cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diverging meanings of development among architects and three other professional groups

Abstract Previous research has shown that designers' and architects' evaluations of visual stimuli, and of urban and rural environments are not necessarily shared by non-designers and non-architects. Such conclusions may be biased by instrumentation and methodological problems, namely, previous instruments often require verbal responses about stimuli. Hence, non-designers and non-architects may be less capable in expressing themselves, but perceive the same things as the professionals. Another problem stems from professionals who have a narrow range of traits being compared with a general population that has a broader range of traits and therefore has greater within-group variance. This study presents an instrument and a methodology for dealing with these problems in addition to examining the perceptual orientations of architects in comparison to three other professions. Results indicate that architects varied from the other professional groups in their quantitative judgments of the habitats studied but not from all groups in their qualitative judgments. Hence, architects may be a distinct professional culture for some design variables only.
Continuous-wave two-photon absorption in a Watt-class semiconductor optical amplifier.

We report the observation of photoluminescence produced by the recombination of free carriers generated via continuous-wave (CW) two-photon absorption (TPA) in a packaged, low-confinement (Γ~0.5%) InGaAsP/InP quantum-well slab-coupled optical waveguide amplifier (SCOWA) having a saturation output power of 0.8 W and 1/e-mode-field diameters of 5×7 μm. Photoluminescence power measured at the wavelength corresponding to the bandgap wavelength of the SCOWA’s InGaAsP waveguide (λG~1040 nm) exhibits a quadratic dependence on the amplifier’s 1540-nm output power. Comparison between measured and simulated CW gain saturation data reveals that the combination of TPA and TPA-generated free-carrier absorption (FCA) limits the CW output intensity of high-power, low-confinement semiconductor optical amplifiers and semiconductor lasers.
The Feline Calicivirus Leader of the Capsid Protein Is Associated with Cytopathic Effect

Open reading frame 2 (ORF2) of the feline calicivirus (FCV) genome encodes a capsid precursor that is posttranslationally processed to release the mature capsid protein (VP1) and a small protein of 124 amino acids, designated the leader of the capsid (LC). To investigate the role of the LC protein in the virus life cycle, mutations and deletions were introduced into the LC coding region of an infectious FCV cDNA clone. Three cysteine residues that are conserved among all vesivirus LC sequences were found to be critical for the recovery of FCV with a characteristic cytopathic effect in feline kidney cells. A cell-rounding phenotype associated with the transient expression of wild-type and mutagenized forms of the LC correlated with the cytopathic and growth properties of the corresponding engineered viruses. The host cellular protein annexin A2 was identified as a binding partner of the LC protein, consistent with a role for the LC in mediating host cell interactions that alter the integrity of the cell and enable virus spread.
52Fe production for medical use from 588-MeV-proton irradiation of Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu targets.

The average cross sections for 52Fe production from the bombardment of 588‐MeV protons on manganese,cobalt,nickel, and copper targets were measured as 0.066±0.013, 0.152±0.012, 1.35±0.30, and 0.148±0.013 mb, respectively. A simple chemical procedure for the dissolution of the target in mineral acid and the extraction of 52Fe into di‐isopropyl ether is described. The long‐lived radiocontaminants in an 52Fe product from a single extraction of a nickel target irradiated for 0.5 h were 44Sc (0.02%), 44mSc (0.11%), 47Sc (0.01%), 48V (0.14%), 55Fe (3.3%), and 59Fe (0.16%).
Virtual colonoscopy detected colorectal polyps in asymptomatic patients with average risk for colorectal neoplasia.

Source Citation Pickhardt PJ, Choi JR, Hwang I, et al. Computed tomographic virtual colonoscopy to screen for colorectal neoplasia in asymptomatic adults. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:2191-200. 14657426
A phase II trial of docetaxel and estramustine in patients with refractory metastatic breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND The similarity between the mechanism of action between docetaxel and estramustine generated the hypothesis of synergistic antimicrotubule effects and cytotoxicity when the two agents are combined. In addition, it has been demonstrated that estramustine binds P-glycoprotein in vitro and, thus, may prevent the efflux of taxanes in tumors that over-express P-glycoprotein. To further evaluate the combinations clinical efficacy and safety, a trial was performed in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC). METHODS Thirty-six patients with MBC were treated with estramustine 900 mg/m2 per day divided into 3 doses given on Days 1–3 and docetaxel 70 mg/m2 given by intravenous administration over 1 hour on Day 3 after the first dose of estramustine, every 21 days. Patients may have received any number of prior chemotherapy regimens for MBC. RESULTS Nine partial responses were observed in 31 assessable patients, for an objective response rate of 29% (95% confidence interval, 14–48%). The median progression free survival was 4 months (range, 1–41 months), and the median overall survival was 17 months (range, 2–45 months). Severe toxicities (Grade 3 or 4) were neutropenia, hypophosphatemia, and thrombosis. Seventy-five percent of patients experienced either an improvement or no change in quality of life. CONCLUSIONS The combination of docetaxel and estramustine produced responses in heavily pretreated women with MBC while maintaining quality of life. Cancer 2003;97:537–44. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11082
Approach to a generalized Jaynes-Cummings model and the geometric phase

Adopting the recently introduced inverses of boson creation and annihilation operators, we construct a nonunitary transformation to solve exactly a generalized Jaynes-Cummings (JC) model. The method reveals that the JC model in a new frame can be viewed simply as a system of a spin-1/2 atom interacting with a magnetic field dependent on the photon number. For the initial state with fixed photon number l, the JC model becomes a cyclic evolution, and exhibits a geometric phase ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{g}}$. We discuss the properties of ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{g}}$ in the large l limit.
Some observations on internal plasticization of polyvinyl chloride

Re-examination of our work on internal plasticization of polyvinyl chloride leads us to suggest a number of guidelines in the synthesis of internally plasticized PVC with optimum combination of strength and low temperature properties: (1) use of comonomers of solubility parameter around 8.5 or 10.5, (2) use of a high molecular weight (long chain) comonomers in a low molar ratio, and (3) their non-uniform incorporation in the PVC chain.
Sedentary behavior is associated with colorectal adenoma recurrence in men

Purpose The association between physical activity and colorectal adenoma is equivocal. This study was designed to assess the relationship between physical activity and colorectal adenoma recurrence.
Direct Measurement of Tertiary Contact Cooperativity in RNA Folding

All structured biological macromolecules must overcome the thermodynamic folding problem to populate a unique functional state among a vast ensemble of unfolded and alternate conformations. The exploration of cooperativity in protein folding has helped reveal and distinguish the underlying mechanistic solutions to this folding problem. Analogous dissections of RNA tertiary stability remain elusive, however, despite the central biological importance of folded RNA molecules and the potential to reveal fundamental properties of structured macromolecules via comparisons of protein and RNA folding. We report a direct quantitative measure of tertiary contact cooperativity in a folded RNA. We precisely measured the stability of an independently folding P4−P6 domain from the Tetrahymena thermophila group I intron by single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET). Using wild-type and mutant RNAs, we found that cooperativity between the two tertiary contacts enhances P4−P6 stability by 3.2 ± 0.2 kc...
Aptamer-based microfluidic device for enrichment, sorting, and detection of multiple cancer cells.

The ability to diagnose cancer based on the detection of rare cancer cells in blood or other bodily fluids is a significant challenge. To address this challenge, we have developed a microfluidic device that can simultaneously sort, enrich, and then detect multiple types of cancer cells from a complex sample. The device, which is made from poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), implements cell-affinity chromatography based on the selective cell-capture of immobilized DNA-aptamers and yields a 135-fold enrichment of rare cells in a single run. This enrichment is achieved because the height of the channel is on the order of a cell diameter. The sorted cells grow at the comparable rate as cultured cells and are 96% pure based on flow cytometry determination. Thus, by using our aptamer based device, cell capture is achieved simply and inexpensively, with no sample pretreatment before cell analysis. Enrichment and detection of multiple rare cancer cells can be used to detect cancers at the early stages, diagnose metast...
Phenylpropanoid esters from Lamium album flowers

Two phenylpropanoid glycosides, a new one, lamalboside (2R-galactosylacteoside) and the known acteoside, the flavonol p-coumaroylglucoside, tiliroside, 5-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid), along with rutoside and quercetin and kaempferol 3-O-glucosides were isolated from the flowers of Lamium album. Esters of glycosides were obtained as mixtures of trans/cis isomers. The presence of flavonoid p-coumaroylglucosides links Lamium to other members of the subfamily Lamioideae.
Polypeptide chains of the large and small subunits of fraction I protein from tobacco

Abstract Crystalline Fraction I protein from tobacco has been dissociated and separated into three large subunit polypeptides and two small subunit polypeptides by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels containing 8 m urea. The three large subunit polypeptides, resolved by isoelectric focusing, could not be differentiated by amino acid analysis or by fingerprinting of trypsin or chymotrypsin hydrolysates of the individual polypeptides. The two small subunit polypeptides, resolved by hydroxylapatite chromatography in 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate as well as by isoelectric focusing, were shown to be distinct polypeptides. The two polypeptides were shown to have different tyrosine:tryptophan ratios, shown by ultraviolet spectra in 0.1 m NaOH, and different tyrosine contents shown by amino acid analysis, and they gave different peptide fingerprints after trypsin hydrolysis. The two small subunit polypeptides are concluded to be separate gene products but the three large subunit polypeptides are believed to be the result of modification of a single gene product.
On the theoretical calculation of friction factors for laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow of newtonian fluids in pipes and between parallel plane walls

Various modifications of the Prandtl mixing-length model for turbulent momentum transport in pipes and between parallel plane walls are discussed. The most complete modification, due to Gill and Scher, is improved by replacing one of their two empirical constants by a theoretically calculable parameter. The new theory is compared with experimental data from the literature and found to reproduce frictional resistance data accurately for all values of the Reynolds number. It is somewhat in error for velocity profiles at high Reynolds numbers, but accurately reproduces velocity profile data in the transition region. The new theory represents the first accurate semi-theoretical calculation of frictional resistance coefficients for all regimes of flow (laminar, transitional, and turbulent) for both pipes and parallel plane ducts, and of velocity profiles in the transitional flow regime in either geometry.
LogOS: An Automatic Logging Framework for Service-Oriented Architectures

As multi-source, component based platforms are becoming widespread both for constrained devices and cloud computing, the need for automatic logging framework is increasing. Indeed, components from untrusted and possibly competing vendors are being deployed to the same runtime environments. They are also being integrated, with some components from a vendor being exposed as a service to another one. This paper presents our investigations on an automated log-based architecture called LogOS, focused on service interactions monitoring. We developed it on top of Java / OSGi to enable identification between bundle providers in cases of failures. We motivate the need for an automatic logging framework in service-oriented architectures, and discuss the requirements of such frameworks design. We present our implementation on OSGi. Finally, we position our approach and give some perspectives.
The Economic Status of an Immigrant Yellowjacket, Vespula germanica (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), in Northeastern United States

In Ithaca, New York, over 80% of the wasps collected while feeding on human food and garbage around restaurants and parks were Vespula germanica; the wasps were common in late summer and autumn in 1974 and 1975. The wasp frequently nests within the walls of houses; about 75% of wasp nests in Ithaca houses in 1972 were made by this species. Active colonies were found in houses into December. The range of V. germanica extends into Ohio, Vermont, and Quebec. Its propensity for human food and its great abundance around human habitations results in frequent adverse encounters with people.
Blastocystis sp. infections in pigs

Abstract A species of Blastocytis has been identified and isolated from pigs in England. A limited survey was carried out, which showed that the organism was present on each of five pig farms visited in Berkshire and East Anglia. Sixty percent of pigs sampled harboured Blastocystis , though usually in low numbers. Higher numbers were seen only in those pigs suffering diarrhoea or dysentery but there is no evidence as yet to suggest that Blastocystis has a pathogenic role.
Budgetary reform and formal modeling: A comment on Gabel and Hager ∗

In a recent article, Gabel and Hager argue that the line-itemveto and the balanced budget amendment promote (BBA) and mayincrease pork-barrel spending. In their discussion of thebalanced budget amendment, Gabel and Hager present one exampleto support their claim. I demonstrate that the effect of a BBAin their model is highly contingent on parameter values, andthat their results hold only for a specific set of parametervalues. Further, in a generalized model where the balancedbudget amendment is crafted endogenously, the BBA that isenacted has the effect of either decreasing spending orkeeping it constant.
Transforming the culture of biomedical research from compliance to trustworthiness: insights from nonmedical sectors.

To discover ways that the biomedical research community can foster the public’s trust essential to sustain the research enterprise, in 2005 the authors and their colleagues convened a group of national leaders from sectors outside of academic science and health care that are also dependent on the public’s trust. These leaders provided information about what their sectors do to earn the public’s trust that is applicable to academic biomedical research institutions, as well as insights into ways academic research institutions should respond to crises that have the potential to diminish the public’s trust. The major strategies they identified for promoting the public’s trust were the importance of fostering multiple types of relationships and developing accountability practices that exceed those required by external regulators. In this article, the authors compare these strategies with reports in the literature regarding efforts under way in health care to adapt strategies employed in
Bandwidth Sharing for Relaying in Cellular Systems

We investigate bandwidth allocation in next generation cellular systems employing relays similar to LTE advanced systems with type-I relays. We jointly optimize the bandwidth and power usage under constraints on required rate, bandwidth and transmit power. We study scenarios wherein, the relay acts as a forwarder for multiple User Equipments (UEs/users) in both uplink and/or downlink. This includes scenarios when the relay has its own data to send along with forwarding the data of other users. We examine the weighted power minimization problem for relaying with multiple users. We also show specific results with N user scenario and also single user case in order to understand how the bandwidth and power are allocated. Numerical evaluations with N users on a three sector LTE-A cell employing Fractional Frequency Reuse (FFR) indicate that power savings of at least 3 dB can be achieved by optimizing over both bandwidth and power.
How Do Only Children Differ from Other Children

Developmental outcomes of only and non-only children, categorized by birth order and by family size, were investigated. Multiple hypotheses based on meta-analyses of the only-child literature (Falbo & Polit, 1986) were tested with independent comparison techniques. Results indicated that developmental outcomes of only children were similar to outcomes for firstborns and children from two-child families but dissimilar to outcomes for later borns and children from larger families. Furthermore, outcomes were more positive for only children, firstborns, and children from two-child families than for all other comparison groups. In agreement with Falbo and Polit, only-child deprivation and only-child uniqueness explanations for outcome differences were not supported in favor of an explanation that emphasizes qualities of the parent-child relationship. Results suggest that future comparisons to only-child outcomes should preserve the independence of contrast results and expand the only-child category to include data from firstborns and others from two-child families.
Pubertal Effects on Adjustment in Girls: Moving from Demonstrating Effects to Identifying Pathways

The present investigation examines mediated pathways from pubertal development to changes in depressive affect and aggression. Participants were 100 white girls who were between the ages of 10 and 14 (M=12.13, SD=.80); girls were from well-educated, middle- to upper-middle class families, and attended private schools in a major northeastern urban area. Three aspects of pubertal development were examined: (a) estradiol categories tapping gonadal maturation; (b) dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels indicating adrenal maturation; and (c) pubertal timing (early vs. other). Three potential mediators were also examined: emotional arousal, attention difficulties, and negative life events. Tests of mediated models indicated that early pubertal timing predicted higher emotional arousal which subsequently predicted increased depressive affect. Negative life events, and possibly attention difficulties, mediated the associations of both estradiol category and DHEAS with aggression. These findings highlight the potential for more intensive investigation of gonadal and adrenal processes in explaining affective changes at puberty.
Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Resistance to Bile: Identification and Characterization of the tolQRA Cluster

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is resistant to the action of bile salts, and resistance to bile is enhanced in strains in which the PhoP-PhoQ (PhoPQ) two-component regulatory system has been activated. To identify genes necessary for bile resistance, MudJ transposon mutagenesis was performed on a strain containing a phoP mutation that results in constitutive expression of PhoP-activated genes. After screening >10,000 mutants for the loss of growth on Luria-Bertani broth-bile plates, 14 bile-sensitive mutants were identified. Of these 14 mutants, 3 were found to retain the bile sensitivity phenotype upon P22 transduction, to possess wild-type growth characteristics, and to contain a smooth lipopolysaccharide. Southern hybridization experiments showed that all three strains contained unique insertions. DNA sequencing of the transposon-chromosomal-DNA fusion junctions of these strains showed all to be linked to the putative Salmonella orf1-tolQRA operon, with insertions in tolQ, orf1, and a gene upstream of the orf1-tolQRA operon not previously associated with Tol function (orfX). Through the use of transcriptional fusions, none of the putative tol (or tol-associated) genes were shown to be regulated by PhoPQ, bile, or the RcsC-RcsB two-component system; however, all of the genes (orfX, orf1, tolQRA) are predicted to be cotranscribed. This is the first identification of Salmonella serovar Typhimurium Tol homologs and the first demonstration of their role in bile resistance in this organism. In addition, the observed regulation, operon arrangement, and phenotypes associated with these tol genes demonstrate significant differences from their Escherichia coli homologs.
Nonantimicrobial Effects of Antibacterial Agents

One of the major advances in modern medicine was the development of antimicrobial chemotherapy. However, many antibacterial agents have unexpected or undesirable nonantimicrobial effects on humans. Microbes and man share many essentials of life, including DNA, adenosine triphosphate, and other biochemical pathways. Hence, some of these nonantimicrobial effects may also turn out to be pharmacologically useful. Oral hypoglycemic agents (i.e., sulfonylureas) and a certain diuretic agent (acetazolamide) are derivatives of sulfonamides. Erythromycin has been used clinically for its stimulatory effect on gastrointestinal motility. Macrolides, lincosamides, and tetracyclines have been known for their immunomodulatory effects. A tetracycline has been used to treat the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone. Aminoglycosides may influence mucus production in patients with cystic fibrosis. Other antimicrobials may have side effects that are not therapeutically useful, such as osmotic diuresis with high-dose beta -lactam administration, neuromuscular blockade of aminoglycosides, dysglycemia of fluoroquinolones, and serotonin syndrome with oxazolidinones.
Current Developments in the Discovery and Design of New Drug Candidates from Plant Natural Product Leads

This review article will emphasize recent research in the Natural Products Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on various classes of plant-derived compounds that possess potent antitumor or anti-HIV activity. These compounds were obtained by bioactivity- and mechanism of action-directed isolation and characterization coupled with rational drug design-based modification and analogue synthesis. Structural modification, SAR, and mechanism of action studies are discussed.
Viewpoint selection for visual search

Searching for an object in a cluttered area is often complicated by the fact that the clutter hides portions of the area from view. Multiple viewpoints are often required. Previous viewpoint selection algorithms rely on models that represent the portions already viewed. Unfortunately, these models are often difficult to construct when the sensor position is imprecisely known and when the obtainable depth data is sparse. This paper questions whether scene models are really necessary for selecting viewpoints for search tasks. It investigates two alternative viewpoint selection methods that do not rely on such models. One constructs no representation and simply uses a fitted set of viewpoints, while the other selects viewpoints based on detected occluding edges. On average, both model-free methods compare very favorably to model-based methods, although additional work is necessary to ensure that they abort in a timely manner when the desired object cannot be found. >
Schizosaccharomyces pombe mst2+ Encodes a MYST Family Histone Acetyltransferase That Negatively Regulates Telomere Silencing

Histone acetylation and deacetylation are associated with transcriptional activity and the formation of constitutively silent heterochromatin. Increasingly, histone acetylation is also implicated in other chromosome transactions, including replication and segregation. We have cloned the only Schizosaccharomyces pombe MYST family histone acetyltransferase genes, mst1 and mst2. Mst1p, but not Mst2p, is essential for viability. Both proteins are localized to the nucleus and bound to chromatin throughout the cell cycle. mst2 genetically interacts with mutants that affect heterochromatin, cohesion, and telomere structure. Mst2p is a negative regulator of silencing at the telomere but does not affect silencing in the centromere or mating type region. We generated a census of proteins and histone modifications at wild-type telomeres. A histone acetylation gradient at the telomeres is lost in mst2 cells without affecting the distribution of Taz1p, Swi6p, Rad21p, or Sir2p. We propose that the increased telomeric silencing is caused by histone hypoacetylation and/or an increase in the ratio of methylated to acetylated histones. Although telomere length is normal, meiosis is aberrant in mst2 diploid homozygote mutants, suggesting that telomeric histone acetylation contributes to normal meiotic progression.
Overcoming limitations of game-theoretic distributed control

Recently, game theory has been proposed as a tool for cooperative control. Specifically, the interactions of a multi-agent distributed system are modeled as a non-cooperative game where agents are self-interested. In this work, we prove that this approach of non-cooperative control has limitations with respect to engineering multi-agent systems. In particular, we prove that it is not possible to design budget balanced agent utilities that also guarantee that the optimal control is a Nash equilibrium. However, it is important to realize that game-theoretic designs are not restricted to the framework of non-cooperative games. In particular, we demonstrate that these limitations can be overcome by conditioning each player's utility on additional information, i.e., a state. This utility design fits into the framework of a particular form of stochastic games termed state-based games and is applicable in many application domains.
Generating Correct Protocols from Contracts: A Commitment-Based Approach

Business contracts are used to govern inter-service interactions. These contracts are often designed by hand and typically adopted by the contract participants after manual analysis. Usually, these contracts are quite complex and involved. Additionally, manual analysis cannot guarantee to the participants whether they would financially benefit from (or at least, not suffer from) participating in the contract. As an initial attempt towards addressing this issue, our earlier work formally defined two notions of contract correctness, wherein a contract is beneficial (resp. safe) for a participant if participating in the contract would leave the participant better off (resp. not worse off) than before. In this paper, we extend our earlier work by analyzing more closely the issues involved in actually generating a contract execution(i.e., operationalization) that is beneficial and/or safe, i.e, correct, from a participantpsilas perspective. After doing so, we present an algorithm for semi-automatically generating such a family of safe and/or beneficial contract executions.
Physical Activity for Campus Employees: A University Worksite Wellness Program

Background: Workplaces provide ideal environments for wellness programming. The purpose of this study was to explore exercise self-efficacy among university employees and the effects of a worksite wellness program on physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Methods: Participants included 121 university employees (85% female). The worksite wellness program included cardiovascular health assessments, personal health reports, 8 weeks of pedometer-based walking and tracking activities, and weekly wellness sessions. Daily step count was assessed at baseline, Week 4, and Week 8. Exercise self-efficacy and CVD risk factors were evaluated at baseline and follow-up. Results: Daily step count increased from 6566 ± 258 (LSM ± SE) at baseline to 8605 ± 356 at Week 4 and 9107 ± 388 at Week 8 (P < .0001). Steps increased among normal weight, overweight, and obese subgroups. Exercise self-efficacy correlated with baseline steps (P < .05). Small improvements were observ...
A CMOS combinational circuit-design method using mixed logic concepts

Presented in this paper is a method which can be used for the implementation of CMOS transistor combinational circuit design using mixed logic digital design techniques. The mixed logic method presented in this paper provides a systematic way of developing minimal transistor count combinational circuits. Additionally, students find the straight forward rules associated with the mixed logic design method allows them to quickly develop CMOS combinational circuit design skills. Examples of the circuit realizations developed using mixed and positive logic design methods as well as a comparison of the design methods are presented in this paper. >
The role of CACSD in contemporary industrial process control

As result of a universal drive for more consistent attainment of high product quality, more efficient use of energy, and tighter safety and environmental regulations, industrial processes have evolved over the past few decades into very complex and highly integrated systems. Such stringent demands naturally create more difficult and challenging control problems for today's industrial process control engineer-problems requiring more sophisticated solutions than can be provided by traditional techniques alone. This paper provides an overview of some of the important contemporary challenges of industrial process control, noting the fortunate circumstance of the emergence of powerful digital computer technology just in time to facilitate the analysis, design, and implementation of the sophisticated control techniques required to take on these challenging problems. A specific case study involving the control of a commercial polymerization reactor is used to illustrate concretely the scope of the problems and challenges, and the role of the digital computer in how such problems are being handled. >
FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYZING ALTERNATIVES TO TRANSIT BUS REPLACEMENT

The addition of new buses to the existing fleet of any transit agency is a capital-intensive project. Approximately 50,000 transit buses are in service in the United States today that were purchased primarily through federal funds. In an average year, more than 3,500 buses are purchased by grantees of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A recent FTA study showed that, nationwide, the total annual cost of bus replacement easily exceeds $1 billion. An analytic framework for the assessment of alternatives to bus replacement is presented in this paper. Two generic groups of alternatives are identified: rehabilitation and remanufacturing. The former focuses on the repair of engines and machine components. The latter is more concerned with restoring the structural integrity of the bus. The framework developed uses the basic principles of economics and attempts to quantify benefits and costs associated with postponing the replacement of an existing bus either by rehabilitation or by remanufacturing. The pr...
Plasma levels, protein binding, and elimination data of lidocaine and active metabolites in cardiac patients of various ages

The serum and urine levels of lidocaine and two active dealkylated metabolites, monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) and glycinexylidide (GX), were determined by HPLC in 33 cardiac patients receiving lidocaine for more than 1 day. Clinical assessment of nervous system toxicity was carried out at the time of blood drawing. The ratios in serum of MEGX to lidocaine and of GX to lidocaine were 0.36 +/- 0.26 (mean +/- SD) and 0.11 +/- 0.11. Lidocaine and MEGX binding to serum proteins from seven patients 2 days after their myocardial infarctions were 55.4 +/- 5.9% and 14.3 +/- 3.0%. After correction for this difference in protein binding, the MEGX/lidocaine ratio in serum water was 0.68 +/- 0.49. MEGX levels in serum water were 80% or more of the lidocaine levels in 11 of the 33 patients. GX binding was 5 +/- 4%. Even after correction for protein-binding differences, GX levels in serum water were low compared to lidocaine levels. The steady-state serum GX concentration normalized for lidocaine infusion rate declined with age. Of 27 patients without toxicity, six had serum lidocaine levels above 8 micrograms/ml. Five of six patients with toxicity had levels less than 8 micrograms/ml. The renal clearance of lidocaine, MEGX, and GX was less than creatinine clearance in most patients. We conclude that MEGX, but not GX, contributes to the pharmacologic activity of lidocaine therapy in a substantial fraction of patients. We also suggest that the concept of a single value for the upper limit of the therapeutic level of lidocaine in serum is an oversimplification because it does not take into account individual differences in drug-protein binding or accumulation of active metabolites.
Chordal graphs and the characteristic polynomial

A characteristic polynomial was recently defined for greedoids, generalizing the notion for matroids. When chordal graphs are viewed as antimatroids by shelling of simplicial vertices, the greedoid characteristic polynomial gives additional information about those graphs. In particular, the characteristic polynomial for a chordal graph is an alternating clique generating function and is expressible in terms of the clique decomposition of the graph. From it, one obtains an expression for the number of blocks in the graph in terms of clique sizes.
A 40-Year-Old Woman With an Asymptomatic Cystic Lesion in Her Right Lung

(CHEST 2009; 136:622–627) A 40-year-old woman presented to the pulmonary clinic with abnormal chest radiograph findings. She had longstanding primary Raynaud phenomenon, and 3 years prior to this presentation she had experienced transient, right knee inflammatory arthritis of unclear etiology. One month prior to the clinic visit, bilateral knee and wrist arthralgias developed with subjective fevers; the patient presented to her primary care doctor with these complaints. In retrospect, her 4-year-old son had experienced fevers and a rash, and had been subsequently diagnosed with Fifth disease. Her physician was concerned about sarcoidosis and obtained a chest radiograph. Based on these results, a chest CT scan was performed, and the patient was referred to the pulmonary clinic for further evaluation. The patient was born after 37 weeks’ gestation with an uncomplicated course in the postpartum period. Her medical history was notable for wellcontrolled, insulin-dependent diabetes and vestibular migraines. She had never had upper respiratory infections or pneumonias requiring antibiotic treatment. Her only prior hospitalization had been to undergo a cesarean section 4 years previously for the delivery of healthy twins. To her knowledge, she had never undergone chest imaging. The patient is a lifetime nonsmoker, and at baseline was active and healthy. She denied chest pain, cough, hemoptysis, dyspnea, or any limitations of her activity level. On physical examination, she had a heart rate of 90 beats/min, a BP of 100/62 mm Hg, respiratory rate of 12 breaths/min, and oxygen saturation of 99% while breathing room air at rest. Her chest was completely clear to auscultation and percussion without wheezes, rhonchi, or rales. The rest of her examination was unremarkable. Office spirometry was notable for an FEV1 of 2.36 L (76% predicted), an FVC of 3.53 L (88% predicted), and an FEV1/FVC ratio
Effect of Ca Co-Doping on the Luminescence Centers in LSO:Ce Single Crystals

Experimental studies of LSO:Ce crystals co-doped with various concentrations of Ca are presented. Photoluminescence decay time, excitation and emission spectra, thermal response and X-ray excited luminescence are investigated as a function of Ca concentration. Experimental data show Ca co-doping does not alter the energy level structure of either Ce1 or Ce2, but reduces the relative population of Ce2 to Ce1. Thus, the luminescence from Ce2 is suppressed, which contributes to the fast scintillation decay of Ca co-doped LSO:Ce.
Application of Involuntary Admission Criteria in Psychiatric Emergency Rooms

APPLICATION OF INVOLUNTARY ADMISSION CRITERIA IN PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY ROOMS Steven P. Segal, Margaret A. Watson and L. Scott Nelson Reprinted from Social Work Volume 30, Number 2, March—April 1985
Carbon dioxide utilization via carbonate-promoted C–H carboxylation

Molten salts at intermediate temperatures enable efficient carbonate-promoted carboxylation of very weakly acidic C–H bonds, revealing a new way to transform inedible biomass and carbon dioxide into valuable feedstock chemicals. The idea that the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide might be used as a source of feedstock chemicals is attractive but usually impractical — although it reacts readily with carbon-centred nucleophiles, generating the nucleophiles requires a high energy input. But now, inspired by the RuBisCO enzyme which catalyses carbon fixation in plants, Aanindeeta Banerjee et al. demonstrate that molten salts containing alkali metals at intermediate temperatures enable efficient carbonate-promoted carboxylation of very weakly acidic C–H bonds. The potential of this chemistry was illustrated by converting 2-furoic acid (readily made from inedible biomass) into the useful bio-based feedstock furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid. Using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a feedstock for commodity synthesis is an attractive means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and a possible stepping-stone towards renewable synthetic fuels1,2. A major impediment to synthesizing compounds from CO2 is the difficulty of forming carbon–carbon (C–C) bonds efficiently: although CO2 reacts readily with carbon-centred nucleophiles, generating these intermediates requires high-energy reagents (such as highly reducing metals or strong organic bases), carbon–heteroatom bonds or relatively acidic carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds3,4,5. These requirements negate the environmental benefit of using CO2 as a substrate and limit the chemistry to low-volume targets. Here we show that intermediate-temperature (200 to 350 degrees Celsius) molten salts containing caesium or potassium cations enable carbonate ions (CO32–) to deprotonate very weakly acidic C–H bonds (pKa > 40), generating carbon-centred nucleophiles that react with CO2 to form carboxylates. To illustrate a potential application, we use C–H carboxylation followed by protonation to convert 2-furoic acid into furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA)—a highly desirable bio-based feedstock6 with numerous applications, including the synthesis of polyethylene furandicarboxylate (PEF), which is a potential large-scale substitute for petroleum-derived polyethylene terephthalate (PET)7,8. Since 2-furoic acid can readily be made from lignocellulose9, CO32–-promoted C–H carboxylation thus reveals a way to transform inedible biomass and CO2 into a valuable feedstock chemical. Our results provide a new strategy for using CO2 in the synthesis of multi-carbon compounds.
Playing with Plug-ins.

In today’s complex music software packages, many features can remain unexplored and unused. Software plug-ins—available in most every music software package, yet easily overlooked in the software’s basic operations—are one such feature. In this article, I introduce readers to plug-ins and offer tips for purchasing plug-ins I have formulated, and provide three examples of plug-ins’ use in three common software packages.
Stackable, Covalently Fused Gels: Repair and Composite Formation

Combining modeling and experiment, we created multilayered gels where each layer was “stacked” on top of the other and covalently interconnected to form mechanically robust materials, which could integrate the properties of the individual layers. In this process, a solution of new initiator, monomer, and cross-linkers was introduced on top of the first gel, and these new components then underwent living (co)polymerization to form the subsequent layer. We simulated this process using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to isolate factors that affect the formation and binding of chemically identical gel as well as incompatible layers. Analysis indicates that the covalent bond formation between the different layers is primarily due to reactive chain-ends, rather than residual cross-linkers. In the complementary experiments, we synthesized multilayered gels using either free radical (FRP) or atom transfer radical polymerizations (ATRP) methods. Polymerization results demonstrated that chemically identical mat...
Experimental investigation of the thriving mystery of sterile neutrinos

Abstract Several “anomalies” have been reported from a variety of experiments studying neutrino oscillations over short baselines (less than 1 km) since 1998. Even though not fully compatible with each other, these results could possibly hint at the existence of at least one additional “sterile” neutrino state beyond the Standard Model picture of Particle Physics. In recent years significant contributions to the search for sterile neutrinos have led to a narrowing of the region of the parameter space where all experimental results can be accommodated. However, the persistence of unexplained tensions together with the groundbreaking impact of the possible discovery of sterile neutrinos call for a conclusive experiment.
Advantages of Detecting Monoclonal Antibody Binding to Tissue Sections with Biotin and Avid in Reagents in Coplin® Jars

We describe a method of biotin/avidin-peroxidase detection using second and third stage reagents in Coplin jars. This method allows a large quantity of sections to be stained simultaneously with a minimal amount of technical time involved. A wide range of mouse monoclonal antibodies of varying specificities and isotypes were used to stain both frozen and paraffin-embedded sections of various normal and neoplastic tissues. Three different biotinylated anti-mouse antibodies were tested, including F(ab')2 antibody fragments of one, followed by horseradish peroxidase conjugated avidin. All monoclonal antibodies employed gave good staining, using incubation times of 30-50 minutes. The staining was done during a mean period of 25 to 27 days with an average staining load of 500 sections per Coplin jar.
Tuning the wetting-dewetting and dispersion-aggregation transitions in polymer nanocomposites using composition of graft and matrix polymers

Recent simulation and experimental work on polymer nanocomposites composed of polymer grafted particles and free matrix polymers, where the graft and matrix homopolymers are chemically dissimilar and exhibit lower critical solution temperature behavior with temperature, has shown that wetting to dewetting is a gradual and distinct transition from the sharp particle dispersion–aggregation transition. In this study, using coarse-grained molecular simulations, we demonstrate that the extent of wetting of the grafted polymer layer and the particle dispersion–aggregation transition are tuned using the composition of graft and matrix polymers. Specifically, we study composites where the graft and matrix chains are random copolymers composed of attractive and athermal monomers. We maintain a dense grafting density on the spherical particles of diameter five times the monomer diameter and study matrix lengths five times that of the graft chain length or equal graft and matrix chain lengths. We vary the fraction of attractive monomers in the graft and matrix chains, graft–matrix chain composition ratio and the graft–matrix interaction strength, as characterized by the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter between graft and matrix attractive monomers: When is negative, decreasing and/or decreases the extent of grafted layer wetting by matrix chains because the enthalpic driving force for wetting is reduced. As the increases and becomes positive, the extent of wetting decreases gradually till it reaches the wetting of analogous athermal composites. That value of where the extent of wetting is the same as that of an analogous athermal polymer nanocomposite marks the onset of dispersion–aggregation transition. For symmetric graft and matrix chain compositions , the magnitude of and tunes the overall extent of wetting of the grafted particles in the dispersed state but not the dispersion–aggregation transition. Varying the asymmetry of the graft and matrix chain composition (i.e. f G/f M) tunes both the extent of wetting of the grafted layer and the dispersion–aggregation transition.
Kinetics of water vapor diffusion in resins

The water vapor sorption and desorption kinetics were monitored in methyl methacrylate–acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene copolymer (MABS), bromobutyl, ethylene–propylene–butadiene monomer (EPDM) rubber, and butyl rubber at various temperatures by gravimetric method. Modified thermogravimetric analysis system was built and used. The geometry of the samples was approximating that of the infinite two-sided plane sheet of certain thickness. The coefficients of water vapor diffusion in polymers were deduced by comparing the experimentally monitored kinetics and kinetics computed using diffusion coefficients as adjustable parameters. The activation energies of water vapor diffusion in these polymers were deduced in the temperature range from 30 to 75 °C. The activation energy of diffusion was 45.9 kJ mol−1 in bromobutyl rubber, 46.4 kJ mol−1 in butyl rubber, 60.3 kJ mol−1 in EPDM rubber, and 43.5 kJ mol−1 in MABS. Compensation effect was observed for water vapor diffusion in this series of polymers. Compensation effect parameters were determined to be, a = −23.9/ln(cm2 s−1) and b = 0.49/(mol kJ−1) × ln(cm2 s−1), in fair agreement with published data for water diffusion in polymers.
Investigation on occupational health services enjoyment and behavior of employees in benzene-related enterprises in Shunyi district

Objective To understand the situation of occupational health services enjoyment and behavior of employees in benzene-related enterprises in Shunyi district. Methods Occupational population exposed to benzene and its compounds in 53 enterprises of Shunyi district were selected to investigate the status of occupational safety and health knowledge training,personal protective equipment( PPE),occupational health examination and others. Results The regular and pre-job occupational health examination rates were 75. 62% and 67. 02%,respectively. Among different sizes of enterprises,the difference of occupational safety and health knowledge training,PPE,regular maintenance of protective equipment,and periodic occupational health examination had statistical significacne( P 0. 05). Statistical significances were also found in wearing PPE,reporting damaged protective equipment and active communication of occupational related diseases among people at different education levels( P 0. 01). As the higher level of education,both the rates of reporting damaged protective equipments and communication about occupational related diseases increased. Conclusion Compared with other occupational health services,the occupational health examination still need to improve. The education level has great impact on workers' occupational health knowledge.
Epidemiological Analysis of measles in Ninghe County from 2006—2008

[Objective]To understand the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of measles in Ninghe County of Tianjin City, and explore the control measures.[Methods]Epidemic data of measles of Ninghe County from 2006 to 2008 were collected and analyzed epidemiologically.[Results]The outbreak of measles occurred in some areas, most cases were people under 7 years or above 20 years; measles unvaccinated population existed.[Conclusion]Targeted control measures of measles vaccination can effectively control measles outbreaks.