cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A RETROSPECTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE ANALYSIS USING THE LUNG CANCER SYMPTOM SCALE IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH PALLIATIVE RADIOTHERAPY FOR ADVANCED NONSMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

Abstract Purpose: To measure palliation in patients treated with radiation therapy for advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: Five hundred thirty patients with NSCLC were treated at the Medical College of Virginia between 1988 and 1993. Sixty-three patients with the least favorable prognostic features received palliative radiation to 30 Gy in 10 or 12 fractions for symptoms related to the presence of intrathoracic tumor. The observer portion of the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS) was employed in a retrospective chart review, scoring measures of appetite, fatigue, cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and pain. Results: In 54 evaluable patients, median survival was 4 months and was independent of age, stage, performance status, or histology. Ninety-six percent of the patients had at least one LCSS symptom at presentation. Fatigue was unaffected by therapy. Improvements in appetite ( p = 0.68) and pain ( p = 0.61) were not statistically significant. There was, however, a statistically significant reduction in cough ( p = 0.01), hemoptysis ( p = 0.001), and dyspnea ( p = 0.0003). Self-limiting acute side effects included transient esophagitis in 37% of patients, though no severe toxicities were noted. Conclusions: These results suggest symptomatic benefit from radiotherapy even in those NSCLC patients with advanced disease and a limited life expectancy. Treatment should be given to patients whose symptoms are most amenable to palliation. A site-specific quality of life instrument such as the LCSS should be included within any future clinical trial of NSCLC management so that symptom control may be scored as a treatment outcome in addition to disease-free survival.
Studies of the Effect of Vitamin B12 on Hatchability

Abstract A VITAMIN B12 concentrate (Merck and Company) was reported by Lindstrom, Moore, Peterson and Wiese (1949) to increase the hatchability of fertile eggs from hens depleted of their stores of the animal protein factor. Olcese, Couch and Lyman (1949) reported highly variable hatchability results from feeding an APF concentrate (Lederle Laboratories) to hens depleted of the animal protein factor. Carver and McGinnis (1950) obtained a marked and rapid increase in hatchability with an APF supplement (Lederle Laboratories) comparable to that obtained with herring fish meal. Lillie, Olson and Bird (1949) found that, when eggs laid by hens deficient in vitamin B12 were injected with the crystalline vitamin, hatchability was improved. In view of the type of vitamin B12 supplements or the experimental techniques used by these research workers, studies were carried out to determine the effect on hatchability of injecting crystalline vitamin B12 into hens depleted of their stores of . . .
Circular dichroism during deacylation of methionyl-tRNAfmet and formylmethionyl-tRNAfmet from E. coli

Abstract Circular dichroism spectra were taken of [14C]met-tRNAfmet and [14C]fmet-tRNAfmet from E. coli at 37°C in 100 mM NaCacodylate, 10 mM MgCl2, pH 5.5 and 6.5, respectively, conditions in which deacylation proceeded at similar rates. Any difference between the two sets of spectra, which would have converged toward the spectrum of unacylated tRNAf, could have been interpreted as differences occurring between aminoacyl- and peptidyl-tRNA molecules in the A and P sites of ribosomes, as proposed by Woese. No differences could be detected; however, this result does not rule out the Woese model.
Text Messaging versus Talking on a Cell Phone: A Comparison of their Effects on Driving Performance

This study compared the effects of texting to other modes of responding on driving performance. While driving a simulator participants were instructed to categorize words appearing on billboards as...
Osmo-power. Theory and performance of an osmo-power pilot plant

A theoretical and experimental study of the production of useful energy by the natural process of osmosis is presented. Using the results of the study a conceptual design of an osomotic pilot plant is performed. The power produced by a 1.6 MW km−2 plant has a competitive cost with that produced by both fossil power plants and nuclear power plants.
Echo-Planar-Imaging Studies of Turbulent Flow

Abstract The dependence of the NMR signal from turbulent flow in echo-planar images on flow rate has been investigated for pipe flow, for Reynolds’ numbers up to 6300. The short imaging time possible using echo-planar images essentially “freezes” the random motion of turbulent fluids and permits the study of individual eddies and intermittency. By use of appropriate approximations, the magnitude signal can be related to the fluid velocity shear in one direction. Sequential images of pipe flow have been analyzed to characterize the temporal and spatial characteristics of pipe flow at, below, and above the onset of turbulence. These experiments show that echo-planar imaging may have unique advantages for the spatial mapping and temporal characterization of some turbulent flows.
A Practical Guide to the Morphological Development of Southern Flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma from Hatch Through Metamorphosis

Abstract Southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) larvae were cultured at 17°C and observations were made to describe the morphological development from hatch until the completion of metamorphosis. A complete nine-part staging scheme was described with diagrams to show how larvae transform from a pelagic form with eyes on opposite sides of the body to a benthic form with both eyes on the left side of the body. The descriptions track the development of features that are easy to identify under low power microscopy. Behavioral patterns are included for each stage, particularly as they pertain to feeding. Such a staging scheme will help hatchery managers monitor development and confirm normal morphology and behavior.
Human Cytochrome P450 Enzymes

In the past decade there has been considerable progress in the characterization of individual human P450 enzymes. These advances were initiated by early work on the purification of individual enzymes from human liver and other sources. The early work in the area was guided by a focus on the most abundant and easily purified enzymes.1–4It is now apparent, in retrospect, that these proteins were in the 2C and 3A families. Efforts were shifted to attempts to purify individual P450s on the basis of catalytic activities with the evidence that in some cases a single P450 could be identified in this way; e.g., the P450 now known as P450 2D6 was found to be under monogenic control. 5 The approach is technically demanding because of the need to do separations in the presence of detergents and then remove them before analysis of catalytic activity. Nevertheless, human P450s 1A1,6 1A2,7 2A6,8 2C8,9 2C9,9,10 2D67,11,12 2E1 13,14 3A4,15 3A5,16 4A11,17 and lanosterol 14α-demethylase18 were isolated in this general manner. Another approach that has been used, sometimes in a mode complementary to catalytic specificity, is purification on the basis of immunochemical similarity to animal P450s. 7,11,19,20
R&D towards cooling of the RHIC Collider☆

We introduce the R&D program for electron-cooling of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. This electron cooler is designed to cool 100 GeV/nucleon bunched-beam ion collider at storage energy using 54 MeV electrons. The electron source will be an RF photocathode gun. The accelerator will be a superconducting energy recovery linac. The frequency of the accelerator is set at 703.75 MHz.The maximum bunch frequency is 28.15 MHz, with bunch charge of 10 nC. The R&D program has the following components: The photoinjector, the superconducting linac, start-to-end beam dynamics with magnetized electrons, electron-cooling calculations and development of a large superconducting solenoid.
A Characteristic of Electron Emission Curves

DURING an investigation of the breakdown mechanism in vacuum, the pre-breakdown currents arising from copper and steel electrodes under alternating voltages were measured. The general form of the apparatus has already been described1. The total current, capacitive plus emission current, was measured by noting the voltage across a resistor of known value in the earth connexion of the low-voltage electrode. Once emission started, certain peaks of the voltage across the resistor increased in magnitude. The value of the emission current was found by subtracting the estimated capacitive current from the total current obtained from these peaks.
Language, learning, and linguistic competence of African American children: Torrey revisited☆☆☆★

Abstract This article reports on a two-part study of African American children's uses of various forms of the /-s/ suffix. Part 1 of the research consists of a careful replication of Torrey's (1972) experimental study to investigate the correlation between language and educational achievement. This replication study involved the administration of a series of pre- and posttest measures to determine surface-level uses of four /-s/ morphemes among 17 second-grade students. In addition to these assessment measures, a worksheet-based, explicit instructional program took place between the preand posttests in order to establish whether training could have the effect of bringing to a surface level the sibilant morphemes that might otherwise be hidden in the students' underlying grammar. Part 2 consisted of a replication of Torrey's study with a slight variation to her instructional component. This part of the study administered Torreýs pre- and posttest measures to a different group of 14 second-grade students, but provided a literature-based instructional program in which the students were taught the various /-s/ morphemes using multicultural and African American literature. Findings revealed that the explicit instructional approach was most useful when teaching some morphological concepts but a literature-based instructional approach was most useful when teaching others. These findings suggest the need to reflect diversity and flexibility in the design and implementation of assessment and instructional materials. The findings also suggest that decisions about teaching Mainstream American Academic English (MAAE) to speakers from diverse linguistic backgrounds should be based on students' overall patterns of linguistic competence rather than on observations of their language use in limited contexts. A number of implications for classroom practice are considered, including the need to develop links between studies in language and linguistic competence and the planning and implementation of learning programs.
Computational support for compelling story telling

This paper describes a digital theater installation call Buzz. Buzz consists of virtual actors who express the collective voice generated by blogs. These actors find compelling stories from blogs on the popular and contentious topics of the day and perform them. In this paper, we explore what it means for a story to be compelling and describe a set of techniques for retrieving compelling stories on a topic. We also outline an architecture for high level direction of a performance using Adaptive Retrieval Charts (ARCs), allowing a director level of interaction with the performance system. Our overall goal in this work is to build a model of human behavior on a new foundation of query formation, information retrieval and filtering.
Options in Breast Cancer Local Therapy: Who Gets What?

Today, women with primary breast cancer may consider three surgical options: breast-conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy (MT), and mastectomy with contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (MT + CPM). In each case, the ipsilateral axilla is generally managed with a sentinel node biopsy and possibly an axillary lymph node dissection. BCS generally requires breast radiotherapy, except in older women having tumors with a favorable prognosis who will receive endocrine therapy. In contrast, women treated with MT generally do not require radiotherapy, except for those with large tumors or metastases to the axillary nodes. Moreover, MT and MT + CPM are usually undertaken with breast reconstruction. Yet, most patients today are suitable candidates for BCS, with a few relative contraindications. Thus, early pregnancy, previous radiotherapy to the breasts, active collagen vascular disease, multicentric breast cancer, large tumors (although neoadjuvant systemic therapy can often reduce tumor size), and the presence of the BRCA mutation are all relative contraindications to BCS. BRCA mutation carriers should consider MT + CPM because their risk of contralateral breast cancer is greatly increased. In the U.S., the use of MT for the treatment of primary breast cancer has declined in recent years, while MT + CPM rates have increased, and BCS rates have remained relatively stable. The underlying reasons for these trends are not fully understood. Local therapy options should be discussed with each patient in considerable detail, and more studies are needed to better elucidate which factors influence a woman’s choice of local therapy following a breast cancer diagnosis.
Alkylacetylglycerophosphocholine effects on the metabolism of phospholipids in rabbit platelets: Effects of extracellular Ca2+ and prostacyclin

Abstract Alkylacetylglycerophosphocholine (AGEPC) stimulation of 32 P-labeled lysophosphatidic acid formation in washed rabbit platelets was dependent on extracellular Ca 2+ . Its accumulation was slower and required a higher concentration of AGEPC in comparison to the degradation of inositol phospholipids and production of phosphatidic acid induced by the same agonist. These results suggest that the formation of lysophosphatidic acid is not directly related to the primary activation of rabbit platelets by AGEPC. AGEPC elicited a preferential degradation of inositol phospholipids in the following order: phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate > phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate > phosphatidylinositol. The degradation of inositol phospholipids and subsequent production of phosphatidic acid were affected by pretreatment of platelets with prostacyclin or ethylene glycol bis(β-aminoethyl ether) N,N′ -tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Synergistic inhibitions of these metabolic changes were observed in the platelets pretreated with both prostacyclin and EGTA. These results were compared with effects of prostacyclin and EGTA on serotonin release induced by AGEPC, and the possible roles of metabolic changes in phospholipids induced by AGEPC are discussed with respect to the mechanism of platelet activation.
A Case of Jaundice of Obscure Origin

Idiopathic painless jaundice with significant elevations in serum transaminases, occurring in a previously healthy patient, invokes a circumscribed set of possibilities including viral hepatitis, auto-immune hepatitis (AIH) and drug-induced liver injury (DILI). In this described case, common causes of cholestatic jaundice were considered including drug-induced liver injury, viral causes of hepatitis, and auto-immune antibodies. Biliary obstruction was excluded by appropriate imaging studies. Liver biopsy was obtained, though not definitive. After detailed investigation failed to reveal a cause of the jaundice, an empiric trial of steroids was initiated on the possibility that our patient had antibody-negative AIH and not DILI, with an associated grave prognosis. Empiric treatment with prednisone led to rapid resolution of jaundice and to the conclusion that the correct diagnosis was antibody-negative AIH.
Dimensions of disclosures: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting by media companies

Abstract In this study, we examined the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and disclosures of major media companies in the United States. We conducted content analysis to analyze five dimensions of CSR disclosure: environment, community relations, diversity, employee relations and human rights, as well as their media CSR activities. Our findings showed that nine of the ten companies have engaged in different types of CSR activities. These companies’ CSR initiatives differ by the types of the company, and the size of the company also has influence on the reporting of CSR initiatives.
Fine Pitch Inductively Coupled Connectors for Multi-Gbps Pulse Signaling

We demonstrate multi-Gbps pulse signaling with 100um diameter coupled inductors across a substrate to substrate interface. This has application in realizing sub-mm pitch surface mount zero insertion force (ZIF) connector interconnect structures.
Indium arsenide films grown on aluminum oxide ceramic

Abstract Polycrystalline indium arsenide films have been grown on ceramic substrates using a chemical vapor transport technique. Proper temperature control during the heating portion of the growth cycle and a coplanar arrangement of the source and substrate promote the initial nucleation of the film growth. To obtain a high electron mobility in the films a large crystal size is required. This can be achieved by adjusting the heating rate. The film with the largest crystals, approximately 3 μm, and a thickness of 6·9 μm had a Hall mobility of 12,300 cm2/V sec at 1 kG and 295°K. These films generally have higher mobility than those obtained by vacuum evaporation. The Hall mobility is limited by film inhomogeneities as determined from temperature plots of mobility and of Hall coefficient, along with an analysis of the scattering mechanisms, crystal size, and magnetoresistance of the films.
On membrane diffusion with near-equilibrium reaction

An analysis is presented of the "facilitated" transport problem, involving steady diffusion through a finite membrane, accompanied by rapid and reversible, homogeneous chemical reaction. For the limit of infinitely fast reactions, the method of matched asymptotic expansions is used to analyze the asymptotic structure of the diffusion field, which is shown to consist of an "equilibrium core," together with "boundary-layer" reaction zones at the membrane boundaries. Asymptotic expansions are derived, which would in principle allow one to compute both the first- and second-order effects of departure from reaction equilibrium on the net rates of diffusion mass transfer. Several examples are considered, one of which is a model of oxygen diffusion through hemoglobin solutions, and some comparisons with analytical and numerical solutions are given.
Nanoscopic Rearrangement Of Outer And Inner Leaflet Membrane Proteins Due To Ige Receptor Cross-linking

Antigen-mediated cross-linking of immunoglobulin E (IgE) bound to its high affinity receptor FceRI on mast cells initiates a transmembrane signaling cascade that results in cell activation and exocytotic release of chemical mediators involved in allergic response. Plasma membrane lipids and proteins redistribute as part of this transmembrane signaling process. To understand the functional role of these redistributions, resolution of their size, composition and structure on the nanometer scale is required. We utilize high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to directly visualize sub-micron membrane domains in intact cell membranes. In our experiments, the distribution of gold-labeled proteins and lipids is analyzed at the surface of intact fixed cells using backscattered electron detection. In parallel, we also observe membrane topography using secondary electron detection. We use a pair-correlation function analysis to quantify protein distributions and parameterized domain size. We have mapped the distribution of a variety of proteins, both related and non-related to the IgE signaling pathway. Using this experimental and quantitative method, we observe dramatic changes in the nano-scale membrane distribution of IgE due to stimulation with multivalent ligands. In resting cells, IgE receptors are clustered into small domains of less than 30nm. Following receptor cross-linking, receptors are rapidly redistributed into large domains which are correlated at long length-scales. Additionally, we observe cross-linking dependent rearrangement of several inner leaflet-associated proteins that are implicated in early signaling events. In contrast, outer leaflet GPI-linked proteins are not affected. These findings demonstrate selective nanoscopic reorganization during the initiation of receptor signal transduction.
Further studies on neural tube defects caused by concanavalin A in early chick embryos.

Neural tube defects caused by concanavalin A in chick embryos are consequences of change in the cell surface of developing neuroepithelium.
Automatic target-shape recognition via deformable wavelet templates

A deformable wavelet template (DWT) is proposed for object shape description in this research. Wavelet templates offer not only the global information at lower scales but also local features at higher differential scales. It provides a natural tool for multiresolution representation and can be used conveniently in a hierarchical matching procedure. We first address three main processing steps in the DWT-based ATR system for feature extraction. They are: (1) image preprocessing and target shape extraction, (2) shape feature normalization and (3) wavelet decomposition. Then, a multiscale matching procedure is discussed. The performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated with extensive experimental results.
Allele-specific hybridization markers for soybean

Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the world’s most important crop plants due to extensive genetic improvements using traditional breeding approaches. Recently, marker-assisted selection has enhanced the ability of traditional breeding programs to improve soybeans. Most methods of assessing molecular markers involve electrophoretic techniques that constrain the ability to perform high-throughput analyses on breeding populations and germplasm. In order to develop a high-capacity system, we have developed allele-specific hybridization (ASH) markers for soybean. As one example, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) locus A519-1 (linkage group B) was converted into an ASH marker by (1) sequencing the pA519 cloned insert, (2) designing locus-specific PCR amplification primers, (3) comparative sequencing of A519-1 amplicons from important soybean ancestors, and (4) designing allele-specific oligonucleotide probes around single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among soybean genotypes. Two SNPs were identified within approximately 400 bp of the sequence. Allele-specific probes generated a 100-fold greater signal to target amplicons than to targets that differed by only a single nucleotide. The A519-1 ASH marker is shown to cosegregate with the A519-1 RFLP locus. In order to determine ASH usefulness, we genotyped 570 soybean lines from the Pioneer Hi-Bred soybean improvement using both A519-1 SNPs. Combined haplotype diversity (D) was 0.43 in this adapted germplasm set. These results demonstrate that ASH markers can allow for high-throughput screening of germplasm and breeding populations, greatly enhancing breeders’ capabilities to do marker-assisted selection.
Metropolitan Size and Corporate Merger Behavior

Firms' headquarters in larger urban areas are shown to be more active in the merger process and more likely to be predators than firms located in smaller places. The larger the metropolitan area, t...
Capitalism, State Economic Policy and Ecological Footprint: An International Comparative Analysis

This article examines the relationship between state economic policy and environmental performance. It tests the hypothesis that a greater reliance on free market policies leads to higher levels of resource use and pollution. This issue sits at the heart of much theoretical debate about the role of capitalism in environmental performance. The Economic Freedom Index is used as a measure of the degree to which states adhere to free market policies. Environmental performance is measured through the use of per capita ecological footprint, a measure that accounts for a broad range of resource use and pollution. Pooled time series analysis is used to examine economic policies and environmental performance in 110 countries from the years 1996 to 2003. The results indicate that free market policies are associated with greater ecological degradation, but that not all aspects of capitalism have this negative effect.
Childhood nocturnal enuresis: the prediction of premature withdrawal from behavioral conditioning.

Predictors of premature withdrawal from a 12-week program of behavioral conditioning for childhood nocturnal enuresis were examined for 47 children treated at a university outpatient clinic. All children were administered the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale; parents completed the 55-item Behavior Problem Checklist and the Tolerance Scale for Enuresis. Parents also reported the methods (i.e., random awakening, restriction of fluids, rewards,punishment, medication, other) previously used to control their child's wetting. A stepwise discriminant function analysis revealed that the function containing number of previous techniques used, presence of child behavior problems, and parent tolerance of enuresis was a significant predictor of early termination of treatment.
Exotic Organisms: A Dilemma for Conservation Biology

: Human-induced problems in resource conservation fall into three categories: (1) inappropriate resource use, (2) pollution, and (3) exotic organisms. Problems of resource use and pollution are correctable; exotic organisms are frequently permanent and may be the most pervasive influence affecting biodiversity in many systems, particularly on oceanic islands. Invasive exotic organisms often have effects far in excess of what might be predicted by equilibrium island biogeographic theory; a single exotic species may cause numerous extinctions in addition to altering the physical environment. Exotic organisms frequently cause environmental crises. In such crises, calls for more research are commonplace, but research results may be an unaffordable luxury, providing information only for the eulogy. Programs to eradicate exotic organisms provide an opportunity to combine good science and good conservation into functioning conservation biology. Resumen: Los problemas inducidos por los humanos en la conservacion de los recursos, caen en tres categoryias: (1) uso inapropiado de los recursos, (2) contaminacion, y (3) organismos exoticos. Los problemas del uso de los recursos y los de la contaminacion son corregibles; los organismos exoticos son con frecuencia permanentes y pueden ser la mas penetrante influencia que este afectando a la biodiversidad en muchos sistemas, particularmente en las islas oceanicas. Los organismos exoticos invasores producen con frecuencia efectos mucho mas alla de lo que puede ser predicido por la teoria biogeografica del equilibrio en las islas; una sola especie exotica puede causar numerosas extinciones ademas de alterar el medio ambiente fisico. Los organismos exoticos frecuentemente causan crisis ambientales. En estas crisis, las peticiones para mas estudios son comunes, pero los resultados de estas investigaciones podrian ser un lujo incostable puesto que la informacion que proveera sera solamente para la eulogyia. Los programas para la erradicacion de organismos exoticos proveen de una oportunidad para combinar buena ciencia con buena investigacion para hacer que la biologia de la conservacion sea funcional.
PET/CT Imaging of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

PET/CT imaging has become an important part of the evaluation of patients with many types of cancer. This imaging modality can also be used to image areas of active inflammation, such as those occurring in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis). The standard methods of determining a patient's disease activity are either indirect, such as blood and stool tests, or invasive, such as colonoscopy. FDG-PET imaging is a noninvasive, direct method of evaluating bowel inflammation and represents a significant advancement in the care of these patients. The PET/CT technique is very similar to that used for oncology imaging. Minor changes can be instituted to improve the accuracy, as well as to reduce the radiation exposure to the patient. This paper reviews the literature on the use of FDG-PET imaging in IBD in both the adult and pediatric populations. Future improvements in the technique should focus on decreasing the radiation dose to the patient and on decreasing the cost of the examination. The FDG-PET/CT technique is an excellent method for the noninvasive quantification of bowel inflammation in patients with IBD.
Dietary tryptophan and aging

This paper considers findings which may relate to whether there may be a correlation between dietary L-tryptophan and aging. Early studies had reported that animals fed a tryptophan-deficient diet showed increased longevity compared to controls. Although decreased serotonin levels due to the tryptophan-deficient diet was considered of importance for the increased longevity, a more likely explanation was decreased diet intake due to the deficient diet. Indeed, decreased diet consumption as well as decreased energy intake have been shown to lengthen the lifespan of animals. Greater quantitative assessment between the effect of a tryptophan-deficient diet and that of decreased energy intake needs to be obtained. Our recent findings that one mouse strain (NZBWF1), which is autoimmune susceptible and has a relatively short lifespan, demonstrate a significantly decreased binding affinity for L-tryptophan by hepatic nuclei when compared to other mouse strains are of much interest. These results stimulated us to reconsider the issue whether L-tryptophan itself may influence the aging process. Since L-tryptophan has a regulatory effect on hepatic protein synthesis which may be related to its binding to a specific nuclear receptor, much akin to what occurs with certain steroid hormones which are considered to be involved in the aging process, this review explores the possibility that L-tryptophan via its regulatory action may be of great importance and merits further investigation. This indispensible dietary component may have a vital regulatory control in the normal state and possibly also during the process of aging.
Genetic abnormalities in apolipoprotein B.

Recent studies have demonstrated that mutations in the apolipoprotein (apo-) B gene can cause significant alterations in blood cholesterol levels. A variety of apo-B gene mutations that prevent the translation of a full-length apo-B molecule can lead to low blood cholesterol levels. A missense mutation in the apo-B gene has been described that prevents the binding of the apo-B100-containing lipoproteins to the low-density lipoprotein receptor, thereby causing them to be cleared slowly from the plasma. This mutation results in high blood cholesterol levels. Analyzing the different apo-B gene mutations has increased our understanding of the wide variation in cholesterol levels in the general population and has increased our understanding of the structure and function of apo-B.
Expert systems in organizations: Legal and ethical considerations

Abstract Information technology is not only driving productivity worldwide, but also is creating many structural and processing changes within organizations. Alterations in people's work habits and in their relationships in the workplace create many questions, which may become critical organizational problems in the future if they are not identified early. These questions are ethical or legal in nature, and their understanding is vitally important Within the realm of artificial intelligence systems, a significant amount of attention is received by the domain of expert systems, which enhance or replace existing organizational decision‐making processes. This article highlights some of the basic considerations arising within the organizational setting as a result of expert systems utilization.
Ionization of liquid krypton by electrons, gamma rays and alpha particles

Abstract The charge and energy resolution response of liquid krypton to electrons, γ-rays and α particles was measured with pulsed ionization chambers. The best noise subtracted energy resolution obtained with a 207 Bi source was found to be 3.1% FWHM for 1 MeV electrons, and 2.3% FWHM for the 5.31 MeV α particles from 210 Po.
A Multi-Terminal Net Router for Field-Programmable Gate Arrays

This paper presents a router for routing multi-terminal nets in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The router does not require pre-assignment of routing channels, a phase that is normally accomplished during global routing. This direct routing approach greatly enhances the probability of routing (routability). The multi-terminal routing greatly reduces the total wire length as it approximates a Steiner tree. The total number of segments required to route the circuits is usually less as compared to other routing approaches. The router has generated excellent routing results for some industrial circuits. The memory requirements for this router are very low. The time needed for the routing is linear with respect to the size of the circuit.
Social capital and entrepreneurial growth aspiration: a comparison of technology- and non-technology-based nascent entrepreneurs ☆

Social capital is broadly described by researchers as an asset embedded in relationships—of individuals, communities, networks or societies [Admin. Sci. Q. 42 (1997) 339; Acad. Manage. Rev. 23 (1998) 242; Organ. Sci. 8 (1997) 109]. This study will build upon Nahapiet and Ghoshal's [Acad. Manage. Rev. 23 (1998) 242] three dimensions of social capital, including the structural, the relational, and the cognitive. The purpose of this research is to investigate (1) how the three dimensions of social capital interact among themselves in technology-intensive new ventures, (2) to what extent the interactions are different from those in the context of non-technology-based new ventures, (3) how the three dimensions of social capital influence the growth aspiration of the technology-based new ventures in a way that is different from non-technology-based ventures. We examined these questions using a data set from Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED) [Reynolds, P. (2000). National panel study of US business start-ups: background and methodology. In Databases for the study of entrepreneurship Vol. 4 (153–227) Greenwich, CT: JAI Press/Elsevier]. Results from structural equation modeling suggest that technology-based entrepreneurs benefit more from relational embeddedness—the freer and greater exchange of non-redundant information. Non-technology-based entrepreneurs benefit more from structural embeddedness—the extensiveness of social networks. Each dimension of social capital reinforces the creation of the other dimensions in technology-based new ventures, which in turn, contributes to entrepreneurial growth aspiration. Our findings suggest that the closure [Am. J. Sociol. 94 (1988) S95] and hole arguments [Burt, R.S. (1992). Structural holes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business Press; Admin. Sci. Q. 42 (1997) 339] are not as contradictory as they might seem. Implications and future research directions are proposed.
The Role of Cultural Meanings and Situated Interaction in Shaping Emotion

Cultures, institutions, and social roles powerfully shape affective experience. Four types of social affect—cultural sentiments, characteristic emotions, structural emotions, and consequent emotion...
6959 Eus/cus of rectal lesions: fna or emr?

EUS and catheter ultrasound (CUS) have been accurate in diagnosing and staging rectal and perirectal diseases. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) have been recently introduced. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy and limitations of FNA and EMR in assessing rectal and perirectal Diseases. Methods: Between January of 1998 and December of 1999, 23 patients were evaluated with EUS/CUS for rectal lesions. All patients were evaluated with CUS and standard EUS (Radial, Linear array or both). Results: A total of 23 patients (15 with mucosal and 8 with submucosal lesions) were identified. Table 1 and table 2 show the EUS/CUS results B= Benign; M=malignant; ND= non-diagnostic; EMR= Endoscopic mucosal resection; *= Nodular lesions: Tubular adenoma; hyperplastic polyp(2); inflammatory nodules; normal colonic mucosa. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 consisted of 15 patients with mucosal lesions. Group 2 consisted of 8 patients with SM lesions. The results of EUS/CUS were correlated with FNA and EMR if available. Conclusions: 1- FNA was accurate in assessing benign mucosal lesions. 2-FNA was accurate in diagnosing and staging malignancy in mucosal lesions. 3- EMR can be performed in limited mucosal and submucosal carcinoids. 4- EUS/CUS and FNA was as accurate as EMR. 5- Complications may occur in recto-vaginal cystic lesions.
Additive symmetric bijections on geometric structures

Abstract Motivated by their existence in the algebraic theory of quadratic forms we define and study additive symmetric bijections on geometric structures. We give a construction of these bijections on IP-designs and then show that their existence on a design is equivalent to the design arising as the points and hyperplanes of a projective geometry. Using additive symmetric bijections we then develop a combinatorial framework for the study of finitely generated Witt rings.
EFFECT OF AN EARLY DISCHARGE PROGRAM ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRIMARY CARE VISIT (PCV) AND EMERGENCY ROOM (ER) USE. • 625

EFFECT OF AN EARLY DISCHARGE PROGRAM ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRIMARY CARE VISIT (PCV) AND EMERGENCY ROOM (ER) USE. • 625
Examination of the computational model for the layer-removal method for residual-stress measurement

An analytical solution is presented to examine the accuracy of the ‘layer-removal’ method for measuring localized residual stresses. In this approach, strips, which may have been cut from a pipe or a plate, have strain-gage rosettes placed on one face and layers removed from the other face. The strain measurements are used to deduce the residual stress in the layers removed. The stress measured is that along the axis of the strip. It may vary rapidly with axial distance, as for example when the strip is taken from a welded part. The present analysis shows that the actual stress distribution may be quite different from that predicted by the computational model normally used in the layer-removal method. It shows that the difference increases as the ratio of the heighth of the strip from which a layer is removed to the half dimensiona of the localized residual-stress zone increases. It is recommended that the layer-removal method can be used for measuring residual stresses for cases in which the ratio ofh/a is less than or equal to unity.
Simplified diffraction theory of the video disk

A simplified model is presented to describe the process of optically reading out a video disk. Although limited in versatility and accuracy, the model has the distinct advantage of not requiring computer solutions and of providing a direct physical insight into the diffraction mechanism of video disk readout. The model is semiquantitative in that predictions are in reasonable numerical agreement with more detailed methods of analysis and with experiments.
Response of an electrostatically actuated microbeam to drop-table test

In this work, we present a theoretical and experimental investigation into the response of an electrostatically actuated microbeam when subjected to drop-table test. For the theoretical part, a reduced-order model based on an Euler-Bernoulli beam model is utilized. The model accounts for the electrostatic bias on the microbeam and the shock pulse of the drop-table test. Simulation results are presented showing the combined effect of electrostatic force and mechanical shock in triggering early pull-in instability of the cantilever microbeams. Dynamic pull-in threshold as a function of the mechanical shock amplitude is shown over wide range of shock spanning hundred of thousand of g's up to zero g. For the experimental part, a micromachined cantilever beam made of gold of length 50 microns is subjected to drop-table tests while being biased by electrostatic loads. Several experimental data are shown demonstrating the phenomenon of collapse due to the combined shock and electrostatic forces. It is demonstrated also that by biasing short and too stiff microbeams with electrostatic voltages, their stiffness is weakened. This lowers their threshold of collapse considerably to the range of acceleration that enables testing them with in-house shock testing equipments, such as drop table tests.
Relationship between Fracture Surface Roughness and Fracture Behavior of Cement Paste and Mortar

Fracture surfaces of cement and mortar specimens were characterized using a confocal microscope to create three-dimensional computer-based topographic maps. The texture of the fracture surfaces was quantified using image analysis techniques to compute a roughness parameter and fractal dimension. Total porosity, pore-size distribution, compressive strength, and fracture properties of the specimens were determined and compared with the roughness parameter. Fracture properties were determined by notched-beam tests and the results were analyzed both by using conventional linear elastic fracture mechanics as well as a compliance-based approach that incorporated R-curve type of behavior. A positive correlation between fracture surface roughness and fracture toughness was demonstrated.
Piezo-Electric Terminology

The following familiar terms are first recapitulated: direct and converse piezo-electric effects, longitudinal and transverse effects, longitudinal, transverse, flexural, and torsional vibrations. It is suggested that when the bending of a bar or plate is involved, the term "flexural" rather than "transverse" be adopted. With reference to quartz crystals, the terms "X-cut" and "Y-cut" are recommended in place of "Curie cut" and "thirty-degree cut" for plates perpendicular tothe X and Y axes respectively. It is suggested that the terms "X-waves," "Y-waves", or "Z-waves" be applied to waves of mechanical vibration the direction of propagation of which is parallel to the X, Y, or Z axis respectively, whatever the mode of vibration. For the quantity "meters per millimeter," the name wave-constant, to be designated by the symbol h, is recommended. Brief mention is made of the simpler types of vibration of Rochelle salt plates. A piezo-electric resonator is defined as any device that may be excited piezo-electrically into resonant vibration at one or more frequencies. In a more restricted sense the term is also applied to such a device when so connected as to exert no appreciable controlling effect upon the applied frequency through its reaction. A piezo-electric stabilizer controls over a narrow range the freqquency of a circuit which already oscillates, while a piezo-electric oscillator controls the frequency of an oscillating circuit which in the absence of the crystal would not oscillate. The same crystal may of course function in any one of the three ways, depending upon circuit conditions.
Consols, Financial Stability, and Pax Britannia

This paper identifies a sharp decline in the volatility of consol prices after the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815. The volatility of consol returns drops by more than half after 1815 and our empirical testing confirms a long period of remarkable stability that includes the entire Victorian era at the height of the Pax Britannia. Over our 1729-1959 sample period significant shifts in the consol series, reflecting military events and monetary and fiscal policy shifts, are concentrated in the period between the Seven Years' War and Waterloo. There are no outliers between 1816 and 1914.
Distributed traffic control for reduced fuel consumption and travel time in transportation networks

This paper proposes a distributed framework for optimal control of vehicles in transportation networks. The objective is to reduce the balanced fuel consumption and travel time through hybrid control on speed limit and ramp metering rate. The dual decomposition theory associated with the subgradient method is then applied in order to decompose the optimal control problem into a series of suboptimal problems and then solve them individually via networked road infrastructures (RIs). Coordination among connected RIs is followed in each iteration to update the individual controls. An example is demonstrated to verify the reduction in terms of fuel consumption and travel time using the proposed approach.
Return Migration of Japanese-Brazilians to Japan: The Nikkeijin as Ethnic Minority and Political Construct

In June 1990, Japan implemented a new immigration policy. The new policy, while making it illegal to hire undocumented foreigners, grants to second generation (Nisei) and third generation (Sansei) ...
Digital data collection in forest dynamics plots

Summary 1. Computers are widely used in all aspects of research but their application to in-field data collection for forest plots has rarely been evaluated. 2. We developed digital data collection methods using ESRI mapping software and ruggedized field computers to map and measure 30 000 trees in two 4-ha forest dynamics plots in wet and dry tropical forest in Hawaii. We then compared our data collection and entry effort with published values for other forest dynamics plots with the same tree measurement protocols to estimate the efficiency of our methods relative to the more typical use of paper data collection sheets. 3. In-field data collection effort was comparable for all plots. However, use of digital methods resulted in an average 11AE8% reduction in total effort due to reduced secondary data entry time. 4. The digital data collection methods described in this article can be applied to a wide range of ecological projects, especially long-term research or monitoring projects where mapping can be integrated into data collection.
An environment for high energy physics code development

Abstract As the size and complexity of high energy experiments increase there will be a greater need for better software tools and new programming environments. If these are not commercially available, then we must build them ourselves. This paper describes a prototype programming environment featuring a new type of file system, a “smart” editor, and integrated file management tools. This environment was constructed under the IBM VM/SP operating system. It uses the system interpreter, the system editor and the NOMAD2 relational database management system to create a software “shell” for the programmer. Some extensions to this environment are explored.