cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
¿Cómo se construye la convivencia escolar en la educación Montessori? Estudio de caso de una escuela Montessori de Valparaíso, Chile

Montessori education is a pedagogical perspective centered in the integral development of children, who must construct their own learning. In this perspective, the engagement of the individual to the group is fundamental. For that reason, an appropriated school coexistence is crucial. International research suggests that Restorative Justice paradigm is a successful way to improve the school coexistence. This qualitative research seeks to investigate and collect elements that allow establishing how it is built the school coexistence in a Montessori school from Valparaiso, Chile, through perceptions from children and teachers. The findings emphasize the main aspects which are the development of autonomy, adaptability and self-esteem by children; the passive role of Montessori teacher; and the conflict resolution by a restorative strategy named “Circulo de Emergencia”.
The Framing of Decisions and the Evaluation of Prospects

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a series of demonstrations in which seemingly inconsequential changes in the formulation of choice problems caused significant shifts of preference. The inconsistencies were traced to the interaction of two sets of factors: variation in the framing of acts, contingencies and outcomes, and the characteristic non-linearities of values and decision weights. The demonstrated effects are large and systematic, although by no means universal. They occur when the outcomes concern the loss of human lives as well as in choices about money; they are not restricted to hypothetical questions and are not eliminated by monetary incentives. The chapter is concerned primarily with the descriptive question of how decisions are made and emphasizes that the psychology of choice is also relevant to the normative question of how decisions ought to be made. The framing of acts and outcomes can also reflect the acceptance or rejection of responsibility for particular consequences, and the deliberate manipulation of framing is commonly used as an instrument of self-control. When framing influences the experience of consequences, the adoption of a decision frame is an ethically significant act.
Stock Ownership Patters, Stock Market Fluctuations, and Consumption

The bull market of the last year has raised the total value of corporate stock in the United States by nearly a trillion dollars. While many analysts have tried to explain or interpret the recent movements of the stock market, there has been less attention to the link between rising stock prices and real economic activity. How are the gains from and increase in share prices distributed across households? What fraction of these gains accrues to a small set of wealthy investors? How do rising stock prices affect consumer spending?
Markov Models for Flow Regulation

The problem of defining alternative operating policies for a single multipurpose reservoir was examined through the use of several pairs of discrete stochastic linear- and dynamic-programming models. The net flows into the reservoir were assumed to be serially correlated, their probabilistic sequence defined by first-order Markov chains. Each linear programming model was shown to correspond to a dynamic programming model. The solutions and computational efficiencies of each of the models were compared using a simplified numerical example based on an actual reservoir operating problem. Although the policies obtained from each pair of corresponding models were identical, the time required to solve the dynamic programming models was less than that required for the linear programming models.
Electronic meeting systems as innovation: a study of the innovation process

Abstract Electronic Meeting Systems (EMS) are slowly moving out of university environments into work organizations. They constitute an innovative method of supporting group meetings. This paper reports on the innovation process in one organization that recently adopted and implemented an EMS. The paper traces the innovation process through four stages: conception of an idea; proposal; decision to adopt; and implementation. Important factors from the innovation literature are considered as an explanation of the innovation process involving EMS in this particular organization.
LAN with collision avoidance: switch implementation and simulation study

Presents a design of a collision avoidance switch for the collision avoidance multiple broadcast (CAMB) tree using transistor-transistor logic (TTL) devices. A simulation study exploring the performance of the broadcast star network in both synchronous and asynchronous operations is also presented. Simulation results show that the slotted broadcast star achieves better performance than the unslotted broadcast star, especially when the traffic load is heavy. >
Import quotas and VERs: A comparative analysis in a three-country framework

Abstract Because a VER is inherently discriminatory, the traditional two-country analysis comparing it to a quota is inadequate. This paper adopts a general-equilibrium, three-country approach to compare tariffs, quotas, and VERs; a quota-equivalent VER is defined alternatively in terms of quantity or price. The welfare of the importing country is higher under a quota and that of the non-restricted exporter is higher under a VER. The welfare comparison for the VER-restricted country is ambiguous, a result which is at variance with conventional wisdom.
When Breast Cancer Survivors Report Cognitive Problems at Work

Objective:Breast cancer survivors (BCS) who wish to stay actively employed following primary treatment of cancer may experience cognitive problems at work. Management of these cognitive problems ma...
Phylogeny of the sea spiders (Arthropoda, Pycnogonida) based on direct optimization of six loci and morphology

Higher-level phylogenetics of Pycnogonida has been discussed for many decades but scarcely studied from a cladistic perspective. Traditional taxonomic classifications are yet to be tested and affinities among families and genera are not well understood. Pycnogonida includes more than 1300 species described, but no systematic revisions at any level are available. Previous attempts to propose a phylogeny of the sea spiders were limited in characters and taxon sampling, therefore not allowing a robust test of relationships among lineages. Herein, we present the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Pycnogonida based on a total evidence approach and Direct Optimization. Sixty-three pycnogonid species representing all families including fossil taxa were included. For most of the extant taxa more than 6 kb of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA and 78 morphological characters were scored. The most parsimonious hypotheses obtained in equally weighted total evidence analyses show the two most diverse families Ammotheidae and Callipallenidae to be non-monophyletic. Austrodecidae + Colossendeidae + Pycnogonidae are in the basal most clade, these are morphologically diverse groups of species mostly found in cold waters. The raising of the family Pallenopsidae is supported, while Eurycyde and Ascorhynchus are definitely separated from Ammotheidae. The four fossil taxa are grouped within living Pycnogonida, instead of being an early derived clade. This phylogeny represents a solid framework to work towards the understanding of pycnogonid systematics, providing a data set and a testable hypothesis that indicate those clades that need severe testing, especially some of the deep nodes of the pycnogonid tree and the relationships of ammotheid and callipallenid forms. The inclusion of more rare taxa and additional sources of evidence are necessary for a phylogenetic classification of the Pycnogonida. © The Willi Hennig Society 2006.
Stakeholder perceptions presage holistic stakeholder relationship marketing performance

Purpose – To measure marketing performance in a holistic sense.Design/methodology/approach – To augment the prevailing customer relationship marketing paradigm, a holistic stakeholder relationship marketing paradigm is proposed in which holistic marketing performance is reflected in the delivery of long‐term economic, social, and environmental value to customer, employee, supplier, community, and shareholder stakeholders of a business in order to enhance sustainable financial performance. Present stakeholder attitudes are measured in a stakeholder performance appraisal within a stakeholder relationship marketing model, as timely, early warning signals of future stakeholder behaviour and concomitant future business performance.Findings – Stakeholder performance appraisal results to date indicate that a holistic stakeholder relationship marketing orientation that incorporates triple bottom line philosophy significantly enhances business financial performance beyond that achieved by a customer relationship m...
The impact of delayed clinical healing after third molar surgery on health-related quality-of-life outcomes.

Purpose This study was designed to examine the impact of delayed clinical healing after third molar surgery on health-related quality-of-life recovery (HRQOL). Patients and Methods Recovery data after removal of 4 third molars for patients in an institutional review board-approved, prospective, multi-site, clinical trial were analyzed. Data obtained from patients with a HRQOL instrument, which included domains for lifestyle, oral function, and pain items, assessed recovery for each of 14 days postsurgery. Delayed clinical healing was defined as having at least 1 postsurgery visit with treatment. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to compare the prevalence of delayed HRQOL recovery between those participants with delayed clinical healing and those without. Sensory intensity and unpleasantness scores from Gracely scale data for each postsurgery day were compared for those patients with and those without delayed clinical healing using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel row mean score statistics. The level of significance was set at .05. Results Recovery data were analyzed for 547 patients. A subset of the patients also completed Gracely scales each day. If a patient had delayed clinical healing, the prevalence of delayed recovery for lifestyle nearly doubled (prevalence ratio (PR), 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.3). Similarly, a higher proportion of those with delayed clinical healing also reported delayed oral function recovery (PR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.4 to 2.3); late symptoms recovery (PR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.6) and delayed resolution of pain (PR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.0). Statistically significant average differences existed between those with delayed clinical healing and those without for the sensory intensity of pain and the unpleasantness of pain from postsurgery day 3 through day 14 ( P ≤ .01). Conclusion Delayed clinical healing after third molar surgery significantly increased the prevalence of delayed recovery for lifestyle, oral function, late symptoms, and pain.
Towards a Global History of Voting: Sovereignty, the Diffusion of Ideas, and the Enchanted Individual

This article suggests a framework for moving toward a global history of voting and democracy that focuses less on the diffusion of European ideas (however important those ideas were) than on embedding the history of voting within a worldwide history of ideas on sovereignty. The article posits a general framework for such a history focusing on a “conundrum of sovereignty” grounding legitimate rule in a space imagined as simultaneously within and outside worldly society. Rooted in a “secular theology” such ideas shaped in the 19th and 20th centuries the establishment of systems of mass voting (including the secret ballot), and the sovereignty of the “people” both in Europe and other parts of the world alike, in the process producing an image of the individual voter as an “enchanted individual.” The article looks at developments within Europe and in India in these terms.1
Identification of Oviposition Attractants of the Secondary Screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria (F.) Released from Rotten Chicken Liver

The secondary screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria (F.), is an important blowfly species affecting both livestock and humans. It can transmit pathogenic disease agents mechanically and is an agent of facultative myiasis, which leads to economic losses. The adult flies are attracted to decomposing carcasses, carrion, or rotten meat in order to deposit their eggs, and the hatched larvae develop on these decaying organic materials. This research was aimed to identify volatiles emitted from rotten chicken livers that were reported previously to attract gravid females. In laboratory oviposition assays, gravid females laid significantly more eggs on rotten livers than on fresh livers, and rotten chicken liver was more attractive than rotten beef liver. Volatiles from the two livers were collected using solid phase microextraction. Significantly different volatile profiles were detected from the rotten livers of beef and chicken. Electroantennography (EAG) was performed to determine antennal responses to chemicals released from the most attractive chicken liver that are candidate oviposition attractants. Seven compounds from rotten chicken liver elicited significant EAG responses from antennae of gravid females. Oviposition assays showed that the 7-component blend stimulated gravid females to lay significantly more eggs than the other combinations tested. This 7-component blend may have potential for use in monitoring and sampling populations of secondary screwworm and their associated disease epidemiology.
Photovoltaics: Solar cells on curtains

Crystalline silicon solar cell arrays on flexible, transparent substrates may lead to unconventional new applications.
How might selenium moderate the toxic effects of mercury in stream fish of the western U.S.

The ability of selenium (Se) to moderate mercury (Hg) toxicity is well established in the literature. Mercury exposures that might otherwise produce toxic effects are counteracted by Se, particularly when Se:Hg molar ratios approach or exceed 1. We analyzed whole body Se and Hg concentrations in 468 fish representing 40 species from 137 sites across 12 western U.S. states. The fish samples were evaluated relative to a published wildlife protective Hg threshold (0.1 sg Hg x g(-1) wet wt.), the currenttissue based methylmercury (MeHg) water quality criterion (WQC) for the protection of humans (0.3 microg Hg x g(-1) wet wt) and to presumed protections against Hg toxicity when Se:Hg molar ratios are >1. A large proportion (56%) of our total fish sample exceeded the wildlife Hg threshold, whereas a smaller, but significant proportion (12%), exceeded the MeHg WQC. However, 97.5% of the total fish sample contained more Se than Hg (molar ratio >1) leaving only 2.5% with Se: Hg ratios <1. All but one of the fish with Se:Hg <1, were of the genus Ptychochelius (pikeminnow). Scientific literature on Se counteracting Hg toxicity and our finding that 97.5% of the freshwater fish in our survey have sufficient Se to potentially protect them and their consumers against Hg toxicity suggests that Se in fish tissue (Se:Hg molar ratio) must be considered when assessing the potential toxic effects of Hg.
Effect of aging on flavonoid content and resistance of cotton leaves to verticillium wilt

Abstract Young (1 to 3 nodes from the apex) leaves of Acala 4–42 cotton plants resist infection by Verticillium dahliae , but become susceptible with increased age. This phenomenon is due to inhibition of fungal growth in young leaves. Resistant young leaves contain (+)-catechin, (+)-gallocatechin, isoquercitrin and condensed tannins in higher concentration than do older, susceptible leaves. Infection increases the concentrations of these compounds, especially in young leaves. (+)-Catechin prevents conidiation by V. dahliae at 5 × 10 −5 m and strongly inhibits mycelial growth above 1 × 10 −3 m . The concentration of (+)-catechin and (+)-gallocatechin found in resistant leaves is consistent with that required to strongly inhibit mycelial growth, whereas the concentrations found in older, susceptible leaves is much less inhibitory.
Agency-Based Evaluation and Organizational Change in the Human Services:

In this paper, evaluation is placed within the context of the pressures for change contemporary human-service organizations experience in their policy and operating environments. The authors discus...
Biodiesel Production from Municipal Sewage Sludges

Biodiesel is a fuel comprised of monoalkyl esters traditionally derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. There is currently an unprecedented increase in interest and demand for biodiesel and other fuels derived from renewable biomass. However, pure vegetable or seed oils are expensive and constitute between 70% and 85% of the overall biodiesel production cost. Municipal sewage sludge is gaining traction in the U.S. and around the world as a lipid feedstock for biodiesel production. It is plentiful and consists of significant concentrations of lipids that can make production of biodiesel from sludge profitable. However, there are challenges to be faced by biodiesel production from waste sludge. Determining how best to collect the different fractions and treat them for maximum lipids extraction is a major challenge. To accelerate biodiesel production, cosolvents and high shear mixing have been proposed. Nevertheless, there is very little information on the cost-effective means of increasing lipid solubil...
A workshop on dusty plasmas

“Dusty plasmas” is the name given to plasmas heavily laden with charged dust grains that, together with the surrounding ions and electrons, constitute a new kind of plasma regime. Such plasmas exist in the rings of planets, in the atmospheres of comets, and in interstellar dust clouds. The dust grains are strongly coupled to the fields and particles in the plasma through their electrical charges. As a result, the motions of the grains may be dominated by electric and magnetic forces, and collective effects can play an important role. This field of study is receiving increased attention because of the observations of dust during recent spacecraft missions to the planets and comets, together with the dawning recognition that the evolution of dusty plasma clouds in space may be quite different from that of nondusty clouds.
Design of lightweight robots for over-snow mobility

Abstract Snowfields are challenging terrain for lightweight ( A small robot will invariably encounter deep snow relative to its ground clearance and thus must travel over the snow rather than gain support from the underlying surface. This can be accomplished using low-pressure tracks ( This paper presents guidance to design lightweight robots for good mobility over snow based on tests of two custom-designed over-snow robots, SnoBot and SnoBot-2, and driving experience with two commercially available robots, PackBot and Talon. Moreover, we used the present guidance to design SnoBot-2, and it displays excellent over-snow mobility. Because many other considerations constrain robot designs, this guidance can also help with development of winterization kits to improve the over-snow performance of existing robots.
Gene Delivery to Cultured Embryonic Stem Cells Using Nanofiber-Based Sandwich Electroporation

Multiple gene transfections are often required to control the differentiation of embryonic stem cells. This is typically done by removing the cells from the culture substrate and conducting gene transfection via bulk electroporation (in suspension), which is then followed by further culture. Such repetitive processes could affect the growth and behavior of delicate/scarce adherent cells. We have developed a novel nanofiber-based sandwich electroporation device capable of in situ and in culture gene transfection. Electrospinning was used to deposit poly(e-caprolactone)/gelatin nanofibers on the Al2O3 nanoporous support membrane, on top of which a polystyrene microspacer was thermally bonded to control embryonic stem cell colony formation. The applicability of this system was demonstrated by culturing and transfecting mouse embryonic stem cells. Measurements of secreted alkaline phosphatase protein and metabolic activity showed higher transfection efficacy and cell viability compared to the conventional bul...
CASE STUDY: ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF COMPONENT MANAGEMENT FOR A NEW DESIGN

ABSTRACT This paper explores the viability of standardization of design and manufacturing techniques to expedite product development and control design proliferation using an example of a leading transport refrigeration unit manufacturer. As an incremental approach to implementing standardization in a product development environment, a conceptual framework for component management decision support system is presented to build a case for its technical feasibility. The primary objective of this research case study is to provide an economic justification for implementing the proposed system. A three level decision making hierarchy is proposed with economic optimization for levels 1 and 2 representing standardization of system modules and capacity decisions for a product line respectively and thermodynamic optimization for level 3 representing control systems to keep the system dynamically balanced in changing environments. Other potential applications amenable to classification are identified.
Work Zone Traffic Accidents Involving Traffic Control Devices, Safety Features, and Construction Operations

There were 496 work zone traffic accidents on New York State Department of Transportation construction projects from 1994 through 1996. These accidents involved impacts with work zone traffic control devices and safety features; construction features, such as pavement bumps and joints; drainage features; excavations and materials; and construction vehicles, equipment, and workers. These items, which include all of the features introduced into the roadway environment by construction activity, represent one-third of all work zone accidents and 37 percent of those involving serious injury. Channelizing devices, arrow panels, signs, and other traffic control devices generally resulted in little harm when impacted. Impact attenuators, both fixed and truck mounted, also performed well. Although portable concrete barriers prevent vehicle intrusions, impacts with barrier are severe events. Barriers must be properly designed and limited to only those locations where they are needed to protect more serious hazards....
Sterol and phospholipid acyl chain alterations inSaccharomyces cerevisiae secretion mutants as a function of temperature stress

Analyses of free sterol, steryl ester and fatty acid components from yeast secretion mutants indicated that free and esterified sterol remained relatively constant over a growth range of 24 C to 34 C. The saturated fatty acid components (16∶0 and 18∶0) increased while the unsaturated fatty acids (16∶1 and 18∶1) decreased as the growth temperature increased. In secretory mutants, fatty acid composition changes are more pronounced than in the wild-type strain. A shift toward increased saturated and decreased unsaturated fatty acid was observed when cells were subjected to a 2-hr temperature upshift to 37 C. Steady-state fluorescence anisotropy data indicated that modifications to the lipid component of yeast plasma membrane produced lipid thermotropic transitions that were 3 C to 6 C higher in yeast cells subjected to thermal stress.
Reconfigurable control of networked nonlinear Euler-Lagrange systems subject to fault diagnostic imperfections

The main objective of this paper is to design a distributed reconfigurable controller for networked nonlinear Euler-Lagrange (EL) systems in presence of actuator faults and imperfections in the fault detection and identification (FDI) algorithm. Specifically, we propose an adaptive distributed control algorithm which has the capability of estimating the faults (both intermittent and permanent). We incorporate the information provided from the FDI algorithm (which is assumed to be running in parallel with the controller) in the design of the adaptive controller. We consider three main types of imperfections in the FDI algorithm, namely, (1) fault detection imperfection, that is when fault is not detected by the FDI algorithm, (2) fault isolation imperfection, that is when the fault is detected in the wrong channel or in the wrong agent, and (3) fault identification imperfection, that is when the fault estimation is not exact. We show that our proposed distributed reconfigurable controller can maintain the closed-loop networked EL systems stability under these scenarios and can improve the performance of the closed-loop system in the third scenario. Simulation results for the attitude control of a network of spacecraft demonstrate the effectiveness and capabilities of our proposed distributed reconfigurable control algorithm.
DON MINIATO PITTI AND THE SECOND LIFE OF A SCIENTIST'S TOOLS IN CINQUECENTO FLORENCE

title RIASSUNTO /title Assai stimato nel tardo Cinquecento, lo scienziato e cosmografo fiorentino Don Miniato Pitti ha lasciato un solo strumento inequivocabilmente attribuibile a lui. Un documento scoperto di recente rivela che subito dopo la sua morte, avvenuta nel 1566, Egnazio Danti, giovane cosmografo del Duca, comper alcuni apparati e strumenti di Pitti, nonch diversi oggetti artistici. Tali acquisti da parte di Danti, segno evidente dell'alta considerazione in cui teneva il suo predecessore, attestano anche la circolazione degli strumenti all'interno della comunit scientifica.
Natural-trap ursid mortality and the Kurtén Response.

Ursid mortality data have long been used to evaluate associations between cave-bear remains (Ursus deningeri and U. spelaeus) and hominin (Homo sp.) remains. Typically, such ursid assemblages produce mortality patterns that indicate that juvenile and old bears died during hibernation, a pattern that is used to suggest that humans and bears occupied the same caves at different times. However, a different kind of mortality pattern can also be used to suggest human influence on cave bears, particularly under circumstances when bears and humans compete for habitat. In particular, data from Lawson Cave and Jerry Long Cave, Missouri indicate that young-adult North American black bears (Ursus americanus) are prone to capture in natural-trap caves. Similar faunal data from Sima de los Huesos in Spain, where cave-bear and hominin remains are found in the same deposit, might also suggest that the bears died from falling into a natural trap. It is concluded that mortality analysis of ursid remains from caves is a useful tool with which to evaluate accumulation histories of cave deposits and relations between humans, artifacts, and cave-bear remains. In particular, ursid mortality data are relevant to the Kurten Response, a hypothesis reiterated in the recent literature that implicates human encroachment on ursid habitat (e.g., cave den sites) as a potential cause in cave-bear extinction.
Endoscopic laser therapy as an alternative to palliative surgery for adenocarcinoma of the rectum--comparison of costs and complications.

Endoscopic laser therapy has been used as an alternative to surgery for rectal cancer in certain patients with metastases or at high surgical risk. This report analyzes 35 patients undergoing surgery and 21 undergoing laser therapy for rectal cancer. The cost of treatment was compared as well as the length of hospital stay, intensive care stay, complications, and survival. In the surgical patients, complications, length of stay, and intensive care stay were all significantly greater than for patients treated by endoscopic laser. Mean total cost tor surgery was $23,156 compared with $5333 for inpatient laser treatment (p
Detecting Hardware Trojans using On-chip Sensors in an ASIC Design

The modern integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing process has exposed the fabless semiconductor industry to hardware Trojans that threaten circuits bound for critical applications. This paper investigates an on-chip sensor's effectiveness for Trojan detection in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and proposes new techniques to improve the sensor's sensitivity to Trojan switching activity. The sensors serve as power supply monitors by detecting fluctuations in their characteristic frequencies due to malicious inclusions (i.e. hardware Trojans) in the circuit under authentication. Our proposed on-chip structure was implemented and fabricated on an ASIC test chip using IBM 90nm technology with controlled hardware Trojans. This work analyzes the impact of both sequential and combinational Trojans with varied partial activity, area, and location on the proposed on-chip structure and demonstrates that stealthy Trojans can be effectively detected with this technique, even when obfuscated by circuit switching activity and process and environmental variations.
Interface between psychoanalysis and family therapy.

Family therapy has become over the past decade a widely used form of treatment, whose results, as measured by outcome studies, are impressive. Most of the pioneers in family therapy were individuals with a psychoanalytic background (Ackerman, Bowen, Jackson, Lidz, and Wynne); however, the field currently suffers from a lack of any integrating theory. Some family therapists have suggested that this lack of an integrated theory is not a weakness but indeed a strength. They claim the field is still too young, that perhaps it is best to allow family therapy to blossom and grow unencumbered by the restrictions of theory. However, the question is, when will the field be old enough, or will it perpetually be too young? Family therapy began to flourish in the 1960s, a time in the United States characterized, in certain quarters, by strong antiestablishment sentiment. In many respects, this was similar to the Existentialist movement in Europe after World War II, where distrust of authority and distrust of theory went hand in hand. One can similarly suggest that this distrust of a theoretical foundation is experienced by some family therapists as a safeguard against premature closure and control by some vague authority. However, without some unified theory, particularly a theory that is connected with general psychiatric theory and practice, family therapy remains in an alienated position, a step.. child. It is the author's opinion that family therapy has grown up, and it is time that it takes its place in the family of psychotherapies, along with individual and group therapy. Historically, the field of family therapy evolved in various locations under the leadership of a number of charismatic individuals who established their own therapeutic approaches. A wide spectrum of theory and practice in family therapy has resulted. These range from generally psychodynamic methods, which explore familial patterns transmitted through two or three generations (psychoanalytic, family systems, and contextual family therapy),
Theophylline Effect on Sleep in Normal Subjects

In an effort to isolate the effect of theophylline on sleep from the effect of asthma, we examined the impact of oral theophylline on sleep quality in normal, nonasthmatic subjects. Ten healthy, nonsmoking, male subjects ranging in age from 23 to 35 were studied. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups and studied in a double-blinded, crossover designed protocol. Each group underwent two consecutive nights in the sleep laboratory. Group one received four doses of 300 mg of sustained-release theophylline at 12-h intervals prior to the study night. Group two received a placebo. After 14 days, the patients crossed over to the other group, and the procotcol was repeated. The mean serum theophylline level on the morning following the study night was 7.85 +/- SD 2.12 micrograms/ml, with a range of 5.1 to 12.1 microns/ml. The analysis of variance for a crossover design showed no order effect. The analysis for drug effect showed that theophylline administration resulted in a statistically significant adverse effect on arousals per sleep hour (19.3 vs 15.9 for placebo, p = .006) and total sleep time (370.9 min vs 399.45 min for placebo, p = .015). Comparing the sum of ranks data, theophylline was found to have a significant adverse effect on sleep quality (p = .036). We conclude that low doses of oral theophylline result in a significant disturbance in sleep quality in normal nonasthmatic subjects.
Puzzles in software development contracting

Current outsourcing practices are relatively unsophisticated in comparison with the techniques prescribed by economic theory. Customers end up bearing all long-term risk, and vendors have no direct incentive to achieve long-term system effectiveness.
Improved L-Leucine Production by an α-Aminobutyric Acid Resistant Mutant of Brevibacterium lactofermentum

A mutant of a Brevibacterium lactofermentum l-leucine producer was obtained that was resistant to high concentrations of d-α-aminobutyric acid (d-ABA) and the production by which of l-valine decreased by an order and that of l-leucine increased by 24% compared to its parent, No. 34. In this mutant strain, No. 12–6, the activities of both acetohydroxy acid synthase and isopropylmalate synthase were higher than those of the parent.
Field Observations on Selective Tidal-Stream Transport for Postlarval and Juvenile Pink Shrimp in Florida Bay

Postlarvae and juveniles of pink shrimp were collected in the summers of 2005 and 2006 at three stations in northwestern Florida Bay, the main nursery ground of this species in South Florida. Collections were made at one- or two-hour intervals during three full moon nights and two new moon nights at depth intervals in the water column. Results of the five collections were consistent with the assumption that postlarvae use a flood-tide transport (FTT) to advance into the estuary by ascending in the water column during the darkflood tide and resting near the bottom during the ebb tide. Evidence of a FTT were higher numbers of postlarvae per hour collected during the flood tide vs. ebb tide and the large number of postlarvae collected with highest velocity flood tide currents. ANOVA indicated significant differences in the number of postlarvae collected between tidal stages and moon phases, but not among depths. Postlarvae were more abundant during new moon than full moon. We also found different patterns of postlarval distribution between the new and full moon. During the new moon, a large peak of postlarvae occurred coincident with highest current speeds, whereas, with one exception, during the full moon postlarvae were more abundant in the second half of the flood period near the slack tide. In contrast, juveniles exhibited a behavior and migratory pattern opposite to that of postlarvae. ANOVA indicated significant differences between the number of juveniles captured between tidal stages and among depths, but not between moon phases. Juveniles were found almost exclusively near the surface on the ebb tide. Significantly larger juveniles were captured on the dark-ebb rather than on the dark-flood tide during both moon phases, suggesting that older juveniles were leaving the Bay on the ebb tide.
Human lymphocyte receptor movement induced by sheep erythrocyte binding: effect of temperature and neuraminidase treatment.

Abstract The formation of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) rosettes by human lymphocytes was promoted by incubation at 4 °C and by treatment of the lymphocytes or SRBC by neuraminidase. On incubating the untreated SRBC rosettes at 37 °C, the rosettes dissociated by capping in which rings were converted into horseshoes and then caps. This capping was inhibited by incubation of the rosettes at 4 °C and partially by treatment of the cells with neuraminidase. During rosette formation, the proportion of caps decreased progressively during 4 °C incubation. This decrease of capping was also promoted by neuraminidase treatment. We concluded that the main reason why 4 °C and neuraminidase treatment facilitated rosette formation was by inhibition of capping.
Some recent developments in quantum Monte Carlo for electronic structure : Methods and application to a bio system

A brief review of recent advances in quantum Monte Carlo for the electronic structure of molecules at the University of California, Berkeley, is given based on an invited talk presented at the WATOC meeting, Cape Town, South Africa, January 2005.
Some comments on Hapke's comments

Abstract Most observations in photometry and polarimetry of the Moon and asteroids can be explained with a tenuous surface texture. The scattering elements or particles may be interconnected rather than freely suspended.
EUV mask stress mapping by an experimental and hybrid finite element technique

Image fidelity is one of the fundamental requirements in lithography and it is becoming more important as feature sizes shrink below 90 nm. Image distortion depends on the mask deformation caused by the intrinsic stress in the film-substrate system. To develop an understanding of stress generation and to control film quality, measuring film stress is essential. In recent years, research laboratories and industry have increasingly adopted indirect methods for determining film stress. All of these methods are based on the measurement of substrate deformation, and the film stress is calculated from the substrate curvature by the local application of Stoney’s equation. When the two principal stresses at each point in the film plane are not equal to each other and their distribution is not uniform, the local application of Stoney’s equation is invalid. Even though the accuracy of the measurement may be high, the stress determined may not be. An alternative technique based on numerical analysis has been developed. The limitations of using Stoney’s equation and the new stress measurement technique are discussed in this paper.
Kinetics of the Bulk Polymerization of Aromatic Diacids and Diacetates

The acidolysis kinetics of the initial stage in the bulk polymerization of aromatic diacids (AA-type monomers) with aromatic diacetates (BB-type monomers) were investigated by a newly developed gas...
Grouping Gifted Students: Issues and Concerns

Gifted and talented students need instruction at a level and pace as well as conceptual complexity commensurate with their advanced levels of ability and achievement. Grouping heterogeneously and providing cooperative learning in heterogeneous groups leads to lowered achievement and motivation as well as poorer attitudes toward school. Academic achievement of American youth is lower than the achievement of youth in many Asian and European countries. If we wish to sustain or increase the academic achievement of American youth they should be grouped for instruction according to ability and achievement levels, but grouping practices should be flexible, and rigid tracking should be avoided.
Teenage Truths and Tribulations Across Cultures: Degrassi Junior High and Beverly Hillls 90210

(1994). Teenage Truths and Tribulations Across Cultures: Degrassi Junior High and Beverly Hillls 90210. Journal of Popular Film and Television: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 38-42.
The Incidence of Giant Cell Arteritis in Olmsted County, Minnesota: Apparent Fluctuations in a Cyclic Pattern

Objective: To investigate trends in the incidence of giant cell arteritis over a 42-year period in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Design: Population-based incidence study. Setting: Olmsted County, Minn...
Evaluating trace cache energy efficiency

Future fetch engines need to be energy efficient. Much research has focused on improving fetch bandwidth. In particular, previous research shows that storing concatenated basic blocks to form instruction traces can significantly improve fetch performance. This work evaluates whether this concatenating of basic blocks translates to significant energy-efficiency gains. We compare processor performance and energy efficiency in trace caches compared to instruction caches. We find that, although trace caches modestly outperform instruction cache only alternatives, it is branch-prediction accuracy that really determines performance and energy efficiency. When access delay and area restrictions are considered, our results show that sequential trace caches achieve very similar performance and energy efficiency results compared to instruction cache-based fetch engines and show that the trace cache's failure to significantly outperform the instruction cache-based fetch organizations stems from the poorer implicit branch prediction from the next-trace predictor at smaller areas. Because access delay limits the theoretical performance of the evaluated fetch engines, we also propose a novel ahead-pipelined next-trace predictor. Our results show that an STC fetch organization with a three-stage, ahead-pipelined next-trace predictor can achieve 5--17p IPC and 29p ED2 improvements over conventional, unpipelined organizations.
THE VALUE OF YOUR TIME: EVALUATION OF EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT RATES ON THE PRACTICE OF UROLOGY

ABSTRACT Purpose: Several reforms to Medicare have changed the reimbursement of physicians from payment based on usual, customary or reasonable charges to a resource based relative value scale. We studied the effect of these changes on hourly reimbursement rates for various services provided by urologists. Materials and Methods: We used a previously published national survey of urologists who provided information regarding physician time and work required before, during and after most frequently performed urological services, including during the global period. For comparison mean operative times during the last year at our private hospital for several common urological procedures were obtained. Medicare reimbursement rates for common urological procedures and evaluation and management (E&M) codes for 1995, 1999 and 2004 were acquired from our department's billing office and used to calculate reimbursement rate per hour. Results: There was a steady increase in reimbursement for outpatient services and a decrease in reimbursement for surgical procedures. For E&M codes the reimbursement rates per hour for 2004 represent a mean 51% increase since 1995. However, surgical procedures have had a mean decrease of 28.5% in reimbursement rates per hour. There was remarkable consistency in rates with 7 of the 9 surgical procedures losing between 25.5% and 32% in reimbursement. In 1995 outpatient E&M services were the least profitable at less than half the hourly rate of operative procedures. In 2004 office cystoscopy and transrectal ultrasound biopsy of the prostate had the highest reimbursement and, with the exception of shock wave lithotripsy, there was a minimal difference in hourly reimbursement rates between common surgical procedures and E&M services. Conclusions: Changes in Medicare reimbursement during the last decade have resulted in significant changes in rates for different urological services. The near equity in reimbursement rates for E&M and surgical services will likely have an increasingly important role in the future practice of urology.
The GIST paradigm: lessons for other kinase‐driven cancers

Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) is the most common sarcoma of the intestinal tract, known to be notoriously refractory to conventional chemotherapy or radiation. It is an ideal solid tumour model to apply our understanding from aberrant signal transduction to drug development, since nearly all tumours have a mutation in the KIT or, less often, the PDGFRA or BRAF genes. The constitutively activated KIT and PDGFRA oncoproteins serve as crucial diagnostic and therapeutic targets. The discovery of oncogenic KIT activation as a central mechanism of GIST pathogenesis suggested that inhibiting or blocking KIT signalling might be the milestone in the targeted therapy of GISTs. Indeed, imatinib mesylate inhibits KIT kinase activity and represents the front-line drug for the treatment of unresectable and advanced GISTs, achieving a partial response or stable disease in about 80% of patients with metastatic GIST. KIT mutation status has a significant impact on treatment response, emerging in recent years as a leading paradigm for genotype-driven targeted therapy. In this review, parallels with other models in oncology that share their addiction to a particular mutationally activated kinase are contrasted. A better understanding of oncogene addiction as a common theme across tumours of diverse histologies underlies the clinical success of targeting such kinases with several selective kinase inhibitors. Also remarkable is the similarity displayed in the mechanisms of drug failure after a successful but temporary clinical response to kinase inhibition. Reactivation of the same oncogenic kinase, often by acquisition of second site mutations, is another emerging paradigm of secondary resistance in these tumour models. The complexity of polyclonal resistance in imatinib-resistant patients argues that single next-generation kinase inhibitors will not be beneficial in all mutant clones. Other broad therapeutic strategies could include combination of kinase inhibitors with targeting KIT downstream targets, such as PI3-K or MAPK/MEK inhibitors.
The effect of adsorbed oxygen on the surface photo voltage of CdSe

Abstract The surface photovoltage of single crystal, 1 ohm-cm CdSe was measured as a function of the adsorption of oxygen. Data are given for the dependence of the signal on bakeout temperature and the pressure of the oxygen ambient. In parallel experiments, photosorption was used to establish the conditions required for a defined change in surface occupancy. The corresponding changes in surface photovoltage were measured after bakeout of the crystal in ultra-high vacuum. The surface photovoltage was found to increase with a UV-promoted adsorption after bakeout at 360°C.
Hazards in the use of Cibacron Blue F3GA in studies of proteins

Abstract Cibacron Blue F3GA from several commercial sources is shown to be heterogeneous. This crude dye inactivates both phosphoglycerate kinase and isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase. Purification of Cibacron Blue F3GA to homogeneity results in a dramatic decrease in inactivation of these enzymes. The inactivation is shown to be due to covalent modification of phosphoglycerate kinase and probably isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase by a minor component present in crude Cibacron Blue F3GA.
Expression of activin receptor II and IIB mRNA isoforms in mouse reproductive organs and oocytes

Activins, the dimeric polypeptides of inhibin beta-subunits, exhibit paracrine effects on cell proliferation, differentiation, and various other cell functions. The complex biological response to activin appears to involve multiple receptors. In the present study, we examined the isoform mRNA expression of both activin receptor type II (ActR-II) and type IIB (ActR-IIB) genes in mouse reproductive organs, cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs), and ovulated oocytes. Northern blot analyses of female and male reproductive organs with single-stranded ActR-II cDNA probes revealed that mouse ovaries expressed high levels of the 6.0 kilobase (kb) mRNA, whereas the 3.0 kb transcript was the major mRNA species found in the testis. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that both COCs and oocytes contained ActR-II mRNA. To examine the expression of ActR-IIB gene, primer selection was made outside the two alternative splicing sites in order to amplify the cDNAs of all four distinct receptor isoforms. The results of RT-PCR demonstrated that isoforms IIB2 and IIB4 were the major mRNA species expressed in both female and male gonads and extragonal reproductive tissues. The ovary expressed all four mRNA isoforms, whereas the testes expressed only three isoforms. whereas the testes expressed only three isoforms. Furthermore, COCs and oocytes contained only the ActR-IIB2 isoform. The differential expression of both activin receptor mRNA isoforms in the reproductive organs suggests that distinct alternative splicing mechanisms are involved in activin receptor gene expression in male and female gonads, and that each of the activin receptors may have its own biological function in reproduction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)