cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changing patterns of degree selection among women: 1970–78

This study compares the patterns of degree selection among women in the years 1970–71 and 1978–79. The selection pattern for women is compared with that of men; the rate at which the representation of women in a field of study changes is judged by an index of rate of change; and the redistribution of women among fields of study is analyzed. The changes in patterns of degree selection are described from several explanatory perspectives.
Improved reflectance retrieval from hyper- and multispectral imagery without prior scene or sensor information

We describe improvements to a recently developed VNIR-SWIR atmospheric correction method for hyper- and multispectral imagery, dubbed QUAC (QUick Atmospheric Correction). It determines the atmospheric compensation parameters directly from the information contained within the scene using the observed pixel spectra. The newest implementation of QUAC is based on the assumption that the average reflectance of a collection of diverse material spectra, such as the endmember spectra in a scene, is effectively scene independent. This enables the retrieval of reasonably accurate reflectance spectra even when the sensor does not have a proper radiometric or wavelength calibration, or when the solar illumination intensity is unknown. The computational speed of the atmospheric correction method is significantly faster than for the first-principles methods, making it potentially suitable for real-time applications on aircraft and spacecraft. QUAC is applied to a diverse collection of hyper- and multispectral data sets and the results are compared to those obtained with the physics-based atmospheric correction code FLAASH (Fast Line of sight Atmospheric Analysis of Spectral Hypercubes).
Ethnic differences in self-reported functional status in the rural south: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Objective. We examined ethnic differences in self-reported functional status in a rural, population-based sample in North Carolina. Methods. Data from 1,197 African-American and Caucasian participants, aged 45 and older, in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project were analyzed using multiple logistic regression to examine ethnic differences in difficulty performing tasks of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and in risk factor profiles associated with difficulty. Results. Forty-three percent reported difficulty in one or more HAQ tasks. African-Americans were more likely than Caucasians to report difficulty performing 3 tasks (P < 0.04); these differences were minimal after adjustment for confounders. For some tasks, risk factor profiles included body mass index in African-Americans only, and age and female gender more often in Caucasians. Low educational attainment was part of the risk factor profile for walking in African-Americans. Conclusions. Differences in proportions of African-Americans and Caucasians reporting difficulty in performance of HAQ tasks were minimal, but risk factor profiles for difficulty appeared to vary by ethnicity.
The quest for inexpensive, compact, low phase noise laser sources for fiber optic sensing applications

A systematic comparison of the phase noise performance for commercial off-the-shelf solid-state and semiconductor laser technologies is presented. Specifically these technologies include, Nd:YAG lasers, Er-doped fiber lasers, external cavity semiconductor lasers, and semiconductor DFB lasers. In addition to the measured phase noise performance, price, output power, size, and other important variables for these different laser systems will be compared. Relative to previously published results, the phase noise performance of inexpensive external cavity semiconductor lasers has improved dramatically in recent years, now rivaling that of Er-doped fiber lasers.
Proteomic and targeted qPCR analyses of subsurface microbial communities for presence of methane monooxygenase

The Test Area North (TAN) site at the Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls, ID, USA, sits over a trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminant plume in the Snake River Plain fractured basalt aquifer. Past observations have provided evidence that TCE at TAN is being transformed by biological natural attenuation that may be primarily due to co-metabolism in aerobic portions of the plume by methanotrophs. TCE co-metabolism by methanotrophs is the result of the broad substrate specificity of microbial methane monooxygenase which permits non-specific oxidation of TCE in addition to the primary substrate, methane. Arrays of experimental approaches have been utilized to understand the biogeochemical processes driving intrinsic TCE co-metabolism at TAN. In this study, aerobic methanotrophs were enumerated by qPCR using primers targeting conserved regions of the genes pmoA and mmoX encoding subunits of the particulate MMO (pMMO) and soluble MMO (sMMO) enzymes, respectively, as well as the gene mxa encoding the downstream enzyme methanol dehydrogenase. Identification of proteins in planktonic and biofilm samples from TAN was determined using reverse phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with a quadrupole-time-of-flight (QToF) mass spectrometer to separate and sequence peptides from trypsin digests of the protein extracts. Detection of MMO in unenriched water samples from TAN provides direct evidence of intrinsic methane oxidation and TCE co-metabolic potential of the indigenous microbial population. Mass spectrometry is also well suited for distinguishing which form of MMO is expressed in situ either soluble or particulate. Using this method, pMMO proteins were found to be abundant in samples collected from wells within and adjacent to the TCE plume at TAN.
Inotropic and lusitropic effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide in the heart

Previous studies have demonstrated positive-inotropic effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), but the mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, two experiments were performed to determine th...
Aging, non-ergodicity, and Lévy statistics for blinking nanocrystals

We briefly review phenomenological properties of the intermittency behavior of blinking nanocrystals (i.e., quantum dots). Special emphasis is given to the properties of intensity correlation function that exhibit behaviors mentioned in the title. We discuss models which can be used to explain the strange kinetics of the blinking nanocrystals.
Private Conflict and Policy Passage: Interest‐Group Conflict and State Medical Malpractice Reform

James Madison argued in Federalist 10 that “rival political factions” work against the public good. In contrast to Madison's pessimistic account, I suggest that factional conflict can lead to more representative public policy, and thus further the will of the people. I theorize that elected officials often seek a safe political position—one that corresponds to the preferences of the public at large—during periods of high conflict. I assess this theory in one, salient policy area, medical malpractice. I measure conflict with contributions for state candidates given by (i) the health and insurance industries, which generally support malpractice laws, and (ii) lawyers, who frequently oppose the laws. I find that group conflict matters to policy outcomes. I also find evidence that, under conditions of elevated conflict, adopted policies are more likely to move toward the general ideological preferences of the public at large. These results suggest that group conflict affects both the quantity and character of policy in the American states.
Fabrication of a night guard for an ERA implant overdenture

For patients treated with implant prostheses, an implant overdenture may be the restoration of choice.1-3 However, occlusal contact of the implant superstructure with the opposing dentition may occur on removal of the overdentures. Contact of the opposing occlusion or prosthesis with the superstructure may cause patient discomfort and possible implant abutment wear in patients with a single overdenture and a history of parafunction.4 Wear of an ERA metal matrix (APM Sterngold, Attleboro, Mass.) on implant abutments or the opposing dentition, for example, may occur if not properly prevented.5 The manufacturer of ERA attachments offers a rubber cap to reduce irritation caused by the abutment. Putting such caps on ERA overdenture abutments could be inconvenient for a patient with bruxism and multiple implants, and the task could be difficult for some elderly patients. Moreover, these small components could be dropped and/or accidentally swallowed. For these reasons, implant night guards5,6 for implant overdenture abutments may be indicated. A simple method of fabricating such a night guard is presented.
Life History Theory as a Powerful Framework for Clinical Psychology

In the target article, Del Giudice (this issue) offers a bold and provocative new framework for the field of evolutionary psychopathology that, if substantiated, may have far-reaching implications ...
Non-acidic supraesophageal reflux associated with diffuse alveolar damage and allograft dysfunction after lung transplantation: a case report.

Advances in lung transplantation have improved 1-year survival rates, but allograft dysfunction continues to be a significant cause of post-transplant death. Diffuse alveolar damage is an early indication of allograft dysfunction and has been linked to gastroesophageal reflux. We report a case of diffuse alveolar damage–associated allograft dysfunction in a patient found to have significant non-acid gastroesophageal reflux.
EXPERIMENTAL TEST IN LOWLAND TROPICAL FOREST SHOWS TOP‐DOWN EFFECTS THROUGH FOUR TROPHIC LEVELS

Approximately 50% of the variation in productivity in lakes is hypothesized to depend upon the cascading effects of top predators. A relative paucity of evidence for such trophic cascades in terrestrial systems has prompted proposals that resource availability (donor control) is more critical than are top-down forces in structuring terrestrial communities, and that trophic cascades with top-down dominance will be restricted to systems of low species diversity. To test the effects of a fourth trophic level on successive lower trophic levels under different levels of plant resource availability, we used Piper ant-plants and their associated arthropods as a model system in lowland, tropical rain forest. This interacting web of four trophic levels is composed of small trees, various herbivores, predaceous ants, and specialist clerid beetles as predators of ants. Three-hundred-sixty Piper cenocladum cuttings were randomly assigned to 36 plots with a factorial design: predator treatment (three levels), light treatment (two levels), and soil type (two levels). We monitored indicators of ant-colony size (percentage petioles occupied per tree), herbivore loads (leaf area loss), and tree biomass (total leaf area per tree) for 18 mo. When the top predator Tarsobaenus letourneauae was added experimentally to the three-trophic-level ant-plant system, the average abundance of Pheidole bicornis ants was reduced fivefold, average herbivory to Piper cenocladum leaves was increased nearly threefold, and tree leaf area was reduced by nearly half. Direct effects of predatory beetles on ants were more pronounced and more rapid than were indirect effects accumulating to the second and first trophic levels. Bottom-up effects of light and soil quality tended to be mitigated by these top-down cascades. Neither potential leaf-area accumulation by trees nor actual leaf area (left after herbivory) showed a direct response to relatively high or low availability of soil nutrients or light at different sites.
Finite element analysis of interface cracking in sliding contacts

Abstract The sliding failures of the Au/Ni/Cu multilayer structure used in electrical contacts have been found to be related to interfacial delamination. In this paper a plane strain finite element model for the growth of an interface crack in an elastic-plastic two-layer half-space is presented for a sliding contact. The elastic theories of interface cracking are briefly reviewed and the limitations of elastic solutions to the present problem are discussed on the basis of the finite element calculations. The elastic-plastic analysis has shown that the size of the plastic zone around the crack tips is comparable to the crack length and the coating thickness. Plastic deformation at crack tips expands primarily in two directions as predicted by a slip line field for a closed interface crack. The crack tip sliding displacement (CTSD), a measure of the growth rate of a closed interface crack, is calculated. Both the surface sliding friction and the crack face friction are found to have significant effects on the plastic zone size and the CTSD. The surface sliding friction tends to increase the plastic zone size and enhance the relative displacement of the crack faces in the direction of the friction force. The crack face friction, by contrast, considerably reduces the plastic zone size and the CTSD. The implications of these findings are also discussed.
Tissue Stretch Induces Nuclear Remodeling in Connective Tissue Fibroblasts

Studies in cultured cells have shown that nuclear shape is an important factor influencing nuclear function, and that mechanical forces applied to the cell can directly affect nuclear shape. In a previous study, we demonstrated that stretching of whole mouse subcutaneous tissue causes dynamic cytoskeletal remodeling with perinuclear redistribution of α-actin in fibroblasts within the tissue. We have further shown that the nuclei of these fibroblasts have deep invaginations containing α-actin. In the current study, we hypothesized that tissue stretch would cause nuclear remodeling with a reduced amount of nuclear invagination, measurable as a change in nuclear concavity. Subcutaneous areolar connective tissue samples were excised from 28 mice and randomized to either tissue stretch or no stretch for 30 min, then examined with histochemistry and confocal microscopy. In stretched tissue (vs. non-stretched), fibroblast nuclei had a larger cross-sectional area (P < 0.001), smaller thickness (P < 0.03) in the plane of the tissue, and smaller relative concavity (P < 0.005) indicating an increase in nuclear convexity. The stretch-induced loss of invaginations may have important influences on gene expression, RNA trafficking and/or cell differentiation.
On acceleration parameters for the odd-even hopscotch method

Abstract By analyzing the hopscotch iteration as a composite, three-level, time marching scheme on fixed lines, an alternate approach to obtaining Gourlay's prediction [1] of an optimal value for the convergence parameter R = τ h 2 is provided. In some cases this analysis allows rapid convergence to be achieved through choice of a larger set of acceleration parameters.
Robust fault detection of turbofan engines subject to adaptive controllers via a ToMFIR technique

This paper provides a new design of robust fault detection for turbofan engines with adaptive controllers. The critical issue is that the adaptive controllers can depress the faulty effects such that the actual system outputs remain the pre-specified values, making the fault detection difficult. In addition, observer-based fault-detection strategies are not always reliable because the observer gain may be selected large due to the consideration of stability, robustness or performance, leading to the size of output estimation errors, which are used as fault-detection residuals, small. To solve this problem, the Total Measurable Fault Information Residual (ToMFIR) technique is adopted to detect faults in turbofan engines with adaptive controllers. To this end, a bank of systems, each corresponding to a particular fault, is formulated by reorganizing the considered uncertain engine model. Each system in the bank is first transformed into two subsystems. Then, a ToMFIR is designed for the disturbance-free subsystem to generate a fault-detection residual. In this manner, a bank of ToMFIR's is constructed to detect a specific fault source. The advantage of such a design is that all of ToMFIR's in the bank will together declare the occurrence of a single fault. This design is a ToMFIR-redundancy-based robust fault detection. Detailed design process of the ToMFIR's is presented and a turbofan engine model is simulated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed ToMFIR-based fault-detection strategy.
Interaction of Zyxin, a Focal Adhesion Protein, with the E6 Protein from Human Papillomavirus Type 6 Results in Its Nuclear Translocation

Zyxin, a focal adhesion molecule, interacts specifically with the E6 protein from human papillomavirus (HPV) type 6 in a yeast two-hybrid screen of a cDNA library prepared from human keratinocytes. Zyxin does not interact significantly with E6 proteins from HPV types 11, 16, or 18. The interaction was confirmed by in vitro and in vivo analyses and it requires the LIM domains (Lin-11, Isl-1, and Mec-3 [G. Freyd, S. K. Kim, and H. R. Horvitz, Nature 344:876–879, 1990]) found at the carboxyl terminus of zyxin. Cotransfection of E6 from HPV (6E6) and zyxin results in the accumulation of zyxin in the nucleus where it can function as a transcriptional activator. 6E6 can also mobilize endogenous zyxin to the nucleus.
The ocular secretory immune system of the rat

Ocular tissues and tears of adult male rats were examined for the presence of immunoglobulins (Ig) and secretory component (SC). By immunofluorescent analysis, we found the highest density of Ig-containing cells in the exorbital (lacrimal) gland. In contrast, few if any Ig-containing cells were observed in the conjunctiva or Harder's gland. IgA was the most frequent cell-associated isotype identified in the exorbital gland, and the number of IgA-containing cells was much greater than that of IgM- or IgG-containing cells. With respect to IgG, cell counts were fairly evenly distributed among the various subclasses. No IgE-containing cells were detected in ocular tissues. SC was identified exclusively within the acinar cells of the exorbital gland. In tears, IgA was the predominant isotype and occurred almost entirely in the polymeric form. Of the IgG subclasses, IgG 2a was present in the greatest concentration. Only trace amounts of IgG 2b were found, and IgG 1, IgG 2c and IgM could not be detected. The level of free SC in tears was relatively high, compared to the concentration of free SC reported in other mucosal secretions. These results suggest that the exorbital gland is the primary tissue associated with the ocular secretory immune system of the rat. Furthermore, our findings indicate that rat tears contain components that may provide immune defense for the ocular surface.
Disorders of Potassium: Hypokalemia

Hypokalemia is defined as a serum [K+] <3.5 mEq/L. The important causes of hypokalemia can be divided into five major categories: (1) dietary, (2) K+ uptake by cells (transcellular), (3) renal loss, (4) gastrointestinal loss, and (5) skin loss (Table 15.1).
New evidence on the causes of slave and crew mortality in the Atlantic slave trade.

The journals of slave ship surgeons of the 1790s are used to address questions on the relative importance of African conditions versus those on ships crowding the effectiveness of Dolbens Act and the interaction between slave and crew health. In contrast with previous work we find that most slaves who died did so near the middle of the voyage. Crowding was important to health and mortality but the restrictions of Dolbens Act did little to reduce losses. The crew was largely isolated from patterns of disease among slaves. (EXCERPT)
Where do dispersion curves end? A basic question in theory of excitable media

We use our recent exactly solvable model of excitable media with nondiffusive control kinetics to study periodic wave trains in an excitable medium. We explicitly find restitution and dispersion curves for such a medium that are protocol independent. We also introduce an approximate stability criterion for periodic waves, which is based on the solitary pulse stability. Using our analytical periodic solutions as the initial conditions in our numerical experiments we demonstrate that this criterion indeed determines the minimal wavelength and propagation velocity below which both a solitary pulse and a periodic wave train quickly die.
Clinical performance of an in-line point-of-care monitor in neonates.

Objective. To evaluate the bias, precision, and blood loss characteristics of an ex vivo in-line point-of-care testing blood gas and electrolyte monitor designed for use in critically ill newborn infants. Study Design. Study participants included consecutive neonates with an umbilical artery catheter (UAC) in use for clinical laboratory testing. The in-line monitor (VIA LVM Blood Gas and Chemistry Monitoring System, VIA Medical, San Diego, CA) was directly connected to the participant9s UAC and the monitor9s determinations of pH, Pco2, Po2, sodium, potassium, and hematocrit (Hct) were compared with those simultaneously drawn and measured with a standard bench top laboratory instrument (Radiometer 625 ABL; Radiometer America, Inc, Westlake, OH). The bias (the mean difference from the reference method) and precision (1 standard deviation of the mean difference) performance criteria of the in-line monitor were derived using standard laboratory procedures. Results. Sixteen neonates monitored for a total of 37 days had a total of 229 paired blood samples available for comparison by the 2 methods. Bias and precision performance characteristics of the in-line monitor were similar to reports of other point-of-care devices (ie, pH: −.003 ± .024; Pco2: .35 ± 2.84 mm Hg; Po2: .39 ± 7.30 mm Hg; sodium: .52 ± 2.34 mmol/L; potassium: .17 ± .18 mmol/L; and Hct: .61 ± 2.80%). The range of values observed for each parameter included much of the range anticipated among critically ill neonates (ie, pH: 7.15–7.65; Pco2: 25–75 mm Hg; Po2: 25–275 mm Hg; sodium: 127–150 mmol/L; potassium: 2.6–5.5 mmol/L; and Hct: 32%–60%). Mean blood loss (± standard deviation) per sample with the in-line monitor was approximately one-tenth that of the reference method: 24 ± 7 μL versus 250 μL, respectively. There was no evidence of hemolysis and no patient related safety issues were identified with use of the in-line monitor. Conclusions. Repeated laboratory testing of critically ill neonates using an ex vivo in-line monitor designed for use in neonates provides reliable laboratory results. The blood loss and hemolysis data obtained suggests that this monitoring device offers potential for reducing neonatal blood loss—and possibly transfusion needs—during the first weeks of life. Before this promising technology can be routinely recommended for care of critically ill neonates, greater practical experience in a variety of clinical settings is needed.
Regulation of Geological Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been actively developing needed regulations over the last two years for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Technical criteria are about to be published in the form of a proposed regulation. The waste packages, underground facility, and geologic setting form the major elements of any geologic repository and the basis of a multibarrier system. Performance objectives and supporting technical criteria have been developed for each of these repository elements to provide benchmarks for scientists and engineers working in each of these major areas. 9 refs.
Transdifferentiation of vocal-fold stellate cells and all-trans retinol-induced deactivation.

The maculae flavae of the human vocal folds include dense extracellular matrices and compacted cells with a stellate morphology. These vocal-fold stellate cells are thought to participate in the metabolism of extracellular matrices essential in maintaining vocal-fold viscoelasticity required for phonation. We have isolated and cultured these new cells and have tested the hypothesis that they maintain a distinct cellular and biochemical phenotype. We have compared proliferation rates, changes on immunophenotype, and intracellular lipid and vitamin A storage. Vocal-fold stellate cells undergo culture-induced transdifferentiation to a myofibroblast-like phenotype with an altered phenotype resembling, but not identical to, activated hepatic and pancreatic stellate cells. Our results reveal that these cells are capable of responding to exogenous all-trans retinol in culture. Exposure to this synthetic co-factor causes deactivation characterized by decreased proliferation, loss of the activated stellate cell marker, α-smooth muscle actin, and restoration of intracellular lipid and vitamin A metabolite storage. These data establish a new and distinct cellular target for future investigations of the viscoelastic properties of the vocal-fold mucosa during normal phonation, aging, vocal-fold scarring, laryngeal fibrosis, and myofibroblastoma.
CYP24A1 and CYP27B1 Polymorphisms, Concentrations of Vitamin D Metabolites, and Odds of Colorectal Adenoma Recurrence

Development of colorectal adenoma and cancer are associated with low circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels. However, less is known regarding colorectal neoplasia risk and variation in CYP27B1 or CYP24A1, genes encoding the enzymes responsible for the synthesis and catabolism of 1α,25-hydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D]. This study examined associations between CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 polymorphisms, circulating 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D concentrations, and colorectal adenoma recurrence in a pooled sample from 2 clinical trials (n = 1,188). Nominal associations were observed between increasing copies of the T allele in CYP24A1 rs927650 and 25(OH)D concentrations (P = 0.02); as well as colorectal adenoma recurrence, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 1.30 (0.99–1.70) and 1.38 (1.01–1.89) for heterozygotes and minor allele homozygotes, respectively (P = 0.04). In addition, a statistically significant relationship between CYP24A1 rs35051736, a functional polymorphism, and odds for advanced colorectal...
Using Wireless Handheld Computers to Seek Information at the Point of Care: An Evaluation by Clinicians

Abstract Objective To evaluate: (1) the effectiveness of wireless handheld computers for online information retrieval in clinical settings; (2) the role of MEDLINE® in answering clinical questions raised at the point of care. Design A prospective single-cohort study: accompanying medical teams on teaching rounds, five internal medicine residents used and evaluated MD on Tap, an application for handheld computers, to seek answers in real time to clinical questions arising at the point of care. Measurements All transactions were stored by an intermediate server. Evaluators recorded clinical scenarios and questions, identified MEDLINE citations that answered the questions, and submitted daily and summative reports of their experience. A senior medical librarian corroborated the relevance of the selected citation to each scenario and question. Results Evaluators answered 68% of 363 background and foreground clinical questions during rounding sessions using a variety of MD on Tap features in an average session length of less than four minutes. The evaluator, the number and quality of query terms, the total number of citations found for a query, and the use of auto-spellcheck significantly contributed to the probability of query success. Conclusion Handheld computers with Internet access are useful tools for healthcare providers to access MEDLINE in real time. MEDLINE citations can answer specific clinical questions when several medical terms are used to form a query. The MD on Tap application is an effective interface to MEDLINE in clinical settings, allowing clinicians to quickly find relevant citations.
1998–1999 Patterns of Care Study process survey of national practice patterns using breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy in the management of Stage I-II breast cancer

Purpose: The Patterns of Care Study survey process evaluation has been an effective means of assessing the evaluation and treatment practices used by radiation oncologists in the United States for Stage I-II breast cancer. The current 1998–1999 report updates the previous 1989 and 1993–1994 analyses and reflects the recent changes in surgery and systemic therapy observed nationally in the management of early-stage disease. Methods and Materials: A weighted sample size of 71,877 patient records of women treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy (RT) was obtained from a stratified two-stage sampling of 353 patient records. These cases were centrally reviewed from academic and private radiation oncology practices across the United States. The data collected included patient characteristics, clinical and pathologic factors, and surgical and RT details. The results were compared with those of previous Patterns of Care Study survey reports. Results: Of the patients in the current survey, 97% had undergone mammography before biopsy. A review of the primary tumor pathologic findings indicated improved quantification of an intraductal component from 7.0% in 1993–1994 to 20.4% in 1998–1999 ( p = 0.01). The tumor characteristics were better defined, with estrogen and progesterone receptor measurement performed in 91.4% and 91.3% in the 1998–1999 survey vs. 83.7% and 80.3% in the 1989 survey, respectively ( p = 0.03 and p = 0.002, respectively). Axillary dissection was performed in 82.2% in the present survey compared with 93.6% in the 1993–1994 survey ( p = 0.0004); sentinel node biopsy was performed in 20.1% of the present cases. The use of CT for planning was increased in the current survey, with 22.9% cases CT planned vs. 9% in 1993–1994 ( p = 0.10). In the present survey, 100% had received whole breast RT. When a supraclavicular field was added, the dose was prescribed to a specified depth in 67.5% of cases, most commonly 3 cm. When an axillary field was added, the dose was generally prescribed to the mid-plane. Chemotherapy and tamoxifen was used in 36% and 55.8% of patients, respectively, in the 1998–1999 survey, representing a statistically significant increase compared with the 1993–1994 survey, despite comparable pathologic tumor size and nodal involvement. Conclusion: The present results demonstrate a high level of compliance of the sampled radiation oncology practices with current breast conservation standards and continued improvement in many categories compared with prior patterns of care study surveys. The estimates in the current survey after whole breast RT will serve as a benchmark against newer trends in breast cancer RT, such as partial breast RT.
Aldosterone antagonists improve ejection fraction and functional capacity independently of functional class: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Context Current guidelines recommend the use of aldosterone antagonists (AA) in patients with moderately severe to severe symptoms [New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III to IV] and systolic heart failure. Objective To determine the efficacy of AA in improving ejection fraction (EF) and functional capacity and to assess whether this effect was influenced by baseline NYHA classification. Study design Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Data extraction performed independently by two researchers. Data Sources MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library. Study Selection Prospective randomized controlled trials using AA were included if there was a clear description of the baseline NYHA classification and change in EF in patients from study initiation to completion. Results Data from 1,575 patients enrolled in fourteen studies were included. Overall, there was a weighted mean improvement in EF of 3.2% and in NYHA classification of 0.13 in subjects treated with AA when compared to controls (p Conclusions The results of this meta-analysis suggest that AA is associated with significant improvements in EF and functional class independent of baseline functional capacity. This supports and expands on the recently published EMPHASIS-HF trial and suggests that the current restriction of AA use to patients with NYHA class III-IV symptoms should be reconsidered.
Solving for manipulator joint rates in singular positions

Computing manipulator joint velocities and accelerations, given the end-effector Cartesian rates (velocities and accelerations), is complicated by the singular positions the manipulator can assume along a trajectory. At such configurations the Jacobi matrix that relates Cartesian end-effector rates to joint rates cannot be inverted. Geometric approaches in solving for joint rates yield expressions that are indeterminate at such configurations. It is shown that exact solutions for the joint rates can be obtained in most singularity situations if the system of differential kinematic relations is properly partitioned. A solution methodology is developed and illustrated by an example. >
Atypical growth on MRI in a case of Ewing's sarcoma despite lower SUV on PET.

Ewing’s sarcoma is a rare primary bone malignancy of small round blue cells. Treatment typically consists of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgical resection, and adjuvant chemotherapy. The disease response to chemotherapy can be followed with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET), which measures the metabolic activity of the tumor, and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which measures tumor size. We present a unique case in which the tumor grew in size following neoadjuvant chemotherapy but decreased in metabolic activity, making it difficult to judge efficacy of the chemotherapy. An atypical response to chemotherapy in this case caused tumor growth due to a fibrotic reaction while viable tumor cells were eradicated. This case highlights the ability of FDG-PET scan to identify the uncommon situation in which a tumor that increased in size may have had a favorable response to chemotherapy. This possibility should be considered in similar cases in which FDG-PET scan shows diminishing metabolic activity despite tumor growth.
Kelvin waves on oceanic boundaries

The primitive Kelvin wave (on a rotating, semi-infinite, plane sheet of water of uniform depth bounded by a vertical wall) is corrected for the effects of the Earth's curvature, the reduction in depth over the continental shelf, and bends in the coastline. The results are of interest for coastal propagation of the tides; numerical examples are given for the California coastline. It is found that the Earth's curvature reduces the wave speed south of Cape Mendocmo by 8–10% (the possible range for other coastlines is roughly ± 15%) and that the continental shelf reduces the wave speed by 2−8%. The off-shore mass transport (which vanishes identically for the primitive Kelvin wave) induced by curvature and/or the shelf also is calculated. The analysis of Packham & Williams (1968) for diffraction of a Kelvin wave by a corner is extended to obtain explicit results for the phase of the transmission coefficient. It is found that a sustained change in the direction of the coastline may induce a phase shift of the order of an hour (1·3 hours for the bend at Cape Mendocino), but that small distortions of the coastline without a sustained change in direction have negligible effects on the transmitted Kelvin wave at tidal frequencies.
New nonlinear signatures in spectroscopy and imaging

Ultrafast laser pulse shaping makes it possible to observe nonlinear signatures, such as self phase modulation and sum frequency absorption, at safe laser powers for tissue. Neuronal activation and melanoma diagnosis are two early targets.
Iron regulatory protein-2 knockout increases perihematomal ferritin expression and cell viability after intracerebral hemorrhage

Iron is deposited in perihematomal tissue after an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and may contribute to oxidative injury. Cell culture studies have demonstrated that enhancing ferritin expression by targeting iron regulatory protein (IRP) binding activity reduces cellular vulnerability to iron and hemoglobin. In order to assess the therapeutic potential of this approach after striatal ICH, the effect of IRP1 or IRP2 gene knockout on ferritin expression and injury was quantified. Striatal ferritin in IRP1 knockout mice was similar to that in wild-type controls 3 days after stereotactic injection of artificial CSF or autologous blood. Corresponding levels in IRP2 knockouts were increased by 11-fold and 8.4-fold, respectively, compared with wild-type. Protein carbonylation, a sensitive marker of hemoglobin neurotoxicity, was increased by 2.4-fold in blood-injected wild-type striata, was not altered by IRP1 knockout, but was reduced by approximately 60% by IRP2 knockout. Perihematomal cell viability in wild-type mice, assessed by MTT assay, was approximately half of that in contralateral striata at 3 days, and was significantly increased in IRP2 knockouts but not in IRP1 knockouts. Protection was also observed when hemorrhage was induced by collagenase injection. These results suggest that IRP2 binding activity reduces ferritin expression in the striatum after ICH, preventing an optimal response to elevated local iron concentrations. IRP2 binding activity may be a novel therapeutic target after hemorrhagic CNS injuries.
Commitment in friends with benefits relationships: Implications for relational and safe‐sex outcomes

The present research sought to explore the antecedents and consequences of commitment in the context of friends with benefits relationships (FWBRs). Data collected from an Internet sample of participants (all of whom currently had an FWBR) revealed that these relationships do indeed uniquely combine aspects of both sexual relationships and friendships. In addition, results indicated that satisfaction, investment, and alternatives were predictive of commitment, consistent with the antecedent factors specified by the Investment Model of C. E. Rusbult (1980). Moreover, high commitment was associated with desiring a transition into a more interdependent relationship (i.e., a true romance), as well as reduced condom use during intercourse. These findings have both theoretical and practical relevance to understanding relationship transitions and safer sex practices across many different types of partnerships.
Frontiers of Research on Work and Retirement

The shifting boundary between work and retirement and the always-emergent features of retirement practice create a wide opportunity for scholarship and research. After an overview of the scope of retirement research, this article articulates 4 areas that deserve special attention in the present historical circumstance: studies of the form and timing of retirement exits, the labor market for older workers, the quality of pensions, and the experience of retired life. The field should be wary of prescribing regimes of behavior for late careers and retirement that many people are unsuited to fulfill.
Subband based classification of speech under stress

This study proposes a new set of feature parameters based on subband analysis of the speech signal for classification of speech under stress. The new speech features are scale energy (SE), autocorrelation-scale-energy (ACSE), subband based cepstral parameters (SC), and autocorrelation-SC (ACSC). The parameters' ability to capture different stress types is compared to widely used mel-scale cepstrum based representations: mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) and autocorrelation-mel-scale (AC-mel). Next, a feedforward neural network is formulated for speaker-dependent stress classification of 10 stress conditions: angry, clear, cond50/70, fast, loud, lombard, neutral, question, slow, and soft. The classification algorithm is evaluated using a previously established stressed speech database (SUSAS) (Hansen and Bou-Ghazale 1997). Subband based features are shown to achieve +7.3% and +9.1% increase in the classification rates over the MFCC based parameters for ungrouped and grouped stress closed vocabulary test scenarios respectively. Moreover the average scores across the simulations of new features are +8.6% and +13.6% higher than MFCC based features for the ungrouped and grouped stress test scenarios respectively.
Globalization and Ideology The Competing Images of the Contemporary Japanese Economic System in the 1990s

The convergence argument in the debate on globalization regards globalization as a structural change. Globalization, however, is as much a structural change as a social construction - an imagined o...
MANAGING MUNICIPAL SERVICES IN AN ERA OF DECUNING FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

Federal aid to local governments was cutback throughout the Reagan administration. In dealing with these revenue cutbacks, ex-recipients have a variety of options, to find new sources of revenue or reduce expenditures. Based on the perspectives of local government budget officials and environmental data, this study attempts to determine which governments will be most successful in minimizing service cutbacks in this environment. Using a cross-sectional analysis and data concerning federal revenue sharing, we find both support and differences for many predictors found in previous case-studies of fiscal stress. The differences likely stem from the new cutback environment. This study illustrates that management strategies under fiscal decentralization are strategic and not haphazard.
INCENTIVE COMPATIBILITY AND SYSTEMATIC SOFTWARE REUSE

Abstract Systematic software reuse has emerged as a promising route to improved software development productivity and quality. Many large corporations have initiated systematic reuse programs, and many reuse frameworks have been developed to guide organizations in these efforts. Yet, in spite of this, systematic reuse in practice has been difficult to achieve. In this paper we argue that a key inhibitor has been the incentive conflict inherent in traditional programs of reuse. We reach this conclusion based on an analysis of interview data gathered from 15 projects across eight different sites in a company once viewed as a leader in the reuse movement. We found that one key contributor to the absence of widespread systematic reuse in this firm was a perception among project teams that reuse was incompatible with prevailing project team priorities and incentives, such as to complete projects on time and within budget. Based on this finding, we undertake a survey of different approaches to establishing reuse described in the literature, and analyze them to determine whether incentive incompatibility is inherent in the nature of software reuse for larger organizations. We conclude that it is not, and provide guidance on how such organizations can design an incentive-compatible program of reuse, i.e., one that generates a climate in which developers and teams view reuse as having a more favorable “value proposition” according to the prevailing incentives operating at the team level.
Blood Glucose Levels in Young Chickens: The Influence of Light Regimes

Abstract Young male broiler-cross chickens, five to eight weeks of age were subjected to the following conditions: (1) ad libitum fed and exposed to a 12 hr. light—12 hr. dark lighting regime approximating the normal day light time of the outside environment; (2) fasted 12–31 hrs. and exposed to the same lighting regime as in (1); (3) ad libitum fed and exposed to continuous light or darkness; and (4) ad libitum fed and exposed to a lighting regime of 12 hrs. light and 12 hrs. dark, however, the initiation of the light period was 8 hrs. out of phase with the lighting regime employed in (1). Blood samples were drawn at various times and blood glucose levels determined for each sampling period. The data indicated a normal rhythmic pattern of blood glucose level (elevated during the period of illumination) in ad libitum fed, normally lighted birds and a reduced rhythmic pattern superimposed on the gradually declining blood level in the fasted birds exposed to the same lighting regime. Birds exposed to continuous light showed no rhythmic pattern. Exposure to continuous darkness resulted in an altered rhythm with an elevated period of possibly shorter duration than birds on a normal light regime (1). Birds on an out-of-phase lighting regime exhibited a response to the initiation of illumination similar to the birds in (1). However, these appeared to be a secondary influence of some other controlling factors as there was variation in the data collected indicating a non-uniform response of the birds tested. The conclusion that was drawn was that in other experiments where blood glucose level is used as a physiological indicator appropriate consideration must be given to conditions of feeding, lighting, and sampling time when designing experiments.
Sailors, Zielverkopers, and the Dutch East India Company: The maritime labour market in eighteenth-century Surat

In the second half of the eighteenth century, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) employed hundreds of Indian sailors in Surat in western India to man its ships plying the Asian waters. The Moorse zeevarenden (Muslim sailors) performed a variety of tasks on board ships and in the port of Batavia, and made it possible for the Company to carry out its commercial ventures across the Indian Ocean. The relationship between the two, however, was rather complex and even contentious. Based on Dutch sources, this article investigates the political-economic contexts of this relationship, examines the structure and organization of the maritime labour market in Surat, and illuminates the role and significance of zielverkopers (labour contractors) and of the local administration. The analysis of the social, economic, and familial aspects of the market and labour relations in Surat sheds light on pre-capitalist forms of labour recruitment and the institutional dynamics of the Indian labour market.
The cohesive energy of TiO2 (RUTILE)

Abstract We have calculated the cohesive energy of TiO 2 using the Born-Mayer model. The result is U = −2742.2 kcal/mole which may be compared to the experimental value of U = −2873±30 kcal/mole. This result indicates that the bonding in rutile is predominantly ionic, although some covalent contribution is present. An additional calculation using Ruffa's values for the ionic polarizabilities gave the value U = −3083.5 kcal/mole, an energy lower than the experimental value. This result yields the conclusion that Ruffa's polarizabilities are incorrect.
The yin and the yang of 5-lipoxygenase pathway activation.

The 5-lipoxygenase pathway is the source of potent pro-inflammatory mediators. More than 20 years ago, the details of the 5-lipoxygenase pathway began to emerge from seminal work performed by Borgeat and Murphy while they were working in the laboratory of Bengt Samuelsson ([Borgeat and Samuelsson,
Structure of poly(dA).poly(dT) is not identical to the AT rich regions of the single crystal structure of CGCGAATTBrCGCG. The consequence of this to netropsin binding to poly(dA).poly(dT).

Abstract The basic assumption of Dickerson and Kopka (J. Biomole. Str. Dyns. 2, 423, 1985) that the conformation of poly(dA)·poly(dT) in solution is identical to the AT rich region of the single crystal structure of the Dickerson dodecamer is not supported by any experimental data. In poly(dA)·poly(dT), NOE and Raman studies indicate that the dA and dT units are conformationally equivalent and display the (anti-S-type sugar)-conformation; incorporation of this nucleotide geometry into a double helix leads to a conventional regular B-helix in which the width of the minor groove is 8A. The derived structure is consistent with all available experimental data on poly(dA)·poly(dT) obtained under solution conditions. In the crystal structure of the dodecamer, the dA and dT units have distinctly different conformations—dA residues adopt (anti, S-type sugar pucker), while dT residues belong to (low anti, N-type sugar pucker). These different conformations of the dA and dT units along with the large propeller twis...