cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational Depth-Variant Deconvolution Technique for Full-Focus Imaging

In contrast with traditional extended depth of field imagers, we propose a depth-based restoration technique that brings a scene captured by an ordinary fixed-focus camera to a full focus based on a depth-variant point spread function prior. Ringing artifacts are suppressed using filtered reference maps as local regularizers.
Elliptical morphology of the carpal tunnel cross section

Although the carpal tunnel is known for its anatomical constituents, its morphology is not well recognized. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphometric properties of the carpal tunnel and its surrounding structures. Magnetic resonance, cross-sectional images of the distal carpal tunnel were collected from eight cadaveric hands. Morphological analyses were performed for the cross sections of the carpal tunnel, interior carpus boundary, and exterior carpus boundary. The specimens had a carpal arch width and height of 23.9 ± 2.9 mm and 2.2 ± 0.9 mm, respectively. The carpal tunnel, interior carpus boundary, and exterior carpus boundary had perimeters of 54.8 ± 4.5 mm, 68.5 ± 7.0 mm, and 130.6 ± 11.8 mm, respectively, and areas of 183.5 ± 30.1 mm2, 240.7 ± 40.2 mm2, and 1002.3 ± 183.7 mm2, respectively. The cross sections were characterized by elliptical fitting with aspect ratios of 1.96 ± 0.15, 1.96 ± 0.19, and 1.76 ± 0.19 for the carpal tunnel, interior carpus boundary, and exterior carpus boundary, respectively. The major axis of the boundaries increased in pronation angle, relative to the hamate-trapezium axis, for the exterior carpus (6.0 ± 3.0°), interior carpus (8.2 ± 3.2°), and carpal tunnel (15.9 ± 2.2°). This study advances our understanding of the structural anatomy of the carpal tunnel, and the morphological information is valuable in the identification of structural abnormality, assistance of surgical planning, and evaluation of treatment of effects.
Near infrared spectroscopy and patent ductus arteriosus in the preterm neonate: A systematic review

Abstract Introduction Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an inexpensive, bedside monitor of tissue oxygenation that may be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of preterm patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Purpose To systematically review the literature in order to determine the extent to which NIRS is used in the diagnosis and treatment of PDA and its outcomes in preterm infants. Methods PubMed, Cochrane, and CINAHL were searched using the terms "near infrared spectroscopy" AND "patent ductus arteriosus." Results NIRS is able to detect changes in regional oxygen saturations that result from hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus. It is also able to detect changes that occur as a result of successful treatment, and the common concerning side effects of PDA therapy. Changes in NIRS values predict intraventricular hemorrhage and necrotizing enterocolitis. Conclusions NIRS may aid the clinician in identifying a hemodynamically significant PDA, and provide information on organ perfusion to guide treatment decisions.
A Case of Congenital Malignant Spinal Cord Glioma as a Cause of Congenital Ascites in a Neonate

Congenital ascites is rare, but when it occurs, urinary ascites secondary to posterior urethral valve obstruction is the most common, and tumors are the least. Among the tumors in the pediatric population, the central nervous system tumors are common, but spinal cord tumors are rare. We describe a very rare case of congenital malignant spinal cord glioma presenting as isolated congenital ascites secondary to neurogenic bladder. A female infant was diagnosed sonographically with isolated congenital ascites at 40 weeks' gestational age, with uneventful development prior to 40 weeks' gestational age. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine done within the first week of life identified a lobulated spinal mass with heterogeneous enhancement within the conus medullaris. Spinal fluid analysis showed evidence of small round blue cells and the pathology from the excision biopsy of the mass confirmed a WHO grade III or IV malignant glioma. The postoperative course was uneventful with resolution of the ascites and spontaneous micturition. The patient was discharged home without an indwelling urinary catheter. We report the first documented case of a newborn infant with isolated congenital ascites from neurogenic bladder secondary to a spinal cord glioma.
Marcas y convenciones genéricas en el Discurso de mi vida (1630) de Alonso de Contreras y otras vidas de soldados de la Primera Modernidad

AbstractDurante la Primera Modernidad varios soldados espanoles escriben sus vidas o relaciones, agrupadas posteriormente por la critica bajo el marbete de autobiografias de soldados del Siglo de Oro. Estos textos narran las experiencias vitales de sus autores y comparten una serie de marcas estructurales y tematicas con otros generos: por un lado, practicas no narrativas propias de estos mismos soldados, de caracter meramente burocratico; por otro, practicas narrativas vigentes en el campo literario de la epoca, como los relatos de viajes y la comedia. Las particularidades de estos relatos son su pretendido anhelo por la veracidad y su falta de pretension literaria, pues no se escriben con la intencion de hacerse publicos, aunque si para ser leidos. El objetivo de esta investigacion consiste en analizar su encaje en el discurso primopersonal como producto cultural hibrido, para lo cual se analizan las marcas genericas vinculadas a unos contextos de comunicacion especificos a partir de cinco relaciones so...
Quorum Sensing Regulation of Competence and Bacteriocins in Streptococcus pneumoniae and mutans

The human pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus mutans have both evolved complex quorum sensing (QS) systems that regulate the production of bacteriocins and the entry into the competent state, a requirement for natural transformation. Natural transformation provides bacteria with a mechanism to repair damaged genes or as a source of new advantageous traits. In S. pneumoniae, the competence pathway is controlled by the two-component signal transduction pathway ComCDE, which directly regulates SigX, the alternative sigma factor required for the initiation into competence. Over the past two decades, effectors of cellular killing (i.e., fratricides) have been recognized as important targets of the pneumococcal competence QS pathway. Recently, direct interactions between the ComCDE and the paralogous BlpRH pathway, regulating bacteriocin production, were identified, further strengthening the interconnections between these two QS systems. Interestingly, a similar theme is being revealed in S. mutans, the primary etiological agent of dental caries. This review compares the relationship between the bacteriocin and the competence QS pathways in both S. pneumoniae and S. mutans, and hopes to provide clues to regulatory pathways across the genus Streptococcus as a potential tool to efficiently investigate putative competence pathways in nontransformable streptococci.
Two-step Feature Extraction in a Transform domain for face recognition

A face recognition system using an integration of Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) is proposed in this paper. Feature Extraction and Identification are the two main phases of the system. The first phase consists of a preprocessing step, which includes cropping and resizing techniques, followed by DCT coefficient selection and SVM classifier creation. The final outputs contain the DCT coefficients beside several two-input SVM classifiers. A DCT selection algorithm is employed to retain the coefficients which have the maximum variability across each training pose. The data from the nearest, as measured by Euclidean distance, two subjects is used as an input to the SVM classifier. The second phase aims to find the recognition rates based on the Euclidean distance criterion and the output(s) of SVM classifier(s). Four different image databases, namely, ORL, YALE, FERET, and Cropped AR are used to evaluate the system. The proposed system is shown to outperform some of the state of the art systems in terms of the recognition rates.
Field evaluation of Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus transmission by Bemisia tabaci

Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) is a whitefly-transmitted Crinivirus (Closteroviridae) that impacts melon production in many parts of the world including the USA. It has been responsible for melon crop loss in the southwestern U.S. since 2006 when it was first identified. Control strategies have revolved mainly around chemical control, but research to identify suitable products and approaches to implementing them have lagged. The current study investigated the performance of four systemic insecticides in the field while concurrently tracking CYSDV disease progression after controlled and natural whitefly inoculation of young melon plants. Assessments of virus incidence were made using two different visual observation methods in concert with ELISA analyses of leaf disks samples collected biweekly. Infection rates were consistently lowest in plots treated with the butenolide insecticide flupyradifurone while dinotefuran was second in efficacy measures. Flupyradifurone also held whitefly densities to their lowest numbers relative to the other treatments. Two other insecticides, imidacloprid and cyantraniliprole, exacerbated virus incidence in multiple trials. Further investigation into the anomalous finding of increased virus incidence due to insecticide application is ongoing.
Analytical modeling of low-loss disk flexure resonators

This paper presents for the first time a closed form analytical solution for the motional resistance, R m , of the transverse (1,1) mode of two port disk flexure resonators (DFRs), enabling rapid performance prediction and device optimization. This work is motivated by a recently reported −1 dB peak S 21 and 9 Ω motional resistance DFR that has demonstrated the viability of non-traditional flexure based modes as high-performance, low frequency MEMS resonators. Modeled R m values are validated using on-wafer extracted e 31 piezoelectric stress constants, measured layer thicknesses, independently measured elastic moduli, and analytical mode shapes
The future of online social work education and Title IV-E child welfare stipends

In this concept paper, the authors explore online learning in social work and how IV-E education has been and will continue to be impacted. An empirical estimate of the national prevalence of onlin...
Aspiring to an improved aspiration literature

Mechanical thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion presenting with acute ischemic stroke is evidently in its Tower of Babel stage, inundated with increasing numbers of acronym-focused techniques all claiming ‘improved’ revascularization.1–5 The overarching term ‘mechanical thrombectomy’ is grossly inaccurate in the vast majority of cases for we are removing an embolus—a procedure better called ‘embolectomy.’ The race for new acronyms to describe procedures, however, can be traced back to the currently most popular, ADAPT. A Direct Aspiration first Pass Technique (ADAPT)6 7 is a well-established method with demonstrated efficacy through multiple prospective randomized trials, but we remain confused about the ‘exact’ procedure. Can anyone tell us, after engaging the clot, should we expect the clot to be ingested or not, and, if not, what we should do next? Do we pull slowly? How long should we wait before pulling back? Do we touch or embed the aspiration catheter in the clot? Do we aspirate manually? How far do we pull back? Is it usual to achieve full clot ingestion, or is it more common to ‘cork’ the clot and subsequently retrieve it, hanging in the breeze, as we pull into the guide? And let’s not even start discussing …
The Pauson–Khand Reaction

Although the a priori development of multicomponent cycloaddition reactions involving selective incorporation of three or more different molecules may seem to be a daunting task, numerous such reactions exist.1 Indeed, study of the chemistry of transition metals in the presence of organic π-systems over the past four decades has led to the serendipitous discovery of a marvelous array of multicomponent processes. More recently, as a fuller understanding of mechanisms of transition metal reactions has evolved, the intentional development of still more remarkably powerful reactions has taken place.2 Among the several systems that have been found to be suitable for the cocycloaddition of alkynes, alkenes and carbon monoxide,3–5 the most extensively studied is the one first reported in detail by Khand and Pauson in 1973,6 a cyclopentenone synthesis from the three components and Co2(CO)8, a formal [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition (equation 1). This reaction was discovered in the course of a study aimed principally at the preparation and characterization of various alkene and alkyne complexes derived from Co2(CO)8. During the subsequent half-dozen years or so the Pauson group was virtually alone in pursuing the development of this reaction, carrying out a number of extensive series of studies of remarkable breadth and depth. The Pauson-Khand reaction has now taken a place amidst the more conventional methodological approaches to the challenging cyclopentenone ring system, is a focus of study by a number of research groups and has been used in synthetic applications by many more.
Biomes, River Basins, and Climate Regions

This chapter makes a case for the use of climate-based boundary definitions for regions where the management of water and biotic resources is of great concern, using as examples the Colorado River system and the southwestern U.S. desert biomes. Dam construction in the U.S. portion of the Colorado River beginning in about 1930 reduced natural flows to the Colorado River Delta to nearly zero by the late 1960s. A delta ecosystem encompassing nearly 2 million acres was nearly extinguished; today it exists within fewer than 200,000 acres. It is suggested that impacts of such magnitude to a major continental river system occurred because of the presence of an international political boundary, and also due to the absence of a decision-making framework for water resources management that takes into account ecological values. Incorporation of data and information regarding possible climatic variations in the future is also emphasized.
Fibrinogen receptor (GPIIb-IIIa) antagonists derived from 5,6-bicyclic templates. Amidinoindoles, amidinoindazoles, and amidinobenzofurans containing the N-α-sulfonamide carboxylic acid function as potent platelet aggregation inhibitors

A series of highly potent and specific fibrinogen receptor antagonists have been discovered and optimized through structural modification of the novel amidinoindole and benzofuran compounds, I and ...
Effects of aphid-resistant soybean on nontarget herbivores in Minnesota

The use of aphid-resistant soybean varieties containing Rag genes can provide an effective pest management strategy against soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura). However, the compatibility between soybean containing Rag genes and the management of other potential soybean pests (i.e., nontarget herbivores) is poorly understood. Therefore, our goal was to (1) assess the efficacy of pyramided (Rag1+Rag2) aphid-resistant soybean for reduction of soybean aphid populations, and (2) determine if aphid-resistant soybean affects populations of nontarget herbivores under field conditions. To accomplish these goals, field experiments were conducted in southeast Minnesota from 2015 to 2017 for a total of five site-years using whole-plant counts to assess soybean aphid densities and sweep-net sampling to estimate nontarget herbivore densities in plots of near-isoline soybean with Rag1+Rag2 (i.e., resistant) or no Rag genes (i.e., susceptible). Plant genotype (i.e., resistant or susceptible) affected seasonal abundance of soybean aphid, with fewer soybean aphids on aphid-resistant than susceptible soybean. Furthermore, plant genotype affected seasonal abundance of bean leaf beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata Forster), green cloverworm (Hypena scabra Fabricius), and potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae Harris). Aphid-resistant soybean was associated with increased seasonal abundance of bean leaf beetle and reduced seasonal abundance of potato leafhopper and green cloverworm. The abundance of these herbivores was also associated with seasonal abundance of soybean aphid as a covariate. Results presented here confirm the efficacy of aphid-resistant soybean with Rag1+Rag2 against soybean aphid and show that aphid-resistant soybean can influence the seasonal abundance of nontarget herbivores in soybean. However, the magnitude of impacts of aphid-resistant soybean on nontarget herbivores was relatively small and likely of little-to-no agronomic significance, which suggests compatibility of aphid-resistant soybean with management of other potential pests.
Machine learning approaches for use in deblending

Abstract Machine learning has grown into a topic of much interest in the seismic industry. Recently, machine learning was introduced in the field of seismic processing for applications such as demu...
Pulmonary Valve-Sparing Techniques for Tetralogy of Fallot: A Systematic Approach for Maximizing Success and Minimizing Risk

Valve-sparing techniques for the treatment of Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary stenosis have evolved over the past few decades. This article will discuss the rationale for a more aggressive approach to sparing the pulmonary valve, the various techniques available (including commissurotomy, leaflet thinning and debridement, balloon dilation, and finally modified monocusp repair), as well as a systematic approach for employing these techniques based on individual patient anatomy in a manner that takes full advantages of the benefits of the valve-sparing approach while mitigating the risks involved.
Evaluating access, quality, and equity in online learning: A case study of a MOOC-based blended professional degree program

Abstract As massive open online courses (MOOCs) shift toward professional degree and certificate programs, can they become a global on-ramp for increasing access to emerging fields for underrepresented groups? This mixed-methods study addresses this question by examining one of the first MOOC-based blended professional degree programs, which admitted students to an accelerated residential master's program on the basis of performance in MOOCs and a proctored exam. We found that male students and students with master's degrees were more likely to complete the online program and the blended program had more male students and more students with master's degrees than students in the existing residential program. Students who enrolled in the blended graduate program earned higher average grades than students in the residential program earned in their in-person courses (3.86 vs 3.75, p
Cultural Appropriation and Substance Use Disorder: A Case Report

A 16 year old Caucasian male presented for initial mental health visit at an outpatient community psychiatry clinic. Two years prior, he found his father dead after overdosing on heroin. Since this...
Abstract 14316: Diurnal Variation of the Macrophage Expressed Gene-1 Inflammatory Marker in the Timing of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Background: In the last decade, inflammatory biomarkers have been implicated in out of hospital sudden cardiac arrest (OH-SCA). However, the role of diurnal variation in these inflammatory markers ...
Measurement of Behavioral Emotion Regulation Strategies in Early Childhood: The Early Emotion Regulation Behavior Questionnaire (EERBQ).

The Early Emotion Regulation Behavior Questionnaire (EERBQ) assesses children’s emotion regulation (ER) behavioral strategies in both positive and negative emotional contexts. Psychometric properties and factor structure were tested in a sample of caregivers across the United States (N = 362) with children ages 2–6 years-old (56% male; 73% White). Findings suggest that the EERBQ is psychometrically sound and correlates with other well-established measures of children’s socioemotional functioning. Previously, researchers have only been able to assess children’s emotional behavioral regulatory strategies in a laboratory setting. Thus, use of the EERBQ addresses a critical gap in the current literature by providing researchers and practitioners with an instrument to measure young children’s early emotional functioning outside of a laboratory context. This is particularly salient because early difficulty regulating emotions is often a precursor to persistent adverse developmental outcomes. Thus, the ability to easily to collect rich and predictive behavioral regulation data is imperative for early identification and treatment of youths’ emotional and behavioral problems.
L’Europe face aux défis de pluralismes inattendus (Europe and the Challenges of Unexpected Pluralisms)

This contribution to a Festschrift in honor of Mireille Delmas-Marty explores the challenges for Delmas-Marty’s aim of “ordered pluralism” within the EU, given the departures from fundamental EU values by some of its Member States in recent years. It touches on the divided pasts of the Western and Eastern members of the EU, building on work of C. Joerges and T. Snyder in that area, addressing how the different historical narratives may be understood. It also suggests the utility of Article 17 of the European Convention, as was done by the partially concurring, partially dissenting judges in the Navalny v. Russia decision, as a better tool for addressing the “liberticide” acts of EU Member States than those European Convention tools currently being used. This short piece is part of a larger project that will appear in English at a later date.
Economic Sociology: An Introduction

1. Economic Sociology Unbound 2. Sociology and Economics, Economic Theory and its Sociological Critique 3. The Rise of Markets and Economic Development 4. The State, Public Policy, and Economic Organization 5. The Heart of the Economy: Organizations and Corporations 6. Economies, Inequality, and Mobility 7. The Great Experiment. Markets in the Shadows of Socialism 8. Brave New World? A Critical Examination of Globalization. Conclusion - Remaining Challenges of Economic Sociology in the New Millennium
Cloning and sequence analysis of flaA, a gene encoding a Spirochaeta aurantia flagellar filament surface antigen.

Spirochaeta aurantia DNA that coded for an antigenic determinant of the flagellin associated with the filament surface of the periplasmic flagella was isolated. When expressed in Escherichia coli, the antigenic polypeptide had an apparent molecular weight of 37,000. Sequence analysis of the antigen-encoding DNA revealed the presence of an open reading frame that determined a polypeptide with a predicted molecular weight of 31,241. This polypeptide showed a region of identity with the N-amino-terminal region of the 39,000- and 37,000-dalton flagellins of the distantly related spirochetes Treponema phagedenis and Treponema pallidum, respectively (S. J. Norris, N. W. Charon, R. G. Cook, M. D. Fuentes, and R. J. Limberger, J. Bacteriol. 170:4072-4082, 1988). The region of identity in the deduced S. aurantia polypeptide was preceded by a possible signal sequence and signal peptidase cleavage site. Images
Protecting the confidentiality of HIV and AIDS patients: The implications of the electronic medical record

The Electronic Medical Record is fast becoming technologically essential in our increasingly complex and internet based communication society. However, our health care system has an ethical and legal duty to respect and protect patient confidentiality. Health information and the medical record reveal some of the most intimate aspects of an individual's life. The importance of protecting that information in an ever changing technological environment is essential. This overview presents the pros and cons of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). We have integrated the concerns as they are relevant to HIV/AIDS patients since this illness is so very stigmatized and feared that introducing the EMR into the equation makes patient confidentiality an explosive issue. This is also a very timely synthesis of the issues since the Bush administration is pushing for a rapid switch from paper records to computerized systems. While much present attention is focused on the resources required to make the switch, less attention is paid to the ethical concerns that need to be addressed.
Prioritized subband coding of video for packet-switched networks

A video codec for packet switched networks is presented. The codec combines multiresolution decomposition with priority progressive coding (PPC) to divide each frame into packets. Simulations modeling a subband/PPC video coder and switching network with packet loss demonstrate the high quality of service without suffering from visual degradations such as edge effects common in blocked discrete cosine transform (DCT) coders. >
RF Circuit Noise

The Vn−In noise model of an amplifier is described. The model is used to define signal-to-noise ratio and noise factor. The optimum source impedance that minimizes the noise factor is derived. The effect of matching networks on noise factor is described. Two lossless matching network examples illustrate how the source impedance can be transformed to minimize the noise factor. The use of Smith chart noise circles and gain circles to evaluate amplifier performance is described and illustrated by an example. Measurement of noise factor and a method of determining amplifier noise parameters from noise factor measurements are described. Keywords: Amplifier noise model; equivalent noise input voltage; thermal noise; signal-to-noise ratio; noise factor; noise figure; noise resistance; noise conductance; correlation impedance; correlation admittance; optimum source impedance; noise factor fallacy; noise-matching networks; noise temperature; noise circles; gain circles
ERK activation by urea in the renal inner medullary mIMCD3 cell line.

Urea- and NaCl-inducible extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation exhibited dissimilar kinetics. Among cell lines examined, the effect of urea was unique to mIMCD3 inner medullary collecting duct cells and MDCK cells. Urea-inducible ERK activation was approximately 10-fold less sensitive to the MEK inhibitor, PD-98059, than was that of NaCl. This difference did not appear to be accounted for by differential activation of MEK isoforms. Interestingly, the inhibitor of p38 activation, SB-203580, abrogated the effect of both urea and NaCl upon both ERK and MEK activation; however, the former was much less sensitive to the inhibitor. Consistent with this observation, NaCl was much more effective than urea at inducing p38 phosphorylation. The effect of hypertonic stress (e.g., sorbitol 100 mM) could be blocked by appropriate medium dilution such that isotonicity was maintained. In marked contrast, the effect of hyperosmotic urea could not be blocked in this fashion, implying the absence of dependence upon cell volume. Together, these data suggest that cells of the renal inner medulla are potentially uniquely responsive to urea and that urea and hypertonic stressors induce ERK activation through distinct mechanisms.
A Nested Grid for a Three-Dimensional Model of a Tropical Cyclone.

Abstract A system of nested grids has been designed for the National Hurricane and Experimental Meteorology Laboratory three-level, three-dimensional model of a tropical cyclone. The inner two of the system of three nested grids move with the center of the cyclone. The nested grids are fully interacting. The nested-grid system has been tested by means of several numerical experiments. In the original series of experiments the grids are stationary and no environment current is present. Results were obtained for a 2700 km × 2700 km domain with uniform 90 km resolution, with a 30 km grid nested within the 90 km grid, and finally, with a 10 km grid nested within the 30 and 90 km grids. The vortex decayed on the 90 km grid, grew to hurricane strength of 52 m s−1 on the 30 km grid, and grew to 78 m s−1 on the 10 km grid. The moving grids were introduced with 10 km resolution to follow the motion of the vortex from 90 to 178 h. The motion is self-induced by the asymmetry of the outflow layer. The structure of th...
Single Fathers with Custody Following Separation and Divorce

After years of neglect by researchers, therapists, and lawmakers, interest in fathering has come to the forefront. One group of fathers, those raising their children alone following separa- tion or divorce, has more than tripled in the period between 1970 and 1990 according to the Census Bureau. The literature on single custo- dial fathers, a population that was virtually unstudied until the 1970s, is based on both large and small samples. Comparison groups con- sisting of fathers without custody, fathers in joint custody arrange- ments, married fathers, widowers, and mothers with custody have been employed to further understand single father families. The research shows this lifestyle to be a viable one despite the role ambiguity associated with it. Particular areas of difficulties for these fathers are balancing work and child care, reestablishing a social life, and interacting with the court system. Fathers who choose the role tend to have an easier time than those who are forced into it. This article ...
Introducing Cooperative Learning through a Faculty Instructional Development Program

Cooperative Learning was officially introduced in the College of Engineering at San Jose State University in 1995 with a two-day workshop. The Faculty Instructional Development Program in the college maintains interest in the subjsect and provides support for instructors who use Cooperative Learning, through workshops and informal discussions (Conversations on Teaching). This paper discusses the effectiveness of the program in introducing, promoting, and implementing Cooperative Learning among the faculty and students in the college of engineering. A variety of performance criteria have been used in this assessment, some faculty-centered and some student-centered. The results indicate that although a relatively small percentage of faculty have chosen to adopt Cooperative Learning as a teaching tool in their courses, the impact on student attitudes and learning is significant, making the effort worthwhile.
The Flexible Woman Regendering labor in the informational society

■ In the US, as more poor women must work to support their house holds, and state support for women/caregivers is consistently reduced, we find an increase in violence and domestic conflict and the abandonment and neglect of children. The 1996 welfare laws exacerbate this situation as they force more poor women into the low-paid or unpaid labor force, to the further cost of poor children. These new laws reflect and reinforce a shift in what was viewed by the welfare state as legitimate dependence for mothers and children. It is no longer sufficient, if it ever was, to talk of male or female domination or subordination among poor people in the United States. In the 1990s, arenas of power for men are contradicted by other arenas of power or access to resources from the state for women. Thus in spite of the utility of analyses that dealt with the experiences of men and women separately, only an analysis that portrays the integral inter dependencies of the two interlocking/conflicting gender hierarchies in te...
Stress proteins as molecular markers of neurotoxicity.

In response to many environmental and pathophysiologic stressful stimuli, cells undergo a stress response characterized by induction of a variety of proteins, including the heat shock protein famil...
Model high-performance adhesive systems

A study investigating the affect of formulating procedures on material properties was performed for model high-performance epoxy adhesives. Analyses were conducted on materials fabricated with 16 wt % butadiene–acrylonitrile reactive rubber, difunctional and tetrafunctional epoxies, bisphenol A, dicyandiamide, and diuron. Prereaction steps involving the reactive rubber, bisphenol A, and epoxies were varied so that different systems were obtained prior to and after cure. Lap shear and mode I and II fracture toughness tests showed that the formulating procedure significantly affected the performance properties. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that the formulating procedure slightly affected the number of bonds formed during cure. Dynamic mechanical analysis suggested that increased flexibilized rubber in the continuous phase of the adhesives may lead to inferior bonding characteristics. This analysis also showed that the dispersed phase composition was largely unaffected by the formulating procedure and not dependent on the size or shape of the dispersed phase. Finally, optical microscopy showed that the formulating–mixing procedure had a strong influence on the size and shape of the dispersed phases. Overall, the results suggested that polymer mobilities and structure affected the morphology and adhesive ability and must be analyzed with fundamental processing–structure–property interrelationships. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 1953–1963, 1997
Properties of learning in ARTMAP

Abstract In this paper we consider the ARTMAP architecture for situations requiring learning of many-to-one maps. It is shown that if ARTMAP is repeatedly presented with a list of input/output pairs, it establishes the required mapping in at most M a −1 list presentations, where M a corresponds to the total number of ones in each one of the input patterns. Other useful properties, associated with the learning of the mapping represented by an arbitrary list of input/output pairs, are also examined. These properties reveal some of the characteristics of learning in ARTMAP when it is used as a tool in establishing an arbitrary mapping from a binary input space to a binary output space. The results presented in this paper are valid for the fast learning case, and for small β a values, where β a is a parameter associated with the adaptation of bottom-up weights in one of the ART1 modules of ARTMAP.
Polaritons in a spatially dispersive medium: Surface effects. I

The effects of surface distortion are included in a microscopic model of a spatially dispersive dielectric. An exactly soluble model (soluble within the refractive-index approximation) is discussed from which the Hopfield-Thomas reflectivity anomaly for normally incident light is recovered as a long-wavelength limit. The form of the additional boundary condition [$P(x)+\ensuremath{\lambda}{P}^{\ensuremath{'}}(x)=0$] at the surface of the dielectric is also considered.
The hall effect in molten salts

Abstract The Hall Effect is measured in the molten ionic salts CuCl, AgCl and AgBr. Values of 0.023, 0.031 and 0.027 cm2/volt sec are obtained for the effective mobility. The values obtained are one or two orders of magnitude larger than drift mobilities and so indicate there can be no correspondence between Hall and drift mobilities in molten salts. These measurements appear to be the first of the Hall Effect in molten ionic salts
Role of Legionellae in Acute Infections of the Lower Respiratory Tract

The genus Legionella currently comprises 24 species and multiple serogroups. Despite the continuing development and increasing availability of new and improved laboratory tests for diagnosing legionella infections, the incidence of such infections remains poorly defined. The most frequently cited estimate of 25,000 to 50,000 cases of legionella pneumonia per year in the United States is based on a single study with a number of methodologic limitations. While numerous studies of the etiology of pneumonia have been published, it is usually not possible to calculate incidence from these investigations. The proportion of pneumonia cases attributable to legionella species has ranged from less than 1% to greater than 30%. Differences in the diagnostic methods employed in various studies and questions concerning the representativeness of the patients studied make it difficult to determine how much of the observed variation is due to true geographic and temporal differences in the incidence of legionella pneumonia. Further studies are needed to define the incidence of acute lower respiratory tract infections due to Legionella.
Exploiting compressed block size as an indicator of future reuse

We introduce a set of new Compression-Aware Management Policies (CAMP) for on-chip caches that employ data compression. Our management policies are based on two key ideas. First, we show that it is possible to build a more efficient management policy for compressed caches if the compressed block size is directly used in calculating the value (importance) of a block to the cache. This leads to Minimal-Value Eviction (MVE), a policy that evicts the cache blocks with the least value, based on both the size and the expected future reuse. Second, we show that, in some cases, compressed block size can be used as an efficient indicator of the future reuse of a cache block. We use this idea to build a new insertion policy called Size-based Insertion Policy (SIP) that dynamically prioritizes cache blocks using their compressed size as an indicator. We compare CAMP (and its global variant G-CAMP) to prior on-chip cache management policies (both size-oblivious and size-aware) and find that our mechanisms are more effective in using compressed block size as an extra dimension in cache management decisions. Our results show that the proposed management policies (i) decrease off-chip bandwidth consumption (by 8.7% in single-core), (ii) decrease memory subsystem energy consumption (by 7.2% in single-core) for memory intensive workloads compared to the best prior mechanism, and (iii) improve performance (by 4.9%/9.0%/10.2% on average in single-/two-/four-cor e workload evaluations and up to 20.1%) CAMP is effective for a variety of compression algorithms and different cache designs with local and global replacement strategies.
The clinical appearance of clonal nevi (inverted type A nevi)

Background The term “clonal nevus” is used to describe a variant of melanocytic nevus that histologically exhibits a localized proliferation of pigmented epithelioid dermal melanocytes within an otherwise ordinary nevus (Ball NJ, Golitz LE. Melanocytic nevi with focal atypical epithelioid cell components: a review of seventy-three cases. J Am Acad Dermatol 1994; 30: 724–729). Reports to date have focused on the histologic appearance of these lesions. Aim To characterize the clinical appearance of clonal nevi. Methods Clinical and histologic examinations were performed of a single clonal nevus from each of five patients (two men and three women; age range, 37–80 years). Results All nevi were round to oval in shape with smooth, well-defined borders. They were uniformly tan to light brown in color, except for a single blue–gray to blue–black focus of hyperpigmentation. The diameters of the nevi ranged from 2.5 to 10 mm. In individual nevi, the hyperpigmented focus was either centrally or eccentrically located and measured 1–2 mm in diameter. Histologically, these lesions showed banal melanocytes associated with a localized proliferation of melanocytes with abundant pigmented cytoplasm in the dermis, admixed with melanophages. Conclusions The appearance of clonal nevi – tan with a focus of blue–gray to blue–black pigmentation – allows one to recognize the lesion clinically.
Identification of factors increasing length of stay for patients undergoing lower extremity bypass and lower extremity amputation

After vascular surgery, a large proportion of patients have a decline in disposition from home to nursing rehabilitation facilities. Predictors of this decline include lower extremity revascularizations and amputations, both major and minor (Crouch et al, 2001). Length of stay may increase while a postoperative and postdischarge plan of care is developed, especially for patients undergoing distal bypass because of the need for multiple procedures and treatment of wound infections. Increased baseline illness, consumer demands, managed care, and government reimbursement policies necessitate the efficient management of health care dollars. This presentation will focus on findings of a 4-month institutional review board-approved chart review of available charts of patients discharged after lower extremity amputation or revascularization. Charts were reviewed for variances from the normal procedure-driven Coordinated Care Track. Variances were identified and grouped by patient factors, process factors, or system factors. Patient factors included comorbid conditions, infection, and anticoagulation issues. Process issues included consultation delays, incomplete physician orders, or incomplete implementation of orders. Systems factors included missed therapies, delays in receiving and administering medication, and delays related to postdischarge destination. These findings may be useful to vascular nurses as they develop their own process improvement projects that involve both quality of care and length of stay.
Parallel Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms for Waste Solvent Recycling

Waste solvents are of great concern to the chemical process industries and to the public, and many technologies have been suggested and implemented in the chemical process industries to reduce wast...
Standards, rules, and issues for integration of renewable resources

The purpose of this paper is to gather and document the existing criteria, rules, and practices used by the Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) in California for physical interconnection of Distributed Resources (DR). The criteria set by the National Standard IEEE 1547, State of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Rule 21, and the standard practices used by a sample major IOUs will be presented and compared. Adequacy, practicality, and controversial implementation problems associated with the presently used rules and criteria will be documented and discussed. Suggestions and recommendations for future research and studies in the interest of practicality and implementation uniformity will be identified.
P7 Activation of nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE) knockout (KO) mice

Introduction Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is the endogenous signaling gasotransmitter, offering protective effects on oxidative stress including ischemia–reperfusion and hypertrophy/heart failure (HF). CSE is believed to be the major H2S-generating enzyme in the heart. Our previous study investigated that CSE KO mice are more susceptible to oxidative stress. NF-kappaB is a marker of cellular oxidative stress and its activation has been found to increase in ischemia–reperfusion and hypertrophy/HF. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of NF-kappaB in response to CSE. Methods/results We found that both mRNA and protein levels of NF-kappaB-p65 were significantly increased in the heart tissues of CSE KO mice compared with control as they were judged by RT-qPCR and immunoblot, respectively. Interestingly, phosphorylation of p65 was increased (1.4 fold, p Conclusion Since we observed that the activation of NF-kappaB occurred in the heart tissues of CSE KO mice, our findings suggest that CSE may protect the heart from oxidative injury, such as that which occurs during ischemia–reperfusion, hypertrophy/HF.
Comparison of VEGF-producing cells in periprosthetic osteolysis

The pro-angiogenic cytokine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been implicated in periprosthetic osteolysis and subsequent aseptic loosening of implants following total hip arthroplasty (THA). The goal of this study was to investigate whether increased VEGF at the bone-implant interface is secondary to a greater number of VEGF-producing cells or to increased VEGF production by individual cells. Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques were used to assess the expression of VEGF mRNA (isoforms 121, 165, 189) in periprosthetic tissues from revision THAs. Immunofluorescence was used to determine both differences in overall cellularity and in VEGF-producing cell type (macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells) between patients with periprosthetic osteolysis (OL) and a control group undergoing primary THA for osteoarthritis (OA). Quantitative analysis of VEGF release in periprosthetic membranes via RT-PCR demonstrated no significant difference in the per-cell mRNA production of VEGF isoforms 121 165, or 189 between OL and OA patient groups. Immunofluorescence showed both higher cellularity and higher overall VEGF expression in the OL group. Immunofluorescence also showed a significant increase in macrophages in the OL group, but no significant difference in the proportion of fibroblasts or endothelial cells between the OL and OA groups. Co-localization of CD68+ and CD11b+ macrophage fluorescent signals with VEGF signal was greater in the OL group than in the OA group. Our results demonstrate that increased VEGF in OL periprosthetic tissue compared to OA synovium is correlated to increased numbers of VEGF-producing CD68+ and CD11b+ macrophages. Impact statement: Aseptic loosening, caused in large part by OL, remains the major cause of failed THAs leading to revision surgery. At the bone-implant interface, we found increased numbers of macrophages-cellular mediators of OL-and increased VEGF expression. VEGF may be a possible target for therapeutic intervention in mitigating OL.
A modification of isocitrate and malate dehydrogenase assays for use in crude cell free extracts

Abstract A modification of the assays for isocitrate and malate dehydrogenase, using phenazine methosulphate and 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, permits measurements on cell-free extracts. Phenazine methosulfate at concentrations higher than 30 nmoles/3 ml prevents the accumulation of NADPH or NADH and thus reduces errors due to endogenous oxidation of these compounds. The use of 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol rather than a tetrazolium salt as the terminal electron acceptor allows continuous spectrophotometric measurement of enzyme activities. Assay for NADP-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase can be performed in aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Assays for malate dehydrogenase should be run under anaerobic conditions because of the interference by oxygen on the phenazine methosulfate mediated reduction of 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol by NADH. Under anaerobic conditions, where NADH oxidase is inoperative, the phenazine methosulfate/dichlorophenolindophenol assay is more sensitive than the assay using direct measurement of NADH at 340 nm.
Intracellular dynamics of c-myc mRNA traffic in single cells in situ.

Processing and intracellular transport of RNA transcripts are essential for gene expression. Translational regulation of gene expression may occur by several mechanisms, including control of transcript movement from sites of synthesis to site(s) of translation. We describe temporal analysis of the intracellular translocation of c-myc transcripts from the site of synthesis in the nucleus to sites of translation in the cytoplasm. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative fluorescence microscopy were used to measure intracellular traffic of c-myc transcripts in individual recombinant cells following activation of c-myc sequences linked to a heat shock promoter. C-myc nuclear transcripts are visible in the nucleus within minutes of heat exposure. Transcripts remain in the nucleus for at least 4 hr after gene activation. Transport of c-myc transcripts to the cytoplasm begins ∼ 1 hr after cells are returned to 37°C. These data demonstrate the feasibility of measuring intracellular transcript transport following gene activation and provide a description of the kinetics of intracellular traffic of inducible c-myc transcripts in heated cells in situ. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.