cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamics and statics of the ferroelectric phase transition in PbHPO4

The Raman spectrum of PbHPO4 has been studied as a function of temperature between 10 and 320K (Tc approximately=310K). A soft-mode is observed whose frequency has a temperature dependence that is close to, but not the same as, the spontaneous polarisation which follows the proton ordering. Several of the Raman lines lose intensity continually with increasing temperature and are still discernible at 320K. A direct comparison with the structural data shows that the temperature-dependent behaviour of these Raman line intensities (and the soft mode frequency) is derived from the heavy-atom displacements, and is only indirectly related to the hydrogen ordering. The Raman data confirm the identical crystal symmetries now found above and below TC, and support the conclusion that the transition involves simply an ordering of the protons, probably accompanied by some anomaly in the phosphate ion motions.
When text difficulty benefits less-skilled readers

The mnemonic effects of increased text difficulty were examined for skilled and less skilled college readers for fairy tales and expository texts. One difficulty manipulation was designed to encourage relational processing of the ideas in the text and the other was designed to encourage more controlled processing of individual text elements (words). Replicating past studies, skilled readers, as indexed either by Nelson-Denny tests or Gernsbacher (1990) structure-building tests, showed no disruption in recall by either difficulty manipulation; indeed their recall was enhanced for certain combinations of difficulty manipulation and text type. Less skilled Nelson-Denny readers but not less skilled structure builders showed consistent declines in recall after they performed the difficult task that challenged word processing. In contrast, the difficult task that promoted encoding of relational information improved recall for both types of less skilled readers. This complex pattern is inconsistent with two straightforward views of how difficulty might affect text memory for less able readers. The results instead suggest that selective deficiency and processing enhancement are both important in text difficulty effects.
Similarity criteria for the application of fluid models to the study of air pollution meteorology

Similarity criteria for modeling atmospheric flows in air and water are reviewed. It is shown that five nondimensional parameters plus a set of nondimensional boundary conditions must be matched in model and prototype. The neglect of the Rossby number can lead to serious errors in modeling of diffusion in a prototype with a length scale greater than about five kilometers. The Reynolds number, the Peclet number and the Reynolds-Schmidt product criteria may be neglected if the model flow is of sufficiently high Reynolds number. The Froude number criterion appears to be the most important. The complete specification of boundary conditions is found to be nebulous, but is discussed in some detail. Over-roughening of the model surface may be necessary to satisfy a roughness Reynolds number criterion. Both air and water appear to be suitable fluids to use as modeling media.
Nuclear dependence in the Drell-Yan transverse momentum distribution

We calculate the nuclear enhancement in the Drell-Yan transverse momentum distribution in hadron-nucleus collisions. In terms of the multiple scattering picture, we compute the contributions from double scattering. Applying the generalized factorization theorem, we express the nuclear enhancement in terms of twist-4 nuclear parton correlation functions. Using the known information on these twist-4 parton correlation functions, we estimate the nuclear enhancement for Drell-Yan pairs in the large q{sub T} region. We also discuss the source of nuclear suppression in the small q{sub T} region. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Modeling Multiple Sources of State Dependence in Random Utility Models: A Distributed Lag Approach

We propose a utility-theoretic brand-choice model that accounts for four different sources of state dependence: 1. effects of lagged choices ( structural state dependence), 2. effects of serially correlated error terms in the random utility function ( habit persistence type 1), 3. effects of serial correlations between utility-maximizing alternatives on successive purchase occasions of a household ( habit persistence type 2), and 4. effects of lagged marketing variables ( carryover effects). Our proposed model also allows habit persistence to be a function of lagged marketing variables, while accommodating the effects of unobserved heterogeneity in household choice parameters. This model is more flexible than existing state-dependence models in marketing and labor econometrics. Using scanner panel data, we find structural state dependence to be the most important source of state dependence. Marketing-mix elasticities are systematically understated if state-dependence effects are incompletely accounted for. The Seetharaman and Chintagunta (1998) model is shown to recover spurious variety-seeking effects while overstating habit-persistence effects. Ignoring habit persistence type 1 leads to an underestimation, while ignoring habit persistence type 2 leads to an overestimation of structural state-dependence effects. We find lagged promotions to have carryover effects on habit persistence. Ignoring one or more sources of state dependence underestimates the total incremental impact of a sales promotion. We draw implications for manufacturer pricing.
THE MEASUREMENT OF 5′ ADENOSYICOBALAMIN IN SERUM MAY PROVIDE A RAPID METHOD OF DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF METHYLMALONIC ACIDEMIA

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is either due to a deficiency or a defective form of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, or from deficient formation of the cobalamin (Cbl) cofactor for this enzyme, 5' deoxyadenosylcobalamin (ado-Cbl). It is important to establish the cause early because defective synthesis of ado-Cbl can respond to treatment with hydroxo-Cbl. A therapeutic trial with hydroxo-Cbl and analysis of fibroblast cultures for the mutase enzyme has been used to distinguish these forms. A 6 week old female was found to have MMA after presenting with vomiting and dehydration. Initial treatment included hydroxo-Cbl with protein restriction and the infant improved. Fibroblast cultures by genetic complementation indicated that the infant has an abnormality of methylmalonyl CoA mutase of mut class of mutations, generally unresponsive to hydroxo-Cbl. A specific RIA for ado-Cbl has become available and the serum concentration of this cofactor was 400pg/ml (normal 60-120pg/ml), while the infant was receiving hydroxo-Cbl indicating that there was no impairment in the synthesis of ado-Cbl. Thus, this provided additional evidence to the genetic complementation studies that established the defect in this infant to rest with the enzyme, methylmalonyl CoA mutase. The improvement continued after withdrawal of hydroxo-Cbl indicating that the initial response was due to the dietary restriction of protein.
On the relation between triangular matrix decomposition and linear prediction

It is shown that the coefficients of linear prediction for a random process and the prediction error variances are related to the covariance matrix through triangular decomposition. In particular, if the covariance matrix is written in the product form LDL*where L is lower triangular with unit diagonal and D is diagonal, then the rows of L-1are the coefficients of linear prediction and the elements of D are the prediction error variances.
Antisense oligonucleotide-based therapeutics for cancer

There has been steady progress in antisense technology over the past 14 years. We now have a far better appreciation of the attributes and limitations of the technology. Antisense oligonucleotides have been used to selectively inhibit thousands of genes in mammalian cells, hundreds, if not thousands, of genes in rodents and other species and multiple genes in humans. There are over 20 antisense drugs currently in clinical trials, several of which are showing promising results. Like any other class of drugs in development, there will continue to be successes and failures in the clinic. Despite some disappointments with the technology, it appears to be a valid platform for both drug discovery and as an experimental tool for functionalizing genes. Advances in the medicinal chemistry and formulation of antisense oligonucleotides will further enhance their therapeutic and commercial potential.
2-GHz 150-&#181;W self-aligned Si MESFET logic

Self-aligned normally-off silicon MESFET devices and circuits with minimum drawn gatelengths of 200 nm, and gate-to-source, and gate-to-drain spacings of 100 nm each, have been fabricated. The newly developed high-density process is based on electron beam direct writing and reactive ion etching. Ring oscillators with serial layout, a fanout of two, and drawn gatelength of 0.9 µm, show switching speeds of 220 ps at a power dissipation of 150 µW per gate.
Bilateral Mixed Laryngoceles

A music medicine practice affords a unique opportunity to diagnose and treat laryngeal music performers. Strobovideolaryngoscopic (SVL) and external video examination of the voice professional or brass instrument player may focus on the vocal folds, yet abnormalities of the supraglottis, neck, and thorax should be appreciated and documented. Laryngoceles are uncommon laryngeal disorders but may occur in up to 5% of benign laryngeal lesions. While many laryngoceles are asymptomatic, they may cause a cough, hoarseness, stridor, sore throat, pain, snoring, or globus sensation. In particular, musicians who play brass instruments are at high risk for laryngocele development. We highlight two patients with symptomatic laryngoceles to present anatomical, historical, classification, epidemiological, diagnostic, and management considerations.
Abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer at a specialty center.

PURPOSE: Although sphincter-preservation procedures have replaced abdominoperineal resection as the treatment of choice for rectal cancer, a subset of patients with rectal cancer will still require abdominoperineal resection. The use of adjuvant radiotherapy has been shown to reduce local recurrence, and combined modality therapy (chemoradiation) improves survival. Sharp mesorectal excision compared with the classic teaching of blunt retrorectal dissection is also an important component of local control. The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the postoperative complications associated with neoadjuvant therapy in patients requiring complete rectal excision. Oncologic outcomes for all patients with abdominoperineal resection are also provided. METHODS: A prospective database of 5,634 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between the years 1987 and 1997 was reviewed. Patients with primary adenocarcinoma of the rectum who underwent abdominoperineal resection were identified. In 1,622 patients who were operated on for primary rectal cancer, 292 patients (18 percent) underwent abdominoperineal resection and the rest had a sphincter-preserving procedure. Ten patients were excluded from the study because of prior pelvic irradiation for other cancer (8 patients) and insufficient radiation dose (<4,000 cGy; 2 patients). Neoadjuvant radiotherapy was given to 123 patients and postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy to 65 patients, whereas 94 did not receive radiotherapy. Intraoperative radiotherapy combined with preoperative radiotherapy was administered to 23 of the 123 patients given neoadjuvant radiotherapy. RESULTS: The duration of the operation was significantly longer in both neoadjuvant radiotherapy and intraoperative radiotherapy groups compared with the nonradiotherapy group (P=0.01 andP<0.0001, respectively). Estimated blood loss, mean number of blood units transfused per patient, and the percentage of patients being transfused were similar among the groups. Early postoperative complications were significantly higher in the neoadjuvant radiotherapy groups compared with the nonradiotherapy group. Late complications, overall survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence were not significantly different among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cancer of the lower one-third of the rectum, sharp pelvic dissection can result in a low rate of local recurrence even without radiotherapy. The role of preoperative radiotherapy, although associated with higher perineal wound complications, is important in increasing resectability and sphincter-preservation rate. Randomized, prospective trials will be needed to establish the role of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients undergoing sharp mesorectal excision for rectal cancer.
Linking KM effectiveness attributes to organizational performance

Purpose – The paper seeks to identify attributes of KM effectiveness and establish their relation with business results. The research premise is that KM outcomes are difficult to measure but their contributions to organizational performance can be assessed.Design/methodology/approach – The research paper has addressed the following questions: what are the key attributes of KM effectiveness? How can management use these key attributes to leverage knowledge assets for improved organizational performance? A literature review was used to identify the attributes of KM effectiveness. Then KM professionals and practitioners were invited to participate and respond to a survey‐based questionnaire to establish important attributes of KM effectiveness. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was used to develop and determine the underlying relations among these key attributes.Findings – Leadership is the main driver for successful KM implementation. KM leadership is primarily responsible for supporting and sustaining...
The opposite of knowledge

The Privilege of Being a Physicist. By Victor F. Weisskopf. W.H. Freeman: 1989. Pp.235. $17.95, £12.95.
Nested Distributed Autonomy Architecture for Undersea Sensor Networks

Underwater surveillance is experiencing a paradigm shift from platform-centric to distributed networks of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). In order to achieve the performance goals with smaller apertures carried by single platforms, new concepts of operations must be developed, which exploit platform mobility to adapt to the changing environmental conditions. Unlike the network of sensor nodes used in air/land, underwater networks cannot rely on the low channel capacity of the acoustic communication available. The operation of such an underwater sensor network requires a much higher level of autonomous, distributed command and control architecture. This paper discusses the proposed nested autonomy architecture developed at MIT for command and control of AUVs.
Considering the Info-Gap Approach to Robust Decisions Under Severe Uncertainty in the Context of Environmentally Benign Design

Information-Gap Decision Theory (IGDT), an approach to robust decision making under severe uncertainty, is considered in the context of a simple life cycle engineering example. IGDT offers a path to a decision in the class of problems where only a nominal estimate is available for some uncertain life cycle variable that affects performance, and where there is some unknown amount of discrepancy between that estimate and the variable’s actual value. Instead of seeking maximized performance, the decision rule inherent to IGDT prefers designs with maximum immunity (info-gap robustness) to the size that the unknown discrepancy could take. This robustness aspiration is subject to a constraint of achieving better than some minimal requirement for performance. In this paper, an automotive oil filter selection design example, which involves several types of severe uncertainty, is formulated and solved using an IDGT approach. Particular attention is paid to the complexities of assessing preference for robustness to multiple severe uncertainties simultaneously. The strengths and limitations of the approach are discussed mainly in the context of environmentally benign design and manufacture.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Museums, Anthropology and Imperial Exchange , by Amiria J. M. Henare

Museums, Anthropology and Imperial Exchange is a useful and important contribution to the historiography of museums in colonial and settler societies. The title is a good reflection of the general themes under consideration; what it does not specify, however, is the particular geographical setting of the investigation: museums of scotland and New Zealand and their mutual implication, especially as they revolve around the Native Maori people. The author, who now goes by her maiden name, Amiria salmond, is a curator at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, where she submitted an earlier version of this study as her doctoral dissertation. At first glance, the historical relationship between scotland and New Zealand seems obscure, why not england instead of scotland? There are several reasons. Perhaps primary is the author’s personal background as a New Zealander of scots ancestry. As Henare explains, a large proportion of New Zealand settlers were scots. More interesting are the frequent parallels between the Highland scots and Maori of New Zealand as colonized peoples. both cultures have been subjects of recent scholarly debates about the “invention of tradition.”1 As Henare points out,2 the irony is that from one perspective, in relation to the Native inhabitants of New Zealand, scotland was a colonial power, but from another, in relation to the english, it was itself a colony. And while the Maori are clearly the central ethnic group of concern here, they are not the exclusive subject; Henare spends a good bit of time on museum presentations of scottish and settler culture in both countries. Glossing her study as a “historical ethnography,”3 Henare merges the subjects and approaches of history and anthropology. Accordingly, the volume is structured chronologically, from the time of the first artifact collecting in New Zealand—by
Computer tomographic analysis of water distribution and flow in porous media

Computer tomography (CT) is the reconstruction by computer of a tomographic plane (slice) of an object. The tomograph is developed from multiple X-ray absorption measurements (scans) made around the periphery of the object. Recent research in soil science indicates that CT, which has been used in the medical field for 17 years, may find applications in assessing the degree of uniformity, or lack thereof, of soils and other porous media, in determining the flow paths of water and solutes through soils and porous materials, and in determing the flow paths of water and solutes to roots of plants. This paper discusses the general concept of CT, some of the capabilities associated with software used to format the CT readings into the desired images, and presents some CT scan data for several draining porous media.
A Balance Theory of Wisdom

The author presents a balance theory of wisdom. First, some alternative approaches to wisdom are reviewed, including philosophical, implicit theoretical, and explicit theoretical ones. Second, the ...
Confined space medicine and the medical management of complex rescues: A case series

Objective A variety of hazards can precipitate the full or partial collapse of occupied structures. The rescue of entrapped survivors in these situations can be complex, require a multidisciplinary approach, and last for many hours. Methods The modern discipline of Urban Search and Rescue, which includes an active medical component, has evolved to address such situations. This case series spans several decades of experience and highlights the medical principles in the response to collapsed structure incidents. Results Recurring concepts of confined space medicine include rescuer safety, inter-disciplinary coordination, patient protection, medical resuscitation in austere environments, and technical extrications. Conclusion Strategies have been developed to address the varied challenges in the medical response to collapsed structure incidents. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1–10)
Availability of salts is not a limiting factor for the land crab Gecarcinus lateralis (Freminville)

Abstract The land crab Gecarcinus lateralis (Freminville) is restricted to within ≈ 250 m of the shore on Bermuda. Previous work demonstrated that availability of water did not account for the exclusion of crabs from inland habitats. The crabs' inability to produce dilute urine led to the hypothesis that availability of salts becomes limiting away from the shore. In the laboratory, osmoregulatory abilities of land crabs were tested under several ecologically realistic conditions. Salts were provided in interstitial water of various salinities in damp-sand “burrows”, in “drinking water” of various salinities, or in natural and artificial foods. Crabs maintained hemolymph concentrations very well even when exposed to salinities
Phase I clinical and pharmacological study of intraperitoneal cis-bis-neodecanoato(trans-R, R-1, 2-diaminocyclohexane)-platinum II entrapped in multilamellar liposome vesicles

To perform a phase I study of intraperitoneal cis-bis-neodecanoato (trans-R, R-1, 2-diaminocyclohexane)-platinum II entrapped in multilamellar vesicles (L-NDDP) for peritoneal carcinomatosis or sarcomatosis. Eligible patients had normal renal, hematologic, and liver functions. Laparoscopy was performed on the first two courses for evaluation, adhesiolysis, and chemotherapy administration. Afterwards, chemotherapy was administered through a peritoneal catheter. Up to six courses were allowed. Peritoneal imaging with technetium-labeled sulfur colloid was used to determine adequate distribution prior to each course. Volunteering patients underwent pharmacokinetics studies during the second course. Fifteen of 16 registered patients, seven women and eight men (median age 53 years (range 26–76) and median performance status of 1) were assessable. Diagnoses were: malignant mesothelioma (six patients), signet ring cell (three), colon adenocarcinoma, pseudomyxoma peritonei, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (two each), and ovarian carcinoma (one). Median number of courses was two (range, one to six) Dose-limiting toxicity symptoms were fatigue and abdominal pain. Hematologic toxicities were minimal. Peri-operative complications included one colonic perforation requiring primary closure, a peritoneal catheter malfunction, a port site hematoma, and an ascites leak requiring re-suture. Five patients survived at least 3 years. Pharmacokinetics studies indicated a rapid but low absorption of drug into the systemic circulation, with a prolonged retention of platinum in the plasma compartment. Peritoneal L-NDDP exposure was 17 to 49-times greater than in the plasma compartment. Peritoneal cavity exposure to L-NDDP is prolonged, and systemic absorption is limited, yielding a high peritoneal/plasmatic ratio. The recommended dose for phase II studies is 400 mg/m2 every 28 days.
Computational Aspects of Optional Pólya Tree

Optional Polya tree (OPT) is a flexible nonparametric Bayesian prior for density estimation. Despite its merits, the computation for OPT inference is challenging. In this paper we present time complexity analysis for OPT inference and propose two algorithmic improvements. The first improvement, named limited-lookahead optional Polya tree (LL-OPT), aims at accelerating the computation for OPT inference. The second improvement modifies the output of OPT or LL-OPT and produces a continuous piecewise linear density estimate. We demonstrate the performance of these two improvements using simulated and real date examples.
Effect of low dose ethanol on spontaneous motor activity in alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring lines of rats

To determine if behavioral arousal may be associated with ethanol preference, the effects of low to moderate doses of ethanol on spontaneous motor activity (SMA) were studied in the selectively bred alcohol-preferring (P) and -nonpreferring (NP) lines of rats as well as in the Maudsley Reactive (MR/N) and Nonreactive (MNR/N) strains. Alcohol-naive rats had food and water available ad lib, but food was removed 24 hr before and during activity testing. After an intraperitoneal injection of saline (5 ml) or ethanol (0.12 to 1.5 g/kg), SMA was monitored every three min for 30 min in an electronic activity monitor. The P and MR/N rats exhibited increased SMA after doses of 0.12 and 0.25 g/kg. Both the NP and MNR/N rats failed to show increased SMA at any ethanol dose. Moderate doses of ethanol, 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg, consistently depressed SMA in all lines/strains. In 24 hr-fasted rats, increased SMA occurred within 6-12 min after injection, but free-fed rats exhibited increased SMA 12-24 min after an ethanol dose of 0.25 g/kg. Free-choice drinking scores (10% ethanol (v/v) versus water) for the P, MR/N, MNR/N and NP rats were 6.6 +/- 0.5, 4.9 +/- 0.8, 2.2 +/- 0.7 and 1.4 +/- 0.3 g ethanol/kg body wt/day (mean +/- SEM), respectively. The data indicate a positive relationship between ethanol preference and ethanol-induced motor stimulation and suggest that hyperactivity may be an expression of the positive reinforcing effect of ethanol for alcohol-preferring rats.
Paved with good intentions: images of textbook development in Afghanistan

In 2002, the Afghanistan Ministry of Education adopted a new National Curriculum Framework, created to promote child-centred teaching and learning strategies for the next generation of Afghan schoo...
3D spherical models of Martian mantle convection constrained by melting history

Abstract While most of Tharsis rise was in place by end of the Noachian period, at least one volcano on Tharsis swell (Arsia Mons) has been active within the last 2 Ma. This places an important constraint on mantle convection and on the thermal evolution of Mars. The existence of recent volcanism on Mars implies that adiabatic decompression melting and, hence, upwelling convective flow in the mantle remains important on Mars at present. The thermal history on Mars can be constrained by the history of melt production, specifically generating sufficient melt in the first billion years of the planets history to produce Tharsis rise as well as present day melt to explain recent volcanism. In this work, mantle convection simulations were performed using finite element code CitcomS in a 3D sphere starting from a uniformly hot mantle and integrating forward in time for the age of the solar system. We implement constant and decaying radioactive heat sources; and vary the partitioning of heat sources between the crust and mantle, and consider decreasing core–mantle boundary temperature and latent heat of melting. The constant heat source calculations produce sufficient melt to create Tharsis early in Martian history and continue to produce significant melt to the present. Calculations with decaying radioactive heat sources generate excessive melt in the past, except when all the radiogenic elements are in the crust, and none produce melt after 2 Gyr. Producing a degree-1 or degree-2 structure may not be pivotal to explain the Tharsis rise: we present multi-plume models where not every plume produces melt. The Rayleigh number controls the timing of the first peak of volcanism while late-stage volcanism is controlled more by internal mantle heating. Decreasing the Rayleigh number increases the lithosphere thickness (i.e., depth), and increasing lithosphere thickness increases the mean mantle temperature. Increasing pressure reduces melt production while increasing temperature increases melt production; hence predicting melt production from convection parameters is not straightforward. Generating enough melt in the mantle to create Tharsis early on and also to explain recent volcanism may require other mechanisms such as small-scale convection or lowering the thermal conductivity of the crust.
Physician attitudes towards influenza immunization and vaccine mandates

Abstract Aim We surveyed physicians’ opinions and acceptance of influenza immunization. Scope A web-based survey was sent to all physicians in two academic departments during spring 2009. Results 227 (40.5%) physicians responded. Physicians who frequently cared for high-risk patients self-reported higher immunization rates than physicians with infrequent contact ( P = 0.0002). There were no significant differences in immunization rates between emergency medicine (EM) and internal medicine (IM), between those with and without children at home, nor by age group. A majority (84.6%) supported mandatory vaccination. IM physicians were more supportive of mandates than EM physicians ( P Conclusion Self-reported immunization rates were high among study physicians. Acceptance of mandatory vaccination was substantial, but varied by specialty.
Effects of bupropion SR on anterior paralimbic function during waking and REM sleep in depression: preliminary findings using [18F]-FDG PET

This study sought to clarify the effects of bupropion SR on anterior paralimbic function in depressed patients by studying changes in the activation of these structures from waking to REM sleep both before and after treatment. Twelve depressed patients underwent concurrent EEG sleep studies and [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F]-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scans during waking and during their second REM period of sleep before and after treatment with bupropion SR. Nine subjects completed pre- and post-treatment waking PET studies. Five subjects completed pre- and post-treatment waking and REM sleep PET studies. Bupropion SR treatment did not suppress electrophysiologic measures of REM sleep, nor did it alter an indirect measure of global metabolism during either waking or REM sleep. Bupropion SR treatment reversed the previously observed deficit in anterior cingulate, medial prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula activation from waking to REM sleep. In secondary analyses, this effect was related to a reduction in waking relative metabolism in these structures following treatment in the absence of a significant effect on REM sleep relative metabolism. The implications of these findings for the relative importance of anterior paralimbic function in REM sleep in depression and for the differential effects of anti-depressant treatment on brain function during waking vs. REM sleep are discussed.
Sociological Theory and Mental Retardation

The most salient fact about the relationship between sociology and mental retardation is its lack of interest in the topic. Sociologists, as well as anthropologists, who study medical care, health systems, the insane, deviant behaviour and social stratification have conspicuously avoided the examination of those individuals in society who are developmentally disabled. As the British sociologist Richard Jenkins (1991) asks regarding the study of the mentally retarded
Impact of site of care, race, and Hispanic ethnicity on medication use for childhood asthma.

Objective. To understand the importance of source of care and other factors that influence differences in asthma medication use by race and Hispanic ethnicity. Methods. The Childhood Asthma Severity Study provided 12-month, retrospective, parent-reported questionnaire data on a monthly basis for children ages ≤12 years in a community sample of 1002 children and their families from Connecticut and Massachusetts. Medications considered included cromolyn, β2-agonist, inhaled steroids, anticholinergics, theophylline, and systemic steroids. Information was available on demographics, insurance status, symptom severity, primary care contact, and provider practice types. Results. Black and Hispanic children received fewer β2-agonists, and Hispanic children received fewer inhaled steroids than white children after adjusting for patients’ race, age, gender, insurance status, symptom severity, number of primary care visits for asthma, number of urgent visits to the regular provider, family income, maternal education, and site of care. When multivariate analyses were restricted to patients in private practice, the significant association between Hispanic ethnicity and low inhaled steroid use persisted, whereas differences in β2-agonist use by race and ethnicity changed little but became nonsignificant. Conclusion. Even within private practices, patients’ race and ethnicity are associated with clinician nonadherence to national guidelines. Programs to eliminate these disparities will need both to focus on site of care and to intervene at the provider and patient levels to be successful.
A new agent, blue and radioactive, for sentinel node detection

Background: Although with some disadvantages, combining radiotracer and isosulfan blue facilitates the detection of sentinel lymph nodes. This study was designed to evaluate the use of 99mTc-labeled phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (99mTc-PCTS) as a single agent for simultaneous blue staining and radiotracer localization of the sentinel lymph node.
A Bootstrap Generalization of Modified Parallel Analysis for IRT Dimensionality Assessment

This article introduces a bootstrap generalization to the Modified Parallel Analysis (MPA) method of test dimensionality assessment using factor analysis. This methodology, based on the use of Marginal Maximum Likelihood nonlinear factor analysis, provides for the calculation of a test statistic based on a parametric bootstrap using the MPA methodology for generation of synthetic datasets. Performance of the bootstrap test was compared with the likelihood ratio difference test and the DIMTEST procedure using a Monte Carlo simulation. The bootstrap test was found to exhibit much better control of the Type I error rate than the likelihood ratio difference test, and comparable power to DIMTEST under most conditions. A major conclusion to be taken from this research is that under many real-world conditions, the bootstrap MPA test presents a useful alternative for practitioners using Marginal Maximum Likelihood factor analysis to test for multidimensional testing data.
The analytical strip method of solution for stiffened rectangular plates

Abstract The recently developed analytical strip method of solution for bending of orthotropic rectangular plates is extended in this study to stiffened rectangular plates. In this method, the plate is idealized as a system of plate strips and beam segments rigidly connected to each other. The behavior of the system is derived by imposing the edge and continuity conditions on the closed form solution of the individual plate strips and beam elements. The analytical strip method possesses the advantages of the semi-analytical finite strip method but avoids the polynomial representation and minimization procedure associated with it. Numerical results are presented for stiffened and unstiffened rectangular plates for different edge and loading conditions.
Measurement of immune complexes in insulin-treated diabetics.

Abstract Insulin therapy produces anti-insulin antibodies the measurement of which by conventional radioimmunoassay depends on the presence of available combining sites to bind radiolabelled insulin. The availability of free antibody-combining sites depends on variables such as the molecular ratio of antibody to insulin, and the affinity of the various antibodies to the insulin antigen. An improved method for measuring insulin antibody in serum is described in which insulin-anti-insulin complexes are dissociated at acid pH and all liberated insulin is removed by charcoal adsorption prior to conventional radioimmunoassay. Increases in antibody titre after this acid dissociation charcoal-adsorption reflect the presence of circulating immune complexes in sera of diabetics.
Iron–oxo complexes: Elusive iron( V ) species identified

A (hydroxo)oxoiron(V) oxidant has been implicated in cis-dihydroxylation reactions catalysed by Rieske dioxygenases and biomimetic non-haem iron complexes, but with only indirect proof of its existence. Variable-temperature mass spectrometry now provides persuasive evidence for just such a reactive intermediate in a synthetic system.
Graphical Interpretation of Variance Inflation Factors

Abstract A dynamic graphical display is proposed for uniting partial regression and partial residual plots. This animated display helps students understand multicollinearity and interpret the variance inflation factor. The variance inflation factor is presented as the square of the ratio of t-statistics associated with the partial regression and partial residual plots. Examples using two small data sets illustrate this approach.
Supporting ada memory management in the iAPX-432

In this paper, we describe how the memory management mechanisms of the Intel iAPX-432 are used to implement the visibility rules of Ada. At any point in the execution of an Ada® program on the 432, the program has a protected address space that corresponds exactly to the program's accessibility at the corresponding point in the program's source. This close match of architecture and language did not occur because the 432 was designed to execute Ada—it was not. Rather, both Ada and the 432 are the result of very similar design goals.To illustrate this point, we compare, in their support for Ada, the memory management mechanisms of the 432 to those of traditional computers. The most notable differences occur in heap-space management and multitasking. With respect to the former, we describe a degree of hardware/software cooperation that is not typical of other systems. In the latter area, we show how Ada's view of sharing is the same as the 432, but differs totally from the sharing permitted by traditional systems. A description of these differences provide some insight into the problems of implementing an Ada compiler for a traditional architecture.
Gender differences in pain: do emotions play a role?

Abstract Background: Research suggests that the influence of gender on the processing and experience of pain is a result of several mechanisms. One mediating variable is emotion, which may modulate pain through an interaction of valence (pleasant-unpleasant) and arousal (calm-excited). Objective: This review examines whether gender differences in the experience and processing of emotion contribute to differences in the modulation and perception of pain. Methods: An English-language search of MEDLINE and PsycINFO was conducted from 1887 to May 2005. Additional literature was obtained from reference lists of articles retained in the initial search. Results: Emotion appears to influence pain through a valence-by-arousal interaction. Specifically, negatively valenced emotions with low to moderate arousal (eg, anxiety) enhance pain, whereas negatively valenced emotions with high arousal (eg, fear) reduce pain. In contrast, positively valenced emotions always reduce pain, as long as minimal arousal is achieved. Some evidence suggests that women are more sensitive than men to threat-related stimuli and thus experience more negative affect than men. This would generally lead to enhanced pain perception in women. It is also possible that women are more likely than men to experience negative affect with high arousal (intense fear) and thus pain inhibition. However, the relatively lower base rate of intense negative emotions is not likely to contribute much to gender differences in pain. Evidence also suggests that men may be more sensitive to positive events, particularly sexual/erotic stimuli, which may lead to more positive emotion-induced pain reduction in men, relative to women. Conclusions: This review suggests that gender differences in the experience of pain may arisefrom differences in the experience and processing of emotion that, in turn, differentially alter pain processing. Specifically, the system associated with negative affect may be more attuned to threatening stimuli in women, and the system associated with positive affect may be more attuned to pleasurable stimuli in men. However, there is a paucity of research directly addressing this issue; much of the research on this topic has failed to test a comprehensive model of emotion, failed to use adequate manipulation checks, or failed to use within-subject experimental designs that control for intra- and interindividual differences. Therefore, it is concluded that additional research is warranted.
Plant systems biology comes of age

'Omics' research approaches have produced copious data for living systems, which have necessitated the development of systems biology to integrate multidimensional biological information into networks and models. Applications of systems biology to plant science have been rapid, and have increased our knowledge about circadian rhythms, multigenic traits, stress responses and plant defenses, and have advanced the virtual plant project.
A practical, algorithmic approach to diagnosing hair shaft disorders

The hair shaft is a unique structure composed of an inner cortex and a protective outer cuticle. Any defects in this normal structure due to genetics or the environment can lead to variations in physical properties. Thus one should suspect a hair shaft disorder if a patient presents with an abnormality or change in hair texture, appearance, manageability or ability to grow hair long. A key feature of the clinical evaluation is to determine whether there is hair breakage (increased fragility) by looking for broken hairs and performing a tug test. Once this determination is made, an algorithmic approach can be used to narrow the differential diagnosis: hair shaft disorders with and without fragility. A hair mount along with other directed questions and examination will almost always allow the clinician to make an in-office diagnosis. Common case scenarios, photographs, and practical tips are provided to illustrate the use of this algorithmic approach in the diagnosis of hair shaft disorders. We have also included a summary of the molecular defects where known, which can be helpful in providing a correlation with clinical findings, in counseling patients, and potentially offering treatment options.
An analog module generator that includes operational sensitivities

The stringent requirement of precision in the design of analog integrated circuit layout for correct functionality and reasonable performance warrant the use of parameterized module generators. A methodology for the design of a module generator is developed which outputs the mask-level topological description of the layout of the specified analog circuit and a (circuit-level) simulation model that includes the operational sensitivities of the circuit. The effectiveness of this methodology is demonstrated by the example of a generator for an operational transconductance amplifier. >
Predicting whole genome protein interaction networks from primary sequence data in model and non-model organisms using ENTS

The large-scale identification of physical protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is an important step toward understanding how biological networks evolve and generate emergent phenotypes. However, experimental identification of PPIs is a laborious and error-prone process, and current methods of PPI prediction tend to be highly conservative or require large amounts of functional data that may not be available for newly-sequenced organisms. In this study we demonstrate a random-forest based technique, ENTS, for the computational prediction of protein-protein interactions based only on primary sequence data. Our approach is able to efficiently predict interactions on a whole-genome scale for any eukaryotic organism, using pairwise combinations of conserved domains and predicted subcellular localization of proteins as input features. We present the first predicted interactome for the forest tree Populus trichocarpa in addition to the predicted interactomes for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, and Arabidopsis thaliana. Comparing our approach to other PPI predictors, we find that ENTS performs comparably to or better than a number of existing approaches, including several that utilize a variety of functional information for their predictions. We also find that the predicted interactions are biologically meaningful, as indicated by similarity in functional annotations and enrichment of co-expressed genes in public microarray datasets. Furthermore, we demonstrate some of the biological insights that can be gained from these predicted interaction networks. We show that the predicted interactions yield informative groupings of P. trichocarpa metabolic pathways, literature-supported associations among human disease states, and theory-supported insight into the evolutionary dynamics of duplicated genes in paleopolyploid plants. We conclude that the ENTS classifier will be a valuable tool for the de novo annotation of genome sequences, providing initial clues about regulatory and metabolic network topology, and revealing relationships that are not immediately obvious from traditional homology-based annotations.
Audiogram of a stranded Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) measured using auditory evoked potentials

Quantifying and understanding the impact of anthropogenic sound on marine mammals has been the focus of many researchers both in laboratory settings as well as in the field. This study presents the audiogram of a sub-adult Blainville's beaked whale that stranded in Hawaii. The hearing measurements were conducted using the non-invasive auditory brainstem response technique. A total of 11 sinusoidally amplitude modulated tones were tested ranging from 5.6 to 160 kHz. The audiogram data indicated that the region of best hearing was found between 40 and 50 kHz with thresholds below 50 dB. This frequency range partially overlaps with the frequency modulated upsweep that Blainville's beaked whales have been reported to use during echolocation. These results match the frequency range obtained from the hearing measurements of a Gervais' beaked whale previously tested using contact acoustic stimulation and emphasize the importance of obtaining rapid hearing measurements on live stranded animals to improve the understanding of poorly known species. * AEP : auditory evoked potential EFR : envelope following response FFT : fast Fourier transform FM : frequency modulated HCRF : Hawaii Cetacean Rehabilitation Facility LFAS : low-frequency active sonar MFAS : mid-frequency active sonar SAM : sinusoidally amplitude modulated
Emerging Roles of Protein Kinase D1 in Cancer

Protein kinase D1 (PKD1) is a serine-threonine kinase that regulates various functions within the cell, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, and cell motility. In normal cells, this protein plays key roles in multiple signaling pathways by relaying information from the extracellular environment and/or upstream kinases and converting them into a regulated intracellular response. The aberrant expression of PKD1 is associated with enhanced cancer phenotypes, such as deregulated cell proliferation, survival, motility, and epithelial mesenchymal transition. In this review, we summarize the structural and functional aspects of PKD1 and highlight the pathobiological roles of this kinase in cancer.
A Validity Argument Approach to Evaluating Teacher Value-Added Scores

Value-added models have become popular in research and pay-for-performance plans. While scholars have focused attention on some aspects of their validity (e.g., scoring procedures), others have received less scrutiny. This article focuses on the extent to which value-added scores correspond to other indicators of teacher and teaching quality. The authors compared 24 middle school mathematics teachers’ value-added scores, derived from a large (N = 222) district data set, to survey- and observation-based indicators of teacher quality, instruction, and student characteristics. This analysis found teachers’ value-added scores correlated not only with their mathematical knowledge and quality of instruction but also with the population of students they teach. Case studies illustrate problems that might arise in using value-added scores in pay-for-performance plans.