cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CONSUETUDO CARNALIS IN AUGUSTINE'S CONFESSIONS: Confessing Identity/Belonging to Difference

The political theorist William E. Connolly reads Augustine's Confessions as an exhortation to deny the paradox of identity/difference. The paradox for Connolly is this: if one confesses a true identity, one must be false to difference, but if one is true to difference, one must sacrifice the promise of true identity. I revisit Augustine's Confessions here in order to offer a reading of their paradoxical character that contrasts with Connolly's. I will argue that Augustine's confession does not deny the paradox of identity/difference but exemplifies what it means to struggle within it. I turn to James Wetzel's work on Augustine's idea of free will and Catherine Keller's work on the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo to suggest that treating Augustine's confession as confession reveals this struggle.
The purification and properties of nicotine oxidase.

Purification and properties of nicotine oxidase suggest metalloflavoprotein having riboflavin 5-phosphate
An algorithm for the computer control of production in a flexible manufacturing system

The problem of management of production for an automated manufacturing system is described. The system consists of machines which can perform a variety of operations on a family of parts. The machines are unreliable, and the chief difficulty the control system faces is to meet production requirements while the machines fail and become repaired at random times. A three-level hierarchical control algorithm is proposed which involves stochastic optimal control, network optimization, and scheduling. An example is presented.
The formation of metastable double molecules and double molecular ions

Abstract An expression is obtained for the cross section for formation of metastable double molecules in the same semiclassical approximation used previously by Stogryn and Hirschfelder.
A Seven-Year Water Balance Study of an Evapotranspiration Landfill Cover Varying in Slope for Semiarid Regions

The goal of radioactive and hazardous waste disposal in shallow landfills is to reduce risk to human health and to the environment by isolating contaminants until they no longer pose a hazard. To achieve this for a semiarid region, we studied a landfill cover containing a gravel layer, an evapotranspiration (ET) cover, in the field for 7 yr. We measured total water balance at 6-h intervals for this landfill cover design in four 1.0- by 10.0-m plots with downhill slopes of 5, 10, 15, and 25%. During the 7 yr of the field study, runoff accounted for 1.4 to 3.8% of the precipitation losses on these unvegetated landfill cover designs, whereas similar values for evaporation ranged from 88 to 95%. Evaporation usually increased with increases in slope in our field plots; for example, the ET Cover at slopes of 5 and 15% displayed 274 and 296 cm of evaporation, respectively. Interflow and seepage usually decreased with increasing slope; for example, as slope increased from 10 to 25%, interflow decreased from 18.4 to 8.8 cm. Seepage consisted of up to 1.7% of the precipitation on the ET cover, showing a maximum value of 5.3 cm on the ET cover with the slope of 5%.
Genomic organization and functional characterization of the human concentrative nucleoside transporter-3 isoform (hCNT3) expressed in mammalian cells

Human CNT3 encodes the concentrative nucleoside transport N3 system. Previous expression studies in oocytes showed that the K m values for nucleosides of the cloned hCNT3 were 7- to 25-fold lower than the endogenous N3 transporter in HL60 cells. Therefore, in the present study we re-examined the kinetic properties of the cloned hCNT3 using mammalian cell expression systems by transient expression in Cos7L cells and stably expression in nucleoside transporter deficient PK15NTD cells. We demonstrated that hCNT3 is a Na-dependent, broadly-selective nucleoside transporter with affinities (<11 μM) for nucleosides closely resembling the endogenous N3 transporter. Pharmacological studies showed that phloridzin is a mixed-type inhibitor of hCNT3 (K i=15 μM), and the dideoxyuridine analogs are poor substrates. By epitope-tagging, we further demonstrated that hCNT3 is N-glycosylated as PNGase F and Endo H deglycosylated hCNT3 from 67 kDa to 58 kDa. Searching the human genome database, we identified the genomic organization of hCNT3. This gene contains 19 exons and its exon-intron boundaries within the coding sequence exactly match with those of hCNT1 and hCNT2 with one additional exon in the N-terminus. Our data suggest that hCNT3 gene is evolutionarily conserved with hCNT1 and hCNT2. Physiologically, hCNT3 is a glycoprotein, which transports purine and pyrimidine nucleosides in a Na-dependent manner with high affinities.
Crying episodes and sleep-wakefulness transitions in the first 26 months of life*

Frequency of crying episodes and frequency of sleep-wakefulness transitions were measured in babies from 3 through 26 months of age. Subjects were participants in a larger project of a mixed longitudinal, cross-sectional design. Both frequencies declined steadily over this age range, and both were found to be moderately stable individual characteristics. Crying frequency and frequency of sleep-wakefulness transitions were found to be positively related in individual children. Results are in support of the “difficult child” temperamental attribute which has been previously described by others.
Imagining Pedagogical Agency: Shifting from Students and Teachers to Elements and Relations

Recent scholarship in rhetoric and composition studies theorizes agency as irreducible to human cause-and-effect. While this theory infiltrates many disciplinary conversations, however, our reliance on the terms students and teachers within pedagogical discourses manages our rhetorical imagination of pedagogical agency by committing us to individual, human agents every time we invoke these terms. Rather than expel these terms and the important work they underwrite, we can draw on social systems terminology of elements and relations in order to account for the ways that students and teachers emerge as agents and to imagine alternative conceptualizations of pedagogical agency.
Frontiers of Individuality: Embodiment and Relationships in Cultural Context

Book reviewed in this article: Margaret S. Archer, Being Human: The Problem of Agency
Behavioral signal processing for understanding (distressed) dyadic interactions: some recent developments

The expression and experience of human behavior manifestations are complex and are characterized by individual and contextual heterogeneity. Many domains rely on interpreting behavior -- especially those that are distressed and atypical -- through the available signals, both overt e.g., audio-visual data and covert e.g., heart rate. This paper describes the recent developments in behavioral signal processing aimed at understanding dyadic interactions in couple therapy.
Trigonometric and hyperbolic type solutions to a generalized Drinfel’d–Sokolov equation

Abstract A class of trigonometric and hyperbolic type solutions to the generalized Drinfel’d–Sokolov (GDS) equations u t + α 1 uu x + β 1 u xxx + γ ( v δ ) x = 0 and v t + α 2 uv x + β 2 v xxx = 0 is obtained for the case in which α 2 = 0, for various values of the other model parameters. The method of homotopy analysis is then applied to obtain local analytical solutions for nonzero values of the parameter α 2 , in effect extending the exact solutions. We do not assume traveling wave solution forms for the analytical solutions; that is, we solve the generalized Drinfel’d–Sokolov equations as PDEs without resorting to transforming the system to ODEs. An error analysis of the obtained approximate local analytical solutions is provided. Then, we outline a general framework by which one many construct solutions in either sine/cosine or sinh/cosh basis. We provide the general perturbation expansion via homotopy analysis, and we also discuss a method of selecting the convergence control parameter so as to minimize residual errors. Travelling solutions with time-dependent amplitude are then discussed.
A nomenclatural history of Audubon's Shearwater with designation of a neotype for Puffinus lherminieri Lesson, 1839 (Aves: Procellariidae)

Abstract The nomenclatural history of the small Antillean species that now goes by the name Audubon's Shearwater Puffinus lherminieri is briefly summarized. The type material of Puffinus lherminieri Lesson, 1839, supposed to be in a museum in Rochefort, France, could not be located and is presumed lost. The stated type locality “ad ripas Antillarum” is so general as to encompass almost the entire breeding range of the species, which is widely distributed in the Antillean region and has been regarded as showing variation meriting subspecific designation. Although the type locality was apparently legitimately restricted to Guadeloupe in 1948 or earlier, it was elsewhere erroneously restricted to “Straits of Florida” from 1931 to 1998 and up to the present. To resolve these numerous conflicts and uncertainties, a neotype collected in Saint Barthelemy, once administratively part of Guadeloupe, is here designated.
Estrous response of early postpartum beef heifers to progesterone and estradiol-17β during restricted dietary energy☆☆☆

Abstract A study was conducted to determine reproductive response of primiparous beef heifers to an ovulation induction regimen during restricted dietary energy intake. Thirty-seven Barzona × Hereford heifers, maintained under drylot conditions, were utilized. Heifers were restricted in TDN on a pen basis to approximately 50% of N.R.C. recommendations for the first 90 days postpartum, then received 120% for 80 days thereafter. All animals received control injections (C) or 30 mg progesterone on day 15 postpartum followed in 48 hours by 2 mg estradiol-17β (PE). Treated heifers not ovulating at first treatment and/or not cycling, were re-treated at 60 day postpartum, with non-cycling C heifers receiving control injections. Intact fertile bulls were maintained with the heifers from day 1 to 170 days postpartum, with visual observations for signs of estrus and breeding activity conducted twice daily during this period. At first treatment, seven of 18 heifers ovulated, one conceived and four continued to cycle. At second treatment, three of 13 conceived and seven returned to a synchronized estrus 15 to 21 days later. Although intervals to first estrous behavior and estrus favored PE heifers (P
Soil N and 15 N variation with time in a California annual grassland ecosystem

The %N and δ 15N values of soils and plants were measured along a chronosequence spanning 3 to 3000 Ky in a California annual grassland. Total soil N decreased with increasing soil age (1.1 to 0.4 kg N m−2) while the mean δ 15N values of the soil N increased by several ‰ from the youngest to oldest sites (+3.5 to +6.2 ‰). The δ 15N values of plants varied along the gradient, reflecting changing soil N pools and differences in the form of N uptake. The decline in total N storage with time is hypothesized to be due to a shift from N to P limitation with increasing soil age. The general increase in δ 15N values with time is interpreted using a N mass balance model, and appears to reflect a shift toward an increasing proportional losses of inorganic mineral forms of N (vs. organic forms) with increasing soil age. We develop a quantitative index of this trend (mineral vs. organic forms of N loss) using mass balance considerations and parameters. The %N and δ 15N values along the California age gradient were compared to the published data for a comparably aged chronosequence in Hawaii. Most striking in this comparison is the observation that the California soil and plant δ 15N values are several ‰ greater than those on comparably aged Hawaiian sites. Multiple explanations are plausible, but assuming the sites have a similar range in δ 15N values of atmospheric inputs, the isotopic differences suggest that N may be, at least seasonally, in greater excess in the strongly seasonal, semi-arid, California grassland.
Revolution in Military Adaptation: The US Army in the Iraq War

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis (2012) http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2012.687624 A Revolution in Military Adaptation: The US Army in the Iraq War Author: Chad Serena (Associate Politica...
Extensional reactivation of an abandoned thrust: a bound on shallowing in the brittle regime

Shallow dip angles (not greater than 45 deg) suggested by field observations of continental extensional faults are not predicted by classical isotropic Mohr-Coulomb-Anderson theory. Earthquake data indicate that normal faults exist in the upper crust with dip angles commonly as shallow as 30 deg. One explanation of the apparent conflict between theory and structural/seismic observations is that intrinsically weak, shallow-dipping pre-existing faults are preferentially reactivated. An analytical treatment clarifies the roles of geometry, intact/preexisting fault strengths and fluid pore pressures. Frictional strength ratios of 3 or greater could account for extremely shallow normal faults (dips 10-20 deg) without consideration of pore pressures in excess of the least principal stress or of principal stress systems rotated away from the gravity vector. Moderate reduction in friction (3/4) with respect to wall rock can reduce the dip to 30 deg and can account for shallow normal-slip earthquakes.
A comparison of distance metrics between mixture distributions

Many applications require measuring the distance between mixture distributions. For example in the content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems and audio speech identification a distance measure between mixture models are often required. This is also an important element for multisensor tracking and fusion where different types of state representations employed by distributed agents need to be correlated. Various distance metrics have been developed to serve this purpose. The performance of these metrics can be evaluated by comparing probabilities of correct correlation verses false detection as a function of a pre-determined threshold on the calculated distance. In this paper, we compare several distance metrics for mixtures distributions. Specifically, we focus on three such distance measures, namely the Integral Square Error distance, the Bhattacharyya distance and the Kullback Leibler distance. To ensure that these techniques can be applied for general distributions, not just for Gaussian mixture model (GMM), we use these techniques in conjunction with a specific distance metric designed for mixture type, called general mixture distance (GMD). For evaluation purpose, we use GMM in the simulation as a test example of mixture models.
Helicobacter pylori cag Pathogenicity Island's Role in B7-H1 Induction and Immune Evasion

During Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection CD4+ T cells in the gastric lamina propria are hyporesponsive and polarized by Th1/Th17 cell responses controlled by Treg cells. We have previously shown that H. pylori upregulates B7-H1 expression on GEC, which, in turn, suppress T cell proliferation, effector function, and induce Treg cells in vitro. In this study, we investigated the underlying mechanisms and the functional relevance of B7-H1 induction by H. pylori infection to chronic infection. Using H. pylori wild type (WT), cag pathogenicity island (cag PAI-) and cagA- isogenic mutant strains we demonstrated that H. pylori requires its type 4 secretion system (T4SS) as well as its effector protein CagA and peptidoglycan (PG) fragments for B7-H1 upregulation on GEC. Our study also showed that H. pylori uses the p38 MAPK pathway to upregulate B7-H1 expression in GEC. In vivo confirmation was obtained when infection of C57BL/6 mice with H. pylori PMSS1 strain, which has a functional T4SS delivery system, but not with H. pylori SS1 strain lacking a functional T4SS, led to a strong upregulation of B7-H1 expression in the gastric mucosa, increased bacterial load, induction of Treg cells in the stomach, increased IL-10 in the serum. Interestingly, B7-H1-/- mice showed less Treg cells and reduced bacterial loads after infection. These studies demonstrate how H. pylori T4SS components activate the p38 MAPK pathway, upregulate B7-H1 expression by GEC, and cause Treg cell induction; thus, contribute to establishing a persistent infection characteristic of H. pylori.
Longitudinal predictors of reading and math trajectories through middle school for African American versus caucasian students across two samples

This study's primary purpose was to examine the relative contribution of social-behavioral predictors to reading and math skills. The study expands on Duncan et al.'s (2007) work by using longitudinal methodology from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) databases, and by focusing on potential differences in patterns of early predictors of later reading and math trajectories for African American versus Caucasian students. Predictor measures were selected at kindergarten, and the outcomes included standardized reading and math scores obtained from Grades 1, 3, 5, and 9 for the SECCYD sample, and Grades 3, 5, and 8 for the ECLS-K sample. Consistent with Duncan et al.'s findings, results reflect the relative contributions of early reading and math skills to later functioning in these respective academic domains for both samples, and there are indications for the importance of early expressive language skills to both reading and math in the SECCYD sample. Findings related to the power of social-behavioral predictors, however, are not consistent across samples. Although the SECCYD sample evidenced no such predictors, several interactions in the ECLS-K sample suggested the moderating effects of early ratings of aggressive behaviors and internalizing behaviors on later reading and math for African American students. The moderating effects of early teacher ratings of attention and internalizing behaviors for African American students as compared with Caucasian students in later math growth also were noted. The importance of early social-behavioral functions as related to later academic skills remains an important area of inquiry.
An Experimental Study of Instructor Immediacy and Cognitive Learning in an Online Classroom

The social underpinnings of learning make it important to understand how people experience themselves and form relationships in online settings. There is evidence that immediacy cues contribute to psychological closeness and learning outcomes. However, few studies have investigated immediacy outside of the social presence construct and its relationship to learning in online settings. This study employed a randomized one-factor experimental research design to explore the effects of manipulated immediacy on students' cognitive learning. In addition, two different technology-infused strategies for content delivery were explored. Participants were 576 students from an introductory psychology course. Cognitive learning was assessed just after exposure to the treatments, and again 5-6 weeks after exposure. ANOVAs and repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyze the data, revealing that participants in the higher-immediacy groups generally showed greater learning gains and retention of learning than those in lower-immediacy groups. The results have important implications for instructors and designers who are seeking information to aid in the development of learning resources in online settings.
Exact first integrals for a Lane–Emden equation of the second kind modeling a thermal explosion in a rectangular slab

Abstract The primary focus of the present paper will be the study of the exact first integral of a Lane–Emden equation of the second kind modeling a thermal explosion in a rectangular slab. Such results generalize those of Harley and Momoniat [Harley, C., Momoniat, E., 2008. J. Math. Anal. Appl. 344, 757–764], in which first integrals up to order ϵ were considered for the model. In particular, our results both generalize their results in the small ϵ regime and are valid in the large ϵ regime, for the k = 0 case. As in Harley and Momoniat, we find that there is a critical value of δ beyond which solutions do not exist. Interestingly, we find that this critical value of δ is quite different than the one derived in Harley and Momoniat, thanks to the fact that we obtain exact, and not approximate, relations. Furthermore, we show that while multiple solutions exist in the case of thermal explosion in a rectangular slab, only one such solution is physically meaningful (positive over the domain). Hence, the physically meaningful solution is unique. Our exact analytical results are shown to be in agreement with numerical simulations.
Interactions Between Solenopsis invicta (Buren) and Monomorium minimum (Buckley) under Varying Distance and Feeding Status

Abstract A greenhouse study was initiated to investigate the interactions between the native competitive ant Monomorium minimum (Buckley) and incipient red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Buren) colonies with 30 workers. The effect of two factors on S. invicta density, distance to the competitor's nest and feeding status (fed vs. starved), were investigated. Results suggest that distance had a significant effect on S. invicta density in the presence of M. minimum; whereas, feeding status did not. The effects of distance and feeding status were also studied on the probability of invasion by either species and the probability of interaction between the two colonies. Results indicate distance had a significant effect on probability of both invasion and interaction. The invasion of incipient S. invicta colonies occurred only at a distance of 0.2m; however, interactions between the two species occurred even at the farther distances of 3.2m and 6.4m. Interactions were greater near the foraging arena unde...
Gauss mixture vector quantization

Gauss mixtures are a popular class of models in statistics and statistical signal processing because they can provide good fits to smooth densities, because they have a rich theory, and because they can be well estimated by existing algorithms such as the EM (expectation maximization) algorithm. We here extend an information theoretic extremal property for source coding from Gaussian sources to Gauss mixtures using high rate quantization theory and extend a method originally used for LPC (linear predictive coding) speech vector quantization to provide a Lloyd clustering approach to the design of Gauss mixture models. The theory provides formulas relating minimum discrimination information (MDI) for model selection and the mean squared error resulting when the MDI criterion is used in an optimized robust classified vector quantizer. It also provides motivation for the use of Gauss mixture models for robust compression systems for general random vectors.
Multi-Scale Fractal Analysis of Image Texture and Pattern

Fractals embody important ideas of self-similarity, in which the spatial behavior or appearance of a system is largely independent of scale. Self-similarity is defined as a property of curves or surfaces where each part is indistinguishable from the whole, or where the form of the curve or surface is invariant with respect to scale. An ideal fractal (or monofractal) curve or surface has a constant dimension over all scales, although it may not be an integer value. This is in contrast to Euclidean or topological dimensions, where discrete one, two, and three dimensions describe curves, planes, and volumes. Theoretically, if the digital numbers of a remotely sensed image resemble an ideal fractal surface, then due to the self-similarity property, the fractal dimension of the image will not vary with scale and resolution. However, most geographical phenomena are not strictly self-similar at all scales, but they can often be modeled by a stochastic fractal in which the scaling and self-similarity properties of the fractal have inexact patterns that can be described by statistics. Stochastic fractal sets relax the monofractal self-similarity assumption and measure many scales and resolutions in order to represent the varying form of a phenomenon as a function of local variables across space. In image interpretation, pattern is defined as the overall spatial form of related features, and the repetition of certain forms is a characteristic pattern found in many cultural objects and some natural features. Texture is the visual impression of coarseness or smoothness caused by the variability or uniformity of image tone or color. A potential use of fractals concerns the analysis of image texture. In these situations it is commonly observed that the degree of roughness or inexactness in an image or surface is a function of scale and not of experimental technique. The fractal dimension of remote sensing data could yield quantitative insight on the spatial complexity and information content contained within these data. A software package known as the Image Characterization and Modeling System (ICAMS) was used to explore how fractal dimension is related to surface texture and pattern. The ICAMS software was verified using simulated images of ideal fractal surfaces with specified dimensions. The fractal dimension for areas of homogeneous land cover in the vicinity of Huntsville, Alabama was measured to investigate the relationship between texture and resolution for different land covers.
Extraperiosteal Plating of Pronation-Abduction Ankle Fractures

Background: Pronation-abduction ankle fractures frequently are associated with substantial lateral comminution and have been reported to be associated with the highest rates of nonunion among indirect ankle fractures. The purpose of the present study was to report the technique for and outcomes of extraperiosteal plating in a series of patients with pronation-abduction ankle fractures. Methods: Thirty-one consecutive patients with an unstable comminuted pronation-abduction ankle fracture were managed with extraperiosteal plating of the fibular fracture. The average age of the patients was forty-four years. There were nineteen bimalleolar and twelve lateral malleolar fractures with an associated deltoid ligament injury. No attempt to reduce the comminuted fragments was made as this area was spanned by the plate. The patients were evaluated functionally (with use of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score), radiographically, and clinically (with range-of-motion testing). Results: Immediate postoperative and final follow-up radiographs showed that all patients had a well-aligned ankle mortise on the fractured side as compared with the normal side on the basis of standardized measurements. All fractures healed without displacement. At a minimum of two years after the injury, the average American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score (available for twenty-one patients) was 82. The range of motion averaged 13° of dorsiflexion and 31° of plantar flexion, with one patient not achieving dorsiflexion to neutral. There were no deep infections, and one patient had an area of superficial skin breakdown that healed without operative intervention. Conclusions: Extraperiosteal plating of pronation-abduction ankle fractures is an effective method of stabilization that leads to predictable union of the fibular fracture. The results of this procedure are at least as good as those of other techniques of open reduction and internal fixation of the ankle, although specific results for pronation-abduction injuries have not been previously reported, to our knowledge. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Cone calorimetric and thermogravimetric analysis evaluation of halogen‐containing polymer nanocomposites

Halogen-containing organically modified clay nanocomposites have been prepared and it was found that the presence of bromine enhances the fire retardancy of polystyrene and polypropylene nanocomposites, compared with the virgin polymers. The nanocomposites were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and cone calorimetric measurements. The UL-94 test gave a V-0 rating for some samples while cone calorimetry gave a reduced PHRR. Both the amount and identity of the bromine-containing compound and the mode of preparation, which controls the dispersion, have a significant effect on the results. Bromine-containing materials, at very low loading, approximately 6% or less bromine, give excellent results when the clay loading was about 3%.
Comparison of Cross Culture Engineering Ethics Training Using the Simulator for Engineering Ethics Education

This paper describes the use and analysis of the Simulator for Engineering Ethics Education (SEEE) to perform cross culture engineering ethics training and analysis. Details describing the first generation and second generation development of the SEEE are published in Chung and Alfred, Science and Engineering Ethics, vol. 15, 2009 and Alfred and Chung, Science and Engineering Ethics, vol. 18, 2012. In this effort, a group of far eastern educated students operated the simulator in the instructional, training, scenario, and evaluation modes. The pre and post treatment performance of these students were compared to U.S. Educated students. Analysis of the performance indicated that the far eastern educated student increased their level of knowledge 23.7 percent while U.S. educated students increased their level of knowledge by 39.3 percent.
Diagnosing the Sensitivity of Binary Image Measures to Bias, Location, and Event Frequency within a Forecast Verification Framework

AbstractWhile the use of binary distance measures has a substantial history in the field of image processing, these techniques have only recently been applied in the area of forecast verification. Designed to quantify the distance between two images, these measures can easily be extended for use with paired forecast and observation fields. The behavior of traditional forecast verification metrics based on the dichotomous contingency table continues to be an area of active study, but the sensitivity of image metrics has not yet been analyzed within the framework of forecast verification. Four binary distance measures are presented and the response of each to changes in event frequency, bias, and displacement error is documented. The Hausdorff distance and its derivatives, the modified and partial Hausdorff distances, are shown only to be sensitive to changes in base rate, bias, and displacement between the forecast and observation. In addition to its sensitivity to these three parameters, the Baddeley imag...
Successful ECT treatment for medically refractory nonconvulsive status epilepticus in pediatric patient

Status epilepticus is a life threatening condition with a high mortality rate in spite of aggressive treatment. There is little consensus on third and fourth line approaches in refractory cases. While electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been employed successfully as a treatment for refractory epilepsy and status epilepticus (SE) after exhausting conventional therapy, its use for pediatric patients is limited. We describe a 7-year-old pediatric case in which ECT was used successfully to treat medically refractory nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) without complete withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs (AED).
A review of the case for neonatal thyrotropin screening in developing countries: the example of India.

Background: Infantile hypothyroidism, either caused by iodine-deficiency disorder (IDD) or congenital hypothyroidism (CH), is the world's leading cause of preventable mental retardation. Such hypothyroidism has virtually been eliminated in the developed world by salt iodization and neonatal thyroid screening. However, most developing countries do not have neonatal thyroid screening programs. Using India as an example, we review the case for newborn screening in the developing world. Methods: A literature review on infantile hypothyroidism in India was conducted and three Indian thyroid experts were queried about their views on neonatal screening in India. Results: Iodine nutrition improved markedly in India during the 1990s; 49% of the households are now using adequately iodized salt. The control of IDD is still insufficient in India. Nationally representative data on neonatal screening in India are not available, but two regional studies have been published. One study (n = 12407) measured cord blood thyr...
Using cure models and multiple imputation to utilize recurrence as an auxiliary variable for overall survival

Background Intermediate outcome variables can often be used as auxiliary variables for the true outcome of interest in randomized clinical trials. For many cancers, time to recurrence is an informative marker in predicting a patient's overall survival outcome and could provide auxiliary information for the analysis of survival times.Purpose To investigate whether models linking recurrence and death combined with a multiple imputation procedure for censored observations can result in efficiency gains in the estimation of treatment effects and be used to shorten trial lengths.Methods Recurrence and death times are modeled using data from 12 trials in colorectal cancer. Multiple imputation is used as a strategy for handling missing values arising from censoring. The imputation procedure uses a cure model for time to recurrence and a time-dependent Weibull proportional hazards model for time to death. Recurrence times are imputed, and then death times are imputed conditionally on recurrence times. To illustra...
The Atmosphere Explorer optical glow near perigee altitudes

The altitude variation of the Atmosphere Explorer optical glow intensity suggests that two different processes are responsible for the glow. One, dominant for altitudes above 180 km, has an emission brightness proportional to the ambient atomic oxygen density whereas the other, dominant at altitudes below 160 km, produces an emission whose intensity is proportional to the product of the densities of any of N2, O2 or NO. The first mechanism apparently has two components, one from the surface recombination of O and H and the other from a process similar to that producing the Shuttle glow. Unless the efficiency of the second mechanism is much enhanced on the Shuttle its contribution to the Shuttle glow is negligible.
Tagged ozone mechanism for MOZART-4, CAM-chem and other chemical transport models

Abstract. A procedure for tagging ozone produced from NO sources through updates to an existing chemical mechanism is described, and results from its implementation in the Model for Ozone and Related chemical Tracers (MOZART-4), a global chemical transport model, are presented. Artificial tracers are added to the mechanism, thus, not affecting the standard chemistry. The results are linear in the troposphere, i.e., the sum of ozone from individual tagged sources equals the ozone from all sources to within 3% in zonal mean monthly averages. In addition, the tagged ozone is shown to equal the standard ozone, when all tropospheric sources are tagged and stratospheric input is turned off. The stratospheric ozone contribution to the troposphere determined from the difference between total ozone and ozone from all tagged sources is significantly less than estimates using a traditional stratospheric ozone tracer (8 vs. 20 ppbv at the surface). The commonly used technique of perturbing NO emissions by 20% in a region to determine its ozone contribution is compared to the tagging technique, showing that the tagged ozone is 2–4 times the ozone contribution that was deduced from perturbing emissions. The ozone tagging described here is useful for identifying source contributions based on NO emissions in a given state of the atmosphere, such as for quantifying the ozone budget.
An Experimental Test of Chemical Dependency Therapy for Jail Inmates

A treatment group and a nontreatment (control) group were comprised of 145 jail inmates who were screened for chemical dependency and who were assigned randomly to the two groups. Treatment involved 72 hours of group therapy based on Glasser's (1985) "Reality Therapy." Post release criminal behavior was evaluated for a period of 2 years after treatment. The analysis of recidivism using the National Crime Information Center Interstate Identification Index-II indicated no significant difference in recidivism between treatment and nontreatment groups. Characteristics of successful chemical dependency treatment are discussed.
Mistake proofing: changing designs to reduce error

Mistake proofing uses changes in the physical design of processes to reduce human error. It can be used to change designs in ways that prevent errors from occurring, to detect errors after they occur but before harm occurs, to allow processes to fail safely, or to alter the work environment to reduce the chance of errors. Effective mistake proofing design changes should initially be effective in reducing harm, be inexpensive, and easily implemented. Over time these design changes should make life easier and speed up the process. Ideally, the design changes should increase patients' and visitors' understanding of the process. These designs should themselves be mistake proofed and follow the good design practices of other disciplines.
Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity: Is It Accurate to Use a Slab Ocean Model?

Abstract The equilibrium climate sensitivity of a climate model is usually defined as the globally averaged equilibrium surface temperature response to a doubling of carbon dioxide. This is virtually always estimated in a version with a slab model for the upper ocean. The question is whether this estimate is accurate for the full climate model version, which includes a full-depth ocean component. This question has been answered for the low-resolution version of the Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3). The answer is that the equilibrium climate sensitivity using the full-depth ocean model is 0.14°C higher than that using the slab ocean model, which is a small increase. In addition, these sensitivity estimates have a standard deviation of nearly 0.1°C because of interannual variability. These results indicate that the standard practice of using a slab ocean model does give a good estimate of the equilibrium climate sensitivity of the full CCSM3. Another question addressed is whether the effect...
Main-lobe interference canceler

A main-lobe interference canceller based on the signal cancellation effect of employing a pseudo-signal injection method is proposed. Both theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed scheme effectively reduces the degradation in an adaptive array caused by main beam jamming. >
The effects of outcome uncertainty, scoring, and pregame expectations on Nielsen ratings for Bowl Championship Series games.

This study utilizes Nielsen ratings to estimate the factors that influence viewership for Bowl Championship Series telecasts. Our modeling demonstrates increased start-of-game ratings for contests of higher absolute quality, but not of anticipated higher relative quality. Little support is generated for the notion of consumer preference for scoring. However, the relationship between outcome uncertainty and television ratings is dynamic as consumers initially prefer more certain games, but ratings increase systematically throughout a contest when the outcome of that contest becomes more uncertain. Preferences also exist for games in which actual outcomes match pregame expectations.
Bromodeoxyuridine labeling index in glioblastoma multiforme: relation to radiation response, age, and survival.

Purpose : Various measures of the rate of tumor cell proliferation have been found to predict survival in patients with intracerebral gliomas. We correlated the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index (BrdUrd LI) with the response to radiation therapy, survival, and known prognostic factors in a series of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GM) to test its utility as a prognostic factor. Methods and Materials : The BrdUrd LI was determined in 200 newly diagnosed intracranial GMs. Age and sex were known for all patients. The response to radiation therapy was determined in 116 patients by comparing neuroimaging studies obtained before and after external beam radiation therapy. Survival was analyzed in 64 patients who were treated according to two consecutive prospective clinical protocols. Results : The median BrdUrd LI was 6.5% (mean, 7.2% ; range, 1.1-25.4%). The BrdUrd LI did not correlate significantly with age, sex, radiation response, or survival. Age and Karnofsky performance score were independent prognostic factors in our cohort. Conclusion : The proliferative rate as measured by BrdUrd LI was not a prognostic factor in our GM cohort. The BrdUrd LI did not correlate significantly with known prognostic factors in GM. There was no significant relationship between the BrdUrd LI and radiation response.
Face detection and eye location using a modified ALISA texture module

This paper presents an automatic method for face detection and eye location using a modified version of the ALISA Texture Module. ALISA (Adaptive Learning Image and Signal Analysis) is an adaptive classification engine based on collective learning systems theory. Using supervised training, the ALISA engine builds a set of multi-dimensional feature histograms that estimate the joint PDF of the feature space for the trained class(es). In the current research, 4 to 6 general-purpose texture and color features are used, which require only a few thousand bins (unique feature vectors) to represent faces for several different ethnic groups by allocating the feature space dynamically. The method first detects the face regions using the ALISA texture module and then locates the eyes inside these regions. A preliminary comparison with a widely-used parametric approach for modeling color information in the presence of changing illumination conditions, demonstrates that the ALISA texture module offers significantly better accuracy for detecting regions of skin. The proposed method also offers competitive speed and is thus feasible for real-time applications to both still images and video sequences.
Morphology of Melt-Crystallized Polyethyleneterephthalate

Melt crystallized polyethylene terephthalate examined by polarized light microscopy, electron microscopy and X ray scattering
Clinical Analgesia in Reptiles

Abstract Reptile pain and analgesia is only beginning to be understood in veterinary research and clinical medicine. The diversity of the class Reptilia also makes it difficult to extrapolate analgesic efficacy across species. Many veterinary clinicians argue that the administration of analgesic medication is risky to the patient and may mask behavioral signs of pain, which are considered evolutionarily adaptive for survival. However, veterinarians have an ethical obligation to treat painful conditions in all animals, including reptiles, because effective pain management reduces stress-induced disruption to homeostatic mechanisms and also decreases morbidity and mortality associated with trauma or surgery. Nevertheless, several obstacles limit successful analgesic use, including subjectivity of pain assessment, inadequate knowledge regarding analgesic efficacy across species, pharmacokinetics of analgesic drugs, and the unknown relationship between risks and benefits for this class of drugs. The objective of this review is to provide a current perspective on the practical application of analgesic medication in commonly maintained pet reptile species.
Dysregulation of Gene Expression in a Lysosomal Storage Disease Varies between Brain Regions Implicating Unexpected Mechanisms of Neuropathology

The characteristic neurological feature of many neurogenetic diseases is intellectual disability. Although specific neuropathological features have been described, the mechanisms by which specific gene defects lead to cognitive impairment remain obscure. To gain insight into abnormal functions occurring secondary to a single gene defect, whole transcriptome analysis was used to identify molecular and cellular pathways that are dysregulated in the brain in a mouse model of a lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) (mucopolysaccharidosis [MPS] VII). We assayed multiple anatomical regions separately, in a large cohort of normal and diseased mice, which greatly increased the number of significant changes that could be detected compared to past studies in LSD models. We found that patterns of aberrant gene expression and involvement of multiple molecular and cellular systems varied significantly between brain regions. A number of changes revealed unexpected system and process alterations, such as up-regulation of the immune system with few inflammatory changes (a significant difference from the closely related MPS IIIb model), down-regulation of major oligodendrocyte genes even though white matter changes are not a feature histopathologically, and a plethora of developmental gene changes. The involvement of multiple neural systems indicates that the mechanisms of neuropathology in this type of disease are much broader than previously appreciated. In addition, the variation in gene dysregulation between brain regions indicates that different neuropathologic mechanisms may predominate within different regions of a diseased brain caused by a single gene mutation.
Viral Diseases and the Kidney

A 49-year-old white man with known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection presented to his primary care physician due to a 1-month history of lower extremity swelling. He had a CD4+ lymphocyte count of 0.270 × 109/L (normal range 0.36–1.26 109/L) and a HIV-1 RNA viral load of 506,000 copies/mL. He was antiretroviral treatment naive due to compliance issues. His physical examination was significant for a blood pressure of 170/90 mmHg and pitting edema of the legs extending to the sacrum. His initial testing revealed a serum creatinine of 1.8 mg/dL and a spot urine albumin of 4,800 mg grams per gram of creatinine. His urinalysis was significant for 3+ proteinuria, 20 red blood cells per high power field, and no red blood cell casts but many dysmorphic red blood cells. His cholesterol was 340 mg/dL and his albumin was 2 g/dL. In addition to his HIV infection, he was coinfected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). Other notable serologic testing included complement three levels of 55 mg/dL (75–135 mg/dL), complement 4 levels of 10 mg/dL (12–72 mg/dL), HBsAg+, HBeAg+, HCV antibody positive, and HCV RNA undetectable.
Feasibility of Using Developmental Tasks as a Source of Health Interests

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the premise that a valid and proven philosophy of child growth and development might be used as a source of health interests that would be of significance to a majority of students. Interest differences between developmental task health questions and general health questions were compared. The effect of the variables of sex, age, IQ, and socioeconomic background was also analyzed. Results indicated that student interests were significantly higher for developmental task health questions. Interest in developmental task health questions were not affected by IQ or socioeconomic background. Age and sex had some effect on the responses but did not alter the evidence.
Where to draw the line. Professional boundaries in social networking.

Having no previous experience about this new social networking phenomenon in my 18 years of professional life, I didn’t know how to reply to this. So, I did a PubMed search on social networking and found an article on medical professionalism and social networking that was very helpful in answering my questions (Guseh, Brendel, & Brendel, 2009). But before I tell you how I responded to my former patient, let’s hear first what other colleagues say about the role of the nurse in social networking.