cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of acibenzolar-S-methyl and imidacloprid on suppression of tomato spotted wilt Tospovirus in flue-cured tobacco.

Abstract Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) has become a major constraint to tobacco production in Georgia. No single control measure has been found effective for minimizing the impact of the disease. Foliar applications of acibenzolar-S-methyl (Actigard ® ) were tested in replicated field trials singly and in combination with imidacloprid (Admire ® and Provado ® ) for their effect on reducing the impact of TSWV in tobacco. Results showed that Actigard significantly reduced final disease incidence in one trial in 1997 and another trial in 1998 in Georgia. Imidacloprid, when applied alone, suppressed disease incidence in one of four trials. Significant reduction in incidence occurred at three of the four locations when both were applied together. The fourth location had very low levels of incidence and no differences were detected among treatments. The percent ELISA positive plants was higher than the percent of symptomatic plants for three of the four locations. Actigard reduced percent ELISA positive plants for two of the four locations and imidacloprid alone and with Actigard reduced percent ELISA positive plants at all four locations. Use of plant defense activators such as Actigard alone or in combination with imidacloprid potentially offers an alternative and effective management tool for spotted wilt suppression on tobacco. This is the first report of effective suppression of an economically important plant viral disease using Actigard.
Effectiveness of Pillar palatal implants for snoring management

Objective: Determine patient factors associated with the success and complications of using the Pillar palatal implants for snoring management.Study Design: Retrospective series of 79 consecutive a...
Birth weight and complexity are significant factors for the management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Background Classic options for treatment of hypoplastic left heart syndrome include the Norwood procedure (NW) and heart transplantation (HT). Recently off-pump palliative procedures were introduced in the management of these patients. Risk factors influencing the decision between the NW with staged reconstruction or off-pump palliation and HT were assessed. Methods Between January 2002 and January 2006, 69 patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome were referred for either a NW (n = 33) or HT (n = 36). Patients referred for HT underwent off-pump palliation (catheter-based, n=20, or surgical hybrid procedures, n=7) until a donor organ became available: including patent ductus arteriosus stenting (80.6%), atrial septostomy (41.7%), and branch pulmonary artery banding (55.6%). Results Heart transplantation patients were more complex, based on a higher Aristotle Comprehensive Complexity score calculated at birth (HT 18.8 ± 2.4 versus NW 17.7 ± 1.7; p p 20) correlated with surgical death with NW ( p Conclusions Overall survival is similar for hypoplastic left heart syndrome patients referred for the NW or HT. Lower birth weight and higher complexity are risk factors for patients undergoing NW. Off-pump palliation followed by HT or further staged palliation should be considered for these high-risk hypoplastic left heart syndrome patients.
Evidence of a neurogenic component during IgE-mediated inflammation in mouse skin

IgE-mediated inflammation was measured in mouse footpads that lacked sciatic innervation. Mice were passively sensitized with a monoclonal antibody, IgE anti-dinitrophenol, or were immunized for specific IgE production. Antigen-induced swelling in the denervated footpads was reduced 23-39% when compared to sham or untreated controls. Reduced IgE-mediated swelling responses were attributed to the loss of a mast cell-nerve interaction and not to blood vessel sensitivity to vasoamines. Furthermore, electrical stimulation of the distal segment of the sciatic nerve completely restored IgE-mediated inflammation. These data provide in vivo evidence that peripheral nerves participate in cutaneous IgE-mediated swelling reactions with the net effect of increasing inflammation.
Residual gas analysis of instrumentation wire for a synchrotron radiation beamline

Abstract A residual gas analysis was performed on different styles of polymer coated instrumentation wire. A variety of wires were selected to be analyzed based on cable construction, color coding, pricing and availability for small quantities. Each length of wire was measured to have equal surface area before testing. A vacuum pump down and residual gas analysis of each sample was performed for a period of 48 h. The pump down rate and outgassing characteristics of each wire were compared to determine the best choice of instrumentation wire to use in a beamline vacuum environment.
χ = C/(T + δ), the most overworked formula in the history of paramagnetism

Abstract A review is presented of the values to be expected theoretically for the coefficient of 1/ T 2 in the expansion of the paramagnetic susceptibility in powers of 1/ T under various conditions. In particular this coefficient vanishes for a magnetically dilute powder when only a single J manifold is inhabited. Apart from the molecular-field approximation for magnetically concentrated materials, the relation χ = C /( T + δ ) appears to have no theoretical justification, but often works surprisingly well empirically.
Going Concerns: The Governance of Interorganizational Coordination Hubs

Business-to-business interactions are increasingly conducted through interorganizational coordination hubs, in which standardized information technology-based platforms provide data and business process interoperability for interactions among the organizations in particular industrial communities. Because the governance of interorganizational arrangements is believed to affect their efficiency and effectiveness, this paper explores how and why interorganizational coordination hubs are governed. Analysis of relevant prior theory and case examples shows that coordination hub governance is designed to balance the sometimes conflicting needs for capital to invest in new technology, for participation of industry members, and for the protection of data resources. Findings suggest that the governance of interorganizational coordination hubs is not the starkly categorical choice between collective member-owned and investor-owned forms as suggested by prior theory. Instead, many hybrid arrangements are observed in the five examined cases. Future theoretical development and empirical research are needed to understand the increasingly important phenomenon of coordination hub governance.
Functional Significance of Activation of Calcium/Calmodulin–Dependent Protein Kinase II in Angiotensin II–Induced Vascular Hyperplasia and Hypertension

We have reported that norepinephrine (NE) and angiotensin II (Ang II) increase CaM kinase II activity, which, in turn, activates cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) and releases arachidonic acid. The products of arachidonic acid generated via cytochrome P-450 and lipoxygenase contribute to the development of hypertension and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) hyperplasia. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether CaM kinase II contributes to VSMC proliferation elicited by NE and Ang II and to hypertension induced by Ang II. NE (1 micromol/L) and Ang II (1 micromol/L) increased proliferation of rabbit aortic VSMC as measured by increased [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation; this effect of NE and Ang II was attenuated 88 +/- 10% and 64 +/- 11% by the CaM kinase II inhibitor KN-93, respectively. Infusion of Ang II with miniosmotic pumps (350 ng/min for 6 days) in rats elevated mean arterial pressure (MABP), which was reduced by simultaneous infusion of KN-93 (578 ng/min, for 6 days) (Ang II alone: MABP =174 +/- 3 mm Hg, n=12 versus Ang II + KN-93: MABP 123 +/- 5 mm Hg, n=4, P<0.05). Administration of KN-93 as a single bolus injection (16 mg/Kg), but not its vehicle, in Ang II--infused hypertensive animals also decreased MABP from 179 +/- 9 mm Hg to 109 +/- 6 mm Hg (n=5, P<0.05). CaM kinase II activity was increased in the kidney of Ang II--infused hypertensive animals compared with normotensive controls. Treatment with KN-93 reduced CaM kinase II activity and ameliorated the intravascular injury in the kidneys of Ang II--infused hypertensive rats. Our data indicate that CaM kinase activation represents an important component of the mechanism(s) initiating VSMC proliferation and the development and maintenance of Ang II--induced hypertension in rat.
Phase transition in barium titanate nanocrystals by chemical treatment

Effects of solvents on the cubic to tetragonal phase transition of barium titanate (BT) nanocrystals were investigated by solvothermal treatment. Different processing variables, such as temperature and time were taken into consideration for different solvents. There were no effects on the phase transition of BT below the boiling temperature of all the solvents. Above the boiling temperature, a nanocrystals of tetragonal barium titanate could be obtained from the commercial cubic phase BT powder (Cabot, BT-08). There were no significant changes of the particle size and morphology of the BT powders before and after the chemical treatment. There was small reduction of surface area and particle size observed in the chemically treated BT powders. The crystal structure, phase transition and morphology of the powders were analyzed by XRD, DLS, DSC, TGA and SEM.
The irreducible orthogonal and symplectic Galois representations of a p-adic field (The tame case)

Abstract Let F be a p-adic field. If n is a natural number relatively prime to p, then all the irreducible n-dimensional Galois representations are parametrized by admissible characters. This parametrization is used to determine which of these characters are real-valued, and among the real-valued representations to distinguish the orthogonal representations from the symplectic representations.
Discordant 14C ages from buried tidal-marsh soils in the Cascadia subduction zone, southern Oregon coast

Peaty, tidal-marsh soils interbedded with estuarine mud in late Holocene stratigraphic sequences near Coos Bay, Oregon, may have been submerged and buried during great (M > 8) subduction earthquakes, smaller localized earthquakes, or by nontectonic processes. Radiocarbon dating might help distinguish among these alternatives by showing that soils at different sites were submerged at different times along this part of the Cascadia subduction zone. But comparison of conventional 14C ages for different materials from the same buried soils shows that they contain materials that differ in age by many hundreds of years. Errors in calibrated soil ages represent about the same length of time as recurrence times for submergence events (150–500 yr)—this similarity precludes using conventional 14C ages to distinguish buried soils along the southern Oregon coast. Accelerator mass spectrometer 14C ages of carefully selected macrofossils from the tops of peaty soils should provide more precise estimates of the times of submergence events.
A First-Principles Analysis for Sulfur Tolerance of CeO2 in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The mechanism for H2S−CeO2(111) interactions in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) has been investigated by using periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In order to properly characterize the effect of the localization of Ce4f states on the interactions, DFT + U calculations were applied. Adsorption of H2S, SH, and atomic S was initially examined to locate energetically favorable intermediates. The species adsorb favorably at the Ce-top, O-top, and Ce−O bridging sites, respectively. Potential energy profiles for the H2S−CeO2 (111) interactions along the three product channels producing H2, H2O, and SO2 were constructed using the nudged elastic band (NEB) method. Calculations show that H2S weakly bounds on CeO2(111) with a small binding energy, followed by dehydrogenation processes, forming surface sulfur species with an exothermicity of 29.9 kcal/mol. Molecular-level calculations demonstrated that the SO2-forming pathway is energetically most favorable.
Divided nevus of the eyelid: Review of embryology, pathology and treatment

Divided nevus, which is also known as "kissing nevus," "split ocular nevus" and "panda nevus" is a rare congenital dermatological abnormality that occurs on opposing margins of upper and lower eyelids. There is a paucity of literature on this rare anomaly, with most knowledge from this disease process derived from isolated case reports and series. The purpose of this study is to report a new case of divided nevus of the eyelid and to discuss the unique embryology, pathology, and potential treatment options for this rare entity. A systematic review of literature was performed of the English literature on PubMed and Medline with just under 150 cases reported in the literature. The vast majority of the divided nevi seen in this review were medium sized and of the melanocytic intradermal type. There were no described cases of malignant transformation in any of the documented cases. Numerous methods for reconstruction were described including the entire reconstructive ladder with both one and two staged approaches. In this review, we present basic guidelines to the reconstruction of these complicated defects, although ultimate treatment should be individualized and dependent on surgeon comfort.
CsrA modulates luxR transcript levels in Vibrio fischeri.

The quorum-sensing and CsrA regulons of Vibrios control overlapping cellular functions during growth. Hence, the potential exists for regulatory network interactions between the pathways that enable them to be coordinately controlled. In Vibrio cholerae, CsrA indirectly modulates the activity of LuxO in the quorum-sensing signaling pathway. In this study, it was demonstrated that in Vibrio fischeri, CsrA causes an increase in the transcript levels of a downstream quorum-sensing regulatory gene, luxR, which does not exist in the V. cholerae system. In V. fischeri, the increase in luxR transcripts caused by CsrA does not depend on the LitR transcriptional activator nor does the CsrA effect seem to occur through the global regulator cAMP-CRP. Thus, there appears to be more than one mechanism whereby the CsrA and quorum-sensing pathways integrate regulatory outputs in Vibrios.
Six Truisms Concerning ACE and the Renin-Angiotensin System Educed From the Genetic Analysis of Mice

This Review is part of a thematic series on Angiotensin Converting Enzyme , which includes the following articles: Six Truisms Concerning ACE and the Renin-Angiotensin System Educed From the Genetic Analysis of Mice ACE and Vascular Remodeling ACE II in the Heart and the Kidney ACE Signaling ACE Polymorphisms Rudi Bussi Editors The history of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is one of marvelous discoveries extending from Robert Tigerstedt’s naming renin in 1898 to the present time; biochemists, physiologists, pharmacologists, and practicing clinicians have all combined to describe the physiologic implications of converting angiotensinogen into angiotensin II. Indeed, one may argue that the clinical development of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists has benefited humankind to a level seen only with the development of antibiotics and steroids. As we begin the twenty-first century, it is worthwhile to summarize the state of our knowledge concerning ACE and angiotensin II. In doing, we benefit from a whole class of experiments not available to those writing reviews even 10 years ago: the revolution in our ability to genetically manipulate the mouse as an experimental model. This is due to the widespread application of gene targeting by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. As is widely appreciated, this technology can produce a knockout mouse lacking any particular gene. Less appreciated are the full capabilities of this methodology which can be summarized as: if it can be dreamed, it can be done. Gene targeting can be used to create point mutations, duplicate a gene, and modify the expression pattern of a protein almost as easily as creating knockout mice null for a particular protein. We, and others, have used gene targeting in mice to create modifications in the renin-angiotensin system of a sort not seen in humans. While any single experiment may be assailed as …
Energy Conversion Efficiency of a Novel Hybrid Solar System for Photovoltaic, Thermoelectric, and Heat Utilization

A novel hybrid solar system has been designed to utilize photovoltaic (PV) cells, thermoelectric (TE) modules, and hot water (HW) through a multilayered building envelope. Water pipelines are cast within a functionally graded material layer to serve as a heat sink, allowing heat to be easily transferred into flowing water through an aluminum-rich surface, while remaining insulated by a polymer rich bottom. The theoretical energy conversion efficiency limit of the system has been investigated for documenting the potential of this hybrid solar panel design. Given the material properties of each layer, the actual energy conversion efficiency depends on the solar irradiation, ambient temperature, and water flow temperature. Compared to the traditional solar panel, this design can achieve better overall efficiencies with higher electrical power output and thermal energy utilization. Based on theoretical conversion efficiency limits, the PV/TE/HW system is superior to PV/HW and traditional PV systems with 30% higher output electrical power. However, the advantages of the PV/TE/HW system are not significant from experimental data due to the low efficiency of the bulk TE material. Thus, QW/QD TE materials are highly recommended to enhance the overall efficiency of the PV/TE/HW design. This design is general and open to new PV and TE materials with emerging nanotechnology for higher efficiencies.
An Algorithm for Computing Nonflow Gas Processes in Gas Springs and Hydropneumatic Accumulators

Algorithme pour le calcul d'un processus gazeux sans ecoulement dans un amortisseur pneumatique ou dans un accumulateur hydropneumatique
UPC Performance and Potential: A NPB Experimental Study

UPC, or Unified Parallel C, is a parallel extension of ANSI C. UPC follows a distributed shared memory programming model aimed at leveraging the ease of programming of the shared memory paradigm, while enabling the exploitation of data locality. UPC incorporates constructs that allow placing data near the threads that manipulate them to minimize remote accesses. This paper gives an overview of the concepts and features of UPC and establishes, through extensive performance measurements of NPB workloads, the viability of the UPC programming language compared to the other popular paradigms. Further, through performance measurements we identify the challenges, the remaining steps and the priorities for UPC. It will be shown that with proper hand tuning and optimized collective operations libraries, UPC performance will be comparable to that of MPI. Furthermore, by incorporating such improvements into automatic compiler optimizations, UPC will compare quite favorably to message passing in ease of programming.
Familial Glomerulonephropathy in the Bullmastiff

Glomerular disease was diagnosed by histopathologic examination in 11 related Bullmastiff dogs, and clinical and laboratory data were collected retrospectively. Four female and seven male dogs between the ages of 2.5 and 11 years were affected. Clinical signs, including lethargy and anorexia, were nonspecific and occurred shortly before death or euthanasia. In five affected dogs serial blood samples were obtained, and dramatically elevated blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were demonstrated up to 2.75 years before death. Protein-creatinine ratios were elevated in six of six dogs and were above normal 3.5 years before death in one dog. The kidneys appeared grossly normal to slightly smaller than normal at necropsy. Histologic abnormalities of the kidneys were consistent with chronic glomerulonephropathy with sclerosis. Examination of the pedigrees of related affected dogs yielded evidence supporting an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance.
Characterization of Erucamide Profiles in Multilayer Linear Low-Density Polyethylene and Propylene-Ethylene Copolymer Films Using Synchrotron-Based FT-IR Microspectroscopy

The diffusion of erucamide in single layer polymer films has been monitored previously using FT-IR microspectroscopy [Appl. Spectrosc., 53, 11 (1999)]. This research extends that work to multilayer films. In particular, erucamide migration is characterized in press-laminated bilayer and coextruded trilayer linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) films and also coextruded bilayer films of LLDPE and a propylene-ethylene copolymer (PEC). Results in bilayers and trilayers demonstrate that the erucamide prefers to migrate to a film surface rather than into an adjacent layer, even in the presence of steep concentration gradients at layer-layer boundaries. The same behavior was observed for bilayers of LLDPE and PEC where it was anticipated that erucamide may diffuse into the less dense PEC layer. Attenuated total reflectance FT-IR was also used to confirm that little or no erucamide diffused through an additive-deficient layer to reach a film-air interface in a bilayer structure. However, results clearly showed erucamide migration from a core layer through additive-deficient skin layers to reach the surfaces of a trilayer film.
Cost effective multi-pulse transformer solutions for harmonic mitigation in AC drives

More and more AC drive installations are requiring manufacturer's to improve line side harmonics to ultimately meet IEEE Harmonic Std 519-1992 on site. This paper reveals several patented transformer topologies for such an effort. Compared with other harmonic solutions, auto and isolated transformers possess advantages as being simple, reliable, minimal line resonance problems and relatively cost effective. The proposed nine and twelve-phase auto-transformers can be viewed as a polygon winding type, where besides achieving an improved input current harmonics, junction points among various windings along the polygon can be wired out for step-down, unity and step-up voltage transfers. When electrically isolated primary windings are added, unlimited transfer ratio is available for every application. Application of these new industrial transformer devices, along with simple power diode energy conversion methods, result in a robust and reliable system that provides good DC bus regulation for AC drives utilizing a common DC bus configuration. The proposed topologies also provide a high AC input power factor and minimize harmonic currents to the utility interface. The paper provides technical analysis and field site data on the new topologies, as well as per unit metric comparison to other harmonic mitigation techniques versus horsepower size.
Failure in short-term prediction of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation from continuous electrocardiogram in intensive care unit patients

Abstract Background Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting are prone to malignant ventricular arrhythmias. We sought to test whether electrocardiographic (ECG) markers of autonomic tone, ventricular irritability, and repolarization lability could be used in short-term prediction of ventricular arrhythmias in this patient population. Methods We studied 38 patients with sustained (>30 seconds) monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, or ventricular fibrillation while monitored in the ICU and 30 patients without arrhythmia in the ICU who served as controls. All patients had at least 12 hours of continuously recorded multilead ECG before arrhythmic event. Mean heart rate and measures of heart rate variability, QT variability, and ventricular ectopy were quantified in 1-hour epochs for the 12 hours before the arrhythmic event and in 5-minute epochs for the last hour preevent (and using a random termination time point in controls). Results A modest downward trend in QT variability and a rise in heart rate were observed hours before polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation events, although no significant changes heralded monomorphic ventricular tachycardia and no changes in any parameter predicted imminent ventricular arrhythmia of any type. There were no significant differences in ECG parameters between arrhythmia patients and controls. Conclusions In ICU patients, sustained ventricular arrhythmias are not preceded by change in ECG measures of autonomic tone, repolarization variability, and ventricular ectopy. Short-term arrhythmia prediction may be difficult or impossible in this patient population based on ECG measures alone.
Sequential unconstrained minimization algorithms for constrained optimization

The problem of minimizing a function f(x):RJ → R, subject to constraints on the vector variable x, occurs frequently in inverse problems. Even without constraints, finding a minimizer of f(x) may require iterative methods. We consider here a general class of iterative algorithms that find a solution to the constrained minimization problem as the limit of a sequence of vectors, each solving an unconstrained minimization problem. Our sequential unconstrained minimization algorithm (SUMMA) is an iterative procedure for constrained minimization. At the kth step we minimize the function to obtain xk. The auxiliary functions gk(x):D ⊆ RJ → R+ are nonnegative on the set D, each xk is assumed to lie within D, and the objective is to minimize the continuous function f:RJ → R over x in the set , the closure of D. We assume that such minimizers exist, and denote one such by . We assume that the functions gk(x) satisfy the inequalities for k = 2, 3, .... Using this assumption, we show that the sequence {f(xk)} is decreasing and converges to . If the restriction of f(x) to D has bounded level sets, which happens if is unique and f(x) is closed, proper and convex, then the sequence {xk} is bounded, and , for any cluster point x*. Therefore, if is unique, and . When is not unique, convergence can still be obtained, in particular cases. The SUMMA includes, as particular cases, the well-known barrier- and penalty-function methods, the simultaneous multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique (SMART), the proximal minimization algorithm of Censor and Zenios, the entropic proximal methods of Teboulle, as well as certain cases of gradient descent and the Newton–Raphson method. The proof techniques used for SUMMA can be extended to obtain related results for the induced proximal distance method of Auslander and Teboulle.
Human autoantibody silencing by immunoglobulin light chains

Several newly arising human antibodies are polyreactive, but in normal individuals the majority of these potentially autodestructive antibodies are removed from the repertoire by receptor editing or B cell deletion in the bone marrow. To determine what proportion of naturally arising autoantibodies can be silenced by immunoglobulin (Ig) light chain receptor editing, we replaced the light chains in 12 such antibodies with a panel of representative Igκ and Igλ chains. We found that most naturally arising autoantibodies are readily silenced by light chain exchange. Thus, receptor editing may account for most autoreactive antibody silencing in humans. Light chain complementarity determining region (CDR) isoelectric points did not correlate with silencing activity, but Igλ genes were more effective than Igκ genes as silencers. The greater efficacy of Igλ chains as silencer of autoreactivity provides a possible explanation for the expansion and altered configuration of the Igλ locus in evolution.
Surgery for asymptomatic severe mitral regurgitation in the elderly: early surgery or wait and watch?

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in subjects >75 years of age, a healthcare problem that will increase as the population continues to age. In the United States, the predicted population >75 years of age will exceed 50 million by the year 2038. Epidemiological studies have shown that the prevalence of mitral regurgitation (MR) also increases progressively with age; thus, MR is a common and growing problem in the elderly.1 The most frequently encountered types of MR in the elderly are degenerative mitral valve disease, which results from primary floppy, myxomatous valves with prolapsing or flail leaflets and calcified mitral annulus, and ischemic MR (IMR), now that rheumatic mitral valve disease has declined and endocarditis remains comparatively rare. Article p 265 Although there are American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines for the optimal management of a broad spectrum of patients with severe MR,2 attention has not focused specifically on the elderly, in whom the condition predominates. In addition, operative mortality is increased in the elderly by major comorbidities that include coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and renal insufficiency. Furthermore, little is known regarding the difference in life expectancy and risk of adverse events in elderly patients with severe MR undergoing successful mitral valve surgery versus those who decline or are denied surgical intervention. A delicate balance must be struck in optimally managing elderly patients with severe MR that not only favors symptomatic benefit over perioperative risk of an adverse clinical outcome, but also improves long-term outcome with regard to morbidity and mortality. Over the past 2 decades, surgical strategies in the treatment of MR have changed from routine mitral valve replacement to mitral valve repair. Because the surgeons’ understanding of normal mitral valve functional anatomy has improved, largely because of …
Embedded RAM testing

Embedded RAMs are RAMs whose address, data and read/write controls can not be directly controlled or observed through the chip's I/O pins. Testing these memories, which are incorporated on a large percentage of VLSI devices, is naturally harder because of the lack of controllability of its inputs and observability of its outputs. Testing such RAMs is the theme of this paper. It brings to light the challenges involved in testing embedded RAMs, and discusses techniques such as design for testability (DFT) and built-in self test (BIST), which help in improving the testability of these RAMs.
Comparing Perceptions of Training for Medicine-Pediatrics and Categorically Trained Physicians

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to compare the perceptions of clinical preparedness among graduates of categorical pediatric and internal medicine residency programs versus medicine-pediatric training programs and whether these varied for recent or older graduates. METHODS. A mail survey study was conducted in the fall of 2004 of a random sample of 245 and 246 internal medicine physicians who applied for or took a general certifying examination between 1980 and 1997 (older graduates) and between 1998 and 2003 (recent graduates), respectively, and a random sample of 248 and 247 pediatricians who applied for or took a general certifying examination between 1980 and 1997 (older graduates) and between 1998 and 2003 (recent graduates). Analyses compared results from a recent, similar survey of medicine-pediatric physicians. RESULTS. Response rate for pediatricians was 78% and for internal medicine physicians was 64%. Categorically trained pediatricians were more likely than medicine-pediatrics–trained physicians to report that they were very well prepared to care for infants (65% vs 50%) but less likely well trained to care for adolescents (17% vs 45%). Categorically trained internal medicine residents were less likely to feel very well prepared to care for both adults and elders than their medicine-pediatrics–trained counterparts. CONCLUSIONS. Categorically trained pediatricians and internal medicine physicians believed that they were no better prepared to care for their patients than medicine-pediatrics–trained physicians. Regardless of their beliefs of their preparedness, medicine-pediatrics physicians in practice spend a significant majority of their time in the care of adults rather than children. Our findings indicate that this is not because of their perception of a lack of training or preparation in the care of children relative to categorically trained pediatricians. Other factors, including but not limited to patient demographic changes, reimbursement for care, and the job market, potentially play a significant role.
Ketosteroid profiling using Girard T derivatives and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry: direct plasma analysis of androstenedione, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone and cortisol

A function of concentrations of three ketosteroids, [(androstenedione + 17α-hydroxyprogesterone)/cortisol], has been shown to provide better discrimination than the concentration of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone alone, for the diagnosis of the inherited disease congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). A rapid, direct infusion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) method has been developed to measure this ratio in plasma (100 μL). Sensitivity and specificity result from the preparation of mono-Girard T derivatives. Androstenedione, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone and cortisol are individually quantitated by isotope dilution. Excellent statistical correlation with radioimmunoassay (RIA) results for the analysis of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone is demonstrated. The value of the ratio function of the three ketosteroids is 0.01–0.16 for normal controls (n = 26) and 1.83–18.7 for patients with severe CAH (n = 4). Profiles of ketosteroids derivatized with Girard T from the plasma of a child with severe CAH, generated by ESI-MS/MS analysis, are shown. Neutral loss scans for 29.5 and 59 Da assist in the identification of the ketosteroids. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Supporting pediatric cancer survivors with neurocognitive late effects: a model of care.

Educational difficulties are common for childhood survivors of central nervous system (CNS) cancers. Children who have been treated for brain tumors and those who have received treatments involving the CNS are at increased risk of developing neurocognitive late effects including difficulties with attention, executive functioning, speed of processing, and academic functioning. These children are also at risk for difficulties with social functioning and social isolation. This hospital’s School Liaison Program (SLP) provides ongoing psychoeducation, advocacy, and consultation services for parents, schools, and medical staff to address the educational needs associated with the late effects of treatment for pediatric CNS-involved patients. This article provides an overview of the SLP model of care and discusses parent-perceived quality and program effectiveness. In general, parents attributed SLP involvement to improved academic performance, home-school communication, and school-level understanding of unique s...
Origin and age of the Border Ranges Fault of southern Alaska and its bearing on the Late Mesozoic tectonic evolution of Alaska

Local geologic relationships in the western Chugach Mountains, together with regional considerations, suggest that in the Early Cretaceous a subduction zone was formed along the southern edge of the Wrangellia-Peninsular-Alexander composite terrane (Talkeetna superterrane of Csejtey et al., 1982) of southern Alaska. The effects of this event include (1) a shattering of older (pre-Cretaceous) crystalline rocks along a complex fault system, (2) emplacement of a tectonic melange beneath the shattered crystalline rocks, and (3) a subgreenschist facies prograde metamorphism of the melange and retrograde metamorphism of the older crystalline rocks. This event created a regionally mappable structural contact between broken crystalline rocks and the melange; the Border Ranges fault of MacKevett and Plafker (1974). Regional stratigraphy as well as radiometric ages of rocks predating and postdating the Border Ranges fault appear to bracket the age of the Border Ranges fault and its associated deformational effects to the interval between about 135 and 120 Ma. Further regional tectonostratigraphic associations suggest that the deformation along the Border Ranges fault represents the nucleation of a north and (or) east dipping subduction zone beneath the Talkeetna superterrane and that the magmatic arc associated with this juvenile subduction zone is the Gravina-Nutzotin belt of southeast Alaska. Mismatches in the distribution of different elements of this Early Cretaceous arc-trench system are probably a result of Late Cretaceous or early Tertiary strike slip motion, but Early Cretaceous ridge-trench interaction (suggested by the occurrence of Early Cretaceous near-trench plutons) may have played a role as well. The Talkeetna superterrane is generally thought to be an exotic block that collided with the Cordillera in the middle Cretaceous (Coney et al., 1980). The age data commonly cited as evidence for a middle Cretaceous age for the collision are, however, misleading. A model is proposed here in which the initiation of convergence along the trailing edge of the Talkeetna superterrane records the time of initial impingement of two irregular margins whereas intense middle Cretaceous deformation recognized along the leading edge of the Talkeetna superterrane (Csejtey et al., 1982) records destruction of a syncollisional flysch basin during the final phase of the collision.
Emancipating Sociology: Postmodernism and Mainstream Sociological Practice

L'A. s'efforce d'evaluer, a partir de l'analyse des phenomenes de communication de masse et de la methodologie de recherche, la validite de la critique de la sociologie telle qu'elle est developpee dans le cadre du post-modernisme. Il isole un certain nombre de faiblesses voire d'inconsistances concernant ce type de critique. Il avance trois hypotheses pour rendre compte de la tolerance montree par un certain nombre de sociologues a son endroit malgre ces inadequations. Il s'efforce d'evaluer les consequences de ces attitudes en ce qui concerne la discipline. L'analyse conclut que les sociologues sont par trop tolerants et sont trop bienveillants a l'endroit de cette critique
Harpacticoid copepods are successful in the soft-bottom deep sea

Different taxa have had different degrees of success in invading and proliferating in the deep sea. The reasons for these differences are not well known, and exemplars need to be studied to provide insight as to factors that lead to success in the deep sea. Because the abundance of the deep-sea fauna taken as a whole declines with depth, the absolute abundance of a taxon is not an appropriate metric of its success. Rather, a taxon whose abundance declines as rapidly as or less rapidly than the general trend should be considered successful. In this paper, I used the macrofauna to define the general trend of abundance change with depth. When I compared the trend of abundance of harpacticoids to that for macrofauna, I found that harpacticoid abundance decreased less rapidly. Thus, harpacticoids are unusually successful in the deep sea. The reasons for their success are unknown, but I discuss three possible explanations.
Electrical Rectification by a Monolayer of Hexadecylquinolinium Tricyanoquinodimethanide Sandwiched between Gold Electrodes

Unimolecular rectification, previously reported between oxide-bearing electrodes, was detected between oxide-free Au electrodes for a Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer of the zwitterionic D + -π-A − molecule hexadecylquinolinium tricyanoquinodimethanide, C 16 H 33 Q-3CNQ. The top gold electrode was deposited from a Au vapor pre-cooled by multiple collisions with Ar atoms. The maximum rectification ratio is 27.5 at 2.2 Volts (the average rectification ratio is 7.55). The currents are as large as 9.04 × 10 4 electrons molecule −1 s −1 . The result reinforces previous work with oxide-bearing Al electrodes, but the currents with Au electrodes are larger by three to five orders of magnitude.
MEMS liquid metal through-wafer microstrip to microstrip transition

A novel approach for creating an RF MEMS switch in the form of a microstrip-to-microstrip liquid-metal transition is presented. A slug of non-toxic liquid metal that controllably fills a through-wafer via is the key component of the switch. The large contact area between this slug and the solid microstrip lines renders this design an excellent candidate for high-power switching and particularly for hot-switching applications. With the slug inside the via the switch presents a measured insertion loss of 0.24 and 1.1 dB up to 5 and 10 GHz respectively. When the slug is removed from the via the switch isolation is measured to be more than 20 dB up to 7 GHz. The fabrication technology and critical trade-offs between RF and microfluidic performances are discussed in the paper. The slug movement is controlled by an external micropump. The recent advances in microfluidics have resulted in a large variety of practical micropumps that may be monolithically integrated with such switching designs.
Clarifying the ‘puzzle’ between the Textbook and LSE approaches to econometrics: A comment on Cook's Kuhnian perspective on econometric modelling

In a recent article, Cook conducted a Kuhnian analysis of the difference between the Textbook and LSE econometric approaches. This paper uses a semantic conception of theories (Suppe 1989) and a finer gradation of the theory of reduction process to clarify the apparent puzzle that exist between the Textbook and LSE approaches to econometrics. The paper demonstrates that a Kuhnian analysis in isolation can be more misleading than realized.
Impact of Ipsilateral Blood Draws, Injections, Blood Pressure Measurements, and Air Travel on the Risk of Lymphedema for Patients Treated for Breast Cancer

PurposeThe goal of this study was to investigate the association between blood draws, injections, blood pressure readings, trauma, cellulitis in the at-risk arm, and air travel and increases in arm volume in a cohort of patients treated for breast cancer and screened for lymphedema.Patients and MethodsBetween 2005 and 2014, patients undergoing treatment of breast cancer at our institution were screened prospectively for lymphedema. Bilateral arm volume measurements were performed preoperatively and postoperatively using a Perometer. At each measurement, patients reported the number of blood draws, injections, blood pressure measurements, trauma to the at-risk arm(s), and number of flights taken since their last measurement. Arm volume was quantified using the relative volume change and weight-adjusted change formulas. Linear random effects models were used to assess the association between relative arm volume (as a continuous variable) and nontreatment risk factors, as well as clinical characteristics.Res...
Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport Lecture Statewide Physical Fitness Testing: A Big Waist or a Big Waste?

Statewide physical fitness testing is gaining popularity in the United States because of increased childhood obesity levels, the relations between physical fitness and academic performance, and the hypothesized relations between adult characteristics and childhood physical activity, physical fitness, and health behaviors. Large-scale physical fitness testing can be fraught with problems unless properly planned and conducted. Legislators, administrators, teachers, and parents should consider the following 10 essential issues when conducting large-scale physical fitness testing: purpose of testing, proper planning, training, quality of the data, reporting, support, costs, interpretation, programmatic matters, and policies and politics.
Manipulative skill competency and health-related physical fitness in elementary school students.

Background Improving motor skill competency and enhancing health-related physical fitness are desired learning outcomes for school-aged children. Achieving motor skill competency and a healthy level of physical fitness lay a foundation for being a physically active person across a lifetime. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between levels of manipulative skill competency and physical fitness for elementary school boys and girls. Methods In this study, 565 fourth-grade students and their 9 physical education teachers were voluntary participants. The students were assessed in 4 basic specialized manipulative skills and 4 fitness components during regular physical education lessons. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, univariate analyses, and multiple R 2 liner regression methods. Results Boys were more proficient at the manipulative skills than girls, while girls had significant higher percentages for meeting the healthy fitness zone for the fitness tests than boys. Four manipulative skills significantly predicted progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER), push-up, and trunk lifts tests at p Conclusion The more competent in manipulative skills, the higher healthy level in cardiovascular endurance, upper-body muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility the students demonstrated. Demonstrating manipulative skill competence and maintaining a healthy level of physical fitness are 2 major desired learning outcomes for elementary school students to be able to achieve.
A fully automated Drosophila olfactory classical conditioning and testing system for behavioral learning and memory assessment.

Abstract Background Aversive olfactory classical conditioning has been the standard method to assess Drosophila learning and memory behavior for decades, yet training and testing are conducted manually under exceedingly labor-intensive conditions. To overcome this severe limitation, a fully automated, inexpensive system has been developed, which allows accurate and efficient Pavlovian associative learning/memory analyses for high-throughput pharmacological and genetic studies. New method The automated system employs a linear actuator coupled to an odorant T-maze with airflow-mediated transfer of animals between training and testing stages. Odorant, airflow and electrical shock delivery are automatically administered and monitored during training trials. Control software allows operator-input variables to define parameters of Drosophila learning, short-term memory and long-term memory assays. Results The approach allows accurate learning/memory determinations with operational fail-safes. Automated learning indices (immediately post-training) and memory indices (after 24 h) are comparable to traditional manual experiments, while minimizing experimenter involvement. Comparison with existing methods The automated system provides vast improvements over labor-intensive manual approaches with no experimenter involvement required during either training or testing phases. It provides quality control tracking of airflow rates, odorant delivery and electrical shock treatments, and an expanded platform for high-throughput studies of combinational drug tests and genetic screens. The design uses inexpensive hardware and software for a total cost of ∼$500US, making it affordable to a wide range of investigators. Conclusions This study demonstrates the design, construction and testing of a fully automated Drosophila olfactory classical association apparatus to provide low-labor, high-fidelity, quality-monitored, high-throughput and inexpensive learning and memory behavioral assays.