cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of "diagnostic V codes" in pediatric ophthalmology.

Abstract Background: Children requiring comprehensive eye examination for signs of familial eye disease or suspected systemic condition are referred to pediatric ophthalmologists. Such examinations may be critical to diagnosis and patient management, yet medically necessary screening examinations are not reimbursed by insurers when the patient is “normal”. Faced with this dilemma regularly in a children's hospital practice, we began tracking insurer acceptance of “diagnostic V codes”, which are diagnostic codes generally related to symptoms or status conditions rather than to medical states. The authors felt that “diagnostic V codes” might represent a more appropriate and correct code in the circumstance of a medically necessary screening examination found to be normal. Methods: In July 1995 the use of 11 primary diagnostic V codes and 7 secondary diagnostic V codes was discussed in our faculty meeting and a list was displayed in each examination lane. Acceptance of V codes was then tracked for an 8-month period and analyzed 1 year later to provide a set of closed accounts. Results: The code V71.8, or “observation for other specified, suspected condition” had a 73% acceptance rate by insurers on the basis of 207 examinations. The acceptance rate was not dependent on the use of a secondary code (76% for V71.8 alone vs 71% for secondary code used). Other V codes were infrequently used. Conclusions: The code V71.8 was an accepted code by insurers in our locality for medically necessary screening examinations found to be normal. The authors feel this high acceptance rate by insurers confirms our impression that V codes are the appropriate and correct codes to use for the medically necessary screening examination found to be normal.
Adaptive finite element methods for increased resolution in fluorescence optical tomography

ABSTRACT Fluorescence optical tomography is an emerging tool for molecularly based medical imaging. In order to providethe required accuracy and resolution for imaging interior uorescent yield and/or lifetime within the tissue,accurate experimental measurements as well as ecient and accurate numerical algorithms are needed.Herein, we present a new adaptive nite element approach to the inverse imaging problem that is able tosignicantly increase the resulting image resolution and accuracy, by (i) using ner meshes for the parameterestimation where the dye concentration varies signicantly, (ii) using ner meshes for the uence predictionwhere gradients are signicant, while (iii) choosing coarse meshes in other locations. The nonlinear iterativeoptimization scheme is formulated in function spaces, rather than on a xed grid. Each step is discretizedseparately, thus allowing for meshes that vary from one nonlinear step to the next. Furthermore, by employingadaptive schemes in the optimization, only the discretization level of the nal mesh denes the achievableresolution, while the initial steps can be performed on coarse, cheap meshes. Using this technique, we cansignicantly reduce the total number of unknowns, which not only stabilizes the ill-posedness of the inverseproblem, but also adapts the location and density of unknown parameters to achieve higher image resolutionwhere it is needed. Specically, we use an a posteriori error criterion to iteratively and adaptively rene meshesfor both the forward and inverse problems based on derivatives of excitation and emission uences as well as thesought parameter. We demonstrate this scheme on synthetically generated data similar to available experimentalmeasurements.Keywords: Image Reconstruction Techniques; Photon Migration; Medical and Biological Imaging; NumericalTechniques; Adaptive Finite Element Methods.
Effects of high school driver education on motor vehicle crashes, violations, and licensure

Abstract Objective: We sought evidence in the research literature to determine if (1) high school–aged persons who enroll in a driver education course have fewer motor vehicle–related crashes or violations, or are more likely to obtain a drivers license, than those who do not enroll in driver education courses, and (2) the availability of high school driver education courses is associated with lower community rates of motor vehicle crashes among young drivers. Methods: To be included, a study must: (1) assess the effects of driver education courses or legislation for high school–aged persons; (2) present non-self-reported data for at least one of the following outcome measures: driver licensure rates, motor vehicle–related violations, or crashes; (3) include some form of no intervention comparison group; (4) adequately control for potentially confounding variables; and (5) randomly assign participants to control or treatment groups, if a controlled trial. Results: Nine studies met our inclusion criteria. Based on these studies, there is no convincing evidence that high school driver education reduces motor vehicle crash involvement rates for young drivers, either at the individual or community level. In fact, by providing an opportunity for early licensure, there is evidence that these courses are associated with higher crash involvement rates for young drivers. Conclusions: Although few driver education curricula have been carefully evaluated, in the absence of evidence that driver education reduces crash involvement rates for young persons, schools and communities should consider other ways to reduce motor vehicle–related deaths in this population, such as graduated licensing.
In situ light-scattering measurements of morphologically evolving flame-synthesized oxide nanoaggregates.

Nonspherical Al2O3 aggregates produced in a laminar counterflow nonpremixed methane flame were investigated with an in situ laser light-scattering (LLS) technique in combination with a thermophoretic sampling–transmission electron microscope (TS–TEM) method. These flame-synthesized nanoparticles clearly underwent morphological changes following their formation (from precursor trimethylaluminum hydrolysis), mainly as a result of aggregation and sintering processes in the ∼3.3 × 104 K/s heating environment. To characterize this particulate morphological evolution conveniently we made multiangular absolute LLS measurements and interpreted them based on the Rayleigh–Debye–Gans scattering theory for fractal aggregates. Optically determined fractal dimension Df, mean radius of gyration, aggregate size distribution, and local particle volume fraction ϕp were found to be consistent with our independent ex situ TS–TEM experiments. Df (optically inferred) increased from 1.60 to 1.84 with axial position, confirming the morphological evolution of alumina aggregates owing to finite-rate, spatially resolved high-temperature sintering. An extension of our TS–TEM method was successfully applied, for the first time to our knowledge, to inorganic particles. ϕp inferred by means of this ex situ technique generally agreed with that from the in situ LLS technique, supporting our interpretation of both measurements. Moreover, an optically inferred net sintering rate of alumina aggregates approaching the flame was estimated to be consistent with the available TEM data. The LLS methods and results presented here are expected to permit more comprehensive mechanistic analyses of nanoaggregate sintering and coagulation kinetics in such flame environments, ultimately improving the modeling of more-complex (e.g., turbulent, high-pressure) combustion systems involving nanoparticle formation and evolution.
Removal of retinal input fails to elicit isthmo-tectal sprouting in the frog

Abstract The retina and nucleus isthmi both project in laminar fashion to the superficial layers of the frog's tectum. In order to determine whether isthmo-tectal axons show collateral sprouting after retinotectal input is removed, we injected [ 3 H]proline into the nucleus isthmi and measured the volume of the crossed isthmo-tectal projection. We found no evidence of collateral sprouting.
Interaction Between Structural, Statistical, and Covariate Models in Population Pharmacokinetic Analysis

The influence of the choice of pharmacokinetic model on subsequent determination of covariate relationships in population pharmacokinetic analysis was studied using both simulated and real data sets. Simulations and data analysis were both performed with the program NONMEM. Data were simulated using a two-compartment model, but at late sample times, so that preferential selection of the two-compartment model should have been impossible. A simple categorical covariate acting on clearance was included. Initially, on the basis of a difference in the objective function values, the two-compartment model was selected over the one-compartment model. Only when the complexity of the one-compartment model was increased in terms of the covariate and statistical models was the difference in objective function values of the two structural models negligible. For two real data sets, with which the two-compartment model was not selected preferentially, more complex covariate relationships were supported with the one-compartment model than with the two-compartment model. Thus, the choice of structural model can be affected as much by the covariate model as can the choice of covariate model be affected by the structural model; the two choices are interestingly intertwined. A suggestion on how to proceed when building population pharmacokinetic models is given.
Perspective on invasive cardiology: The 24th Louis F. Bishop lecture

The fast growing and complex field of invasive cardiology offers a host of opportunities and challenges for the clinician. Scientific and technical advances ranging from molecular biology to microtechnology are changing how physicians make decisions concerning treatment of coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, unstable angina and electrophysiologic dysfunction. The economic impact and ethical implications presented by these developments contribute to the difficulty of achieving optimal therapeutic solutions for individual patients.
Chemical vapor synthesis and characterization of aluminum nanopowder

Abstract Aluminum is a component in many promising hydrogen storage materials such as aluminum hydride and complex aluminum hydrides. In this research, Al and TiAl 3 -containing Al nanopowders were prepared by a chemical vapor synthesis (CVS) process using Mg as the reducing agent. XRD and EDS results indicated that the produced powder was composed of Al or Al with TiAl 3 . The shape of the powder was spherical with the average size in the range of 10–50 nm measured by SEM, TEM, BET and ZetaPALS compared with the typically larger than 100 nm for commercially available fine Al powders. In addition, the effects of the operating conditions such as Ar flow rate, precursor feed rate and reaction temperature on the properties of the product powder were investigated.
Web-based backpacking communities and online activism in China: Movement without marching:

This article examines activism that has emerged in online communities. This ethnographic study of two web-based backpacking communities shows that citizens and activists use the Internet mainly for...
Design and economic challenges of 10–22 passenger, jet-powered regional transports

Abstract Regional transports in the 10–22 passenger category will be jet-powered in the near future. The rationale for this predicted development is discussed in this paper. Based on operational and affordability factors the desired mission requirements for these airplanes are determined. It is shown that the cost of these airplanes must be kept under very tight control. One approach to achieving this is to develop a family of two airplanes, a single fuselage 10-passenger airplane and a twin-fuselage 22-passenger airplane. These airplanes are to have a large amount of commonality. Several design challenges and certification issues are also discussed.
Package embedded inductors for integrated voltage regulators

Intel® 4 th generation Core™ microprocessors are powered by high frequency integrated switching voltage regulators. The inductors required to implement these regulators were constructed using the routing layers of conventional organic flip chip packaging. This paper provides an overview of the simulation and measurement of these embedded inductors including representative results from production packages.
Spaceflight and simulated microgravity cause a significant reduction of key gene expression in early T-cell activation.

Healthy immune function depends on precise regulation of lymphocyte activation. During the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Apollo and Shuttle eras, multiple spaceflight studies showed depressed lymphocyte activity under microgravity (μg) conditions. Scientists on the ground use two models of simulated μg (sμg): 1) the rotating wall vessel (RWV) and 2) the random positioning machine (RPM), to study the effects of altered gravity on cell function before advancing research to the true μg when spaceflight opportunities become available on the International Space Station (ISS). The objective of this study is to compare the effects of true μg and sμg on the expression of key early T-cell activation genes in mouse splenocytes from spaceflight and ground animals. For the first time, we compared all three conditions of microgravity spaceflight, RPM, and RWV during immune gene activation of Il2, Il2rα, Ifnγ, and Tagap; moreover, we confirm two new early T-cell activation genes, Iigp1 and Slamf1...
New results on the generation of broadband electrostatic waves in the magnetotail

The theory of the generation of broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) in the magnetotail is extended through numerical solution of the dispersion relation under conditions that exist in the plasma sheet boundary layer. It is found that the low-frequency portion of the spectrum has a broad angular spectrum but a fairly sharp peak near 75 deg with respect to the magnetic field, while the high-frequency portion has a narrower angular spectrum that is strongly concentrated along the magnetic field line. These results are in excellent agreement with observations of the broadband wave spectrum and a recent measurement of the propagation direction. The effect of a second cold component of electrons is analyzed, and it is found that it can increase the upper cutoff frequency of BEN to the observed value at about the plasma frequency.
Determination of low nanogram/millilitre levels of volatile organic compounds in on-purpose and by-product hydrochloric acids.

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is used in the food industry as a processing aid in the manufacture of certain foods. HCl is manufactured, either directly from inorganic sources, i.e. "on-purpose' or indirectly as a by-product from the production of organic compounds generally intended for non-food applications. By-product HCl potentially may contain traces of the manufactured product, its precursors, and other reaction by-products. Many of the potential contaminants are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as vinyl chloride and benzene. A study was conducted to determine whether there were differences between the levels of VOCs found in HCl samples collected from two on-purpose HCl manufacturers and two by-product HCl manufacturers. Process water used to manufacture the HCl also was analysed. Twenty-nine VOCs were determined by purge- and-trap concentration and capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Of these, nine were found in the process water and in both the by-product and on-purpose HCl samples at total VOC levels of less than 116 ng/ml. The levels of total VOCs identified in the two on-purpose HCl samples were 58 and 80 ng/ml; the levels of total VOCs identified in the two by-product samples were 41 and 115 ng/ml. The process water appeared to be the source of most of the contaminants. These results show that the levels of VOCs found in the two types of acid are comparable.
Future space missions

An orbiting space factory, a self-directed deep-space exploration robot, a fully automated earth resources and environment monitor, and a lunar base that could grow through the self-replication of many of its elements were examined in a space technology assessment workshop which looked at the next 25 years. The joint NASA/American Society of Engineering Education workshop, held this summer at the University of Santa Clara in California, selected and defined challenging space missions that would identify critical technology needs for future research and development. The workshop offered possible representative future missions rather than specific proposals. A highly versatile ‘intelligent’ satellite information system for most types of earth survey was suggested. Previous systems have produced huge masses of data because they record everything they see. The proposed information system would select and interpret data coming from its sensors to provide results tailored to specific needs.
Transport characterization of HgTeCdTe superlattice band structure

An extensive study of electron and hole transport in MBE-grown Hg-based superlattices is discussed. Temperature-dependent free carrier mobilities and densities have been obtained from a mixed-conduction analysis of the Hall and resistivity data as a function of magnetic field. Photo-Hall measurements using high-intensity CO2 laser excitation have yielded the first temperature-dependent energy relaxation times for Hg-based superlattices.
Photoreceptor topography of the retina in the adult pigtail macaque (Macaca nemestrina)

In spite of the crucial role retinal photoreceptors play in mapping optical images into a pattern of neural excitation, there are no complete studies of photoreceptor topography in any primate retina. We have measured the spatial density and inner segment areas of cones and rods across the whole mounted retinas of three adult pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) and constructed maps of photoreceptor density and inner segment diameter. These retinas contain an average of 3.1 million cones (2.8-3.3 million), with an average peak foveal cone density of 210,000 cones/mm2 (190,000-260,000 cones/mm2). Cone density falls steeply with increasing eccentricity, to 100,000 cones/mm2 at 200 microns from the fovea, and to 50,000 cones/mm2 at 750 microns. Imposed on this gradient is a "streak" of higher cone density along the horizontal meridian. At equivalent eccentricities, cone density is higher in nasal and inferior retina. Cone inner segments increase in diameter from 2.3 microns at the foveal center to 11 microns in far temporal retina and 10 microns in far nasal retina. These retinas contain an average of 60.1 million rods (44.9-75.3 million). Rod density is zero within 20 microns of the foveal center, increases to the crest of a "rod ring" at the eccentricity of the optic disk, and then declines. Central rod topography is asymmetric, with higher densities in superior retina. Density along the crest of the rod ring peaks in superior retina at 177,000 rods/mm2, dips as low as 120,000 rods/mm2 along the horizontal meridian, and increases to about 150,000 rods/mm2 in inferior retina. Far peripheral rod topography is relatively symmetric around the fovea. Rod inner segment diameter ranged from 1.5 microns in the fovea to 4 microns at the temporal edge and 3.4 microns at the nasal edge of the retina. At eccentricities exceeding 6 mm, rod inner segment diameter was greater temporally than nasally. Cone inner segments cover 85-90% of the central fovea, with extrareceptor space accounting for the remainder. Cone coverage declines with increasing eccentricity to 20% at the temporal edge and 35% at the nasal edge of the retina. In contrast, rod coverage increases from zero at the foveal center to a maximum of 65% in temporal retina and 50% in nasal retina. The photoreceptor topography of the pigtail macaque is qualitatively similar to that of other macaques and to humans. Photoreceptor topography is formed by a complex interaction between regional changes in cone and rod density and inner segment diameter.
Power dissipation calculation of the base spreading and contact resistance of transistors at low currents and low frequencies

The base spreading resistance of transistors is examined by the power dissipation method at low currents and low frequencies using analytical approximations and computer simulations. Results indicate that because of geometrical considerations the resistance values are reduced by a factor F R , which decreases with increasing aspect ratio. The results also show that for a rectangular-shaped intrinsic base region, when surrounded by an extrinsic one having negligible resistivity, F R varies between 12 and 29 for an aspect ratio of infinity and 1:1, respectively. It is further shown that when the extrinsic region resistivity is accounted for, F R decreases further as the extrinsic to intrinsic base sheet resistivity ratio increases. For completeness, the contact resistance expression is also derived with the power dissipation method, and it is shown to agree with that obtained using the transmission line approach. This method, therefore, is suited for the calculation of the total equivalent base resistance of a transistor.
Continuous Analysis of Ortho‐Parahydrogen Mixtures

A Gow‐Mac thermal conductivity unit has been utilized in the construction of a continuous flow analyzer for ortho‐parahydrogen mixtures. No pump or vacuum system is required. The unit possesses adequate sensitivity for operation at room temperature, thus eliminating the need for low temperature baths. Parameters which influence reproducibility have been investigated and simple techniques for their control are suggested.
Neutron-induced helium implantation in helium coolant pipes of fusion reactors

Abstract The neutron-induced implantation of energetic helium particles in the interior surface of the helium coolant pipes near the first wall of a controlled thermonuclear reactor has been studied analytically. A flux of energetic recoil helium particles as high as 1.0 × 10 10 He · cm −2 · s −1 has been calculated for the interior surface of 2-cm-diameter pipe made of Type 316 stainless steel near the first wall of a Tokamak fusion reactor with a power density of 1 MW/m 2 . The calculated profile of the helium implantation rates indicates that about half the flux of energetic recoil helium particles will be implanted in the first 2.5-μm-deep layer of the surface. The rest will be implanted as deep as 40 μm. Since the calculated profile is significantly different from the one obtained from bombardment with a monoenergetic helium particle beam, use of multienergy beams or irradiation of helium-filled capsules in the core of a fast breeder reactor are recommended to assess the possible effects of the neutron-induced helium implantation.
Expressions for tracing ray-associated electromagnetic fields through optical systems

We present a derivation of an approach for calculating electromagnetic fields in optical systems with spherical surfaces. The derivation provides complete expressions for parabasal fields associated with optical rays. The expressions link electromagnetic-field polarization and wave-front-curvature information to the results of skew raytrace calculations. The result is an efficient and rigorous method for computing the irradiance of diffuse stray light fields. The field expressions are written in a format suitable for direct computer lens-design applications.
Subarachnoid Injection as a Complication of Retrobulbar Anesthesia

We studied eight cases of apparent subarachnoid injection of local anesthetic through the optic nerve sheath and subsequent spread to the parabrainstem cisterns and the contralateral optic nerve sheath. The patients all experienced bilateral decrease in vision and ophthalmoplegia, and variable degrees of central nervous system symptoms and respiratory depression. The complications occurred with a variety of local anesthetic agents and with sharp disposable needles in six of the eight cases. These cases demonstrated the spectrum of signs and symptoms that may follow optic nerve sheath injection of local anesthetic agents.
Bringing amyloid into focus

Amyloid deposits can be rapidly detected in the brains of living mice using a novel ligand and near-infrared fluorescence imaging.
1052 Rapid detection of human cytomegalovirus

We detected the presence of CMV in urine using MRC-5 cells inoculated by low speed centrifugation and stained in a bridged indirect avidin biotin fluorescent stain using E13, a commercially available monoclonal antibody that detects an immediate early nuclear antigen. Of 88 specimens, 37 were positive for CMV either by culturing (31 specimens) or by the rapid detection method (36 specimens). Comparison of the methods is presented in the table. 97% of the culture positive specimens were detected by the rapid detection method within 24 hours. The mean length of incubation to appearance of CPE was 18 days. 15 specimens had a titer of 1 × 101 pfu/ml or less; 3 had ≤ 102 pfu/ml; 2 had ≤ 103 pfu/ml, 1 had ≤ 104 pfu/ml and 2 had > 103 pfu/ml. The 6 “false positive” specimens belong to 5 patients known to be seropositive for CMV. 2 of the patients had a urine specimen positive for CMV on culture 2 weeks later, and l had a throat wash positive in culture for CMV at the same day that the urine was tested. Our method is simple, rapid, and is as sensitive as a tissue culture for determination of CMV.
Supporting iWARP Compatibility and Features for Regular Network Adapters

With several recent initiatives in the protocol offloading technology present on network adapters, the user market is now distributed amongst various technology levels including regular Ethernet network adapters, TCP Offload Engines (TOEs) and the recently introduced iWARP-capable networks. While iWARP-capable networks provide all the features provided by their predecessors (TOEs and regular Ethernet network adapters) and a new richer programming interface, they lack with respect to backward compatibility. In this aspect, two important issues need to be considered. First, not all network adapters support iWARP; thus, software compatibility for regular network adapters (which have no offloaded protocol stack) with iWARP capable network adapters needs to be achieved. Second, several applications on top of regular Ethernet as well as TOE based adapters have been written with the sockets interface; rewriting such applications using the new iWARP interface is cumbersome and impractical. Thus, it is desirable to have an interface which provides a two-fold benefit: (i) it allows existing applications to run directly without any modifications and (ii) it exposes the richer feature set of iWARP to the applications to be utilized with minimal modifications. In this paper, we design and implement a software stack to handle these issues. Specifically, (i) the software stack emulates the functionality of the iWARP stack in software to provide compatibility for regular Ethernet adapters with iWARP capable networks and (ii) it provides applications with an extended sockets interface that provides the traditional sockets functionality as well as functionality extended with the rich iWARP features
Induction of Long-Term H-Y-specific Tolerance in Female Mice Given Male Lymphoid Cells While Transiently Depleted of CD4 + or CD8 + T Cells

Rejection of H-Y-bearing primary skin grafts and generation of H-Y-specific cytolytic T cells by female mice requires the participation of both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Studies were conducted to investigate long-term tolerance of H-Y antigen induced in female mice by transiently depleting them of CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells and, at the same time, giving them an injection of male lymphoid cells. We confirmed that after recovery of CD4+ to normal levels, female mice that had been transiently depleted of CD4+ cells and concurrently given an injection of male spleen cells were unable to generate H-Y-specific cytolytic T cells. Tolerance was also manifest by greatly extended survival (probably permanent in most cases) of male skin grafts. Further investigations revealed that female mice transiently depleted of CD8+ cells, and concurrently given an injection of male spleen cells, were similarly tolerant of H-Y antigen later when numbers of CD8+ T cells returned to normal. Moreover, small numbers of male cells were detectable in spleen and lymph nodes of tolerant females long after they had been given an injection of male cells and depleted of either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells, whereas no male cells were detected in (nontolerant) females given male cells and control antibodies. These findings show that tolerance of the relatively weak transplantation antigen, H-Y, can be achieved simply by giving male antigen-bearing spleen cells to the host while it is transiently depleted of a type of cell it needs in order to reject those cells, thus allowing the male cells to persist in the host. Furthermore, depletion of helper cells is not obligatory to achieve tolerance. It has been hypothesized that tolerance of H-Y antigen in females given male lymphoid cells while temporarily depleted of CD4+ lymphocytes results from unresponsiveness (anergy) induced in H-Y-specific CD8+ cells that are exposed to H-Y antigen in the absence of help from CD4+ cells. Interpretations of our findings are discussed in relation to this hypothesis.
Dark matter annihilation: The origin of cosmic gamma-ray background at 1-20 MeV

The origin of the cosmic {gamma}-ray background at 1-20 MeV remains a mystery. We show that {gamma}-ray emission accompanying annihilation of 20 MeV dark-matter particles explains most of the observed signal. Our model satisfies all of the current observational constraints, and naturally provides the origin of 'missing' {gamma}-ray background at 1-20 MeV and 511 keV line emission from the Galactic center. We conclude that {gamma}-ray observations support the existence of 20 MeV dark-matter particles. Improved measurements of the {gamma}-ray background in this energy band undoubtedly test our proposal.
Visual field deficits with a multifocal intraocular lens

An 84-year-old woman with Sjogren syndrome was evaluated for hydroxychloroquine toxicity. Surgical history was significant for cataract surgery with implantation of a multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) in the right eye and a monofocal IOL in the left eye. Examination revealed no retinal pigment epithelial or optic disc changes. However, on testing with the Humphrey Field Analyzer II 10-2 red III program, the visual field in the right eye showed generalized depression with central sparing and the visual field in the left eye exhibited nonspecific rim defects. Since further tests suggested factors other than the IOL type were apparently equal in both eyes, the multifocal IOL in the right eye may have contributed to the abnormal visual field testing. Further studies are needed to clarify whether multifocal IOLs are appropriate in patients with autoimmune disorders possibly affecting vision, such as Sjogren syndrome, and those requiring hydroxychloroquine use. Financial Disclosure Neither author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Issue Conflict and Consensus: A Comparative Study of Democratic and Republican Delegates to the 1968 National Conventions

A ccumulated research by political scientists has disspelled the notion that the leaders of American political parties are devoid of ideology and differ on only inconsequential issues. Herbert McClosky and his colleagues' were the first to demonstrate empirically that Democrats and Republicans were ideologically dissimilar. Delegates from the two parties who attended the 1956 National Conventions differed significantly from each other in regard to their aggregate attitudes toward 23 or 24 national issues. Samuel J. Eldersveld2 found all echelons of the Republican party in Detroit more conservative ideologically than the Democrats. Edmond Costantini's3 survey of Democratic and Republican delegates from California to the 1960 National Conventions revealed substantial differences along a liberalism-conservatism dimension. Roll-call studies in Congress and state legislatures have also revealed significant inter-party ideological conflict.4 In short, there is mounting evidence that the two parties diverge sharply on many important issues that may be construed to represent liberal and conservative ideologies. The late 1960s appeared to mark a change in the normal conduct of two-party politics in the United States. Somehow the terms used to describe the 1954-1964 period when most of the afore-
The Influence of Group Training in the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Program on Preschool Teachers' Classroom Management Strategies.

This study examined changes in preschool teachers’ perceptions of classroom management strategies following group training in the recently revised Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Prog...
A differential-outcome effect in pigeons using spatial hedonically nondifferential outcomes

We examined the extent to which nonhedonically different differential outcomes involving feeder location control pigeons' comparison choices in matching to sample. In Experiment 1, we showed that differential feeder location outcomes associated with each of two samples can facilitate delayed-matching accuracy. In Experiment 2, we found positive transfer following training on two matching tasks with differential feeder location outcomes when samples from one task were replaced by samples from the other task. In Experiment 3, we found that when differential-outcome expectations could no longer serve as the cues for comparison choice, sample stimuli continued to exert some control over choice of comparisons. The results indicate that differential outcomes (involving feeder location) that presumably do not differ in hedonic value are sufficient to control comparison choice. Thus, the differential hedonic value of the outcome elicited by the sample does not appear to be a requirement of the differential-outcome effect. Furthermore, these differential outcomes appear to augment matching accuracy, but they do not eliminate control by the samples.
Detection of anti-intercellular cement substance and anti-basement membrane zone antibodies by radioimmunoassay using SCaBER tumour cell line as substrate.

SUMMARY IgG autoantibodies present in the serum of pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid patients were detected by a solid phase radioimmunoassay, using a squamous cell tumour line, SCaBER, as substrate. This preliminary study shows that the SCaBER cell line displays both pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid antigens. This source of antigens should allow the development of a sensitive assay to measure anti-ICS and anti-BMZ antibodies. Such an assay may have clinical applications and may provide an important tool for studying the mechanisms of autoantibody production in pemphigus and pemphigoid.
Making sense of East Germany’s 1968: Multiple trajectories and contrasting memories

This article investigates contrasting memories of East Germany’s 1968 based on a sample of six life story interviews. Given the iconic events of West Germany’s 1968, there has been a growing intere...
Residence time control

The problem of residence time controllability in dynamical systems with stochastic perturbations is formulated. The solution is given for linear systems with small, additive, white-noise perturbation. It is shown that the existence of the desired residence time controller depends on the relationship between the column spaces of the control and noise matrices. If the former includes the latter, any residence time is possible. If this inclusion does not occur, the achievable residence time is bounded: lower and upper estimates of this bound are given. For each of these cases, controller-design techniques are suggested and illustrative examples are considered. The development is based on an asymptotic version of the large deviations theory. >
Stereospecific formulation and characterization of sustained release ibuprofen microspheres

Ibuprofen microspheres were prepared from the racemate, (+)-S and (-)-R enantiomers using waxes such as ceresine and glyceryl stearate and stereospecifically characterized. The method of preparation of the microspheres was a hydrophobic congealable disperse phase encapsulation process and variables such as particle size, wax type, enantiomeric form were evaluated. Dissolution studies were carried out by a modified USP type II method and the samples were analysed by a stereospecific HPLC assay using S-(-)-1(1) naphthylethylamine as the derivatizing agent and fenoprofen as the internal standard. The mean particle sizes of (+)-S and (-)-R enantiomers determined by microscopy/image analysis were 64 and 99 microns respectively while that of the racemate was 48 microns. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) of ibuprofen and the enantiomers showed endothermic peaks at 72 and 55 degrees C respectively. Thermograms of the physical mixture and microspheres did not show the characteristic ibuprofen peak, indicating a change in crystallinity of the drug. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns of the enantiomers and racemic ibuprofen were found to be dissimilar indicating different crystal properties. The X-ray patterns for the microspheres did not show the characteristic peaks for the drug indicating that ibuprofen may be in solid solution with the waxes. Scanning electron micrographs of the microspheres showed a generally smooth and spongy appearance for the microspheres made of compritol and glyceryl stearate. Microspheres made from the paraffin waxes had rough and hard surface characteristics consistent with the higher melting point of the waxes. Ceresine microspheres made with the enantiomers had a rougher and more porous surface compared to the microspheres made with racemic ibuprofen. Stereospecific release of the recemate from the formulations was found to be sustained (T25 of 4 h), while release from the enantiomers was less sustained (T50 of 2 h). From the S:R ratios and statistical analysis of the data, the release of the enantiomers of ibuprofen from the formulations containing the racemate was found to be non-stereoselective.
A Phase I Trial of Calcitriol (1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol) in Patients with Advanced Malignancy

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone best known for its activity in regulating calcium and bone metabolism. Epidemiological evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a role in inhibiting the development of colon and prostate cancer. Vitamin D receptors are expressed in many types of malignant cells; in vitro and in vivo vitamin D and vitamin D analogues are active in suppressing the development and inhibiting the growth of numerous human and animal tumors. The major toxicity of the active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (calcitriol), is the induction of hypercalcemia. There are no data indicating the maximum tolerated dose of calcitriol administered every other day (QOD) s.c. We hypothesized that this route and schedule would permit administration of higher doses of calcitriol, which might have anticancer activity. We conducted a Phase I trial of calcitriol given s.c. QOD in patients with advanced solid tumors. Thirty-six patients were entered at doses ranging from 2 to 10 mg QOD; dose-limiting toxicity (hypercalcemia) occurred in three of three patients entered at the 10-mg QOD dose. Hypercalciuria occurred at all dose levels examined. No other toxicity was seen. Assessment of serum calcitriol concentrations by a RIA revealed a decrease in concentration-time curves on day 7 compared to day 1 of therapy. A dose-dependent increase in peak serum level and estimated area under the concentration-time curve was seen. The maximum serum levels occurred at the 10-mg QOD dose: 288 6 74 and 321 6 36 pg/ml at days 1 and 7, respectively. The normal range of calcitriol serum concentration, determined using this assay, is 16 ‐56 pg/ml. Serum calcitriol levels were maintained at near peak concentrations for at least 8 h following s.c. injection. This study indicates that substantial doses of calcitriol can be administered via this route with tolerable toxicity. Studies to explore approaches to ameliorate the hypercalcemia induced by calcitriol and to explore alternative schedules and interactions with other agents are warranted.
Results from the national sepsis practice survey: predictions about mortality and morbidity and recommendations for limitation of care orders.

Introduction Critically ill patients and families rely upon physicians to provide estimates of prognosis and recommendations for care. Little is known about patient and clinician factors which influence these predictions. The association between these predictions and recommendations for continued aggressive care is also understudied. Methods We administered a mail-based survey with simulated clinical vignettes to a random sample of the Critical Care Assembly of the American Thoracic Society. Vignettes represented a patient with septic shock with multi-organ failure with identical APACHE II scores and sepsis-associated organ failures. Vignettes varied by age (50 or 70 years old), body mass index (BMI) (normal or obese) and co-morbidities (none or recently diagnosed stage IIA lung cancer). All subjects received the vignettes with the highest and lowest mortality predictions from pilot testing and two additional, randomly selected vignettes. Respondents estimated outcomes and selected care for each hypothetical patient. Results Despite identical severity of illness, the range of estimates for hospital mortality (5 th to 95 th percentile range, 17% to 78%) and for problems with self-care (5th to 95th percentile range, 2% to 74%) was wide. Similar variation was observed when clinical factors (age, BMI, and co-morbidities) were identical. Estimates of hospital mortality and problems with selfcare among survivors were significantly higher in vignettes with obese BMIs (4.3% and 5.3% higher, respectively), older age (8.2% and 11.6% higher, respectively), and cancer diagnosis (5.9% and 6.9% higher, respectively). Higher estimates of mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.29 per 10% increase in predicted mortality), perceived problems with self-care (adjusted odds ratio 1.26 per 10% increase in predicted problems with self-care), and early-stage lung cancer (adjusted odds ratio 5.82) were independently associated with recommendations to limit care.
Study of nucleation and growth in Al-Zn alloys using TEM

Nucleation and growth studies were conducted on Al-Zn alloys at several temperatures using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with an in-situ furnace. The value of the critical undercooling was established by noting the lowest temperature at which precipitates were no longer observed, following a quench into the two-phase metastable region. These results were compared with the Langer-Schwartz model of nucleation and growth in which it is predicted that the half-completion time (i.e, the time required for the supersaturation to reach half its initial value) diverges for initial supersaturations which are higher than those predicted by the classical nucleation theory.
Production Planning Under Yield and Demand Uncertainty with Yield-Dependent Cost and Price

This paper studies production planning with random yield and demand. It is a departure from previous studies of random yield in that it defines the sale price and the purchasing cost as exogenous and increasing with decreasing yield. While this behavior can be observed in various industries (e.g., citrus), the paper focuses on the olive oil industry as its application. Production of olive oil is a challenging business as olives grow every other year; thus, a risky investment is involved. A new practice among olive oil producers involves leasing farm space from farmers to grow olives. When the yield of olives is low (because of weather, disease, etc.), the oil producer gets a second chance to buy olives from other farmers at a unit cost varying with the yield. In this case, the sale price of olive oil increases in the market place because of the reduced supply. When the yield is high, the company uses some of its olives for olive oil production and some are salvaged. After olives are pressed and olive oil is produced, the company experiences an uncertain demand. The paper makes four contributions: First, it is shown that the objective function is concave in the amount of farm space leased, so that the first-order conditions provide the globally optimal solution. Second, it illustrates how the total production of olive oil changes with the yield. Third, it proves that the optimal amount of farm space leased decreases under the presence of a second (and reliable) source of supply. Finally, unlike traditional yield papers, the fourth result shows that increased yield variance doesnot necessarily increase the optimal amount of farm space to be leased when there is a second chance to obtain supplies.
Determination of the zebrafish forebrain: induction and patterning

We report an analysis of forebrain determination and patterning in the zebrafish Danio rerio. In order to study these events, we isolated zebrafish homologs of two neural markers, odd-paired-like (opl), which encodes a zinc finger protein, and fkh5, which encodes a forkhead domain protein. At mid-gastrula, expression of these genes defines a very early pattern in the presumptive neurectoderm, with opl later expressed in the telencephalon, and fkh5 in the diencephalon and more posterior neurectoderm. Using in vitro explant assays, we show that forebrain induction has occurred even earlier, by the onset of gastrulation (shield stage). Signaling from the early gastrula shield, previously shown to be an organizing center, is sufficient for activation of opl expression in vitro. In order to determine whether the organizer is required for opl regulation, we removed from late blastula stage embryos either the presumptive prechordal plate, marked by goosecoid (gsc) expression, or the entire organizer, marked by chordin (chd) expression. opl was correctly expressed after removal of the presumptive prechordal plate and consistently, opl was correctly expressed in one-eyed pinhead (oep) mutant embryos, where the prechordal plate fails to form. However, after removal of the entire organizer, no opl expression was observed, indicating that this region is crucial for forebrain induction. We further show that continued organizer function is required for forebrain induction, since beads of BMP4, which promotes ventral fates, also prevented opl expression when implanted during gastrulation. Our data show that forebrain specification begins early during gastrulation, and that a wide area of dorsal mesendoderm is required for its patterning.
Maximum likelihood identification of multiscale stochastic models using the wavelet transform and the EM algorithm

The authors address the problem of estimating the parameters of a class of multiscale stochastic processes that can be modeled by state-space dynamic systems driven by white noise in scale rather than in time. They present a maximum likelihood identification method for estimating the parameters of the multiscale stochastic models given data which are based on the wavelet transform and the expectation-maximization algorithm. Numerical examples are provided for identifying the parameters of the state-space models based on synthesized data to demonstrate the accuracy and the efficiency of the algorithm. In the examples the effects of performing system identification are illustrated based on data at both multiple and single scales. The single-scale case can be viewed as the standard problem of fitting model parameters to data, where here the model is not standard. >