cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An inward rectifier is present in presynaptic nerve terminals in the chick ciliary ganglion.

Abstract Inwardly rectifying voltage-sensitive channels have been detected in the cell bodies and axons of a number of excitable cells. The question of whether similar channels exist at axon terminals has been a matter of speculation for some time. We now report the first direct evidence for the existence of inward rectifiers in vertebrate presynaptic nerve terminals. Following impalement with intracellular electrodes, the large calyciform nerve terminals innervating chick ciliary ganglion neurons exhibit pronounced inward rectification upon hyperpolarization that increases with increasing current strength. The response is blocked by 2 mM Cs + , but is insensitive to Ba 2+ , tetraethylammonium and tetrodotoxin. The inward rectifier exhibits dependence on both Na + and K + , but is unaffected by altering extracellular Ca 2+ . Ciliary neurons innervated by these nerve terminals display inward rectification with similar properties. We conclude that the inward rectifier present in these presynaptic nerve terminals resembles the H-current previously described in sensory ganglion neurons and the Q-current found in hippocampal pyramidal neurons. The presence of channels that are activated by hyperpolarization may serve to enhance the excitability of the calyciform nerve terminals, which are capable of relatively high frequencies (> 100 Hz) of discharge.
Compatibility Relationships in the U-Fe-O(-H) System at 400°C: The Implications of the Ferric-Ferrous Buffer for the Immobilization of Uranium and Transuranic Elements

The current strategy for the immobilization of nuclear wastes is based upon a system of multiply redundant barriers for which geological containment is the final barrier to the migration of radionuclides in the biosphere. The ability of the repository host rock to buffer the oxygen fugacity of the pore waters is a critical concern for the evaluation of the far-field migration of selected elements; notably Tc, U and TRU elements. The buffer capacity of all proposed host rocks, with the exception of salt, is based upon the presence of both ferric and ferrous iron in the host rock phases. The system U-Fe-O(-H) was selected for study because of its significance on the role of Fe in controlling the oxidation state of the U. It has been established that the Fe/sup 2 +//Fe/sup 3 +/ couple is the controlling factor in limiting the uranium oxidation to the U/sup 4 +/ state. The results from this experimental study at 400/sup 0/C (the maximum worse case temperature for a repository) verified the existence of the compatibility triangles between hematite and UO/sub 2/ /sub 00/ and magnetite and between U/sub 4/O/sub 9/ and UO/sub 2/ /sub 00/ and hematite. These data indicate that inmore » the presence both ferric and ferrous ions, the form of the uranium dioxide is retained as stoichiometric UO/sub 2/ /sub 00/ and not as an intermediate member of the UO/sub 2+x/ solid solution series or other higher oxide.« less
Tracheal suctioning in children with chronic tracheostomies: a pilot study applying suction both while inserting and removing the catheter.

This pilot study compared two methods of tracheal suctioning in the same 18 children with chronic tracheostomies. Use of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) recommendations resulted in a significant increase in secretions obtained ( t = −3.96; p = .001) when compared with traditional practice. The ATS-recommended method was also more efficient in children with secretions. When used first, no additional secretions were obtained after 90 minutes using the traditional method. Additional secretions were obtained with the ATS-recommended method when the traditional method was used first. Heart rate and oxygen saturation immediately and 1 minute after suctioning were not significantly different between methods.
Assessment of surfactant use in preterm infants as a marker of neonatal intensive care unit quality

Proposed neonatal quality measures have included structural measures such as average daily census, and outcome measures such as mortality and rates of complications of prematurity. However, process measures have remained largely unexamined. The objective of this research was to examine variation in surfactant use as a possible process measure of neonatal quality. We obtained data on infants 30 to 34 weeks gestation admitted with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) within 48 hours of birth to 16 hospitals participating in the Pediatric Health Information Systems database from 2001-2006. Models were developed to describe hospital variation in surfactant use and identify patient and hospital predictors of use. Another cohort of all infants admitted within 24 hours of birth was used to obtain adjusted neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) mortality rates. To assess the construct validity of surfactant use as a quality metric, adjusted hospital rates of mortality and surfactant use were compared using Kendall's tau. Of 3,633 infants, 46% received surfactant. For individual hospitals, the adjusted odds of surfactant use varied from 2.2 times greater to 5.9 times less than the hospital with the median adjusted odds of surfactant use. Increased annual admissions of extremely low birth weight infants to the NICU were associated with greater surfactant use (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.02-3.19). The correlation between adjusted hospital rates of surfactant use and in-hospital mortality was 0.37 (Kendall's tau p = 0.051). Though results were encouraging, efforts to examine surfactant use in infants with RDS as a process measure reflecting quality of care revealed significant challenges. Difficulties related to adequate measurement including defining RDS using administrative data, accounting for care received prior to transfer, and adjusting for severity of illness will need to be addressed to improve the utility of this measure.
The eccentric pole face

PREDICTING commutation is not an exact science, and no one factor will tell the designer whether or not the design will commutate satisfactorily. Many factors, such as reactance voltage, commutating pole dimensions, neutral or clearance zones, magnetic densities, and volts per bar must be considered simultaneously, and, in the end, experience and judgment must be exercised in interpreting the design calculations.
Human Resource Management, Job Satisfaction, Morale, Optimism, and Turnover

This article examines the usage of nine human resource management (HRM) practices among 46 hotels in San Diego. Results showed that the hotels in the sample use training and development to bring employees up to an acceptable level of performance, and then rely on allowing employee a voice to keep them engaged. Usage of HRM varied by hotel types (e.g., resorts vs. economy), and the practices had a statistically significant relationship with job satisfaction, morale, and optimism about the future of the hotel. These attitudes, in turn, were significantly related to turnover intentions. Implications of the results are discussed.
“Continental crossings”: European influences on British public opinion and Irish politics, 1848–2002

Histories of Britain and Ireland are still often written as if cultural and political influences were limited by national or insular boundaries. This article offers a broader perspective by tracing the impact of events, parallels and ideas from continental Europe on British opinion and policy towards Ireland since 1848. It demonstrates that these European influences have often been more threaded and complex than is commonly assumed, and that to review transnational connections can be to illustrate neglected possibilities and to liberate repressed historical potential. Indeed, the role of European referents in political discourse towards the contemporary Northern Ireland conflict retains considerable ambiguity and room for political manoeuvre.
Empiric switch from calcineurin inhibitor to sirolimus-based immunosuppression in pediatric heart transplantation recipients

Sirolimus is used in heart transplant patients with CAV and CNI-induced nephropathy. However, little is known regarding the tolerability, rejection rate, and effect on renal function when used empirically in children. We describe our experience with the empiric use of a sirolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen in pediatric heart transplantation recipients. We reviewed records of patients in whom conversion was attempted to a CNI-free sirolimus-based regimen. Rejection episodes and measures of renal function were recorded. We attempted to convert 20 patients, of which 16 were successful. In total, six of 20 patients (30%) experienced adverse effects. Of the 16 converted, four patients converted to sirolimus due to CNI-induced disease (three nephropathy, one CAV), while 12 patients (mean age 5.5 yr, range 0.1-21 yr; 33% female; 33% with a history of congenital heart disease) were empirically switched to sirolimus at a mean of 2.3 yr after transplant. Follow-up was available for a mean of 2.5 yr after conversion (range 0.5-8.3 yr). The rate of rejection while taking CNIs was 0.18 rejection episodes per patient-year (total of five episodes), compared with 0.03 rejection episodes per patient-year (total of one episode) while on sirolimus. Renal function, in terms of GFR, significantly improved after sirolimus conversion at latest follow-up (from 86 ± 37 mL/min to 130 ± 49 mL/min, p = 0.02). Here, we demonstrate the potential benefit of empiric use of sirolimus in pediatric heart transplant patients in a CNI-free regimen. Larger and longer studies are needed to further clarify risks of rejection and adverse effect profiles.
The degree of competition in the advertising industry

After a merger wave began among advertising agencies in the late 1960's, the Federal Trade Commission investigated the anticompetitive effects of the mergers and concluded that the industry would remain competitive. In this paper, we employ a method suggested by Bresnahan to investigate the issue of competition in the advertising industry. The method uses industry-level data over the period 1972–87 to consider the determinants of supply and demand for advertising messages and to calculate the degree of market power on the supply side of the market. Statistical results support the hypothesis that the industry was competitive over this period.
From media reporting to international relations: a case study of asia-pacific economic cooperation (apec)

Network analysis has brought new perspectives in studying emergent structure in international relations. Prior work on networks of international relations has mostly relied on data derived from formal alliances and trade flows, which can hardly capture the rapidly evolving international relations due to globalization and recent advances in information technology. In this work, we propose a novel research design that aims at capturing ``real-time'' international relations through news reporting. We collect worldwide news on a daily basis, and characterize the relationship between any two countries through analyzing the similarity of their news content. Our empirical results based on news about the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) CEO Summit in 2013 revealed interesting and meaningful international relations among member countries.
Removing yourself from hazards during equipment operation

Distance from arc flash hazards is accomplished by using various remote switching techniques. This works well on certain types of medium voltage starters, load interrupter switches, oil circuit breakers, oil switches, etc.
Attributes and drawbacks of submicron CMOS for IR FPA readouts

The availability of submicron CMOS has enabled the development of shingle-chip IR cameras having performance capabilities and on-chip functions which were previously impossible. Sensor designers are, however, encoutering and overcoming several challanges including steadily decreasing operating voltage.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dorsal raphe stimulation modulates nociceptive responses in thalamic parafascicular neurons via an ascending pathway: further studies on ascending pain modulation pathways.

Abstract A study on the nociceptive responses of single cells within the nucleus parafascicularis (PF) thalami of the rat was undertaken to clarify the reported observations of a pain suppression pathway to this nucleus from the dorsal raphe (DR) nucleus. Two types of nociceptive neuron were identified in the PF which were classified as ‘nociceptive-on’ and ‘nociceptive-off’ neurons, respectively. DR stimulation exhibits a simple monophasic ‘dose-dependent’ relationship between the degree of the inhibition elicited and the stimulation intensity used on the ‘nociceptive-off’ cells. In contrast, biphasic effects following DR stimulation on the ‘nociceptive-on’ cells was obtained, with low intensities eliciting suppression while high intensities excited the cells. These effects of low intensity DR stimulation upon the responses of the ‘nociceptive-on’ cells were diminished but not prevented by transection of the well-known bulbospinal inhibitory fibers descending in the dorsal half of the spinal cord, while the effects of DR stimulation upon the ‘nociceptive-off’ cells remain unchanged following spinal transection. Thus, our results show that DR stimulation modulates the nociceptive responsiveness of the PF by way of supraspinal pathways in addition to the previously described descending paths.
Efficacy of the ANAM General Neuropsychological Screening battery (ANAM GNS) for Detecting Neurocognitive Impairment in a Mixed Clinical Sample

The Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) is a computerized neuropsychological assessment battery that has demonstrated utility in a variety of clinical populations including multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Parkinson's disease, acquired brain injury, migraine headaches, and Alzheimer's disease. This study utilized selected tests from the ANAM General Neuropsychological Screening Battery (ANAM GNS), a newly defined subset of tests from the broader ANAM library designed for general clinical assessment of cognition. ANAM GNS is an expansion of the ANAM Core battery which has been utilized in a military setting. The efficacy of the ANAM GNS was explored in a mixed clinical sample relative to well-established, traditional neuropsychological measure, the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). It was hypothesized that scores from the ANAM GNS would accurately predict participants as either impaired (n = 30) or normal (n = 113). Participants were grouped a priori based on RBANS Total Index scores with impairment defined as scores ≤ 15th percentile. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the classification accuracy of the ANAM GNS. The predictor variables were the Throughput scores from seven selected ANAM GNS subtests. The full model significantly predicted impairment status, sensitivity was 81% and specificity was 89.1%. Overall classification rate was 87.9% and the Odds Ratio for the overall model was 34.65. Positive predictive value was 56.7% and negative predictive value was 96.4%. This study represents the first clinical data on the ANAM GNS, and documents that it has good concurrent and predictive validity with a well-established neuropsychological measure.
A recursive algorithm for binary multiplication and its implementation

A new recursive algorithm for deriving the layout of parallel multipliers is presented. Based on this algorithm, a network for performing multiplications of two's complement numbers is proposed. The network can be implemented in a synchronous or an asynchronous way. If the factors to be multiplied have N bits, the area complexity of the network is O(N2) for practical values of N as in the case of cellular multipliers. Due to the design approach based on a recursive algorithm, a time complexity O(log N) is achieved.It is shown how the structure can he pipelined with period complexity O(1) and used for single and double precision multiplication.
Environmental control of clonal growth in Carex nigra: What can be masked under the name Carex nigra subsp. juncella in the Czech Republic?

Abstract Carex nigra plants forming elevated dense tussocks are often named C. nigra subsp. juncella, as opposed to rhizomatous C. nigra subsp. nigra. It is uncertain, however, whether the cespitose growth form is a hereditary trait useful for definition of the distinct taxon or a site modification of little taxonomic value. We used vegetation analyses (phytosociological releves) to reveal main patterns in ecological demands of the cespitose C. nigra plants in the Czech Republic, and three cultivation experiments to assess changes in clonal growth of C. nigra under various environmental conditions. In the field the cespitose C. nigra plants were typically found in abandoned wet meadows near open water, whereas the rhizomatous morphotypes frequently occurred also in regularly mown wet meadows and in peat bogs. The cespitose growth form disappeared in the cultivations, and the rhizome system responded plastically to immediate environmental stimuli. Number of rhizome branches and mean rhizome length decreased after defoliation of aboveground parts and denudation of belowground parts, whereas increased due to inundation. In the population from a cold site in high altitude (Modrava, Sumava Mts.), however, the originally cespitose plants repeatedly produced shorter and less numerous rhizome branches than the rhizomatous plants cultivated in the same conditions. This suggests ecotypic (genetic) differentiation in some populations of C. nigra, driven by environmental selection for more compact growth form in climatically severe sites. The cespitose C. nigra plants thus arise polytopically, by different mechanisms. The growth form itself therefore cannot serve as the character reliably delimiting C. nigra subsp. juncella as the distinct taxon.
The monster outside and within: medieval literary reflections on ethical epistemology. From Beowulf to Marie de France, the Nibelungenlied, and Thüring von Ringoltingen’s Melusine

While previous research has often reflected on the phenomenon of monsters in medieval literature, identifying them as existential threats, reflections of imagination, or as symbols of the monstrous and evil in an apotropaic sence, here I suggest to refine our investigations of monsters in light of their epistemological function. Examining literary examples from the early to the late Middle Ages (Beowulf to Melusine), we can recognize how much monsters indeed serve consistently for the development of the individual protagonists, for coping with otherness at large, which commonly rests within the heroes and heroines as part of their characters. External challenges thus prove to be reflections of internal problems and issues, and the struggle against the monsters constitutes a struggle against or with the self.
Impacts of 4DVAR Assimilation of Airborne Doppler Radar Observations on Numerical Simulations of the Genesis of Typhoon Nuri (2008)

AbstractThe Weather Research and Forecasting Model and its four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) system are employed to examine the impact of airborne Doppler radar observations on predicting the genesis of Typhoon Nuri (2008). Electra Doppler Radar (ELDORA) airborne radar data, collected during the Office of Naval Research–sponsored Tropical Cyclone Structure 2008 field experiment, are used for data assimilation experiments. Two assimilation methods are evaluated and compared, namely, the direct assimilation of radar-measured radial velocity and the assimilation of three-dimensional wind analysis derived from the radar radial velocity. Results show that direct assimilation of radar radial velocity leads to better intensity forecasts, as this process enhances the development of convective systems and improves the inner-core structure of Nuri, whereas assimilation of the radar-retrieved wind analysis is more beneficial for tracking forecasts, as it results in improved environmental flows. ...
Embryotoxicity of 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachloroazobenzene and 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachioroazoxybenzene in the chick embryo

The toxicity of 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachloroazobenzene (TCAB) and 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachloroazoxybenzene (TCAOB) to chick embryos was examined. TCAB or TCAOB was dissolved in corn oil and injected into the air cell of fertile chicken eggs. The time of injection had a major effect on embryo mortality as eggs injected with TCAB or TCAOB on the fourth day of incubation had a higher incidence of embryo mortality than eggs injected on days 11–13. Both TCAB and TCAOB were more toxic than all other chemicals that have been tested in the chick embryo with the exception of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Comparing the potency of the two compounds, TCAOB was more potent than TCAB in the chick embryo with an estimated LD50 of 12 ng and 44 ng respectively. Rump edema was the major abnormality observed in embryos treated with either TCAB or TCAOB. Other malformations included altered feather pattern and lack of down, hemorrhage, external viscera, reduced body size, failure to withdraw the yolk sac, beak malformation, dilation of blood vessels, and monomicropthalmia. The results of this investigation suggest that both TCAB and TCAOB are teratogenic in the chick embryo.
The reliability of approximate testability measures

Techniques for gauging the accuracy of approximate testability measures that estimate the random-pattern testability of gate-level faults in designs with combinational logic are considered. The measures examined are overall fault-exposure distribution, high coverage, and fault grading. Sampling techniques are compared with the Stafan and Protest approximate testability measures. For random-pattern testing, it is clear that state-of-the-art testability measures like Stafan and Protest do provide some information about the testability of single faults or complete designs, but this information is not accurate; in many areas of use they cannot compete with carefully chosen sampling techniques. The three techniques described here are applicable to testing strategies other than the random-pattern testing of stuck-at faults; they are equally useful in a weighted random-pattern testing environment, for example. >
Uranium in Volcanic Rocks: Progress: ABSTRACT

Calc-alkaline rocks of crustal(?) derivation analyzed 0 to 5 ppm uranium in magmatic phases, but hundreds of ppm in epigenetic end-products. Alkaline rocks of mantle(?) derivation analyzed 0 to 22 ppm in magmatic phases, 30 to 45 ppm in deuterically modified phases and hundreds of ppm in final epigenetic modifications. Incompatibility with rock-forming silicates relegates large ions including uranium to residual gas or fluid. Mantle volatiles released during magma generation or crystallization mineralize rocks according to relative chemical reactivity. In rocks with 60 ppm U show inclusions variably containing Th, REE, U, Ti, V, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ba, and Mn. Halogens, S, and P underscore the volatile role. Inclusion-laden asphaltite is common. Lattice inclusions may represent vapor trapped during crystallization. Those in cleavages, amygdules, or fractures appear epigenetic. Those lacking Th probably are of rel tively low temperature. Surface tension would inhibit liquid entry into tight textures and lattices, so volatile transport and ionic lattice diffusion are inferred. Inclusions account for most Th-U distribution patterns suggesting dominant epigenetic enrichment of volcanics by residual volatiles. End_of_Article - Last_Page 760------------
An essential ingredient: Irony

An assumption that incoming freshman students would catch an ironic tone nearly sabotages a teacher's best intentions.
Academic Success Strategy Use Among Community-Active Urban Hispanic Adolescents

Although much has been written about the “risky” behaviors in which some Hispanic adolescents participate, the predictors of academic success are less understood. Toward this end, predictors of aca...
Theory versus practice in data science

In this talk I will discuss examples of how Amazon serves customers and improves efficiency using learning algorithms applied to large-scale datasets. I'll then discuss the Amazon approach to projects in data science, which is based on applying tenets that are beneficial to follow outside the company as well as inside it. Last but not least, I will discuss which learning algorithms tend to be most successful in practice, and I will explain some unsolved issues that arise repeatedly across applications and should be the topic of more research in the academic community. Note: All information in the talk will be already publicly available, and any opinions expressed will be strictly personal.
Distributed data compression/decompression technique for images via conformal mapping

This works deals with a new technique for large remote- sensing data compression. Contour mapping of two dimensional objects is of fundamental importance in remote sensing and computer vision applications. We present extensive algorithms applied to polygonized, simply- connected contours and reproduce desired shapes using an innovative data compression technique based on conformal mapping. In a previous work, through a conformal mapping process, we demonstrated the ability to 1) recognize shapes, and 2) concisely represent shape boundaries using a set of polynomial coefficients derived in the mapping process. In this work we illustrate how these previous results can be applied to data compression. In particular, in the approach outlined herein, a syntactic representation is formed for polygon shapes whose representation we desire to extract and reproduce compactly. Additionally, we present a problem of concavity in shape boundaries and a proposed solution in which polygons are divided into convex subsets and reconstructed accordingly. Each convex subset is then being processed in parallel, which lends to the extension of computational platform to parallel/distributed environment to improve the processing time. We show the potential of the proposed generalized technique in its ability to handle both polygonal, non-polygonal and mixed polygonal/non- polygonal object shapes.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Physicochemical Properties and Microbial Stability of Reduced-Fat Chinese-Style Sausage Stored under Modified Atmosphere Systems

: Physicochemical properties and microbial stability of reduced-fat Chinese-style sausages packaged with various modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems were evaluated. With the exception of VAC (vacuum) treatment, the TBARS (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances) values increased with increasing storage time. Treatments of C100 (100% CO2), C80 (80% CO2/20% N2), and C20 (20% CO2/80% N2) were higher in TBARS values than VAC and N2 (100% N2) after 2 wk of storage. The numbers of total plate counts, psychrotrophs, total anaerobes, or lactic acid bacteria increased slightly, though statistically insignificant, during storage, while N2 was numerically the lowest and VAC was intermediate. Vacuum packaging was more effective than other MAP in maintaining lipid and microbial stability of reduced-fat Chinese-style sausage. Keywords: reduced-fat, Chinese-style sausage, MAP, storage stability, vacuum packaging
Close-range vocal signals elicit a stress response in male green treefrogs: resolution of an androgen-based conflict

Male courtship signals often stimulate the production of sex steroids in both female and male receivers. Such effects benefit signallers by increasing receptivity in females, but impose costs on signallers by promoting sexual behaviour and aggression in male competitors. To resolve this androgen-based conflict, males should use strategies that suppress sex steroid production in rival males. In green treefrogs, Hyla cinerea, chorus sounds (i.e. advertisement calls from aggregates of males) are known to stimulate androgen production in receiver males. Here, I examined whether males of this species counter these effects by eliciting an endocrine stress response in male conspecifics during close-range vocal interactions. I show that corticosterone (CORT) levels were higher in males that lost vocal contests in natural choruses compared to contest winners and nonaggressive males. Testosterone levels were also lower in contest losers compared to nonaggressive males, but not contest winners; dihydrotesterone levels did not differ among the three groups. Aggressive and advertisement calls were then broadcast to males in an experiment that simulated close-range vocal communication. Aggressive calls rapidly (45 min) elicited an increase in CORT and a reduction in androgens in receivers. Advertisement calls did not elicit an increase in CORT, but CORT levels were sustained relative to controls exposed to silence and were accompanied by a reduction in androgens in small males. Endocrine responses to acoustic signals in this species thus vary depending upon context, call type and size of signal receivers. Signallers benefit from eliciting CORT production in competitors because elevated CORT suppresses vocalization.
Predictors of Insulin Requirements Among Hospitalized Adults Receiving Parenteral Nutrition

Objective: The objective of this quality improvement project was to determine factors predictive of parenteral nutrition (PN) insulin therapy. Methods: Patients receiving PN at a tertiary care academic medical center between January 1, 2009, and December 1, 2012, 18 years or older were included. Variables collected included demographics, medical information, and PN-specific data. χ2 and Student t tests were used to determine differences between patients who did and did not require PN insulin. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to determine associations between characteristics. Stepwise forward logistic regression was used determine the best predictors of PN insulin. Results: A total of 1388 patients were started on PN. After adjusting for potential confounders, strong associations existed between PN insulin requirements and diabetes mellitus (DM) diagnosis (OR, 8.90; 95% CI, 4.98–15.90, P < .001), overweight/obese status (body mass index ≥25.0 kg/m2) (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.04–4....
Evaluating teaching methods of cataract surgery: Validation of an evaluation tool for assessing surgical technique of capsulorhexis

Purpose To develop and assess the validity of an evaluation tool to quantitatively assess the capsulorhexis portion of cataract surgery performed by residents. Setting University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA. Design Masked prospective case series. Methods Ophthalmology faculty members at UCLA were surveyed and literature was reviewed to develop a grading tool comprising 12 questions to evaluate surgical technique, including 4 from the Global Rating Assessment of Skills in Intraocular Surgery and 2 from the International Council of Ophthalmology's Ophthalmology Surgical Competency Assessment Rubric. Video clips of continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) performed by 2 postgraduate year (PGY) 3 residents, 2 PGY 4 residents, and 2 advanced surgeons were independently graded in a masked fashion by a 7-member faculty panel. Results Four questions had low interobserver variability and a significant correlation with surgical skill level (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.75; P Conclusions Surgical performance can be validly measured using an evaluation tool. However, not all evaluation questions produced reliable results. The reliability and accuracy of the measurements appear to depend on the form and content of the question. Studies to optimize assessment tools identifying the best questions for evaluating each step of cataract surgery may help ophthalmic educators more precisely measure outcomes for improving teaching interventions. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Über die Si‐N‐Bindung, XXIV. Die Umsetsung von Aminosäuren mit Trimethylchlorsilan, II Darstellung un Eigenschaften der Aminosäuresilylester‐hydrochloride

Bei der Umsetzung von freien Aminosauren bzw. Aminosaure-hydrochloriden mit Trimethyl-chlorsilan oder von N-Trimethylsilyl-aminosaure-trimethylsilylestern mit der berechneten Menge HCI in Ather entstehen in guten Ausbeuten Aminosaure-trimethylsilylester-hydro-chloride. Aus diesen Verbindungen bilden sich bei der Hydrolyse oder Alkoholyse Amino-saure-hydrochloride und Hexamethyldisiloxan bzw. Trimethylalkoxysilan, bei der Umsetung mit Triathylamin unter HCI-Abspaltung Aminosaure-trimethylsilylester und bei Zugabe von Trimethylchlorsilan und Triathylamin N-Trimethylsilyl-aminosaure-trimethylsilyester. –Werden Suspensionen von Aminosauren in Trimethylchlorsilan mit der berechneten Menge Triathylamin versetzt, so lassen sich direkt die entsprechenden N-Trimethylsilyl-aminosaure-trimethylsilylester gewinnen.
Spin injection from ferromagnetic Co nanoclusters into organic semiconducting polymers

We report a spin-polarized hole injection into organic semiconductor poly[2-methoxy-5-(${2}^{\ensuremath{'}}$-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene (MEHPPV) layer from cobalt (Co) nanoscale clusters based on electroluminescence (EL) studies at liquid nitrogen temperature. The magnetic field effect on EL intensity indicates that the spin injection essentially increases the singlet-to-triplet exciton ratio in organic semiconductors. The Co size-dependent EL shows that the spin-injection efficiency decreases rapidly when the Co clusters percolate to a continuous film. The thickness-dependent EL enhancement of magnetic field suggests that the diffusion length of spin-polarized holes is about $60\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$ in the MEHPPV.
Host‐marking by female pepper weevils, Anthonomus eugenii

Pepper weevils, Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), feed and oviposit in flower buds and small fruits of plants in the genus Capsicum, as well as several species of Solanum (Solanaceae). Females chew a small hole into the fruit, deposit a single egg within the cavity, and seal the hole with a clear anal secretion that hardens into an 'oviposition plug'. Female oviposition behavior was studied in a series of small-arena bioassays to determine whether previous oviposition in Jalapeno pepper fruit deterred subsequent oviposition and to determine what specific cues from an infested fruit influence female behavior. In choice and no-choice tests, females preferred clean fruit to fruit that had received four eggs 24 h previously (i.e., infested fruit), whether the fruit was infested with conspecific eggs or their own eggs. Further bioassays demonstrated that the presence of female frass, or oviposition plugs alone, in the absence of eggs or any fruit damage, was sufficient to deter oviposition. In addition, females given the choice between an infested fruit with the oviposition plug removed or an unaltered infested fruit preferred the fruit with no plugs, even when eggs, frass, and feeding damage were still present. To determine whether females would avoid infested peppers under more natural conditions, we quantified oviposition on infested and uninfested sentinel pepper fruit within individually caged plants and on clean and infested plants caged together. Females consistently laid more eggs on clean fruit than on infested fruits and moved within and among pepper plants to search for more acceptable oviposition sites. We conclude that oviposition plugs, along with contaminated female, but not male, frass contain a deterrent that, in the absence of any other cue, is enough to alert a female that a patch is occupied.
The principles and Practice of GaS-Solid Chromatography With Salt-Modified Adsorbents

(1972). The principles and Practice of GaS-Solid Chromatography With Salt-Modified Adsorbents. Separation and Purification Methods: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 409-475.
Analysing Language Development from a Network Approach

Abstract Children acquire their language in different ways. In this paper we propose some new measures from a network approach in quantifying these individual differences. Children's and care-takers' speech data are represented as a series of networks, word forms being taken as nodes and collocation of words as links. First, we compare two independent indices on network growth, including the size and the connectivity. Children with a small vocabulary (i.e. a small network size) may have more flexibility in word combination (i.e. a large connectivity), and vice versa. Second, we examine the changes of hub and authority nodes in the networks. The change in the roles of the two articles “the” and “a” reflects the progress of syntactic development. While they constantly appear as authorities in adults' networks, the two articles often start in children's networks as hubs and shift to authorities later. Children shift by different routes and at different rates.
Community attitudes and knowledge about advance care directives.

Abstrtu:t: .Bacllgrormd: Patients and their physicians are increasingly being encouraged to diKuss end-of-life decisions. The purpose of this study was to enhance unders1anding of the public's attitudes and knowledge about medical decision making and advance care directives. Methods: Eight focus groups of community members discussed their unders1anding of and attitudes about advance care directives. Transcripts of these discussions were anaIJzed using coding categories created o 5:565-72.)
Acute Terminal Ileitis Associated with Pneumococcal Bacteremia: Case Report and Review of Pneumococcal Gastrointestinal Diseases

In this report, we describe a patient with acute terminal ileitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, review 3 previously reported cases of isolated enteritis due to S. pneumoniae, and summarize the English-language literature on primary and secondary pneumococcal gastrointestinal diseases. Various theories have been advanced to explain the pathogenesis of this rare and potentially life-threatening form of pneumococcal infection, but the mechanism by which S. pneumoniae causes gastrointestinal disease is still unknown.
A network theoretic analysis of evolutionary algorithms

Network theoretic analyses have been shown to be extremely useful in multiple fields and applications. We propose this approach to study the dynamic behavior of evolutionary algorithms, the first such analysis to the best of our knowledge. Evolving populations are represented as dynamic networks, and we show that changes in population characteristics can be recognized at the level of the networks representing successive generations, with implications for possible improvements in the evolutionary algorithm, e.g., in deciding when a population is prematurely converging, and when a reinitialization of the population may be beneficial to reduce computational effort. In this paper, we show that network-theoretic analyses of evolutionary algorithms help in: (i) studying community-level behaviors, and (ii) using graph properties and metrics to analyze evolutionary algorithms.
The mechanical properties of films and their relation to paint chipping

A correlation has been made between dynamic mechanical properties and impact resistance of a multicoat paint system. It has been determined that the shear or rigidity modulus and damping of free primer films are some of the parameters that control the impact characteristics of the system. Those films of low modulus and high damping show the best chip resistance. A series of physical and chemical modifications were made on the primer and chipping results were compared with dynamic mechanical properties of free paint films. It was found that increasing cure temperature, addition of catalysts, decreasing the oil length of the resin, increasing the amount of pigmentation and increasing the tension and strain rate all led to increased paint chipping and increases in the modulus of rigidity. Two new primers were synthesized which incorporated the above results and were found to give increased gravel impact resistance.
On the construction of blending elements for local partition of unity enriched finite elements

For computational efficiency, partition of unity enrichments are preferably localized to the sub-domains where they are needed. It is shown that an appropriate construction of the elements in the blending area, the regionwhere the enriched elements blend to unenriched elements, is often crucial for good performance of local partition of unity enrichments. An enhanced strain formulation is developed which leads to good performance; the optimal rate of convergence is achieved. For polynomial enrichments, it is shown that a proper choice of the finite element shape functions and partition of unity shape functions also improves the accuracy and convergence. The methods are illustrated by several examples. The examples deal primarily with the signed distance function enrichment for treating discontinuous derivatives inside an element, but other enrichments are also considered. Results show that both methods provide optimal rates of convergence.
Rethinking the emplacement and evolution of zoned plutons: Geochronologic evidence for incremental assembly of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite, California

New U-Pb geochronologic data indicate that the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite, California, was assembled over a period of at least 10 m.y. between 95 and 85 Ma, and that the Half Dome Granodiorite intruded over a period approaching 4 m.y. Simple thermal considerations preclude the possibility that a magma chamber the size of the Half Dome pluton could have existed as a liquid at shallow crustal depths for that long. Rather, field evidence for sheeting along the margins of the suite, the range of ages, and the regular decrease of ages toward the center of the suite and within individual plutons suggest incremental assembly. Geochronologic evidence for incremental assembly is consistent with the failure of geophysical methods to detect large magma chambers with more than ∼20% melt, even in active volcanic areas. Because it is unlikely that the individual plutons composing the Tuolumne ever coexisted as liquid-rich magmas, the chemical evolution of the suite cannot be the result of simple fractionation and/or mixing between exposed units, but instead must reflect processes occurring during magma generation.
High-resolution 1H NMR imaging of regional ischemia in the isolated perfused rabbit heart at 4.7 T.

High-resolution 1H NMR images of the isolated perfused rabbit heart were recorded before and after the induction of regional ischemia while the heart was arrested. On T2-weighted images the ischemic region appeared darker than the surrounding tissue and a 28% reduction in T2 was measured from the images. Infusion of an NMR contrast agent demonstrated that the hypointense region on the T2-weighted image was from the ischemic region, which was further confirmed by histological analysis of the heart. It is proposed that the decreased T2 in the ischemic region may be a consequence of changes in water compartmentalization. It is possible that these changes may be used to follow the evolution of tissue injury during ischemia, and therefore provide information regarding the transition between reversible to irreversible injury in the isolated perfused heart. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
Structural study of supercooled liquid silicon

For many years, theoretical studies using model and ab initio potentials have predicated the existence of a liquid/liquid phase transition in silicon, based on a continuous change of the liquid A5 structure to A4. In contrast, we report here a quantitative analysis of data from high-energy X-ray diffraction measurements of containerlessly-processed supercooled liquid silicon that demonstrates that the fractions of regions with A5 and A4 order instead remain essentially constant with supercooling, but that the coherence length of the A5 order increases.
Actor based parallel VHDL simulation using time warp

One of the methods used to reduce the time spent simulating VHDL designs is by parallelizing the simulation. In this paper, we describe the implementation of an object-oriented Time Warp simulator for VHDL on an actor based environment. The actor model of computation allows the exploitation of fine grained parallelism in a truly asynchronous manner and allows for the overlap of computation with communication. Some preliminary results obtained by simulating a set of multipliers and some ISCAS benchmark circuits are provided. In addition, the importance of placing processes based on circuit partitioning techniques for improving runtimes and scalability is demonstrated. Results are reported on a Sun SPARCServer 1000 and an Intel Paragon.
β2-Integrin Blockade Driven by E-Selectin Promoter Prevents Neutrophil Sequestration and Lung Injury in Mice

Interaction of CD11/CD18 beta(2) integrins on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) with their counterreceptor, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, on the surface of vascular endothelial cells is a critical event mediating stable PMN adhesion and migration across the pulmonary vascular endothelial barrier. Neutrophil inhibitory factor (NIF), a 41-kDa glycoprotein isolated from the canine hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum), binds to the I domain of CD11a and CD11b and inhibits beta(2) integrin-dependent PMN adhesion. We describe a novel strategy using the endothelial cell-specific E-selectin promoter to induce NIF expression in an inflammation-specific manner in pulmonary vascular endothelial cells. A construct containing NIF cDNA driven by the inducible endothelial cell-specific E-selectin promoter (pESNIF) was transfected into human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs). Lipopolysaccharide challenge (known to activate E-selectin) resulted in NIF mRNA and protein expression in transfected HPAECs. NIF expression induced by the E-selectin promoter prevented PMN adhesion to the activated HPAECs, whereas PMNs adhered avidly to activated HPAECs in the absence of NIF expression. To address the utility of this approach in conditionally preventing in vivo PMN sequestration, we injected mice intravenously with cationic liposomes containing the pESNIF construct. Analysis of lung tissue showed that intraperitoneal challenge of Escherichia coli resulted in NIF expression. Inflammation-specific NIF expression induced by the E-selectin promoter prevented lung PMN sequestration and vascular injury induced by E coli challenge. These studies suggest the feasibility of conditionally blocking beta(2) integrin function at sites where the endothelium is activated and thereby of locally preventing PMN activation and migration responses that lead to tissue inflammation.
An Adaptable Oscillator-Based Controller for Autonomous Robots

This paper proposes a unique oscillator-based robot controller with learning abilities to effectively guide a team of robots operating in uncertain environments. To verify this, we designed four separate controllers and compared their performance in a series of tests in several different environments. The experiments used a team of three robots to explore arenas with variable lighting and different obstacle patterns, with a goal of having the team as a whole absorb as much light as possible. The four controllers were: a reactive controller, an oscillator with fixed parameters, an oscillator whose parameters changed based on the pattern of sensor information received, and an oscillator-based controller that used reinforcement learning. Experiments confirmed that the proposed method outperforms the others in all environments tested.