cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Brief Neuropsychological Battery for Measuring Cognitive Functions Associated with Obesity.

Objective Although ample evidence links obesity to cognitive dysfunction, the trajectory of cognitive change, the underlying mechanisms, and the involvement of related factors, such as metabolic disease and diet, remain unclear. To support further investigations of BMI and cognition, this study aimed to create a concise test battery to be used in future trials. Methods Twenty neurocognitive measures were regressed on BMI in the Human Connectome Project Healthy Young Adult S1200 data release by using linear mixed models and by adjusting for major confounders. Measures were then identified by using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis to select tests most strongly associated with BMI. To guide further test selection, the explained variance for each variable was visualized in the final model. Results BMI was negatively associated with seven neurocognitive measures. Variable selection yielded a model that included years of education and, in order of model weight, delay discounting, the relational task, the Penn Progressive Matrices test, the oral reading recognition test, the Variable Short Penn Line Orientation test, and the Penn Word Memory test. Conclusions This research resulted in an approximate 40-minute test battery for the BMI-cognition relationship in young adults that can be used in trials investigating the interrelationship between obesity and cognitive performance.
Skin Cancer Education in the Rural Salon.

INTRODUCTION Due to an increase in the incidence of skin cancer and a shortage of primary care and specialty physicians in rural areas, creative public health strategies must be employed to address disparities in skin cancer education, prevention, and detection. METHODS Hair salons in eastern South Dakota communities with populations less than 15,000 were visited in-person by medical student facilitators. Hair professionals at these locations completed pre-survey assessments for baseline self-assessed comfort with detecting suspicious skin lesions and with educating patrons on skin cancer prevention strategies. Their likelihood to both alert patrons of suspicious skin lesions and encourage them to have their lesion evaluated by a physician was also assessed. A 20-minute educational PowerPoint presentation was given. Final assessment was evaluated with a post-presentation survey. RESULTS Self-assessed hair professional comfort with identifying suspicious skin lesions was higher in post-survey results, in addition, the educational presentation increased comfort with sharing skin cancer prevention information with patrons. Hair professionals also reported increased likelihood that they would alert patrons to suspect skin lesions. Also, hair professionals reported increased likelihood that they would encourage patrons to seek medical care for their concerning lesions. CONCLUSIONS Hair professionals may act as lay skin cancer educators in rural salons. Educational programs for hair professionals can increase their comfort with detecting lesions suspicious for skin cancer, increase their comfort with sharing skin protection information with patrons, and increase their likelihood of both alerting their patrons about suspicious skin lesions and encouraging their patrons to have their suspicious lesions evaluated.
Outcomes and Management of Peripheral Intravenous Infiltration Injuries

Background: Although intravenous (IV) infiltration is relatively common, data regarding complications and outcomes of this problem remain limited. In addition, there is wide variation in institutional protocols for the management of IV infiltrations. Through retrospective review, we aim to delineate complications and outcomes, and propose an algorithm for the management of these injuries. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients who had an IV infiltration at a tertiary care center's inpatient and outpatient facilities between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018. Results: In all, 479 patients with 495 infiltrations were included, with a mean age of 36.7 years. The upper extremity was involved in 89.6% of events. Of all the events, 8.6% led to a superficial soft tissue infection, 3.2% led to necrosis or eschar formation, and 1.9% led to ulceration or full-thickness wound formation. There were zero cases of compartment syndrome. Only 5.1% resulted in any long-term defects; none resulted in a functional defect of the extremity. Patients with vascular disease did not experience worse outcomes compared with healthy individuals. Plastic or orthopedic surgery was consulted in 25.3% of events. No emergent surgical intervention was required, 7 (1.4%) required bedside procedures, and 7 (1.4%) patients underwent nonacute operations. Conclusions: A specialist was consulted in about one-quarter of IV infiltrations, yet none were surgical emergencies. Instead, most complications could be monitored and managed by a primary team. Therefore, we propose algorithms involving nursing staff, wound care teams, and primary physicians with limited specialist consultation to manage these injuries.
A Comparison of Psychological Readiness and Patient-Reported Function Between Sexes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Context Postoperative functional and return-to-sport outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) differ by sex. However, whether sex disparities are observed in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) before return to sport after ACLR is unclear. Objectives To compare common PROMS between young men and women who had not yet returned to sport after ACLR. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University laboratory. Main outcome measure(s) Forty-five young men (age = 18.7 ± 2.7 years, time since surgery = 6.8 ± 1.4 months) and 45 matched for age (±1 year) and time since surgery (±1 month; age = 18.8 ± 2.8 years, time since surgery = 6.9 ± 1.4 months) with ACLR participated. Participants completed the Tegner Activity Scale, ACL Return to Sport After Injury scale, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Evaluation Score, and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). The PROMS were compared between men and women using Mann-Whitney U tests. Odds ratios were calculated to evaluate the odds of a male reporting a PROM value above the previously established normative value as compared with a female. Results Sex differences were present for the IKDC score (P = .01) and KOOS Pain score (P = .04) but not for the Tegner activity level (P = .22), ACL Return to Sport after Injury scale score (P = .78), Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia score (P = .64), or other KOOS subscales (P values = .40 to .52). The odds of reporting values above normative levels differed only for the IKDC score (odds ratio = 2.72, 95% confidence level = 1.16, 6.38). Conclusions After ACLR, young men and women reported similar levels of knee-related function, fear of movement, and readiness for return to sport and were equally likely to meet clinically meaningful normative values before return to sport. Overreliance on patient reports or objective functional outcomes in evaluating patient progress and readiness for return to sport after ACLR may limit clinicians in their ability to comprehensively evaluate and develop individualized interventional approaches that optimize patient outcomes.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery pleurectomy: a suitable alternative for treating malignant pleural effusions

Background Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are common manifestations of metastatic cancers and are associated with a dismal prognosis. Talc pleurodesis has been proven to be effective in the management of MPEs, however, class-action lawsuits linking talc to ovarian adenocarcinoma have rendered it unavailable at many institutions. As a result, surgeons have resorted to less effective chemical pleurodesis as an alternative to indwelling pleural drainage catheters. Given the absence of talc, we explored the effectiveness of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) partial pleurectomy (VPP) for treating MPEs. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients with MPEs managed after talc became unavailable at our institution. Between 2016 and 2018, we identified five patients who refused pleural drainage catheters and underwent VPP. Symptoms at presentation included fatigue, dyspnea, and pleuritic chest pain. All had unilateral MPEs (left n=3, right n=2). VPP included removal of parietal surfaces of the pleura other than the pleura overlying the subclavian vessels, the mediastinum, and the lung viscera. Results There were no significant perioperative adverse events and post-operative pain was well controlled. Chest tubes were removed between post-operative day (POD) 3 and 7. Follow-up time ranged from four to 36 weeks. All patients had symptomatic relief and radiographic evidence of improved MPEs. No patients required re-interventions. One patient expired six months after surgery while the remaining four were alive at last follow-up. Conclusions VPP offers an effective alternative to chemical pleurodesis for managing MPEs in patients who prefer to avoid pleural drainage catheters.
Book Review: Constitution-Making and Transnational Legal Order

Constitution-Making and Transnational Legal Order—edited by Gregory Shaffer, Tom Ginsburg, and Terence C. Halliday—builds on earlier work by Shaffer and Halliday in which they developed the theory of transnational legal orders (TLO theory). TLO theory “defines a transnational legal order as a collection of formalized legal norms and associated organizations and actors that authoritatively order the understanding and practice of law across national jurisdictions.” Prior scholarship on TLO theory focused on business, regulatory, and human rights. This book applies the theoretical framework of TLOs to the study of constitutional norms. The book proceeds from the premise that individuals, ideas, and institutions from abroad have always influenced constitutions, and so the process of constitution-making is best understood as a transnational process. The book addresses the actors, networks, norms and processes involved in constitution-making from a transnational and comparative perspective. Constitution-Making and Transnational Legal Order raises the intriguing question whether there is currently a transnational legal order that “authoritatively order[s] the understanding and practice of law across national jurisdictions” by supporting the incorporation of international human rights norms into national constitutions and by facilitating the actual implementation and enforcement of those constitutional norms in domestic legal practice. Three points merit emphasis in this respect. First, although international law does not obligate states to incorporate international human rights norms into domestic constitutions, the incorporation of such norms into national constitutions is one possible mechanism for states to implement their international obligations under human rights treaties. Second, there is abundant evidence that many states have, at least on paper, incorporated international human rights norms into their national constitutions. Third, as of this writing, there has been very little scholarship that undertakes a detailed, empirical analysis of the question whether such incorporation actually contributes, in practice, to improved protection for human rights. Such analysis is long overdue. Until that analysis is undertaken, we cannot say with confidence whether there is an effective transnational legal order for the constitutional protection of internationally recognized human rights.
General Hardware, Inc.

The owners of a chain of hardware stores are preparing the most recent quarter financial statements. A number of business details are provided, including information to assess accrual accounting net income: sales, cost of sales, operating expenses, interest, depreciation, and taxes. The most recent balance sheet is provided, enabling an assessment of basic accruals (e.g., tax payable). This case may be used as a stand-alone exercise to illustrate the preparation of balance sheets and income statements using transactions and accruals. Excerpt UVA-C-2446 Dec. 16, 2020 General Hardware, Inc. Ginny and Joe Miller opened a small hardware store in 2004, using their own cash savings and borrowing a small sum from Ginny's parents. Nothing gave them more pride than owning and operating a locally owned business, even if it was complicated by the constant pressures placed on them by big-box retailers. But by 2019, business was booming. General Hardware had five locations, and the Millers were considering an even greater expansion in the coming year, perhaps offering their own version of a national franchise model. The drop-off in activity during the first quarter of 2020, however, dampened those plans. The quarter turned out to be a time for retrenchment and planning for a sustained period of contraction. The following is a summary of first quarter activity for the year 2020, along with the final December 31, 2019, balance sheet (see Exhibit1). · Product sales totaled $ 3 million (all customers paid with cash), and the company had paid $ 2.2million for that inventory sold. . . .
Ethnic divergence and linkage disequilibrium of novel SNPs in the human NLI-IF gene: evidence of human origin and lack of association with tuberculosis susceptibility.

Sequence variation in the human genome has been used as a tool in studying human diseases and the evolutionary history of man. A human inherited predisposition to tuberculosis has been suggested and studied; however, genetic mechanisms are still ambiguous. In the present study, we scanned the regulatory and coding region of Nuclear LIM Interactor-Interacting Factor gene (NLI-IF), which is physically close to the tuberculosis-associated gene NRAMP1. Thirteen biallelic single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified from four ethnic populations (African–American, Caucasian, Hispanic, and Asian) with population-specific distribution of alleles. The extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between 402T>C, and 472−42G>A varied distinctly from complete LD in the non-African–American groups to strong but incomplete LD in African–Americans. Both SNPs were in significant LD with the polymorphism 3′ UTR in NRAMP1 among these ethnic groups (P C in African–Americans. In a case-control study with a Caucasian population, three cosmopolitan SNPs (204C>A, 402T>C and 472−42G>A) in NLI-IF showed no significant association with human susceptibility to tuberculosis. Our results support the "out-of-Africa" model of human origin, and suggest the time for the common ancestor dispersing from Africa could not have been more than approximately 385,620 years ago.
Impacts of global warming on Northern Hemisphere winter storm tracks in the CMIP5 model suite

[1] A key question in assessing how global warming may affect climate is how it may impact day-to-day weather. To help answer this question, we evaluate the frequency and intensity of northern hemisphere storm tracks in the National Center for Climate Prediction reanalysis I dataset, and the historical, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 climate scenarios featured in the CMIP5 simulations. We found that a warmer climate resulted in a general decrease in storm frequency in midlatitudes, especially in RCP8.5. In contrast, frequency trends in the reanalysis data reflected an increase in the North Pacific consistent with a shift towards a positive Pacific Decadal Oscillation and more frequent El Nino events post mid-1970s. An examination of frequency and intensity trends in the active storm track regions of the North Pacific and North Atlantic showed that a significant decrease in storm track frequency was evident for RCP8.5. In contrast, intensity trends were dichotomous, with RCP8.5 exhibiting an increase in intensity in the North Atlantic active storm track region and a decrease in intensity in the North Pacific active storm track region. Poleward of these regions, a significant decrease in storm intensity in the North Atlantic and a significant increase in intensity in the North Pacific in RCP8.5 occurred. We also examined the intensity distribution of storms in the active storm track regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific and determined that the models produced weaker storms with reduced variability relative to reanalysis data regardless of external climate forcing.
TARP Beneficiaries and Their Lending Patterns During the Financial Crisis

This paper provides a systematic analysis of the lending performance of U.S. commercial banks and savings institutions that received financial support through the Capital Purchase Program (CPP) established in October 2008. The authors combine U.S. Treasury data on recipients of the CPP with quarterly financial data for the entire population of depository institutions to recon struct aggregate lending and gross credit flows (expansion and contraction). CPP institutions experienced a less severe lending contraction than non-CPP institutions for all types of loans and bank asset levels. The authors find no evidence of unusual reallocation of lending across depository institutions. (JEL E44, E51, G21) Federal Reserve Banks of St. Louis Review , March/April 2011, 93 (2), pp. 105-25.
Engine idle quality improvement using a fuzzy logic controller

Poor idle quality is a result of the transmission of engine vibration to the vehicle frame. A major solution to this problem is to reduce the amount of vibration from the engine by improving the idle combustion quality. Doing this will reduce the variation in engine speed. A hardware solution to this problem usually requires a compromise to performance at higher engine speeds, and it is also expensive. More often, idle spark control is implemented to control idle speed excursions from desired speed for improved engine idle quality. A fuzzy logic controller has been designed using a few control rules with two input and one output variables for controlling idle speed excursions. The simulation results are promising, but more tuning of the system model is required before the rules and membership functions of the fuzzy logic controller can be tuned.
Chapter 4 Multiple sleep latency test

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). The MSLT is the most commonly used method for objective evaluation of daytime sleepiness. This test measures speed of falling asleep on a series of naps, which directly correlates with levels of sleepiness. Thus excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is indicated by more rapid sleep onsets than normal control levels. The MSLT has achieved widespread acceptance because of its simple, intuitive approach to sleepiness. Furthermore, the MSLT provides several opportunities to test for sleep-onset rapid eye movement (REM) episodes, the primary diagnostic sign of narcolepsy. The MSLT procedure is well-standardized according to the guidelines set out by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. An overnight polysomnogram is carried out the night before the MSLT to examine both the quality and quantity of the night's sleep, which influence the MSLT results. It is ideal that subjects complete sleep diary forms or otherwise have their sleep assessed (e.g., actigraphy) for MSLT may be influenced by sleep for up to seven nights before the test.
Transient stabilization of power grids using passivity-based control with flywheel energy storage systems

A novel passivity-based controller using three time-scale separations is introduced for variable speed drives of flywheel energy storage systems. The time-scale separation between the power electronics, the electrical machine variables, and the mechanical machine variables is used in order to design a nested three-layer controller. Since the dynamics of the variable speed drive are non-linear, the controller uses passivity-based control logic to achieve regulation of both the flywheel speed and the currents into the power electronics. Finally, the controller is demonstrated for transient stabilization of an interconnected power system in response to a large sudden wind generator disturbance.
Simplified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for routine identification of Rhizobium japonicum antigens

A simple, reliable, and flexible modification of the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for the identification of Rhizobium japonicum antigens from cultures and nodules. The procedure emphasizes efficient use of time and reagents, adaptability to variously equipped laboratories, and maintenance of sensitivity levels that are adequate for ecological studies.
Minimal Model Complexity Search

SURFER is an empirical discovery system that given a set of input data and a modelling vocabulary returns the model that best describes that data. The best model is considered to be the one that minimizes the description length of that model plus the data encoded using that model. The search for models is controlled by the a priori estimate of model likelihoods as encoded in the modelling vocabulary. SURFER includes domain independent mechanisms for identifying redundant models and for finding free parameters. The system is described together with the results of running the system on several different types of problems.
Branch number and height effects on the multi-branch tri-band monopole antenna resonance

Advances in wireless communications technology are currently developing very rapidly. The 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz ISM bands are widely used for a variety of applications. As an example, many laptop computers use the 900 MHz band for wireless printer and modem connections and the 2.4 GHz band for wireless LAN and Bluetooth applications. The 1.8 GHz PCS band is also under consideration for data services. As a result, the demand for a antenna operating at three bands is increasing. Dual-band antennas with one feed have some advantages over multi- feed antennas and were proposed for cellular applications. These antennas can also be used for dual-band ISM applications. We extend the results of the dual-band antenna proposed by Liu (see IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium and URSI Radio Science Meeting, Proceedings, Orlando, Florida, vol.3, p.1578-81, July 1999, Proceedings of the XXVIth General Assembly of the International Union of Radio Science, Toronto, Canada, p.61, August 1999, and IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium and URSI Radio Science Meeting Proceedings, Salt Lake City, Utah, vol.3, p.1302-1305, July 2000) to tri-band applications. The antenna proposed here consists of a monopole and two or four branches as shown. The branches are circumferentially connected to the monopole a short distance away from the monopole feed point. The branches are parallel to and a small distance away from the monopole. The branches on the same band have the same length. In this design, the center monopole, roughly speaking, works for the 900 MHz band, while the branches work for the 1.8 and 2.4 GHz bands.
Bad Hair Days in the Paleolithic: Modern (Re)Constructions of the Cave Man

Although we have never seen Paleolithic humans in the flesh, we recognize them immediately in illustrations, art, cartoons, and museum displays. The familiar iconography of the "Cave Man" often depicts our early human ancestors with longish, unkempt hair. However, this conventionalized image is not congruent with available archaeological data on the appearance of Upper Paleolithic humans. The lengthy iconographic history of representations of our prehistoric humans is rather a palimpsest of beliefs about the origins of humans, "natural man," human nature, primitive humans, and the savage "Other": a history of discourses about human evolution, human language, and the place of humans in the natural world. These images are traced in their anthropological, evolutionary, and philosophical contexts from medieval art through recent scientific illustrations, art, cartoons, and murals, and their influence on the scientific interpretation of our ancestors is assessed. [Cave Man, Paleolithic, evolution, primitive, illustration]
Interpretation of AES data of impregnated cathodes

Abstract Many surface studies of impregnated cathodes involve a measurement of the Ba590, O510 and W170 Auger peak heights. This paper shows how these measurements plotted in terms of O Ba versus W Ba concentration ratios can be used to interpret experimental results on impregnated B-type cathodes. Data are presented from actual cathodes and simulated cathode surfaces using well defined BaO films on W. These results as well topographic data will be compared to various calculated models. It will be shown that an active B-type cathode consists of nearly a monolayer of BaO on W with a slight excess of O compared to Ba. This excess O, however, is associated with W rather than the BaO. Ageing increases the O Ba ratio and this takes place principally by the removal of Ba from the BaO surface, again with the excess O being associated with the W rather than the BaO. The work function increase during ageing corresponds only to the area-decrease of BaO. If the surface accumulates so much O that it exceeds the available empty Ba sites (i.e., all W is covered by Ba or O), then any additional O appears to sit on top of the remaining Ba and the surface will be poisoned. These conclusions are not only the result of work function observations but are also consistent with interatomic Auger analysis of BaO interactions as well as surface plasmon and ISS results. Toporgaphic data obtained from pore/impregnant regions are also in good agreement with calculated values of partial coverage of typical tungstate and impregnant residues.
Introduction to special section: Transport and transformation of biogeochemically important materials in coastal waters

[1] Two projects in the Laurentian Great Lakes were funded under the Coastal Ocean Processes Program. In Lake Superior the Keweenaw Interdisciplinary Transport Experiment in Superior (KITES) focused on a region dominated by a strong coastal jet, and a sister project in Lake Michigan, Episodic Events—Great Lakes Experiment (EEGLE), concentrated on the biogeochemical effects of a major plume of resuspended sediment that occurs annually in the southern portion of the lake.
Musculoskeletal abnormalities of the tibia in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective To characterize local bone geometry, density, and strength, using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), compared with general bone characteristics as measured using dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and to assess their relationship to disease-related factors in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Methods Forty-eight children ages 4–18 years with JRA (17 pauciarticular, 23 polyarticular, 8 systemic) were compared with age-matched healthy controls (n = 266). Measurements included cortical and trabecular bone geometry, density, and strength at the distal and midshaft tibia determined by pQCT, and whole-body, lumbar spine, and femoral neck measurements by DXA. Results Methotrexate (MTX) was prescribed to 23 of 48 patients (47.9%) and glucocorticoids and MTX were prescribed to 15 of 48 patients (31.3%), with the greatest use in children with systemic JRA. All JRA patients had decreased tibia trabecular bone density, cortical bone size and strength, and muscle mass. Children with systemic JRA had lower femoral neck densities. Systemic JRA was associated with a shorter, less mineralized skeleton, while a narrower, less mineralized skeleton was observed in polyarticular JRA. The tibia diaphysis was narrower with decreased muscle mass, but normal, size-adjusted bone mineral in all subtypes indicated a localized effect of JRA on bone. Patients exposed to glucocorticoids and MTX or to glucocorticoids or MTX alone had greatly reduced trabecular density, cortical bone geometry properties, and bone mineral content, muscle mass, and bone strength. Conclusion Children with JRA have decreased skeletal size, muscle mass, trabecular bone density, cortical bone geometry, and strength. Not surprisingly, these bone abnormalities are more pronounced in children with greater disease severity.
SU‐E‐T‐186: Evaluation of Optical Density Growth and Sensitivity of EBT1 and EBT2 Gafchromic Films on the Dosimetry for IMRT Quality Assurance

Purpose: To investigate the effects of optical density (OD) sensitivity and growth with time post‐irradiation on intensity‐modulated radiation therapy(IMRT)dosimetry with gafchromic films (EBT1 and EBT2). Method and Materials:EBT1 and EBT2 films were used to perform IMRTquality assurance, which were exposed to IMRT plans created in treatment planning system using 6 MV photon beam from a Trilogy Varian linac.Calibrationfilms were exposed to graded doses from 78–399cGy in order to convert OD to dose. The films were scanned using a flat panel scanner several times starting from 4 to 480 hours post‐irradiation. Gray scale and red colors for both EBT1 and EBT2 films were used to evaluate film sensitivity on IMRT analysis. The IMRTfilms were analyzed with calibrationfilms that were scanned synchronously and at different times post‐irradiation to quantify the effect of OD growth.Dose difference and gamma analysis of the dose distributions measured by film and calculated by treatment planning system were used to evaluate the effects of OD growth and sensitivity. Result: OD variations show that EBT1 grows slower, however, reaching higher values (14%) than EBT2 (13%) after long time post‐irradiation. The gray color values grow higher (13–14%) than red values (6%) for both EBT1&2 films after 480 hours. The results of dose difference and gamma parameter with more than 85% and 97% passing rates, respectively, using acceptance criteria (5%, 5mm) were better for films analyzed with synchronized calibration and red color values than non‐synchronized calibration and grayscale. Conclusion: The measurement of dose distributions agrees well with those calculated by treatment planning for synchronized IMRT and calibrationfilms where variation due to OD growth is minimized. Red color values provide better gamma for IMRT analysis with EBT1&2 films because of lower OD growth and high sensitivity than gray color values.
New Mechanism for Positronium Formation on a Silicon Surface

We describe experiments in which positronium (Ps) is emitted from the surface of $p$-doped Si(100), following positron implantation. The observed emission rate is proportional to a Boltzmann factor $\mathrm{exp}﻿{\ensuremath{-}{E}_{A}/kT}$, which is dependent on the temperature $T$ of the sample and a characteristic energy ${E}_{A}=(0.253\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.004)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$. Surprisingly, however, the Ps emission energy has a constant value of $\ensuremath{\sim}0.16\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$, much greater than $kT$. This observation suggests the spontaneous emission of energetic Ps from a short-lived metastable state that becomes thermally accessible to available surface electrons once the positron is present. A likely candidate for this entity is an electron-positron state analogous to the surface exciton observed on $p$-Si(100) $c(4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2)$ by Weinelt et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 126801 (2004)].
Reactions of keratinocytes to in vitro millimeter wave exposure.

The effects of millimeter waves (MW) on human keratinocytes were studied in vitro using the HaCaT keratinocyte cell line. MW-induced modulation of keratinocyte function was studied in proliferation, adhesion, chemotaxis, and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) production assays. Spontaneous proliferation, adhesion to tissue culture plate, random migration, and IL-8- and RANTES induced chemotaxis were not affected by exposure of cells to millimeter waves under the following conditions: frequency, 61.22 GHz; SAR, 770 W/kg; duration of exposure, 15-30 min. However, MW irradiation resulted in a modest but statistically significant increase in the intracellular level of IL-1beta. These data suggest that exposure of human skin (with keratinocytes being the major component of epidermis) to MW can cause activation of basal keratinocytes resulting in an elevated level of IL-1beta production.
The Second American Cough Conference

Two years after our inaugural meeting [1], the Second American Cough Conference was held in June 2009 on the banks of the Hudson River, in the shadow of the New York City skyline. Once again, a faculty of internationally renowned basic and clinical scientists provided state-ofthe-art summaries and updated developments in the recently energized field of cough. The audience filling the auditorium to capacity comprised a broad range of interested parties: researchers, academicians, clinicians, and members of the pharmaceutical industry. Reflecting the multidisciplinary challenge that pathological cough presents, conference speakers represented a broad range of backgrounds: basic and preclinical science, respiratory medicine, allergology, otorhinolaryngology, biomedical engineering, and pediatrics. As is the goal of the American Cough Conference, new and emerging themes, involving mechanisms, diagnosis, and management of cough, were presented and discussed. Notable among these is the concept that a preexisting, heightened cough reflex may underlie the development of chronic cough in susceptible individuals upon the superimposition of a second, exacerbating factor such as acute viral upper respiratory tract infection or gastroesophageal reflux, whereas in others with less sensitive baseline cough reflex sensitivity, identical triggers will not result in the onset of cough [2]. New developments in the pharmacology of cough were prominently featured, including an update on the TRP family of ion channels. Whereas the TRPV1 ion channel has received significant attention as a potential target for antitussive drugs [3], the TRPA1 channel is now identified as a particularly exciting area of investigation. Recently emerging areas of inquiry, including the association of cough with sleep, exercise, and laryngeal sensory neuropathy, were discussed and new data presented. The urgent need for new and better antitussive drugs was a recurrent theme throughout the meeting, as was perhaps also the sentiment that the most efficient path to that goal would involve collaboration between academia and the pharmaceutical industry. The Second American Cough Conference could not have occurred without the generosity of our major financial sponsor, Reckitt Benckiser, as well as our other providers of significant support, Procter & Gamble and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. We are grateful to F. Dennis McCool, Editor-in-Chief of Lung, and the publisher, Springer, for again publishing the proceedings of our conference in their journal. We thank the SRxA Institute for Professional Education for cosponsoring the conference along with Medical Education Resources. Finally, we are greatly indebted to the administrative organizers of our meeting— Chris Efessiou, Ph.D., Jenny Mauk, M.Ed., and Veronica Pecnik of Strategic Pharmaceutical Advisors and the SRxA Institute for Professional Education—for their meticulous oversight of every aspect and detail of our conference. The Third American Cough Conference is planned for June 2011. Updates regarding this meeting will be provided, as they become available, on our website: www.cough conference.com.
DNA polyfluorophores as highly diverse chemosensors of toxic gases

We describe a new molecular design for sensing toxic gases in air that employs DNA-polyfluorophores as reporters. In these polyfluorophores (ODFs), the DNA backbone is used as a scaffold to arrange several fluorescent aromatic hydrocarbons/heterocycles as DNA base replacements in a photophysically interacting stack. A library of 256 different tetramer ODFs was constructed on PEG-polystyrene beads and tested for optical responses to a set of toxic gases, SO2, H2S, MeSH, NH3, NHMe2, HCl, Cl2, and BF3. A set of 15 responding sequences was resynthesized, characterized, and cross-screened under a microscope against all eight gases at 1000 ppm. Responses were measured by changes in fluorescence wavelength and intensity, which were quantified as Δ(R, G, B, L) data from bead images. The data show a large range of responses, including lighting up, quenching, and color changes; remarkably, some single sensors showed all three types of responses to the varied analytes. Statistical methods were used to identify small sets of only three chemosensors that could be used to distinguish all eight analytes. The results establish that ODFs on surfaces can bind and report on small, simple gas molecules with highly varied responses. The DNA-like structure of the sensor molecules confers a number of potential advantages including simple synthesis, high diversity, and rapid sensor discovery.
The Effective Two-Body Interaction in Finite Nuclei and its Calculation

The calculation of the effective interaction and of other effective operators in finite nuclei is an important link in the chain connecting microscopic phenomena, such as the nucleon-nucleon scattering phase shifts, with nuclear phenomena, such as cross sections and excitation energies. But, like all links in a chain, it depends upon the other links for its support. As we will see, the calculation of the effective interaction, which is part of the link having to do with the many-particle shell model (MPSM), is strongly dependent upon links having to do with the theory of the nucleon-nucleon interaction, the treatment of strong short-range correlations and the derivation of the single-particle shell model (SPSM).
The vision of autonomic computing

A 2001 IBM manifesto observed that a looming software complexity crisis -caused by applications and environments that number into the tens of millions of lines of code - threatened to halt progress in computing. The manifesto noted the almost impossible difficulty of managing current and planned computing systems, which require integrating several heterogeneous environments into corporate-wide computing systems that extend into the Internet. Autonomic computing, perhaps the most attractive approach to solving this problem, creates systems that can manage themselves when given high-level objectives from administrators. Systems manage themselves according to an administrator's goals. New components integrate as effortlessly as a new cell establishes itself in the human body. These ideas are not science fiction, but elements of the grand challenge to create self-managing computing systems.
Abstract 1237: Role of Src in resistance to anoikis in detachedpancreatic cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive malignancy currently ranked as the fourth leading cause of cancer related death in the United States, with over 95% of patients succumbing to the disease within 5 years of diagnosis. The vast majority of pancreatic cancer deaths are due to metastatic dissemination of the primary tumor. The non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase, c-Src (Src) has emerged in recent years as a potential target for pancreatic cancer treatment. In vitro studies have demonstrated the importance of Src for pancreatic tumor cell adhesion, migration, invasiveness, and resistance to apoptotic death. Mouse models of pancreatic cancer have indicated an important role for Src in formation of metastases. In addition, SHP-2, a non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase that regulates Src family kinase activity, has been recently shown to be a key mediator of various signaling pathways and evidence has established clinical relevance for SHP-2 in human diseases. Our goal is to determine the importance of Src for discrete steps in the progression to pancreatic cancer metastasis and resistance to detachment-induced cell death and the role of SHP-2 in modulating Src activity and downstream biology during this process. We have demonstrated a rapid and robust activation of Src in L3.6 human pancreatic cancer cells that have become detached from the extracellular environment, a crucial step in the development of metastases. Also, we have observed co-immunoprecipitation between Src and SHP-2 in detached cells, suggesting a potential role for SHP-2 in regulating Src activity in detached pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, our results reveal a Src-dependent activation of the Akt cell survival cascade and the stress kinase, Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in detached cells. Furthermore, this study confirmed that inhibition of both Src and SHP-2 in combination sensitizes L3.6 pancreatic cancer cells to anoikis in detached cells. We hypothesize that Src activity in detached pancreatic cancer cells promotes metastasis through suppression of anoikis. We will confirm these in vitro studies by testing the effects of inhibition of Src alone or in combination with SHP-2 inhibition on metastatic tumor formation using a nude mouse experimental metastasis model. The potential use for the Src and SHP-2 signaling axes as therapeutic targets for many cancers remains largely untapped. Our studies suggest that the anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects of Src inhibition may be improved through simultaneous inhibition of SHP-2. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1237. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1237
Beyond third party role: Disputes and managerial intervention

This article reviews the research findings on managerial third party intervention and the factors that affect role choice. It explores the implications of research findings and advocates using a political approach to investigate the ways that managers enter into disputes, both directly and indirectly, and through such roles as conflict orchestrators. It calls for reexamining the assumptions that underlie this research and for focusing on the process of defining conflicts, uncovering coalitions and networks of relationships, and linking third party intervention to the ideology that underlies organizational disputes.
Recurrent acute pancreatitis and persistent hyperamylasemia as a presentation of pancreatic osteoclastic giant cell tumor: an unusual presentation of a rare tumor.

Giant cell tumors of the pancreas are rare neoplasms divided into three forms: osteoclastic, pleomorphic, and mixed. We report an unusual case of a 62-year-old male presenting with recurrent acute pancreatitis and found to have a mass in the head of the pancreas on routine imaging. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed a main pancreatic duct stricture, with brush cytology revealing the diagnosis of osteoclastic giant cell tumor of the pancreas. Whipple’s procedure was successfully performed for resection of this tumor.
Workshop explores deep‐Earth structure and metals in the lithosphere

In 1972, at the 24th International Geological Congress, the International Union of Geological Sciences under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established the International Geological Correlation Program (IGCP). The IGCP was to study the relationship between theoretical and practical geological problems through international cooperation. One of these programs, Economic Super Accumulations of Metals in the Lithosphere, describes relationships between the origin of large concentrations of metals in the crust and deep structure of the lithosphere.
Does the cancellation of quadratic divergences imply supersymmetry

We consider a large class of renormalizable field theories containing scalar particles and look for relations among the various coupling constants such that the one-loop contributions to the quadratic divergence for each scalar cancel. With the severe restriction that any such relation be invariant under the renormalization group, we show in all cases considered that whenever such relations exist, they are those of a supersymmetric theory. Non-Abelian and Abelian gauge theories as well as Yukawa theories are treated.
Customer Learning Processes, Strategy Selection, and Performance in Business‐to‐Business Service Firms*

Learning about customers takes place through relevant dialogues with those customers, also known as customer relationship management (CRM). As relationships develop, information about the customer is gathered in the firm's customer information systems (CIS): the content, processes, and assets associated with gathering and moving customer information throughout the firm. This research develops a measure of CIS management capabilities based on learning organization theory and measured by the ability to get, store, move, and use information throughout the business unit. This measure is then used to analyze customer learning processes and associated performance in the context of marketing strategic decision making. This study of 209 business services firms finds that generic marketing strategy positioning (low-cost and differentiation) and the marketing tactics of personalization and customization are related to CIS development. Customer information systems development in turn is associated with higher levels of customer-based performance, which in turn is associated with increased business growth. Since the strongest association with customer-based performance is strategy selection, the long-term benefits of the knowledge gained from the CIS may be in the ability to assist in measuring customer-based performance, rather than in the ability to immediately contribute to performance. Finally, for these firms, customization and personalization are not directly associated with performance and thus may not be necessary to support every firm's marketing strategy.
Explaining transit ridership: What has the evidence shown?

What explains transit ridership? The answer to this simple question is both obvious and complex. Public transit systems carry large shares of person travel in older, larger metropolitan areas around the globe, but in most places, old and new, large and small, transit is losing market share to private vehicles. A host of factors no doubt influence transit ridership, including fares, routing, service frequency, stop/station accessibility, safety, private vehicle ownership levels, population density, land use, parking availability, and cost. But the relative importance of these factors and the ways they influence one another is less well understood. At the same time, the relationships between these factors and transit ridership are central to public policy debates about transportation system investments and the pricing and deployment of transit services. The research explaining transit ridership is surprisingly uneven, spanning a variety of methodological approaches, data sources, and variables that produce, perhaps not surprisingly, somewhat ambiguous, contradictory, and inconsistent results. Yet the factors affecting transit ridership are not simply matters of academic interest. Public investment in transit is waxing in response to the many problems of auto dependence, worsening traffic congestion, rising fuel prices, vehicle emissions, and so on. What can be done to increase patronage and better leverage these investments? To address this question, this paper reviews research on transit use, critiques the sometimes significant weaknesses in much of the previous work on this topic, draws conclusions from the more rigorous studies about which factors most influence transit use, and presents recommendations for future research.