cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tumor Sidedness, Recurrence, and Survival After Curative Resection of Localized Colon Cancer.

Abstract Background Right-sided primary tumor location is associated with worse prognosis in metastatic colon cancer, but the effect of sidedness on recurrence and prognosis for non-metastatic disease is less understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sidedness, recurrence, and survival among patients with localized colon cancer. Patients and Methods Consecutive patients who underwent curative resection of colon cancer (2006-2013) were identified from a prospective database and retrospectively analyzed. Risk for recurrence, overall survival, and survival after recurrence (SAR) were compared between left- and right-sided tumors using the log-rank test, and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Results We evaluated 673 patients (347 right-sided). There was no difference in overall recurrence rates (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-1.55; P = .75) or overall survival (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.75-1.97; P = .42) between right- and left-sided primary tumors. However, right-sided tumors were more likely to develop multi-focal and poor prognostic site recurrence (P = .04). Among the 71 patients who developed recurrence, those with right-sided tumors had significantly lower SAR (HR, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.42-10.62; P = .008). Conclusions Among patients with colon cancer who underwent curative resection, tumor sidedness was not associated with recurrence risk. However, among patients who developed recurrence, right-sidedness was associated with unique recurrence patterns and inferior SAR. For patients presenting with localized disease, treatment stratification should not be based on tumor sidedness alone.
Melanoma: Molecular Classification and Therapy

Since the original classification and detailed histomorphological description of cutaneous melanoma, no major advancement has been made in the treatment of advance stages of this lethal disease. This chapter offers a brief review of the classic melanoma subtypes as described by Dr. Wallace Clark in correlation with the emerging melanoma types. Emphasis is given on the molecular types of melanoma, based on driver mutations found in many of the different melanoma groups. The most important mutations are alterations of molecular pathways involved in cellular proliferation, ultimately leading to tumor survival, growth, and metastases. These mutations include point mutations in BRAF, NRAS, and GNAQ/GNA11, as well as alterations of KIT. Capitalizing on the discovery of these molecular findings, prominent clinicians and researchers, in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry, set up to rapidly develop drugs that are specific inhibitors of the effects of these mutations. These drugs include BRAF inhibitors, MEK inhibitors, and Kit inhibitors. These new therapies are described highlighting the fact that, although prolonging patient survival, they ultimately fail to control the spread of disease. However combination therapy between these kinase inhibitors and between kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy offers encouraging results and ought to be further studied and developed.
The Effects of Marine Benthos on Physical Properties of Sediments

The effects of benthic organisms on the physical properties of granular substrata are well documented. The range of effects has been presented in H. B. Moore (1931, 1939), Schwartz (1932), Dapples (1942), D. G. Moore and Scruton (1957), McMaster (1967), Rhoads (1974), Rowe (1974), Powell (1974), Richards and Park (1976), Myers (1977a,b), Self and Jumars (1978), Lee and Swartz (1980), and Carney (1981). These papers relate the effects of benthic species to changes in grain size, sorting, fabric, water content, compaction, shear strength, and bottom stability. Those autecologic parameters that appear to be most highly correlated with physical modifications of sediments include: method of feeding, feeding selectivity, feeding level relative to the sediment—water interface, degree of mobility, organism size and population density, burrowing depth, and, if the organism is a tube dweller, the density, spacing, and length of tubes.
Asset Allocation Under Partial and Complete Privatization of Social Security Contributions

Social Security reform has focused on allowing individuals to choose where to invest a portion of their retirement contributions as a means of avoiding insolvency of the retirement system. Chilean reforms in the early 1980s have demonstrated, at least for a developing and immature stock market, that privatization can be an effective way to increase returns on retirement savings. Mature security markets in the United States provide a large variety of potential investments that appear to be attractive alternatives to the Social Security trust fund's implied rate return of 2.3%. These returns have a zero variance, which still makes them a good choice when compared to more volatile alternatives in the event of full or partial privatization of Social Security contributions assuming assets are allocated according to mean variance efficiency analysis.
Taking the distance out of Library services offered to international graduate students: Considerations, challenges, and concerns

Summary Providing quality library services to distance students is always a challenge, but the advent of an increasing number of international site-based programs and online programs accessed by students around the world raises new considerations, challenges, and concerns about how libraries should be providing services to international students. This presentation will consider the issues and variety of solutions offered by programs at Nova Southeastern University. The library services being discussed in this presentation are for international students in six graduate programs offering site-based instruction in ten countries in Latin America and Europe and three doctoral programs offering online degree programs at Nova Southeastern University. The relative merits of the library solutions implemented for the various types of programs will be evaluated. Issues discussed include (1) setting up local library resource centers and local library agreements, (2) the usefulness of document delivery services such a...
Comparison of reagent-impregnated paper strips and conventional tests for distinguishing Escherichia from Aerobacter: Correlation with colonial morphology.

The means for distinguishing Escherichia from Aerobacter (Enterobacter) differ in laboratories and range from complete dependence on colonial reactions on typical gram-negative media to reliance on one or more of the classical indole, methyl red, Voges-Proskauer, citrate (IMViC) parameters. Three colonial types (one prejudged as Escherichia) of lactose-positive rods were catalogued on each of the most commonly used selective media, MacConkey Agar, Endo Agar, and E M B Agar. Each cultural type was presumptively diagnosed and then compared with the expected outcome of individual IMViC tests. The distribution of preliminary identifications was similar from growth patterns on MacConkey Agar and E M B Agar, but it differed markedly from Endo Agar. When organisms initially diagnosed by cultural methods were compared by single IMViC tests, it was found that for each colonial type one of the biochemical parameters was best suited. Thus, for those types initially considered Escherichia, the methyl red or Voges-Proskauer test results agreed most consistently; for other types, the citrate reaction was most satisfactory. In addition, when newly formulated reagent-impregnated paper strip methods for indole, Voges-Proskauer, and citrate were evaluated and compared to the standard methods, agreement was 97% for indole, 90% for Voges-Proskauer, and 95% for Simmons' citrate.
A Looming Policy Disaster

The recent wave of global warming legislation and litigation represents a triumph for climate change activists. But it is in no way a rational, economically sound response to the problems potentially raised by global warming. It ignores the likely costs and benefits of global warming on American's health and welfare, and about the ability of the United States to act alone to alter possible future paths of global warming. The far-distant future may indeed bring a climate catastrophe, but if we do not now take a sustained and critical look at climate change economics and science, an imminent policy catastrophe is a sure thing.
A Review of: “Kosek, Jake. Understories: The Political Life of Forests in Northern New Mexico.”

Jake Kosek is interested in roots. In his book he probes the roots of forest management in the United States as well as the roots of the politics of race and difference in environmental conflicts i...
3D reconstruction of temperature field using Gaussian Radial Basis Functions (GRBF)

3D temperature field reconstruction is of practical interest to the power, transportation and aviation industries and it also opens up opportunities for real time control or optimization of high temperature fluid or combustion process. In this paper, a new algorithm for the reconstruction of 3D temperature field is proposed based on Gaussian Radial Basis Functions (GRBF). A 3D temperature field is a space distribution profile evolving over time which is infinite dimensional in nature, the proposed GRBF-based approach can approximate the temperature field as a finite summation of space-dependent basis functions and time-dependent coefficients. According to the acoustic pyrometry principle, these Gaussian functions are integrated along a number of paths which are determined by the number and distribution of sensors. This inversion problem to estimate the unknown parameters of the Gaussian functions can be solved with the measured times-of-flight (TOF) of acoustic waves and the length of propagation paths using the recursive least square method (RLS). Compared with polynomial interpolation and functions parameterization, GRBF provides better approximation capability for most nonlinear functions over irregular regions. It is also superior in scalability and more efficient when extended to higher dimensional space. The simulation result shows an error less than 2% between the reconstructed temperature field and the ideal one. It demonstrates the availability and efficiency of GRBF framework for temperature field reconstruction.
Corticosteroids for severe community-acquired pneumonia: Time to change clinical practice

This issue contains a systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomized, controlled trials of adjunctive therapy with systemic corticosteroids versus placebo for patients hospitalized with commu...
Mining induced strata movement and roof behavior in underground coal mine

The fracturing and caving process of key strata in overburden strata and the distribution law of abutment stress over key strata and immediate roof are investigated and the effect of the rupture of key strata on abutment stress in coal rib and the subsidence of earth’s surface are also analyzed. The simulated results show that the abutment stress over key strata and immediate roof are not uniformly distributed. The rupture of key strata has a great impact on the abutment stress in coal rib, i.e., the abutment stress is much high before the rupture of key strata and reaches to the maximum on fracturing and then decreases sharply after fracturing and the peak abutment stress moves away from working face into coal seam. In addition, the rupture of key strata has also impact on the subsidence of the earth’s surface. The subsidence ratio is basically stable before fracturing and increases remarkably after fracturing and gradually becomes stable as mining.
A learning controller for robotic manipulators

A simple adaptive algorithm for learning control is proposed which generates suitable input for a class of nonlinear systems, such as robotic manipulators, to track a desired trajectory after repeated trials. As the number of trials increases, the error between the desired trajectory and that of the system is guaranteed to approach zero. The design is based on the combination of direct adaptive control and the learning process. This method does not require any knowledge of the dynamic parameters of the system and can easily be implemented using inexpensive microcomputers. >
Silver-silver chloride electrodermal electrodes.

An electrolytic method is presented for the preparation of a disc type Ag-AgCl electrode which has low bias potential and drift, moderate resistance and low polarization, is relatively durable, and can be easily replated if damaged or contaminated. The electrode has been used for measuring both skin potential and conductance and is compatible with a previously published device which compensates for non-isothermal electrodes in skin potential recording. Although other applications have not been explored, the general design might be useful for the recording of other peripherally assessed bioelectric activity as well. A convenient electrode paste is described which does not dry out quickly and can be stored indefinitely.
Spectra in the Unstable Surface Layer

Abstract A simple approach to modeling spectra in unstable atmospheric surface layers is presented. The authors use a single form for the two-dimensional spectrum of horizontal velocity, vertical velocity, and a scalar in the horizontal plane; it has two free constants, a length scale, and an intensity scale. Continuity is used to relate the vertical and horizontal velocity spectra. The two free constants are determined by matching the variance and the inertial-subrange spectral level with observations. The scales are chosen so that the spectra follow law of the wall and mixed-layer scaling in the neutral and free-convection limits, respectively. The authors model the stability dependence of the spectra by combining these two limiting forms. The one-dimensional spectra, obtained by integration over one wavenumber component, and their variances agree well with observations. Near the surface the vertical velocity variance follows Monin-Obukhov (M–O) similarity and shows a realistic local free-convection asy...
The spacing effect in free recall emerges with development

In two experiments, children were shown a series of pictures of common objects and were asked to free recall which pictured objects had been presented. Some pictures were presented twice, with repetitions being either massed or spaced apart. Results indicated that preschoolers benefited from repetition but that they recalled massed and spaced repetitions equally well. In contrast, first-graders produced the typical spacing effect by recalling spaced repetitions better than they did massed repetitions. This finding that the spacing effect in free recall emerges with development suggests that the phenomenon cannot be explained solely in terms of a primitive encoding mechanism that is hard-wired into the memory system. Rather, an adequate account must include processes that are acquired or that develop during childhood. Further discussion focuses on implications of our findings for specific theories of the spacing effect and for the direction of future research.
Purification of phytochrome by Affi-Gel Blue chromatography; an effect of lumichrome on purified phytochrome

Abstract Lumichrome, a common contaminant from the thermal and photochemical degradation of flavin mononucleotide (FMN), tightly binds to phytochrome purified by the Affi-Gel Blue chromatographic method. FMN is used as an eluant. Lumichrome bound to phytochrome negates the dithionite acceleration of phytochrome's dark-reversion. Thus, FMN, for the elution of phytochrome from an Affi-Gel Blue column, must be free of lumichrome. Some modification of the Affi-Gel Blue method is also described. The modified procedure yields a large-molecular-weight phytochrome (from oat) in an electrophoretically pure form. The use of lumichrome as a probe for the structure and properties of phytochrome has been discussed briefly.
Enterprise integration using the agent paradigm: foundations of multi-agent-based integrative business information systems

Enterprise integration through integrated business information systems (IBIS) is necessary to achieve agility in the current age of hyper-competition. Multi-agent systems (MAS) provide a new paradigm for IBIS development. In this paper, we review the IBIS modeling and MAS literatures and find that the MAS paradigm provides an excellent approach for modeling and implementing IBIS systems. We synthesize these two bodies of literature and propose a conceptual framework for multi-agent-based integrative business information systems (MIBIS) and a unified set of eight orthogonal ontological constructs that are minimally required for any conceptual modeling grammar for the MIBIS bounded universe of discourse.
Mass renormalization in light-front Tamm-Dancoff QED.

A discussion of mass renormalization in the light-front Tamm-Dancoff approximation in QED is presented. The covariant mass counterterm, that is, one independent of external momenta and free from the infrared cutoff parameter, is obtained for an electron by the use of the transverse dimensional regularization method. The result coincides with the perturbative result. The mass counterterm so obtained enables one to obtain a relativistic equation for bound states. The mass counterterms for a hydrogen atom are also considered. We take the nonrelativisitic limit and the $S$-wave energy levels are obtained.
In vitro studies on the carcinogenic potential of orthodontic bonding materials.

Abstract Materials used for cementing of orthodontic braces as well as the already “cured” polymer prepared with these materials were tested for their ability to react with nucleic acids in vitro and in living cells in tissue culture. In vitro assays indicate that both the so-called “resin” solution and the solution containing the catalyst react with purified nucleic acids and increase their binding to cells. Addition of liver extracts containing activating enzymes may further enhance the reaction. In separate experiments carried out in this laboratory, a high degree of correlation has been found between the enhanced cellular attachment of DNA in the presence of various chemicals on one hand, and the ability of such chemicals to induce malignant growth in experimental animals on the other. Transforming DNA obtained from Bacillus subtilis was inactivated rapidly in the presence of either solution and the pattern of inactivation of individual markers was not different from that observed with alkylating carcinogens. Histidine-dependent mutants of Salmonella typhimurium treated with these two solutions reverted to histidine independence at a rate higher than in the untreated control. Human HeLa cells grown in tissue culture, exposed to these solutions and then extracted with phenol, yielded decreasing amounts of cellular DNA into the water phase, thus indicating formation of DNA-protein complexes. All these observations suggest that monomeric solutions used in orthodontic medicine for cementing may contain chemicals with carcinogenic potential. A polymer was prepared from these monomers according to the rules suggested by the manufacturer. No active ingredients were eluted from the cured polymer following its incubation in water. However, significant amounts of active material(s) were eluted with ethanol and even more with dimethyl sulfoxide. We suggest that appropriate precautions should be observed at the time of forming the bond inside the patient's oral cavity.
Late variation in ventricular function after myocardial infarction.

To assess the possible role of variables not related to early infarct artery reperfusion in predicting late changes in ventricular function after infarction, paired early (mean 6.6±3.5 days after admission) and late (12.7±7.0 months later) cross-sectional echocardiograms from 54 infarction survivors were retrospectively reviewed. Ejection fraction was calculated from digitized biapical echocardiographic views on a graphics tablet. Changes of 0.10 or more in LVEF were correlated with 23 clinical variables. By stepwise regression analysis, Q-wave infarction and low early LVEF independently predicted late improvement in function. Early high LVEF and interval infarction were the only independent predictors of late declines in function. Overall, when patients were indexed by early left ventricular systolic function, a pronounced late "regression to the mean" was noted with initially high values tending to fall and low values to rise (r= – 0.44, p
Perceptions of Risk from Industrial Pollution in China: a Comparison of Occupational Groups

As economic reforms have transformed the People’s Republic of China over the past several decades, rapid industrialization has resulted in air and water pollution problems that threaten the health of China’s citizens and damage the environment. Small-scale rural factories called “township and village enterprises” play a major role in China’s growing pollution problem. However, very little is known about how rural Chinese citizens perceive industrial pollution. This paper examines how community members in an industrial township in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan perceive the environmental risks associated with industrialization. The paper first focuses on identifying salient risks from pollution, as defined by local informants. Next, the risk perceptions of three occupational groups in the community (industrial workers, commercial and service sector workers, and farmers) are compared. In contrast to the common view that poor individuals and communities worry less about environmental problems, most...
The biology of Epstein-Barr virus: lessons learned from the virus and the host

Recent studies indicate that a large proportion of cytotoxic T cells are directed towards the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) during both acute infection and convalescence. The virus, in turn, has usurped cellular pathways to promote proliferation of infected cells and has pirated cellular genes into its genome to modulate the immune system to allow lifelong infection of humans. Analysis of the immune response to the virus is leading to novel therapies for EBV-associated malignancies, including the use of virus-specific cytotoxic T cell infusions.
A note on the impossibility of any future metaphysics

IN A recent article in this journal' Professor Hanson believes himself to have proved the impossibility of metaphysics. I am quite certain that he has done nothing of the sort. Professor Hanson argues: ". . . metaphysical arguments are necessarily trans-type. They proceed from statements concerning what must be the case to statements concerning what is the case, or vice versa. In short, they proceed from necessary propositions to contingent propositions-or vice versa."2 He then claims to demonstrate that trans-type inferences are impossible by deriving a contradiction from the supposition that a necessary proposition entails a contingent proposition. He concludes: "It is 49
Influence of supplemental vitamin C on postmortem protein degradation and fatty acid profiles of the longissimus thoracis of steers fed varying concentrations of dietary sulfur

The objective was to examine the effects of supplemental vitamin C (VC) on postmortem protein degradation and fatty acid profiles of cattle receiving varying concentrations of dietary sulfur (S). A longissimus muscle was collected from 120 Angus-cross steers assigned to a 3 × 2 factorial, evaluating three concentrations of dietary S (0.22, 0.34, and 0.55%) and two concentrations of supplemental VC (0 or 10 g h(-1)d(-1)). Increasing dietary S and VC supplementation (P<0.001) increased the percent polyunsaturated fatty acids of steaks. Addition of VC tended to increase (P = 0.09) both Fe and 2-thiobarbituric acid content of longissimus thoracis. Increasing S increased (P = 0.03) the proportion of 80-kDa subunit of μ-calpain. Addition of VC within the high S treatment increased (P = 0.05) the abundance of 76-kDa subunit of μ-calpain. Increasing S decreased troponin T degradation (P = 0.07) and protein carbonylation (P<0.01). Supplemental VC appears to alleviate negative effects of high S on autolysis of μ-calpain and protein degradation.
Study of the 10Be(d, p)11Be reaction at 25 MeV

The distribution of the single-neutron strength up to an excitation energy Ex = 7.0 MeV in 11Be was investigated with the 10Be(d, p)11Be reaction at Ed = 25 MeV. The 12+, g.s., 12−, 0.320 MeV and 1.785 MeV states are found to be excited with significant strength. The angular distribution for the 1.785 MeV state is typified by an orbital angular momentum transfer ln = 2. This together with other available data indicate that its spin is Jπ = (52)+. The spectroscopic factors for these three states are compared to the shell-model calculations of Teeters and Kurath and of Cohen and Kurath.
Advances in Gallium Arsenide Monolithic Microwave Integrated-Circuit Technology for Space Communications Systems

Future communications satellites are likely to use gallium arsenide (GaAs) monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) technology in most, if not all, communications payload subsystems. Multiple- scanning beam antenna systems are expected to use GaAs MMIC's to increase functional capability, to reduce volume, weight, and cost, and to greatly improve system reliability. RF and IF matrix switch technology based on GaAs MMIC's is also being developed for these reasons. MMIC technology, including gigabit-rate GaAs digital integrated circuits, offers substantial advantages in power consumption and weight over silicon technologies for high-throughput, on-board baseband processor systems. In this paper, current developments in GaAs MMIC technology are described,and the status and prospects of the technology are assessed.
Source-mask selection using computational lithography: further investigation incorporating rigorous resist models

Recent publications have emphasized the criticality of computational lithography in source-mask selection for 32 and 22 nm technology nodes. Lithographers often select the illuminator geometries based on analyzing aerial images for a limited set of structures using computational lithography tools. Last year, Biafore, et al 1 demonstrated the divergence between aerial image models and resist models in computational lithography. In a follow-up study 2 , it was illustrated that optimal illuminator is different when selected based on resist model in contrast to aerial image model. In the study, optimal source shapes were evaluated for 1D logic patterns using aerial image model and two distinct commercial resist models. Physics based lumped parameter resist model (LPM) was used. Accurately calibrated full physical models are portable across imaging conditions compared to the lumped models. This study will be an extension of previous work. Full physical resist models (FPM) with calibrated resist parameters 3,4,5,6 will be used in selecting optimum illumination geometries for 1D logic patterns. Several imaging parameters - like Numerical Aperture (NA), source geometries (Annular, Quadrupole, etc.), illumination configurations for different sizes and pitches will be explored in the study. Our goal is to compare and analyze the optimal source-shapes across various imaging conditions. In the end, the optimal source-mask solution for given set of designs based on all the models will be recommended.
Analysis of PFOA in dosed CD1 mice: Part 1. Methods development for the analysis of tissues and fluids from pregnant and lactating mice and their pups

The number of studies involving the analysis of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has increased recently because PFOA is routinely detected in human blood samples from around the world. Recent studies with mice have shown that dosing pregnant dams with PFOA during gestation gives rise to a dose-dependent mortality in the litters, a reduction in neonatal body weight for the surviving pups, and subsequent deficits in mammary gland development when compared to control animals. The actual body burdens of PFOA in dams and pups associated with these endpoints have not been determined, in part due to a lack of robust analytical methods for these matrices. The goal of the current study was to develop reliable methods with acceptable performance characteristics for the analysis of PFOA in several matrices relevant to pregnant mouse studies. Dam and pup serum, amniotic fluid, urine, milk, mammary tissue, and whole mouse pups were isolated for method development and analysis. The resulting method provided excellent accuracy (92.1-111%) and reproducibility (relative standard deviation 4.3-21%) making them very useful for future studies. These methods were then applied to dosed animal fluids and tissues in order to conduct a thorough evaluation of the pharmacokinetics in utero. Resulting tissue specific measurements of PFOA in serum, amniotic fluid, urine, milk, mammary tissue, and whole pup homogenate will be used to more completely describe the dose-response relationships for the most sensitive health outcomes and inform pharmacokinetic models that are being developed and evaluated.
Comparing sweep strategies for stochastic relaxation

Abstract The rate of convergence of various sweep strategies of stochastic relaxation for simulating multivariate Gaussian measures are calculated and compared. Each sweep strategy prescribes a method for chosing which coordinates of the random vector are to be updated. Deterministic sweep strategies in which the coordinates are updated according to a fixed order are compared to random strategies in which the coordinate to be updated is chosen through some random mechanism. In addition block updating, in which a few coordinates are updated simultaneously, is compared to single coordinate updating.
Effects of pH on cell fusion induced by electric fields

Electrofusion has recently become an important area of cell biology research. We studied the effects of pH of the cell medium on the electrofusion of human red blood cells. Cell fusion was monitored by observing the movement of a lipophylic dye between neighboring fused cells using a fluorescence microscope. The cells were first brought into close contact by dielectrophoresis. Fusion was then induced by three pulses of high-intensity electric field. Within minutes following the pulse application, many cells were observed to fuse together to form fusion chains of different lengths. We found that the optimal pH for cell fusion is around pH 7.5. At this pH, the fusion yield was highest (ranging from 57 to 81%) and the average number of cells within a fusion chain was also the largest. The dependence of cell fusion on pH is more sensitive at low than at high pH. The fusion yield was decreased by 40% when the pH was changed from 7.5 to 6.0, but there was only a 20% decrease in yield between pH 7.5 and 10.0 We suspect that the observed pH effects may be caused by a redistribution of fixed charges at the cell surface, or changes in amphipathicity of the surface proteins.
The Rules of Beeping: Exchanging Messages Via Intentional Missed Calls on Mobile Phones

This article explores the practice of "beeping" or "missed calling" between mobile phone users, or calling a number and hanging up before the mobile's owner can pick up the call. Most beeps are requests to call back immediately, but they can also send a pre-negotiated instrumental message such as "pick me up now" or a relational sign, such as "I'm thinking of you." The practice itself is old, with roots in landline behaviors, but it has grown tremendously, particularly in the developing world. Based on interviews with small business owners and university students in Rwanda, the article identifies three kinds of beeps callback, pre-negotiated instrumental, and relational and the norms governing their use. It then assesses the significance of the practice using adaptive structuration theory. In concluding, the article contrasts beeping with SMS/text messaging, discusses its implications for increasing access to telecommunications services, and suggests paths for future research.
RECOVERY OF PROTEIN AND CHLOROPHYLL FROM ALFALFA BY SIMULTANEOUS LACTIC ACID FERMENTATION AND ENZYME HYDROLYSIS (ENLAC)

Abstract Simultaneous lactic acid fermentation and enzyme hydrolysis by cell wall degrading enzymes ( ENLAC for short ) was tested for improving the recovery of cell content, such as protein and chlorophyll, from alfalfa. Alfalfa was ensiled with the addition of 1.0% ( wet weight ) of a variety of commercial enzymes or enzyme cocktails. The best result was achieved by the addition of a 1:1 mixture of Novo Viscozyme ( containing mainly hemicellulases, cellulases, and pectinases ) and Novo Celluclast 1.5 L or Genencore Cellulase 150 L ( containing T. reesei cellulases ). ENLAC improved the recovery of protein by 160%, chlorophyll by 240%. The same enzyme treatment in a 24-h reaction without ensiling resulted in only a 14% increase in protein recovery. ENLAC provided optimal acidic conditions for enzyme action, and due to the preservation of the plant material during ensiling, it made possible the efficient use of a low concentration of enzymes during a longer reaction time, compared to conventional 24-h enzyme treatments.
Endoscopic endonasal resection of anterior skull base meningiomas and mucosa: implications for resection, reconstruction, and recurrence.

Background Meningiomas of the anterior skull base are attractive tumors for resection via an endoscopic endonasal route. The use of the vascularized Hadad-Bassagasteguy nasoseptal flap has dramatically reduced the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak rate—the veritable Achilles heel of this surgical approach. Benign meningiomas, however, can erode through the nasal mucosa—the very same mucosa that is used to reconstruct the anterior cranial fossa floor. The goal of this study was to describe the presence of meningioma invasion into the mucosa in patients who underwent endoscopic endonasal resection of ventral skull base meningiomas. The implications of this finding are discussed with respect to resection, reconstruction, and recurrence. Patients, Materials, and Methods This is a retrospective review of three patients who underwent endoscopic endonasal complete resection of ventral skull base meningiomas. Surgically excised tissues were processed for routine histopathological analysis. Results A complete resection of the bone, dura, and tumor was performed in all three cases. Both patients with visual deficits improved. The first patient to undergo endoscopic surgical resection developed a CSF leak, but the later two patients with larger tumors did not. Histopathological analysis demonstrated mucosal invasion by World Health Organization (WHO) grade I meningioma in two of the three cases. Conclusion Ventral anterior skull base meningiomas can invade through bone into the mucosa. Because the endoscopic endonasal resection of these meningiomas often requires the use of a vascularized nasoseptal flap to minimize CSF leak complications, it is possible that the nasoseptal flap itself may be compromised by tumor tissue. The creation of the nasoseptal flap should take the findings of this study into consideration to minimize late recurrence.
Design, Fabrication, Characterization, and Evaluation of X-ray Detectors Based on n-type 4H-SiC Epitaxial Layer

Progress of high resolution radiation detectors requires the fabrication of radiation detectors that are capable of reliable, long term non-degrading operation at elevated temperatures under high doses of ionizing radiation. One of the semiconductor materials upon which such detectors can be based on is silicon carbide (SiC). The substantial advances in the development of SiC technology over the last 25 years have made it possible to develop almost all the basic types of semiconductor devices including radiation detectors based on SiC. Diode-type detectors fabricated using SiC epitaxial layers perform well in high-resolution detection of low penetration depth radiation (i.e. alpha, beta, soft x-rays). Available SiC epilayers have a maximum thickness in the order of 100 μm with a residual n-type doping ~ 10 cm that limits the depth of the depletion layer (detector’s active region) to less than 100 μm at reasonable bias voltages. This poses a limitation in the detection of high energy x-rays and γ-rays by this type of detectors. An alternative type of SiC detectors utilizes bulk semi-insulating SiC crystals. These crystals can be grown by physical vapor transport (PVT) or high temperature chemical vapor deposition (HTCVD) methods. At present the resolution of the detectors based on PVT-grown SI SiC is not adequate presumably due to high density of defects and deep level centers, implying that further quality improvement of PVT-grown SiC crystals is necessary. Past studies of
A survey of sequences of central subgraphs

Because vertices most central with respect to the center (minimax distance) criterion and the median (minisum distance) criterion can be arbitrarily far apart even in trees, several sequences of central sets have been introduced. Each such sequence is based on an underlying concept that shows the center and median to be part of a spectrum of centrality measures, and several such sequences are examined. The difference between the median criterion and the centroid (maximin voting) criterion is also described, and a centroid-to-median sequence is defined for arbitrary graphs.
Why Is A Systemic View Of Health Financing Necessary

The mobilization of funds for health care has gained prominent attention around the world. Billions of dollars in new funds are flowing into health care in low- and middle-income countries. Sadly, this money might not be transformed into efficient and effective health care to help poor and vulnerable people in these countries unless nations take a systemic approach to health care financing. This paper outlines key health policy issues and argues that choosing health care financing methods with integrated institutional arrangements and payment systems is critical to providing equitable, efficient, and effective health care for all.
No evidence of mutations in the genes for type I and type II 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta HSD) in nonclassical 3 beta HSD deficiency.

Nonclassical 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta 5-delta 4-isomerase deficiency (NC3 beta HSDD) has been diagnosed in hyperandrogenic women with an increasing frequency during the last 14 yr. Fifteen menarcheal women with androgen excess syndrome, diagnosed with NC3 beta HSDD previously were restudied, in 12 after discontinuation of glucocorticoid treatment, in 2 patients never treated with glucocorticoids, and in 1 both before and after glucocorticoid therapy. Each of the 15 patients underwent ACTH stimulation testing, in some cases on multiple occasions. Although some (very few) patients seem to have improved with time, others remained the same or got worse. Molecular DNA analysis was also performed in 6 of the patients, using the strategy successfully used to detect point mutations in the type II 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta HSD) gene, which are responsible for classical 3 beta HSD deficiency. This strategy consists of the direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction-amplified DN...
Density profiles of temperature-sensitive microgel particles

We have performed small angle neutron scattering measurements (SANS) on dilute aqueous dispersions of polymer microgel particles as a function of temperature, T . The microgel particles are spherical crosslinked assemblies of a loose gel network of a poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) polymer. When the temperature is raised beyond a critical temperature, T(lc) approximately 32 degrees C , the polymer becomes more strongly attracted to itself than the solvent, and the microgel particles contract. The measured form factor, F (q) , for dilute suspensions of uniform microgel particles exhibits many peaks that are characteristic of solid polymer nanospheres. The position and amplitude of the peaks as a function of wave number, q , provide insight into the density profile of poly-NIPAM within the microgels. These peaks can be described well over a wide range of temperature by a model of the polymer density within the particles that is constant up to an inner radius, R1 , and decreases linearly to zero at an outer radius, R2 .
Diffraction from stepped surfaces: I. Reversible surfaces

Abstract In electron or atom diffraction experiments on surfaces, the angular shapes of the diffracted beams depend upon the distribution of steps over the surface. In this paper we analyze diffracted beam profiles from stepped surfaces that are reversible. A reversible surface is one in which the pair correlation function over the surface is symmetric with respect to positive and negative directions. We show that the intensity profile across a diffracted beam can be separated into a sharp central spike due to the limit of the correlation function at large separation plus wings or shoulders due to the finite extent of the step disorder. Simple functional expressions for these angular profiles are obtained by a Markov method of treating a one-dimensional geometric distribution of steps. The result explicitly displays the deep structure found for the general case. The method reduces the calculation to a simple eigenvalue problem so that even the continuously changing step distributions that occur in epitaxial growth can be treated easily. As in the general case, the resulting intensity profile is a sharp central spike plus a step-broadened term which now is a sum of Lorentzians. The widths of the Lorentzians are the logarithms of the eigenvalues of the matrix of probabilities which describe the step distribution over the surface. This matrix method, which treats the surface as a Markov chain, also points the correct way to account for correlations between surface atoms for two-dimensional distributions of steps. For a two-dimensional surface one must consider a Markov Random Field as opposed to a simple multiplication of two one-dimensional results. We compare the results of the general calculation to the Si epitaxy experiments of Gronwald and Henzler. The coverage and momentum transfer dependencies of the shapes of the calculated profiles agree with their measurements. The calculation is also applied to the RHEED measurements of Van Hove et al. during GaAs MBE. The measured intensity oscillations can be accounted for by a cyclically changing one-dimensional geometric distribution of steps among three layers in which the third-layer scattering increases with time.
The economic impact of taxes on refined petroleum products in the Philippines

Abstract This paper uses an aggregate modelling approach to assess the impact of taxes on refined petroleum products on the Philippine economy. The effects of removing the 48% tax on premium and regular gasoline and the 24% tax on other refined petroleum products on prices and quantities are examined. For example, the consequences of a complete elimination of refined petroleum product taxes would be an increase in output by all producing sectors of about 3.7% or about 2.65 hundred billion Philippine pesos, a rise in the consumption of goods and services by about 13.6% or 4.2 hundred billion Philippine pesos, a rise in lower tax revenue for the government of 62.4% or 2.8 hundred billion Philippine pesos. When subjected to sensitivity analyses, the results are reasonably robust.
Congenital abdominal aortic aneurysm in the infant: case report and review of the literature.

Congenital abdominal aortic aneurysms are a distinct entity from acquired aortic aneurysms. The authors present the case of a 6-week-old boy with a 6-cm aneurysm involving the abdominal aorta and common iliac arteries. Three other cases of congenital aortic aneurysms are reviewed, and an approach to these rare patients is discussed. J Pediatr Surg 36:657-658.
Luminescence in GaN

Abstract This paper contains a brief survey of the major studies done thus far on GaN. This wide gap material offers the possibility of generating light over a large range of wavelength, including the visible and the near ultraviolet. Various aspects of material synthesis, optical properties, and electroluminescent device performance will be reviewed.
Measurements of atomic sodium in flames by asynchronous optical sampling: theory and experiment

Asynchronous optical sampling (ASOPS) is a pump-probe method for the measurement of species concentrations in turbulent high-pressure flames. We show that rapid measurement of species number density can be achieved in a highly quenched environment by maintaining a constant beat frequency between the mode-locking frequencies of the pump and the probe lasers. A model for the ASOPS method based on rate equation theory for three- and four-level atoms is presented. A number of improvements are made to the basic ASOPS instrument, which result in a greatly enhanced signal-to-noise ratio. Atomic sodium is aspirated into an atmospheric pressure C(2)H(4)/O(2)/N(2) flame and detected with the ASOPS instrument. When excited-state lifetimes are fitted by using the ASOPS theory, a 3P((1/2),3/2) ? 3S((1/2)) quenching-rate coefficient of 1.72 x 10(9) s(-1) and a 3P(3/2) ? 3P((1/2)) doublet-mixing rate coefficient of 3.66 x 109 s(-1) are obtained, in excellent agreement with literature values. ASOPS signals obtained over a wide range of pump and probe beam powers validate the rate equation theory. Improvements are suggested to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, since the present results are limited to laminar flows.
Politics and Environment in America: Partisan and Ideological Cleavages in Public Support for Environmentalism

(2001). Politics and Environment in America: Partisan and Ideological Cleavages in Public Support for Environmentalism. Environmental Politics: Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 23-48.
The Application of Geometric Constraint Programming to the Design of Motion Generating Six-Bar Linkages

This paper looks at the application of Geometric Constraint Programming (GCP) to the synthesis of six-bar planar linkages. GCP is a synthesis method that relies on the built-in geometric capabilities of commercial solid-modeling programs to produce linkage designs while operating in the “sketch” mode for these programs. GCP provides the user with the opportunity to create mechanisms in their entirety at multiple design positions.The complexity of analyzing potential defects (such as circuit or branch defects) within a six-bar mechanism poses significant challenges to the user who might try to design such a mechanism in a single step. The methods presented in this paper apply GCP in a stepwise manner to create six-bar linkages that are less likely to suffer from defects than if they were created in a single step. Stepwise approaches are presented for six-bar mechanisms designed to solve a problem involving rigid-body guidance (motion generation). The linkages considered include the Stephenson I, II, and III chains, as well as the Watt I six-bar. The Watt II six-bar is not included since this mechanism’s application to rigid-body guidance can be handled by GCP methods previously developed for four-bar linkages.Copyright © 2012 by ASME