cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychooncology: the state of its development in 2006

Background and Objectives: Psychooncology research and practice has grown exponentially in recent years. We review the evidence-based accomplishments of psychooncology in key areas that inform clinical practice. Methods: We reviewed the following computerized databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Ovid Medline and Psychinfo for studies on predetermined areas of interest representing the continuum of current psychooncology, focusing on meta-analyses and controlled studies. Results: Cancer related psychological distress occurs in one third of patients. Psychological factors are of importance in cancer prevention such as the relationship of smoking to depression. The association between personality styles and cancer vulnerability is not strong, but social support is a well-established prognostic factor. Existential distress may manifest as demoralization; meaning and dignity-based therapies have been designed to assuage existential angst in the cancer setting. Psychotherapy is efficacious in ameliorating cancer related distress, anxiety and depression, with newer models focusing on meaning and adaptive coping. Although there is not a strong evidence-base for the impact of psychooncology on survival, psychological factors clearly impact on adherence to cancer treatment. Most survivors do well overall, but concerns relate to the long term impact of specific treatments or special populations including children. Neurocognitive effects of chemotherapy have recently been associated with carriers ofAlzheimer precursor genes. Doctor-patient communication is of increasing clinical interest alongside concern that physician burnout is increasing. Conclusions: Evidence-based research informs psychooncology's clinical practice and service provision in 2006.
Force-free plasma currents driven by electromagnetic oscillations with E parallel to B.

A special superposition of oppositely propagating circularly polarized monochromatic plane waves defines a stationary electromagnetic oscillation in a cavity, with {bold E} parallel to {bold B}. Inside a plasma, this type of oscillation induces an ac current {bold J} that is parallel to the magnetic field {bold B}, and is hence force free. In the low-frequency limit, a transient dc plasma current is driven by the special oscillation field. It is shown that these oscillations cannot interact with an externally imposed field {bold B}{sub 0}, so that they exist only if {bold J}{parallel}{bold B}{parallel}{bold B}{sub 0}.
FUSARIUM VERTICILLIOIDES: MANAGING THE ENDOPHYTIC ASSOCIATION WITH MAIZE FOR REDUCED FUMONISINS ACCUMULATION

Fusarium verticillioides is a very important genus from the aspects of plant disease, cereal production, and food safety. A major concern of this species is its mycotoxins, which are harmful to humans and animals ingesting Fusarium-contaminated food or feed products. The fungus exists as a symptomless intercellular endophyte in both field and sweet maize, but its role during the symptomless state of infection is ambiguous. Most strains produce the fumonisin in large quantities during the preharvest and postharvest periods of maize production, even during the symptomless state. The dual nature of F. verticillioides as both pathogen and a symptomless endophyte indicates a complex relationship with maize. Interactive biotic factors such as plant genetics, along with abiotic factors, may alter the required balanced relationships, resulting in a weakened plant and changing the relationship into a disease, during which mycotoxins are produced. Consequently, the development of appropriate control measures for th...
Investigation of nematic liquid crystals as surface acoustic wave sensor coatings for discrimination between isomeric aromatic organic vapors

Abstract The use of thermotropic nematic liquid crystals (LC) as surface acoustic wave (SAW) vapor sensor coatings were investigated. Responses to four pairs of isomeric aromatic organic vapors were measured using two LC coatings and four isotropic polymer coatings. In most cases, the LC coatings showed higher sensitivity toward the more rod-like isomer within a pair due to the anisotropic nature of the deposited LC films. However, the importance of vapor-coating functional-group interactions as mediating factors in the sensor responses was evident in several cases. Incorporation of an LC coating into a four-sensor array improved the discrimination between isomers relative to an array employing only isotropic coatings. A persistent decline in the sensor baseline signal and vapor sensitivity observed over time with both LC coatings could be attributed to evaporative loss and/or changes in the elastic stiffness of the coatings.
Where are we in the world of proteomics and bioinformatics

The 2nd International Conference on Proteomics & Bioinformatics (Proteomics 2012) was a follow-up from the successful 1st conference in Hyderabad, India, in June 2011. This conference was sponsored by the OMICS group. Talks on a variety of proteomic and bioinformatic sciences were presented ranging from computation methods, intracellular organelle proteomics, cellular proteomics, to clinical biofluid/tissue proteomics. This conference provided an excellent avenue for a productive multidisciplinary interaction. Several human diseases, for example, diabetes, malaria, glaucoma, bone disorders and others as well as plant pharmacoproteomics and drug development were included. This report summarizes some of the highlights and prospectives presented at this conference.
Impact of non-passing grades and academic retention on subsequent academic performance in a cohort of pharmacy students

Abstract Objective To determine the effect of nonpassing grades and consequent course repetition on subsequent academic performance, and to consider the implications of these results in setting criteria for grade assignment. Performance of a group of fourth-year (first professional year) pharmacy students who had earned grades of C or below during introductory or foundation modules was examined during subsequent therapeutics courses. Performance of students earning A and B grades was also followed as a control. Methods Students were classified according to their performance in a series of four introductory, basic science modules. The groups were ‘A’ students, ‘B’ students, ‘C’ students, ‘borderline C’ ‘One-D' students, and ‘repeating’ students. Borderline C students were defined as those students who had earned a final course percentage of less than 70%, a D grade by a straight scale, but had instead been assigned the letter grade of C. Repeating students were repeating one or more introductory modules after earning at least two Ds or one F the previous year and consequently not progressing. Performance was tracked in a series of five succeeding therapeutic modules. Results Based on therapeutic module hourly examination scores and final grade assignments, repeating students performed better than other C-or-below students while borderline C students performed the worst. Students earning a D grade in a single module and permitted to progress performed no worse than C students in subsequent modules. Conclusion Course failure denotes academic weakness, but course failure is associated with subsequent success in therapeutics modules. This study supports the use of more stringent rather than more lenient criteria in grade assignment.
Comparative evaluation of drying techniques for surface micromachining

Five different procedures commonly used to rinse and dry released microstructures are compared: evaporation drying with deionized (DI) water or methanol, sublimation drying with t-butyl alcohol orp-dichlorobenzene, and supercritical drying with COz. For objectivecomparison, identical test structures, made by the MCNC Multi-User EMS Processes (MUMPS), are used in evaluating the drying techniques. The test chips contain arrays of surface-micromachined polysilicon cantilevers (2 km thick, 2 pm gap from the substrate) with varying widths and lengths. Some beams feature dimples or tips to quantify their anti-stiction effect. This study reveals, for the first time, that the maximum beam length obtainable increases as the beam width increases for the cases of sublimation and supercritical dryin,, 0 opposite to the previously known case of evaporation drying. Both sublimation drying methods as well as supercritical drying rendered good results, releasing cantilevers up to 700 km in length without stiction. We also introduce a new setup that considerably improves the way sublimation is used to dry microstructures. 0 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.
The effect of ω-methoxy-poly (ethyleneoxy) ethyl p-butylaminobenzoate (tessalon) on ventilation and lung volumes

Abstract Tessalon, ω-methoxy-poly (ethyleneoxy) ethyl p-butylaminobenzoate, was given intravenously to ten patients with bronchial asthma. Ventilation and lung volumes were measured prior to and after the administration of the drug. No significant alteration in lung volumes or expiratory flow rate was observed. Tessalon, however, consistently increased the minute ventilation and, at the same time, appeared to provide patients with a sensation of ease in breathing. No objective basis for this was observed.
Better together: Fusing visual saliency methods for retrieving perceptually-similar images

In this paper, we describe a new model of visual saliency by fusing results from existing saliency methods. We first briefly survey existing saliency models, and justify the fusion methods as they take advantage of the strengths of all existing works. Initial experiments indicate that the fused saliency methods generate results closer to the ground-truth than the original methods alone. We apply our method to content-based image retrieval, leveraging a fusion method as a feature extractor. We perform experimental evaluation and show a marked improvement in retrieval performance using our fusion method over individual saliency models.
Lubricant Effects in Hydraulic Motor Starting Efficiency

This paper presents an investigation of the fluid properties that affect starting efficiency in hydraulic motors. Starting efficiency is important because it often determines the minimum displacement of motors in mobile hydraulic systems. The boundary friction, thermophysical and pressure-viscosity coefficients of prototype fluids have been characterized. These hydraulic fluids have been evaluated in geroler, axial piston, and radial piston motors under constant torque starting conditions in accordance with the ISO 4392-2 standard test method. Correlations between starting efficiency and fluid boundary friction, thermophysical and pressure-viscosity coefficients have been identified. The relative impact of these fluid properties varied with motor design.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Plasma total cholesterol level as a risk factor for Alzheimer disease: the Framingham Study.

Background Previous studies examining the association of plasma cholesterol levels with the risk for development of Alzheimer disease (AD) have been inconclusive. We examined the impact of baseline and lifetime plasma total cholesterol levels averaged across many years on the risk for AD in a large, population-based cohort. Methods Five thousand two hundred nine subjects from the Framingham Study original cohort underwent biennial evaluation for cardiovascular risk factors since 1950, with estimations of serum total cholesterol levels at 19 of these 25 biennial examinations. The study sample consisted of 1026 subjects from this cohort who were alive and free of stroke and dementia at examination cycle 20 (1988-1989) and had undergone apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping. The main outcome measure was incident AD diagnosed using standard criteria, according to average total cholesterol levels across biennial examination cycles 1 to 15 and baseline total cholesterol level measured at the 20th biennial examination cycle. Results Alzheimer disease developed in 77 subjects from 1992 to 2000. After adjustment for age, sex,APOEgenotype, smoking, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters), coronary heart disease, and diabetes, we found no significant association between the risk for incident AD and average cholesterol level at biennial examination cycles 1 to 15 (hazard ratio per 10-mg/dL [0.3-mmol/L] rise, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-1.04) or baseline total cholesterol level at examination 20 (hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-1.05). Conclusion In this large, population-based cohort, baseline and long-term average serum total cholesterol levels were not associated with the risk for incident AD.
The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) as an outcome measure for adult psychiatric inpatients

In this study the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; Derogatis & Spencer, 1982) was administered to 89 males and 128 females at admission and discharge from a private psychiatric hospital. For mean scores, statistically significant decreases were observed on all BSI scales and global indices. Effect sizes ranged from high medium to large. Also, when clinical significance indices were calculated with regard to changes made by individual patients, we found that approximately 50% of all inpatients evidenced a decrease on the Global Severity Index (GSI), which meets the dual criteria of significant change and posttreatment functioning in the normal range. Compared with inpatient norms (Derogatis & Spencer, 1982), our sample generally scored higher at admission and lower at discharge.
Contextual Categorization by Lateral Inhibition

A mechanism is proposed whereby categorization of stimuli is performed on the basis of the context in which such stimuli occur. This mechanism depends on lateral inhibition, which has been experimentally shown to operate in a number of biological receptor systems. It is assumed that n areas in the brain correspond to n classes into which a stimulus might be classified, the category chosen corresponding to the area of maximal excitation. Establishment of mutually inhibitory connections between these areas, such that inhibition follows the equation for lateral inhibition and such that areas corresponding to "like" classes inhibit each other less than areas corresponding to "unlike" classes, leads to contextual categorization.
Chronic glandular bronchitis in young individuals residing in a metropolitan area.

A study of 161 Los Angeles County residents aged 12-28 years old who had died sudden violent deaths showed frequent and severe chronic glandular bronchitis (CGB), that is to say grade > or =5 (0-10) chronic inflammation involving at least one, half or more, and all submucosal glands in 53.4%, 21%, and 4.4% of the main stem bronchi, respectively. The mean plasma cell/gland/bronchus was high (> or =5) for 22 subjects (13.7%), while only 2 bronchi (1.2%) had a correspondingly high lymphocyte mean (P or =5 in 8.1%), 10.6% had neutrophil infiltration of glands, and 3.1% had acute sialadenitis. Of the total of 1040 glands, CGB was found in 83.8% (> or =5 in 26.5%). Of 25 non-smokers identified, 14 (56%) had some degree of CGB in > or =50% of the glands, severe in 7 (26%). Severe CGB in many young individuals raises concern that a subpopulation of living cohorts may have an increased susceptibility to disease and a rising incidence of chronic lung disease. Demographic analysis is pending, but respiratory infection, smoking, adverse socioeconomic factors, and air pollution are all potential causative factors. Since pollution in Los Angeles frequently exceeds air quality standards, an ongoing multicity study is attempting to distinguish between the suspected effects of air pollution and confounding variables.
PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MOUSE MYELOMA PROTEINS: DEMONSTRATION OF HETEROGENEITY FOR EACH MYELOMA GLOBULIN

Physicochemical characterization of mouse myeloma proteins revealed the individuality of each myeloma protein. When the myeloma proteins are considered collectively a wide range of individual properties were represented, including electrophoretic mobilities varying from the gamma to alpha region, hexose contents from 1 to 4 per cent, and ultracentrifugal components from 6.5 to 13 S. The 20 myeloma proteins could be divided into groups, the gamma type and the beta type myeloma globulins, on the basis of physicochemical, as well as immunoelectrophoretic, studies. Two gamma type myeloma proteins (5563, MPC-11) resembled normal gamma globulins, sedimenting as a single 6.5 S peak in the ultracentrifuge, and having a relatively low hexose content (1 per cent). Eighteen beta type mouse myeloma proteins differed from gamma myeloma proteins and, typically, were found on ultracentrifugal analysis to have multiple components with sedimentation coefficients of 6.5, 9, 11, and 13 S, having a higher hexose content (2 to 4 per cent) as well as distinctive chromatographic and starch gel electrophoretic properties. All of the mouse myeloma proteins were heterogeneous and heterogeneity of two types was observed. Polymer formation was responsible for the 9, 11, and/or 13 S components seen on ultracentrifugation of the beta type myeloma proteins. Starch gel electrophoresis revealed this type of heterogeneity as relatively widely separated myeloma protein components, presumably owing to the retardation effect of starch gel on the electrophoretic migration of the larger polymers. Starch gel electrophoresis revealed a different type of heterogeneity for the two gamma type myeloma proteins, each of these being shown to contain 5 or more components differing only in electrophoretic properties. The physicochemical characteristics of the γ-type and β-type myeloma proteins in the mouse indicated the close similarity of these proteins to the γ- and β-2A-myeloma proteins in man.
Polymers bearing intramolecular photodimerizable probes for mass diffusion measurements by the forced Rayleigh scattering technique: synthesis and characterization

Abstract A new photochromic probe, bis(9-anthryl methyl) ether (BAME) derivative, was synthesized and introduced as an effective probe for forced Rayleigh scattering (FRS) measurement. It is shown that BAME and polystyrene labelled with BAME exhibit a large change in refractive index under irradiation of u.v. light (363.8 nm). The self-diffusion of BAME and polystyrene labelled with BAME (PSA) were measured in various solvents. Results of PSA in good, marginal and poor solvents are consistent with those obtained from quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS). Since the photodimerization reaction of anthracene has been extensively studied in solution and crystal as well as in polymer matrix, unfavourable multistep photochemical reactions can be avoided. One such unfavourable case, which involves a fluorescence quenching solvent CCl4, is demonstrated. A temperature dependence study of polystyrene in semi-dilute theta solution by FRS has suggested that the non-exponential intensity decay is due to large concentration fluctuations in the solution. The well known photochemistry, large refractive index change and temperature stability have made BAME a very promising probe for FRS measurements.
Chronotropic incompetence: a common and progressive finding in pacemaker patients.

Thirty-eight patients (ages 40 to 77 years, mean 63) followed in a pacemaker clinic underwent exercise treadmill tests to determine chronotropic incompetence. There were 28 men and 10 women. Twenty-seven patients had atrioventricular (AV) block and 11 patients had sick sinus syndrome. All patients were exercised to fatigue. None of the patients were receiving β-blockers or other drugs that could reduce heart rate. Maximum heart rate (MHR) and percent predicted maximum heart rate (% PMHR) were used as an index of chronotropic incompetence. Chronotropic incompetence was defined as inability to achieve a % PMHR of >80%. The overall incidence of chronotropic incompetence was 58% (22 of 38 patients). We examined the relationship between chronotropic incompetence and the time to pacemaker implantation. We found that in patients who had pacemakers for less than 2 years, the mean MHR was 125 ± 21.6 beats/min compared with 111.9 ± 23.6 beats/min for patients who had pacemakers implanted for longer than 4 years. Similarly, the mean % PMHR decreased from 76.5 ± 12.5% to 68.7 ± 15.4% in patients with pacemakers less than 2 years versus those with pacemakers for more than 4 years. Fifty-three percent of the patients with a pacemaker less than 2 years old were chronotropic incompetent versus 70% of the patients with a pacemaker more than 4 years old. These data suggest that chronotropic incompetence worsens with time after pacemaker implant. To further support this, eight patients with AV block underwent a second stress test an average of 2 years following the first. In every case, both the MHR and the % PMHR decreased on the repeat stress test; mean MHR decreased from 132.6 ± 12.3 to 105.6 ± 25.6 beats/min ( p
Novel comparison of capillary electrophoresis versus immunoassay in the measurement of total percent carbohydrate deficient transferrin.

Abstract Objectives: Novel comparison of CDT isoforms as determined by CE with an FDA-approved immunoassay kit. Design and methods: Subjects ( n = 51) were categorized by drinking status based on AUDIT questionnaire responses. CDT isoform analyses by CE were compared to a commercially available, FDA-approved immunoassay. The analytical specificity of the immunoassay kit was assessed by analysis with IEF. Results: Because of the poor correlation between % CDT as measured by CE and the TIA immunoassay and between subject-reported drinking levels and results from the TIA assay, extraction column eluants from the immunoassays were analyzed by IEF for analytical specificity. % CDT by TIA included some trisialo-Tf, a non-CDT fraction, in the % CDT determination. Conclusions: Total % CDT by CE, which separates all isoforms is more analytically specific than immunoassays because it does not include trisialo-Tf in the CDT calculation.
WOMEN AND AGRARIAN REFORM: CHILE, 1964–1973

Chile (1964–1973) provides one of the few examples of large scale agrarian reform conducted legally in a non-socialist country. The literature on this experience is extensive, but no analysis systematically considers the implications of the Chilean case for the integration of women into the agrarian reform or rural development processes. The purpose of this paper is to consider the factors which influenced the role of Chilean women in agrarian reform. The principal topics considered are: the objectives of reform under Frei (1964–1970) and Allendc (1970–1973); provisions of agrarian reform legislation; and changes in reformed units during rhe Allende administration. The final section considers changes which were, and were not, possible that would have enhanced the participation of women in the reformed units and the roles of women as agricultural producers. Resume Le Chili (1964–1973) constitue un des quelques exemples d'une reforme agraire dc grande amplcur, conduite par des voies legales dans un pays non socialiste. Une abondantc litterature existe sur le sujet, mais on ne dispose d'aucune etude systematique centree sur les implications de l'experience chilicnne quant a l'integration des femmes dans la reforme agraire ou le processus de developpement rural. L'objet de cet article est d'examiner les facreurs qui conditionncnt le role des femmes dans la reforme agraire chilienne. Les principaux themes traites sont les suivants: les objectifs de la reforme agraire sous Frei (1964–1970) et Allende (1970–1973); lesapports de la legislation de reforme agraire; les changements observes sous l'administration Allende. La derniere partie precise les changements, possibles ou non, qui auraient pu accroitre la participation des femmes dans les exploitations concernees par la reforme, et valoriser leur role comme producteurs agricoles. Kurzfassung Chile (1964–1973) stellt eines der wenigen Bcispiele einer gros angelegten, legal durchge-fuhrten Agrarreform in einem nichtsozialistischen Land dar. Es gibt einc umfangreiche Literatur uber dieses Experiment, aber keine Analyse untcrsucht systematise!) am Falle Chile die Implilcationen fur die Integration der Frauen in die Agrarreform oder den Prozess der landlichen Enrwicklung. Das Anlicgen dieses Beitrages ist es, zu untersuchen, welche Faktoren die Rolle der Frau in der Agrarreform beeinflust haben. Vor allem werden betrachtet: die Ziele der Reform unter Frei (1964–1970) und Allende (1970–1973); die Bestimmungen in der Gesetzgebung zur Agrarreform, die Veranderungen in den durch die Agrarreform geschaffenen Betrieben unter Allende. Im letzten Teil werden die Veranderungen untcrsucht, die moglich waren und auch nicht moglich waren, um der Partizipation der Frauen und ihrer Rolle als landwirtschaftliche Produzcnten in den neugebildten Betrieben einen hoheren Stellenwcrt zu geben.
The relationship between citations and number of downloads in Decision Support Systems

In this increasingly digital age, the number of times a paper is downloaded and the number of citations to it are becoming indicators of the interest, visibility and impact of the paper. As a result, downloads and citations increasingly are becoming a part of the evaluation process of faculty, departments and universities. This paper finds that the number of citations and downloads are closely related. A statistically significant relationship is found between the number of citations from different citation sources and the number of downloads of Decision Support Systems. In addition, the different the number of citations from sources of citation information are found to be highly correlated with each other.
Estimation of Phase Shifts in Structured Illumination for Optically Sectioned Imaging of Moving Objects

Structured illumination has been used to obtain optically sectioned images. We estimate unknown, random phase shifts in the multiple sinusoidally patterned images in post-processing, permitting the application of this technique to translating objects.
Superinfection immunity and prophage repression in phage P1. IV. The c1 repressor bypass function and the role of c4 repressor in immunity.

Abstract Previous work indicated that both genes c 1 and c 4 of phage P1 and P1 are necessary for maintenance of lysogeny and suggested the c 4 but not c 1 is required for the specificity of superinfection immunity. We now show that c 4 − P1 lysogens do not express superinfection immunity. In addition, we have isolated mutants in a c 1 repressor bypass function (Reb) which permits P1 to grow in the presence of c 1 + product. Reb mutants were isolated by selecting for suppression of the vir B or c 4 phenotype, so synthesis of reb product is negatively controlled by both c 4 repressor and by the site at which vir B mutants occur. Because some P1 reb mutants are suppressed by nonsense suppressors, reb must code for a protein. However, P1 reb mutants cannot be complemented by P1 reb + phage in the same cell, which indicates that the reb protein acts predominantly in “cis”. The reb + product is not needed for prophage replication but is necessary for normal vegetative phage growth by c 1 + phage. Possible modes of action of reb are discussed.
WE‐C‐ValB‐01: Introduction

The reasons for the failures of conventional anticancer therapies are varied and multiple. It is however, becoming increasingly clear that physiological conditions in tumors, arising primarily from inadequate and non‐uniform vascular networks, can play significant roles in the lack of therapeutic responsiveness of neoplasms. However, the impact of the tumor microenvironment far exceeds its direct effects on therapeutic treatment modalities. For example, tumor hypoxia can contribute to processes that directly favor malignant progression and increased metastasis. New treatment strategies aimed at improving tumor response through targeting cells existing in these microenvironments or the aberrant tumor vasculature itself, therefore are of high interest. Non‐invasive imaging strategies may aid not only in identifying tumors that would be effectively treated with such strategies but also in providing effective means of monitoring treatment effectiveness and therapeutic outcomes.
Discrepancy index relative to age, sex, and the probability of completing treatment by one resident in a 2-year graduate orthodontics program

Introduction The American Board of Orthodontics’ discrepancy index (DI) was designed to objectively quantify the complexity of a malocclusion before orthodontic treatment. In this study, we assessed the influence of age and sex on the DI distribution of a large mixed sample of patients. An additional objective was to ascertain the effectiveness of the DI for predicting the probability that 1 resident can complete the treatment of the malocclusion in a 24-month residency. Methods A group of 6 calibrated investigators independently determined the DI scores for 716 consecutive patients in the permanent dentition from the patient pool of Indiana University’s graduate orthodontics program over 7 years. The DI was scored and compared with the patient’s sex and age, and it was noted whether the patient was transferred to a second resident when the first one graduated. Results The DI is not significantly related to sex or age, but it was a significant predictor for patients who required transfer to a second resident for completion of treatment. Conclusions The DI was a relatively stable index for measuring malocclusion complexity. It is independent of sex or age but is a consistent indicator of the greater time and effort required to complete treatment, because of the significant correlation to the necessity to transfer patient care to a second resident.
Compensation Practices in Restaurants and the Impact on Service Quality

America's eating and drinking establishments employ over 4.7 million food servers. Over 2 million of these employees earn approximately 50% of their income from tips. Empirical research in occupational and organizational commitment has identified a positive relationship between occupational commitment and employee turnover. Identifying the relationship between the use of tipping and employee commitment could have significant implications for service quality in the restaurant industry. Researchers have documented potential negative consequences of the practice of tipping that affect organizations, employees, and consumers.
SU‐FF‐I‐56: A Treatment Planning System (TPS) Independent Software for 4DCT Image Analysis

Purpose: To present standalone software that allows for transfer of treatment planning data from a treatment planning system (TPS) in DICOM‐RT format to any user‐defined image analysis platform. With this, several treatment planning tools have been developed outside of TPS for 4DCT analysis. Materials and method:Treatment planning systems have been primarily viewed as dose calculation engines, and only recently have begun introducing rudimentary tools dealing with 4DCT and deformable image registration. Concurrently, there has been a proliferation of imagingsoftware, either in public domain or user‐written, for the new imaging paradigm offered by 4DCT to study organ deformation. There is a disconnect between available treatment planning tools and the state‐of‐art in image processing. While DICOM‐RT standard allows, in theory, for a straightforward transfer of treatment planning data, the clinical experience is generally anything but this. Thus most radiotherapy clinics, without benefit of dedicated programming and imaging science teams and yet treating the majority of patients, are unable to realize the full potential offered by 4DCT or contribute valuable clinical experience. Using a simplified DICOM‐RT export from TPS, we developed several treatment planning tools for enhanced visualization and image analysis of 4DCT data. Results: Various tools for processing 4DCT data were developed: 1) autosegmentation of normal structures onto phased CTs using a reference 3D CT containing initial manual segmentations; 2) automatic generation of internal target volume (ITV); 3) target motion characterization using center‐of‐mass trajectories; 4) dose volume histograms based either on maximal target motion, or probability density function; and 5) visualization for studying goodness of registration. Conclusion:Image analysis tools, which supplement available image visualization using software from CERR (Washington University, St. Louis) and RCET (University of Florida), for 4DCT were presented. This approach allows for rapid development and clinical implementation of state‐of‐art image analysis tools in treatment planning.
Polar, functionalized diene‐based materials. V. Free‐radical polymerization of 2‐[(N‐benzyl‐n‐methylamino)methyl]‐1,3‐butadiene and copolymerization with styrene

2-[(N-Benzyl-N-methylamino)methyl]-1,3-butadiene (BMAMBD), the first asymmetric tertiary amino-containing diene-based monomer, was synthesized by sulfone chemistry and a nickel-catalyzed Grignard coupling reaction in high purity and good yield. The bulk and solution free-radical polymerizations of this monomer were studied. Traditional bulk free-radical polymerization kinetics were observed, giving polymers with 〈Mn〉 values of 21 × 103 to 48 × 103 g/mol (where Mn is the number-average molecular weight) and polydispersity indices near 1.5. In solution polymerization, polymers with higher molecular weights were obtained in cyclohexane than in tetrahydrofuran (THF) because of the higher chain transfer to the solvent. The chain-transfer constants calculated for cyclohexane and THF were 1.97 × 10−3 and 5.77 × 10−3, respectively. To further tailor polymer properties, we also completed copolymerization studies with styrene. Kinetic studies showed that BMAMBD incorporated into the polymer chain at a faster rate than styrene. With the Mayo–Lewis equation, the monomer reactivity ratios of BMAMBD and styrene at 75 °C were determined to be 2.6 ± 0.3 and 0.28 ± 0.02, respectively. Altering the composition of BMAMBD in the copolymer from 17 to 93% caused the glass-transition temperature of the resulting copolymer to decrease from 64 to −7 °C. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3227–3238, 2001
Intestinal inflammation: a complex interplay of immune and nonimmune cell interactions

Intestinal inflammation has traditionally been viewed as a process in which effector immune cells cause the destruction of other mucosal cells that behave as passive bystander targets. Progress in understanding the process of intestinal inflammation has led to a much broader and more integrated picture of the various mucosal components, a picture in which cytokines, growth factors, adhesion molecules, and the process of apoptosis act as functional mediators. Essentially all cellular and acellular components can exert immunelike activities, modifying the classical concept of selected immune cells acting on all other cells that has been the dogma of immunologically mediated tissue damage for decades. The existence of specialized communication pathways between epithelial cells and T cells is well documented, including abnormal epithelial cell-mediated T cell activation during inflammation. Mesenchymal cells contribute to fibrosis in the inflamed gut but are also responsible for retention and survival of leukocytes in the mucosa. In chronically inflamed intestine the local microvasculature displays leukocyte hyperadhesiveness, a phenomenon that probably contributes to persistence of inflammation. The extracellular matrix regulates the number, location, and activation of leukocytes, while metalloproteinases regulate the quantity and type of deposited matrix proteins. This evidence from the intestinal system, consolidated with the use of data from other organs and systems, reveals a rich network of reciprocal and finely orchestrated interactions among immune, epithelial, endothelial, mesenchymal, and nerve cells and the extracellular matrix. Although these interactions occur under normal conditions, the dysfunction of any component of this highly integrated mucosal system may lead to a disruption in communication and result in pathological inflammation.
Weapon tradeoff analysis using dynamic programming for a dynamic weapon target assignment problem within a simulation

We consider the sequential allocation of differing weapons to a collection of adversarial targets with the goal of surviving to destroy a critical target within a combat simulation. The platform which carries the weapons proceeds through a set of sequential stages and at each stage potentially engages targets with available weapons. The decision space at each stage is affected by previous decisions and the probability of platform destruction. Simulation and dynamic programming are then used within a larger dynamic programming framework to determine allocation strategies and develop value functions for these mission sets to be used in future, larger and more complex simulations. A simple dynamic programming example of the problem is considered and used to generate a functional approximation for a more complex system. The developed methodology provides a tractable approach to addressing complex sequential allocation of resources within a risky environment.
Impact of New Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Early First-Trimester Diagnostic Criteria for Nonviable Pregnancy

Objectives New early first-trimester diagnostic criteria for nonviable pregnancy recommended by the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound via a multispecialty consensus panel extended the diagnostic size criteria of crown-rump length from 5 to 7 mm for embryos without a heartbeat and mean sac diameter from 16 to 25 mm for "empty" sacs. Our study assessed the potential impact of the new criteria on the number of additional follow-up sonograms these changes would engender. Methods A retrospective study of all first-trimester sonograms in women with first trimester bleeding from 1999 to 2008 was conducted. Everyone included in the study had a visible gestational sac in the uterus. There were no pregnancies of unknown location or ectopic pregnancies included in this study cohort. Pregnancy of unknown location was used to describe cases in which there were no signs of pregnancy inside or outside the uterus on transvaginal sonography despite a positive pregnancy test result. A total of 1013 patients met the inclusion criteria. Results Seven hundred fifty-two patients (74%) had identifiable embryos, and 261 (26%) did not. Of those with an identifiable embryo, 286 (38%) had no detectable embryonic cardiac activity. The breakdown of crown-rump lengths in this group was as follows: 100 measuring less than 5 mm, 36 measuring 5 to 7 mm, and 150 measuring 7 mm or greater. The breakdown of mean sac diameters in those without a visible embryo was as follows: 120 measuring less than 16 mm, 90 measuring 16 to 25 mm, and 51 measuring 25 mm or greater. Conclusions When diagnosing a failed pregnancy, there can be no room for error. Only 126 of 1013 early pregnancies threatening to abort (12%) fell into the more conservative zones defined by the new compared to the former size criteria (crown-rump length, 5-7 mm; mean sac diameter, 16-25 mm). Therefore, the potential impact of the new guidelines on follow-up sonograms does not appear inordinate.
Cramér-Rao bounds for three-point decomposition of water and fat.

The noise analysis for three-point decomposition of water and fat was extended to account for the uncertainty in the field map. This generalization leads to a nonlinear estimation problem. The Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) was used to study the variance of the estimates of the magnitude, phase, and field map by computing the maximum effective number of signals averaged (NSA) for any choice of echo time shifts. The analysis shows that the noise properties of the reconstructed magnitude, phase, and field map depend not only on the choice of echo time shifts but also on the amount of fat and water in each voxel and their alignment at the echo. The choice of echo time shifts for spin-echo, spoiled gradient echo, and steady-state free precession imaging techniques were optimized using the CRB. The noise analysis for the magnitude explains rough interfaces seen clinically in the boundary of fat and water with source images obtained symmetrically about the spin-echo. It also provides a solution by choosing appropriate echo time shifts (-pi/6+pik, pi/2+pik, 7pi/6+pik), with k an integer. With this choice of echo time shifts it is possible to achieve the maximum NSA uniformly across all fat:water ratios. The optimization is also carried out for the estimation of phase and field map. These theoretical results were verified using Monte Carlo simulations with a newly developed nonlinear least-squares reconstruction algorithm that achieves the CRB.
I/O system design for intensive multimedia I/O

The intensive I/O generated by multimedia devices and delivered over fast networks requires a new approach to I/O system software design for workstation operating systems. In general, the system should provide more flexibility in how devices are controlled and in constructing the data paths used for data transfer. The author argues for the separation of control and data transfer as a general design principle, and describes how I/O bus bandwidth can be used more efficiently through direct connections between I/O devices. >
High‐Altitude Occupations, Cultural Process, and High Plains Prehistory: Retrospect and Prospect

Models of hunter-gatherer occupation in mountainous areas are evaluated in light of current data bases and field research strategies. Utilizing evidence from the mountain fringes of the North American High Plains, both climatic and task-specific models are rejected in favor of a broad spectrum model. It is argued that the broad spectrum model better explains the extant data base for the Central Rocky Mountains and that it provides a point of departure for research strategies in other high-country regions.
Zinc deficiency regulates hippocampal gene expression and impairs neuronal differentiation

Objectives: Proliferating adult stem cells in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus have the capacity not only to divide, but also to differentiate into neurons and integrate into the hippocampal circuitry. The present study identifies several hippocampal genes putatively regulated by zinc and tests the hypothesis that zinc deficiency impairs neuronal stem cell differentiation. Methods: Genes that regulate neurogenic processes were identified using microarray analysis of hippocampal mRNA isolated from adult rats fed zinc-adequate or zinc-deficient (ZD) diets. We directly tested our hypothesis with cultured human neuronal precursor cells (NT2), stimulated to differentiate into post-mitotic neurons by retinoic acid (RA), along with immunocytochemistry and western analysis. Results: Microarray analysis revealed the regulation of genes involved in cellular proliferation. This analysis also identified a number of genes known to be involved in neuronal differentiation, including the nuclear RA receptor, retinoid X receptor (RXR), doublecortin, and a transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) binding protein (P < 0.05). Zinc deficiency significantly reduced RA-induced expression of the neuronal marker proteins doublecortin and β-tubulin type III (TuJ1) to 40% of control levels (P < 0.01). This impairment of differentiation may be partially mediated by alterations in TGF-β signaling. The TGF-β type II receptor, responsible for binding TGF-β during neuronal differentiation, was increased 14-fold in NT2 cells treated with RA (P < 0.001). However, this increase was decreased by 60% in ZD RA-treated cells (P < 0.001). Discussion: This research identifies target genes that are involved in governing neurogenesis under ZD conditions and suggests an important role for TGF-β and the trace metal zinc in regulating neuronal differentiation.
Enforcing Transitivity in Coreference Resolution

A desirable quality of a coreference resolution system is the ability to handle transitivity constraints, such that even if it places high likelihood on a particular mention being coreferent with each of two other mentions, it will also consider the likelihood of those two mentions being coreferent when making a final assignment. This is exactly the kind of constraint that integer linear programming (ILP) is ideal for, but, surprisingly, previous work applying ILP to coreference resolution has not encoded this type of constraint. We train a coreference classifier over pairs of mentions, and show how to encode this type of constraint on top of the probabilities output from our pairwise classifier to extract the most probable legal entity assignments. We present results on two commonly used datasets which show that enforcement of transitive closure consistently improves performance, including improvements of up to 3.6% using the b3 scorer, and up to 16.5% using cluster f-measure.
Time, Work, and Leisure: Trends That Will Shape the Hospitality Industry

Americans' use and perception of time will influence the future of the hospitality industry. During the last few decades, it appears that hours of work have declined, measured either as hours of work for those in the labor force or as a percentage of all the hours of an individual's life. Public perception, however, is that hours of work are increasing. There is overwhelming evidence that Americans feel more rushed than in the past and that the pace of life is speeding up. Important changes in the nature of both work and leisure are examined, and implications for the hospitality industry drawn.
End-to-end mobility solution for vertical handoff between heterogeneous wireless networks

The last decade has seen explosive growth in the development of mobile applications. This has increased the demand on the wireless communication services. The capability to achieve wireless access anywhere, anytime, and anyplace has become common expectation as it provides significant flexibility and freedom in mobility. But to achieve global mobility in heterogeneous networks for any mobile device requires seamless connectivity using vertical handoff. Since none of the existing wireless frameworks provide practical solutions for vertical handoff. End-to-End Vertical Handoff (E2EVH) proposed in this paper offers a new concept to perform vertical handoff between heterogeneous wireless networks. To deliver network services without interruption, E2EVH present a novel design to monitor the network availability, it then picks the best accessible network for application layer. Since this approach relies only on existing technologies, deployed protocols and lightweight calculations, our approach can be easily implemented. In this paper, we present a proof-of-concept of E2EVH, and preliminary simulation results using OPNET Modeler 14.5. The results for different tested scenarios indicate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Future research activities will integrate several additional wireless technologies that are presented and discussed in the paper.
Microwave generation by regenerative mode-locking of a Nd:YVO/sub 4//MgO:LiNbO/sub 3/ microchip laser

This paper describes a 20 GHz experimental coupled optoelectronic oscillator based on the concept of active self mode-locking (regenerative mode locking) a Nd:YVO/sub 4//MgO:LiNbO/sub 3/ multi mode microchip laser. A millimeter wave signal is generated by beating the multiple longitudinal modes of the laser in a photo detector. In principle, the oscillator can be designed to operate to beyond 100 GHz. An important feature of this COEO is the absence of external narrowband RF filters and E/O modulators. The laser acts as an extremely narrowband filter in the microwave domain, which enables selection of one oscillation line. A phase noise of -102 dBc/Hz at 10 KHz offset was measured (limited by the noise floor of the analyzer used for the measurement). Lower phase noise is expected with optimization of the system and equipment.