cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determining the Best Predictors of Success and of Time of Completion or Dropout in an Individualized Course in Arithmetic at a Community College

In 1969-70, the author conducted an exploratory study of an individualized, self-paced, mastery-oriented course in arithmetic (Math 031) at Washtenaw Community College (WCC), Ann Arbor, Michigan (Dahlke, 1971). A portion of the study, which is the substance of this report, was devoted to determining the best predictors of student success and of time of completion or dropout. At all levels of education, much attention is currently being directed toward individualizing instruction in mathematics. Unfortunately, our knowledge of this instructional methodology is meager, since it has not been widely employed in the past and consequently has not been a focal point of study. There are important questions to be asked of this methodology that are not as meaningful to ask of a more conventional instructional methodology, such as lecture-recitation. In courses using lecture-recitation, predicting success-where success is defined as achievement on an examination-can be meaningful and informative. However, in a mastery-oriented course, predicting successwhere success is defined as stated before-is not as meaningful. That is, students cannot progress in the course until they have demonstrated a certain degree of mastery. Consequently, those students completing the course have satisfied the course objectives and must be classified as successful. In a self-paced, mastery-oriented course, predicting success is equivalent to predicting whether a student will complete the course. In a course using a lecture-recitation methodology it is not meaningful to be concerned with predicting when a student completes the course, since, except for some isolated instances, everyone completes (or is said to have completed) the course on the last class day. However, this is not the case for a self-paced course. Allowing a student to determine his time of completion is a key feature of a self-paced course, yet there is little knowledge of the variables that will best predict this. Being able to predict when students will complete a course can be useful from a logistics and counseling standpoint.
Growth factor responses of enriched bipotential glial progenitors.

Abstract Responses of oligodendrocyte/type 2 astrocyte (O-2A) glial progenitors from neonatal rat brains to different growth factors were studied by a new, serum-free method. Enriched tertiary cultures of O-2A progenitors were produced after 6–7 days in vitro using the growth-promoting factors from the B104 CNS neuronal cell line, heparin, and mechanical separation. These cultures contained about 75–90% A2B5+ cells with less than 10% type 1 astrocytes, and the yield was 4.4 × 105 cells/brain. B104 conditioned medium (CM) factors increased both O-2A progenitor number and [3H]thymidine-labeling indices after three days. However, type 1 astrocyte CM was required for continued survival of enriched progenitors beyond 1 day in tertiary culture. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and glia maturation factor also showed growth-promoting action, but were less effective than B104 CM at tested doses. PDGF-neutralizing antibodies had no effect on progenitor survival or response to B104 CM factors. Thus, type 1 astrocyte-derived PDGF was not required for this response, B104 CM is not likely to contain PDGF, and B104 CM factors act directly on O-2A progenitors. Fibroblast growth factor, transforming growth factor β, interleukin 2, epidermal growth factor, and triiodothyronine showed no growth-promoting activity; moreover, interleukin 2, epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor β, and 0.5% fetal bovine serum inhibited B104 CM action. Enriched progenitors exhibited bipotentiality by slowly differentiating into oligodendrocytes in serum-free medium, whereas culture in 10% fetal bovine serum increased type 2 astrocytes. Thus, this new method selects or produces progenitors which are similar to those from mature brains.
Ameliorating global weather with fusion energy targets for deeply penetrating beams and improved inertial fusion power plants

Summary form only given. It is proposed that global, weather can be ameliorated with the aid of a technique using deeply penetrating laser or ion beams which could penetrate beyond 0.15-0.2 g/cm/sup 2/ of target material. It has been shown that hybrid drive and related concepts can reduce convergence ratios of the pulse that ignites the target. It is emphasized that the final pulse can use an arbitrarily small convergence ratio, for the direct ignition of compressed fuel.
Energy modeling for mobile devices using performance counters

The increasing complexity of mobile applications coupled with growing user demands lead to rapid battery drain in mobile devices. However, battery technology cannot keep up with these trends thus making power management one of the foremost concerns. While system-level approaches to power management exist, the energy impact of applications on individual system components needs to be better understood for energy efficient system design. In this work, we develop energy models for mobile devices using performance counters and estimate the power consumption of system components for numerous embedded applications. Our models provide enhancements in I/O towards estimating I/O energy and cache to incorporate energy consumed during cache refill and write-back in the energy estimation process. We further compare our power estimates with existing models and demonstrate the uniqueness of our model.
Recommended techniques in small animal anaesthesia: An update

Abstract A protocol for anaesthesia of healthy small animals (dogs and cats) is described with the emphasis on good technique. The anaesthetic period is considered in stages from pre-operative evaluation through to recovery.
Inhibitory substrate binding site of human indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase.

Human indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (hIDO) is an intracellular heme-containing enzyme, which catalyzes the initial and rate-determining step of l-tryptophan (l-Trp) metabolism via the kynurenine pathway. Due to its immunosuppressive function, hIDO has been recognized as an important drug target for cancer. Here we report evidence supporting the presence of an inhibitory substrate binding site (Si) in hIDO that is capable of binding molecules with a wide variety of structures, including substrates (l-Trp and 1-methyl-l-tryptophan), an effector (3-indole ethanol), and an uncompetitive inhibitor (Mitomycin C). The data offer useful guidelines for future development of more potent hIDO inhibitors; they also call for the re-evaluation of the action mechanism of Mitomycin C (MtoC), a widely used antitumor chemotherapeutic agent.
Transition metal alloys: elastic properties and Peierls–Nabarro stresses

Abstract As an adjunct to alloying transition metals, mainly those in the second long row of the Periodic Table, with each other, published elastic properties have been analyzed and the Peierls–Nabarro (P–N) stresses computed for edge and screw dislocations. For binary alloys of Ti–Nb–Mo–Re, average tensile and shear elastic moduli, and Poisson's ratio were computed from the anisotropic elastic constants, cij, which are also used to compute the energy factors for dislocations. From the latter, P–N stresses were computed for dislocations on the {110} and {112} planes. Computed values are compared with experimentally derived values for Nb and Mo. On the basis of measured values, the elastic constants are estimated for a series of Nb–Cr–Ti alloys of current interest.
Exact anyonic states for a general quadratic hamiltonian

Abstract Exact energy eigenstates are produced for the problem of N nonrelativistic anyons with a general rotationally invariant hamiltonian quadratic in coordinates and momenta. In particular, this contains the system of anyons in an external harmonic oscillator potential and a constant magnetic field interacting through two-body linear and magnetic forces. Although an infinite class of states are found, there are “missing” states from the spectrum, whose discovery still remains an open issue.
On rheological relations

Those who are serious about their desire to formulate constitutive equations which actually describe the behavior of visco-elastic media naturally wish to be able to have their equations subjected to experimental test. To this end, it is fruitful to seek to derive from a given theory relations among observable quantities. By an observable quantity in the context of our subject we mean a quantity which may be defined operationally in terms of a given flow or deformation history which may be carried out experimentally to within acceptable accuracy, i.e. a quantity which may be determined by rheological measurements. Steady state shearing stress, normal stress and complex dynamic shear modulus are examples of such quantities as are also elongational viscosity and the infinitesimal shear-relaxation modulus. We do not believe that there would be any objection if we referred to such quantities as “rheological quantities” and to relations among them as “rheological relations”.
Are racial disparities in health conditional on socioeconomic status

Racial health inequality is related to socioeconomic status (SES), but debate ensues on the nature of the relationship. Using the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I and the subsequent follow-up interviews, this research examines health disparities between white and black adults and whether the SES/health gradient differs across the two groups in the USA. Two competing mechanisms for the conditional or interactive relationship between race and SES on health are examined during a 20-year period for black and white Americans. Results show that black adults began the study with more serious illnesses and poorer self-rated health than white adults and that the disparity continued over the 20 years. Significant interactions were found between race and education as well as race and employment status on health outcomes. The interaction effect of race and education showed that the racial disparity in self-rated health was largest at the higher levels of SES, providing some evidence for the "diminishing returns" hypothesis; as education levels increased, black adults did not have the same improvement in self-rated health as white adults. Overall, the findings provide evidence for the continuing significance of both race and SES in determining health status over time.
Stroke after adult-onset epilepsy: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Background Earlier studies indicate a higher risk of subsequent stroke in PWE aged ≥60. However, little is known of the incidence of subsequent stroke in people with epilepsy (PWE) aged 35 through 60. We determined the risk factors that increase the incidence of stroke following adult-onset epilepsy in a large statewide population over a 10-year period. Methods South Carolina hospital discharge and emergency department (ED) data from 2000 to 2011 were used. The study was limited to persons aged ≥ 35 years without prior stroke. Cases included patients diagnosed with epilepsy who were hospitalized or visited the ED. Controls were people with an isolated fracture of the lower extremity without any history of epilepsy or seizure disorders, presumed to approximate the health status of the general population. Epilepsy, fracture, stroke, and comorbid conditions were ascertained by diagnostic codes from health-care encounters. Only persons having stroke occurring ≥ 6 months after the onset of epilepsy or after the first clinical encounter for controls were included. Cox proportional hazards modeling was performed to determine the risk of stroke. Results There were 21,035 cases with epilepsy and 16,638 controls who met the inclusion criteria. Stroke incidence was 2.5 times higher following adult-onset epilepsy (6.3%) compared with controls (2.5%). After adjusting for comorbidities and other factors, cases with epilepsy showed a 60% higher risk of stroke (HR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.42–1.80) compared with controls. Nearly half of the strokes in cases with epilepsy occurred in those with first diagnosis between ages 35 and 55. Somatic comorbidities associated with increased risk of stroke were more prevalent in cases with epilepsy than controls yet similar in both groups with stroke. Risk of stroke increased with increasing age in both groups. However, the risk of stroke in cases with epilepsy increased faster and was similar to that in controls who were ≥ 10 years older. Conclusion Adult-onset epilepsy at age 35 and older warrants consideration for occult cerebrovascular disease as an etiology of the epilepsy, which may also increase the risk of subsequent stroke. Somatic comorbidities frequently associated with epilepsy include comorbid conditions that share the same underlying pathology with stroke (i.e., hypertension, hyperlipidemia, myocardial infarction, diabetes, and arteriosclerosis). This increased risk of stroke in patients with adult-onset epilepsy should dictate the evaluation and management of stroke risk factors to prevent stroke.
Bacteriophage T4 Self-Assembly: In Vitro Reconstitution of Recombinant gp2 into Infectious Phage

ABSTRACT T4 gene 2 mutants have a pleiotropic phenotype: degradation of injected phage DNA by exonuclease V (ExoV) in therecBCD+ host cell cytoplasm and a low burst size due, at least in part, to a decreased ability for head-to-tail (H-T) joining. The more N terminal the mutation, the more pronounced is the H-T joining defect. We have overexpressed and purified the recombinant gene 2 product (rgp2) to homogeneity in order to test its role in H-T joining, during in vitro reconstitution. When we mix extracts of heads from a gp2+ phage infection (H+) with tails from a gp2+ or gp2− phage infection (T+ or T−), the H-T joining is fast and all of the reconstituted phage grow equally well on cells with or without ExoV activity. When heads from gene 2 amber mutants (H−) are used, addition of rgp2 is required for H-T joining. In this case, H-T joining is slow and only about 10% of the reconstituted phage can form plaques on ExoV+ cells. When extracts of heads with different gene 2 amber mutations are mixed with extracts of tails (with a gene 2 amber mutation) in the presence of rgp2, we find that the size of the gp2 amber peptide of the head extract is inversely related to the fraction of reconstituted phage with a 2+ phenotype. We conclude that free rgp2 is biologically active and has a direct role in H-T joining but that the process is different from H-T joining promoted by natural gp2 that is incorporated into the head in vivo. Furthermore, it seems that gp2 has a domain which binds it to the head. Thus, the presence of the longer gp2am mutants (with this domain) inhibits their replacement by full-length rgp2.
Monte-Carlo-based multiple-scattering channel modeling for non-line-of-sight ultraviolet communications

Although the concept of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) ultraviolet (UV) communications has been studied for decades, recent advances in the design and manufacturing of light-emitting diodes, filters, and sensors have ignited new interest. In this paper, we discuss a Monte Carlo channel model for NLOS UV communications that accounts for the possibility that a transmitted photon experiences multiple scattering events before being received. By simulating the propagation of many photons based on probabilistic rules derived from physics considerations, a computationally efficient algorithm is obtained that allows for the study of the contribution of various orders of scattering to the received signal and to the system impulse response function. We then demonstrate the use of this channel model in the exploration of several system configurations. In particular, we examine the effect of the transmitter beam shape and receiver sensitivity function on the faithfulness of a well-known linear model of path loss versus distance for short-range NLOS UV systems, and we explore geometry design for interference reduction in a full-duplex link. The use of the model to study such diverse system implementations demonstrates its general applicability.
Use Patterns and Solitude Preferences of Shelter Campers in Great Smoky Mountains National, U.S.A.

Abstract Visitor use management in wildland recreation areas depends on visitor use and preference information about various types of users. This study reports on the user characteristics, use patterns and encounter preferences of backcountry shelter campers, a type of user little studied in the past. In 1987, 252 backpackers to shelters in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) were surveyed on-site and by a mail questionnaire. Only one person per party was sampled, resulting in a final response rate of 73%. Results indicated the "typical" shelter user averaged 33 years of age, was college educated (X = 15·6 years of education) and came from urban areas of nearby states. Eighty-four per cent had previous backpacking experience, averaging 6·8 total years of experience. Most backpackers (59%) took three or fewer trips per year (X) = 3·9 trips/year). Backpacking experience restricted to only GSMNP showed 65% repeat users, averaging 5·4 years of previous use and 3·1 trips per year in the study area. Trips in the study area consisted of 3-day hikes (X = 3·2 days), with 94% of users backpacking less than 5 days. Distance hiked ranged from 3 to 80 miles (X = 24 miles), and 73% of the parties contained 2-4 individuals. Encounter levels were highest on trails (X = 10·2 parties/trip), with shelter encounters (X = 2·7 parties/trip) being less. A third of users reported that they felt the number of encounters detracted from their solitude experience. Results are discussed and compared with similar data reported for backcountry areas in the south-east and western U.S.
In Situ Characterization And Non Solar Applications Of Semiconductor Liquid Junctions

In the first part of this paper we describe some non-solar possible applications of semiconductor -liquid junction methodologies. These include: etching, photoetching, growth of a passivation layer, detection of metallic corrosion, electrochromic display devices, photodeposition of metals on semi-conductors and insitu characterization of semiconductor bulk properties. In the second part, we describe some of the methodologies used to characterize the semiconductor-liquid junctions. These include methods that were borrowed from electrochemistry and solid state photovoltaic devices, in addition to more specific methods based on electric field modulation of system's response such as impedance, electroreflectance and modulated photoluminescence.
The Two Cultures of Teaching and Teacher Preparation.

Abstract The present study investigates the author's long-standing observation that prospective teachers majoring in the sciences (physics, chemistry, biology) and mathematics exhibit a “world view” very different from students majoring in English, literature, and history. Students in a pre-service course on educational psychology were asked to write an essay that compared and contrasted their experiences as a learner in two different school subjects, one in which they generally do very well, and another in which they generally do less well. Analysis of the essays revealed the presence of two distinct cultures among the students with regard to education and the learning of different school subjects. Many of the attitudes inherent in these cultures appear to have their roots in early home and school experiences. In some cases, it is difficult to reconcile the students' perceptions of teachers and school with what might reasonably be assumed to be a more “objective” description of these situations. Implications for teaching and teacher education are discussed.
Ethnicity Influences Lymph Node Resection in Colon Cancer

The purpose of this study is to determine the association between ethnicity and lymph node retrieval after colon cancer resection. Using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)–Medicare database, patients who underwent colon cancer resection from 2000–2003 were evaluated. Subjects were classified as having <12 (N = 20,605) or ≥12 (N = 12,358) lymph nodes examined. Multivariate models were used to analyze the relationship between lymph nodes resected and independent variables. Out of a total of 32,936 patients, 62.5% had fewer than 12 lymph nodes resected. In multivariate analysis, Hispanic ethnicity was associated with a significantly lower chance of having ≥12 lymph nodes than the Caucasian population (OR = 0.61; CI, 0.50–0.74). Despite this, there was no understaging: the proportion of stage II and III diagnoses was the same. Both groups received the same rate of cancer-directed surgery and survival was equivalent. During this study period, a majority of colon cancer resections were inadequate based on the current standard of ≥12 nodes. Hispanic patients were less likely to have an adequate node resection when compared to Caucasians. Despite fewer lymph nodes harvested, they had equivalent staging and survival. These results suggest that ethnicity influences the lymph node count.
AGU adopts position statements on education, government support for geophysical research

At the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, the AGU Council adopted a new position statement, “Importance of the Earth and Space Sciences in Primary and Secondary Education: An Endorsement of the AAAS Benchmarks and NRC Standards.” The statement endorses recommendations included in two reports issued by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Research Council NRC) both of which highlight the Earth and space sciences, along with the physical and life sciences, as essential elements in education at all grade levels. The statement (see below) is posted on the AGU Web site: http://wwwagu.org/ sci_soc/policy/earthspace_educ.html.
Two metaphors of the niche

In summary, many extant definitions of the niche concept are based on the geometric metaphor which represents the niche as an object embedded in a geometric space. There are several difficulties with this approach; the activities of organisms are not fully described, certain attributes of the functional aspect of the niche are not represented, the life cycles of organisms are not described, and the heuristic value of the concept diminishes with increasing dimensionality.
Method for expressing clinical and statistical significance of ocular and corneal wave front error aberrations.

Purpose The significance of ocular or corneal aberrations may be subject to misinterpretation whenever eyes with different pupil sizes or the application of different Zernike expansion orders are compared. A method is shown that uses simple mathematical interpolation techniques based on normal data to rapidly determine the clinical significance of aberrations, without concern for pupil and expansion order. Methods Corneal topography maps (TOMEY, Inc, Nagoya, Japan) from 30 normal corneas were collected, and the corneal wave front error was analyzed by Zernike polynomial decomposition into specific aberration types for pupil diameters of 3, 5, 7, and 10 mm and Zernike expansion orders of 6, 8, 10, and 12. Using this 4 × 4 matrix of pupil sizes and fitting orders, the best-fitting 3-dimensional functions were determined for the mean and standard deviation of the root-mean-square error for specific aberrations. The functions were encoded into a software application to determine the significance of data acquired from nonnormal cases. Results The best-fitting functions for 6 types of aberrations were determined: defocus, astigmatism, prism, coma, spherical aberration, and all higher-order aberrations. A clinical screening method of color coding the significance of aberrations in normal, postoperative laser in situ keratomileusis, and keratoconus cases having different pupil sizes and different expansion orders is demonstrated. Conclusions A method to calibrate wave front aberrometry devices using a standard sample of normal cases was devised. This method could be potentially useful in clinical studies involving patients with uncontrolled pupil sizes or in studies that compare data from aberrometers that use different Zernike fitting-order algorithms.
Electron beam sensitivity of zeolite L

Abstract This paper discusses me of the phenomenological aspects of electron beam damage of zeolites in the elektron microscope, with empjasis on changes in crystallite morphology and composition, Zeolite L is used as an example material. In agreement with previous observations on zeolites, damage rates are found to be most sensitive to the amount of water present in the structure and to the presence of framework aluminum. The presence of H + and NH 4 + cations can significantly increase damage rates. The data suggest a dominating damage mechanism in which AlOSi connectivities are broken after attack by acidic species. This attack can occur following ionization of water by the elektron beam, or by beam-induced migration of H + and NH 4 + non-framework cations.
Quantum Yields of Hydroxyl Radical and Nitrogen Dioxide from the Photolysis of Nitrate on Ice

Nitrate photolysis proceeds via two major channels at illumination wavelengths above 290 nm: NO3- + hν (+H+) → NO2 + •OH (1) and NO3- + hν → NO2- + O(3P) (2). A recent study determined the quantum yield of reaction 1 on ice by measuring NO2 production, but suggested their values might be lower bounds because of incomplete recoveries of NO2. We measured the quantum yield of pathway 1 using an alternate approach, i.e., by following the formation of •OH. Our quantum yields for •OH (ΦOH) at 263 K were independent of nitrate concentration and illumination wavelength (λ > 300 nm), but were dependent upon pH. Values of ΦOH decreased from (3.6 ± 0.6) × 10-3 at pH 7.0 to (2.1 ± 0.8) × 10-3 at pH 2.0, where the listed pH values are those of the sample solution prior to freezing. Temperature dependence experiments (239−318 K; pH 5.0) showed that values of ΦOH in ice pellets and aqueous solutions were both well described by the same regression line, ln(ΦOH) = ln(Φ1) = −(2400 ± 480)(1/T) + (3.6 ± 0.8) (where errors r...
Optimal policy to achieve debt repayment by the LDCs

Abstract In this paper we examine the need for optimal intervention by an LDC to generate export surplus for repayment of its foreign debt. A two-country, two-commodity model of barter trade is used to demonstrate the superiority of an income tax to a tariff or a consumption tax on exportables.
Contextual priming effects in perceptual identification

The proportion of contextually related priming pairs was manipulated in a perceptual identification task to determine the relative contributions of automatic and controlled processes to performance. Subjects studied a set of sentences and then identified prime-target pairs consisting of (1) two words from the same studied sentence (related context), (2) two words from different studied sentences (unrelated context), or (3) a nonword prime and a word from a studied sentence (neutral context). When the identification test list included a high proportion of contextually related pairs, facilitation for related-context pairs and inhibition for unrelated-context pairs were observed relative to comparable nonstudied pairs. In the low-proportion condition, performance was unaffected by the proportion manipulation. Based on these results, we argue that contextual effects in perceptual identification reflect the operation of controlled processes.
Efficient, Graph-based White Matter Connectivity from Orientation Distribution Functions via Multi-directional Graph Propagation

The use of regional connectivity measurements derived from diffusion imaging datasets has become of considerable interest in the neuroimaging community in order to better understand cortical and subcortical white matter connectivity. Current connectivity assessment methods are based on streamline fiber tractography, usually applied in a Monte-Carlo fashion. In this work we present a novel, graph-based method that performs a fully deterministic, efficient and stable connectivity computation. The method handles crossing fibers and deals well with multiple seed regions. The computation is based on a multi-directional graph propagation method applied to sampled orientation distribution function (ODF), which can be computed directly from the original diffusion imaging data. We show early results of our method on synthetic and real datasets. The results illustrate the potential of our method towards subject-specific connectivity measurements that are performed in an efficient, stable and reproducible manner. Such individual connectivity measurements would be well suited for application in population studies of neuropathology, such as Autism, Huntington's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis or leukodystrophies. The proposed method is generic and could easily be applied to non-diffusion data as long as local directional data can be derived.
Behavior Analysis of Psychotic Disorders: Scientific Dead End or Casualty of the Mental Health Political Economy?

Behavior analysis, once a promising approach to understanding and treating severe mental disorders, has been obscured by the biomedical model of mental illness and its ubiquitous psychotropic drugs. The present paper gives a brief overview of behavioral research on psychotic disorders followed by a critical review of the prevailing biomedical model including psychiatric diagnoses, anti-psychotic medications, clinical outcomes, and adverse effects of drug treatment. This paper also examines ideological, political, and economic mechanisms of control that have blocked the application of behavior analysis with severe mental disorders.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Failure

Diabetes mellitus and heart failure are common comorbidities, and their prevalence has increased significantly over the past decade. We examined the relationships between diabetes and heart failure, the effect of commonly prescribed antidiabetic drugs on the development of heart failure, and the benefits and risks of recommended heart failure therapies in patients with diabetes. Compared with patients with heart failure who do not have diabetes, patients with both diabetes and heart failure have a poorer prognosis, including a 1.5-2-fold higher risk of mortality. Based on the results of randomized controlled trials, insulin and sulfonylureas do not appear to protect against or contribute to the development of new-onset heart failure, whereas metformin may modestly reduce the risk. The use of metformin in patients with established heart failure is controversial; retrospective analyses have shown that metformin may have a beneficial effect on outcomes, but there are no prospective, randomized clinical trials to support its use in this population. The thiazolidinediones, however, contribute to the development of heart failure and increase the risk of heart failure exacerbations particularly when used in combination with insulin. Recommendations for the treatment of symptomatic heart failure in patients with diabetes have been largely derived from post hoc analyses or preplanned subgroup analyses in landmark clinical trials. The data clearly support the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers for both the prevention and treatment of symptomatic heart failure in patients with diabetes. Despite concerns regarding the potential risks of β-blockers in patients with diabetes, these drugs have a clear mortality benefit in patients with stages B and C heart failure. Therefore, patients with diabetes should not be denied β-blocker therapy unless there is a clear contraindication. Likewise, aldosterone receptor antagonists should be added to standard therapies in patients with stages C and D heart failure. Future heart failure studies should include a sufficiently large diabetes cohort to conduct meaningful preplanned subgroup analyses that examine the effect of proposed treatments on both heart failure-related and diabetes-related outcomes.
Postoperative analgesia for Caesarean section using epidural methadone.

Summary A prospective randomised double blind study was carried out to compare the use of epidural methadone, morphine and bupivacaine for pain relief after Caesarean section. The results indicate that methadone is the most effective agent with few side effects. Subsequently this method was used routinely for postoperative analgesia in all patients undergoing Caesarean section. A retrospective study of 178 patients having this method of analgesia was carried out and indicated that epidural methadone is an effective and safe method of postoperative pain relief.
Design extraction by adiabatic multi-perspective abstraction

Design extraction of an unfamiliar system is a complex cognitive task. This paper presents an approach that can help human expert in exploring a large and complex code information space of unfamiliar software. It provides her/him a platform to access the code information with flexible, fine and delicate control over volume and composition of the accessed information sub-space. The proposed approach integrates two forms of abstraction. First, it helps one to comprehend complexity of the code information space by allowing the explorer to investigate the system from numerous (combinatorial) coherent perspectives. In the second level, it helps one to overcome scale of the information space by allowing the explorer to compress or expand any composition of its sub-spaces. This new approach, called the adiabatic multi-perspective (AMP) approach to program abstraction, is founded on a symmetrical dual hierarchical (SDH) organization of code information space and a novel formalism for abstract dependency analysis (ADA), which is also one of the first formalisms to perform complete program dependency analysis on abstract program models. >
Exploring perceptions of the mental health of youth in Mexico: A qualitative study

Limited information is available regarding the mental health of children and adolescents in Mexico (Paula, Duarte, & Bordin, 2007). The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to examine ...
Identification, expression, and purification of a pyrethroid-hydrolyzing carboxylesterase from mouse liver microsomes.

Carboxylesterases are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of a wide range of ester-containing endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. Although the use of pyrethroids is increasing, the specific enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of these insecticides have yet to be identified. A pyrethroid-hydrolyzing enzyme was partially purified from mouse liver microsomes using a fluorescent reporter similar in structure to cypermethrin (Shan, G., and Hammock, B. D. (2001) Anal. Biochem. 299, 54-62 and Wheelock, C. E., Wheelock, A. M., Zhang, R., Stok, J. E., Morisseau, C., Le Valley, S. E., Green, C. E., and Hammock, B. D. (2003) Anal. Biochem. 315, 208-222) and subsequently identified as a carboxylesterase (NCBI accession number BAC36707). The expressed sequence tag was then cloned, expressed in baculovirus, and purified to homogeneity. Kinetic constants for a large number of both type I and type II pyrethroid or pyrethroid-like substrates were determined. This esterase possesses similar kinetic constants for cypermethrin and its fluorescent-surrogate (kcat = 0.12 ± 0.03 versus 0.11 ± 0.01 s-1). Compared with their cis- counterparts, trans-permethrin and cypermethrin were hydrolyzed 22- and 4-fold faster, respectively. Of the four fenvalerate isomers the (2R)(αR)-isomer was hydrolyzed at least 1 order of magnitude faster than any other isomer. However, it is unlikely that this enzyme accounts for the total pyrethroid hydrolysis in the microsomes because both isoelectrofocusing and native PAGE indicate the presence of a second region of cypermethrin-metabolizing enzymes. A second carboxylesterase gene (NCBI accession number NM_133960), isolated during a cDNA mouse liver library screening, was also found to hydrolyze pyrethroids. Both these enzymes could be used as preliminary tools in establishing the relative toxicity of new pyrethroids.
Halobacterium denitrificans sp. nov. an Extremely Halophilic Denitrifying Bacterium

Halobacterium denitrificans was one of several carbohydrate-utilizing, denitrifying, extremely halophilic bacteria isolated by anaerobic enrichment in the presence of nitrate. Anaerobic growth took place only when nitrate (or nitrite) was present and was accompanied by the production of dinitrogen. In the presence of high concentrations of nitrate (i.e., 0.5 percent), nitrous oxide and nitrite were also detected. When grown aerobically in a mineral-salts medium containing 0.005 percent yeast extract, H. denitrificans utilized a variety of carbohydrates as sources of carbon and energy. In every case, carbohydrate utilization was accompanied by acid production.
KYDON, a self-organized autonomous net: learning model and failure recovery

In this paper, a learning model and a failure recovery approach of an autonomous vision system multi-layer architecture, called KYDON, are presented. The KYDON architecture consists of "k" layers array processors. The lowest layers compose the KYDON's low level processing group, and the rest compose the higher level processing groups. The interconnectivity of the processors in each array is based on a full hexagonal mesh structure. The lowest layer array processors captures images from the environment by employing a 2-D photoarray. The top most layer deals with the image interpretation and understanding. The intermediate layers perform learning and pattern recognition processes to bridge the image information flow from the bottom most layer to the top most one. KYDON uses graph models to represent and process the knowledge, extracted from the image. An important feature of KYDON is that it does not need any host computer or control processor to handle I/O and other miscellaneous tasks. A novel learning model has been developed for the KYDON's distributed knowledge base. >
Accelerated 65nm Yield Ramp through Optimization of Inspection on Process-Design Sensitive Test Chips

This paper describes an integrated methodology that combines short-flow test chips useful for exploring process-design systematic as well as random failure modes and an advanced inspection tool platform to characterize and monitor key Defects-of-Interest for accelerated defect-based yield learning at the 65 nm technology node. Utilization of a unique fast electrical testing scheme, rapid analysis software along with optimized inspection facilitated shorter learning cycles for accelerated process development. Knowledge derived from the CVreg- based inspection setup in a leading 300 mm fab was successfully transferred to manufacturing to facilitate inspection optimization for key Defects-of-Interest on product wafers.
GM-CSF: a role in immune and inflammatory reactions in the intestine.

Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a cytokine that promotes myeloid cell development and maturation, and dendritic cell differentiation and survival in vitro. Growing evidence supports the notion that GM-CSF has a major role in some inflammatory and autoimmune reactions and in the host’s response to pulmonary infection, but few studies have addressed its functions and importance in the GI tract. Recent studies demonstrated that administration of GM-CSF can result in clinical improvement in patients with Crohn’s disease. Mice deficient in GM-CSF (GM-CSF-/-) developed more severe intestinal and systemic infection after an enteric infection, and more severe colitis in response to enteric exposure to dextran sodium sulfate. Both the severity of infection and colitis were largely prevented by GM-CSF administration. Such studies indicate that GM-CSF has an important role in the regulation of intestinal immune and inflammatory responses.
Effect of powder and target properties on wrap around effect during coating.

: Tapioca starch, NaCl (28, 135, and 378 μm), corn starch, cocoa powder, soy protein isolate, cheese powder, wheat protein, modified starch, nacho cheese, and sugar were coated at 0 kV for nonelectrostatic and at 25 kV for electrostatic coating onto metal, wood, unoiled paper, oiled paper, unoiled plastic, oiled plastic, fresh bread, and dry bread. Powders and targets were allowed to naturally tribocharge, or all charge was removed before coating. Powder particle size, flowability, resistivity, and target resistivity were reported. Electrostatic coating produced the same or better wrap around, or percent side coverage as nonelectrostatic coating for every powder and target. The greatest electrostatic improvement was found when using powders that had the worst nonelectrostatic side coverage: large particle size (>135 μm), low resistivity, and low cohesiveness, especially on targets that had high-surface resistivity (2 × 105Ωm). Tribocharging had a similar effect as electrostatic coating. In both nonelectrostatic and electrostatic coating, percent side coverage increased as powder particle size decreased, cohesiveness increased, or target resistivity decreased. In electrostatic coating, percent side coverage increased as powder resistivity increased; however, in nonelectrostatic coating, as powder resistivity increased, percent side coverage increased on only oiled plastic and dry bread. Practical Application: The evenness of powder coating on food is very important for consumer acceptability, since consumers judge food from its appearance before they have a chance to taste it. If thick food targets, such as cakes, donuts, and marshmallows need to be coated, the side coverage, due to the wrap around effect, is important. Choosing powders with small particle size, high cohesiveness and high-powder resistivity, and using electrostatic coating can produce food targets coated on all sides.
Effects of design for disassembly on integrated disassembly and assembly processes

A growing concern about the environment has spurred research into the design of more environmentally benign products. Although the environmental considerations cover the entire product's life cycle, one of the most pressing environmental problems the Western World is facing is waste and landfill. Under pressure by the European governments, global manufacturers are thinking more and more on how to dispose appropriately of their products. A trend can be seen towards increased product take back and subsequent automation, with special emphasis on automated disassembly and separation for product recycling and reuse (Ashley 1993). Nowadays, numerous design for disassembly (DFD) guidelines exist. However, little work has been done on studying the effects of implementing these guidelines. In this paper, the simulation and results of an integrated single-use camera disassembly/assembly process are presented with the goal of investigating trends in the effects of DFD design changes on disassembly and assembly efficiency. >
Understanding the effects of hotspots in wireless cellular networks

In this work, we study and quantify the effects of hotspots in wireless cellular networks. Hotspots are caused when the bandwidth resources available at some location in the network are not enough to sustain the needs of the users, which are then blocked or dropped. A deeper understanding of hotspots can help in conducting more realistic simulations and enable improved network design. We identify some causes for the formation of hotspots and based on them, categorize hotspots into three different types: a) capacity based, b) delay based, and c) preferential mobility based. We show how these types have different effects on network performance. We also consider the effects of hotspots from various perspectives such as the number of hotspots, the placement of hotspots, etc. We also develop a fluid flow model and an analytical model to study hotspots. The fluid flow model is surprisingly simple yet effective in helping us understand hotspots and their properties. We also describe an analytical model in which we consider a cell as an M/M/B/B queue. We use these models to substantiate some of the observations from the simulations.
Genuine or Spurious Institutionalism?Veblen and Ayres Seen from a Neo‐Classical Perspective Raises the Question

. Orthodox critics of Institutional Economics, such as Professor David Seckler, are often confused—abysmally, in my personal opinion—about the basic socioeconomic and philosophical foundations of Institutionalism. In order to demonstrate the interpretive errors of Seckler's orthodox individualistic bias, which I regard as inanities, and his resultant perception of Institutionalist principles, which I think is farcical, an outline discussion of those key principles is presented under seven headings; 1) The Problem of Teleology; 2) Dualistic Philosophy; 3) The Concept of Culture; 4) The Nature of Institutions; 5) The Ceremonial-Instrumental Dichotomy; 6) The Technological-Scientific Process, and 7) The Value Problem.
Adaptive traffic signal control using fuzzy logic

Presents a distributed approach to traffic signal control, where the signal timing parameters are a given intersection are adjusted as functions of the local traffic condition and of the signal timing parameters at adjacent intersections. The signal timing at an intersection is defined by three parameters: cycle time, phase split, and offset. The author uses fuzzy decision rules to adjust these three parameters based only on local information. The amount of change in the timing parameters during each cycle is limited to a small fraction of the current parameters to ensure smooth transition. He shows the effectiveness of this method through simulation of the traffic flow in a network of controlled intersections. >
Timing of sperm penetration, pronuclear formation, pronuclear DNA synthesis, and first cleavage in naturally ovulated mouse eggs

Timing of development of naturally ovulated mouse eggs from sperm penetration to first cleavage, including that of DNA synthesis, was established. In an attempt to limit variability, partial synchronization of ovulation was accomplished by shortening the length of the dark period to five hours, and partial synchronization of sperm entry was attempted by mating the females soon after the ovulated eggs reached the ampulla and by limiting the period at which mating could occur to only 20 minutes. Evidence of sperm penetration (presence of one or more sperm in perivitelline space or inside the vitellus) was found beginning 1.75 hours after the end of the mating period. Pronuclei were formed three to four hours after sperm entry. Pronuclear DNA, synthesis began about eight hours postmating, 3.25 to 4.5 hours after pronuclear formation, or about 6.25 to 8.5 hours after sperm entry; it was completed in almost all zygotes by 16 hours postmating. The first completed cleavage division was found 17 to 18 hours postmating, and almost all eggs had cleaved by 20 hours.
Querying and tasking in sensor networks

With the advancement of hardware technology, it becomes feasible to develop a networked system of pervasive computing platforms that combine programmable general purpose computers with multiple sensing and wireless communication capability. This networked system of programmable sensor nodes, together called a sensor network, poses unique challenges on how information collected by and stored within the sensor network should be queried and accessed, and how concurrent sensing tasks should be programmed from external clients. In this paper, we describe an architecture that facilitates querying and tasking of sensor networks. The key idea to the architecture lies in the development of the Sensor Querying and Tasking Language (SQTL) and the corresponding Sensor Execution Environment (SEE). We model a sensor network as a distributed set of collaborating nodes that carry out querying and tasking activities programmed in SQTL. A frontend node injects a message, that encapsulates an SQTL program, into a sensor node and starts a diffusion computation. A sensor node may diffuse the encapsulated SQTL program to other nodes as dictated by its logic and collaborately perform the specified querying or tasking activity. We will present the SQTL language and demonstrate its applicability using a maximum temperature querying application and a vehicle tracking application.