cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Results from the energetic gamma-ray experiment telescope on the Compton gamma-ray observatory

The energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) has the capability of exploring the high energy plasma gamma ray range from approximately 30 MeV to 30 GeV with a sensitivity considerably greater than earlier gamma-ray satellite telescopes. The dominant radiation from the high energy gamma ray sky is the diffuse radiation along the galactic plane. Thus far, five pulsars have been detected and their properties measured. The high energy gamma rays appear to be an increasing fraction of the total emitted electromagnetic radiation as the age of the pulsar increases up to one million years. Observations of one solar flare event showed that there was strong evidence for long-term trapping of relativistic solar nuclei in the solar vicinity for at least 10 hours. Regarding the gamma ray bursts of unknown origin, high energy gamma rays have been seen following a burst for over an hour, with energies in the GeV range and even higher in the case of two individual gamma rays. The observation of the Small Magellanic Cloud appears to answer finally the long open question of whether the bulk of the cosmic rays are galactic or pervade some much larger volume on the side of their being galactic. Over 30 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN's) have been seen in high energy gamma rays with high probability thus far including quasars and BL Lac objects, but no Seyfert galaxies. Time variations have been detected in many of these AGN's.
Community College-University Partnership: An Innovative Approach Toward Educating Tomorrow's Public Health Workforce

The Institute of Medicine and The Educated Citizen and Public Health Initiative suggest that an understanding of public health is a core component of an educated public and is necessary to develop social responsibility (Association of American Colleges and Universities [AACU National Research Council, 2003). To respond to this call, the University of New Hampshire collaborated with faculty from the New Hampshire Community College System to introduce the public health field through a course called Global Public Health Issues. This article will discuss the development, implementation, and evaluation of a public health course between a two-year and four-year college. It will also discuss the potential for such a partnership and public health course to encourage life-long learning and a commitment to social responsibility, allow for new course/major/minor development in public health, enable faculty to expand their expertise, broaden the attractiveness of two-year colleges, and introduce a vocation-b...
Extended Pascal Triangles

The Pascal triangle, with its associated properties, binomial coefficients, and Fibonacci numbers, is surely among the most familiar mathematical objects. Its "extended" versions, which arise in a fairly natural way, have entries and properties that are the natural generalizations of the original, and although not commonly known, are in many ways equally usefuil and interesting. In what follows we introduce these extended triangles and discuss a few of their properties and applications. The extended Pascal triangle, Tl,,, is the (left-justified) array of coefficients in the expansion of (1 + x + x2 + xx"'-), for m n > O. These arrays may have been first explicitly discussed by J. E. Freund in a 1956 paper [1], where they arise in the solution of a restricted occupancy problem. There are no references to any previous similar development in that paper, and no connection with a generating function. N. Ya. Vilenkin's 1971 book on combinatorics [2, Chap. 5] discusses these generalizations (there called m-arithmetical triangles), in this case arriving at them through chessboard problems; again, they'are not connected with a generating function, and there are no references to previous work. S. J. Turner introduced these triangles (there called Pascal-T triangles, a name now also frequently used) in a 1979 paper [3] on a probability problem. In 1984 [4] and 1986 [5] the author proved a number of theorems on the counting properties of these arrays and gave examples of their use in combinatorics and reliability theory. Some problems related to the kinds of results discussed in this paper recently appear (although without an explicit connection to these triangles) in a collection [6] of problems on combinatorics by I. Tomescu (see, e.g., such problems as 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.19).
Self-presentational concerns and social anxiety: The role of generalized impression expectancies

Abstract Two experiments examined the degree to which socially anxious people's interpersonal concerns reflect doubts about their personal self-presentational efficacy versus a generalized belief that people tend to evaluate others unfavorably. In the first study, subjects imagined how another person would evaluate them after a brief glance, after a 5-min conversation, or after a prolonged interaction. Compared to subjects low in social anxiety, socially anxious subjects thought they would be evaluated more megatively in every condition. In a second study, subjects were asked how a perceiver would evaluate either them or another person after a very brief, short, or long interaction. As before, anxious subjects thought they would be judged less favorably than less anxious subjects regardless of the length of the interaction. Importantly, socially anxious subjects indicated that perceivers would evaluate other people just as negatively, whereas low anxiety subjects thought they personally would be evaluated more positively than most other people. The implications of these findings for the growing literature on adaptive self-illusions is discussed.
Industrial electricity demand in New York State

Abstract We will discuss electricity demand in manufacturing industries in upstate New York. Empirical results are presented based on data obtained at the electric utility service area level for the years 1969–1981. The equations are based on a partial adjustment model including relevant input prices and industrial output by SIC group. The estimated coefficients have the expected signs and are for the most part, statistically significant. There is considerable variation in price and output elasticities among SIC groups and between service areas, which suggests that energy policy and industrial policy at the state level should be tailored to specific industries and perhaps to specific subregions within the state. Forecasts of industrial electricity demand are based on assumptions of prices and industrial output growth made by the utility companies themselves. A comparison of these forecasts with those made by the utility companies indicates that electricity demand forecasts are sensitive to the inclusion of alternative fuel prices and to the level of sectoral disaggregation.
pH regulation in single CA1 neurons acutely isolated from the hippocampi of immature and mature rats.

1. We used the pH-sensitive fluorescent dye 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5,6-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) to study the regulation of intracellular pH (pHi) in single pyramidal neurons freshly isolated from the hippocampal CA1 region of immature (2- to 10-day-old) and more mature (21- to 30-day-old) rats. 2. Whether isolated from immature or mature rats, neurons had a broad range of initial pHi values (6.3-7.7) when the cells were examined in solutions buffered with Hepes and no CO2/HCO3-. The initial pHi distribution for neurons isolated from immature rats was best fitted with a Gaussian distribution with a mean of 6.95. In contrast, the initial pHi distribution for neurons isolated from mature rats was best fitted with the sum of two Gaussian distributions with means of 6.68 and 7.32. 3. When neurons with a relatively low initial pHi in Hepes-buffered solutions were acid loaded, pHi recovered very slowly. Neurons with a relatively high initial pHi recovered rapidly. The rate constant for the exponential pHi recovery increased with initial pHi. All pHi recoveries required Na+. 4. Both for neurons with a relatively high (> or = 7.05) and a relatively low ( or = 7.25) were exposed to CO2/HCO3- and then acid loaded, Jtotal values were more than twice the highest values observed in neurons with lower initial pHi values. Neurons with a moderate initial pHi in Hepes (7.05-7.24) had Jtotal values, at comparable pHi values, that were approximately 2-fold greater than for neurons with a relatively low initial pHi (< 7.05). 8. Thus, freshly isolated CA1 neurons of both mature and immature rats have a wide range of acid-base properties. Those with higher initial pHi values in a Hepes buffer tend to have greater Jtotal values in both Hepes and CO2/HCO3-, and tend to have higher steady-state pHi values in CO2/HCO3-.
Effects of limestone dust on leaf condition, foliar disease incidence, and leaf surface microflora of native plants

Abstract The effects of continuous emissions of limestone dust from quarries and processing plants on leaf condition, foliar disease incidence and leaf surface microflora of native wild grapes, sassafras, and hemlock in a mountain valley in southwestern Virginia were investigated. Grape and sassafras leaves with moderate dust deposits had more fungal leaf spots than comparable leaves without visible dust deposits. Dusty grape and sassafras leaves were darker green in colour than leaves without dust deposits, but all were comparable in size. The terminal new growth of hemlocks with heavy dust deposits was greatly reduced in length when compared to terminal growth on hemlock trees without visible dust deposits. Second year needles of dusty hemlocks were frequently chlorotic. Dusty grape and sassafras leaves had greatly increased numbers, but not kinds, of bacteria and fungi when compared to clean leaves. Bacteria were greatly reduced in number on dusty hemlock leaves while fungi were increased. Streptomyces spp. were few in number and were isolated almost exclusively from dusty leaves. Streptomyces spp. were absent and bacteria and fungi were drastically reduced in kind and number on grape leaves heavily encrusted with dust.
Improvements in Active Appearance Model based synthetic age progression for adult aging

Normal adult aging in the face can drastically affect performance of face recognition systems. Synthetically generating age-progressed or age-regressed images for aiding recognizers is one method of improving the robustness of face-based biometrics. These synthetic age progressions may also aid human law enforcement and other applications. There has been wide interest in these techniques in recent years, and the use of Active Appearance Models (AAMs) for synthetic age progression has been shown to be a promising approach but has not yet been demonstrated on a large human population with wide variation. This paper presents improvements in AAM-based age progression that generate significantly improved visual results, taking into account a much wider gender, age, and ethnic range than published to date for age progression techniques.
Electrons in coupled vertical quantum dots: Interdot tunneling and Coulomb correlation

Interdot tunneling, lateral confinement, and Coulomb correlation determine how charge is transferred when a bias is applied between the dots in coupled quantum dot systems. The effective-mass Schr\"odinger equation for interacting electrons confined in coupled vertical double-dot systems is solved to study interdot charge transfer. The configuration-interaction method is used to explicitly include intradot and interdot electron correlation. The energy spectra, charge densities, and correlation functions for interacting two-electron systems in coupled dots are presented as functions of the applied bias between the dots. In small dots with strong lateral confinement, where the Coulomb energies are larger than the interdot tunneling resonances, the total charge on a dot changes in integer jumps as a bias is applied. Lateral correlation is inhibited by strong lateral confinement and charge tunneling out of a dot is uncorrelated to the charge remaining in the dot. The dot charge changes more smoothly with applied bias when the dots are more strongly coupled by interdot tunneling or in larger dots where intradot correlation causes large intradot charge separation, which reduces charging energies and suppresses the Coulomb blockade of charge transfer. In large dots, charge tunneling out of a dot remains strongly correlated to charge left on the dot. To study charging in vertical quantum dot resonant-tunneling structures, the dots must be wide enough that charging energies are large compared to the single-particle-level spacings, but not so large that intradot correlation strongly suppresses the charging energies and Coulomb blockade effects.
Quantum chemical study of the energetics and directionality of acid‐catalyzed aromatic epoxide ring openings

Epoxide ring openings play important roles in a variety of chemical situations and are believed to be important in the metabolic processes through which some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are converted to carcinogenic species. In this report, the energetics and directionalities of acid-catalyzed epoxide ring openings in benzene and naphthalene are examined using quantum chemical (MNDO/d and MP2/6-31G*) methods. In particular, the consequences of local saturations in the aromatic systems are examined and shown to exert strong influences on the resulting energetics and product distributions. Partial ring saturation in an aromatic system leads to barrier-free, spontaneous ring opening of the protonated epoxide in a favored direction and eliminates opening in the opposite direction. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010
SU-E-T-492: The Dosimetric and Clinical Impact of the Metallic Dental Implants on Radiation Dose Distributions in IMRT Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

Purpose: In HN the mean dose to tongue mucosa is reduced by less than 0.5%, although the maximum dose is increased by 5%. Conclusions: The scattering dose from titanium implants is not of concern for HN and the dose to PTV could be slightly compromised due to the attenuation effect of the metal. This work was supported in part by Varian Medical Systems.
Condensation in a Porous Region Bounded by a Cold Vertical Surface

The problem of condensation in a porous medium near a cold vertical surface is investigated numerically and experimentally. Numerical solutions to the mathematical model, which assumes that a distinct two-phase zone exists between the liquid and the vapor phases, compare favorably with the experimental results. Experiments were performed for steam condensing in packed beds of glass beads of three different sizes. In the numerical model, the effect of the vapor flow in the two-phase zone is included. The interfacial velocity was determined through the matching of shear stress and a total mass balance. The predicted interfacial velocities are around one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the Darcy velocity. The calculated liquid film thicknesses are on the order of the diameter of the glass beads. The results, presented in dimensionless format, are applicable to transport processes in geothermal reservoirs, steam-driven enhanced petroleum recovery, and a number of industrial applications. 20 refs., 11 figs.
Improved workup for glycosaminoglycan disaccharide analysis using CE with LIF detection.

This work describes improved workup and instrumental conditions to enable robust, sensitive glycosaminoglycan disaccharide analysis from complex biological samples. In the process of applying capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence to glycosaminoglycan (GAG) disaccharide analysis in biological samples, we have made improvements to existing methods. These include (1) optimization of reductive amination conditions, (2) improvement in sensitivity through the use of a cellulose cleanup procedure for the derivatization and, (3) optimization of separation conditions for robustness and reproducibility. The improved method enables analysis of disaccharide quantities as low as 1 pmol prior to derivatization. Biological GAG samples were exhaustively digested using lyase enzymes, the disaccharide products and standards were derivatized with the fluorophore 2-aminoacridone and subjected to reversed polarity CE-LIF detection. These conditions resolved all known chondroitin sulfate disaccharides or eleven of twelve standard heparin/HS disaccharides, using 50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 3.5, and reversed polarity at 30 kV with 0.3 psi pressure. Relative standard deviation in migration times of CS ranged from 0.1% to 2.0% over 60 days, and the relative standard deviations of peak areas were less than 3.2%, suggesting that the method is reproducible and precise. The CS disaccharide compositions are similar to those obtained by our group using tandem mass spectrometry. The reversed polarity CE-LIF disaccharide analysis protocol yields baseline resolution and quantification of heparin/HS and CS/DS disaccharides from both standard preparations and biologically relevant proteoglycan samples. The improved CE-LIF method enables disaccharide quantification of biologically relevant proteoglycans from small samples of intact tissue.
Hyaline Membrane Disease of Newborn Infants Its etiology and significance. Pulmonary hyaline membrane and congenital alveolar dysplasia

Summary 1) Hyaline membrane disease, as a pathological entity was studied histologically and biochemically. Histochemical tests routinely available, failed to reveal specific identifiable characteristics between hyaline membrane and other interalveolar foreign amorphous matter. 2) Observation from our experimental results on rabbits and from autopsied materials of newborns and others, disclosed that hyaline membrane is a pattern of membranous alveolar lining and is derived from any source of inflammatory exudate, edema fluid and probably from aspirated amniotic sac content. 3) Hyaline membrane and congenital alveolar dysplasia (Mac Mahon) are of distinctly different entities. Hyaline membrane is a foreign matter precipitated over the basement membranes of terminal air spaces, while the latter is a developmental defect of distal respiratory structures.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Gulf of Maine sediments and Nova Scotia soils

Abstract Thirty soil samples from Nova Scotia and thirteen sediment samples from the Charles River, Massachusetts Bay, Gulf of Maine and the north western Atlantic Ocean were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed for ten polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) utilizing gas Chromatographic mass spectrometry. Total PAH levels ranged from 18 ppb for deep-ocean sediments to 120,000 ppb for Charles River sediments. Wide variability in PAH concentrations was observed in Nova Scotia soils; this was attributed to differences in soil porosity, lipophilic surface cover, and humic substance content. The concentrations of sedimentary PAH in Massachusetts Bay decreased rapidly as a function of distance from Boston. We suggest that two different, competitive, transport mechanisms are responsible for this nearshore PAH concentration gradient and for the low PAH levels seen elsewhere: 1. (a) sediment resuspension and transport and 2. (b) long-range atmospheric transport.
Support Trusses For Large Precision Segmented Reflectors: Preliminary Design And Analysis

Precision Segmented Reflector (PSR) technology is currently being developed for a range of future applications such as the Large Deployable Reflector. The structures activities at NASA-Langley are outlined in support of the PSR program. Design concepts are explored for erectable and deployable support structures which are envisioned to be the backbone of these precision reflectors. Important functional requirements for the support trusses related to stiffness, mass, and surface accuracy are reviewed. Proposed geometries for these structures and factors motivating the erectable and deployable designs are discussed. Analytical results related to stiffness, dynamic behavior, and surface accuracy are presented and considered in light of the functional requirements. Results are included for both a 4-meter-diameter prototype support truss which is currently being designed as the Test Bed for the PSR technology development program, and for two 20-meter support structures.
S‐phase fractions of colorectal carcinomas related to pathologic and clinical features

The S-phase fractions (SPFs) of epithelial cells in 100 resected colorectal carcinomas were measured by in vitro exposure to tritiated thymidine and autoradiography. The frequency distribution of SPFs was gaussian with a median of 17.8 per hundred in 90 unirradiated carcinomas, whereas in ten carcinomas given radiation therapy preoperatively, it was positively skewed with a median of 6.9. Analysis of the unirradiated carcinomas showed no relationship between SPF and various clinical and morphologic features that included age, race, sex, site, size, Dukes' stage, histologic grade of the tumor, number of metastasis-bearing regional lymph nodes, presence of adenomas of the large bowel, survival or relapse-free survival of the patient, or SPF or adjacent normal colorectal crypts. The results show no evidence that colorectal carcinomas can be divided into kinetic subsets. The spatial orientation of labeled cells in autoradiographs indicated presence of a nonproliferative fraction of cells in many tumors that may modulate response to radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Functional analysis of the polypyrimidine tract in pre-mRNA splicing

The polypyrimidine tract is one of the important cis-acting sequence elements directing intron removal in pre-mRNA splicing. Progressive deletions of the polypyrimidine tract have been found to abolish correct lariat formation, spliceosome assembly and splicing. In addition, the polypyrimidine tract can alter 3'-splice site selection by promoting alternative branch site selection. However, there appears to be great flexibility in the specific sequence of a given tract. Not only the optimal composition of the polypyrimidine tract, but also the role of the tract in introns with no apparent polypyrimidine tracts or where changes in the tract are apparently harmless are uncertain. Accordingly, we have designed a series of cis-competition splicing constructs to test the functional competitive efficiency of a variety of systematically mutated polypyrimidine tracts. An RT/PCR assay was used to detect spliced product formation as a result of differential branch point selection dependent on direct competition between two opposing polypyrimidine tracts. We found that pyrimidine tracts containing 11 continuous uridines are the strongest pyrimidine tracts. In such cases, the position of the uridine stretch between the branch point and 3'-splice site AG is unimportant. In contrast, decreasing the continuous uridine stretch to five or six residues requires that the tract be located immediately adjacent to the AG for optimal competitive efficiency. The block to splicing with decreasing polypyrimidine tract strength is primarily prior to the first step of splicing. While lengthy continuous uridine tracts are the most competitive, tracts with decreased numbers of consecutive uridines and even tracts with alternating purine/pyrimidine residues can still function to promote branch point selection, but are far less effective competitors in 3'-splice site selection assays.
Effect of Added Processed Poultry Waste on Dairy Heifers’ Preference for Concentrates

Abstract Operant conditioning procedures were used to assess preference for a standard dairy concentrate containing either 0, 9, 23, or 34% processed poultry excreta. Eight 8-mo-old Holstein heifers were trained to operate a two-choice feeder in an operant chamber. When heifers pressed the muzzle plate that activated the feeder mechanism, they had access to one of the paired feeds for 3s every 15s on an average. Heifer responses were recorded electronically during daily 20-min sessions. All concentrates were fed in the operant chamber. Between sessions daily and on weekends and holidays heifers received alfalfa hay for ad libitum consumption. Data from the last five sessions, when response had stabilized, were analyzed. An average of 21 sessions was required to reach stability for a choice comparison test, but this was highly variable for individuals and ranged from 9 to 44 sessions. Data from each heifer were corrected for any bias for the right or left side, based on a comparison of responses with control sessions. There were no differences among heifers in the number of choices made during the five sessions or in deviations from random responses (.5). The number of responses and homogeneity of response differed among heifers. Heifers preferred concentrate containing less processed poultry waste; ranking of preference was 0>9>23>34% processed poultry excreta. Heifers usually rejected concentrate containing 34% processed poultry excreta.
Book Review: The State and Global Ecological Crisis by John Barry and Robyn Eckersley (Editors)

The State and Global Ecological Crisis, edited by John Barry and Robyn Eckersley. MIT Press, 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0-262-52435-3
Use of social stories to improve self-regulation in children with autism spectrum disorders

A multiple baseline across participants design was used to evaluate the effects of Social Stories to help preschool-aged children with characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) increase their engagement in functional behaviors and use sensory integrative-based strategies to promote self-regulation. Three children, 3-5 years old, from a self-contained preschool classroom were selected to participate in the study. The intervention package included reading individualized Social Stories that discussed desired behaviors and self-regulation strategies. The researchers measured the percentage of intervals in which participants engaged in desired behaviors. The frequency of desired behaviors increased for all participants. The use of self-regulation strategies varied across participants. These findings suggest that the intervention was successful in increasing desired behaviors of the three children. Further research is recommended on the effectiveness of embedding sensory integrative strategies into Social Stories. Practitioners may consider the use of Social Stories as a tool to increase independence and encourage self-regulated behaviors in children with characteristics of ASD.
FIDS: Monitoring Frequent Items over Distributed Data Streams

Many applications require the discovery of items which have occur frequently within multiple distributed data streams. Past solutions for this problem either require a high degree of error tolerance or can only provide results periodically. In this paper we introduce a new algorithm designed for continuously tracking frequent items over distributed data streams providing either exact or approximate answers. We tested the efficiency of our method using two real-world data sets. The results indicated significant reduction in communication cost when compared to naive approaches and an existing efficient algorithm called Top-K Monitoring. Since our method does not rely upon approximations to reduce communication overhead and is explicitly designed for tracking frequent items, our method also shows increased quality in its tracking results.
Use of post-consumer waste plastics in cement-based composites

Abstract This paper describes an innovative use of post-consumer waste HDPE plastic in concrete as a soft filler. A reference concrete was proportioned to have the 28-day compressive strength of 5000 psi (35MPa). A high-density plastic was shredded into small particles for use in the concrete. These particles were subjected to three chemical treatments (water, bleach, bleach + NaOH) to improve their bonding with the cementitious matrix. The plastic particles were added to the concrete in the range of 0–5% of total mixture by weight. Compressive strengths were measured for each test mixture. The results showed that chemical treatment has a significant effect on performance of the plastic filler in concrete. Of the three treatments used on the plastic, the best performance was observed with the alkaline bleach treatment (bleach + NaOH) with respect to compressive strength of concrete.
The Response of Understory Species Composition, Diversity, and Seedling Regeneration to Repeated Burning in Southern Appalachian Oak-Hickory Forests

ABSTRACT: Understory plant composition and diversity levels in oak-hickory (Quercus-Carya) forests have historically been maintained by periodic low-intensity ground fires, but fire suppression has altered the structure and function of these communities. We examined burned and unburned oak-hickory stands to determine the influence of repeated burning on understory communities. We compared understory herbaceous, shrub, and tree species diversity and composition among four burn categories: unburned stands, and stands that had burned once, twice, and three times over a 20-year period (late 1960s to late 1980s). We hypothesized that stands that have received repeated burns will have greater understory diversity and reduced importance of shade-tolerant mesophytic species. We found that burned stands had greater species richness than unburned stands, regardless of burn frequency. Species composition was not drastically different among the four burn categories; however, individual species were indicative of part...
Sublobar resection with brachytherapy versus lobectomy for stage Ib nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Background We have previously shown that intraoperative brachytherapy decreases the local recurrences associated with sublobar resections for small stage Ia nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this report, we present the outcomes of sublobar resection with brachytherapy compared with lobectomy in patients with stage Ib tumors. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 167 stage Ib NSCLC patients: 126 underwent lobectomy and 41 sublobar resection with 125 I brachytherapy over the resection staple line. Endpoints were perioperative outcomes, incidence of recurrence, and disease-free and overall survival. Results Patients undergoing sublobar resections had significantly worse preoperative pulmonary function. Hospital mortality, nonfatal complications, and median length of stay were similar in the two groups. Median follow-up was 25.1 months. Local recurrence in sublobar resection patients was 2 of 41 (4.8%), similar to the lobectomy group: 4 of 126 (3.2%; p = 0.6). At 4 years, both groups had equivalent disease-free survival (sublobar group, 43.0%; median, 37.7 months; and lobectomy group, 42.8%; median 41.8 months, p = 0.57) and overall survival (sublobar group, 54.1%; median, 50.2 months; and lobectomy group, 51.8%; median, 56.9 months; p = 0.38). Conclusions Sublobar resection with brachytherapy reduced local recurrence rates to the equivalent of lobectomy in patients with stage Ib NSCLC, and resulted in similar perioperative outcomes and disease-free and overall survival, despite being used in patients with compromised lung function. We recommend the addition of intraoperative brachytherapy to sublobar resections in stage Ib patients who cannot tolerate a lobectomy.
Peritonitis as a complication of peritoneal dialysis

Peritonitis continues to be a serious complication for patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Peritonitis is one of the major causes of hospitalization, accounting for 23% of admissions in the CANUSA study (1). Peritonitis is the leading cause of technique failure and catheter loss (2,3). Patients with frequent peritonitis are at increased risk of dying, independent of other factors (4). Although the rates of peritonitis have decreased dramatically from the inception of CAPD, rates above 0.5 episodes per year still commonly occur. The success of this dialysis technique is closely tied to the ability of the dialysis team to reduce the risk of peritonitis, and when it occurs, manage the patient appropriately. Clinical Presentation The usual presentation of peritonitis is abdominal pain, cloudy effluent or, most often, both. The pain can range from extremely severe to nonexistent. In the inexperienced patient, the absence of pain may lead him/her to ignore the cloudy effluent initially, leading to a delay in presentation and subsequent treatment. All patients must be instructed to call immediately if the effluent is even slightly cloudy. Peritonitis is present if the white blood cell (WBC) count in the effluent is b00/p.b or greater, with at least 50% polymorphonuclear cells. If the specimen is collected from a short cycle, an aspirate from a drained abdomen, or obtained from a patient already on antibiotics, the percentage of polymorphonuclear cells (i.e., more than 50%) is a more reliable marker for peritonitis than the absolute number of WBC. Occasionally, blood-tinged effluent will be confused with cloudiness, but trained personnel can readily detect the differenee. Other causes of cloudy effluent include chylous ascites, which have a milky appearance, intra-abdominal malignancy, diagnosed by cell cytology, and pancreatitis, which can be differentiated by an effluent amylase level of >50 UIL. Also included in the differential diagnosis is eosinophilie peritonitis, which is rarely associated with unusual fungi, but more often is idiopathic; recent reports suggest that treatment with steroids is effective in reducing the cellularity. In up to 6% of the episodes of peritonitis, the patient presents with abdominal pain but has clear effluent (5). Koopmans et a!. reported 60 such episodes of peritonitis, all with positive
Immunological testing and treatment in reproduction: frequency assessment of practice patterns at assisted reproduction clinics in the USA and Australia

BACKGROUND: The roles that alloimmunity and autoimmunity may play in reproductive failure, including recurrent pregnancy loss and failed IVF, have not been clearly established. To help define practice patterns, we investigated what tests clinicians in the USA and Australia were offering, to which patients (diagnostic groups) the tests were recommended, and in what situations immunological/anticoagulation treatment was advised. METHODS: A five section survey was completed by senior physicians attending the annual national fertility society meetings in the USA and Australia. Results were tabulated and analysed. RESULTS: Antiphospholipid antibody testing was offered to patients with recurrent pregnancy loss by almost all physicians surveyed. Patients with previous failure of IVF were tested much less often. Other immune tests (embryotoxic assay, natural killer cells and leukocyte antibodies) were ordered by none of the Australian participants and ~25% of the American participants. The use of immunotherapy and anticoagulation therapy for patients who tested positive for various immunological tests was also evaluated for frequency of use and reported secondary complications. CONCLUSIONS: Large, wellstructured studies examining the benefits of immunological evaluation and treatment are necessary before definite recommendations can be made.
Integrating environment into electrical engineering-essential for future success

It is evident that environmental concern and awareness is not a passing fancy. This is a technology issue that will grow in importance as we reach the next century. Here, the authors describe how electrical engineers have the opportunity to take a lead in finding innovative solutions to these new challenges, and argue that the integration of such environmental concerns into the electrical engineering curriculum is essential for future success.
Comparision of FieldBus Systems CAN, TTCAN, FlexRay and LIN in Passenger Vehicles

The Controller Area Network (CAN) architecture was developed for use in automobiles in the 1980’s. It corresponds to the physical and datalink layers of the OSI network protocol stack. Manufacturers currently leverage and build upon this architecture to enable on-vehicle sensors, actuators and other commercial electronics to interoperate: communicate between different components, exchange data, and resolve operational dependencies. This paper examines the inner details of CAN and its three competitive networks, namely, TTCAN, FlexRay and LIN.
Drug-Induced Aches and Pains

Statins are commonly used medications to prevent cardiovascular disease. In general, statins are well tolerated. However, a small but clinically significant number of patients develop statin-induced muscular side effects such as aches, pains, or weakness (myopathy). The reasons why some patients develop statin-induced side effects have been difficult to identify. Certain genetic variants in drug transporters have been implicated; however, many people without these variants still get muscle aches. To look for genetic variation underlying how patients may respond to statins, Mangravite et al. used lymphoblastic cell lines (LCL) and discovered that a gene involved in muscle physiology may be to blame. Mangravite et al . combined expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and differential gene expression analyses using LCLs derived from 480 patients and treated with simvastatin in vitro. The underlying assumption was that genetically determined variations in drug response can be revealed by differential changes in gene expression in LCLs with different genetic backgrounds. The authors identified six differential eQTLs. The top locus included a large group of variants near the GATM gene, and carriers of the minor allele had a decrease in GATM expression in response to simvastatin. Because GATM has a well-known role in muscle physiology, Mangravite et al. hypothesized that these same variants may underlie the risk for statin-induced myopathy. Using data from two previous cohorts of cases of statin-induced myopathy, the authors demonstrated that the same loci near GATM were protective for statin-induced myopathy in these patient cohorts. The mechanisms by which statin-induced reductions in GATM may alter the risk of statin-induced myopathy are not clear from this study. However, this work opens the possibility of using the differential eQTL approach in patient-derived cell lines as a general platform to understand the variability in drug responses, in turn providing better care for patients. L. M. Mangravite et al ., A statin-dependent QTL for GATM expression is associated with statin-induced myopathy. Nature , published online 28 August 2013 (10.1038/nature12508). [[Full]][1] [1]: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12508.html
Capturing the impact of fuel price on jet aircraft operating costs with Leontief technology and econometric models

Abstract Investigation of the airline response to a fuel price increase is in effect an investigation of the role of variable interactions in aircraft cost models. We examine the impact of fuel price on aircraft costs and airline operational strategies by developing two classes of operating cost models for jet aircraft and comparing the results. The translog operating cost model is a flexible functional form that provides a detailed representation of the empirical relationship between fuel cost and operating cost, allowing for substitution, scale, aircraft age, and variable interactions to be captured. The simpler Leontief model assumes that inputs of a cost model must be used in fixed proportions regardless of their prices. While it does not capture variable interactions, the Leontief model is more transparent, requires fewer inputs, and allows the contribution of a single factor, such as fuel price, to operating cost to be more easily isolated. An analysis of the translog operating cost model reveals that as fuel price increases, airlines will take steps to use fuel more efficiently by leveraging other inputs; a comparison of the translog and the Leontief technology models, however, show that the potential for this supplier input substitution for fuel is rather modest. By building the two operating cost models and comparing their predictions, we illustrate a method to determine the prediction potential of a Leontief technology model and assess the importance of input substitution at the vehicle level.
In Vivo Synthesis of Cyclic-di-GMP Using a Recombinant Adenovirus Preferentially Improves Adaptive Immune Responses against Extracellular Antigens

There is a compelling need for more effective vaccine adjuvants to augment induction of Ag-specific adaptive immune responses. Recent reports suggested the bacterial second messenger bis-(3'-5')-cyclic-dimeric-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) acts as an innate immune system modulator. We recently incorporated a Vibrio cholerae diguanylate cyclase into an adenovirus vaccine, fostering production of c-di-GMP as well as proinflammatory responses in mice. In this study, we recombined a more potent diguanylate cyclase gene, VCA0848, into a nonreplicating adenovirus serotype 5 (AdVCA0848) that produces elevated amounts of c-di-GMP when expressed in mammalian cells in vivo. This novel platform further improved induction of type I IFN-β and activation of innate and adaptive immune cells early after administration into mice as compared with control vectors. Coadministration of the extracellular protein OVA and the AdVCA0848 adjuvant significantly improved OVA-specific T cell responses as detected by IFN-γ and IL-2 ELISPOT, while also improving OVA-specific humoral B cell adaptive responses. In addition, we found that coadministration of AdVCA0848 with another adenovirus serotype 5 vector expressing the HIV-1-derived Gag Ag or the Clostridium difficile-derived toxin B resulted in significant inhibitory effects on the induction of Gag and toxin B-specific adaptive immune responses. As a proof of principle, these data confirm that in vivo synthesis of c-di-GMP stimulates strong innate immune responses that correlate with enhanced adaptive immune responses to concomitantly administered extracellular Ag, which can be used as an adjuvant to heighten effective immune responses for protein-based vaccine platforms against microbial infections and cancers.
Validity of the Timed Up and Go Test as a Measure of Functional Mobility in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract Objective To examine the validity of the timed Up and Go (TUG) test as a measure of functional mobility in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) by using a comprehensive framework based on construct validity (ie, convergent and divergent validity). Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Hospital setting. Participants Community-residing persons with MS (N=47). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Main outcome measures included the TUG test, timed 25-foot walk test, 6-minute walk test, Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12, Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument, posturography evaluation, Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale, Symbol Digits Modalities Test, Expanded Disability Status Scale, and the number of steps taken per day. Results The TUG test was strongly associated with other valid outcome measures of ambulatory mobility (Spearman rank correlation, r s =.71–.90) and disability status ( r s =.80), moderately to strongly associated with balance confidence ( r s =.66), and weakly associated with postural control (ie, balance) ( r s =.31). The TUG test was moderately associated with cognitive processing speed ( r s =.59), but not associated with other nonambulatory measures (ie, Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument-upper extremity function). Conclusions Our findings support the validity of the TUG test as a measure of functional mobility. This warrants its inclusion in patients' assessment alongside other valid measures of functional mobility in both clinical and research practice in persons with MS.
Friendship and Gender in Cultural-Psychological Perspective: Implications for Research, Practice, and Consultation

Previous research documented differences in friendship such that people in various North American settings reported more friends, emphasized emotional support, and de-emphasized instrumental suppor...
Relationship of Egg Position During Incubation on Early Embryonic Growth and Hatching of Broiler Breeder Eggs

Abstract Four experiments, using broiler type eggs, were conducted to study the effect of egg position during incubation on early embryonic growth and hatching. Eggs were either incubated small end up (SEU), small end down (SED), or horizontal (FLAT). Results demonstrated that eggs in the FLAT position exhibited consistently heavier embryos and more embryos with the pipping tooth (7 days) than the other incubation positions. In contrast, eggs incubated in the SEU position exhibited consistently smaller chick weights, greater total mortality, lower hatchability, lower total pips, and greater chick wetness than the other treatments. Chicks from eggs in the FLAT and the SEU incubation positions required significantly less time to exhibit initial pips. However, they required significantly longer to emerge from the shell and had a significantly greater number of initial pips away from the air cell. This study demonstrated that die FLAT egg position resulted in the greatest embryonic development during the early stages of incubation but produced no advantage over the other egg positions at hatch.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING RESEARCH: An Assessment of the Literature Between 1990 and 2002

Research in the field of international advertising has produced a large volume of literature. Although some attempts have been made in the past to review this stream of research, there has been no attempt to assess the contributions to this literature by individuals and institutions. This study assesses the contributions of individual researchers and institutions from 1990 to 2002, based on their publications in major advertising, marketing, and international business journals, and the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). The findings of this study offer researchers a unique view of this field and some directions for future research.
Sputum Gene Expression of IL-13 Receptor α2 Chain Correlates with Airflow Obstruction and Helper T-Cell Type 2 Inflammation in Asthma

Background: BRP-39/YKL-40 is a chitinase-like protein that plays a critical role in IL-13–induced inflammation. It correlates positively with asthma severity and airway remodeling (1) via binding to IL-13 receptor α2 chain (IL-13Rα2). Because the relationship of IL-13Rα2 to human asthma has never been evaluated previously, we sought to determine the relationship between IL-13Rα2, YKL-40, and asthma.Methods: We evaluated 112 patients (69% women) with a mean age of 46.7 years. Subjects completed an asthma phenotyping protocol that included analysis of sputum gene expression by Affymetrix 1.0 ST gene array (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA) and YKL-40 protein levels.Measurements and Main Results: IL-13Rα2 gene expression was readily detectable in the sputum and correlated negatively with prebronchodilator (BD) FEV1 (rs = −0.282, P < 0.01), post-BD FEV1 (rs = −0.268, P < 0.01), pre-BD FEV1/FVC ratio (rs = −0.228, P < 0.05), and post-BD FEV1/FVC ratio (rs = −0.242, P < 0.01). IL-13Rα2 gene expression correlated pos...
A Second Edible Okra Species, and its Hybrids with Common Okra

Seventeen accessions of a West African okra species were observed in Puerto Rico, and were hybridized with the common okra species, Abelmoschus esculentus. The accessions are larger plants than common okra, but with shorter internodes. They also differ in numerous morphological and physiological characteristics. Most are more daylength sensitive than common okra. The Fi hybrids of the two species are quite sterile, although in some cases a few germinable F2 seeds are produced. Back-crosses, on the other hand, are more fertile than the Fx hybrids, and fertility is almost complete in the BC2. Some evidence was found of cytoplasmic interaction with chromosomes in production of sterile BC hybrids, a possibly useful tool for future use. Meanwhile, the transfer of genes from the new species to common okra appears very feasible.