propose that students map these wards variously as places in which—or from which—they seek a better medicine. Clinical tourists, enacting their own moral maps, also become representatives of medicine “out there”: points on the maps of others. Ethnographic data show that for Malawians, clinical tourists are colleagues, foils against whom they construct ideas about a superior and distinctly Malawian medicine and visions of possible alternative futures for themselves. [biomedicine, tourism, Africa, imaginaries]
On the structure of the capsular polysaccharide fromCryptococcus neoformans serotype C

The capsular polysaccharide fromCryptococcus neoformans serotype C has been studied using the usual methods for the elucidation of chemical structure. The results are consistent with the occurrence of a polysaccharide having an α 1,3 linked backbone ofd-mannopyranoside residues, every other one of which is doubly substituted with two terminald-xylopyranosyl residues linked β (1,2 and β 1,4 respectively, and with the remainder of the mannosyl residues substituted with a terminald-glucuronosidopyranosyl residue linked β 1,2. Alternatively, the terminal glucuronic acid residue may be β (1,2 linked to a mannosyl residue in the chain already hearing a singly branched β 1,4 xylopyranosyl residue, while the neighboring mannosyl residue carries a single branch of β 1.2 xylopyranoside.
Formation of ultrahard metal oxide nanocluster coatings at room temperature by electrostatic self-assembly

Different structures of multilayer hard coating thin-films have been fabricated on single crystal silicon and quartz substrates at room temperature by electrostatic self- assembly (ESA) method. This process involves the alternate dipping of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. The ESA films have shown the formation of highly ordered and homogeneous structures with reduced voids. UV/VIs spectroscopy and ellipsometry were used to observe the ESA deposition process. The hardness and Young's modulus of the films were measured using nanoindentation technique.
Photoelectrochemical reforming of glucose for hydrogen production using a WO3-based tandem cell device

The development of low-cost processes for hydrogen production from renewable energy is of tremendous importance for a truly sustainable hydrogen-based energy system. In this article, we demonstrate the ability to utilize sunlight to produce hydrogen from a potentially low-cost and abundant biomass derivative, glucose, using a WO3-based tandem photoelectrochemical cell (PEC). Thin film WO3 photoelectrodes are shown to exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of a variety of complex oxygenates, with photocurrents that are nearly equal to those achieved in the presence of simple alcohols such as methanol and ethanol. This result indicates that WO3-based PEC reactors can be used as a feedstock-flexible technology. High performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography were utilized to analyze glucose degradation and product formation, respectively, showing that glucose is ultimately oxidized to a mixture of CO and CO2 that depends on reaction conditions. These results suggest that the photoelectrode surface and operating conditions may be adjusted to optimize the production of either H2 or syngas (H2 + CO). In addition to half-cell measurements, unassisted electrolysis of glucose was demonstrated with a tandem cell device consisting of a WO3 photoelectrode, CdTe bottom cell, and WC counter electrode. Using this tandem configuration, a stable short-circuit current density of 1.38 mA cm−2 was recorded under outdoor illumination in 0.33 M H2SO4/0.1 M glucose. This PEC device utilizes no precious metal catalysts and shows great potential as a low-temperature pathway towards H2 and/or syngas production from renewable energy.
Interaction of a fluorescent N-dansylaziridine derivative of troponin I with calmodulin in the absence and presence of calcium

Rabbit skeletal muscle troponin I was covalently labeled with N-dansylaziridine, resulting in a fluorescent labeled protein. This derivative (DANZTnI) and native troponin I (TnI) inhibited calmodulin (CaM) stimulation of bovine heart Ca2+-sensitive cyclic nucleodite phosphodiesterase with identical inhibition constants. Association of DANZTnI with calmodulin was monitored directly by changes in flourescence intensity in the presence of Ca2+ and by changes in fluorescence anisotropy in the absence of Ca2+. Quantitation of the affinity of calmodulin for calmodulin-binding proteins in both the presence and absence of Ca2+ is necessary for prediction of the extent of interaction of both Ca2+ and calmodulin-binding proteins with calmodulin in vivo. The dissociation constants for the DANZTnI-calmodulin-l4Ca2+ and DANZTnI-calmodulin complexes were 20 nM and 70 micrometers, respectively. These dissociation constants define a free energy coupling of-4.84 kcal/mol of troponin I for binding of Ca2+ and troponin I to calmodulin. The Ca2+ dependence for troponin I-calmodulin complex formation predicted from these experimentally determined parameters was closely approximated by the Ca2+ dependence for complex formation between troponin I and fluorescent 5-[[[(iodoacetyl)amino]ethyl]-amino]-1-napthalenesulfonic acid derivatized calmodulin as determined by fluorescence anisotropy. Complex formation occurred over a relatively narrow range of Ca2+ concentration, indicative of positive heterotropic cooperativity for Ca2+ and troponin I binding to calmodulin.
PMD13 Application of Pharmacoeconomics And Outcomes Research in Formulary Decision-Making

The present reformed health care system is driven mainly by cost containment. This poses some challenges to health care practitioners in regard to the decision on which therapeutic agents (drugs) get added or deleted from the formulary. The challenge is in utilizing pharmacoeconomic tools and outcomes (clinical and humanistic) research to arrive at a formulary that provides the patient with effective drug therapy. The literature suggests that effective drug therapy improves clinical outcomes and enhances patients' quality of life. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this pilot study was to assess the use or extent of use of pharmacoeconomic methods and clinical and humanistic outcomes by pharmacists (serving on a pharmacy and therapeutic [P&T] committee) in making formulary decisions. The secondary objective of the study was to examine the association between training in pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research, and the application of the principles and methods of these two disciplines. METHODS: A 30-item survey instrument was administered to a convenient sample of 17 pharmacists. The instrument was designed to collect data on the demographics, pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research training, and application of pharmacoeconomic tools and outcomes research to formulary decision-making. RESULTS: The percentage of respondents who indicated using cost-minimization, cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, cost-utility, onset of action of drug/therapy, and recurrence of symptoms in formulary decision-making was 82.4%, 58.8%, 70.6%, 29.4%, 64%, and 76.5%, respectively. There were a number significant correlations between the application of pharmacoeconomic methods and outcome measures (clinical and humanistic). Generally, there was no significant association between formal training and application of the pharmacoeconomic methods and outcomes research. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that pharmacists on P&T committees generally apply pharmacoeconomic methods and outcomes research in making formulary decisions.
Update on cellular transplantation into the CNS as a novel therapy for chronic pain.

Abstract The transplantation of cells that secrete neuroactive substances with analgesic properties into the CNS is a novel method that challenges current approaches in treating chronic pain. This review covers pre-clinical and clinical studies from both allogeneic and xenogeneic sources. One cell source that has been utilized successfully is the adrenal chromaffin cell, since such cells constitutively release catecholamines, opioid peptides, and neurotrophic factors; release can be augmented with nicotine. Other graft sources include AtT-20 and B-16 cell lines which release enkephalins and catecholamines, respectively. For grafting in rodents, adrenal medullary tissue pieces are transplanted to the subarachnoid space. Chromaffin cell transplants can decrease pain sensitivity in normal rats using standard acute pain tests (paw-pinch, hot-plate, and tail-flick). In addition, transplants can restore normal pain thresholds in rodent models of chronic pain (formalin, adjuvant-induced arthritis, and sciatic-nerve tie) which closely similate the pathologies of human chronic pairs conditions. Xenografts have been studied due to concerns that future application for human pain may be limited by donor availability. Despite immune privileges of the CNS, xenografts require at least short-term immunosuppression to obtain a viable graft. Cell encapsulation is one method of sustaining a xenograft (in rat and human hosts) while circumventing the need for immunosuppression.Clinical studies have been initiated for terminal cancer patients with promising results as assessed by markedly reduced narcotic intake, visual analog scale ratings, and increased CSF levels of catecholamines and met-enkephalin.
Cytoprotection in the treatment of pediatric cancer: review of current strategies in adults and their application to children.

Background The protection of patients from the acute and/or chronic toxicity of antineoplastic therapy has become a major concern of oncology centers around the world. However, most of the effort has been directed toward the adult population, and limited studies have been performed in the group that may gain the most from such strategies, namely, children. Procedures The MedLine and CancerLit databases were surveyed, and the relevant biomedical literature on cytoprotection during antineoplastic treatment was analyzed. Results Cytotoxicity from antineoplastic therapy customarily is addressed by altering dosing schedules, a technique that can seriously impact the efficacy of the therapy. Colony stimulating factors have been used posttherapy to stimulate recovery from neutropenia, and various agents have been proposed as pretherapy cytoprotectors. Trials in adults have produced mixed results, and, to date, only amifostine and dexrazoxane have been approved as cytoprotectors for very narrow indications. Few trials have been performed in children, although these patients often can look forward to long-term remission. Conclusions To prevent permanent toxicities from antineoplastic therapies that impact long-term pediatric survivors, the experience gained in adults should be extended more aggressively to children, and formal, randomized trials should be performed to determine the type of protection most suitable for the pediatric population. Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 32:124–134, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A distributed national network for label-free rapid identification of emerging pathogens

Typical bioterrorism prevention scenarios assume well-known and well-characterized pathogens like anthrax or tularemia, which are serious public concerns if released into food and/or water supplies or distributed using other vectors. Common governmental contingencies include rapid response to these biological threats with predefined treatments and management operations. However, bioterrorist attacks may follow a far more sophisticated route. With the widely known and immense progress in genetics and the availability of molecular biology tools worldwide, the potential for malicious modification of pathogenic genomes is very high. Common non-pathogenic microorganisms could be transformed into dangerous, debilitating pathogens. Known pathogens could also be modified to avoid detection, because organisms are traditionally identified on the basis of their known physiological or genetic properties. In the absence of defined primers a laboratory using genetic biodetection methods such as PCR might be unable to quickly identify a modified microorganism. Our concept includes developing a nationwide database of signatures based on biophysical (such as elastic light scattering (ELS) properties and/or Raman spectra) rather than genetic properties of bacteria. When paired with a machine-learning system for emerging pathogen detection these data become an effective detection system. The approach emphasizes ease of implementation using a standardized collection of phenotypic information and extraction of biophysical features of pathogens. Owing to the label-free nature of the detection modalities ELS is significantly less costly than any genotypic or mass spectrometry approach.
Islamic finance and its role in SME development case in point: Egypt

This research aims to introduce a comprehensive Shari’ah-compliant financial services offering in Egypt, to be utilised as a growth engine for Egypt’s small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). The applied methodology utilises available literature on Islamic finance and primary information derived from Egypt’s banking and investment practices and SMEs status and problems. The findings reveal that Egypt offers a valuable opportunity to rejuvenate its Islamic finance offering. The findings serve as a first guidance towards creating an Islamic finance offering while eliminating the funding bias towards larger corporations. The topic is original and not tackled by previous literature; useful for both academics and practitioners.
Coupling Between Chemical Reactivity and Structural Relaxation in Pharmaceutical Glasses

Purpose To test the hypothesis that the molecular motions associated with chemical degradation in glassy amorphous systems are governed by the molecular motions associated with structural relaxation. The extent to which a chemical process is linked to the motions associated with structural relaxation will depend on the nature of the chemical process and molecular motion requirements (e.g., translation of a complete molecule, rotational diffusion of a chemical functional group). In this study the chemical degradation and molecular mobility were measured in model systems to assess the degree of coupling between chemical reactivity and structural relaxation. The model systems included pure amorphous cephalosporin drugs, and amorphous molecular mixtures containing a chemically labile drug and an additive expected to moderate molecular mobility.
PUBOVAGINAL SLING SURGERY FOR SIMPLE STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE: ANALYSIS BY AN OUTCOME SCORE

Purpose: We assessed the results of pubovaginal sling surgery in women with simple stress urinary incontinence using strict subjective and objective criteria.Materials and Methods: Simple incontinence was defined as sphincteric incontinence with no concomitant urge incontinence, pipe stem or fixed scarred urethra, urethral or vesicovaginal fistula, urethral diverticulum, grade 3 or 4 cystocele, or neurogenic bladder. A total of 67 consecutive women with a mean age plus or minus standard deviation of 56 ± 11 years who underwent pubovaginal sling surgery for simple sphincteric incontinence were prospectively followed for 12 to 60 months (mean 33.9 ± 22.2). Treatment outcomes were classified according to a new outcome score. Cure was defined as no urinary loss due to urge or stress incontinence, as documented by 24-hour diary and pad test, with the patient considering herself cured. Failure was defined as poor objective results with the patient considering surgery to have failed. Cases that did not fulfill t...
A single cell electroporation chip.

Increasing the cell membrane's permeability can be accomplished via single cell electroporation. Polar substances that cannot otherwise permeate the plasma membrane (such as dyes, drugs, DNA, proteins, peptides, and amino acids) can thus be introduced into the cell. We developed a polymeric chip that can selectively immobilize and locally electroporate single cells. This easy-to-use chip focuses the electric field, eliminating the need to manipulate electrodes or glass pipettes. Moreover, this device allows parallel single cell electroporation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our device design by electroporating HeLa cells using low applied voltages (< 1 V). We found the average transmembrane potential required for electroporation of HeLa cells to be 0.51 ± 0.13 V. Membrane permeation is assessed electrically by measuring characteristic ‘jumps’ in current that correspond to drops in cell resistance, and microscopically by recording either the escape of cytoplasmic dye Calcein AM or the entrance of Trypan blue stain.
Effect of Varying the Twist Multiplier of Open-End Yarn on Pilling and Other Fabric Properties

Pilling has been one of the major consumer problems of man-made staple yarn products. This study evaluated the pilling performance of 65/35% Dacron/cotton fabrics woven from open-end (OE) yarns by the Random Tumble Pilling Tester Method (ASTM Test Method D3512-82) and the Elastomeric Pad Method (ASTM Test Method D3514-81) at five specified test intervals. The effect of twist level of warp and filling yarns on pilling propensity, flex abrasion, tensile strength, and breaking elongation was also investigated.Pilling produced by the Random Tumble Pilling (RTP) procedure was mainly fiber fuzz and loosely anchored pills; that produced by the Elastomeric Pad Method (EPM) was large scale pills and fiber entanglement which did not wear off readily.ANOVA test revealed that the twist level of warp yarns had a significant influence on thepilling characteristics as evidenced in both pilling tests. Twist level of filling yarns influenced EPMpilling ratings only intermittently. The effect of twist level of warp yarns w...
The Spirit of Rebellion: The Transformative Power of the Ghostly Double in Gilman, Spofford, and Wharton

The female gothic has proved a convenient and suitable forum for challenging conventional gender roles and implicating an oppressive patriarchal structure. The ghost story, as well, with its roots ...
Achievement of Three Year Remission with Bevacizumab and Irinotecan in Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Case Report

A 34-year-old man presented to the hospital with right-sided headache. He was diagnosed with GBM. He underwent resection of the tumor with placement of carmustine impregnated wafers. Then he underwent adjuvant chemotherapy with temozolamide. Before the completion of chemotherapy he had a recurrence. He underwent re-resection with placement of carmustine impregnated wafers. Subsequently he had eighteen cycles of salvage biochemotherapy with bevacizumab and irinotecan. To date, routine MRI scans of the brain have not shown evidence of recurrence. He continues to be in remission three years after treatment with bevacizumab and irinotecan.
What is the validity evidence for assessments of clinical teaching

BACKGROUND: Although a variety of validity evidence should be utilized when evaluating assessment tools, a review of teaching assessments suggested that authors pursue a limited range of validity evidence.
Low-energy electron emission from condensed targets induced by fast ions

Absolute doubly differential electron emission yields from thin films of hydrocarbons and amorphous solid water following the transmission of 6-MeV protons and 1-MeV/u fluorine ions are presented. The absolute yields from amorphous solid water are compared to results from the PARTRAC Monte Carlo track structure simulation code for electron transport in liquid water. The model shows good agreement with the experimental data for electron energies greater than approximately 70 eV, but tends to overestimate the yields of low-energy electrons.
Model-based VQ for image data archival, retrieval, and distribution

An ideal image compression technique for image data archival, retrieval and distribution would be one with the asymmetrical computational requirements of Vector Quantization (VQ), but without the complications arising from VQ codebooks. Codebook generation and maintenance are stumbling blocks which have limited the use of VQ as a practical image compression algorithm. Model-based VQ (MVQ), a variant of VQ described here, has the computational properties of VQ but does not require explicit codebooks. The codebooks are internally generated using mean removed error and Human Visual System (HVS) models. The error model assumed is the Laplacian distribution with mean, lambda-computed from a sample of the input image. A Laplacian distribution with mean, lambda, is generated with uniform random number generator. These random numbers are grouped into vectors. These vectors are further conditioned to make them perceptually meaningful by filtering the DCT coefficients from each vector. The DCT coefficients are filtered by multiplying by a weight matrix that is found to be optimal for human perception. The inverse DCT is performed to produce the conditioned vectors for the codebook. The only image dependent parameter used in the generation of codebook is the mean, lambda, that is included in the coded file to repeat the codebook generation process for decoding.
Prophylactic antibiotics for non-laboring patients with intact membranes undergoing cesarean delivery: an economic analysis.

Abstract Objective We conducted an economic analysis of prophylactic antibiotic administration for elective cesarean delivery. Study design We created a decision tree comparing the use of prophylactic antibiotics (cefazolin 1 gm intravenous) with no antibiotic use. We modeled the potential for anaphylaxis, and included outcomes of fever and endometritis. Outcome probabilities and effectiveness of antibiotic administration were derived from published sources. Costs are 2001 estimates derived from our hospital's accounting system. Sensitivity analyses were performed over the range of actual patient costs and 95% CI of the risk and probability estimates. Results Cost of an uncomplicated elective cesarean delivery was $1638.57. Fever evaluation added $125.91. Elective procedure complicated by endometritis cost $2327.29. Cefazolin administration cost $1.01. The following estimates were used: relative risk (RR) of endometritis with antibiotics was 0.18 (95% CI 0.07-0.45), fever 0.47 (95% CI 0.32-0.68), risk of endometritis without prophylaxis 4.8% (95% CI 0.9%-43%), and fever without prophylaxis 14.4% (95% CI 4%-33%). Cost of an average case without prophylaxis was $1683.72; prophylaxis reduced this to $1653.06. Sensitivity analysis over the ranges above still yielded cost savings. Conclusion Administration of prophylactic antibiotics for elective cesarean delivery reduced costs by $30.66 per case, approximately 2% of the total cost. Prophylactic antibiotic administration results in cost savings for elective cesarean delivery.
Law of Corresponding States in Superconductivity

It is shown by means of a crude calculation that a refined version of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity in which the energy gap function $\ensuremath{\mu}(\ensuremath{\nu})$ would not be approximated by a constant would give very nearly the same relation between ${H}_{0}$, the critical field at $T=0$; $2\ensuremath{\mu}(0)$, the energy gap; and $N(0)$, the density of states at the Fermi surface. Agreement between the theory and experiment is found for the cases of Al, Sn, Hg, and Pb although the experimental error is large for Hg. For the case of Pb, this is the first agreement between the theory and experiment with regard to the thermodynamic variables.
Precipitation and temperature ensemble forecasts from single-value forecasts

Abstract. A procedure is presented to construct ensemble forecasts from single-value forecasts of precipitation and temperature. This involves dividing the spatial forecast domain and total forecast period into a number of parts that are treated as separate forecast events. The spatial domain is divided into hydrologic sub-basins. The total forecast period is divided into time periods, one for each model time step. For each event archived values of forecasts and corresponding observations are used to model the joint distribution of forecasts and observations. The conditional distribution of observations for a given single-value forecast is used to represent the corresponding probability distribution of events that may occur for that forecast. This conditional forecast distribution subsequently is used to create ensemble members that vary in space and time using the "Schaake Shuffle" (Clark et al, 2004). The resulting ensemble members have the same space-time patterns as historical observations so that space-time joint relationships between events that have a significant effect on hydrological response tend to be preserved. Forecast uncertainty is space and time-scale dependent. For a given lead time to the beginning of the valid period of an event, forecast uncertainty depends on the length of the forecast valid time period and the spatial area to which the forecast applies. Although the "Schaake Shuffle" procedure, when applied to construct ensemble members from a time-series of single value forecasts, may preserve some of this scale dependency, it may not be sufficient without additional constraint. To account more fully for the time-dependent structure of forecast uncertainty, events for additional "aggregate" forecast periods are defined as accumulations of different "base" forecast periods. The generated ensemble members can be ingested by an Ensemble Streamflow Prediction system to produce ensemble forecasts of streamflow and other hydrological variables that reflect the meteorological uncertainty. The methodology is illustrated by an application to generate temperature and precipitation ensemble forecasts for the American River in California. Parameter estimation and dependent validation results are presented based on operational single-value forecasts archives of short-range River Forecast Center (RFC) forecasts and medium-range ensemble mean forecasts from the National Weather Service (NWS) Global Forecast System (GFS).
Modern X-ray Diffraction Methods in Mineralogy and Geosciences

A century has passed since the first X-ray diffraction experiment (Friedrich et al. 1912). During this time, X-ray diffraction has become a commonly used technique for the identification and characterization of materials and the field has seen continuous development. Advances in the theory of diffraction, in the generation of X-rays, in techniques and data analysis tools changed the ways X-ray diffraction is performed, the quality of the data analysis, and expanded the range of samples and problems that can be addressed. X-ray diffraction was first applied exclusively to crystalline structures idealized as perfect, rigid, space and time averaged arrangements of atoms, but now has been extended to virtually any material scattering X-rays. Materials of interest in geoscience vary greatly in size from giant crystals (meters in size) to nanoparticles (Hochella et al. 2008; Waychunas 2009), from nearly pure and perfect to heavily substituted and poorly ordered. As a consequence, a diverse range of modern diffraction capabilities is required to properly address the problems posed. The time and space resolution of X-ray diffraction now reaches to nanoseconds and tens of nanometers. Time resolved studies are used to unravel the mechanism and kinetics of mineral formation and transformations. Non-ambient conditions such as extreme pressure and temperature are created in the laboratory to investigate the structure and properties of the Earth’s deep interior and the processes that shape the planet. This chapter is not intended to be comprehensive or detailed, because diffraction is such a vast subject. We will, however, summarize the principles of diffraction theory under the assumption that the reader is familiar with basic concepts of the crystalline state. We will briefly review the basics of diffraction techniques, using laboratory and synchrotron X-ray sources and highlight some of their applications in geoscience. For briefness, we will omit the discussion of …
Predicting Fish Growth Potential and Identifying Water Quality Constraints: A Spatially-Explicit Bioenergetics Approach

Anthropogenic impairment of water bodies represents a global environmental concern, yet few attempts have successfully linked fish performance to thermal habitat suitability and fewer have distinguished co-varying water quality constraints. We interfaced fish bioenergetics, field measurements, and Thermal Remote Imaging to generate a spatially-explicit, high-resolution surface of fish growth potential, and next employed a structured hypothesis to detect relationships among measures of fish performance and co-varying water quality constraints. Our thermal surface of fish performance captured the amount and spatial-temporal arrangement of thermally-suitable habitat for three focal species in an extremely heterogeneous reservoir, but interpretation of this pattern was initially confounded by seasonal covariation of water residence time and water quality. Subsequent path analysis revealed that in terms of seasonal patterns in growth potential, catfish and walleye responded to temperature, positively and negatively, respectively; crappie and walleye responded to eutrophy (negatively). At the high eutrophy levels observed in this system, some desired fishes appear to suffer from excessive cultural eutrophication within the context of elevated temperatures whereas others appear to be largely unaffected or even enhanced. Our overall findings do not lead to the conclusion that this system is degraded by pollution; however, they do highlight the need to use a sensitive focal species in the process of determining allowable nutrient loading and as integrators of habitat suitability across multiple spatial and temporal scales. We provide an integrated approach useful for quantifying fish growth potential and identifying water quality constraints on fish performance at spatial scales appropriate for whole-system management.
Global analysis of reptile elevational diversity

Aim Latitudinal- and regional-scale studies of reptile diversity suggest a predominant temperature effect, unlike many other vertebrate richness patterns which tend to be highly correlated with both temperature and water variables. Here I examine montane gradients in reptile species richness with separate analyses of snakes and lizards from mountains around the world to assess a predominant temperature effect and three additional theories of diversity, including a temperature–water effect, the species–area effect and the mid-domain effect (MDE). Location Twenty-five elevational gradients of reptile diversity from temperate, tropical and desert mountains in both hemispheres, spanning 10.3° N to 46.1° N. Methods Elevational gradients in reptile diversity are based on data from the literature. Of the 63 data sets found or compiled, only those with a high, unbiased sampling effort were used in analyses. Twelve predictions and three interactions of diversity theory were tested using nonparametric statistics, linear regressions and multiple regression with the Akaike information criterion (AIC). Results Reptile richness and, individually, snake and lizard richness on mountains followed four distinct patterns: decreasing, low-elevation plateaus, low-elevation plateaus with mid-elevation peaks, and mid-elevation peaks. Elevational reptile richness was most strongly correlated with temperature. The temperature effect was mediated by precipitation; reptile richness was more strongly tied to temperature on wet gradients than on arid gradients. Area was a secondary factor of importance, whereas the MDE was not strongly associated with reptile diversity on mountains. Main conclusions Reptile diversity patterns on mountains did not follow the predicted temperature–water effect, as all diversity patterns were found on both wet and dry mountains. But the influence of precipitation on the temperature effect most likely reflects reptiles' use of radiant heat sources (sunning opportunities) that are more widespread on arid mountains than wet mountains due to lower humidity, sparser vegetation and less cloud cover across low and intermediate elevations.