cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cessation age of childhood myopia progression.

Afin de caracteriser les relations de la progression de la myopie avec l'âge au cours de l'enfance et chez les jeunes adultes, les auteurs ont classe subjectivement les ametropies en fonction de l'âge pour la stabilisation, la continuation et l'acceleration de la myopie. Il semblerait que les mecanismes de progression de la myopie chez l'enfant et le jeune adulte soient differents
CCCD: Concolic code clone detection

Code clones are multiple code fragments that produce similar results when provided the same input. Prior research has shown that clones can be harmful since they elevate maintenance costs, increase the number of bugs caused by inconsistent changes to cloned code and may decrease programmer compre-hensibility due to the increased size of the code base. To assist in the detection of code clones, we propose a new tool known as Concolic Code Clone Discovery (CCCD). CCCD is the first known clone detection tool that uses concolic analysis as its primary component and is one of only three known techniques which are able to reliably detect the most complicated kind of clones, type-4 clones.
As-Built Information Model for Bridge Maintenance

The transportation infrastructure is key to economic development in the United States. Providing a high level of serviceability through periodic inspection and maintenance is important in keeping the transportation system operational and in avoiding major replacement efforts. Of particular importance is the inventory of bridges in the national transportation infrastructure, due to their high cost and direct impact on public safety. The focus of this paper is on information management in support of bridge maintenance functions. Particularly, the research project discussed in the paper addresses the need for inclusion of construction as-built data in the bridge management database along with the periodic inspection and maintenance data. Attention to this type of data has been lacking. Therefore, the paper promotes bridge as-built data, discusses its role in bridge management, and demonstrates the proper design of an as-built information management model and system that is integrated with existing standard bridge management systems such as Pontis.
A RASopathy gene commonly mutated in cancer: the neurofibromatosis type 1 tumour suppressor

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a cancer predisposition syndrome, and somatic NF1 mutations are also common in tumours. The neurofibromin protein (encoded by NF1) is a RAS GTPase-activating protein that activates RAS–MAPK signalling when lost. This Review discusses NF1 disease, neurofibromin signalling pathways and recent developments in NF1 therapeutics.
Microwave Distillation−Solid Phase Adsorbent Trapping Device for the Determination of Off-Flavors, Geosmin and Methylisoborneol, in Catfish Tissue below Their Rejection Levels

Described is a rapid microwave-mediated steam distillation device for determining two predominant off-flavor compounds, geosmin and methylisoborneol, in catfish tissue. A microwave on-time of 10 min is needed to efficiently remove these off-flavor compounds from the sample matrix and trap them on a solid phase adsorbent. A minimal amount of organic solvent is used to elute the trapped compounds. The extract is then analyzed by gas chromatography with ion trap detection in the selective ion storage mode. Detection limits in the sub-parts-per-billion range are obtained with this method.
Binding of chloroquine to DNA

Abstract Three diverse mechanisms have been proposed to explain the antimalarial activity of chloroquine: binding to DNA, binding to hemin, or alkalinizing parasite lysosomes. In order to assess the importance of DNA binding, we have measured the affinity of DNA for chloroquine by equilibrium dialysis using tritiated chloroquine. The dissociation constant of the DNA-chloroquine complex varied from 27 μM to 2.6 mM, depending on the ionic strength of the buffer. Our results suggest that chloroquine binding to DNA is highly dependent on salt concentration. Nevertheless, because of the large number of sites present, binding to parasite DNA may still account for the antimalarial activity of chloroquine.
Determining fish avoidance of polluted water

A critical evaluation is given of material and methods to be used for the study of behavioral responses of fish towards polluted water. Experiments with Fathead minnows in a steep gradient of hypochlorite are described and discussed. Methods leading towards standarization of fish avoidance reactions are advocated.
Clinician Variation in Rates of Legal Sanity Opinions: Implications for Self-Monitoring.

How often do forensic psychologists find that a defendant meets criteria for legal sanity? Do clinicians vary in terms of how frequently they offer opinions supportive of insanity? If so, how might a conscientious clinician determine whether unusually high or low rates of insanity opinions reflect bias? The authors present the first available data regarding how individual clinicians vary in rates of insanity opinions, drawing from 59 clinicians who conducted 4,498 evaluations. Most clinicians found 5%-25% of defendants met criteria for legal insanity. However, some clinicians opined that no defendants met criteria for legal insanity, whereas others opined that as many as 50% of defendants did. The authors (a) provide suggestions to help practicing clinical-forensic psychologists monitor their patterns of psycholegal opinions and (b) examine carefully whether unusual rates may reflect clinician bias.
Delayed onset of post–rabies vaccination encephalitis

A 31-year-old veterinarian developed seizures, left hemiparesis, loss of memory, and behavioral disorders 5 months after intensive antirabies vaccination, the longest incubation period yet recorded. Computed tomographic scan revealed a right frontal contrastenhanced mass that extended to the left frontal lobe through the corpus callosum. Brain biopsy showed foci of primary demyelination largely confined to the white matter. The lesions were characteristic of the demyelinating encephalomyelitis that follows treatment with certain vaccines against rabies. The hemiplegia improved, but seizures, memory impairment, and abnormal behavior persisted.
Strains and clones of Trypanosoma cruzi differ in their expression of a surface antigen identified by a monoclonal antibody

Four Trypanosoma cruzi strains and 50 clones derived from a total of 10 strains were assayed with a monoclonal antibody, WIC 29.26 Ab, for expression of an epitope previously demonstrated to be on the carbohydrate portion of a 72 000 Da surface glycoprotein of Y strain epimastigotes. WIC 29.26 Ab bound to only 2 of the 4 strains and 23 of the 50 clones tested. A group of 10 cloned isolates from one strain contained both reactive and non-reactive clones. Competitive inhibition studies with soluble extracts of the reactive and non-reactive isolates suggested that in addition to being absent from the surface membrane, the antigenic determinant is not synthesized by the non-reactive parasites. These data indicate that the epitope recognized by WIC 29.26 Ab is not present on all T. cruzi epimastigotes, and provide the first demonstration of clone-specific differences in a parasite antigen detected by a monoclonal antibody. No correlation was found between the reactivity of isolates with WIC 29.26 Ab and the previously investigated parameters of growth rate and modal volume.
Writing in business courses: an analysis of assignment types, their characteristics, and required skills

Abstract This study categorized writing assignments required in undergraduate and graduate business courses and examined the characteristics of as well as skills needed for completing the assignments. Data sources included 95 course syllabi and handouts on writing assignments, 12 student writing samples, and six interviews with business faculty. Data analysis indicated that writing assignments required of students encompassed both general academic and discipline specific genres. Further, analysis of the disciplinary genres indicated that they were problem-solving oriented, were designed to initiate students into the real business world, and required students to utilize a variety of problem-solving tools and information sources. Data analysis also indicated that performing the disciplinary genres required strong analytical, problem-solving, persuasive, rhetorical, and teamwork skills. Implications of the findings for EAP writing instruction are discussed.
1H and 13C NMR studies of a truncated heme domain from Chlorella vulgaris nitrate reductase: Signal assignment of the heme moiety

A water soluble truncated heme domain (a tetramer of MW = 45 kDa) of the tetrameric nitrate reductase complex from the green alga Chlorella vulgaris has been overexpressed and purified. This truncated heme domain with four identical subunits has a high redox potential (midpoint potential E1/2 = +16 mV) as compared with other heme-containing flavoproteins. We have undertaken a determination of the detailed configuration of the heme moiety in order to understand the unique electrochemical property of the heme moiety of this enzyme. We report here the study of the heme prosthetic group of the truncated heme domain by the use of 2D 1H and 13C NMR techniques. A complete signal assignment of the heme has been achieved. Our observations suggest that the heme configuration is similar to that of the crystal structure of the membrane-bound bovine liver cytochrome b5.
Nd-Sr isotopic provenance analysis of Upper Cretaceous Great Valley fore-arc sandstones

The provenance of fore-arc sandstones of the Upper Cretaceous Great Valley Group was investigated by using measurements of Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotope ratios and major and trace element concentrations. The objective was to elucidate the erosional history of the adjacent Sierra Nevada arc and its relation to magmatism and fore-arc sedimentation. Relatively detailed provenance information is obtainable because the currently exposed plutonic rocks of the arc (and, by inference, the Cretaceous volcanic rocks) have large geographic gradients in isotopic composition, mainly from west to east across the arc. The relation of ϵ Nd to ϵ Sr and to major and trace elements in Great Valley sandstones is the same as in the plutonic rocks of the Sierra Nevada; this observation confirms that the arc was the primary source of sediment and that the chemistry of the detritus was not significantly disturbed by sedimentary processes. With decreasing ϵ Nd , there is an increase in K 2 O, Rb, Pb, Ba, La, and U, and MgO, Ni, and Cr decrease. The ϵ Nd of sandstones decreases with decreasing depositional age from -0.7 to -5.0 in 97 to 73 Ma strata. The ϵ Nd and age of the sandstones closely match those of the plutonic rocks of the Sierra Nevada. This observation indicates that the location of the mean sandstone source and the active volcanic front were nearly coincident in time and space; thus, the isotopic compositions of the sandstones directly record the temporal and geographic variations in arc magmatism. The volcanic "roof" of the Sierra Nevada arc was evidently chemically and isotopically equivalent to its plutonic roots. Prearc metasedimentary rocks did not significantly contribute to the isotopic or geochemical composition of the fore-arc sandstones.
Kosterlitz-Thouless Superfluid Transition for Helium in Packed Powders

A model is presented for the Kosterlitz-Thouless superfluid transition of helium films adsorbed on the surface of a sphere. As the sphere diameter is reduced to grain sizes used in experiments the sharp "jump" to zero of the areal superfluid density is broadened and becomes continuous. The model is applied to third-sound measurements in packed alumina powders, and values of the core energy and core radius of the paired vortices are extracted.
A search for an anticorrelation between H2O and O3 in the lower mesosphere

[1] We have looked for the expected anticorrelation between H2O and O3 in the lower mesosphere using data from HALOE and a simple one-dimensional photochemical model. We use the fractional difference between the model and the data (ΔO3/O3) as a measure of the goodness of the fit of the model to the data. The model is run for each of over 1000 days of HALOE measurements from 30° S–30° N and from 1992–1999. Despite the 10% changes in upper stratospheric H2O which were observed during this period, we detect no significant ozone change in response to this H2O variability. Indeed, in the 2.0–0.4 mb region, the model error is lower when the water vapor is arbitrarily assumed to be invariant. Further, when H2O variability is considered, (ΔO3/O3) anticorrelates with H2O but not the temperature and solar flux. From this we conclude that the temperature and solar flux dependence are fairly well modeled and that the model error is due to the representation of the ozone dependence upon H2O in the model. Our results suggest that ozone near the stratopause is surprisingly insensitive to variations in H2O. If true, this insensitivity may make easier the observation of ozone recovery in the upper stratosphere due to declining chlorine. This result should also be considered when assessing the response of upper stratospheric ozone to increases in stratospheric humidity.
Current methods for the rapid diagnosis of bioterrorism-related infectious agents

Bioterrorism is the calculated use of violence against civilians to attain political, religious, or ideologic goals using weapons of biological warfare. Bioterrorism is of particular concern because these weapons can be manufactured with ease and do not require highly sophisticated technology. Moreover, biologic agents can be delivered and spread easily and can effect a large population and geographic area. The terrorist attacks occurring around the world necessitate society's continued investment in adequate defense against these unpredictable and irrational events. Language: en
Innovations and Adaptations of Assertive Community Treatment

Thirty years after the development and initial evaluation of assertive community treatment (ACT; Stein & Test, 1980), the model has now become a cornerstone of treatment for adults with severe ment...
The Nature of Archaeological Explanation

We argue that the development and use of law-like statements by archaeologists to explain characteristics of the archaeological record has been and should continue to be one of the most important goals of archaeological research. Using a model for explanation developed by the philosophers of science, Carl Hempel and Paul Oppenheim, we indicate the role of such statements in archaeological classification. However, in archaeology such statements are found to be implicit, untested, and extremely general in referent. We further argue that the testing of potential laws requires a shift from an inductive procedure, or from one in which undirected data collection forms the first and the "abstraction" of laws from data forms the last research step, to a deductive procedure in which the explicit formulation of potential laws and their empirical consequences precedes and directs the collection of data.
When Sense is Not Common: Alternatives to Hierarchy at Work

Alternative, non-hierarchical working arrangements often 'degenerate' over time into ordinary hierarchies. The argument is often made that this degeneration proves that hierarchy is superior as an organizational form. This paper argues instead that one reason for such phenomena is the very ordinariness of hierarchy at work, its commonsense character. Members of a work setting construct common sense situationally, and do so with taken-for-granted assumptions of hierarchy-as-normal. Thus, they achieve a hierarchy without trying. New 'forms' of common sense are required for the viability of non-hierarchical working arrangements.
Skp2B stimulates mammary gland development by inhibiting REA, the repressor of the estrogen receptor.

Skp2 is an F-box protein that associates with the SCF complex designated the SCFSKP2 complex, which is involved in the ubiquitination of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 (5, 20). We previously reported the existence of a splice variant of Skp2 that we named Skp2B (7), and we will therefore refer to them herein as Skp2A and Skp2B, respectively. The C-terminal domain of Skp2A is encoded by exon 10 and is important for the stabilization of its interaction with the SCF complex (18) and binding to p27 (9). Exon 10 is however absent from Skp2B and replaced by exon 11, resulting in a different C-terminal domain (7). As a consequence, Skp2A and Skp2B have distinct substrate specificities, and Skp2B does not affect p27 (7, 17). Skp2B is frequently overexpressed in breast cancer (17); however, its function remains unknown. The development of the mammary gland is dependent on the action of estrogen and progesterone (11). The majority of the development of the mammary gland takes place after birth (12). The mammary gland of newborn mice is composed of a rudimentary ductal tree connected to the nipple but otherwise is a duct-free fat pad. At puberty (∼3 weeks of age), ovarian hormones provoke ductal elongation characterized by the presence of specialized structures termed terminal end buds (TEBs) at the tips of the growing ducts (12). Once the growing ducts reach the end of the fat pad, the TEBs disappear. As the ducts extend, they also become progressively branched. The mature mammary gland remains dormant until the hormonal stimulus of pregnancy provokes lobuloalveolar development. After weaning, the alveolar epithelium undergoes a massive wave of apoptosis, provoking the involution of the mammary glands, which resume to an appearance similar to that of the pubertal ductal tree of a virgin animal. The mammary glands of adult estrogen receptor (ER) knockout mice fail to undergo development and resemble those of newborn mice (6). The best-characterized function of the ER is as a transcriptional factor, which is highly regulated by binding to coactivators and corepressors. Among the corepressors, the repressor of ER activity (REA) was recently shown to have a profound effect on the development of the mammary gland (14, 15). REA heterozygote mice display accelerated invasion of the fat pad and development of the mammary gland during pregnancy, which is associated with an increase in the ER activity (15). Here, we show that Skp2B interacts with REA and that Skp2B overexpression results in a decrease in REA levels. Further, we show that the mammary glands of MMTV-Skp2B transgenic mice display a phenotype closely related to that observed for REA heterozygote mice. Our data suggest that Skp2B represents a novel regulator of the ER and that Skp2B overexpression in primary breast cancer may play a significant role in breast cancer.
The topography of the mesencephalic and pontine projections from the cingulate cortex of the rat

A projection from the rat midline cortex to the midbrain and pons has been recognized for several years. The present study is a detailed analysis of this projection using the autoradiographic technique. Small injections of [3H]amino acids were placed within individual segments of the cingulate cortex in 68 rats. The resulting material reaffirmed the existence of the cingulo-brainstem projections and demonstrated that a precise topographical relationship exists between the cingulate cortex cells of origin and their termination fields within the brainstem. The most ventral and anterior segment of the cortex (IRaa) projects to the ventral periaqueductal gray, to the dorso-medial ventral pontine nuclei and to the lateral tegmental region. Conversely, the dorso-anterior cortex (IRca) projects to the superior colliculus, the dorso-lateral periaqueductal gray, and the medio-ventral ventral pontine nuclei. The intermediate anterior cortex projects to both dorsal and ventral periaqueductal gray, lightly to the superior colliculus, and to the medio-intermediate ventral pontine nuclei. The posterior half of the infraradiata (IR) cortex projects to the dorso-lateral periaqueductal gray, to the superior colliculus, and to the region of the ventral pontine nuclei slightly lateral to the terminal zone occupied by the anterior IR cortex. Increasingly dorsal segments of the IR beta cortex project to more increasingly ventral areas of the ventral nuclei. The posterior portion of the midline cortex (retrosplenial cortex, R) does not project to the dorsal midbrain, but it does topographically project to the ventral pontine nuclei, lateral to the terminal zone of the IR axons. Increasingly, posterior regions of the R cortex project to more lateral regions of the ventral nuclei, and increasingly, dorsal cells of the R cortex project to more dorsal regions of the ventral nuclei. These data demonstrate a very precise topography of brainstem projections which may underlie the visceral and somatic motor functions of the cingulate cortex, as well as the ability of the cingulate cortex to modulate sensory information and emotional behavior.
USE OF CARBON FOILS FOR HEAVY-ION STRIPPERS.

Abstract The lifetime of carbon foils when bombarded by high-density heavy-ion beams is increased if the foil is kept at a high temperature.
Abortion, personhood, and vagueness

The importance of the concept of personhood in the current legislative battle over abortion was underscored by several days of Congressional hearings specifically addressing the question of when fetuses 1 become persons. ~ With few notable exceptions the personhood controversy remains the pivotal issue in the philosophical debates on abortion, s The majority opinion in the court case which now sets the legal precedent regarding abortion, on the other hand, did not consider the personhood question to be central to its decision. 4 Writing for the majority in this case Justice Blackmun states,
Single nucleotide polymorphisms and inherited risk of chronic lymphocytic leukemia among African Americans

The incidence of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is significantly lower in African Americans than whites, but overall survival is inferior. The biologic basis for these observations remains unexplored. We hypothesized that germline genetic predispositions differ between African Americans and whites with CLL and yield inferior clinical outcomes among African Americans. We examined a discovery cohort of 42 African American CLL patients ascertained at Duke University and found that the risk allele frequency of most single nucleotide polymorphisms known to confer risk of development for CLL is significantly lower among African Americans than whites. We then confirmed our results in a distinct cohort of 68 African American patients ascertained by the CLL Research Consortium. These results provide the first evidence supporting differential genetic risk for CLL between African Americans compared with whites. A fuller understanding of differential genetic risk may improve prognostication and therapeutic decision making for all CLL patients.
Impact of Hot Carriers on Dram Circuits

Hot carrier stress degradation in MOSFETs is well known but its impact on DRAM circuit functionality has not been thoroughly investigated. In this paper observed DRAM degradation with stress is related to the actual transistor level degradation. It is shown here that the transistor saturation drain current is a good monitor of the DRAM Access Time, while the Precharge Time and the Refresh Time can be related respectively to degradations in the transistor's linear drive current and the saturation region subthreshold current. As concluded in this paper, transistor parameters other than just Vt and gm need to be monitored with hot carrier stress to understand the full impact on DRAM circuit functionality.
The Diverter Pole Generator

This paper describes a new type of generator developed to overcome certain limitations inherent in the shunt and the compound generator, when used for charging batteries by the constant potential, the modified constant potential, and the floating methods.
Treatment of primary gastric lymphoma and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) is an uncommon malignancy that is increasing in incidence and represents approximately 2% to 7% of primary gastric malignancies. In the United States there will be an estimated 22,400 cases of gastric malignancy in 1997, which indicates an estimated 448 to 1,568 new cases of gastric lymphoma will occur. Primary gastric lymphoma is defined as an extranodal lymphoma arising in the stomach and is the most common site of extranodal lymphoma. PGL can spread to regional lymph nodes and become disseminated. Most primary gastric lymphomas are B cell in origin although occasional cases of T-cell and Hodgkin’s lymphoma are seen. Secondary gastric lymphoma indicates involvement of the stomach as a part of a diffuse lymphoma arising elsewhere. In an autopsy series, patients that died of disseminated non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) had involvement of the gastrointestinal tract in 50% to 60% of cases. Tertiary gastric lymphoma is recurrent lymphoma involving the stomach after treatment of a nodal lymphoma and is uncommon. STAGING AND GRADING The Ann Arbor staging system was initially described for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but it is commonly applied to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This system is shown in Table 1. Staging of gastric lymphoma based upon the Ann Arbor system includes stage IE, which is disease limited to the stomach without nodal spread. Stage IIE1 is tumor in the stomach with spread to adjacent contiguous lymph nodes. Stage IIE2 is tumor in the stomach with spread to lymph nodes that are noncontiguous with the primary tumor. In 1994 Shimodaira and colleagues proposed a staging system for PGL based on the principles of the TNM system. This system is shown in Table 2. The T stage is based on the depth of invasion with invasion of adjacent organs included as a staging factor. The N stage is based on the pattern of nodal spread and takes into consideration the noncontiguous nature of nodal spread. The M stage indicates distant or disseminated disease. Division into stage I through stage IV shows significant prognostic value. Although this system is designed for primary gastric lymphoma, a major deficit is the lack of a variable in the system to account for tumor grade that has been Received March 3, 1998; Accepted for publication April 17, 1998. From the Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY. Correspondence address: Jeff Stephens, MD, 3600 Gaston Avenue, Wadley Tower, Suite 958, Dallas, Texas 75246.
MEPSIS - Minimal electric propulsion systems for interplanetary spacecraft.

Minimal electric propulsion systems for interplanetary spacecraft, discussing payload, reduced trip time and low thrust systems for Jupiter flyby
Nonlinear regulation: The piecewise linear approach

This paper approaches nonlinear control problems through the use of (discrete-time) piecewise linear systems. These are systems whose next-state and output maps are both described by PL maps, i.e., by maps which are affine on each of the components of a finite polyhedral partition. Various results on state and output feedback, observers, and inverses, standard for linear systems, are proved for PL systems. Many of these results are then used in the study of more general (both discrete- and continuous-time) systems, using suitable approximations.
Di-μ-iodido-bis­[(biphenyl-2-yl)(triphenyl­phosphane-κP)palladium(II)]

In the title compound, [Pd2(C12H9)2I2(C18H15P)2], the dimeric complex mol­ecule lies about an inversion center. The Pd⋯I⋯Pd bridges are slightly asymmetric, with Pd—I distances of 2.6709 (6) and 2.7486 (7) A. The metal atom has a slightly puckered square-planar CI2P environment, the largest deviation from the least-squares plane being 0.143 (8) A.
Baseline thyroid indices and the subsequent response to citalopram treatment, a pilot study

The lack of reliable outcome predictors and the delayed onset of therapeutic response to antidepressants are among the clinical challenges in the treatment of depression. Identifying clinical correlates associated with antidepressant response would reduce symptom severity and morbidity for patients with depression. Twenty-three subjects with major depression were treated with citalopram 20 mg/day in a 6-week open trial and were also simultaneously randomized to either adjunctive triiodothyronine (T3) 25 μg BID (n = 7), pindolol 5 mg BID (n = 8), or placebo (n = 8). Baseline thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), FT4, FT3, and TT3 were measured for potential relationships to treatment response across groups. In males only, there was a significant inverse correlation between baseline free T4 and time to response (r = −0.7, P = 0.034). In both males and females across all treatment conditions, as measured by Kaplan–Meier (K–M) maintenance failure time, baseline TSH below the mean (1.5 ng/dL) was associated with a shorter time to response (50% reduction in Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] score) (χ2 = 4.53, df = 1, P = 0.03). Patients with baseline TSH above the mean were less likely to reach full remission (MADRS ≤ 7) (χ2 = 4.38, df = 1, P = 0.03). No significant differences between groups emerged in the mean response time. Baseline thyroid function, as measured by serum free T4 and TSH, may predict a patient's response time to antidepressant treatment with citalopram.
Effect of bar-code-assisted medication administration on medication administration errors and accuracy in multiple patient care areas

Purpose. The effect of a commercially available bar-code-assisted medication administration (BCMA) technology on six indicators of medication administration accuracy and nine types of medication administration errors in distinct patient care areas were studied. Methods. This prospective, before-and-after, observational study was conducted in two medical–surgical units, one medical intensive care unit (ICU), and one surgical ICU of a 386-bed academic teaching hospital. Nursing staff were observed administering medications one month before and three months after implementation of BCMA technology. Observations were conducted by two pharmacists and four pharmacy students on weekdays and weekends. Medication administration accuracy was measured using the accuracy indicator of the California Nursing Outcomes Coalition. Results. The majority of medication administrations occurred during the 9 a.m. medication round. After BCMA implementation in the medical–surgical units, improved adherence to patient identification policies was observed, but more distractions of the nursing staff occurred and the medications administered were less frequently explained to the patient. Although an increase in wrong-time errors was observed in the medical–surgical units, the total number of medication errors did not change. When wrong-time errors were excluded, the rate of medication errors decreased by 58%. In the ICUs, the charting of medication administration improved after BCMA implementation, but total medication errors and wrong-time errors did not change. Conclusion. Implementing BCMA technology decreased medication administration errors in medical–surgical units but not in ICUs when time errors were excluded. BCMA technology affected different types of medication administration errors in different patient care areas.
The locomotion of Chamaeleo (Reptilia: Sauria) with particular reference to the forelimb

This study examines adaptation for arboreal locomotion in the Old World chamaeleon, Chamaeleo. The locomotor behaviour of three species of Chamaeleo is compared with that of Agama agama, a generalized terrestrial lizard. Cine films of normal locomotion were analysed for differences in gait, lateral undulation, excursion of the shoulder girdle, humeral excursion and forelimb orientation. Chamaeleons are highly specialized arboreal lizards inhabiting the maze of small diameter perches in the tree canopy or bush. This habitat poses two behavioural challenges for the animal-movement along perches narrower than the body and crossing the open space between perches. Chamaeleons exhibit locomotor specialization for this structural habitat in: (i) the adoption of a slow, stable perch-walking gait; (ii) increased mobility in the shoulder region which permits them to use slow acrobatic manoeuvres to turn and change perches and (iii) the substitution of limb and girdle excursion in the sagittal plane for lateral undulation and humeral abduction/adduction in the horizontal plane. Lateral undulation in generalized lizards contributes to step length by rotation of the girdle and limb in the horizontal plane. Undulation is responsible for about 24% of the step length in Agama, but only 6% of the step in Chamaeleo. A specialized gait rhythm and the more vertical limb orientation are principally responsible for limiting the contribution of undulation to the step in Chamaeleo. In Chamaeleo excursion of the girdle relative to the body wall is substituted for lateral undulation. The shoulder joint displaces through 14 mm and 33° relative to a point on the dorsal midline, and about 40% of the step length is created by excursion of the shoulder girdle. In Agama the girdle is fixed, and this movement does not exist. The substitution of girdle excursion for lateral undulation in Chamaeleo provides for more excursion in the proximal limb, requires less excursion of the trunk relative to the perch and requires less stereotypy in limb position. The antero-posterior arc of glenohumeral movement in Chamaeleo can be more than twice as long than that of Agama. In Agama the humerus operates largely behind the glenohumeral joint. In Chamaeleo the humerus is routinely protracted into the quadrant anteroventral to the glenoid, and in acrobatic manoeuvres the humerus can be placed almost anywhere in the anteroventral or lower portion of the anterodorsal quadrant. This extremely long reach contributes to the long step of perch-walking and is critical in slow acrobatic manoeuvres in which the animal reaches between perches. In perch-walking the chamaeleon humerus is abducted only 25° from the sagittal plane. In Agama, by contrast, most of the humeral arc occurs within 25° of the horizontal plane through the shoulder joint. The more sagittal limb arc in Chamaeleo permits the animal to: (i) exert forces downward and parallel to a narrow perch and (ii) combine sagittal excursion of the girdle with that of the limb to achieve particularly long antero-posterior arcs of movement.
The enumeration of arrays and a generalization related to contingency tables

Abstract New methods are described for enumerating arrays, and for a generalization that is required for a Bayesian analysis of contingency tables. Exact and approximate formulate are given, together with some number-theoretic results.
Peroxisome Proliferator Activator Receptor γ Coactivator-1 Expression Is Reduced in Obesity POTENTIAL PATHOGENIC ROLE OF SATURATED FATTY ACIDS AND p38 MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE ACTIVATION

Peroxisome proliferator activator receptor-γ coactivator 1 (PGC-1) is a major candidate gene for diabetes-related metabolic phenotypes, contributing to decreased expression of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes in muscle and adipose tissue. We have demonstrated that muscle expression of PGC-1α and -β is reduced in both genetic (Lepob/Lepob) and acquired obesity (high fat diet). In C57BL6 mice, muscle PGC-1α expression decreased by 43% (p
P2P Trust Model: The Resource Chain Model

As is well known, computer security has been given more attention; many mechanisms have been developed to increase P2P security like encryption, sandboxing, reputation, and firewall. Among those technologies, reputation mechanism as an active method is especially useful to automatically record, analyze and adjust peers' reputation, trust, histories among the different peers, and this method is suitable for our anonymous and dynamic P2P environment. Therefore, reputation-based trust mechanism is a secure enough reputation system. In this paper, we present a new reputation-based trust management model to prevent the spread of malicious content in the open community using a resource chain model. The main idea of the resource chain model is using a routing table to record the information of nodes' credibility and their recommending nodes' credibility. Therefore, using this model can help us to find the best and safest resource location efficiently and decrease the number of malicious transactions.
Painful and petechial rash after injecting black tar heroin

A painful petechial rash developed in a patient after the subcutaneous or intravenous injection of reported black tar heroin. Additional history and the appearance of the skin lesion suggested otherwise.
Measurement of photonic band-gap fiber transmission from 1.0 to 3.0 /spl mu/m and impact of surface mode coupling

We report the measurement of a 475-nm wide transmission window of a photonic band-gap fiber using a FT-IR measurement technique. A comparison between measurement and theory demonstrates the impact of surface modes on fiber transmission.
Dynamic modeling of Internet traffic for intrusion detection

Computer network traffic is analyzed via state space models and statistical techniques such as linear and nonlinear canonical correlation analyses and mutual information. As an application, the models and the statistical techniques are utilized to detect UDP flooding attacks. This work indicates that mutual information is a powerful tool for the detection of such attacks. Our approach is topology independent and our findings are tested on the so-called dumbbell and parking-lot topologies.
Outcomes of High-Dose-Rate Interstitial Brachytherapy in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: Long-term Results

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine locoregional control (LRC), disease-free survival (DFS), and toxicity of high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDR-ISBT) in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods and Materials Between March 1996 and May 2009, 116 patients with cervical cancer were treated. Of these, 106 (91%) patients had advanced disease (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIB-IVA). Ten patients had stage IB, 48 had stage II, 51 had stage III, and 7 had stage IVA disease. All patients were treated with a combination of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) to the pelvis (5040 cGy) and 2 applications of HDR-ISBT to a dose of 3600 cGy to the implanted volume. Sixty-one percent of patients also received interstitial hyperthermia, and 94 (81%) patients received chemotherapy. Results Clinical LRC was achieved in 99 (85.3%) patients. Three-year DFS rates were 59%, 67%, 71%, and 57% for patients with stage IB, II, III, and IVA disease, respectively. The 5-year DFS and overall survival rates for the entire group were 60% and 44%, respectively. Acute and late toxicities were within acceptable limits. Conclusions Locally advanced cervical cancer patients for whom intracavitary BT is unsuitable can achieve excellent LRC and OS with a combination of EBRT and HDR-ISBT.
Provisioning Link Layer Proportional Service Differentiation in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks with MIMO links

In this paper, we present a collision free MAC protocol for wireless ad-hoc networks with multiple input multiple output (MIMO) links. The proposed MAC protocol provides proportional service differentiation to various classes of traffic based on their respective bandwidth demands. It exploits the spatial multiplexing and interference suppression capability of MIMO links in order to activate multiple links in the same collision domain. Simulation results show that the proposed MAC protocol achieves strict fairness in maintaining the proportional service differentiation among contending links. Then we introduce the concept of proportional fairness deviation which can be used as a tuning knob for assigning the leftover bandwidth to different traffic classes in proportion to their differentiation parameters. This tuning knob will adjust the quality of service assigned to users in a particular traffic class for a specific cost.
Fasting as a penitential rite: a biblical phenomenon?

In the opening decades of the twentieth century, several ethnologists became interested in the phenomenon of fasting. They found, in the words of one study, that “the custom of fasting is wide-spread among peoples at very different stages of civilization, and is practiced for a variety of purposes.” The impulse to order such multifarious data led later scholars to construct systems of classification. One such attempt describes the motivations for fasting as follows: “it may be an act of penitence or of propitiation; a preparatory rite before some act of sacramental eating or an initiation; a mourning ceremony; one of a series of purification rites; a means of inducing dreams and visions; a method of adding force to magical rites.”
Silicate contamination on ceramic IC packages and its effect on lid adhesion properties

This paper presents a case history of a packaging failure that was caused by contamination introduced in one of the processes on the assembly line. Results of the failure analysis via the use of the X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) for contamination at various stages of the Ceramic Pin Grid Array (CPGA) packaging assembly process, and an analysis of the contact angles obtained from the ceramic substrate surface to indicate wettability are presented.
The evolutionary forest algorithm

Motivation: Gene genealogies offer a powerful context for inferences about the evolutionary process based on presently segregating DNA variation. In many cases, it is the distribution of population parameters, marginalized over the effectively infinite-dimensional tree space, that is of interest. Our evolutionary forest (EF) algorithm uses Monte Carlo methods to generate posterior distributions of population parameters. A novel feature is the updating of parameter values based on a probability measure defined on an ensemble of histories (a forest of genealogies), rather than a single tree. Results: The EF algorithm generates samples from the correct marginal distribution of population parameters. Applied to actual data from closely related fruit fly species, it rapidly converged to posterior distributions that closely approximated the exact posteriors generated through massive computational effort. Applied to simulated data, it generated credible intervals that covered the actual parameter values in accordance with the nominal probabilities. Availability: A C++ implementation of this method is freely accessible at http://www.isds.duke.edu/~scl13 Contact: scotland@stat.duke.edu
The effects of carrier gas composition on the performance of the Tec 6 desflurane vaporizer

The new Tec 6 desflurane vaporizer is an electrically heated, pressurized, electromechanically coupled dual-circuit blender. We hypothesized that carrier gas viscosity should affect the electromechanical coupling of the fresh gas and vapor circuits, and that desflurane output should vary with different carrier gases. In the first portion of the study, the performance of eight vaporizers was evaluated using a constant dial setting of 10% desflurane with four different carrier gases and three different fresh gas flow rates. In the second portion of the study, the carrier gas flow rate was maintained at 1, 5, or 10 L/min, and vaporizer output was analyzed at all integer dial settings from 1% to 18%. Vaporizer output was highest when oxygen was the carrier gas and lowest when nitrous oxide was the carrier gas. This effect was accentuated at low fresh gas flow rates and correlated with carrier gas viscosity. At a flow rate of 1.0 L/min with a constant dial setting of 10%, the averaged output from vaporizers was 10.3 +/- 0.66, 9.4 +/- 0.58, 8.7 +/- 0.52, and 8.1 +/- 0.44 vol% for 100% oxygen, air, 30% oxygen plus 70% nitrous oxide, and 100% nitrous oxide, respectively. With 100% nitrous oxide as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.0 L/min, the vaporizer delivered 2 vol% less than the dial setting at dial settings in excess of 12%. Differences between the analyzed concentration and the dial setting were most pronounced with high concentrations of nitrous oxide at low fresh gas flow rates.
Candida Pericarditis and Tamponade in a Patient With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

•Candidapericarditis and tamponade developed in a patient with sterile purulent pericarditis secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus. Therapy with amphotericin B and properly timed surgical intervention led to a clinical and microbiological cure. This article emphasizes the importance of differentiating an infected pericardial effusion from the sterile pericarditis of systemic lupus erythematosus and provides suggested guidelines for the management of that complication. (Arch Intern Med1988;148:715-717)
Settling time specifications: phase or frequency?

The tuning speed of frequency synthesizers is usually specified by either phase or frequency setting. This paper shows that in frequency hopping systems (with FSK type of modulation) phase settling characteristics correspond to system performance better than frequency settling characteristics. This paradoxical condition is discussed in three ways: (1) a simulation compares frequency and phase settling to system performance, (2) intuitive explanations are developed, (because one cannot accept mathematical proof unless it makes sense), and (3) confirmation by mathematical analysis is presented. Finally, phase settling specifications are discussed. >
Probabilistic Analysis of a Comb-Drive Actuator

In the present paper, we discuss about design methodology to study the reliability of a microelectromechanical systems device. The proposed methodology was illustrated for design of a comb-drive actuator. In particular, effect of variations introduced in the design parameters due to the fabrication process and their impact on reliability of a comb-drive actuator is reviewed in detail. We use Crystal Ball® (Decisioneering, Inc., 2000), a probabilistic analysis tool to analyze the performance of comb-drive actuator. The present method requires an analytical model or transfer function derived using experimental data to study the variation in output due to variations in input parameters. We developed an analytical model for displacement of actuator and verified the analytical model using finite element model. This analytical model was used to study the variation in displacement of comb-drive actuator. This methodology uses a combination detailed experimental studies done to establish fabrication limitations or capabilities. The analysis and final design selection was based on a combination of Crystal Ball® studies and fabrication constraints. The same methodology could be extended to study the reliability of MEMS sensors and actuators due to variations on process parameters.
Turbo equalizations for sparse channels

Turbo equalization scheme provides nearly optimal performance but when it is employed in sparse multipath channel environments, the equalizer complexity can prohibit its use and develops a parallel trellis n-tap maximum a posteriori (MAP) equalizer, which can consider n dominant taps of sparse channels in the trellis with reasonable complexity. It is shown that turbo equalizations employing n-tap MAP equalizer can achieve nearly the same asymptotic performance of optimal maximum likelihood (ML) detector assuming perfect intersymbol interference (ISI) cancellation which is required for n-tap MAP. We also propose a tap allocation scheme for time-varying minimum mean squared error (MMSE) equalizer which can significantly reduce complexity and provide good tracking performance in time-varying channels.
The Effect of Poverty on America's Families Assessing Our Research Knowledge

The study of American poverty represents a major field of research within the academic and policy communities. Yet, it was not until 1964 that the United States began to officially measure poverty. This review examines what we have learned over the past four decades regarding the effect of poverty on America's families. The following five substantive areas are discussed: (a) the scope and dynamics of American poverty, (b) factors associated with poverty, (c) the effects and consequences of impoverishment, (d) policy strategies for assisting poor families, and (e) needed future research directions.