cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous chromizing-aluminizing coating of austenitic stainless steels

Chromium and aluminum were simultaneously codeposited by diffusion into austenitic stainless steel substrates, by a single step pack cementation process. The mechanism for the formation of diffusion-coated products on 304 and 316 stainless steels and on Incoloy 800 are discussed. The morphologies of the phases formed at the surface, namely, and external beta layer and an underlying multiphase interdiffusion zone, are presented. The formation of the brittle beta outer layer was minimized by variations in the pack composition and activator. The coated 304 and 316 steels exhibited excellent scaling resistance upon oxidation in air at 1000 C.
Structure of body-build stereotypes: a methodological analysis.

College students (N = 182) were Ss in a study assessing the comparability of body build stereotypes as depicted through the use of various response formats. Stereotypes toward Endomorph and Mesomor...
Impact of maternal lifestyle factors on newborn HPRT mutant frequencies and molecular spectrum : Initial results from the Prenatal Exposures and Preeclampsia Prevention (PEPP) Study

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between maternal tobacco smoke exposure and consumption of alcohol during pregnancy and increased risk of pediatric malignancies, particularly infant leukemias. Molecular evidence also suggests that somatic mutational events occurring during fetal hematopoiesis in utero can contribute to this process. As part of an ongoing multi-endpoint biomarker study of 2000 mothers and newborns, the HPRT T-lymphocyte cloning assay was used to determine mutant frequencies (Mf) in umbilical cord blood samples from an initial group of 60 neonates born to a sociodemographically diverse cohort of mothers characterized with respect to age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and cigarette smoke and alcohol exposure. Non-zero Mf (N = 47) ranged from 0.19 to 5.62 x 10(-6), median 0.70 x 10(-6), mean +/- SD 0.98 +/- 0.95 x 10(-6). No significant difference in Mf was observed between female and male newborns. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis revealed that increased HPRT Mf were significantly associated with maternal consumption of alcohol at the beginning [Relative Rate (RR) = 1.84, 95% CI = 0.99-3.40, P = 0.052) and during pregnancy (RR = 2.99, 95% CI = 1.14-7.84, P = 0.026). No independent effect of self-reported active maternal cigarette smoking, either at the beginning or throughout pregnancy, nor maternal passive exposure to cigarette smoke was observed. Although based on limited initial data, this is the first report of a positive association between maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and HPRT Mf in human newborns. In addition, the spectrum of mutations at the HPRT locus was determined in 33 mutant clones derived from 19 newborns of mothers with no self-reported exposure to tobacco smoke and 14 newborns of mothers exposed passively or actively to cigarette smoke. In the unexposed group, alterations leading to specific exon 2-3 deletions, presumably as a result of illegitimate V(D)J recombinase activity, were found in five of the 19 mutants (26.3%); in the passively exposed group, two exon 2-3 deletions were present among the seven mutants (28.6%); and in the actively exposed group, six of the seven mutants (85.7%) were exon 2-3 deletions. Although no overall increase in HPRT Mf was observed and the number of mutant clones examined was small, these initial results point to an increase in V(D)J recombinase-associated HPRT gene exon 2-3 deletions in cord blood T-lymphocytes in newborns of actively smoking mothers relative to unexposed mothers (P = 0.011). Together, these results add to growing molecular evidence that in utero exposures to genotoxicants result in detectable transplacental mutagenic effects in human newborns.
Systemic levels following PGE1 inhalation in neonatal hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Aim: To measure plasma prostaglandin E 1 (PGE 1 ) levels in newborns with hypoxemic respiratory failure (NHRF) following inhaled PGE 1 (IPGE 1 ), normal term newborns, and newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) following intravenous PGE 1 . Methods: Twenty newborns with NHRF received IPGE 1 by jet nebulizer in doses of 25, 50, 150, and 300 ng/kg/min followed by weaning. Blood for PGE 1 assay using enzyme immunoassay was available in eight neonates with NHRF, 10 normal newborns, and three neonates with CHD. Results: There were no differences in PGE 1 levels between cord arterial blood in normal newborns and baseline samples from newborns with NHRF. Oxygenation improved significantly following IPGE 1 (p = 0.024) in newborns with NHRF. No adverse events were identified. Although a reversible increase in PGE 1 levels was detected following a dose of 50 ng/kg/min (p <0.05), there was no association between PGE 1 levels and IPGE 1 duration, P a O 2 , temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Conclusion: A reversible increase in mean PGE 1 levels was demonstrable at low doses of IPGE 1 in babies with NHRF using a sensitive assay, suggesting effective drug delivery. Levels did not increase further with increasing dose or duration of administration, suggesting local action in the lungs and a lack of systemic spillover due to extensive pulmonary metabolism offering pulmonary selectivity.
Loss of Kernel Set Due to Water Deficit and Shade in Maize

To advance our understanding of the underlying processes by which kernel set is regulated in maize (Zea mays L.), leaf photosynthesis, sugars, starch, abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin were quantified in plants subjected to water deficit and shade, imposed for 5 d at the pre-pollination and early post-pollination stages. Both water and light deprivation, at both stages, decreased kernel set primarily in apical ear regions. Treatments decreased leaf photosynthesis similarly; however, sugar concentrations in reproductive tissues increased in water deficit while they decreased 20 to 50% in shade. During treatments, nonstructural carbohydrate accumulation was nearly halted in both apical and basal florets at the pre-pollination stage, whereas it was decreased to a greater extent in apical than basal endosperm/nucellus at the post-pollination stage. Both water deficit and shade increased ABA concentrations in reproductive tissues, but only at the post-pollination stage was ABA greater in apical than basal ear zones, thus corresponding to effects on kernel set. Treatments did not consistently alter zeatin-like cytokinin concentrations. We conclude that photosynthate flux and ABA are components of a regulatory system by which water and light deprivation affect kernel set at the post-pollination stage, while additional factors may underlie effects at the pre-pollination stage.
Supporting enterprise stakeholders in software projects

Today, large enterprises create a significant body of commercially available software. As a result, the key stakeholders include not only those typically responsible for software development, but also stakeholders not typically involved in software engineering discussions. Current software development approaches ignore or poorly manage these enterprise level concerns. This hampers the ability to create connections among the stakeholders responsible for enterprise wide issues, the development team, and the artifacts with which they are concerned. In this paper we identify a set of propositions for coordination in enterprise software engineering environments and describe a preliminary framework to support such interactions.
Doing Unto Future Selves As You Would Do Unto Others: Psychological Distance and Decision Making

Four experiments showed that the decisions people make for future selves and other people are similar to each other and different from their decisions for present selves. Experiments involved decisions to drink a disgusting liquid for scientific purposes (Experiment 1), tutor peers during exam week (Experiment 2), receive e-mails for charity (Experiment 3), and defer a lottery prize for a larger one (Experiment 4). These findings seemed to be at least partially rooted in the tendency for decisions regarding the ongoing, present self to be uniquely influenced by internal subjective experience. Specifically, these effects emerged for real, but not hypothetical, decisions. Also, they were mitigated by manipulations that altered participants' attention to present or future subjective experience. In addition, when participants' subjective experience primarily involved empathy for others (Experiment 3), their decisions on behalf of present selves were more generous than their decisions for future selves and others. Applications are discussed.
Synthesis and chemistry of sesquibicyclo[2.2.2]octene and a tetradecacyclic-caged sesquibicyclo[2.2.2]octene

Abstract Cationic rearrangements of functionalized spiro(norbornane-7,3′-bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2′-ols) provide synthetic access to two novel polycarbocyclic alkenes, i.e., 5 and 10 (“sesquibicyclo[2.2.2]octene”). X-ray crystallographic analysis of 5 and 10 reveals that each alkene CC double bond is planar in the crystalline solid. MCPBA promoted epoxidation of 5 produced the corresponding oxirane, 11. Ring opening of the highly labile oxirane moiety in 11 occurred in the presence of mild Lewis acids (e.g., silica gel) or bases (e.g., NaHCO3), thereby affording the corresponding cis-diol, 12. MCPBA promoted epoxidation of 7 afforded the corresponding oxirane, 13. Oxirane 13 proved to be considerably less labile than 11 toward acidic and/or basic media.
Diffusion-limited coagulation in the presence of particle input: Exact results in one dimension.

We solve the diffusion-limited single-species coagulation process (A+A\ensuremath{\rightarrow}A) with random particle input in one spatial dimension. We derive the exact time-dependent concentration, the spectrum of relaxation rates, and the distribution of interparticle distances in the nonequilibrium steady state. These results imply an interesting microscopic spatial structure induced by the nonequilibrium constraints. The validity of rate-equation descriptions of the macroscopic statics and kinetics is investigated, and we compare our results to the closely related single-species annihilation process (A+A\ensuremath{\rightarrow}inert) in the presence of input.
Lower extremity angioplasty for claudication: a population-level analysis of 30-day outcomes.

Objective With the increased availability of lower extremity percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), the conventional, noninterventional management of claudication may be evolving. This study evaluated changes in the use and short-term outcomes of PTA among patients with claudication and other manifestations of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the linked Washington State hospital discharge database (CHARS). Cases included all patients undergoing inpatient lower extremity PTA from 1997 to 2004. Patients with claudication were compared with those having PTA for other lower extremity diagnoses. The main outcome measures were readmission, reintervention (angiography, angioplasty/stent, surgical revascularization, or amputation), and death ≤30 days. Results A total of 1718 patients (mean age 69.7 ± 11.2, 52.4% male) underwent PTA for claudication (51.9%), rest pain (12.1%), ulceration (23.2%), or not otherwise specified (12.9%). Yearly PTA use nearly doubled between 1997 and 2004, from 182 to 360, with a more dramatic increase in PTA among patients with claudication. Patients undergoing PTA for claudication were younger (67.9 ± 10.3 vs 71.7 ± 11.7 years, P P P P P P P P Conclusion The use of PTA for claudication dramatically increased during the 8-year study period. Claudication was more often the diagnosis for PTA in patients who were younger, healthier, and privately insured. PTA for claudication had a higher-than-expected morbidity, 30-day readmission, and rate of reintervention. Future studies should focus on the factors motivating the use of PTA, its associated outcomes, and global impact on patients and the health care system.
Withholding or Continuing Enteral Feedings During Repositioning and the Incidence of Aspiration

Background Withholding enteral feedings during repositioning is based on tradition, but available evidence does not support this practice. Although research indicates that withholding of enteral feedings during repositioning contributes to undernourishment, the relationship between continuing enteral feedings during repositioning and the incidence of aspiration has not been determined. Objective To determine the feasibility of a study designed to explore differences in the incidence of aspiration when enteral feedings are withheld or continued during repositioning. Methods A crossover design with a convenience sample from 3 medical and 3 surgical intensive care units was used. Two sample sets of subglottal secretions were collected from each patient, once when enteral feedings were withheld during repositioning and once when enteral feedings were continued during the change in position. The incidence of aspiration was assessed by testing specimens for the presence of pepsin. Results Sublgottal secretions were collected from 23 patients (n = 46 with crossover design). Aspiration during repositioning occurred in 2 patients when enteral feedings were withheld and in 2 patients when feedings were continued during repositioning. According to the McNemar test, the incidence of aspiration when enteral feedings were withheld did not differ significantly from the incidence when the feedings were continued during repositioning (P = .88). Conclusions A research protocol to directly explore the relationship between the incidence of aspiration and withholding or continuing enteral feedings during repositioning is feasible.
The morphogenetic relationship of the temporal muscle to the coronoid process in human embryos and fetuses.

The purpose of this investigation was: (a) to study the developmental relationships of the temporal muscle and the coronoid process during the critical initial stages of morphogenesis and (b) to correlate the developmental stages of the muscle and the bone with data describing the functioning of the muscles of mastication in utero. The heads of 41 human embryos and fetuses, 6 to 11 weeks, estimated fertilization age, were sectioned and examined under light microscopy. The findings are described in terms of six successive stages, each characterized by a major developmental change occurring during that stage. The data indicate that the temporal and masseter muscle anlagen begin to develop prior to the skeleton to which they ultimately become attached. The coronoid process differentiates subsequently as a discrete entity within the mass of the temporal muscle anlage at an estimated fertilization age of 7 to 7.5 weeks (23–24 mm CRL). At approximately eight weeks of age, the coronoid process unites with the main portion of the mandibular ramus. The findings here presented do not support the conclusion that the coronoid process is self-differentiating as Washburn (′47) contended. Instead, the development of this feature of the human mandible represents a response that follows the differentiation of the temporal muscle. This conclusion is consistent with the observations drawn from a number of investigations concerning structural and functional development of the face.
Enhanced Intracellular siRNA Delivery using Bioreducible Lipid-Like Nanoparticles

A new library of lipid-like nanoparticles (lipidoids) comprising disulfide bond is developed for siRNA delivery. Bioreducible lipidoids deliver siRNA with greater efficiency than nonbioreducible lipidoids with similar chemical structures. A siRNA release investigation, as well as an intracellular siRNA trafficking study, reveals that the degradation of bioreducible lipidoid in a strongly reductive intracellular environment boosts siRNA release and enhances siRNA gene knockdown efficiency.
Short-Term Ice Accretion Forecasts for Electric Utilities Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model and a Modified Precipitation-Type Algorithm

Abstract The Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) is used to provide 6–12-h forecasts of the necessary input parameters to a separate algorithm that determines the most likely precipitation type at each model grid point. In instances where freezing rain is indicated, an ice accretion model allows forecasts of radial ice thickness to be developed. The resulting forecasts are evaluated for 38 icing events of varying magnitude that occurred in the eastern United States using National Weather Service storm impact reports and observed data from Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS). Ice accretion hindcasts, using the WRF, allow the development of climatologies based on archived model initialization data. Ice accretion forecasts, based on the Ramer precipitation-type algorithm, consistently underestimated the maximum observed ice accretion amounts by between 10 and 20 mm. Ice accretion at ASOS sites was also underestimated. Applying a modification to the Ramer precipitation-type algorithm, and focu...
Comparative genome scan detects host-related divergent selection in the grasshopper Hesperotettix viridis

In this study, we used a comparative genome scan to examine patterns of population differentiation with respect to host plant use in Hesperotettix viridis, a Nearctic oligophagous grasshopper locally specialized on various Asteraceae including Solidago, Gutierrezia, and Ericameria. We identified amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci with significantly elevated F(ST) (outlier loci) in multiple different-host and same-host comparisons of populations while controlling for geographic distance. By comparing the number and identities of outlier loci in different-host vs. same-host comparisons, we found evidence of host plant-related divergent selection for some population comparisons (Solidago- vs. Gutierrezia-feeders), while other comparisons (Ericameria- vs. Gutierrezia-feeders) failed to demonstrate a strong role for host association in population differentiation. In comparisons of Solidago- vs. Gutierrezia-feeding populations, a relatively high number of outlier loci observed repeatedly in different-host comparisons (35% of all outliers and 2.7% of all 625 AFLP loci) indicated a significant role for host-related selection in contributing to overall genomic differentiation in this grasshopper. Mitochondrial DNA sequence data revealed a star-shaped phylogeny with no host- or geography-related structure, low nucleotide diversity, and high haplotype diversity, suggesting a recent population expansion. mtDNA data do not suggest a long period of isolation in separate glacial refugia but are instead more compatible with a single glacial refugium and more recent divergence in host use. Our study adds to research documenting heterogeneity in differentiation across the genome as a consequence of divergent natural selection, a phenomenon that may occur as part of the process of ecological speciation.
Grant Illusion, Tax Illusion, and Local Government Spending:

Tax and grant illusion are envisioned as alternative forms of fiscal illusion in the literature, with differing implications for local government spending. This article shows that tax and grant illusion, previously thought to be separate sources of fiscal illusion, are in fact interdependent. It presents a method for identifying the relevant (if any) form of fiscal illusion, exploiting the theoretical relationships to directly estimate perception parameters. The estimates reveal that county spending is affected by the traditional depiction of grant illusion rather than tax illusion.
Lead-free solder interconnect by variable frequency microwave (VFM)

A novel lead-free interconnect technique using a variable frequency microwave (VFM) was investigated. Melting the Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu and Sn46Pb solder pastes and their wetting on the metal pads were achieved by heating the organic flux vehicle through a radio frequency microwave. The lead-free solder interconnection between the component chips and the metal pads through VFM was first demonstrated. The microstructures of the lead-free solders/Cu and Sri surface joints formed by a conventional thermal reflow process and VFM were analyzed. From the intermetallic compound (IMC) formation study, it was found that more heat energy could be employed into the solder paste by the VFM heating process than by the thermal reflow process at the peak temperatures used in this study, because VFM provided more uniform heat than the reflow oven that may lead a temperature gradient in the test boards. It is believed that by VFM the soldering process at a lower peak temperature could be feasible than by a conventional reflow process.
The Duality of Race and Gender for Managerial African American Women: Implications of Informal Social Networks on Career Advancement

Research suggests that women have progressed in equalizing their representation, status, and earning power as managers in organizations. These improvements may not reflect the career advancement of managerial Afri can American women. African American women contend with the convergence of race and gender in improving their organizational standing and career advancement opportunities. The literature on workplace social networks indicates that informal more than formal socialization systems are salient in advancing careers. Due to the duality of race and gender, African American women in managerial and executive positions may be forced into out-group status in terms of informal social networks. Informal social networks for managerial African American women may be less accessible and may operate under different dimensions than for their African American male and White female and male counterparts. Critical examination of the effect of the interaction of race and gender on informal networks of managerial African American women in organizations is needed.
A cooperative homicidal chauffeur game

We address a pursuit-evasion problem involving an unbounded planar environment, a single evader, and multiple pursuers moving along curves of bounded curvature. The problem amounts to a multi-agent version of the classic homicidal chauffeur problem; we focus on parameter ranges in which a single pursuer is not sufficient to capture the evader. We propose a novel cooperative strategy in which the pursuers move in a daisy-chain formation and confine the evader to a bounded region. The proposed policy is inspired by certain hunting and foraging behaviors of various fish species. We characterize the required number of pursuers and the required value of the evader/pursuers speed ratio for which our strategy is guaranteed to lead to confinement.
Molecular Basis for Species and Ligand Specificity of a Monoclonal Antibody Raised Against Human IGF-I

The anti-hIGF-I monoclonal antibody, α-sm1.2, was found to have substantial crossreactivity with human and rat IGF-II, but recognized rat IGF-I only when this ligand was present at very high concentration. (E50 for hIGF-I ∼3.5 ng/tube vs. ∼12,000 ng/tube for rat IGF-I). In the context of previous studies to define the epitope(s) of α-sm1.2, these findings point to the critical importance of aspartic acid at residue 20 in the B domain in determining the species and ligand specificity of this antibody. Previous studies using this antibody in rodent tissues may require reinterpretation in the light of these findings.
What Permits Small Firms to Compete in High-Tech Industries? Inter-Organizational Knowledge Creation in the Taiwanese Computer Industry

This paper addresses a puzzle related to firm size and competition. Since Stephen Hymer´s pioneering contribution (Hymer, 1960/1976), theories of the firm implicitly assume that only large, diversified multinational enterprises can compete in industries that combine high capital intensity, high knowledge-intensity and a high degree of internationalization. Small firms, by definition, have limited resources and capabilities and are unlikely to possess substantial ownership advantages. They also have a limited capacity to influence and shape the development of markets, market structure and technological change. One would thus expect that they are ill-equipped to compete in a knowledge-intensive industry that is highly globalized. Taiwan’s experience in the computer industry tells a different story: despite the dominance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Taiwan successfully competes in the international market for PC-related products, key components and knowledge-intensive services. The paper inquires into how this was possible. It is argued that organizational innovations related to the creation of knowledge are of critical importance. Taiwanese computer firms were able to develop their own distinctive approach: due to their initially very narrow knowledge base, access to external sources of knowledge has been an essential prerequisite for their knowledge creation. Such “inter-organizational knowledge creation” (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995) was facilitated by two factors: active, yet selective and continuously adjusted industrial development policies; and a variety of linkages with large Taiwanese business groups, foreign sales and manufacturing affiliates and an early participation in international production networks established by foreign electronics companies. A novel contribution of this paper is its focus on inter-organizational knowledge creation. I first describe Taiwan´s achievements in the computer industry. The dominance of SMEs and their role as a source of flexibility is documented in part II. Part III describes some policy innovations that have shaped the process of knowledge creation. The rest of the paper inquires how inter-organizational knowledge creation has benefited from a variety of linkages with large domestic and foreign firms; I also address some industrial upgrading requirements that result from this peculiar type of knowledge creation.
Planning for Metropolitan Sustainability

This article establishes a framework for thinking about sustainable development in the metropolitan context by investigating the origins of the sustainability concept and its meanings when applied to urban development, surveying historical approaches to planning the urban region, and analyzing ways in which a context can be created for regional sustainability planning. Sustainability is seen as requiring a holistic, long-term planning approach, as well as certain general policy directions such as compact urban form, reductions in automobile use, protection of ecosystems, and improved equity. Based on the experience of three sample regions, the article suggests a long-term strategic approach in which vision statements, coalition building, institutional development, intergovernmental incentive frameworks, indicators, public involvement, and social learning help create a regional context in which sustainable development is increasingly possible.
Formative assessment: a critical review

This paper covers six interrelated issues in formative assessment (aka, ‘assessment for learning’). The issues concern the definition of formative assessment, the claims commonly made for its effectiveness, the limited attention given to domain considerations in its conceptualisation, the under-representation of measurement principles in that conceptualisation, the teacher-support demands formative assessment entails, and the impact of the larger educational system. The paper concludes that the term, ‘formative assessment’, does not yet represent a well-defined set of artefacts or practices. Although research suggests that the general practices associated with formative assessment can facilitate learning, existing definitions admit such a wide variety of implementations that effects should be expected to vary widely from one implementation and student population to the next. In addition, the magnitude of commonly made quantitative claims for effectiveness is suspect, deriving from untraceable, flawed, dated, or unpublished sources. To realise maximum benefit from formative assessment, new development should focus on conceptualising well-specified approaches built around process and methodology rooted within specific content domains. Those conceptualisations should incorporate fundamental measurement principles that encourage teachers and students to recognise the inferential nature of assessment. The conceptualisations should also allow for the substantial time and professional support needed if the vast majority of teachers are to become proficient users of formative assessment. Finally, for greatest benefit, formative approaches should be conceptualised as part of a comprehensive system in which all components work together to facilitate learning.
Optical encryption system employing orthogonal code and multiple reference-based joint transform correlation

The paper proposes a new technology to ensure enhanced security of personal identification information or binary images through the use of encryption and multiplexing processes. Orthogonal codes are employed to encrypt the given input images so that multiple encoded images can then be mixed together to save storage space or transmission bandwidth. The multiplexed and encoded image is further encrypted employing multiple reference-based joint transform correlation. The address code is fed into four channels after performing phase shifting on them by different amount. The input image is introduced to the channels to obtain joint power spectra (JPS) signals through Fourier transformation. The resultant signals are phase-shifted and then combined to form a modified JPS signal which is then inverse Fourier transformed to yield the final and highly secure encrypted image. At the receiver, the image is Fourier transformed and multiplied by the address code used in encryption. Inverse Fourier transformation yields the multiplexed and encoded image which is then decoded using orthogonal codes. The proposed technique enhances the security performance by implementing orthogonal coding and nonlinear encryption algorithms so that no unauthorized access to or interception of information is possible. Performance of the technique is evaluated through computer simulation.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Long-term survival does not equal cure

Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma represents 90% of pancreatic cancers and is an important cause of cancer death in the United States. Operative resection remains as the only treatment providing prolonged survival, but even after a curative resection, 5-year survival rates are low. Our aim was to identify the prognostic factors for long-term survival after resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma related to patients, treatments, and tumor biology. Methods Retrospective review identified 959 patients who underwent resection of their pancreatic adenocarcinoma between February 1985 and December 2010, of whom 499 were resected before November 2006 and represent the cohort we describe in this study. Patient, tumor, and treatment-related variables were assessed for their associations with 5- and 10-year overall survival. Results Of the 499 patients, 49% were female and median age was 65 years. The majority of patients had stage IIb disease (60%). Actual 5-year survival after resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma was 19% (95/499), and actual 10-year survival was 10% (33/329). Significant clinicopathologic factors predicting 5- and 10-year survival were negative margins and negative nodal status. Interestingly, 41% (39/95) of long-term survivors had positive nodes and 24% (23/95) had positive margins. Conclusion Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma demonstrates a very heterogeneous biology, but patients with negative resection margins and node negative cancers are more likely to survive 5 years after resection. However, our series demonstrates that the biology of the cancer rather than simple pathologic factors determine a patient's prognosis.
Vitamin C Improves Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation in Patients With Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract Objectives. We sought to determine whether the antioxidant vitamin C improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation of forearm resistance vessels in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Background. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation is impaired in patients with diabetes mellitus. Oxidatively mediated degradation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide contributes to abnormal endothelium-dependent vasodilation in animal models of diabetes mellitus. Methods. The study group included 10 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and 10 age-matched control subjects. Forearm blood flow was determined by venous occlusion plethysmography. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was assessed by intraarterial infusion of methacholine (0.3 to 10 μg/min). Endothelium-independent vasodilation was assessed by intraarterial infusion of nitroprusside (0.3 to 10 μg/min). Forearm blood flow dose–response curves were determined for each drug infusion before and during concomitant infusion of vitamin C (24 mg/min). Results. In diabetic subjects, endothelium-dependent vasodilation was augmented by the concomitant infusion of vitamin C (p = 0.001). Endothelium-independent vasodilation was not affected by the concomitant infusion of vitamin C (p = NS). In control subjects, vitamin C infusion did not affect endothelium-dependent vasodilation (p = NS). Conclusions. Vitamin C selectively restores the impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the forearm resistance vessels of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. These findings indicate that nitric oxide degradation by oxygen-derived free radicals contributes to abnormal vascular reactivity in humans with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Biosensors, Toxicity Monitoring

The need for simple, rapid, cost-effective, and field-portable screening methods has boosted development in the field of biosensors. This article reviews recent advances in the field of toxicity biosensors for monitoring chemical and biological toxicants, with a focus on how such technologies can be adapted to toxicity monitoring. Current efforts in this direction are concentrated toward disposable devices for screening and semiquantitative analysis. These can be designed to detect a single specific analyte or can provide general or group toxicity screening, depending on the design parameters and the specificity of the biomolecule. Relevant, specific applications and the analytical performance of biosensors for toxicity monitoring of several classes of chemical toxins are discussed. Keywords: biosensors; toxicity monitoring; food; environment; quality control; portable screening devices
Generalised bilinear regression

SUMMARY This paper discusses the application of generalised linear methods to bilinear models by criss-cross regression. It proposes an extension to segmented bilinear models in which the expectation matrix is linked to a sum in which each segment has specified row and column covariance matrices as well as a coefficient parameter matrix that is specified only by its rank. This extension includes a variety of biadditive models including the generalised Tukey degree of freedom for non-additivity model that consists of two bilinear segments, one of which is constant. The extension also covers a variety of other models for which least squares fits had not hitherto been available, such as higher-way layouts combined into the rows and columns of a matrix, and a harmonic model which can be reparameterised so a lower rank fit is equivalent to a constant phase parameter. A number of practical applications are provided, including displaying fits by biplots and using them to diagnose models.
Bandwidth aggregation with SCTP

We present a number of modifications to the stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) recently adopted by IETF; they allow bandwidth aggregation over the multiple interfaces of a host. We show that it is possible to implement a number of algorithms for bandwidth aggregation, with only a small number of modifications to the basic SCTP. Our simulation results clearly depict the efficiency of our approach in terms of bandwidth utilization. Furthermore, we implement and evaluate a mechanism for identifying bottlenecks that are shared by flows from the same aggregate connection. Our purpose is to show that SCTP is a good candidate for building a practical protocol for bandwidth aggregation that is fair and supportive of TCP.
A new approach to beam Doppler sharpening which allows nonlinear geometries and mapping

Range relative Doppler processing (RRDP) was developed to reduce range walk. Beam Doppler sharpening can be extended to nonlinear geometries using RRDP. The reflectivity information of the Doppler cells can be mapped onto an absolute x-y reflectivity map by including an invariant mapping technique (IMT). Extended beam Doppler sharpening (EBDS) is illustrated by an example. The two main advantages are that it remains valid even for nonlinear geometries where range walk is large and that it includes mapping to combine the information of all the footprints. In the example, the improvement in azimuth resolution over azimuth beamwidth is very significant, except at very low azimuth angles. All the results are in complete agreement with the theory. >
Response to Letter by Iosa et al Regarding Article, “Reliability and Validity of Bilateral Ankle Accelerometer Algorithms for Activity Recognition and Walking Speed After Stroke”

Response: Thanks to Iosa et al for their comments about the application of sensors to fine measurements of walking and exercise.1 I agree that the Pearson correlation coefficient is not necessarily the best method for examining agreement. Our statistician examined the intraclass correlation coefficient as well, but it was not reported. The Pearson correlation demonstrated a strong linear association between measures of walking speed by a stopwatch-timed walk across distances initially known, then not known, to a machine-learning algorithm. The Pearson r was used in conjunction with other analyses to assess agreement—namely, mean absolute deviation, bias, and error SD, which were reported. The bias calculation shows that, overall, the 2 measures are similar in average …
Nitrogen cycling in a flooded-soil ecosystem planted to rice (Oryza sativa L.)

15N studies of various aspects of the nitrogen cycle in a flooded rice ecosystem on Crowley silt loam soil in Louisiana were reviewed to construct a mass balance model of the nitrogen cycle for this system. Nitrogen transformations modeled included 1) net ammonification (0.22 mg NH4 +-N kg dry soil-1 day-1), 2) net nitrification (2.07 mg NO3 --N kg-1 dry soil-1 day-1), 3) denitrification (0.37 mg N kg dry soil-1 day-1), and 4) biological N2 fixation (0.16 mg N kg dry soil-1 day-1). Nitrogen inputs included 1) application of fertilizers, 2) incorporation of crop residues, 3) biological N2 fixation, and 4) deposition. Nitrogen outputs included 1) crop removal, 2) gaseous losses from NH3 volatilization and simultaneous occurrence of nitrification-denitrification, and 3) leaching and runoff. Mass balance calculations indicated that 33% of the available inorganic nitrogen was recovered by rice, and the remaining nitrogen was lost from the system. Losses of N due to ammonia volatilization were minimal because fertilizer-N was incorporated into the soil. A significant portion of inorganic-N was lost by ammonium diffusion from the anaerobic layer to the aerobic layer in response to a concentration gradient and subsequent nitrification in the aerobic layer followed by nitrate diffusion into the anaerobic layer and denitrification into gaseous end products. Leaching and surface runoff losses were minimal.
The Household and the Making of History: Communities in Crisis

When the men of Montaillou complained among themselves about their lot, it did not occur to them to blame women for their troubles. They might label most women, including their own wives, “sows,” “whores,” or “devils,” but in the troubled years after the turn of the fourteenth century, these peasants reserved their more heartfelt invective for the priests. One man whose anticlerical hostility was inflamed by the tithe on sheep announced: “I wish all clerics were dead, including my own son, who is a priest.” Another, enraged by the bishop's agents who were sent to collect tithes on cattle, declared to his peasant cronies: “If only all the clerks and priests could go and dig and plough the earth …. As for the Bishop, let him meet me in a mountain pass; we will fight out this question of tithes, and I shall soon see what the bishop is made of!” Tithes were a recurring topic at the all-male gatherings in the village squares. “We're going to have to pay the carnelages [the tithe on livestock],” said one villager to some friends in 1320. “Don't let's pay anything,” answered another of the men. “Let us rather find a hundred livres to pay two men to kill the Bishop.” “I'll willingly pay my share,” said a third. “Money could not be better spent.” Village men with shared interests and occupations saw priests as intruders in their churches, which they considered their own property.
The etiology of spondylolisthesis.

Spondylolisthesis, when caused by separation of the pars interarticularis, is a disease which affects only man. It is never present at birth and seldom below the age of four. It is usually present by the age of six if it is ever going to be; but the incidence does increase to adulthood in most races
NT-3 Evokes an LTP-Like Facilitation of AMPA/Kainate Receptor–Mediated Synaptic Transmission in the Neonatal Rat Spinal Cord

Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) is a neurotrophic factor required for survival of muscle spindle afferents during prenatal development. It also acts postsynaptically to enhance the monosynaptic excitatory po...
Agent Model Development for Assessing Climate-Induced Geopolitical Instability.

We present the initial stages of development of new agent-based computational methods to generate and test hypotheses about linkages between environmental change and international instability. This report summarizes the first year's effort of an originally proposed three-year Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project. The preliminary work focused on a set of simple agent-based models and benefited from lessons learned in previous related projects and case studies of human response to climate change and environmental scarcity. Our approach was to define a qualitative model using extremely simple cellular agent models akin to Lovelock's Daisyworld and Schelling's segregation model. Such models do not require significant computing resources, and users can modify behavior rules to gain insights. One of the difficulties in agent-based modeling is finding the right balance between model simplicity and real-world representation. Our approach was to keep agent behaviors as simple as possible during the development stage (described herein) and to ground them with a realistic geospatial Earth system model in subsequent years. This work is directed toward incorporating projected climate data--including various C02 scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Third Assessment Report--and ultimately toward coupling a useful agent-based model to a general circulation model.3
Electronic surveillance: An alternative to incarceration

This paper discusses the development of electronic monitoring, explains basic functions, discusses applications, provides information on specific equipment, examines test results, and presents a brief overview of the Electronic Surveillance Program (Work Furlough Program) operated by the San Diego County Probation Department. The paper concludes with a synopsis of the major public concerns about electronic monitoring.
The Johns Hopkins learning environment scale: measuring medical students' perceptions of the processes supporting professional formation.

PurposeTo construct a new measure to assess students’ perceptions of the medical school learning environment (LE).MethodIn 2012, students at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine completed a survey containing 32 LE items. Additional questions asked about overall perception of the LE, personal
HOST-VIRUS RELATIONSHIPS IN HAMSTERS INOCULATED WITH SV40 VIRUS DURING THE NEONATAL PERIOD.

SummaryFindings relative to the pathogenesis of SV40 virus in inducing tumor in hamsters are discussed. Infectious virus disappeared rapidly from the animal and was not demonstrable until its appearance in tumor. The quantity of virus was related to tumor size. Infectious virus was commonly demonstrable in tumor but was not always present and appeared not to be essential to retention of oncogenic quality. Initial neutralizing antibody response in a portion of animals to inoculated SV40 virus appeared unrelated to subsequent development or failure to develop tumor.The technical assistance of W. Raupp and T. Beddow is gratefully acknowledged.
Meshless Local Petrov-Galerkin Method for Heat Transfer Analysis

A meshless local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method is proposed to obtain the numerical solution of nonlinear heat transfer problems. The moving least squares scheme is generalized, to construct the field variable and its derivative continuously over the entire domain. The essential boundary conditions are enforced by the direct scheme. The radiation heat transfer coefficient is defined, and the nonlinear boundary value problem is solved as a sequence of linear problems each time updating the radiation heat transfer coefficient. The matrix formulation is used to drive the equations for a 3 dimensional nonlinear coupled radiation heat transfer problem. By using the MPLG method, along with the linearization of the nonlinear radiation problem, a new numerical approach is proposed to find the solution of the coupled heat transfer problem. A numerical study of the dimensionless size parameters for the quadrature and support domains is conducted to find the most appropriate values to ensure convergence of the nodal temperatures to the correct values quickly. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed methodology for the solution of heat transfer problems involving radiation with different types of boundary conditions. In each case, the results obtained using the MLPG method are compared with those given by the FEM method for validation of the results.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Information Embedded Method in Image ROI for Television Guided System

The region of interest(ROI) image coding technology was introduced into television guided system for a higher definition of the target region in the image under limited bandwidth conditions.Meanwhile,an information embedded method was proposed based on the implicit ROI coding for effectively transmitting the on-board information through image channel.The suitable code block and its bit planes were chosen,and the information was embedded with the bit planes replacement mode.The error caused by the information embedment was also analyzed.The experimental result shows that the image quality of the target region was improved significantly,and the image quality was influenced less after the information embedded comparing with the normal coding methods.The method is more suitable for television guided system.
Prognostic Factors and Clinical Staging in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

There has been significant progress in the past 10 years in our ability to prospectively predict prognosis in CLL. The clinical staging systems have helped us identify three broad groups of patients with respect to their overall outlook for survival: low risk (stage 0), intermediate risk (stages I and II), and high risk (stages III and IV). It seems reasonable to distinguish those low- and intermediate-risk patients who are likely to have a benign or indolent clinical course if their blood lymphocyte doubling time is longer than 12 months and their bone marrow biopsy pattern of lymphocytic infiltration is nondiffuse. With these guidelines, it will be possible to initiate meaningful and reliable therapeutic trials in CLL in the immediate future.