cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ductal carcinoma in situ current trends, controversies, and review of literature

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-obligate precursor, non-invasive malignancy confined within the basement membrane of the breast ductal system. There is a wide variation in the natural history of DCIS with an estimated incidence of progression to invasive ductal carcinoma being at least 13%-50% over a range of 10 or more years after initial diagnosis. Regardless of the treatment strategy, long-term survival is excellent. The controversy surrounding DCIS relates to preventing under-treatment, while also avoiding unnecessary treatments. In this article, we review the incidence, presentation, management options and surveillance of DCIS. Furthermore, we address several current controversies related to the management of DCIS, including margin status, sentinel node biopsy, hormonal therapy, the role of radiation in breast conservation surgery, and various risk stratification schemes.
Electrodynamics of Ionosphere–Thermosphere Coupling

An overview of ionosphere-thermosphere electrodynamic coupling is presented. Collisions between the charged and neutral constituents of the upper atmosphere couple their respective dynamics and energetics. Magnetic stresses readily transfer momentum and energy over long distances along geomagnetic-field lines, accompanied by electric fields and currents. Consequently, the E and F regions of the ionosphere are strongly coupled, and momentum is transferred between the lower and upper thermosphere through the currents and their associated ion drag. Electrical conductivity mediates the degree of ion-neutral coupling. Conductivity is highly variable, and is itself affected by the electric field in various ways. Thermospheric winds drive the ionospheric wind dynamo. The winds are created by daily absorption of solar radiation in the thermosphere, by upward-propagating solar and lunar tides, by ion-drag acceleration at high latitudes, and by Joule heating at high latitudes. Electric current flows globally in the ionosphere and along geomagnetic-field lines through the magnetosphere. Interactions between the ion and neutral motions produce feedbacks that affect the dynamics of both components. Simulation models of thermosphere-ionosphere-electrodynamic interactions provide powerful tools for investigating the nature of these interactions, and for testing how well the uncertain model inputs and the physics incorporated in the models are able to predict observed features of the ionosphere and thermosphere.
Molecular and Physiological Characterization of Fluoroquinolone-Highly Resistant Salmonella Enteritidis Strains

Four clinical isolates of Salmonella Enteritidis, susceptible to ciprofloxacin, and their spontaneous ciprofloxacin resistant (MICs from 8 to 16 μg/mL) and highly resistant (MIC 2048 μg/mL) mutants were used to gain an insight into the dynamics of development of fluoroquinolone (FQs) resistance in S. Enteritidis serovar. The first two high-frequency (i.e., mutations that occurred in each tested strain) mutations occurred in the gyrA, resulting in amino acid substitutions S83Y and S83F as well as D87G. Amino acid substitution D87G was significantly associated with the highly resistant mutants. Another high-frequency mutation, deletion in the ramRA intergenic region, was determined among the same group of highly resistant mutants. More importantly, each of these deletion mutations affected the RamR binding site. The effect of one 41 bp deletion mutation was empirically tested. The results showed that the deletion was responsible for resistance to ceftiofur and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and decreased susceptibility to azithromycin and tetracycline. Performing gene expression assays across all ciprofloxacin susceptible groups, we found a consistent and significant upregulation of the ramA, acrB, and tolC (efflux pump associated genes) and downregulation of ompF (porin), clearly illustrating the importance of not only efflux but also porin-mediated permeability in the development of FQs resistance. Our data also showed that S. Enteritidis could acquire multiple mutations in QRDR region, further resulting in no up regulation of the ramA, acrB and tolC genes. These QRDR mutations and no activation of the AcrAB efflux pump seem to preserve the fitness of this organism compared to the S. Enteritidis strains that did not acquire multiple QRDR mutations. This report describes the dynamics of FQ-associated mutations in the highly resistant in FQ mutants in S. Enteritidis. In addition, we characterized a deletion in the ramRA integenic region, demonstrating that this frequent mutation in the highly resistant FQ mutants provide resistance or reduce susceptibility to multiple families of antibiotics.
MRI-based treatment planning for liver stereotactic body radiotherapy: validation of a deep learning-based synthetic CT generation method

Objective: The purpose of this work is to develop and validate a learning-based method to derive electron density from routine anatomical MRI for potential MRI-based SBRT treatment planning. Method...
Cancelling March Madness exposes opportunities for a more sustainable sports tourism economy

One of the earliest signals of the severity of the spread of COVID-19 in the United States and other countries was the swift cancelation of many highly prominent amateur and professional sporting e...
Comparing the immunogenicity of glycosidase-directed resiquimod prodrugs mediated by cancer cell metabolism

We have recently developed an enzyme-directed immunostimulant (EDI) prodrug motif, which is metabolized to active immunostimulant by cancer cells and, following drug efflux, activates nearby immune cells, resulting in immunogenicity. In this study, we synthesized several EDI prodrugs featuring an imidazoquinoline immunostimulant resiquimod (a Toll-like receptor 7/8 agonist) covalently modified with glycosidase enzyme-directing groups selected from substrates of β-glucuronidase, α-mannosidase, or β-galactosidase. We compared the glycosidase-dependent immunogenicity elicited by each EDI in RAW-Blue macrophages following conversion to active immunostimulant by complementary glycosidase. At a cellular level, we examined EDI metabolism across three cancer cell lines (B16 melanoma, TC2 prostate, and 4T1 breast cancer). Comparing the relative immunogenicity elicited by each EDI/cancer cell combination, we found that B16 cells produced the highest EDI prodrug immunogenicity, achieving >95% of that elicited by unmodified resiquimod, followed by TC2 and 4T1 cells (40% and 30%, respectively). Immunogenicity elicited was comparable for a given cell type and independent of the glycosidase substrate in the EDIs or differences in functional glycosidase activity between cell lines. Measuring drug efflux of the immunostimulant payload and efflux protein expression revealed that EDI/cancer cell-mediated immunogenicity was governed by efflux potential of the cancer cells. We determined that, following EDI conversion, immunostimulant efflux occurred through both P-glycoprotein-dependent and P-glycoprotein-independent transport mechanisms. Overall, this study highlights the broad ability of EDIs to couple immunogenicity to the metabolism of many cancers that exhibit drug efflux and suggests that designing future generations of EDIs with immunostimulant payloads that are optimized for drug efflux could be particularly beneficial.
Durability of bonded composite systems

Abstract This chapter will narrow the focus to single material interfaces as one of the primary building blocks of the subject of composite material systems and one of the most important engineering application topics, which is currently driving research and development in this diverse field.
Funding Through French Fries: A Legislative Solution to the Child Obesity Problem

This legislative solution to the increasingly prevalent problem of obesity focuses on preventive intervention at the public school level. Obesity is a preventable multi-million/billion dollar problem in both the State of Illinois and the United States as a whole. This proposal advocates a minor tax on items sold in businesses which have thirty or more corporate or franchise locations in the state and receive fifty percent or more of their gross revenues from the sale of immediately consumable foodstuffs to subsidize programs which aim to reduce the incidence of child obesity. The aim of this tax is not to punish businesses which may or may not sell fattening foods, but rather to fund educational initiatives to reduce the prevalence of child obesity from businesses which are established and sustainable as a source of revenue.
Wild at heart: Programs to diminish negative ecological and evolutionary effects of conservation hatcheries

Abstract Hatchery programs are critical for conservation and management of many imperiled fishes. Most traditional aquaculture programs negatively affect ecological performance, genetic, and phenotypic diversity of hatchery-origin fish compared with wild counterparts. Here, we synthesize outcomes of three conservation programs aimed at enhancing ‘wildness’. Each program focuses on a different species: lake sturgeon, razorback sucker, and Rio Grande silvery minnow. These species differ in key life history traits including size and age at sexual maturity, reproductive and migratory behavior, and habitat requirements. Threats to persistence of the focal taxa, however, exemplify common pressures experienced by freshwater fishes worldwide. Conservation hatchery programs for lake sturgeon, razorback sucker, and Rio Grande silvery minnow capitalize on natural spawning in the wild followed by collections of wild-fertilized eggs/larvae for hatchery rearing. Individuals are repatriated to the wild after rearing to body sizes less susceptible to mortality. Protocols include collections of eggs or larvae across the entire spawning period and at appropriate geographic scales to maximize retention of genetic diversity and, to increase the likelihood of preserving variation for heritable life history traits. Using direct and indirect evidence we show that hatchery programs that allow individuals to fulfill parts of the life-cycle in their native habitats can be conducted without compromising genetic diversity. Adoption of similar strategies in other imperiled fishes would improve understanding of species life history, and provide an incentive to protect native habitats so they may eventually support self-sustaining populations.
Plasma stress hormones in resting rats. Eighty four day study.

The effects of a repeated mild stress of handling and placing rats temporarily into unfamiliar cages on the blood-plasma concentration of the stress hormones (corticosterone, ACDH, and prolactin) were investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to this type of stress once every week during a period of three months. Results showed that repeated mild stress of handling (as well as repeated blood sampling) did not affect the plasma stress-hormone concentrations in these animals.
Bidirectional energy & fuel production using RTO-supported-Pt–IrO2 loaded fixed polarity unitized regenerative fuel cells

Fixed-polarity unitized regenerative fuel cells (FP-URFCs) are devices for energy conversion coupled with fuel production with low self-discharge, high energy densities, fast start-up/shut down dynamics, and long cycle-life. We have synthesized a bifunctional Pt–IrO2/RTO (ruthenium–titanium mixed oxide) electrocatalyst for the HOR/OER (hydrogen oxidation reaction/oxygen evolution reaction) wherein IrO2/RTO acts as an OER electrocatalyst, upon which the HOR active Pt electrocatalyst is deposited. Pt–IrO2/RTO shows higher OER (η@10 mA cm−2 = 0.26 ± 0.01 V, i = 67 ± 1.9 mA cm−2 at η = 0.32 V) and HOR (η@2.5 mA cm−2 = 0.01 V, i = 2.78 ± 0.11 mA cm−2 at η = 0.1 V) activity and higher stability in comparison to benchmark OER (RuO2, η@10 mA cm−2 = 0.42 ± 0.03 V, i = 3.1 ± 0.2 mA cm−2 at η = 0.32 V and IrO2, η@10 mA cm−2 = 0.33 ± 0.02 V, i = 10.2 ± 0.2 mA cm−2 at η = 0.32 V) and HOR (Pt/C, η@2.5 mA cm−2 = 0.05 V, i = 2.58 ± 0.08 mA cm−2 at 0.1 V vs. RHE) electrocatalysts, respectively. Pt–IrO2/RTO exhibits higher bifunctional HOR/OER activity as compared to both IrO2/RTO and RTO, which is achieved through a combined effect of enhanced active site density and favorable electronic interactions (increased metal oxidation states of Ru and Ir) as confirmed by XPS and UPS. The deposition of IrO2 in Pt–IrO2/RTO is responsible for high stability by lowering the dissolution of the RTO support, as confirmed by ICP-MS. A FP-URFC tested with Pt–IrO2/RTO and Pt/C as the anode and cathode, respectively yields a mass-specific activity of 1050 ± 22 A g−1 at 1.8 V and 20 ± 2 A g−1 at 0.9 V under electrolyzer and fuel cell modes, respectively. The FP-URFC shows a round-trip efficiency of 40.2% at 1 A cm−2 with low Pt-loading on both electrodes. Therefore, FP-URFCs using Pt–IrO2/RTO as the HOR/OER bifunctional electrocatalyst have significant potential towards efficient and cost-effective bidirectional energy and fuel production.
The Impact of Dementia on Cancer Treatment Decision-Making, Cancer Treatment, and Mortality: A Mixed Studies Review.

Dementia and cancer occur commonly in older adults. Yet, little is known about the effect of dementia on cancer treatment and outcomes in patients diagnosed with cancer, and no guidelines exist. We performed a mixed studies review to assess the current knowledge and gaps on the impact of dementia on cancer treatment decision-making, cancer treatment, and mortality. A search in PubMed, Medline, and PsycINFO identified 55 studies on older adults with a dementia diagnosis before a cancer diagnosis and/or comorbid cancer and dementia published in English from January 2004 to February 2020. We described variability using range in quantitative estimates, ie, odds ratios (ORs), hazard ratios (HRs), and risk ratios (RR) when appropriate and performed narrative review of qualitative data. Patients with dementia were more likely to receive no curative treatment (including hospice or palliative care) (OR, HR, and RR range = 0.40-4.4, n = 8), while less likely to receive chemotherapy (OR and HR range = 0.11-0.68, n = 8), radiation (OR range = 0.24-0.56, n = 2), and surgery (OR range = 0.30-1.3, n = 4). Older adults with cancer and dementia had higher mortality than those with cancer alone (HR and OR range = 0.92-5.8, n = 33). Summarized findings from qualitative studies consistently revealed that clinicians, caregivers, and patients tended to prefer less aggressive care and gave higher priority to quality of life over life expectancy for those with dementia. Current practices in treatment-decision making for patients with both cancer and dementia are inconsistent. There is an urgent need for treatment guidelines for this growing patient population that considers patient and caregiver perspectives.
KLF11 Protects against Venous Thrombosis via Suppressing Tissue Factor Expression.

Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) play essential roles in multiple biological functions, including maintaining vascular homeostasis. KLF11, a causative gene for maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 7, inhibits endothelial activation and protects against stroke. However, the role of KLF11 in venous thrombosis remains to be explored. Utilizing stasis-induced murine deep vein thrombosis (DVT) model and cultured endothelial cells (ECs), we identified an increase of KLF11 expression under prothrombotic conditions both in vivo and in vitro. The expression change of thrombosis-related genes was determined by utilizing gain- and loss-of-function approaches to alter KLF11 expression in ECs. Among these genes, KLF11 significantly downregulated tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced tissue factor (TF) gene transcription. Using reporter gene assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, and co-immunoprecipitation, we revealed that KLF11 could reduce TNF-α-induced binding of early growth response 1 (EGR1) to TF gene promoter in ECs. In addition, we demonstrated that conventional Klf11 knockout mice were more susceptible to developing stasis-induced DVT. These results suggest that under prothrombotic conditions, KLF11 downregulates TF gene transcription via inhibition of EGR1 in ECs. In conclusion, KLF11 protects against venous thrombosis, constituting a potential molecular target for treating thrombosis.
Breast pathology second review identifies clinically significant discrepancies in over 10% of patients

Background Patients seeking a second opinion or continuation of care at our hospital will routinely have their pathology reviewed prior to initiating treatment. To assess the relevance of this review in patients with breast cancer, we compared original pathology reports submitted during the referral with second-review reports issued at our institution. We also assessed compliance with College of American Pathologists (CAP) requirements regarding inclusion of scientifically validated data elements (SVDE) in these pathology reports. Methods We retrospectively studied all 1,970 breast pathology referral cases reviewed during one calendar year. The variables studied were histologic classification; tumor grade, necrosis, size, margin status, lymphatic/vascular invasion, dermal involvement, and biomarker profile (ER, PR, and Her-2). Each variable was rated as “agree,” “disagree,” “missing information,” or “not applicable.” Results A significant discrepancy, defined as a disagreement that affected patient care, was found in 226 cases (11.47%). Additionally, in 418 resection cases (31.6%), some CAP-checklist specific required information was missing. The most common areas of significant discrepancy were histologic category (66 cases; 33%) and biomarker reporting (50 cases; 25%). The most problematic diagnostic categories were intraductal lesions, lobular carcinoma, metaplastic carcinomas, and phyllodes tumors. Most disagreements in the biomarker-profile category were interpretive, but in 20% of discrepant cases, findings were supported by repeat immunohistochemical analysis. Conclusions Our results confirm the value and utility of obtaining a second opinion to optimize patient care. Changes in diagnoses obtained after second review should be interpreted and reported in a collaborative fashion, noting the benefit of a review from second pair of experienced eyes. Our results support the use of second review to ensure inclusion of CAP-required data elements in pathology reports. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015 111:192–197. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Execution characteristics of embedded applications on a Pentium 4-based personal computer

The analysis and evaluation of the speed performance of personal computers for various classes of applications continues to be an important area of research. One such class of applications is that of embedded applications. Embedded applications such as VOIP, streaming video and image processing software etc. are used significantly in the personal computer domain. In this paper, we analyze the execution characteristics of a subset of widely used embedded applications on a general personal computer based on the Intel Pentium 4 microprocessor. It was observed that, for most of the applications chosen here, the combination of lower trace cache hit rates and lower L1 cache load hit rates may have a more adverse impact on the performance of this machine when compared to other parameters such as L2 cache load hit rates, branch prediction rates, etc. The overall L2 cache load hit rates, branch prediction rates and TLB hit rates were found to be fairly high. Hardware improvements over the trace cache and L1 cache structures of the chosen machine could help improve performance for many of these applications.
A comparison of methods for determining turning points of nonlinear equations

In the study of many equilibrium problems it is important to determine the location of turning points which may signify a loss of stability. A number of algorithms is known for the computation of such points. In this paper experimental comparisons are presented of a total of sixteen variations of ten such methods. For this a set of seven test problems of varying dimension with a total of 27 turning points were used. The results suggest a number of conclusions about the relative practical merits of these methods.
Creativity and the Economics of the Copyright Controversy

The debate about copyright law centers on the apparent tradeoff between the creation of new works and the extent to which these works are used once they are created. Economics has been employed explicitly and implicitly to bolster positions taken by those involved in this debate. I do not directly join this debate here, but what I will say is relevant to it. My objectives are different, to draw attention to the neglect of creativity by economists and to describe some of the unique problems this neglect poses for those who use traditional economic models to explain and support the positions they take in this debate. It is no intent of mine to discourage the use of traditional economic models but, rather, to urge greater care in their use.
A case for using Minipop as the evolutionary engine in a CTRNN-EH control device: an analysis of area requirements and search efficacy

Continuous time recurrent neural network-evolvable hardware (CTRNN-EH) control devices comprise of an analog continuous time recurrent neural network (CTRNN) with an on-board evolutionary algorithm (EA) engine to evolve the parameters of the neural network. These control devices were demonstrated to be effective for suppressing thermoacoustic (TA) instability in simulated jet engines. Currently, the construction of a VLSI CTRNN-EH device is underway for suppressing TA instability in a real combustion chamber while it is in operation. In this paper, we present a fully function digital EA engine for the CTRNN-EH control device. An ad-hoc hardware design is presented to realize space savings. The simulation and synthesis results of the hardware EA are presented. In addition to this, a demonstration of the efficacy of the EA across a noisy real world control problem is presented.
Quantitative Approach for the Serodiagnosis of Canine Lyme Disease by the Immunoblot Procedure

Serum samples obtained from healthy, asymptomatic dogs in areas of Wisconsin and northern Illinois where Lyme disease is endemic or nonendemic were assayed for antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and positive results were confirmed by immunoblot assay. We found that 56.9% (562 of 1,077) of the samples were positive by ELISA and 82.0% (461 of 562) were positive by immunoblotting. A logistic regression model was developed to distinguish between nonvaccinated dogs naturally infected with B. burgdorferi from areas where the disease is endemic and dogs from areas where the disease is nonendemic that were vaccinated against Lyme disease. Of the 18 protein bands analyzed, 8 were found to be significantly different (P < 0.05) between the two groups. p93, p34, p31, and p28 occurred with increased frequency in vaccinated dogs, while p58, p37, p35, and p30 occurred more frequently in naturally infected dogs. The logistic regression equation obtained was used to determine the probability of natural infection among vaccinated dogs residing in areas where the disease is endemic. Of 125 samples, 87.2% had a very low probability of natural infection and only 2.4% were highly likely to be infected. Logistic regression is a useful method for distinguishing between vaccinated and naturally infected dogs and predicting the serological status of vaccinated dogs from areas where Lyme disease is endemic.
Choices, Challenges, and Tensions

ABSTRACT No research has examined the challenges faced by lesbian women seeking to adopt from the perspective of lesbian couples themselves. The current qualitative study utilized data from 70 women (from 35 same-sex couples) who were in the process of adopting to explore how lesbian women experience and navigate the challenges they encounter during this critical life transition. Ecological, minority stress, and feminist perspectives informed our analysis. Results indicated that many women experienced tensions between their desire to be “out” in the adoption process and the legal and social realities of adoption. Based on their reports, women in this sample faced numerous barriers to adopting but engaged in multiple forms of resistance to legal and social inequities. Women also identified supportive practices by agencies that facilitated the adoption process. Findings suggest the importance of considering lesbian women's experiences as a starting point in understanding how heteronormative social practices...
Rapid presumptive diagnosis of gonococcal cervitis by the limulus lysate assay

In an evaluation of the limulus lysate assay (LLA) as a method for detecting gonococcal endotoxin in cervical exudates diluted 1:800, positive LLA results were obtained from 17 of 18 patients (94%) with culture-proved gonococcal cervicitis, and negative results were obtained from 22 of 22 patients (100%) with culture-negative specimens. In vitro tests comparing the sensitivity of the LLA for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and other gram-negative organisms showed the LLA to be more sensitive in detecting N. gonorrhoeae (minimum sensitivity, 10(4) organisms per milliliter) than other commonly encountered urogenital gram-negative bacteria (minimum sensitivity, greater than 10(5) organisms per milliliter). Thus, in preliminary studies involving otherwise healthy women, the LLA appeared to correlate with bacteriologic methods for diagnosing gonococcal cervicitis and may aid in identifying nongonococcal cervicitis. In addition, the LLA was easy to perform, with test results available within an hour after the patient's initial examination.
The elimination of oxygen-induced intergranular brittleness in iron by addition of scavengers

It was previously shown that vacuum melted iron can be made to exhibit intergranular brittleness at low testing temperatures if it is quenched from temperatures where carbon is in solid solution and that ductility can be restored by allowing carbon to segregate to grain boundaries (without permitting the formation of large carbides). It was suggested that this is due to scavenging of residual grain boundary oxygen by the carbon. This is substantiated by the present experiments in which aluminum additions were used to eliminate the intergranular weakness at all quenching temperatures. It is shown that titanium is not effective as an oxygen scavenger and restorer of grain boundary strength.
Factors Associated with Patient Press Ganey Satisfaction Scores for Ophthalmology Patients.

Purpose To determine which metrics from the Press Ganey patient satisfaction survey best correlate with "likelihood to recommend" among patients in an academic tertiary medical center practice setting. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Over a 3-month period, patients presenting to an academic practice who agreed to participate were enrolled in the study if they met the following entry criteria: (1) age ≥18 years, (2) ability to read and speak English, and (3) followed in this practice between 4 months and 4 years. A total of 196 patients were recruited. Methods A 26-item abridged version of the Press Ganey survey typically distributed to patients via mail or e-mail after visiting the Stanford University Hospital was administered privately to each eligible patient of 2 different attending clinics at the conclusion of his or her visit. The 26 survey items were not modified for the purposes of the study and were administered such that participants could not be individually identified. The arithmetic mean score for the item "Likelihood of your recommending our practice to others" was calculated by assigning a value (0–100) to the Likert value associated with survey responses and correlated with the 25 other items using the differences in the mean scores. Main Outcome Measures Response to survey items graded on a 1 to 5 standard Likert scale. Results The weighted mean patient survey score for the "likelihood to recommend" item for the junior faculty member was 95.9% and for the senior faculty member was 94.5%, respectively. For the remaining 25 items, "Amount of time the care provider spent with you" (Diff[1–2]=1.03; P P P = 0.0045) correlated least with likelihood to recommend. Stratification based on provider did not affect the study results. Conclusions The perception of time spent with the practitioner and ease of appointment scheduling are the 2 variables that best correlate with patients recommending their ophthalmologists to other prospective patients.
Alcohol and Other Drug Resistance Strategies Employed by Rural Adolescents.

This study seeks to identify how rural adolescents make health decisions and utilize communication strategies to resist influence attempts in offers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 113 adolescents from rural school districts to solicit information on ATOD norms, past ATOD experiences, and substance offer-response episodes. Rural youths’ resistance strategies were similar to previous findings with urban adolescents—refuse, explain, avoid, and leave (the REAL typology)—while unique features of these strategies were identified including the importance of personal narratives, the articulation of a non-user identity, and being “accountable” to self and others.
Public policy in telecommunications: the third revolution

Telecommunications has undergone two major revolutions and is currently undergoing its third and potentially its greatest revolution. In each case, technology and markets drove the revolution, pressing against existing public policy constraints. Eventually, public policy adapted to these revolutions, but at significant economic cost. Public policy will continue to play a crucial role in telecommunications for the foreseeable future, especially as it (perhaps) evolves into the multimedia information infrastructure envisioned by many. However, the appropriate public policy mechanisms to ensure the maximum contribution of this sector to national income will be significantly different from today's policy institutions.
The effect of BCl3 pretreatment on the etching of AlN in Cl2-based plasma

The effect of BCl3 and BCl3/Ar pretreatment on Cl2/Ar and Cl2/Ar/BCl3 dry etching of AlN is investigated using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching. The native AlN oxide can be effectively removed by a short exposure to BCl3 or BCl3/Ar plasma. Compared to the chlorine based plasma etching, BCl3/Ar is found to have the highest etch rate for both AlN and its native oxide. Following removal of the native oxide, Cl2/Ar/BCl3 plasma etching with 15% BCl3 fraction results in a high etch rate ˜ 87 nm/min and modest increases in the surface roughness.
Genetic analysis of fertility restoration in wheat using restriction fragment length polymorphisms

Fertility restoration for Tritieura timopheevi Zhuk. cytoplasmic male sterility in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is controlled by both major fertifity restorer (Rf) genes and modifier genes together with environment effects. Therefore, the breeding of efficient and stable malefertility restorer lines (R-lines) should be facilitated by marker-assisted selection. This study was conducted to identify restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers for the Rf genes, Rfl and Rf4 in restorer line Rl13, and Rf3 and a Rf gene on 51) in cultivar Primepi. Polymorphic markers were mapped in testcross FI populations and their association with fertility restoration was analyzed by analysis of variance. The results indicated that Rf4 was linked to Xksug48 located on 6BS in Rl13, Rf3 was linked to Xbcd249 and Xcdo442 on 1BS, and Xcdo786 may be associated with the 5D Rf gene in Primepi. In addition, in Rl13 two other chromosome regions with fertility restoration-associated loci were detected by CD0786 and H1 on 5AL and CDOl189 on 7BS. A locus on 5DS, detected by BCD1871, showed significant epistatic effect on the expression of Rf genes. In Prime#, a locus on 5AL, detected by Xbcd183 and Xbcd876, had effects similar to Xcdo786. Two loci in ~u Xian Early A’, identified by Xbcd871 and Xwg1026, may be associated with genes controlling ease of restoration in this male-sterile line (A-fine). Except for Xbcd1871a nd Xwg1026t, he effects of other significant RFLP loci were additive in both populations.
Pup weight and survival of northern fur seals Callorhinus ursinus

The relationship between northern fur seal pup weight and post-weaning survival is examined. Males that survived at least two years after weaning had been significantly heavier than the mean for their cohort as pups. Among a small sample of females no significant relationship was found. Cohort survival from weaning to age two was not significantly correlated with mean pup weight. Pup weight may influence post-weaning survival less than other factors such as gender and variability of the environment. To the degree that it determines survival, pup weight may reflect the reproductive success or fitness of parents. Weight differences between tagged and untagged pups explain, in part, differences observed in their survival.
UV laser pyrolysis fast gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry for rapid characterization of synthetic polymers: optimization of instrumental parameters

Abstract The effects of nine experimental factors on the production and distribution of pyrolysis products from a model polymer (polyethylene) generated by laser pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (LPy-GC/MS) have been studied. The instrument uses a computer controlled, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, frequency quadrupled to 266 nm, coupled to a fast gas chromatograph and time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. Factors varied in designed experiments include: flow rate through the sample cell, frequency of the laser, number of laser spots, number of laser shots, laser spot size, laser energy, cold trapping time, cold trapping temperature, and sample cell temperature. The resulting operational understanding of the behavior of the laser pyrolysis system has enabled tuning of the numerous experimental variables so that both low and high molecular pyrolysis products are transferred to the GC/TOF-MS analysis system efficiently and reproducibly.
Energetics and Water Flux of Free-Ranging Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) during Pregnancy and Lactation

We used doubly labeled water to measure carbon dioxide production and water flux during pregnancy and lactation in free-ranging big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus. Mean (± SE ) carbon dioxide production was 1,749 ±144 ml/day during pregnancy ( n = 16) and 2,770 ±351 ml/day during lactation ( n = 5). Including estimates of tissue production and milk export, we calculated that the average requirement for assimilated energy was 48.9 and 105.1 kJ/day for pregnant and lactating females, respectively. About 2% of the total energy required during pregnancy was placed into fetal tissue; milk energy accounted for 28% of the energy assimilated during lactation. Daily water flux was 8.47 and 17.07 ml/day for pregnant and lactating females, respectively. We calculated that E. fuscus obtained >66% of its water preformed in the diet, but 20–22% of daily water intake was from drinking. Urinary water was the largest component of water efflux during pregnancy (72%) and lactation (56%); water exported in milk represented 22% of daily water efflux during lactation. Calculated evaporative losses for free-ranging E. fuscus were half those predicted from laboratory measurements.
Parametrized post-Newtonian expansion of Chern-Simons gravity

We investigate the weak-field, post-Newtonian (PN) expansion to the solution of the field equations in Chern-Simons (CS) gravity with a perfect fluid source. In particular, we study the mapping of this solution to the parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism to 1 PN order in the metric. We find that the PPN parameters of Chern-Simons gravity are identical to those of general relativity, with the exception of the inclusion of a new term that is proportional to the Chern-Simons coupling parameter and the curl of the PPN vector potentials. We also find that the new term is naturally enhanced by the nonlinearity of spacetime and we provide a physical interpretation for it. By mapping this correction to the gravito-electromagnetic framework, we study the corrections that this new term introduces to the acceleration of point particles and the frame-dragging effect in gyroscopic precession. We find that the CS correction to these classical predictions could be used by current and future experiments to place bounds on intrinsic parameters of Chern-Simons gravity and, thus, string theory.
Detection of β-actin mRNA by RT-PCR in normal and regenerating chicken cochleae

Abstract Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to show that β-actin RNA levels can be detected in total RNA isolations from as new as two cochleae. In functionally mature chicken cochleae, a low homeostatic level of β-actin message should be expressed in order to synthesize enough actin to maintain the stereocilia, cuticular plate, junctional complexes of hair cells and the cytoskeletal components of the supporting cells. The RT-PCR product obtained has been characterized by size, restriction digest analysis, and DNA sequencing analysis. These procedures have confirmed that the product is amplified from a chicken β-actin mRNA target. Subsequently, semi-quantitative RT-PCR techniques were used to demonstrate an upregulation of β-actin mRNA transcription levels in the cells of the basilar papilla during regeneration following damage from acoustic overstimulation. These studies suggest that RT-PCR can be utilized for analysis of limited quantities of tissue such as that found in the chicken cochlea and indicate promise for further qualitative and quantitative studies on the molecular mechanisms of hair cell transduction and regeneration.
Compartment syndrome associated with distal radial fracture and ipsilateral elbow injury.

Background: Forearm compartment syndrome is an uncommon sequela of distal radial fractures. This investigation tested the hypothesis that the risk of forearm compartment syndrome associated with an unstable, operatively treated fracture of the distal end of the radius is higher with a concomitant injury of the ipsilateral elbow. Methods: All patients who sustained an unstable fracture of the distal end of the radius and/or injury to the elbow (a fracture of the proximal end of the radius and/or ulna, simple elbow dislocation, elbow fracture-dislocation, or distal humeral fracture) and were operatively treated at two level-I trauma centers over a five-year period were identified from a comprehensive database. The prevalence of compartment syndrome in a cohort with an isolated distal radial fracture and a cohort with a simultaneous distal radial fracture and elbow injury were compared. Results: Nine (15%) of fifty-nine patients who sustained a simultaneous ipsilateral distal radial fracture and elbow injury had forearm compartment syndrome develop compared with three (0.3%) of 869 patients with an isolated unstable distal radial fracture (p < 0.001, relative risk = 50). The average time from presentation to the development of compartment syndrome and subsequent fasciotomy was twenty-seven hours. Three of the nine patients with injuries to both the elbow and the wrist had a compartment syndrome develop after initial operative treatment of the injuries, requiring a return to the operating room for fasciotomy. Conclusions: Forearm compartment syndrome is a frequent complication of simultaneous unstable injuries to the elbow and the distal end of the radius. Heightened vigilance for compartment syndrome is paramount in patients with this combination of injuries. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Correlates of Breast Cancer Screening Among Asian Americans Enrolled in ENCOREplus

This study examines the correlates of mammogram utilization among predominantly low income Asian American women using cross sectional data of women recruited through the ENCORE plus program (n = 1695) between July 1996 and June 1998. Logistic regression was used to examine the independent effect of variables corresponding to Andersen’s behavioral model of health services utilization on mammography screening behavior. Foreign-born women living in the U.S. < 5 years and between 5 and 10 years were significantly less likely to have ever had a mammogram than women who were born in the U.S. (OR 0.22; CI 0.12, 0.40 and OR 0.48; CI 0.27, 0.86, respectively). Women 40–49 years old were half as likely to adhere to mammography screening recommendations as women 50–64 years (CI 0.33, 0.76). Health insurance was positively associated with adherence to mammography screening guidelines (OR 1.59; CI 1.02, 2.48). The results of this study highlight the need for health education about breast cancer and mammography among Asian American women. Policy work also needs to be directed toward improving access to health care in this community.
Probabilistic hydraulic design: A next step to experimental hydraulics

Hydraulic engineers conduct experiments based on which empirical laws are developed for the physical processes involved. However, during the design and analysis stage, the step often falls short of recognizing the inherent uncertainty associated with the developed empirical laws. This paper discusses the presence of various uncertainties in the empirical equations derived from hydraulic experiments and illustrates how to incorporate such uncertainties in probabilistic design of hydraulic structures.
Comparison of acetaldehyde and ethanol: depression of motor activity in mice.

Abstract The fine and gross motor activity of mice was measured at 1-minute intervals for 15 minutes after intravenous administration of ethanol or acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde transiently reduced both types of motor activity whereas the effects of ethanol were more prolonged. The 1-minute ED50 values for depression of fine and gross activity by acetaldehyde are 2.2. and 2.7 mg/kg, respectively. The corresponding values for ethanol are 740 and 516 mg/kg. The differences in relative potencies became smaller as the time interval over which activity was measured increased. Thus, the potency of acetaldehyde as a depressant of behavior relative to ethanol is considerably greater than has previously been reported if effects are determined immediately after drug administration.
The effect of salinity and temperature on the ion levels in the hemolymph of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, Rathbun☆

Abstract 1. 1. An investigation was conducted to measure the effects of salinity (5 and 35‰) and temperature (12, 20, and 28°C) on the regulation of Na+, K+, Cl−, MgP2+ and ninhydrin positive substance (N.P.S.) in the hemolymph of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. 2. 2. Salinity and temperature interacted to cause significant changes in the levels of Na+, Cl−, Mg2+ and N.P.S. 3. 3. Na+ tended to be related directly to temperature at high salinity, Cl− was unaffected by temperature at high salinity, and both were related inversely and non-linearly at low salinity. The levels of K+ were unaffected by temperature at either salinity. 4. 4. These data indicate that Na+ and Cl− levels are regulated by different mechanisms at high and low salinity and the mechanism of regulation is thermally influenced.
Fibulin-1 Acts as a Cofactor for the Matrix Metalloprotease ADAMTS-1

ADAMTS-1 is a metalloprotease that has been implicated in the inhibition of angiogenesis and is a mediator of proteolytic cleavage of the hyaluronan binding proteoglycans, aggrecan and versican. In an attempt to further understand the biological function of ADAMTS-1, a yeast two-hybrid screen was performed using the carboxyl-terminal region of ADAMTS-1 as bait. As a result, the extracellular matrix protein fibulin-1 was identified as a potential interacting molecule. Through a series of analyses that included ligand affinity chromatography, co-immunoprecipitation, pulldown assays, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the ability of these two proteins to interact was substantiated. Additional studies showed that ADAMTS-1 and fibulin-1 colocalized in vivo. Furthermore, fibulin-1 was found to enhance the capacity of ADAMTS-1 to cleave aggrecan, a proteoglycan known to bind to fibulin-1. We confirmed that fibulin-1 was not a proteolytic substrate for ADAMTS-1. Together, these findings indicate that fibulin-1 is a new regulator of ADAMTS-1-mediated proteoglycan proteolysis and thus may play an important role in proteoglycan turnover in tissues where there is overlapping expression.
An object-oriented framework for the development of scalable parallel multilevel preconditioners

We present the design of a high-performance object-oriented framework that enables the rapid development and usage of efficient, scalable, and portable implementations of multilevel preconditioners for distributed sparse real matrices, in both serial and (massively) parallel environments. The main feature of the proposed framework is the use of several programming paradigms for the different implementation layers, with a strong emphasis on object-oriented classes and operator overloading for the top layer, and optimized FORTRAN and C code for the layers underneath. We describe an implementation of the proposed framework that is based on the ML library, the algebraic multilevel preconditioning package of Trilinos, which supports state-of-the-art parallel smoothed aggregation methods, and can be used to define general algebraic and geometric multilevel and multigrid preconditioners and solvers. The article demonstrates that we can take advantage of object-oriented programming and operator overloading to obtain intuitive, easy-to-read, and easy-to-develop codes that are at the same time efficient and scalable. Several numerical experiments obtained on serial and parallel computers show that the overhead required by the object-oriented layer is very modest, therefore allowing developers to focus on the new algorithms they are developing and testing, rather than on implementation details.
Production of Mg and Al Auger electrons by noble gas ion bombardment of Mg and Al surfaces

Relative production efficiencies of Mg and Al Auger electrons by He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe ion bombardment are reported as a function of ion energy for energies not exceeding 3 keV. The experimental apparatus employed consisted of a LEED-Auger system equipped with an ion gun and a four-grid retarding-potential analyzer. It is found that: (1) the shape of the ion-excited Auger signal was independent of the rare gas and quite symmetric; (2) the Al signal was about an order of magnitude smaller than the Mg signal for a given bombarding species and ion-gun voltage; (3) no signal was observed for He(+) bombardment under any of the experimental conditions; (4) signal strengths were independent of temperature and ion dose; (5) the Auger production efficiencies differed by no more than a factor of two among the different gases - except for He(+) - on a given metal; (6) all the signal strengths increased with increasing ion-gun voltage, with no maximum exhibited; and (7) the apparent threshold energy for the Al signal was higher than that for the Mg signal. The differences between the results for the two metals are attributed to the fact that the Al 2p orbital lies deeper in energy and closer to the nucleus than the corresponding Mg orbital.