cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a nutrition-risk screening tool in Lao PDR: Identifying malnutrition in a low-resource clinical setting.

Summary Background & aims Malnutrition is a top priority in Lao PDR. In 2017, 33% of children under five years of age were stunted, 21.1% were underweight, 9% were wasted while 16.6% of adults in community settings were malnourished. Rates of malnutrition are presumed to be higher among hospitalized patients however, malnutrition risk screening in inpatient settings does not occur in Lao PDR. To address this gap, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized patients and investigated the inter-user reliability and validity of a nutrition-risk screening tool (NRST). Methods A cross-sectional study of pediatric (n = 69) and adult (n = 125) patients was conducted at two hospitals in Vientiane, Lao PDR. Inter-observer reliability of the NRST was determined by comparing final scores of two independent observers. Validity of the NRST was determined using sensitivity, specificity, and area-under-the-receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC) curve analyses. Results Among participants 0–4 years of age, 51% were diagnosed with malnutrition, while 58% of participants aged 5–17 years were malnourished. Among participants 18 years of age or older, 47% were diagnosed with moderate to severe malnutrition. The NRST showed ‘fair’ agreement between Observer 1 and Observer 2 NRST final scores (0.2737, p-value Conclusion There is a high prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized patients in Lao PDR. This study provides proof of concept that a nutrition-risk screening tool can be successfully administered in a low-resource setting. Timely identification of malnutrition among newly admitted hospitalized patients will help minimize adverse patient health outcomes and reduce the economic burden of healthcare in Lao PDR.
Democracy and Transparency

Are democracies more transparent than other types of political regimes? Many people believe that the presence of elections alone is not sufficient for a country to be considered democratic and that transparency must be included as part of the definition of political regime. We agree that contestability of elections and transparency of policymaking are analytically distinct concepts. Adopting minimalist approaches to democracy and transparency, we ask a basic question: do electoral politics provide incentives for governments to disseminate data? We thus investigate theoretically the relationship between regime type and the willingness of policy makers to provide credible announcements on policy-relevant variables. And we demonstrate empirically that the availability (or absence) of policy-relevant data is correlated with regime type, even after controlling for GDP per capita, IMF participation, country fixed-effects, and time trends1. Democracies are indeed more transparent.
Investigating the effect of E30 fuel on long term vehicle performance, adaptability and economic feasibility

Abstract Due to the drawbacks associated with the use of petroleum derived fuels, the use of more sustainable fuel sources has garnered increasing attention in several sectors including road transportation. However, the transition away from gasoline is often hindered by the inability of currently operating vehicles to efficiently run under alternative fuels. Therefore, the logical short-term alternative is to transition to clean fuel sources including higher-ethanol fuel blends that are compatible with current fuel systems and spark-ignition engines. In this work, the long-term adaptability and economic feasibility of non-flex vehicles to consume a 30% ethanol (E30) fuel blend was investigated. Sixteen diagnostic and operating parameters were tracked in real-time in 50 vehicles over a one-year period. The vast amount of data generated was used to train sparse regression and machine learning models to explore differences in performance and operational robustness of commercial vehicles consuming E30 blends compared to the ones consuming 15% blends. Results indicate that although modest changes can be observed in the behavior of a subset of parameters, overall performance and adaptability are not compromised by consumption of E30. It was determined that an average price difference of 2.5% is sufficient to offset the mileage loss caused by the increased ethanol concentration. Finally, we discuss the large-scale environmental impact of an incremental nation-wide shift towards E30 consumption.
Growth Dynamics of Low-Birth-Weight Infants with Emphasis on the Perinatal Period

In the past there have been contrary findings on the dynamics of postnatal growth of preterm infants One group of authors has reported that preterm infants remain below the standards of full-term infants (Ylppo, 1919; Glaser et al., 1950; Blegen, 1952; Alm, 1953; Douglas and Mogford 1953; Seckel and Rolfes, 1959; Woolley and Valdecanas, 1960; Falkner et al., 1962; Lubchenco et al., 1963a; Drillien, 1961, 1964; Robinson and Robinson, 1965; Davies and Russel, 1968; Wedgwood and Holt, 1968; Benedikt and Csdkki, 1969; Babson, 1970). A second group has observed no growth differences between preterm and full-term infants (Levine and Gordon, 1942; Hirschl et al., 1948; Kahl, 1950; Hess, 1953; Schwinn, 1954; Rossier et al., 1958; Dann et al., 1964; Van den Berg, 1968; Walsh, 1969; Dweck et al., 1973; Stewart and Reynolds, 1974; Beck and Van den Berg, 1975; Bourlon et al., 1975; Davies, 1975; Fitzhardinge, 1975).
Lactate dehydrogenase of lobster (Homarus americanus) tail muscle. I. Physical and chemical properties.

Catalytic, physical and chemical properties of enzyme lactate dehydrogenase isolated from lobster tail muscle
Long-term renal allograft survival in the United States: a critical reappraisal.

Renal allograft survival has increased tremendously over past decades; this has been mostly attributed to improvements in first-year survival. This report describes the evolution of renal allograft survival in the United States where a total of 252 910 patients received a single-organ kidney transplant between 1989 and 2009. Half-lives were obtained from the Kaplan–Meier and Cox models. Graft half-life for deceased-donor transplants was 6.6 years in 1989, increased to 8 years in 1995, then after the year 2000 further increased to 8.8 years by 2005. More significant improvements were made in higher risk transplants like ECD recipients where the half-lives increased from 3 years in 1989 to 6.4 years in 2005. In low-risk populations like living-donor-recipients half-life did not change with 11.4 years in 1989 and 11.9 years in 2005. First-year attrition rates show dramatic improvements across all subgroups; however, attrition rates beyond the first year show only small improvements and are somewhat more evident in black recipients. The significant progress that has occurred over the last two decades in renal transplantation is mostly driven by improvements in short-term graft survival but long-term attrition is slowly improving and could lead to bigger advances in the future.
Frontometaphyseal dysplasia: neonatal radiographic diagnosis.

Genetic epidemiological evidence suggests that mutations in BRCA1 may be responsible for approximately one half of early onset familial breast cancer and the majority of familial breast/ovarian cancer. The recent cloning of BRCA1 allows for the direct detection of mutations, but the feasibility of presymptomatic screening for cancer susceptibility is unknown. We analyzed genomic DNA from one affected individual from each of 24 families with at least three cases of ovarian or breast cancer, using SSCP assays. Variant SSCP bands were subcloned and sequenced. Allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization was used to verify sequence changes and to screen DNA from control individuals. Six frameshift and two missense mutations were detected in 10 different families. A frameshift mutation was detected in a male proband affected with both breast and prostate cancer. A 40-bp deletion was detected in a patient who developed intra-abdominal carcinomatosis 1 year after prophylactic oophorectomy. Mutations were detected throughout the gene, and only one was detected in more than a single family. These results provide further evidence that inherited breast and ovarian cancer can occur as a consequence of a wide array of BRCA1 mutations. These results suggests that development of a screening test for BRCA1 mutations will be technically challenging. The finding of a mutation in a family with male breast cancer, not previously thought to be related to BRCA1, also illustrates the potential difficulties of genetic counseling for individuals known to carry mutations.
Endothelin-induced Endocytosis of Cell Surface ETA@! Receptors: ENDOTHELIN REMAINS INTACT AND BOUND TO THE ETA RECEPTOR

We demonstrate unusual features of the intracellular processing of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its receptor ETA, the receptor subtype that mediates contraction of vascular smooth muscle cells. First, we show that in stably transfected CHO cells expressing ETA, binding of an ET-1 ligand induces rapid endocytosis of cell surface ETA. Receptor endocytosis was measured both by immunofluorescence and by radioiodinated antibodies specific for ETA. Second, we demonstrate that ET-1 remains intact for up to 2 h after endocytosis and, as judged by co-immunoprecipitation, internalized 125I-ET-1 remains bound to ETA receptors. We hypothesize that internalized ET-1, bound to ETA receptors, continues to activate a signal-transducing G protein, thus accounting for the prolonged period of contraction induced in smooth muscle cells by a single administration of ET-1.
THE “AIRSHED” CONCEPT AND ITS APPLICATION IN COMPLEX TERRAIN

A review of the term “airshed” suggests that it should be defined in a functional manner. Where the concept is applied to complex terrain, the degree and frequency of coupling between valley airflows and those at higher altitudes is a key to the delineation of airshed boundaries. In cases where decoupling is very frequent, observational data of vertical temperature structure or wind velocity and direction, or both, may be used to determine the upper boundary for valley airsheds. This is demonstrated for two valleys in N.W. Colorado.
Value of the Chest X-Ray as a Screening Test for Elective Surgery in Children

A retrospective study was conducted to assess the value of the chest x-ray as a preoperative screening procedure in pediatric patients. Admissions for elective surgery were compared at two hospitals, one that required routine preoperative chest x-rays and one that did not. Our purpose was to determine the yield of the screening chest x-ray in detecting unknown abnormalities and to determine whether patients who had a preoperative chest x-ray taken experienced fewer anesthetic or postoperative complications than did those who did not. In all, 1,924 cases were studied; in 749 a preoperative chest film was taken. Of those 749 cases, a previously unsuspected abnormality was discovered in 35 (4.7%) patients. Nine (1.2%) of these abnormalities were considered to be clinically significant and three (0.4%) resulted in cancellation of surgery. No differences in anesthetic or postoperative complications were noted between the two groups of patients. It is recommended that the performance of routine preoperative chest x-rays on apparently healthy children be discontinued.
Cross-Cultural Comparison of Tamale and Salt Lake City Experience of Unemployed Women With Physical Disabilities

Gender and disability interacts to create several challenges and vulnerabilities for women with disabilities. This paper explores and compares the daily experiences of unemployed women with physical disabilities in Tamale-Ghana and Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 women with physical disabilities about their experiences with employment, unemployment and how unemployment affects their lives. Outcome suggests that the women encounter several challenges in their daily lives relating to mobility, family relationships, income, social participation and living arrangement. While some of the experiences undoubtedly differ between the two studies, some, interestingly, were similar across the two geographic regions regardless of the cultural differences.
Deoxyadenosine Diphosphate as a Substrate and Inhibitor of Polynucleotide Phosphorylase of Micrococcus luteus II. INHIBITION OF THE INITIATION OF ADENOSINE DIPHOSPHATE POLYMERIZATION BY DEOXYADENOSINE DIPHOSPHATE

Abstract dADP inhibits de novo polymerization of ADP by polynucleotide phosphorylase (primer-independent, Form I, and primer-dependent, Form T, enzyme). Inhibition occurs at concentrations of dADP 2 orders of magnitude lower than the ADP concentration. Adenosine methylene diphosphonate, another analogue of ADP, does not inhibit polymerization of ADP at comparable concentrations. Although de novo polymerization is very sensitive to low concentrations of dADP, the addition of nucleoside monophosphate units to oligonucleotide primers is only inhibited at high concentrations of dADP. Thus oligonucleotides appear to relieve the inhibition. When Mg2+ is replaced by Mn2+, the sensitivity of the enzyme to dADP is markedly reduced. These results are interpreted to indicate that dADP specifically inhibits chain initiation by interaction with enzyme at an "initiation" site. Values of the association constants for formation of complexes between Mg2+ and Mn2+ with dADP and adenosine methylene diphosphonate are presented.
Chromatin-remodelling proteins of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris)

Aphids display extraordinary developmental plasticity in response to environmental cues. These differential responses to environmental changes may be due in part to changes in gene expression patterns. To understand the molecular basis for aphid developmental plasticity, we attempted to identify the chromatin-remodelling machinery in the recently sequenced pea aphid genome. We find that the pea aphid possesses a complement of metazoan histone modifying enzymes with greater gene family diversity than that seen in a number of other arthropods. Several genes appear to have undergone recent duplication and divergence, potentially enabling greater combinatorial diversity among the chromatin-remodelling complexes. The abundant aphid chromatin modifying enzymes may facilitate the phenotypic plasticity necessary to maintain the complex life cycle of the aphid.
1 – What Is Fire Protection Engineering?

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of fire protection engineering, which interfaces with all the major disciplines on a building project. Fire protection engineering involves designing devices, systems, and processes to serve a particular function, such as protecting people, property, and business operations from fire. It is one of the fifteen engineering disciplines that offer a professional engineering (P.E) examination through the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). A good source of information about fire protection engineering is the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). SFPE defines fire protection engineering as the application of science and engineering principles to protect people and their environment from destructive fire. A fire protection engineer (FPE), by education, training, and experience, is familiar with the nature and characteristics of fire and the associated products of combustion, by understanding how the fire originates, spreads within and outside the building, and is detected, controlled, and extinguished.
Paleoelevation estimates for the northern and central proto–Basin and Range from carbonate clumped isotope thermometry

[1] Quantitative paleoelevation histories can help explain both why and how widespread Cenozoic extension occurred in the Basin and Range Province of western North America. We present new estimates of preextensional paleoelevations for the northern and central Basin and Range using clumped isotope (Δ47) thermometry of lacustrine carbonates collected from each region. Comparison of carbonate Δ47-derived mean annual air temperature (MAAT) estimates (~16°C–20°C) for the Late Cretaceous–Eocene Sheep Pass basin of east central Nevada with published MAAT estimates for the Eocene, coastal northern Sierra Nevada (~20°C–25°C), suggests that the early Paleogene Sheep Pass basin had a paleoelevation of ≤2 km. Such a modest paleoelevation suggests that either (1) the proto–northern Basin and Range did not attain maximum paleoelevations of 3–4 km until the late Eocene–early Oligocene; or (2) the Sheep Pass basin was a local, high-relief (>1 km) setting contained within a >3 km orogenic highland (“Nevadaplano”). Similarity of Δ47-derived MAAT estimates (~17°C–24°C) for carbonates from the central Basin and Range and the near–sea level southern Sierra Nevada Bena basin indicate that middle Miocene paleoelevations in the Death Valley region were ≤1.5 km. These fairly low paleoelevations are incompatible with preextensional crustal thicknesses >52 km and indicate that mean elevation change was minor (≤500 m) and lithospheric mass was not conserved during >100% Neogene extension of the central Basin and Range, but was instead likely compensated by synextensional magmatic additions to the crust.
Computational Modeling as an Approach to Study the Cellular and Molecular Regulatory Networks Driving Liver Regeneration

Liver regeneration is a complex process for which the underlying mechanisms are yet to be fully understood. We summarize the recently emerging literature on the application of computational modeling methods to study the mechanisms of liver regeneration. We extended a previously published coarse-grain model of liver regeneration and simulated a wide range of scenarios. We categorized the dynamic tissue mass recovery profiles as corresponding to delayed, enhanced, delayed and enhanced, or suppressed regeneration modes, consistent with multiple disease phenotypes. Sensitivity analysis of the model revealed that the regeneration phenotype is most impacted by the physiological parameters and the kinetics of nonparenchymal cells. We discuss the limitations of the present model and propose future directions, particularly by exploiting the data yielded by emerging approaches to study single-cell scale regulatory networks.
Molecular Beam Scattering at Thermal Energies

A review is presented on the interpretation of measured angular distributions in terms of differential scattering cross sections in molecular beam scattering at thermal energies. Special attention is given to velocity distributions in the beam and scattering gas. Conversion of data to the center- of-mass system, apparatus, scope of thermal molecular-beam-scattering studies, and recent advances in elastic scattering at thermal energies are discussed. 75 references are included. (P.C.H.)
Monitoring the Stability of Topical Products

AbstractTopical pharmaceutics must be monitored for stability to physical, chemical and microbiological criteria. There criteria are reviewed in relation to the type of dosage formulation involved. Possible bioavailability criteria are also considered.
Internal Potassium and Chloride Activities and the Effects of Acetylcholine on Identifiable Aplysia Neurones

It has been suggested that some inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in the abdominal ganglion cells of Aplysia may reflect activation of the sodium pump by acetylcholine. Measurement of electrolyte activity, however, shows that the effect probably arises from changes in membrane permeability to potassium.
The visual evoked magnetoencephalogram.

Abstract The visual evoked electroencephalogram (VER) and magnetoencephalogram (MEG), which measures the magnetic field normal to the scalp, were simultaneously obtained in man. The amplitude and latency of response of each was compared as a function of stimulus intensity and the angular distribution of the MEG around the head; a search was also made for high frequency components of the MEG (> 100 Hz). MEG and VER both showed an increased amplitude of response as a function of stimulus intensity. In contrast to the VER, the latency of the MEG did not appear to decrease as a function of stimulus intensity. As with the VER, the MEG contained no high frequency components greater than the experimental noise. The results are discussed in relation to the generators of the MEG and VER.
Snow Crystal Habit at Small Excesses of Vapor Density over Ice Saturation

Abstract Artificial snow crystals were grown in a diffusion chamber Of parallel-plate design which afforded accurate control of the crystal growth conditions. Observations were made at small excesses of vapor density over ice equilibrium (Δρ = 0.015 − 0.169 gm m−3) within the temperature range −8 to −24C. Crystal type was found to be primarily determined by the magnitude of the vapor density excess, in apparent contrast with the situation at supersaturations with respect to water where growth habit is a function of temperature. Transitions between crystal types were noted to be gradual rather than abrupt.
The rapidly tuned analog-to-information converter

This paper explores using a rapidly tuned, narrowband device as an analog-to-information converter (AIC). This concept is applied to a rapidly tuned, instantaneously narrowband antenna. Such a setup is advantageous in cognitive radio, where an antenna designed for communicating over a portion of the spectrum may be used to meet the wideband spectrum sensing requirement. A method for reducing the bandwidth of the control signal below the Nyquist rate is also discussed.
Surface stress oscillation in Mo(001) thin films

The surface stress was evaluated employing a composite elastic model using the first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FP-LAPW) method for 5, 7 and 9 monolayer (ML) Mo(001) thin films. The surface stress calculated from previously derived slope and curvature methods yields a very similar result. The surface stress is found to vary with the number of the Mo thin film layers. This variation is found to be consistent with the existence of quantum well states in these thin films.
Urban and Rural Attitudes toward Participating in an Auxiliary Policing Crime Prevention Program

Researchers and practitioners have noted the importance of citizen crime prevention, but little attention has been focused on the crime prevention behavior of rural residents. This article compares urban and rural attitudes toward participation in an auxiliary policing program. Using data from the 1982 ABC News Poll of Public Opinion on Crime, a probit regression analysis reveals that the models explaining participation for urban and rural respondents are similar. Differences between the present results and those of past studies suggest that the present results are more reliable than past analyses.
Role of calcium in ethanol-membrane interactions: a model for tolerance and dependence.

Abstract The calcium content of membranes may regulate a number of key neuronal processes. Studies are described in which acute and chronic administration of ethanol was shown to alter calcium binding to synaptosomal plasma Membranes.
Position measurement of high-energy e-beams for pattern placement improvement

We have developed a technique based on use of a novel e-beam detector to enhance pattern placement accuracy of high-performance e-beam tools in the patterning of membrane masks. The detector consists of a reverse biased Schottky diode whose area coincides with that of the membrane, and which is placed immediately behind the membrane/-absorber/resist multilayer. An accurately patterned absorber overlayer covers the detector surface. The overlayer absorbs a fraction of the incident electrons, modulating the detector signal as the beam passes over the membrane. We have studied and modeled the performance of prototype detectors covered with 16 micrometers period gratings over an incident energy range of 5-50 keV. The combination of Schottky diode and patterned overlayer has been used to improve electron scattering models. We have observed excellent SNR with a 40 nC/cm2 dose at 50 kV, and spatial resolution better than 0.1 micrometers of a beam transmitted through a membrane. More accurate position information can be obtained by taking a Fourier transform of the diode current waveform created as the incident beam traverses several grating periods. In a poor operating environment, we have observed phase accuracy in 100 micrometers fields of +/- 4 degrees. We have developed an algorithm capable of processing pattern-based data sets at high speeds and low information storage requirements. This technique can be easily implemented with little overhead and little modification of existing systems.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Oxygen isotope effects as probes of electron transfer mechanisms and structures of activated O2.

Competitively determined oxygen (18O) isotope effects can be powerful probes of chemical and biological transformations involving molecular oxygen as well as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. They play a complementary role to crystallography and spectroscopy in the study of activated oxygen intermediates by forging a link between electronic/vibrational structure and the bonding that occurs within ground and transition states along the reaction coordinate. Such analyses can be used to assess the plausibility of intermediates and their catalytic relevance in oxidative processes. This Account describes efforts to advance oxygen kinetic isotope effects (18O KIEs) and equilibrium isotope effects (18O EIEs) as mechanistic probes of reactive, oxygen-derived species. We focus primarily on transition metal mediated oxidations, outlining both advances over the past five years and current limitations of this approach. Computational methods are now being developed to probe transition states and the accompanying kinet...
Laser-Assisted Nanoscale Material Processing (Invited)

Laser material processing demonstrated its significance in many areas such as microelectronics, data storage, photonics and nanotechnology, since versatile laser sources provide flexible and unique energy source for precise control of material processing. With current laser technology, a short wavelength down to X-ray range and a short pulse duration down to femtosecond range can be achieved. The extreme conditions created by laser irradiation have provided strong impact on material research. To achieve nanoscale laser material machining and processing, we need to overcome the diffraction limit of the laser wavelengths. Recently, different approaches have been explored to overcome the diffraction limit and to achieve feature sizes down to 10 nm order, way beyond the diffraction limits. This paper will provide an overview in the areas of laser-based nanoscale machining and processing, including the author’s own research experience on laser-assisted scanning probe microscope, superfocusing by optical resonance in spherical particles, laser nanoimprinting, laser synthesis of quantum dots, laser annealing of ultrashow pn junctions, nanometer-order film thickness detection using rotational Raman spectroscopy, and laser cleaning of nanoparticles.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Soft gluons in the infinite momentum wave function and the BFKL pomeron

The object in this paper is to construct the small-x infinite momentum wavefunction of a hadron in QCD for those soft gluons reasonably well localized in a small transverse area. to make the problem of transverse spatial localization simple they choose the large-x part of the hadron to be a heavy quark-antiquark state, an ''onium'' state. The radius of the onium state then naturally furnishes an infrared cutoff, and if this cutoff is sufficiently large perturbation theory applies. The accuracy of the approximation is leading logarithmic. That is, for the component of the wavefunction having n soft gluons, with momentum between z{sub 0}p and p, where p is the onium momentum, they calculate only the ({alpha} {ell}n 1/z{sub 0}){sup n} contribution to the square of the infinite momentum onium wavefunction.
Acculturative Stress: South Asian Immigrant Women's Experiences in Canada's Atlantic Provinces

Adjustment and resettlement of immigrants from India to Canada is often a challenging and difficult process. This study focuses on the acculturative stress experienced by South Asian women in the Atlantic Provinces in Canada. This qualitative inquiry explores the post-migratory experiences of South Asian women in the region. In-depth interviews were held with 14 South Asian women. Emerging themes consisted of forms of acculturative stress such as intergenerational conflict, discrimination, depression, and coping. The impact of the resettlement process on the mental health of South Asian women is considered. It is concluded that multi-ethnic and context-specific mental health promotion approaches and guidelines are essential for immigrant South Asian women.
Physical properties of ternary sulfide ceramics

Abstract Physical properties were measured on powders and dense ceramics of compounds belonging to six families of ternary sulfides that have possible applicable as infrared window materials. Data are given for melting point, coefficient of thermal expansion, and microindentation hardness. Those structures that are most refractory also have the highest thermal expansion coefficients and the highest hardness. There is a rough correlation between the measured properties and the cation coordination number but data are widely scattered.
Comparative IT education: a national economic development approach

Edgar Maldonado is a second year graduate student in the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State. His advisor is Dr. Andrea Tapia. He expects to graduate in 2008.The trends of the new economy that sustains the process of globalization have placed Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in an important position within the overall of topics in education systems across the world. Governments design education policies to develop more and better information technology (IT) practitioners and researchers to follow the example of those countries that have successfully jumped into the globalization wagon and speeded the development of their economy. However this idea is hardly arguable, the planning of the formation of those professionals must be considered. The adoption and use of technology does not occur in the same way in different circumstances, so the plan of the education of ICT must take into account the specific situation of each country. Economy is the first factor of the list, but sociological and political factors cannot be left out of consideration. This study propose a framework to analyze the impact of economy in IT professional-oriented educational policies and vice versa. The purpose of the research is to explain how different countries use different approaches to train of IT professionals, and to understand the uniqueness of this process.
An analysis of dual formulations for the finite element solution of two-body contact problems

Abstract This paper examines the convergence properties of dual finite element formulations of the two-dimensional frictionless two-body contact problem under the assumption of infinitesimal kinematics. The centerpiece of the proposed analysis is the well-known Babuska–Brezzi condition, suitably adapted to the present problem. It is demonstrated for certain canonical geometries that several widely used methods that employ pressure or force interpolations derived from the discretizations of both surfaces violate the Babuska–Brezzi condition, thus producing increasingly oscillatory solutions under mesh refinement. Alternative algorithms are proposed that circumvent this difficulty and are shown to yield convergent solutions.
Diagnosis: Biomarkers of cardiovascular outcomes--bonanza or bias?

During the past decade, a plethora of biomarkers have been reported to be associated with incident cardiovascular disease, often in large meta-analyses. A new review of these meta-analyses suggests that many of these studies are subject to substantial bias; therefore, how should we interpret the results, and where do we go from here?
Positron annihilation in low-temperature rare gases. II. Argon and neon

Lifetime measurements of slow-positron and ortho-positronium ($o$-Ps) annihilation have been made in argon and neon gases at room temperature and below. The argon experiments cover the temperature range 115-300 K and the density range 0.0356-0.0726 g/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ (\ensuremath{\simeq} 20-40 amagat). The slow-positron spectra in argon exhibit a departure from free-positron annihilation below 200 K. The departure becomes more marked as the temperature is lowered. No deviation from free $o$-Ps pickoff annihilation is observed in argon at low temperatures. The neon measurements cover the temperature range 30-300 K and the density range 0.032-0.89 g/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ (\ensuremath{\simeq} 35-980 amagat). No effect of temperature on the slow-positron spectra throughout the temperature and density ranges investigated in neon is observed. The spectra are very exponential with a corresponding decay rate which is temperature as well as time independent and is directly proportional to density over the ranges investigated. The $o$-Ps data are more eventful in that the $o$-Ps lifetime at near-liquid densities is approximately 20 nsec, a factor of nearly 4 greater than the value obtained using the pickoff-annihilation coefficient obtained at lower densities. This is evidence for positronium-induced cavities in low-temperature neon. A brief discussion of the argon and neon results is given in the context of the explanations offered for the low-temperature effects observed in helium gas.
Parenteral nutrition in the critically ill patient.

A 67-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoes extensive resection of the small bowel and right colon with a jejunostomy and colostomy because of mesenteric ischemia. In the surgical intensive care unit, severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome with possible sepsis develops. The patient is treated with volume resuscitation, vasopressor support, mechanical ventilation, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and intravenous insulin infusion. Low-dose tube feedings are initiated postoperatively through a nasogastric tube. However, these feedings are discontinued after the development of escalating vasopressor requirements, worsening abdominal distention, and increased gastric residual volume, along with an episode of emesis. The hospital nutritional-support service is consulted for feeding recommendations. A discussion with the patient’s family reveals that during the previous 6 months, she lost approximately 15% of her usual body weight and decreased her food intake because of abdominal pain associated with eating. Her preoperative body weight was 51 kg (112 lb), or 90% of her ideal body weight. The physical examination reveals mild wasting of skeletal muscle and fat. Blood tests show hypomagnesemia, hypophosphatemia, and normal hepatic and renal function. Central venous parenteral nutrition is recommended.
Airborne Fiber Levels in a Hospital Operations and Maintenance Program

Abstract Operations and maintenance (OM however, little information is available to evaluate the effectiveness of such programs. In this article we present data for airborne asbestos fiber concentrations for 394 samples (191 area and 203 personal) collected during 106 jobs that were part of an OM 90th, 0.2345 f/ml; 95th, 0.4176 f/ml; maximum: 0.8395 f/ml). The average for the area samples was 0.0196 f/ml (percentiles: 50th, 0.0096 f/ml; 90th, 0.0342 f/ml; 95th, 0.0542 f/ml; maximum: 0.4222...
Jupiter's Atmospheric Temperatures: From Voyager IRIS to Cassini CIRS

Retrievals run on Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer data obtained during the distant Jupiter flyby have been used to generate global temperature maps of the planet in the troposphere and stratosphere. Similar retrievals were performed on Voyager 1 IRIS data and have provided the first detailed IRIS map of the stratosphere. In both data sets, high latitude troposphere temperatures are presented for the first time, and the meridional gradients indicate the presence of circumpolar jets. Thermal winds were calculated for each data set and show strong vertical shears in the zonal winds at low latitudes. The temperatures retrieved from the two spacecraft were also compared with yearly ground-based data obtained over the intervening two decades. Tropospheric temperatures reveal gradual changes at low latitudes, with little obvious seasonal or short-term variation (Orton et al. 1994). Stratospheric temperatures show much more complicated behavior over short timescales, consistent with quasi-quadrennial oscillations at low latitudes, as suggested in prior analyses of shorter intervals of ground- based data (Orton et al. 1991, Friedson 1999). A scaling analysis indicates that meridional motions, mechanically forced by wave or eddy convergence, play an important role in modulating the temperatures and winds in the upper troposphere and stratosphere on seasonal and shorter time scales. At latitudes away from the equator, the mechanical forcing can be derived simply from a temporal record of temperature and its vertical derivative. Ground-based observations with improved vertical resolution and/or long-term monitoring from spacecraft are required for this purpose.
Reflection of waves generated by a point source over a randomly layered medium

We consider a randomly layered half space adjoined to a homogeneous half space at the plane interface z=0. An acoustic source in the homogeneous medium generates a time-limited pulse which is then multiply reflected and backscattered from the random medium. We compute here the time dependent statistics of the signals recorded at receivers located on the interface z=0
Binding of platelet factor four (PF 4) to glomerular polyanion

Synthetic polycations have been shown to bind to glomerular polyanion (GPA) and increase glomerular permeability. Here, we show that human platelet factor 4 (PF 4), a platelet secretory protein, binds to GPA. The following methods were used to assess PF 4 binding to GPA: (1) Sections of human and rat renal cortex were incubated with PF 4 or PF 4 was injected intravenously into rats followed by immunofluorescence techniques; (2) 125I-PF 4 was added to isolated glomerular basement membrane (GBM) suspensions and binding assessed isotopically; (3) PF 4 was perfused through rat kidneys ex vivo followed by immunoperoxidase methods for electron microscopy (EM). In vitro and in vivo, PF 4 bound to the mesangium and linearly to capillary walls. Isotopic studies showed dose-dependent saturable binding of PF 4 to GBM which was reversed by heparin. By EM, PF 4 binding sites were resolved in the GBM, particularly in the laminae rarae as punctate densities similar in distribution to anionic sites revealed by cationic dyes. Also, endothelial and epithelial cell surfaces stained. An ionic interaction between PF 4 and GPA was indicated by elimination of staining by washing PF 4-treated sections with buffer containing 1.0 and 3.0 M NaCl or with heparin. Pretreatment of rats with polyethyleneimine (a synthetic polycation) blocked PF 4 binding. Heparin administration in vivo removed previously bound PF 4. By virtue of its affinity for GPA and behavior like a polycation, PF 4 may alter glomerular permeability and play a role in glomerular disease.
Long-range interactions of ytterbium atoms

The long-range interactions of two ground state ytterbium atoms and of an ytterbium atom and a perfectly conducting wall are calculated, including the effects of retardation. The static and dynamic polarizabilities are determined using time-independent linear response coupled cluster theory.
Perceived Control and Psychological Adjustment in Gay Men With AIDS1

The relationship of control beliefs to psychological adjustment was investigated in a sample of 24 gay men diagnosed with AIDS, participants in the University of California, Los Angeles site of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). Distinctions between generalized contingency beliefs and specific competence beliefs and between personal and vicarious control beliefs were included in the questionnaire and interview measures administered. The results support these distinctions and indicate that beliefs in personal control over day-to-day symptoms and over course of illness were positively related to adjustment, whereas beliefs in control by others over course of illness and over medical care and treatment were negatively related to adjustment. These relationships appeared to be strongest for men who reported poorer health. These associations were not accounted for by locus of control beliefs, negative affectivity, or time since diagnosis with AIDS.
A retrospective comparison of three sequential groups of patients with Recurrent/Refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with fludarabine‐based regimens

BACKGROUND Combining therapeutics with single-agent activity has improved treatment for patients with many malignancies. Debate continues about the impact of treatment on survival in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Purine analogues are the most active agents for treatment of patients with CLL. Recently, it was shown that a chemoimmunotherapy regimen combining fludarabine (F), cyclophosphamide (C), and rituximab (R) (FCR) was very effective in treating patients with recurrent and/or refractory CLL. The objective of the current analysis was to determine whether improvements in treatment have had an impact on survival for patients with CLL. METHODS Three nonoverlapping, sequential groups of patients enrolled on Phase II studies who received treatment with F (n = 251 patients), FC (n = 111 patients), or FCR (n = 143 patients) were analyzed. Pretreatment characteristics, responses to treatment, and overall survival were compared. RESULTS Patients who were treated with FCR had a higher complete remission rate compared with patients who were treated with combined F and C or with F alone. Statistically significantly longer estimated median survival was noted for patients who received FCR. A Cox proportional hazards, multivariable model for overall survival that included all patients (n = 505) showed that patients who received FCR had longer survival (P < 0.0001) after adjusting for other significant (P < 0.05) pretreatment characteristics, including age, hemoglobin, β-2 microglobulin, and the number of prior treatments. CONCLUSIONS The results of this retrospective comparison of patients with recurrent and refractory CLL indicated a higher complete remission rate and the longest estimated survival for patients who were treated with FCR, providing the basis for randomized clinical trials of this regimen. Cancer 2006. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Report On ‘Generate and Select: An Expert-System-Derived, Active-Learning Approach for Teaching Organic Chemistry’

The faculty in a small, progressive chemistry department have joined to revise and redefine its undergraduate program. In this session, Dr. Scudder examined the consequences of these changes in the context of organic chemistry instruction as well as the nature of the change.
Electrophoretic karyotyping of the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

Summary Electrophoretic karyotyping of the two most widely studied strains of Phanerochaete chrysosporium, BKMF-1767 and ME-446, has been determined using transverse alternating field etectrophoresis. The genomic DNA of BKMF-1767 was resolved into 10 chromosomes ranging in size from 1.8–5.0 Mb, amounting to a total genome size of about 29 Mb. The genomic DNA of strain ME-446, on the other hand, was resolved into 11 chromosomes, amounting to a total genome size of about 32Mb. Lignin peroxidase genes have been localized to five chromosomes in strain BKMF-1767 and to four chromosomes in strain ME-446.
Accelerated test models with the inverse Gaussian distribution

Abstract A general family of three-parameter inverse Gaussian-type distributions is formulated which includes several models for the strength of general systems based on cumulative damage arguments. The models incorporate system size (or the “size effect”) as a known “acceleration” variable, so the family can be considered as inverse Gaussian accelerated test distributions. Some asymptotic inferential results for this family are developed and several special cases are considered. The results are illustrated and five specific models are compared based on their fits to carbon fiber tensile strength data.
Efficacy of telemedicine for stroke: pooled analysis of the Stroke Team Remote Evaluation Using a Digital Observation Camera (STRokE DOC) and STRokE DOC Arizona telestroke trials

Abstract Background and Purpose: Telemedicine can disseminate vascular neurology expertise and optimize recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) use for acute ischemic stroke in rural underserved communities. The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess whether telemedicine or telephone was superior for decision-making. Methods: The study design is a pooled analysis of two identically designed randomized controlled trials conducted in a multistate hub and spoke telestroke network setting with acute stroke syndrome patients, comparing telemedicine versus telephone-only consultations. From each trial, common data elements were pooled to assess, principally, for correctness of thrombolysis decision-making. Secondary outcomes included rt-PA use rate, 90-day functional outcome, post-thrombolysis intracranial hemorrhage, and data completeness. Results: Two hundred seventy-six pooled patients were evaluated. Correct thrombolysis eligibility decisions were made more often with telemedicine (96% t...
A theory for the diffusion of large molecules in amorphous polymers above Tg

A general theory of diffusion of large molecules in rubbery amorphous polymers is of interest for the scientific understanding and with regard to material design and process optimization. A broadly applicable model would be useful in developing controlled transport of plasticizers and other additives through polymeric substances. A diffusion model is presented which has been developed for large molecular penetrants above the Tg of the amorphous polymer allowing for required increase in redistribution of the free volume of the polymer structure, as well as the penetrant size and shape. Applicability of the model is demonstrated by comparing theoretically developed diffusion curves for DNOP and DNDP in PVC vs. their weight fractions at 82°C and 91°C. These theoretically derived plots are compared with experimental D vs. w1 curves for these systems generated at lower temperature.
Field-portable determination of polychlorinated biphenyls and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in soil using supercritical fluid extraction

Abstract A single SFE method for field extraction of PCBs and PAHs in soils was developed for use in combination with capillary GC-ECD or FID without the need for cleanup steps after extraction. The method involves 20-min extractions using pure CO2 at 150°C and 400 bar. GC analysis was performed with 15-min (PCBs) or 22-min (PAHs) temperature programs. The final analytical method was demonstrated in field experiments (with the use of portable power sources) at different waste sites and was shown to give results in excellent agreement with conventional laboratory Soxhlet extraction. The practical determination limits of the method (as concentrations of the 5-g soil samples) without any concentration or cleanup of the SFE extracts was 2≈200 ppb of individual PAHs and 2≈10 ppb of individual PCBs (2≈100 ppb of total PCB as Aroclor 1260) Since the SFE collection solvent was acetone, the extracts were compatible with enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). ELISA and GC-ECD determinations of PCBs as total Aroclors agreed within 2≈50% when ELISA was performed in the laboratory. However, ELISA failed to yield useable results when performed outdoors under field conditions.