cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of Smoking Cessation With Subsequent Risk of Cardiovascular Disease.

Importance The time course of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk after smoking cessation is unclear. Risk calculators consider former smokers to be at risk for only 5 years. Objective To evaluate the association between years since quitting smoking and incident CVD. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from Framingham Heart Study participants without baseline CVD (original cohort: attending their fourth examination in 1954-1958; offspring cohort: attending their first examination in 1971-1975) who were followed up through December 2015. Exposures Time-updated self-reported smoking status, years since quitting, and cumulative pack-years. Main Outcomes and Measures Incident CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, or cardiovascular death). Primary analyses included both cohorts (pooled) and were restricted to heavy ever smokers (≥20 pack-years). Results The study population included 8770 individuals (original cohort: n = 3805; offspring cohort: n = 4965) with a mean age of 42.2 (SD, 11.8) years and 45% male. There were 5308 ever smokers with a median 17.2 (interquartile range, 7-30) baseline pack-years, including 2371 heavy ever smokers (406 [17%] former and 1965 [83%] current). Over 26.4 median follow-up years, 2435 first CVD events occurred (original cohort: n = 1612 [n = 665 among heavy smokers]; offspring cohort: n = 823 [n = 430 among heavy smokers]). In the pooled cohort, compared with current smoking, quitting within 5 years was associated with significantly lower rates of incident CVD (incidence rates per 1000 person-years: current smoking, 11.56 [95% CI, 10.30-12.98]; quitting within 5 years, 6.94 [95% CI, 5.61-8.59]; difference, −4.51 [95% CI, −5.90 to −2.77]) and lower risk of incident CVD (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.49-0.76). Compared with never smoking, quitting smoking ceased to be significantly associated with greater CVD risk between 10 and 15 years after cessation in the pooled cohort (incidence rates per 1000 person-years: never smoking, 5.09 [95% CI, 4.52-5.74]; quitting within 10 to Conclusions and Relevance Among heavy smokers, smoking cessation was associated with significantly lower risk of CVD within 5 years relative to current smokers. However, relative to never smokers, former smokers’ CVD risk remained significantly elevated beyond 5 years after smoking cessation.
TCT-783 Feasibility of Using Radial Access and 4Fr Catheters for Coronary Pressure Wire Measurements

Radial artery access for coronary angiography has been associated with lower vascular complications, major bleeding events, ischemic events, and all-cause mortality compared with femoral access. The radial approach has become the preferred approach for both diagnostic coronary angiography and
An Integrated Privacy Preserving Attribute-Based Access Control Framework Supporting Secure Deduplication

Recent advances in information technologies have facilitated applications to generate, collect or process large amounts of sensitive personal data. Emerging cloud storage services provide a better paradigm to support the needs of such applications. Such cloud based solutions introduce additional security and privacy challenges when dealing with outsourced data including that of supporting fine-grained access control over such data stored in the cloud. In this paper, we propose an integrated, privacy-preserving user-centric attribute based access control framework to ensure the security and privacy of users’ data outsourced and stored by a cloud service provider (CSP). The core component of the proposed framework is a novel privacy-preserving, revocable ciphertext policy attribute-based encryption (PR-CP-ABE) scheme. To support advanced access control features like write access on encrypted data and privacy-preserving access policy updates , we propose extended Path-ORAM access protocol that can also prevent privacy disclosure of access patterns . We also propose an integrated secure deduplication approach to improve the storage efficiency of CSPs while protecting data privacy. Finally, we evaluate the proposed framework and compare it with other existing solutions with regards to the security and performance issues.
Editor’s Note 50 Years for CBQ: A Good Foundation

The 50th year of publication for Communication Booknotes Quarterly is 2019. We close this year of celebration and reflection, grateful for the legacy and contributions this journal has made to the ...
Adequacy of dermatology and ob-gyn graduate medical education for inflammatory vulvovaginal skin disease: A nationwide needs assessment survey.

Abstract Background Many patients with inflammatory vulvovaginal skin diseases, such as lichen planus and lichen sclerosus, experience a delay in diagnosis and lack of appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, patients experience significant morbidity with these conditions. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the adequacy of training in vulvar dermatoses for dermatology and obstetrics-gynecology residents (in the United States), with a secondary goal of identifying the most ideal modality to broadly reach these residents with high quality instruction. Methods We created a survey with questions relating to attitudes about training in vulvovaginal disease, quantity of current education on the subject, and opinions on ways to improve training. The survey was distributed to obstetrics-gynecology and dermatology residents and program directors nationwide. Results Most respondents reported that training was not adequate in this area and that additional education was needed. Conclusion We propose that online, interactive, case-based learning modules, created by vulvovaginal experts, could help improve graduate medical education and lead to better patient outcomes.
Thrombolysis before Thrombectomy — To Be or DIRECT-MT?

Endovascular thrombectomy has been shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of appropriately selected patients with acute ischemic stroke up to 24 hours after symptom onset.1-3 Several tria...
Risk Factors for Death Among Hospitalized Patients Aged 21-64 Years Diagnosed with COVID-19-New York City, March 13-April 9, 2020.

COVID-19 mortality studies have primarily focused on persons aged ≥ 65 years; less is known about decedents aged <65 years. We conducted a case-control study among NYC residents aged 21–64 years hospitalized with COVID-19 diagnosed March 13–April 9, 2020, to determine risk factors for death. Case-patients (n=343) were hospitalized decedents with COVID-19 and control-patients (n=686) were discharged from hospitalization with COVID-19 and matched 2:1 to case-patients on age and residential neighborhood. Conditional logistic regression models were adjusted for patient sex, insurance status, and marital status. Matched adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated for selected underlying conditions, combinations of conditions, and race/ethnic group. Median age of both case-patients and control-patients was 56 years (range: 23–64 years). Having ≥ 1 selected underlying condition increased odds of death 4.45-fold (95% CI: 2.33–8.49). Patients with diabetes; morbid obesity; heart, kidney, or lung disease; cancer; neurologic/neurodevelopmental conditions; mental health conditions; or HIV had significantly increased odds of death. Compared with having neither condition, having both diabetes and obesity or diabetes and heart disease was associated with approximately threefold odds of death. Five select underlying conditions were more prevalent among non-Hispanic Black control-patients than among control-patients of other races/ethnicities. Selected underlying conditions were risk factors for death, and most prevalent among racial/ethnic minorities. Social services; health care resources, including vaccination; and tailored public health messaging are important for COVID-19 prevention. Strengthening these strategies for racial/ethnic minority groups could minimize COVID-19 racial/ethnic disparities.
QTL mapping of seed protein and oil traits in two recombinant inbred line soybean populations

Seed oil and seed protein contents are commercially important components of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) that are inversely correlated. The objectives of this study were to identify novel quant...
Bilateral bad pixel and Stokes image reconstruction for microgrid polarimetric imagers

Uncorrected or poorly corrected bad pixels reduce the effectiveness of polarimetric clutter suppression. In conventional microgrid processing, bad pixel correction is accomplished as a separate step from Stokes image reconstruction. Here, these two steps are combined to speed processing and provide better estimates of the entire image, including missing samples. A variation on the bilateral filter enables both edge preservation in the Stokes imagery and bad pixel suppression. Understanding the newly presented filter requires two key insights. First, the adaptive nature of the bilateral filter is extended to correct for bad pixels by simply incorporating a bad pixel mask. Second, the bilateral filter for Stokes estimation is the sum of the normalized bilateral filters for estimating each analyzer channel individually. This paper describes the new approach and compares it to our legacy method using simulated imagery.
Enhanced Harmonic Generation in Gas Jets with Expanding Clusters

We report femtosecond-time-resolved enhancement and anisotropy of thirdharmonic generation in highly ionized clustered argon at intensities exceeding 1015 W/cm2.Results suggest a path to phase-match high-order harmonic generation in dense plasmas with ultrahigh intensity.
Embedding tactile feedback into handheld devices: an aperture-based restraint for the finger or thumb

Tactile feedback has the potential to provide rich communication in a range of embedded applications, but this requires a finger restraint that is effective and practical for integration into a handheld device. This paper investigates an aperture-based restraint, a simple conical hole, used to prevent unwanted motion of the finger and to provide access to the tactile device. A range of aperture sizes were tested with both the index finger and thumb using a tactile display that applies tangential skin displacement. The aperture restraint was found to be effective, comparable to a traditional thimble-type restraint, with larger apertures performing better. There was no significant interaction between finger size and aperture size, meaning that the same aperture could be used for a wide range of fingers sizes.
The electrochemical double layer on silver sulfide at pH 4.7: II. In the presence of dodecylammonium acetate☆

Abstract The electroehemical properties of the silver sulfide-solution interface in sodium nitrate and acetate solutions in the presence of dodecylammonium acetate were investigated. The adsorption of amine on silver sulfide surfaces at p H 4.7 was found to be strongly dependent on p Ag. A shift in the zero-point-of-charge (zpc) towards a lower p Ag and an increased adsorption of potential-determining ions on negative polarization of the surface due to the adsorption of amine indicate a specific affinity of dodecylammonium ion for silver sulfide surfaces. Integration of the adsorption isotherms of the potential-determining ions shows a marked depression of the surface tension due to the adsorption of the organic cation on negative polarization of the surface, similar to the electrocapillary curves reported on Hg in the presence of alkylammonium compounds.
Nursing Scope of Practice Issues in Public Health Emergencies

Over the past decade, preparedness efforts have increased in response to real and potential threats. One prominent issue is health professional's scope of practice—both as a potential limiting factor (state licensure limitations) and as a possible solution to health professional shortages during a public health emergency.This article provides an overview of nursing regulation during public health emergencies. Many nurses are quick to volunteer during an emergency; being prepared in advance will help the overall response effort.
‘It’s Not a Gift When It Comes with Price’: A Qualitative Study of Transactional Sex between UN Peacekeepers and Haitian Citizens

Sexual exploitation of civilians by peacekeepers undermines the fragile stability established in post-conflict settings. Despite this, it continues to be an ongoing problem for peacekeeping missions worldwide. Efforts to respond to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) have focused on the establishment of rules prohibiting this behavior, condom distribution, and the training of peacekeepers before and during deployment. In an effort to further our understanding of the dynamics that surround SEA by peacekeepers, 231 Haitian citizens who have engaged in transactional sex with peacekeepers were interviewed about their opinions and experiences. Themes which emerged from these interviews included the triggering events or situations which facilitated engagement in transactional sex, the individual’s understandings of their own experiences in relationship to cultural and social factors, sex as a strategy for filling unmet economic needs, and the differences between the relationships with peacekeepers and normal romantic relationships. Experiences with condom use, pregnancy, abuse, and barriers to reporting assault and harassment were also discussed.
Money, debt, and economic activity

Abstract This paper investigates the effects of government debt and money on real economic activity and tests the neutrality and Ricardian equivalence hypotheses. Since the observance of a positive correlation between debt and output does not necessarily imply that government bonds are net wealth, a distinction is made among anticipated changes in debt growth, unanticipated changes in debt growth, and the level of debt. The empirical evidence for the period 1957:iv-1984:iv indicates that the neutrality and Ricardian equivalence hypotheses cannot be rejected. The empirical findings also suggest that the rejection of the neutrality hypothesis in some of the previous studies could be due to a specification error caused by the omission of debt variables.
TU‐A‐116‐02: A Novel Algorithm for Highly Efficient Polyenergetic DRR Calculation

Purpose: It is desirable to compute polyenergetic digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) in many radiotherapy tasks, especially when investigating beam hardening effects in CT/CBCT reconstruction and studying 2D‐3D registration. The standard polyenergetic DRR calculation performs ray‐tracing for each energy bin. The computation time scales with the number of bins in the spectrum and the ray tracing operation for each bin dominates the computation time. This work develops a novel algorithm to enhance the efficiency of polyenergetic DRR computation. Methods: The inputs of our algorithm are 3D density and material arrays along with the energy spectrum. We compute a modified projection by ray tracing through the density data and saving the results from each material into separate 2D arrays. For each energy bin, the product of each density projection and its corresponding energy dependent mass attenuation coefficient is summed over all materials. The exponential of the results from each energy bin are weighted and summed to create a final polyenergetic DRR. Our new algorithm is mathematically equivalent to the standard approach. We use our algorithm to simulate a 512×512 polyenergetic DRR of a 512×512×182 phantom comprised of 3 materials (air, tissue, bone). A realistic 120kVp energy spectrum with 114 bins was used. The computation times and results of the new algorithm are compared to those of the standard algorithm. Results: We successfully improved the efficiency of the polyenergetic DRR calculation by a factor of 63.85 in our testing case. The average error between the results from our algorithm and that from the standard algorithm is on the order of machine precision. Conclusion: We have substantially improved the efficiency of the standard polyenergetic DRR algorithm without sacrificing accuracy. This new approach enables fast and accurate DRR calculations that will facilitate many tasks in radiotherapy.
Raman scattering from hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Abstract The Raman scattering from amorphous silicon has been obtained to within 7 cm−1 of the exciting laser line. For hydrogenated silicon the Raman intensity does not go to zero at zero frequency as expected for a Debye solid. Instead, the Raman spectrum is essentially flat for energy shifts below approximately 50 cm−1. Amorphous silicon without hydrogen, produced by ion implantation of arsenic into single crystal silicon, showed at least a factor of 5 less scattering at low energies than heavily hydrogenated films. The temperature dependence of the intensity of the low frequency scattering could not be described by usual one-phonon or two-phonon processes. Similar low frequency scattering has been previously observed from glasses and interpreted in terms of thermally activated relaxation of two-level systems. The data indicate that the incorporation of hydrogen in amorphous silicon produces two-level systems.
Thermophysical measurements on transition-metal tungstates III. Heat capacity of antiferromagnetic manganese tungstate☆

Abstract Three anomalies were found during measurements of the heat capacity of manganese tungstate from 4 to 350 K by adiabatic calorimetry; a small peak at (6.8 ± 0.1) K, and two large sharp peaks at (12.57 ± 0.05) K and (13.36 ± 0.05) K. The excess entropy associated with the antiferromagnetic transition was estimated by means of calculations which utilized the heat capacity of zinc tungstate to approximate contributions from lattice vibrations and was found in good accord with the value R ln6. The results between 5 and 11.5 K obey a power law: Cmag = AT1.73. The double anomaly is discussed in terms of the super-exchange properties of MnWO4. Selected thermal functions, Cpo, So, and −{G o (T) − H o (0)} T are respectively 27.40, 31.66, and 16.10 calth K−1 mol−1 at T = 298.15 K.
Hurricane forcing on chlorophyll‐a concentration off the northeast coast of the U.S.

[1] The effect of known physical disturbances caused by hurricanes on chlorophyll-a concentration ([Chl]) is ascertained using remote sensing. This study focuses on all seven hurricanes which affected the northeast (NE) Coast of the U.S. during the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor's (SeaWiFS) lifetime. It is shown that [Chl] increases significantly across the continental shelf of the eastern seaboard after the passage of a hurricane, with also a marked filamentation. The disturbances caused by hurricanes on the biological scale constitute strong and persistent events providing further evidence of the role that upwelling and mixing exert on [Chl] variation.
A Decade of Starspot Activity on the Eclipsing Short-period RS Canum Venaticorum Star WY Cancri: 1988-1997

We present optical photometry of the short-period eclipsing RS CVn system WY Cancri for the years 1988–1997. For each light curve, we model the distortion waves in order to study the behavior of starspots in this system. After removing the spot effects from the light curves, we model the cleaned data to obtain system parameters. We also note changes in the luminosity of the primary star that are not explained by the spot variation.
New black hole solutions of Einstein field equations and their Riemann curvature tensors

Here, we are going to discuss some new cases of cylindrically symmetric black hole solutions of Einstein field equations (EFEs). These are new solutions which we have not seen in the literature. We also listed their Riemann curvature tensors.
The Reality or Illusion of a General Contingency Theory of Management: A Response to the Longenecker and Pringle Critique

The article responds to a critique of the General Contingency Theory (GCT) of Management, which was introduced by the authors in April 1977. They suggested that the GCT construct could be the basis of a framework which could synthesize concepts such as behavioral, process, and management science techniques and create a single theory for the best practice of management. The discussion focuses on issues that Justin G. Longenecker and Charles D. Pringle brought up in their critique, including the definition of contingency theory, the variables in GCT organization, criteria for system performance, and the problem of dual contingency.
Characterizing Spatial Distributions of Insect Pests Across Alaskan Forested Landscape: A Case Study Using Aspen Leaf Miner (Phyllocnistis populiella Chambers)

Insects are ectotherms that cannot regulate their own temperature, and thus rely on and are at the disposal of the surrounding environment. In this study, long-term climatic data are used to stratify forested regions of Alaska into climatic zones based on temperature and precipitation. Temperature and precipitation are shown to be important ecological drivers in determining the distribution of aspen leaf minor (Phyllocnistis populiella Chambers) and the aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) host in the state of Alaska. Climatic regions based on temperatures and precipitation accounted for 83 to 97% of the variability in the probability of observing aspen and the aspen leaf minor (ALM). The frequency of observing aspen was highest throughout the central region of the state, which represents a climate with low to moderate levels of precipitation and cold to mild temperatures. The highest probability of observing aspen was in the mild-very cold region of the state. The probability of observing ALM in a given cl...
Planetary science: The robustness of planet formation

The detection of two planets in an open star cluster demonstrates that planetary systems are able to survive disruptive events, such as supernova explosions, during the dense, early stages of the life of such clusters. See Letter p.55 Until now only four planets — with masses similar to Jupiter — have been found orbiting stars in old open clusters, compared with more than 800 — mostly Neptune-sized — orbiting 'field stars' outside clusters. Most stars and planets form in open clusters that break up within a few hundred million years as stars drift away to become field stars. Older open clusters survive because they were denser in stars when they formed, a stellar environment very different from that of other planet-hosting field stars. This paper, part of the Kepler Cluster Study, describes observations of the transits of two Sun-like stars by planets smaller than Neptune in the 1-billion-year-old open cluster NGC6811. This demonstrates that small planets can form and survive in a dense cluster environment, and implies that the frequency and properties of planets in open clusters are consistent with those of planets around field stars in our Galaxy.
Self-organizing scheme for file storage

The B-tree data structure of Bayer and McCreight is an effective method of organizing an external file when the operations of searching, insertion, and deletion must be supported since these operations on B-tree require at most logarithmic time of the file size.The performance of B-trees can be improved by reorganizing file storage, as the environment of a file changes. Three parameters are used, in order to reorganize file storage and adapt to the changing environment of a file. The space utilization of B-trees and the number of disk accesses are analyzed by dynamically adjusting three parameters. The simulation results are given which indicate that the performance of B-trees is significantly improved by increasing the space utilization to some degree, especially when the file is static. Also when a file is highly dynamic, the improvement in the performance of B-trees is discernible as two sensitivity factors are increased from 0 to the range of 0.05 - 0.1. A near optimal range for each parameter is proposed to maintain a high performance as the environment of a file changes.
The metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene phenols by rat liver microsomal fractions.

Abstract The oxidative metabolism of benzo[ a ]pryrene (B[ a ]P) phenols catalyzed by liver microsomes in vitro leads to multiple products. High-pressure liquid chromatography analysis of the organic-soluble products formed indicates that regardless of the animal pretreatment regime, 3-hydroxy-B[ a ]P is metabolized to the 3,6-quinone and to a hydroxylated derivative tentatively identified as 3,9-dihyroxy-B[ a ]P. However, the distribution of products obtained with 9-hydroxy-B[ a ]P varied with animal pretreatment. A maximum of three distinct metabolites was obtained when the 9-phenol was metabolized in vitro with microsomes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats and the tentative 3,9-dihydroxy derivative was a common metabolite for all pretreatment regimes. Physical characterization, including mass spectrometry, indicates that all three products have an extra oxygen atom incorporated into their molecular structure from molecular oxygen. Studies utilizing specific inhibitors of the cytochrome P -450-dependent monooxygenase clearly suggest that the formation of dihydroxy or phenol-oxide derivatives is catalyzed by the hemoprotein, cytochrome P -450. These metabolites of the benzo[ a ]pyrene phenols are most likely related to the putative phenol-oxides of benzo[ a ]pyrene which have been demonstrated to alkylate DNA and protein. Repetitive scan difference spectrophotometric analysis of incubation mixtures containing rat liver microsomes, 3- or 9-hydroxy-B[ a ]P, NADPH, and oxygen shows the conversion of the phenols into products which absorb in the region from 400 to 500 nm. During and after the steady state of the reaction, it can be seen that certain of the hydroxy compounds produced are in equilibrium with their respective quinone form and may be involved in an oxygen-coupled redox cycle.
Implementation of a VIS/NIR 3D hyperspectral instrument for in vivo imaging

A novel application of hyperspectral instrumentation is described here, where a sheet-of-light method, produced by a low power laser light, is used to compute range measurements, and a hyperspectral instrument is used to acquire spectral information in the visible and near-infrared range of the spectrum. This report addresses two problems which in the literature are generally addressed independently; acquisition and analysis of hyperspectral images, and acquisition and analysis of range information. The bimodal instrument described in this report consists of a LCTF-based hyperspectral system which is used to acquire spectral images in the 450-1100 nm range and a multi-line laser light used to acquire range measurements of a scene. This laser light method can be used to acquire fast range measurements as the scene is partitioned into three sub-ranges therefore reducing the acquisition time by threefold. The methods used to get calibrated hyperspectral measurements (to reflectance values) of the proposed 3D hyperspectral instrument, and range measurements (to mm) are described in this paper. A test case shows the capabilities of this instrument for producing 3D hyperspectral imagery of human skin samples.
Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer: Mirror Optical Tests And Results

The optical tests described here were performed after each step in the fabrication process of three Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) Type 1 telescope mirrors. The surface finish and irregularity was determined by image analysis and the geometrical figure was tested interferometrically. Images of a collimated point source were relayed to obtain magnifications and photographic exposures were adjusted to include all the scattered light while still resolving the smallest bright image core. By linearizing film sensitivity and taking digitized lineouts of the photographed image, less than 1 arc second full width half maximum (FWHM) intensities were measured. The integrated energy density was measured photometrically, and diffraction limited curves of 5 arc second half energy widths (HEW) were obtained. The test purpose, instruments employed, alignment methods, and test results are detailed.
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL STUDIES ON COMPLEMENT OR ALEXIN : I. A METHOD.

1. A quantitative micro method, conforming to the criteria of analytical chemistry, is proposed for the estimation of complement, or its combining component or components, in milligrams per milliliter instead of in the customary relative and variable volume units. 2. Data are given showing the range of accuracy and reproducibility of the new method.
Solar-powered electrocuting trap for controlling house flies and stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae)

A portable trap was constructed that was visually attractive to house flies, Musca domestica L., and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), outdoors. The trap was made of a white and yellow pyramid placed on top of a white vertical base that had large cutouts in each side. Attracted flies were killed by means of solar-powered electrocuting grids. Three traps killed an average of 1,360 house flies and 1,190 stable flies per day at a manure dump and were effective in attracting flies under both cool ( 30 degrees C) temperatures. Both species of flies were most attracted to the eastern side of the trap, but house flies preferred yellow in cool mornings and white in warm afternoons. When air temperatures were > 30 degrees C, both house flies and stable flies went into the shaded base of the trap or into tunnels. Most house flies were killed on the pyramidal top of the trap, whereas most stable flies were killed on the vertical base. Opaque fiberglass tunnels with central electrocuting grids were simpler and cheaper, although less effective, for stable flies.
Surface markers and biological functions of PMNC fractionated by countercurrent centrifugal elutriation.

Summary Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMNC) were separated by counter-current centrifugal elutriation (CCE) in PBS-EDTA medium into 13 fractions. Properties associated with B cells were restricted mainly to the first fractions (F2 and F4) while those associated with T cells were confined to fractions F4, F6 and F8. The final fraction (FF) contained more than 90% monocytes while fraction F10 contained 40% monocytes and 60% null cells, and F12 contained 50% monocytes and 50% null cells. Natural killer (NK) cell activity against K-562, a human erythroleukaemia cell line, and against an adherent undifferentiated sarcoma target, was distributed between fractions F6 and F8. Using electron and scanning microscopy and a new single cell liquid cytotoxic assay, we studied membrane interaction and binding of the CCE fractionated cells with the 2 targets. Effector/target cell conjugates revealed interdigitations in the area of cell contact but no membrane fusion, although certain effector cells had a distinct large granulocytic lymphocyte morphology. Furthermore, different cell types from different fractions were able to bind to the targets although the killing was associated with certain fractions only. When purified monocytes from fraction FF were added to F6 and F8, NK activity against both targets was depressed. This inhibition was not reversed by indomethacin, and binding of the targets to the effector cells was unaffected. CCE is a powerful technique which allows the fractionation of PMNC without altering their biological functions, contrary to what is seen with nylon wool or dextran fractionation. In this report, the activity associated with CCE fractions is studied and discussed.
Is Living With Others A Barrier To Technical Literacy

Prior research describes how households coordinate to resolve technology complexity in residential settings. In this paper, we examine how social roles and routines of use can potentially hinder the development of technological literacy. Through this short paper, we aim to open a discussion about ways to increase technological literacy of the public.
12‐Methoxy‐15‐(pyridin‐3‐ylmethylamino)podocarpa‐8,11,13‐trien‐15‐one

The benzylic C—N bond of the title compound [systematic name: N-(3-pyridylmethyl)-6-methoxy-1,4a-dimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,9,10,10a-octahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxamide], C24H30N2O2, is almost coplanar with the amide carbonyl linkage; the C—N—C=O angle is 6.8 (4)°. N—H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules into chains in the a direction. In addition, these chains are linked by weak intermolecular Ar—H...O interactions, viz. an aromatic C—H and carbonyl O atom of adjacent molecules.
Distribution of airborne radon-222 concentrations in U.S. homes

Apparently large exposures of the general public to the radioactive decay products of radon-222 present in indoor air have led to systematical appraisal of monitoring data from U.S. single-family homes; several ways of aggregating data were used that take into account differences in sample selection and season of measurements. The resulting distribution of annual-average radon-222 concentrations can be characterized by an arithmetic mean of 1.5 picocurie per liter (55 becquerels per cubic meter) and a long tail with 1 to 3% of homes exceeding 8 picocuries per liter, or by a geometric mean of 0.9 picocurie per liter and a geometric standard deviation of about 2.8. The standard deviation in the means is 15%, estimated from the number and variability of the available data sets, but the total uncertainty is larger because these data may not be representative. Available dose-response data suggest that an average of 1.5 picocuries per liter contributes about 0.3% lifetime risk of lung cancer and that, in the million homes with the highest concentrations, where annual exposures approximate or exceed those received by underground uranium miners, long-term occupants suffer an added lifetime risk of at least 2%, reaching extraordinary values at the highest concentrations observed.
Quantum Monte Carlo study of the one-dimensional ionic Hubbard model

Quantum Monte Carlo methods are used to study a quantum phase transition in a one-dimensional Hubbard model with on-site interaction U and a staggered ionic potential $(\ensuremath{\Delta}).$ Using recently formulated methods, the electronic polarization and localization are determined directly from the correlated ground state wave function and compared to results of previous work using exact diagonalization and Hartree-Fock. We find a transition from a symmetric band insulator to a broken-symmetry bond ordered (BO) phase as the ratio of $U/\ensuremath{\Delta}$ is increased, with a metallic point at the transition. Since it is known that at $\ensuremath{\Delta}=0$ the usual Hubbard model is a Mott insulator (MI) with no long-range order, we have searched for a second transition to this state by (i) increasing U at fixed $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ and (ii) decreasing $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ at fixed U. We find no transition from the BO to MI state, and we propose that the symmetric MI state exists only at $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\equiv}0.$
Structure of Supersonic Twin Jets

The flow characteristics of coupled oscillatory motion of M j = 1.5 supersonic twin jets are described using the particle image velocimetry measurements. As a result of self-excitation caused by screech, sinuous oscillation of individual jets is observed. The coupling between the jets, characterized by the presence of coherent large-scale eddies, results in a symmetric mode with respect to the midplane separating the two jets. A control technique using microjets placed at the nozzle exit is used to suppress the unsteady flow
Bayesian analysis of a three-component hierarchical design model.

SUMMARY Inferences about the parameters in the three-component hierarchical design model Yijk = A + ai + bij + eijk are considered from a Bayesian viewpoint. Under the usual normality and independence assumptions and adopting a non-informative reference prior distribution, various features of the posterior distribution of the variance components o-2 = var (e Jk), C2= var (b1j) and o-3 = var (a1) are discussed, including inferences about a variance ratio, the relative contributions of the components and the magnitude of the individual components. A scaled x2 approximation technique is developed for the marginal distributions of the components which can be applied to general q-component model. In addition, a Bayesian solution to the problem of pooling variance estimates is given.
Comparing response of Pinus edulis tree-ring growth to five alternate moisture indices using historic meteorological data

Abstract Annual growth of semiarid tree species is generally limited by a period of water deficit and this relationship can be reflected in interannual variation in tree-ring width of semiarid species such as Pinus edulis , a pinon pine that is widely distributed across the southwestern United States. Tree-ring width of P. edulis and other semiarid tree species is most frequently related to annual precipitation amount alone or to the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI). But water deficit and associated variation in moisture can also be described using numerous other indices such as the standardized precipitation index (SPI), and a comparison of the performance of several indices that relate historical climate data to tree-ring variation in P. edulis is lacking. We compared abilities to predict radial tree-ring growth of P. edulis using five metrics of water availability: PDSI, two indices based on precipitation alone (total precipitation and SPI), and two indices that factor in temperature to determine water deficit (based on Walter climate diagrams that use monthly precipitation and temperature). Each metric was evaluated over three commonly used time periods (water year, calendar year, and June–August) using the limited available data from P. edulis sites in the southwestern USA where co-located tree-ring and weather data were available. Our results indicate that PDSI was the best predictor of P. edulis ring widths, regardless of time period, and provide a first comparative test of PDSI with SPI and Walter indices that can be further tested as larger data sets become available.
Topical imidazoquinoline therapy of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma polarizes lymphoid and monocyte/macrophage populations to a Th1 and M1 cytokine pattern

Imidazoquinolines are topical immune response modifiers. Imiquimod (IMI), the first imidazoquinoline, is approved for the treatment of genital human papillomavirus disease and has shown success as a therapeutic agent for cutaneous premalignant and malignant tumours. To define the pattern of polarization of the local immune response to invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) we pretreated 10 SCCs that were > 3 cm in diameter for 2 weeks with IMI. The tumours were treated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and excised the next Monday. A battery of immunohistochemical markers was used to define the mononuclear cell populations in the diagnostic, and the excisional biopsy specimens. The total inflammatory infiltrate was increased after IMI therapy: the greatest increase was in the CD8 T cells with a marked relative decrease in the CD68 monocytic/macrophages; the majority of the CD8 T cells showed expression of cytotoxic granules, T cell-restricted intracellular antigen (TIA) and granzyme B. The relative numbers of monocytes/macrophages were decreased after therapy with IMI with a decrease in CD68+, CD23+, and CD14+ cells and an increase in MAC-397+, and factor XIIIa+ cells. The epidermal dendritic cells showed a > 75% decrease in CD1a+ cells. The immunohistochemical marker profile after IMI therapy is consistent with that induced by a Th1 and M1 cytokine polarization pattern. This cytokine pattern is known to be more effective in defence against tumours as well as viral infections.
The viscoelastic relaxation mechanism of inorganic polymers. IV. Simultaneous multiple mechanisms

Abstract : The viscoelastic properties of two polymers were studied in which both molecular (diffusional) motions and bond interchange were present in the glass transition region. The materials were a lanthanum (La(+3)) doped sodium polyphosphate and an arsenic doped sulfur polymer. It is shown that (just as in the case of the acrylate polymers studied by Ferry) the two mechanisms have two different compliance curves associated with them which move with bond interchange and the other to the diffusional motion of the chains. On the basis of activation energy arguments the compliance curves are matched with the mechanisms, and the relative contributions to the total viscosity due to each mechanism are given as a function of temperature. (Author)
Viscerotopic organization of the vagus.

The represetation in the vagal rootlets of visceral efferent fibers to the heart and to the smooth muscle of the bronchi, esophagus and duodenum has been investigated in cats whose vagus had undergone chronic selective rhizotomies. Cardiodecelerator fibers are well known to be the caudal rootlets and this was confirmed. Motor fibers to the esophagus and to the bronchi are present at all levels, while effernts to the duodenum are limited to the caudal fibers of the root complex. Because the vagal efferents emerge in the same plane as their somata, these data have been extrapolated to the medullary centers.
Sintering behaviour and mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite and dicalcium phosphate

The sintering behaviour of powders of two calcium phosphates, namely hydroxyapatite (HA) and dicalcium phosphate (DCP), were studied at various temperatures and in various environments. The density, flexural strength and Knoop hardness of HA sintered in air for 4 h initially increased with the sintering temperature, reaching maxima at around 1150°C, and then decreased due to decomposition of HA into tri- (TCP) and tetracalcium phosphates. Sintering in vacuum caused decomposition of HA at lower temperatures, and consequently the mechanical properties were poorer than those of HA sintered in air. The densification and mechanical properties of DCP sintered in air and vacuum showed similar behaviour to those of HA. In air DCP underwent phase transformation from γ- to β- and to α-phases. In vacuum DCP started to decompose into tricalcium phosphate at 1000°C. To reduce dehydroxylation, HA powder was sintered in moisture at various temperatures up to 1350°C and X-ray diffraction study did not indicate any decomposition at the highest sintering temperature. The density, flexural strength and hardness of HA sintered in moisture increased with the sintering temperature and eventually reached plateaux at about 1300°C, but below 1200°C they were lower than those of HA sintered in air at corresponding temperatures. Thus, it is seen that dehydroxylation did not hinder sintering of HA. On the other hand, decomposition obstructed sintering of both HA and DCP.
Negative Inotropic Effect of the Vagus Nerves upon the Canine Ventricle

In an innervated, paced, left heart preparation in which the left ventricle contracted against a constant volume of incompressible fluid (isovolumetric preparation), electrical stimulation of the distal end of either sectioned cervical vagus nerve decreased the peak tension generated by the teft ventricle. The vagi, therefore, exert a negative inotropic effect directly upon the ventricular myocardium.
Interactive Petri net simulation

A Petri net can provide a graphical model of a concurrent system. They have been used to model such varied systems as resource control, communication networks and manufacturing processes. Computer Science students will, hopefully, learn the theory of Petri nets in a discrete mathematics course or a course on theoretical foundations of Computer Science. They may even see a graph of a sample net in a textbook, but it is unlikely they will have a chance to experiment with a "live" net. The Interactive Petri Net Simulator (IPNetS) described in this paper provides an easy point-and-click environment for students to design, modify, examine, and execute a Petri net. In seconds any simple Petri net can be created and animated. IPNetS provides display, file handling, and user control functions while a separate execution unit does the actual execution of the net. This flexible design allows for easy experimentation with different execution units and different types of nets. An Ada and a C++ execution unit are contrasted.
Histologic findings in mummified skin

Skin specimens from five mummies were examined histologically. The specimens ranged in age from 2,000 to 3,200 years. Material from two mummies had carbonized and showed only amorphous debris. The histology of the three remaining skin fragments retained surprising histologic architectural detail. One specimen obtained from the sole of the foot was compatible with a callus.
Palliative management of rectal cancer: The roles of chemotherapy and radiation therapy

One of the first maxims of oncologic care is that we must never miss an opportunity to cure a patient. Perhaps an equally important corollary is that to provide the best possible care for each individual, it is necessary to accurately recognize when a curative option does not exist and to adjust our treatment recommendations accordingly. A discussion of palliative care in a patient with rectal cancer must therefore be based on the assumption that the patient does not have a realistic chance of undergoing a curative intervention.
Ecological comparisons between Eastern Asia and North America: historical and geographical perspectives

Summary The close floristic affinities between eastern Asia and North America have long been recognized and intensively studied, however, the ecological and biogeographical consequences of such a floristic relationship between these two remotely separated regions has been largely neglected until recently. Quantitative investigations of such relationships could greatly improve our understanding of many global and historical aspects of species diversity, vegetation dynamics, and biogeography, especially with the rapid developments of cladistic methods of phylogenetic reconstruction. All comparisons and predictions will depend on understanding past and present physical and biological processes (i.e. geological history of the continents and the evolutionary history of organisms), as well as human impacts in both regions. Both species level (life history characteristics, distribution, ecological functions) and community level (species composition, structure, endemism) variables should be investigated. Comparisons should be conducted spatially across vegetation zones and temporally through geological episodes. Emphases on the phylogeny and geological history of component taxa by analysing and synthesizing multidisciplinary data would be helpful, especially with regard to the current trends in global climate change. Diversity measured on different scales (i.e. α-, β, and g-diversity) could provide invaluable information about local-regional relationships and their ecological implications in continental or even global biodiversity patterns.