cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Quality of Peer-Reviewed Publications on Surgery for Early Stage Lung Cancer Within the Veterans Health Administration

The peer-reviewed literature is often referenced to generalize outcomes for lung cancer surgeries performed within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and include assessments following resection of early stage non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We sought to determine the reliability of these reports that are publicly available. A systematic review was undertaken to identify PubMed indexed articles that report postoperative outcomes following surgical resections for stage I NSCLC within the VHA. Only studies that reported American Joint Committee on Cancer staging were included. Eleven studies spanning 49 years (1966–2015) met the inclusion criteria. Two reported findings from national VHA databases while 9 reported outcomes from single institutions. Reporting of outcomes and prognostic factors varied widely between studies and were frequently omitted. This made it difficult to evaluate prognostic factors that may be associated with a wide range of 30- and 90-day perioperative mortality (0–3.8% and 0–6.4%), 3- and 5-year cause-specific survival (72–92% and 32–84%), and 3- and 5- year overall survival (47–85.7% and 24–74%). The quality of peer-reviewed literature that reports outcomes following thoracic surgery for stage I NSCLC in the VHA is inconsistent and precludes accurate assessments for generalizations about the quality of care in this healthcare system. Efforts to develop a dedicated outcome tracking and registry system can provide more meaningful evidence to identify areas for improvement for this often-curable malignancy.
Progress in cognitive function detecting techniques of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric illness in children.ADHD is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, which can seriously disturb patients'study and work.Patients with ADHD suffer from impaired cognitive function.The conventional neuropsychological tests can assess the cognitive function of patients, but it can be affected by subjective factors.Electrophysiological techniques and brain image technology, however, can detect the cognitive function of ADHD patients objectively.In recent years, researchers have made great processes in exploring the cognitive function of ADHD patients with the help of these technologies.And this review summarizes the progresses of cognitive function detecting techniques in ADHD. Key words: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Cognitive function; Detecting technique
S2 Subunit of SARS-nCoV-2 Interacts with Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 and BRCA: an In Silico Study.

Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the biggest threat to human being globally. The first case was identified in a patient with flu symptoms along with severe acute respiratory syndrome in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and now it has spread in more than 200 countries. COVID-19 is more lethal in the elderly and people with an underlying condition such as asthma, cancer, diabetes. Here we performed bioinformatic analysis to investigate the interaction of S2 subunit protein of SARS-nCoV-2 of novel coronavirus with tumor suppressor proteins p53 and BRCA-1/2. In this short communication we report the interaction between S2 subunit proteins with tumor suppressor proteins for the first time. This preliminary result will open up a new direction to investigate the effect of a novel coronavirus in cancer patients.
Evaluation and Treatment of Patients With Hypercortisolism: A Review.

Importance With the potential for severe adverse effects of hypercortisolism, the need to limit the development and unrecognized persistence of sequelae from cortisol excess is of great importance on individual and population health levels. This review discusses the evaluation and treatment of patients with hypercortisolism. Pathophysiology; pitfalls in the diagnosis of hypercortisolism; and preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative management considerations are discussed. The association of hypercortisolism with population health and the potential role surgeons and surgery can play in the future of patients with hypercortisolism are also discussed. Higher-level considerations are put forth to encourage a long-term view of future work needed to optimally care for these patients. Observations Although classic signs and symptoms of hypercortisolism are evident in some patients, mild autonomous cortisol secretion is likely more prevalent and more difficult to detect despite having the potential to cause significant adverse effects, such as increased risk of mortality, and overt hypercortisolism. With treatment, some adverse effects of hypercortisolism may resolve, although not in all patients. Thus, the need for early diagnosis and treatment is of great importance. Conclusions and relevance More attention in the future on early treatment of hypercortisolism, whether subclinical or overt, and prevention of adverse effects is warranted for the sake of the individual and the population.
Isavuconazonium Sulfate Use in Multi-Modal Management of Invasive Zygomycosis in Four Pediatric Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Patients

Prolonged neutropenia increases risk for lethal invasive fungal infection (IFI) such as Rhizopus. Isavuconazonium sulfate is a new triazole that lacks pediatric dosing recommendations. Clinical courses of 4 pediatric patients with IFI in the peri-allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) period between 2015 and 2017 were reviewed, including previously unreported pharmacokinetic and safety data. IFI included Rhizopus and presumed fungal meningitis. Isavuconazonium sulfate was initiated with a loading dose followed by daily dosing, adjusted to a goal trough >3 ug/mL based on adult literature. This target was achieved at a median of 7 days, demonstrating varying rates of metabolism. Renal insufficiency, electrolyte disturbances, and transaminitis were noted, though attribution was confounded by other alloHCT complications. 1 patient survived infection-free to hospital discharge and 1 of 3 deceased patients had evidence of unresolved IFI (Case 2). Case 2 was subtherapeutic for 39% of the duration of treatment, compared to others at an average of 29%, suggesting this target trough to be clinically relevant. We recommend initiation of isavuconazonium sulfate at 10 mg/kg with a max dose of 372 mg. A loading dose of 10 mg/kg is utilized every 8 hours for 6 doses followed by 10 mg/kg dosing every 24 hours. Monitoring must continue beyond steady state. If early monitoring is not possible, we recommend a first drug level at week 3. If dose increases are required, a partial reload has been more successful instead of increasing daily doses. Further larger studies are needed to demonstrate optimum dosing in pediatric patients. Download : Download high-res image (186KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The Power of ePortfolio Development to Foster Reflective and Deeper Learning in an Online Graduate Adult Education Program

The current study addressed two problems in adult education: the lack of published research on the use of ePortfolios in graduate adult education, and more specifically, how can graduate adult educ...
Irish Literature in Transition 1780–1830: edited by Claire Connolly, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020, 456 pp., £89.99 (hardback), ISBN 9781108492980

In recent decades scholarship on romantic-era Irish authors has brought about a major reappraisal of this period both in Ireland and across the British archipelago. Claire Connolly’s exhilarating, ...
Fit Analysis of ASTM Size Standards for Overweight and Obese Women in the United States Based on Body Shapes

To meet overweight and obese (OWOB) female consumers’ needs for proper fit and sizes, it is important to identify their body shapes (BS) and whether the current sizing system reflects them correctly. The purpose of this study is to categorize the whole BS among OWOB women in the United States and examine the effectiveness of the current ASTM sizing systems for each whole BS. The SizeUSA data were used in this study for women with BMI of 25 or over. Five whole BS were identified among OWOB women: Rectangle-curvy shape; parallelogram-moderately curvy shape; parallelogram-hip tilt shape; inverted trapezoid-moderately curvy shape, and inverted trapezoid-hip tilt shape. For each BS group, approximately four fifths or more of OWOB female adults in the United States would find it difficult to obtain a good fit for both tops and bottoms in the current ASTM sizing systems for both misses and plus sizes.
Legal and Ethical Issues of Collecting and Using Online Hospitality Data

In “Web Scraping for Hospitality Research: Overview, Opportunities, and Implications,” Han and Anderson present the tools and methods for collecting online data through data scraping. Although the ...
Profit-based credit models with lender’s attitude towards risk and loss

Abstract Profit scoring represents a shift from default risk modeling. Here, lenders align their lending strategies to reflect their profitability objective. This paper proposes models that address the lender’s profit maximization objective. We develop varying cutoff functions that inform lending decisions while considering a lender’s attitude towards risk and loss. We derive two propositions about the properties of the variable cutoff functions for risk-averse and loss-averse lenders. Using a proprietary consumer loan data set, we show the effect of cutoff functions in lending decisions and find that both risk-averse and loss-averse lenders are profitable if they use parameter estimators that support their profitability objective.
Large-Eddy Simulations of Tropical Convective Systems, the Boundary Layer, and Upper Ocean Coupling

Abstract : The long-term goal is to improve operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) models to more accurately simulate the interaction of tropical deep convection and atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers. The objectives are to investigate tropical convection and upper ocean circulations on scales from 100 m to 200 km. Elucidate specifically how the ocean mixed layer responds to forcing from atmospheric convection such as wind and precipitation, and thus how surface fluxes depend on the history of convective events. Perform high-resolution coupled atmosphere-ocean numerical model simulations, whose fidelity is a benchmark for operational models and parameterizations. Insights gained from these simulations will be used to improve parameterizations used in operational scale models, and to refine hypotheses in collaboration with investigators working on observational field studies in the Indian and West Pacific Oceans. Intraseasonal variability in the tropics is dominated by the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), which generates large-scale variability in the structure and organization of deep convective cloud systems. MJO events consist of multiple scales of convective activity, from single kilometer-sized cells to circulations encompassing half of the tropical Pacific. Key factors for tropical convection include sea surface evaporation and large-scale atmospheric moisture convergence, which both depend on sea surface temperature and wind speed. Most numerical models do not resolve turbulent and convective scales, nor do they simulate the MJO accurately. We plan to investigate how convection during the active phase of MJO affects and interacts with the ocean mixed layer.
Representative Literature Reviews Using Constrained Snowball Sampling and Citation Network Analysis

We present here a new method for literature reviews that utilizes citation network analysis from academic databases. Special attention is paid to the construction of the citation network in order to ensure that the sample contains key publications in the field. Keyword searches in databases can be misleading because keywords are not used consistently across publications. Snowball sampling is onerous because the sample grows at an exponential rate. Constrained snowball sampling (limiting the percentage of articles collected at each level) is presented as a feasible and effective alternative that allows for robust citation analysis using a small fraction of the data. The methodology is outlined here. Free software for the R environment is also available.
Testing Moral Hazard and Tax Benefit Hypotheses: Evidence from Corporate Pension Contributions and Investment Risk

We jointly test moral hazard and tax benefit hypotheses related to the defined benefit pension plan funding and investment risk-taking decisions by incorporating the pension plan termination probabilities. We hypothesize that sponsors with different plan termination probabilities are dominated by different incentives. In particular, sponsors are dominated by the moral hazard incentive when they face high plan termination probabilities, as the put option derived from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) guarantee has the greatest value. In contrast, the tax benefit incentive dominates if sponsors have low termination probabilities. As the value of the PBGC put option is low, maximizing tax benefits associated with pension contributions and investment earnings becomes a dictating incentive. The findings based on sponsors’ voluntary contributions strongly support our hypotheses after controlling for endogeneity issue. However, in examining sponsors’ investment risk-taking incentives, the results based on pension beta and asset allocation do not support either of the hypotheses.
Structure Comparison and Alignment

Since the 1970s, after the seminal work of Rossmann and Argos (1978) comparing binding sites of known enzyme structures, the comparison and alignment of protein structures has come to be a fundamental and widely used task in computational structure biology. Three main steps are needed for comparing two protein structures: first, the detection of their common similarities; second, the alignment of the structures based on such similarities; and third, a statistical measure of the similarity. Considering the first two steps, structure comparison refers to the analysis of the similarities and differences between two or more structures, and structure alignment refers to establishing which amino acid residues are equivalent between them. The majority of commonly used methods do a reasonably good job in recognizing obvious similarities between protein structures. However, the alignment of two or more structures is a more difficult task, and its accuracy may depend on the method or program used as well as what the user is trying to accomplish, which will be discussed subsequently. All programs that are briefly described in this chapter perform both steps and are commonly known as protein structure alignment methods. It is also important to immediately clear up any confusion between structure alignment and structure superposition since such terms are often interchanged in the literature. As mentioned above, structure alignment tries to identify the equivalences between pairs of amino acid residues from the structures to superpose, while structure superposition requires the previous knowledge of such equivalences. Thus, structure superposition tries to solve the simpler geometrical task of minimizing the distance between already known equivalent residues of the superimposed structures by finding a transformation that produces either the lowest root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) or the maximal equivalences within an
Why Countable Additivity

It is sometimes alleged that arguments that probability functions should be countably additive show too much, and that they motivate uncountable additivity as well. I show this is false by giving two naturally motivated arguments for countable additivity that do not motivate uncountable additivity.
Gram Characteristics and Wall Ultrastructure of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes During Coccus-Rod Morphogenesis

Arthrobacter crystallopoietes growing exponentially as cocci were changed to rods by adding succinate to the medium. Cells were sampled before, during, and after this transition for Gram-staining and ultrastructural studies. Cells were Gram stained by the standardized method of Bartholomew, and all samples were fixed and prepared for thin sectioning in an identical manner. Cocci were gram positive, and thin sections demonstrated a gram-positive type of cell wall having an average thickness of 31 nm. Cells sampled during morphogenesis appeared as cocci with most having a single rodlike projection. The coccus portion of these transition cells was gram positive and bound by a gram-positive type of wall having an average thickness of 29 nm. The rodlike projection of the transition cells appeared to be gram negative; it was also surrounded by a gram-positive type of wall, but its average thickness was only 22 nm. Gram-negative rods of the type species, Arthrobacter globiformis, were also examined and found to produce a gram-positive type of wall with a 19-nm average thickness. Evidence for the trilaminar region, characteristic of most gram-negative bacterial cell walls, was totally lacking in both species. These results suggest that variations in cell wall thickness may be an important contributing factor to the variable Gram-staining characteristics of this genus.
Measurement of receptor-independent metabolism of low-density lipoprotein. An application of glycosylated low-density lipoprotein.

Incubation of human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) with glucose results in a nonenzymatic formation of a Schiff base between the monosaccharide and lysyl residues of apolipoprotein B. Increasing the percentage of lysyl residues of apolipoprotein B modified by glycosylation decreases the fractional catabolic rate of the glycosylated LDL, and decreases the metabolism of the glycosylated LDL by human skin fibroblasts. The glycosylated LDL, containing 20–40% of total lysyl residues of apoprotein B modified, was metabolized at a slow rate by both human skin fibroblasts and mouse peritoneal macrophages. These results led to the suggestion that glycosylated LDL is primarily catabolized via a receptor-independent process. Assuming LDL catabolism occurs via receptor-dependent and receptor-in-dependent processes, the ratio of (fractional catabolic rate of glycosylated LDL)/(fractional catabolic rate of native LDL) should be an estimate of the percentage of LDL catabolism via the receptor-independent process. From the fractional catabolic rates of glucose-LDL (20–40% of lysyl residues modified) and galactose-LDL (30–60% of lysyl residues modified) 41% and 30%, respectively, of LDL catabolism occurred by a receptor-independent process.
The Relational Self

This chapter describes emerging theory and evidence on the relational self from the personality and social psychology literatures. Broadly speaking, the relational self refers to aspects of the self associated with one’s relationships with significant others (e.g., romantic partners, parents, friends). In this chapter, we review multiple theoretical perspectives on the relational self, starting with our recent integrative conceptualization of the relational self (Chen, Boucher, & Tapias, 2006). According to our model, the relational self (1) is self-knowledge that is linked in memory to knowledge about significant others; (2) exists at multiple levels of specificity; (3) is capable of being contextually or chronically activated; and (4) is comprised of self-conceptions and a constellation of other self-aspects (e.g., motives, self-regulatory strategies) that characterize the self when relating to significant others. After describing each of these facets of our model, we review theory and research on the social-cognitive phenomenon of transference in detail, as this body of work served as the primary foundation for our broader model. From there, we describe several other theoretical perspectives on the self and significant others (i.e., relational schemas, attachment theory, inclusion of other in the self, relational-interdependent self-construal), and compare and contrast each of these with the transference perspective on the relational self and, in turn, our broader conceptualization. Finally, we discuss relations between the relational self and other aspects of identity (e.g., cultural identity, gender identity), as well as some important directions for future research.
Glucose-C14 Metabolism of Dormant and Activated Ascospores of Neurospora

Budd, Kenneth (The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Alfred S. Sussman, and Frederick I. Eilers. Glucose-C(14) metabolism of dormant and activated ascospores of Neurospora. J. Bacteriol. 91:551-561. 1966.-Dormant and activated ascospores of Neurospora tetrasperma, incubated in C(14)-labeled glucose, absorb and metabolize this sugar. At the same time, up to 55% of the CO(2) production from endogenous substrates is quenched, whereas total CO(2) production is unchanged. Glucose-carbon appears in CO(2), lipids, and ethyl alcohol-soluble and -insoluble material in both dormant and activated ascospores, although the proportions entering these fractions differ in the two groups of spores. With few exceptions, the identifiable intermediates of glucose metabolism are the same in dormant and activated ascospores, indicating that the principal pathways may be identical. During glucose metabolism, dormant ascospores accumulate a nondialyzable, ethyl alcohol-soluble polymer, or polymers, which is either absent from activated spores or present in much smaller amounts. This material contains glucose, ribose, and at least nine amino acids, and may represent precursors of more complex cell material which accumulate because of an enzymatic deficiency in the dormant spore. Radioactivity is incorporated into all fractions of the dormant spores and into CO(2) without a noticeable lag, indicating that most, if not all, of the enzymes for glucose utilization are present. A lag in incorporation is observed in the activated spores, which most probably is due to rapid endogenous production of glucose from trehalose, resulting in dilution of lable. After absorption of labeled glucose, two pools of trehalose are found in dormant spores, one of which is extractable without breaking the spores, and the other, only after the spores are disintegrated. The widely differing specific radioactivity of the two pools indicates that these are separated in the intact spore.
Nucleo-cytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses (NCLDV) of Eukaryotes

A group of diverse viruses with large deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) genomes that replicate in the cytoplasm and in some cases partly in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells share a set of conserved genes and probably have evolved from a common ancestral virus. Known as nucleo-cytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDV), this class of viruses encompasses seven families: Poxviridae, Asfarviridae, Iridoviridae, Ascoviridae, Phycodnaviridae, Mimiviridae, and a probable new family represented by Marseillevirus and Lausannevirus. The family Mimiviridae includes giant viruses that possess genomes of a million or more basepairs that are comparable in size and complexity with some bacterial genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of the conserved genes of the NCLDV and mapping of the resulting phylogeny of the NCLDV onto the phylogeny of their eukaryotic hosts suggest an early origin and primary radiation of the NCLDV, possibly concomitant with the primary radiation of eukaryotes. Key Concepts: Seven families of viruses with large double-stranded DNA genomes together constitute a monophyletic class of viruses known as Nucleo-Cytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses (NCLDV). All NCLDV share several genes that encode essential proteins involved in viral genome replication and virion formation. An evolutionary reconstruction using a maximum-likelihood model assigns approximately 50 genes coding for most of the key virus functions to the common ancestor of all extant NCLDV. Some of the NCLDV families infect many diverse eukaryotes whereas many groups of eukaryotes are infected by diverse NCLDV suggesting that the major radiation of the NCLDV occurred at an early stage of evolution, perhaps concomitantly with eukaryogenesis. The NCLDV includes the largest known viruses: Mimiviruses which encode over 1000 genes and are comparable to bacteria in size and complexity. Keywords: giant viruses; evolution of viruses; virus families; evolutionary reconstruction; phylogenetic analysis
Visual Anthropology: Reviews

Democracia Indigena. 1999. 35 minutes, color. video by Bruce "Pacho" Lane. Ethnoscope Film and Video, http://www.docfilm.com.
Response of Actively Cooled Metal Foam Sandwich Panels Exposed to Thermal Loading

Experimental and analytical results for the thermomechanical response of actively cooled metal foam sandwich panels are presented. With a favorable strength-to-weight ratio and a high specific internal surface area, sandwich panels with metal foam cores are proposed for actively cooled load-bearing components in aerospace thermal protection system applications. First, inconel foam sandwich panels are subjected, via experimental means, to through-the-thickness thermal gradients, defined by fixed temperature conditions on opposite face sheets. With clamped boundary conditions, provided through a test fixture designed to minimize the common conflict of thermal and mechanical boundary conditions in experimental apparatus, the metal foam sandwich panels exhibit out-of-plane bending deformation. The thermomechanical deformation within the panel is then mitigated through active cooling, achieved by pumping compressed air through the metal foam core. Subsequently, the experimental measurements are used to develop a sequentially coupled thermomechanical finite element model. Central to the numerical characterization of metal foam sandwich panels is an understanding of the response of metal foam under shear loading. The material model for the foam is taken from a series of experimental measurements of the shear response of metal foam, providing density-dependent relationships for material stiffness and strength. The numerical model provides a strain-temperature history for metal foam sandwich panels under through-the-thickness thermal gradients
The primary structure of rat ribosomal protein S10.

The amino acid sequence of rat ribosomal protein S10 was deduced from the sequence of nucleotides in a recombinant cDNA and confirmed from the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein. Ribosomal protein S10 contains 165 amino acids and has a molecular mass of 18917 Da. Hybridization of the cDNA to digests of nuclear DNA suggests that there are 17-20 copies of the S10 gene. The mRNA for the protein is about 750 nucleotides in length. Ribosomal protein S10 has several possible internal duplications; one is a tandem repeat of ten residues that is basic and contains two or three prolines. Importance is attached to obtaining a solution of the structure of eukaryotic ribosomes since knowledge of the structure is believed, with cause, to be essential for a rational, molecular account of the function of the organelle in protein synthesis. It is hard to imagine solving the structure without knowing the sequence of nucleotides and amino acids in the constituent nucleic acids and proteins. A commitment has been made to the acquisition of this data for mammalian (rat) ribosomes. The covalent structures of the four species of RNA have been established [l -61 and there are rational proposals for their secondary structures [4,7]. In addition, 82 proteins have been isolated from the particles [8] and the sequences of the amino acids in 26 of these have been determined either directly [9 131 or by deduction from the sequence of nucleotides in recombinant cDNAs [14-271. We report here the structure of rat ribosomal protein S10, which we have inferred from the sequence of nucleotides in a recombinant cDNA, and which we have confirmed by sequencing portions of the protein. Ribosomal protein S10 can be crosslinked to eukaryotic initiation Factor 3 [28], an observation that implies that the protein forms part of the domain concerned with binding of the factor to the 40s subunit at the start of the translation of mRNA. Finally, antibodies that react with S10 have been found in the sera of patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus [29].
LiCoO2 and SnO2 Thin Film Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Battery Applications

There is an increasing need for small dimension, ultra-lightweight, portable power supplies due to the miniaturization of consumer electronic devices. Rechargeable thin film lithium-ion batteries have the potential to fulfill the growing demands for micro-energy storage devices. However, rechargeable battery technology and fabrication processes have not kept paced with the advances made in device technology. Economical fabrication methods lending excellent microstructural and compositional control in the thin film battery electrodes have yet to be fully developed. In this study, spin coating has been used to demonstrate the flexibility of the approach to produce both anode (SnO2) and cathode (LiCoO2) thin films. Results on the microstructure crystal structure and electrochemical properties of the thin film electrodes are described and discussed.
Globalization and migration : Post-colonial dutch antillean and aruban immigrant political incorporation in the Netherlands

For much of its colonial history, the Netherlands experienced little contact with its island possessions in the Caribbean. Subsequent Dutch policy was formulated in the shadow of the Netherlands primary concern with its prosperous colony of Indonesia. The 1985 closing of the oil refineries in Aruba and Curacao, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba’s “status aparte” in 1986 triggered a mass migration from those Dutch “overseas countries” to the Netherlands. These recent migrations of thousands of Dutch post-colonial citizens have added to the Dutch reevaluation of its colonial past and debates about its multicultural democratic future.
The Search Engine as an Internet Service Channel

Development of the search engine as a major information and marketing channel resulted from innovative technologies that made it capable of presenting rapid, relevant responses to queries. To do this, the search engine compiles an index of web pages of information stored on the World Wide Web, ranks each page according to its incoming links, matches keywords in the query to those in its index, and returns what it determines are the most relevant pages to the searcher. Innovative and cost-effective ad placement algorithms have attracted advertisers to search engine websites and intensified the competitive dynamics among industry leaders. Their interacting software also continues to draw advertisers from traditional, mass marketing channels like television and newspapers to the online medium to cater to customers who have expressed an interest in their products and services.
The behavior of lot-sizing procedures in the presence of forecast errors

Executive Summary This paper discusses lot-sizing in time-phased order point systems under three different conditions: with no forecast errors present, with forecast errors present but no safety stocks, and finally, with forecast errors present but with safety stocks introduced to counter the effects of the demand uncertainty. Fourteen different single stage lot-sizing procedures have been observed during simulation experiments where each of these operating environments have been modeled. The existence of forecast errors radically affects the behavior of the lot-sizing procedures compared to situations without forecast errors. For example, forecast errors not only lead to stockouts, they also induce larger inventories. Introduction of safety stocks, in turn, generates even larger inventories and also more orders. These environments, therefore, are so different, as are the associated lot-sizing performances, that the relevance of previous research which has not considered stochastic environments must be questioned. One must conclude that, despite the enormous interest in lot-sizing research over the years, the “scientific” body of knowledge, as it can be applied in practice, remains relatively undeveloped. Few guidelines with respect to lot-sizing can, therefore, be offered to the practitioner by the research community. More relevant, i.e., more realistic, lot-sizing research should alleviate such a situation.
Predictors of Outside Funding for Research among AASCU Institutions.

A summary of a survey concerning external funding for research of the 338 member institutions of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is presented. Results indicate that AASCU institutions which have been successful in obtaining outside funds for research purposes tend to place more emphasis, in both policy and resource allocation, on graduate teaching and internally and externally funded research. This information might prove useful to AASCU or similar institutions examining policies aimed at increasing the amount of external funding for research.
Type VI collagen: Immunohistochemical identification as a filamentous component of the extracellular matrix of the developing avian corneal stroma

Selected stages of the developing chicken cornea have been examined for type VI collagen, employing monoclonal antibodies specific for this molecule. By immunofluorescence, the molecule is not detectable in 5 1/2 day corneas, a time at which the epithelial-derived, acellular primary stroma is the only corneal matrix present. One day later, the presumptive stromal fibroblasts have invaded this stroma and have initiated synthesis of the secondary (mature) stroma. By that time, a strong fluorescent signal for the type VI collagen molecule is detectable throughout the stroma. It is present in all subsequent ages examined. The molecule is not restricted to the cornea, and is present in most stromal matrices examined, including those of the sclera, eyelid, and nictitating membrane. Immunoelectron microscopy was also performed, utilizing a colloidal gold-labeled secondary antibody. These data show that the type VI collagen is not a component of the striated collagen fibrils, but instead is assembled in the form of thin filaments. The monoclonal antibody bound to the filaments at periodic intervals of about 100 nm.
Immobilized polymer layers on spherical nanoparticles

Polymer properties, such as their mechanical strength, barrier properties, and dielectric response, can be dramatically improved by the addition of nanoparticles. This improvement is thought to be because the surface area per unit mass of particles increases with decreasing particle size, R, as 1/R. This favorable effect has to be reconciled with the expectation that at small enough R the nanoparticles must behave akin to a solvent and cause a deterioration of properties. How does this transition in behavior from large solutes to the solvent limit occur? We conjecture that for small enough particles the layer of polymer affected by the particles (“bound” polymer layer) must be much smaller than that for large particles: the favorable effect of increasing particle surface area can thus be overcome and lead to the small solvent limit with unfavorable mechanical properties, for example. To substantiate this picture requires that we measure and compare the “bound polymer layer” formed on nanoparticles with th...
Subjective vs objective evaluations of smile esthetics.

Introduction The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between subjective evaluations of posttreatment smiles captured with clinical photography and rated by a panel of orthodontists and parents of orthodontic patients, and objective evaluations of the same smiles from the Smile Mesh program (TDG Computing, Philadelphia, Pa). Methods The clinical photographs of 48 orthodontically treated patients were rated by a panel of 25 experienced orthodontists and 20 parents of patients. Independent samples t tests were used to test whether objective measurements were significantly different between subjects with “attractive” and “unattractive” smiles, and those with the “most attractive” and “least attractive” smiles. Additionally, logistic regression was performed to evaluate whether the measurements could predict whether a smile captured with clinical photography would be attractive or unattractive. Results The comparison between groups showed no significant differences for any measurement. Subjects with the “most unattractive” smiles had a significantly greater distance between the incisal edge of the maxillary central incisors and the lower lip during smiling, and a significantly smaller smile index than did those with the “most attractive” smiles. As shown by the coefficients of logistic regression, smile attractiveness could not be predicted by any objectively gathered measurement. Conclusions No objective measure of the smile could predict attractive or unattractive smiles as judged subjectively.
Relationship between intelligence and vigilance in children

Abstract The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that resource-limited components of vigilance are an important source of individual differences in verbal intelligence. To this end, a continuous performance task, the WISC-R, and an achievement test were administered to 63 children in Grades 5–7. A signal detection analysis of performance on the continuous performance task provided four measures of vigilance (correct detection, false alarms, d ' and B ), across three time periods (5, 10, and 15 min), and across two sensory modalities (auditory and visual). Analysis of the interrelationships among the different measures revealed a number of significant correlations between measures of vigilance and intelligence, as well as achievement. An exploratory maximum likehood factor analysis indicated that a three-factor model best fit the pattern of correlations, in which one factor had moderate loadings on verbal intelligence, achievement, and the vigilance measures. A principal factor analysis, followed by a varimax rotation, supported a two-factor model with a single second-order factor, labeled g . All psychometric and vigilance measures loaded moderately on g . The findings from the study were interpreted within the framework of a limited-resource (i.e., verbal capacity) model.
A novel approach for quality control of total lung capacity in the clinical pulmonary function laboratory: a study in a veteran population.

Objective: Quality control in the clinical pulmonary function laboratory has been well developed for spirometry and diffusing capacity but not for the measurement of TLC. The purpose of the present study was to test two approaches to this problem. First, we compared TLC by body plethysmography (TLCb) with a value predicted from TLC measured by multibreath helium dilution (TLCm). Concordance between the measured and predicted values would imply the validity of the measurements. Second, we measured the test–retest variability of TLCb, TLCm and TLC measured by single breath helium dilution (TLCs) to assess the consistency of the measurements. Methodology: We performed a prospective study of 815 veterans. Results: The prediction of TLCb from TLCm improved (r2 increased from 0.44 to 0.64) when FEV1/FVC and the difference between TLCm and TLCs were added to the model. The coefficient of variation for test–retest of TLCs, TLCm and TLCb were 8.9, 7.1 and 5.4%, respectively. Of all tests, 5.9% were inconsistent based on pathophysiology or measurement error and attributed mostly to TLCm. Conclusions: Prediction of TLCb from TLCm was not sufficiently accurate as to be useful for quality control. Comparison of TLCs, TLCm and TLCb may be useful for determining the internal data validity.
Statistical properties of differentiated partially developed speckle patterns

The statistics of the derivative of intensity for partially developed speckle patterns have been investigated. The probability density function of the intensity derivative is given by an infinite series of modified Bessel functions of the second kind. The effect of integrating over space and time has also been discussed. The approximate form for the probability density function of the integrated intensity of the differentiated partially developed speckle pattern is also given by an infinite series of modified Bessel functions of the second kind. In the special case of fully developed speckle patterns, the probability density functions derived in this paper reduce to those given by Ebeling [ Opt. Commun.35, 323 ( 1980)].
Abstract 3204: The mRNA decay factor tristetraprolin (TTP) induces senescence in human papillomavirus-transformed cervical cancer cells by targeting E6-AP ubiquitin ligase

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. A necessary factor in the development of nearly all cases of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. High-risk HPV (HPV16 and 18) mediates cellular transformation and carcinogenesis through the concerted actions of viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 that disrupt the normal cell cycle regulation by targeting the p53 and Rb tumor suppressor pathways respectively. In the present study, we found that expression of the mRNA decay factor TTP is lost in HPV18-positive HeLa cells and introduction of TTP in cells lead to inhibition of cell proliferation and tumorigenesis by inducing cellular senescence. Consistent with this, TTP-expressing cells showed enhanced p53 protein stability and p53-dependent transcriptional activity. In cells expressing TTP, no changes were observed in the RNA levels of E6 and E7 indicating that these viral factors are not targets of TTP-mediated RNA decay. Whereas the E6-associated protein (E6-AP), the cellular ubiquitin ligase required for E6-mediated p53 degradation, was found to be down regulated both at mRNA and protein levels in presence of TTP. Furthermore, the association of E6 and E6-AP promotes transcriptional activation of hTERT, and TTP-dependent down regulation of E6-AP resulted in inhibition of hTERT expression and decreased cellular telomerase activity. Analysis of E6-AP mRNA revealed potential AU-rich element (ARE) binding sites of TTP present in the 3’ untranslated region (3′UTR) and RNA-binding studies demonstrate a physical interaction between TTP and E6-AP mRNA leading to rapid decay of E6-AP mRNA in a 3’UTR-dependent manner. Similar results were obtained with other high-risk HPV-positive cell lines that employ E6-AP pathway to control p53 and hTERT levels. Consistent with this, we found TTP expression to be lost or significantly reduced in squamous cell carcinomas as compared to normal cervical tissue. Finally, our studies indicate that loss of TTP expression in cervical cancer occurs through epigenetic mechanisms involving promoter methylation and histone deacetylation. These findings demonstrate the ability of TTP to act as a tumor suppressor through inhibition of the E6-AP pathway and indicate TTP loss to be a critical event during HPV-mediated carcinogenesis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3204.
Synthesis and antimicrobial and antifungal activities of compounds of the naphthazarin series

A series of substituted naphthazarins (5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinones) were synthesized and their antimicrobial and antifungal activities were studied. The yeast Saccharomyces carlsbergensis was the most sensitive to these compounds. Among the compounds studied, the most marked antimicrobial and antifungal activities were obtained with unsubstituted naphthazarin, which was as active as juglone.
The chemotactic and mitogenic responses of vascular smooth muscle cells to insulin-like growth factor-I require the activation of ERK1/2

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play an important role in regulating vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and directed migration. IGFs exert these biological actions through the activation of the IGF-I receptor and its downstream signaling network. While the involvement of the IRS-PI3 kinase-Akt pathway in mediating the chemotactic and mitogenic actions of IGFs is clear, the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is still under debate. In this study, the role of ERK1 and 2 in mediating the chemotactic and mitogenic actions of IGF-I in cultured porcine VSMCs was investigated. IGF-I treatment caused a significant increase in the phosphorylation state, as well as the kinase activity, of ERK1 and 2. Compared to the strong and sustained MAPK activation induced by platelet-derived growth factor-BB, the IGF-I-induced MAPK activation was weaker and more transient. Specific inhibition of the MAPK activation by PD98059 or U0126, two selective MEK inhibitors, significantly inhibited IGF-I-stimulated cell proliferation, and reduced the number of cells that migrated towards IGF-I. The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 had no such effect. Likewise, depletion of ERK1/2 using antisense oligonucleotides abolished the IGF-I-induced VSMC migration and proliferation. These results suggest that the chemotactic and mitogenic responses of VSMCs to IGF-I require the activation of ERK1 and 2.
Descending necrotizing mediastinitis: An analysis of the effects of serial surgical debridement on patient mortality☆☆☆★

Abstract Objectives: Descending necrotizing mediastinitis is a polymicrobial infection originating in the oropharynx with previously reported mortality rates of 25% to 40%. This investigation reviews the effects of serial surgical drainage and debridement on the survival of patients with descending necrotizing mediastinitis. Methods: A retrospective review of patients from 1980 through 1998 with a diagnosis of descending necrotizing mediastinitis was performed. Their records were abstracted for personal demographics, hospital course, morbidity, and mortality. Also abstracted were all reports of patients with descending necrotizing mediastinitis published in English between 1970 and 1999. Results: We treated 10 patients in whom descending necrotizing mediastinitis was identified. The mean age of the patients was 38 years. They underwent a mean of 6 ± 4 computed tomographic imaging studies, 4 ± 1 transcervical drainage procedures, and 2 ± 1 transthoracic drainage procedures. Three patients required abdominal exploration and 4 underwent tracheostomy. No deaths occurred. In contrast, 96 patients with descending necrotizing mediastinitis were identified from the literature with a mean age of 38 years. They underwent a mean of 2 ± 1 computed tomographic imaging studies, 2 ± 1 transcervical drainage procedures, and 0.7 + 0.3 transthoracic drainage procedures. Sixteen (17%) patients required abdominal exploration and 34 (35%) underwent tracheostomy. Twenty-eight (29%) patients from the literature cohort died during their treatment. Conclusion: Descending necrotizing mediastinitis remains a life-threatening infection. On the basis of experience accrued in treating these patients, an algorithm incorporating computed tomographic imaging for diagnosis and surveillance and serial transcervical and transthoracic operative drainage is outlined in the hope of reducing the excessive mortality of descending necrotizing mediastinitis. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;119:260-7)
Student social graphs: visualizing a student's online social network

Most research applying Social Network Analysis (SNA) to online learning has been focused on understanding the social network of the class as an entity. This work, on the other hand, explores student specific analysis (i.e. analyzing each student individually). This student-centered analysis uses a graphical metaphor to provide the instructor an intuitive understanding of the student's interactions within the class. The paper presents a prototype of the visual metaphor and reports on a pilot study of the application of the prototype to students within a web-based course.
Inhibiting thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) activity with mesalamine improves therapeutic 6MP metabolites in children with Crohn's disease (CD)

Inhibiting thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) activity with mesalamine improves therapeutic 6MP metabolites in children with Crohn's disease (CD)