cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Creating communities of practice for the new mobility workforce: lessons from the National Transportation Career Pathway Initiative

Abstract This chapter explores the value of a community of practice (CoP) approach to workforce development. It opens with a personal and in many ways typical journey of professional discovery—the circuitous path we often take to find the right job—and how educators might help students better navigate that journey. The concept of a CoP is also explained, including how its informal structure is suited to tackling long-term workforce readiness issues and how the US Department of Transportation is using CoPs to build a national network of practitioner professionals. This leads to the establishment of the National Network for the Transportation Workforce—a collaborative of five regional CoPs—and their efforts to design a national blueprint for building a competitive transportation workforce of the future, through the deployment of targeted career pathways. An example of this effort is presented in the form of a pilot college course, which demonstrates the viability of deploying efficient pathway strategies into the postsecondary system and how the CoP approach provides a guidepost for identifying partners and establishing priorities for such efforts.
Appropriateness of imaging in lung cancer in a national cohort.

7546 Background: Rising healthcare costs prompt emphasis on quality, appropriate care, and cost containment. Imaging is a source of high healthcare expenditures in cancer. We sought to examine vari...
Intracellular metabolism and potential cardiotoxicity of a β-D-2'-C-methyl-2,6-diaminopurine ribonucleoside phosphoramidate that inhibits hepatitis C virus replication.

β-D-2’-C-Methyl-2,6-diaminopurine ribonucleoside (2’-C-Me-DAPN) phosphoramidate prodrug (DAPN-PD) is a selective hepatitis C virus inhibitor that is metabolized intracellularly into two active meta...
Regional assessment of prehistoric earthquake magnitudes in the South Carolina Coastal Plain

The magnitudes of prehistoric earthquakes that created liquefaction features (i.e., sandblows) in the South Carolina Coastal Plain (SCCP) are not exactly known. In this study, in situ geotechnical data, including cone penetration test (CPT) data with pore water pressure measurements, in the vicinity of discovered sandblows at Hollywood, Sampit, Gapway, and Fort Dorchester sites located in the SCCP were used with the cyclic stress method and Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) to back-calculate the minimum earthquake magnitude (M) and peak ground acceleration (amax) to form a regional assessment of minimum amax-M in the Charleston area. Results indicate that the minimum earthquake magnitude of the prehistoric earthquakes associated with the Charleston Source ranges from 6.6 to 7.2 for the earthquake that occurred about 546 ± 17 years before present (B.P.) and from 6.2 to 6.7 for the earthquake that occurred about 5038 ± 166 years B.P. Results also show that the minimum earthquake magnitude for the prehistoric earthquakes with a source inferred to the Sawmill Branch fault and occurred at least 3500 years ago, ranges from 5.1 to 5.7.
Predictors and Outcomes Associated With Adherence to Weekly Alendronate in US Military Veterans: Clinical Research Study

Background: Poor adherence to oral bisphosphonates is a challenge to treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) operates the largest integrated health care system in the United States and offers certain advantages to possibly improve medication adherence. We aimed to determine adherence to weekly alendronate for osteoporosis in Veterans, and investigate predictors and outcomes related to adherence. Methods: A retrospective study cohort was generated from VA databases selecting Veterans who were treated with weekly alendronate. Adherence was measured by medication possession ratio (MPR) and persistence. Two groups were defined as low and high adherence based on MPR <80% or ≥80%, respectively. Regression models were used to investigate predictors of adherence and included clinically relevant covariates. Further regressions were used to investigate the impact of adherence on change in bone mineral density measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and incident fracture. Results: In a cohort of 913 (female/male, 207/706) Veterans, 48% had high adherence in year 1. Distribution for gender, race, and age were similar between the 2 groups, MPR <80% or MPR ≥80%. Baseline fracture [odds ratio OR: 0.64, 95%CI: (0.41, 0.98)], alcohol abuse [0.40 (0.21, 0.74)] and tobacco use [0.44 (0.31, 0.63)] were associated with low adherence in the unadjusted analyses, but only tobacco use [0.45 (0.30, 0.67)] was associated with low adherence after adjustment. Among males, tobacco use was associated with low adherence while prostate cancer predicted high adherence in adjusted models. High adherence was associated with a 30% [hazard ratio HR: 0.70, 95% CI: (0.47, 1.03)] decreased risk of incident fracture in the whole cohort, and a 40% [0.60 (0.38, 0.95)] decrease risk in males. Conclusion: Year one adherence to weekly alendronate was a relevant determinant to long-term clinical outcomes including changes in bone mineral density and incident fracture in Veterans.
What program directors think: results of the 2011 annual survey of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology.

Rationale and Objectives The Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) conducts an annual survey to monitor and evaluate issues pertaining to radiology residents' educational experiences, work responsibilities, and benefits. Data are used to identify emerging trends and patterns of change to plan and provide resources that support radiology residency programs and their directors. Materials and Methods The APDR Annual Survey Committee selected 59 items for an observational, cross-sectional study using a Web-based survey. Topics of interest included program director satisfaction, resident recruitment, social media, program requirements, curriculum, the new American Board of Radiology exam process, call, and residents-as-teachers programs. All active APDR members (n = 296) were invited to participate in survey between February 20 and March 11, 2011. Results The response rate was 47% (140 of 296). Descriptive results were tallied using SurveyMonkey software, and qualitative responses were tabulated or summarized as comments. Findings were reported during the 59th annual meeting of the Association of University Radiologists. Conclusions Data generated by the annual survey enable the APDR to accrue data pertaining to residents' real-time educational experiences. In 2011, program directors were satisfied with their jobs but not convinced that competency-based program requirements had positive effect on residency training. Programs plan to use the Radiological Society of North America and American Association of Physicists in Medicine Web-based physics training modules. Most radiology programs do not have residents-as-teachers programs, nor do they plan to initiate them. During recruitment, programs use an applicant's location as a proxy for true interest in the program, and interest in the program is important for granting interviews and final ranking. Qualified international medical graduate applicants have access to radiology training in the United States and Canada. Almost half of radiology programs have in-house reading by attending radiologists with residents on call. Residency programs have been slow to embrace social media.
Design and characterization of an ultra-low-cost 3D-printed optical sensor based on Bloch surface wave resonance

Abstract This paper demonstrates the design, construction, and testing of an optical sensor based on Bloch surface wave resonance. The single target, flow-cell sensor makes use of simple, inexpensive optical components and mechanical parts largely created using 3D printing. We demonstrate that this simple instrument is capable of high resolution refractive index measurements and affinity binding experiments of the type used to probe reaction kinetics.
Design, Optimization, and In-Depth Understanding of Front and Rear Junction Screen-Printed Double-Side Passivated Contacts Solar Cells

In this work, detailed numerical modeling is performed for front junction (FJ) and rear junction (RJ) n-type Si solar cells with screen-printed double-side poly-Si based tunnel oxide passivated contacts (TOPCon). A roadmap for efficiency projections of commercial-type RJ and FJ topologies reaching ~24% and >22.5% efficiencies, respectively, has been developed to quantify and explain the impact of various technological innovations on the performance of each design. By investigating several key parameters such as front poly sheet resistance and thickness, bulk material properties, and current transport in our simulation model, we determine and explain why RJ cells outperform FJ cells. Our findings reveal that FJ suffers from present technological limitations of p-poly based passivated contacts, namely, i) large recombination observed in textured p-TOPCon layers and ii) low boron solid solubility and hole mobility in p-poly Si which results in very high sheet resistance of the front p-poly emitter that contributes to FF degradation, especially when using thin poly layer to reduce absorption loss. RJ, on the other hand, desensitizes the cell efficiency to front sheet resistance allowing application of ultra-thin front n-poly layers and is therefore ideally suited for double-side TOPCon cells.
Heel Rise and Non-Weight-Bearing Ankle Plantar Flexion Tasks to Assess Foot and Ankle Function in People With Diabetes Mellitus and Peripheral Neuropathy

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the effects of diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy (DMPN), limited joint mobility, and weight-bearing on foot and ankle sagittal movements and characterize the foot and ankle position during heel rise. Methods Sixty people with DMPN and 22 controls participated. Primary outcomes were foot (forefoot on hindfoot) and ankle (hindfoot on shank) plantar-flexion/dorsiflexion angle during 3 tasks: unilateral heel rise, bilateral heel rise, and non-weight-bearing ankle plantar flexion. A repeated-measures analysis of variance and Fisher exact test were used. Results Main effects of task and group were significant, but not the interaction in both foot and ankle plantar flexion. Foot and ankle plantar flexion were less in people with DMPN compared with controls in all tasks. Both DMPN and control groups had significantly less foot and ankle plantar flexion with greater weight-bearing; however, the linear trend across tasks was similar between groups. The DMPN group had a greater percentage of individuals in foot and/or ankle dorsiflexion at peak unilateral heel rise compared with controls, but the foot and ankle position was similar at peak bilateral heel rise between DMPN and control groups. Conclusion Foot and ankle plantar flexion is less in people with DMPN. Less plantar flexion in non-weight-bearing suggests that people with DMPN have limited joint mobility. However, peak unilateral and bilateral heel rise is less than the available plantar flexion range of motion measured in non-weight-bearing, indicating that limited joint mobility does not limit heel rise performance. A higher frequency of people with DMPN are in foot and ankle dorsiflexion at peak unilateral heel rise compared with controls, but the position improved with lower weight-bearing. Impact Proper resistance should be considered with physical therapist interventions utilizing heel rise because foot and ankle plantar flexion position could be improved by reducing the amount of weight-bearing.
Ex-Military CEOs and Portfolio Restructuring Strategies: An Empirical Investigation

Given the increasingly turbulent nature of the business environment, the potential utility of CEO military experience is receiving recent scholarly attention. In this study, we explore the link bet...
Towards Security-Aware Virtual Server Migration Optimization to the Cloud

Cloud computing, featured by shared servers and location independent services, has been widely adopted by various businesses to increase computing efficiency, and reduce operational costs. Despite significant benefits and interests, enterprises have a hard time to decide whether or not to migrate thousands of servers into the cloud because of various reasons such as lack of holistic migration (planning) tools, concerns on data security and cloud vendor lock-in. In particular, cloud security has become the major concern for decision makers, due to the nature weakness of virtualization -- the fact that the cloud allows multiple users to share resources through Internet-facing interfaces can be easily taken advantage of by hackers. Therefore, setting up a secure environment for resource migration becomes the top priority for both enterprises and cloud providers. To achieve the goal of security, security policies such as firewalls and access control have been widely adopted, leading to significant cost as additional resources need to employed. In this paper, we address the challenge of the security-aware virtual server migration, and propose a migration strategy that minimizes the migration cost while promising the security needs of enterprises. We prove that the proposed security-aware cost minimization problem is NP hard and our solution can achieve an approximate factor of2. We perform an extensive simulation study to evaluate the performance of the proposed solution under various settings. Our simulation results demonstrate that our approach can save 53%moving cost for a single enterprise case, and 66% for multiple enterprises case comparing to a random migration strategy.
Three-Dimensional Magnetic Reconnection in Astrophysical Plasmas - MHD Approach

Magnetic reconnection is one of the fundamental macro processes in space and laboratory plasma systems. However, so far applications to large scale astrophysical plasmas are relatively few. This work attempts to shed some light on problems with respect to such applications. This particularly involves three-dimensional and turbulent or random occurrence of magnetic reconnection. A crucial question for reconnection in a very large scale system is the following. If reconnection is triggered in a single small region in a very extended current layer, how does it evolve in time? Does this region remain localized or does the reconnection region expand and if so, in what manner? To examine this problem we present results where reconnection is triggert in a single spot in an initially one-dimensional current layer.
ERISA Preemption of State 'Play or Pay' Mandates: How PPACA Clouds an Already Confusing Picture

Although ERISA preemption was ranked among the top "eight pertinent issues" that needed to be addressed in order to achieve comprehensive health care reform, Congress opted to avoid it when it passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act on March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act just one week later ("PPACA" or the "Act," collectively). Currently 180 million Americans receive employer-sponsored health benefits, and millions more will do so once PPACA takes full effect over the next few years. This expansion of employer based coverage, coupled with what the Act does and does not do regarding the role of employers, makes ERISA preemption potentially more problematic than ever. Thus, to accomplish meaningful improvements in how employer-sponsored health benefits are financed and delivered, Congress must tackle ERISA preemption of state "play or pay" laws if it expects to improve instead of simply expand and exacerbate existing problems with employer coverage.
Alternative Action Opportunities for the Food Industry to Better Serve the Households of the Aged and Aging

In the search for ways to improve the quality of life for the elderly, one area receiving increasing attention has been the activities of the elderly in the marketplace--especially their purchase of food items. Although food expenditures account for a significant portion of the elderly’s monthly outlay of money and time, very little is known about their specific shopping activities and problems.
Location privacy in geospatial decision-making

Geospatial data-sets are becoming commonplace in many application domains, especially in the area of decision-making. Current state-of-the-art in geospatial systems either lack the ease-of-use and efficiency or sophisticated querying and analysis features needed by these applications. To address these shortcomings, we have been working on a generic and scalable geospatial decision making system dubbed GeoDec. In this paper, we first discuss many of the new features of GeoDec, particularly its spatial querying utilities. Next, we argue that in some applications, a user of GeoDec may not want to reveal the location of the query and/or its result set to the GeoDec server to preserve his/her privacy. Hence, for GeoDec to remain applicable in these scenarios, it should be able to evaluate the spatial queries without knowing the locations of the query and/or results. Towards this end, we present our novel space-encoding approach which would enable the GeoDec server to evaluate the spatial queries blindly.
Gas chromatography–olfactometry and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis of fresh cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L. var. cantalupensis Naudin) aroma

Although volatile aroma compounds of melon have been extensively studied, knowledge of cantaloupe aroma-impact compounds is still ambiguous, inconsistent and incomplete. In this study an authentic aroma extract of fresh cantaloupe, or muskmelon, was obtained using a room temperature sample preparation method combining solid phase extraction and gel permeation chromatography. Thirty-three compounds were determined as aroma-impact compounds of the cantaloupe sample by gas chromatography–olfactometry analysis of the aroma extract. The six most important cantaloupe aroma-impact compounds determined in this study were ethyl 2-(methylthio)acetate (fruity), (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate (fruity), (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol (green), (E)-6-nonen-1-ol (creamy, sweet), γ-octalactone (sweet, lactonic), and (Z,Z)-(3,6)-nonadien-1-ol (melon). (E,E)-2,6-Nonadienal, (E)-6-nonen-1-ol, ethyl acrylate, (Z)-1,5-octadien-3-ol, (Z)-2-nonenal and trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal were identified in muskmelon for the first time. Using a sensitive and selective gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) method with a synthesized reference compound, (Z,Z)-3,6-nonadienyl acetate was unambiguously identified in cantaloupe for the first time. However, the presence of (Z,Z)-3,6-nonadienal in cantaloupe was not confirmed by the GC-MS/MS analysis. Better understanding of a natural product aroma requires strategic selection of samples, a combination of complementary sample preparation methods, as well as advanced analytical techniques. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diel and distributional abundance patterns of fish embryos and larvae in the lower Columbia and Deschutes rivers

Diel and distributional abundance patterns of free embryos and larvae of fishes in the lower Columbia River Basin were investigated. Ichthyoplankton samples were collected in 1993 during day and night in the main-channel and a backwater of the lower Columbia River, and in a tributary, the Deschutes River. Fish embryos and larvae collected in the main-channel Columbia River were primarily (85.6%) of native taxa (peamouth Mylocheilus caurinus, northern squawfish Ptychocheilus oregonensis, suckers Catostomus spp., and sculpins Cottus spp.), with two introduced species (American shad Alosa sapidissima and common carp Cyprinus carpio) comprising a smaller percentage of the catch (13.3%). Similarly, in the Deschutes River native taxa [lampreys (Petromyzontidae), minnows (Cyprinidae), and suckers Catostomus spp.] dominated collections (99.5% of the catch). In contrast, 83.5% of embryos and larvae in the Columbia River backwater were of introduced taxa [American shad, common carp, and sunfishes (Centrarchidae)]. In all locations, all dominant taxa except sculpins were collected in significantly greater proportions at night. Taxon-specific differences in proportions of embryos and larvae collected at night can in some instances be related to life history styles. In the main-channel Columbia River, northern squawfish and peamouth were strongly nocturnal and high proportions still had yolksacs, suggesting that they had recently hatched and were drifting downriver to rearing areas. In contrast, sculpin abundances were similar during day and night, and sculpins mostly had depleted yolksacs, indicating sculpins were feeding and rearing in offshore limnetic habitats. Taxon-specific diel abundance patterns and their causes must be considered when designing effective sampling programs for fish embryos and larvae.
When a mother has cancer: pathways to relational growth for mothers and daughters coping with cancer

Background Most research on daughters of women with cancer have focused on the daughters' adjustment to the cancer with little attention given to the impact of the cancer on the relationships between mothers and daughters. Methods Guided by the feminist relational-cultural theory, this study examines mothers' perceptions of their cancer experience on their relationships with daughters, focusing on their emotional connections, ruptures or disconnections in the relationships, and relational competencies. By using the grounded theory, 29 in-depth interviews of mothers with cancer were analyzed. Results Although most of the participants reported closer relationships with their daughters as a result of the cancer experience, emotions such as fear, anger, or guilt were frequently cited. Mothers were able to work through these emotions with their daughters through four relational competencies: (a) anticipatory empathy (sensitivity about the impact of cancer on each other); (b) authenticity (full presence without fear of abandonment); (c) mutual empathy (caring and emotional support); and (d)mutual empowerment (capacity to empower one another). Conclusion The concept of post-traumatic relational growth is introduced to describe how mothers transformed the stressful experience of cancer into an experience in which they grew emotionally in relationship with their daughters. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using fluorescein and bromide tracers to investigate the role of baseflow in a small suburban watershed in Iowa, USA

Fluorescein and bromide tracers were used to study baseflow mechanisms of a small suburban watershed in northeast Iowa, USA. The tracers were applied to ten injection holes ranging from 1.3 to 3.0 ft in depth in two phases. Separately, two PVC wells (15 and 16 ft deep) were used to investigate tracer movement in a deeper flow system. Over 30 days of phase 1, none of the tracers was detected in the creek water. In phase 2, fluorescein was irregularly detected in the creek at two sites, whereas bromide was detected at one site only. Meanwhile, soil analysis detected measurable diffusion of bromide and fluorescein at four sites. At each of these sites, the tracer was found to be diffusing toward the creek. None of the tracers applied to the deeper PVC wells showed any movement toward the creek over 1 month of continuous sampling. Isotopic composition of water samples varied spatially as well as temporally going from the deep well (δ18O = −8.89‰) to the injection holes (average δ18O = −8.42‰), to the creek (average δ18O = −7.86‰), and further to the rain samples (average δ18O = −4.68‰). The analytical error margin is ±0.09‰. Samples from the injection holes were generally heavier than the deep well sample and lighter than the creek samples, indicating that there was no significant connection between the surface and the subsurface systems. Furthermore, the sporadic appearance of bromide and fluorescein both spatially and temporally points to the fact that baseflow does not constitute a significant part of the area's stream discharge. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Virtual reality hypnosis: a case report.

This preliminary case report explored the use of hypnosis induced through a 3-dimensional, immersive, computer-generated virtual reality (VR) world as a means to control pain and anxiety in a patient with a severe burn injury. On hospitalization Day 40, after reports of uncontrollable pain and anxiety, the patient underwent hypnotic induction while immersed in a virtual world and received posthypnotic suggestions for decreased pain and anxiety during subsequent wound-care sessions. The patient’s pain and anxiety each dropped 40% after VR hypnosis on a Graphic Rating Scale for his Day 41 wound care. Pain dropped similar levels on Day 42 with an audio-only version of the intervention and then returned to baseline without intervention on Day 43.
Correction to “On Functional Duality in Multiuser Source and Channel Coding Problems Having One-Sided Collaboration” [Jul 06 2986-3002]

In the above titled paper (ibid., vol. 52, no. 7, pp. 2986-3002, Jul. 06), there is an error on line 8 in the first paragraph on the left column on page 2992 regarding broadcast channels. The equation is not correct and thus the argument given in the rest of the paragraph is not valid. A correct argument is presented here.
Carcinoma of the urinary bladder: Role of radiation therapy

Abstract The charts were reviewed of 79 patients with a diagnosis of carcinoma of the urinary bladder, who were managed by radiotherapy between 1%5 and 1972. All patients were irradiated with curative intent, either radical or pre-operative treatment. The majority of the patients were found to have advanced stage and high grade tumors. All living patients have been followed up for at least 5 years; for those who died, the date of death has been recorded. The 5 year survival was 1566 (23%) patients for group I (radiation only) whereas 6 of 13 (46%) patients survived five or more years in group II (pre-operative radiation therapy). At least 20–30% of invasive bladder tumors could be eradicated with radiation therapy alone. Although this is a retrospective study on a small group of selected patients, a trend in the present data suggests that the 5 year survival may be increased when a moderate dose of radiation is given pre-operatively.
Group-theoretical basis for the value of the fine-structure constant

If the electromagnetic four-potential is expressed as an invariant superposition of 42 symmetry-related field operators, it is possible to account for the experimental value of the fine-structure constant. Such a theory yields the formula $\frac{\ensuremath{\hbar}c}{{e}^{2}}=\frac{N(N\ensuremath{-}1)}{4\ensuremath{\pi}}$ with $N=42$ the order of the invariance group.
Role of step and terrace nucleation in heteroepitaxial growth morphology: growth kinetics of CaF2/Si(111).

The thickness uniformity and the spatial distribution of lattice relaxation in thin ( $l$8 nm) Ca${\mathrm{F}}_{2}$/Si(111) films, observed with photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, are seen to depend strongly on the initial nucleation kinetics. We develop a general model for heteroepitaxial growth that explains both these and literature results. Terrace or step nucleation leads to laminar films, although with different relaxation patterns; combined step and terrace nucleation leads to rough films due to different upper-layer nucleation rates on the differently sized islands.
A hybrid static/dynamic heating technique for the measurement of nuclear doppler effects

Abstract A method is presented which utilizes static ohmic heating (from a specially designed irradiation cell) and dynamic fission heating (from an enriched Doppler sample in a pulsed TRIGA reactor) in the measurement of nuclear Doppler effects. This hybrid static/dynamic heating technique provides a very flexible and powerful method for measuring nuclear Doppler effects at extremely high sample-temperatures. The experimental method and irradiation cell used to heat the samples are described. The data reduction and analysis approaches are also discussed. Benchmark experiments using depleted, natural, and ≈2 wt% enriched UO 2 Doppler pellets, with preheat temperatures as high as 1300 K, demonstrate the feasibility of the method. The resulting pellet temperatures approach the highest temperature (1600 K) for which Doppler measurements have been made for 238 UO 2 in a thermal reactor spectrum using conventional steady-state techniques. The hybrid static-dynamic method has been extended to preheat temperatures of 1700 K and enrichments as high as 12 wt% to drive the peak temperatures of the Doppler pellets beyond the melting point of UO 2 (3115 K).
Polyelectrolytes. VII. Viscosities of derivatives of poly‐2‐vinylpridine

Polyelectrolytes were prepared by partial quaternization of poly-2-vinylpyridine (M = 45,000) with methyl bromide and butyl bromide. Viscosities of the former salt were measured in water and methanol; of the latter in water, methanol, ethanol and nitrobenzene. A new method of calibrating viscometers is described. Shear constants of the salts in aqueous solution were determined. The viscosity data conform to the equation: Correlations between both structure of salt and dielectric constant of solvent, and the constants of the equation were found. Quaternary derivatives of poly-2-vinylpyridine are more rodlike than corresponding derivatives of poly-4-vinylpyridine.
Anesthesia for patients undergoing orthopedic oncologic surgeries

When planning an anesthetic for patients undergoing orthopedic oncologic surgeries, numerous factors must be considered. Preoperative evaluation may elucidate significant co-morbidities or side effects secondary to chemotherapy or radiation, which can affect anesthetic choices. Procedures vary in length and complexity and pose challenges in both positioning and in planning to minimize blood loss. Many anesthetic techniques are available to provide both intraoperative anesthesia and postoperative analgesia, while the type of thromboprophylaxis and analgesic adjuvants that will be administered needs to be defined. This review focuses on approaches to use when caring for patients undergoing orthopedic oncologic procedures.
Diffusional effects during albumin adsorption on highly swollen poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels

Abstract 125 I-labelled albumin adsorption studies on poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels are presented. A thorough analysis is presented of the diffusional problems associated with iodide and albumin transport in the hydrogels during adsorption and the methods that can be used to correct for this phenomenon.
A Correspondence Principle for Momentum Operators

The purpose of this note is to give a precise formulation of the correspondence principle between classical and quantum mechanics, for the case of momentum operators. (See e.g. 1. Segal, Journ. Math. Phys. (1960),475).
Designing public government web sites

Public government web sites offer a promise of quick, convenient, and easy access to information and services. This has led many governments to push for an unprecedented move of publications, forms, and other information and services to this medium. There are many design challenges in developing public government web sites. In this SIG we aim to identify these challenges and discuss lessons learned. We will concentrate in two areas: supporting safety and communities, and user-centered design. In our discussion, we plan to touch on issues such as trust, information transparency, information relevance, community support, user-centered design techniques, stakeholders, legal requirements, and universal access. We expect attendees will be either involved in the design of government web sites or interested in a discussion of these issues. The SIG's activities will be organized to maximize input from all attendees.
Body mass index: surgical site infections and mortality after lower extremity bypass from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2005-2007.

Background Patients undergoing lower extremity bypass are at high risk for surgical site infections (SSI). We examined lower extremity bypasses by graft origin and body mass index (BMI) classification to analyze differences in postoperative mortality and SSI occurrence. Methods The 2005-2007 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), a multi-institutional risk-adjusted database, was queried to compare perioperative mortality (30-day), overall morbidity, and SSIs after lower extremity arterial bypass for peripheral arterial disease. Bypass was stratified by graft origin as aortoiliac, femoral, or popliteal. Patient demographics, comorbidities, operative, and postoperative occurrences were analyzed. Results There were 7,595 bypasses performed (1,596 aortoiliac, 5,483 femoral, and 516 popliteal). Mortality was similar regardless of bypass origin (2.8%, 2.4%, and 2.7%; p = 0.57). SSIs occurred in 11% of overall cases (10%, 11%, and 11%; p = 0.47). Graft failure was significantly associated with postoperative SSI occurrence (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-3.1, p Conclusion SSIs occur frequently after lower extremity bypass regardless of bypass origin and are associated with early graft failure and sepsis. Obesity predicts postoperative SSI. Mortality risk was greatest in the underweight, followed by morbidly obese and normal-weight patients, while overweight and mild to moderate obesity were associated with the lowest mortality.
Uses and abuses of statistical methods in research in parasitology.

Among misuses of statistical procedures, perhaps most common is abuse of methods for multiple comparisons of means. Ranking close behind is misunderstanding of various aspects of analysis of non-random repeated measurements of animals. Those topics are the chief focus of this effort to do more than point an accusing finger at the statistical naivety of a few parasitologists; one hopes for positive response to tutorial advice as well. In addition to the two major topics, comments are given about regression analysis for dose-response studies and analysis of related multiple variables.
Fracture toughness of brittle honeycombs

Abstract Existing models for the fracture toughness of brittle cellular materials are based on the assumptions that the crack is large relative to the cell size and that the modulus of rupture of the cell wall material is constant: both may, in practice, be invalid. Here, we account for the effect of short cracks by using a finite element analysis and for that of the variability in the cell wall modulus of rupture by describing it by a Weibull distribution. The results of the analysis indicate that if the crack half length/cell size is less than 7 the fracture toughness is reduced and that the way in which the fracture toughness varies with cell size depends on the Weibull modulus of the cell wall material.
Using Large-Scale Databases in Evaluation: Advances, Opportunities, and Challenges.

Major advances in the number, capabilities, and quality of state, national, and transnational databases have opened up new opportunities for evaluators. Both large-scale data sets collected for administrative purposes and those collected by other researchers can provide data for a variety of evaluation-related activities. These include (a) identifying or highlighting issues that invite greater client attention; (b) establishing the plausibility of policy theories of action; and (c) program evaluation. The authors illustrate through examples from the fields of education, social services, and public health both the opportunities provided by higher quality, interoperable data systems and the challenges encountered when using databases to identify issues of concern, test the plausibility of a proposed theory of action, or evaluate an existing program. The authors then explore implications for roles evaluators may need to play to support these uses of databases and for funding and infrastructure to support gre...
Characterization of graphitic materials prepared from different rank Pennsylvania anthracites

Abstract In this work, two Pennsylvania anthracites were calcined (1420 °C) and then graphitized (3000 °C). The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of anthracite rank on the microstructure of graphitization products, with PSOC1515 being semianthracite and DECS21 being anthracite. The as-received anthracites were studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and surface area measurements. As-received anthracites and their graphitization products were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and temperature programmed oxidation. Results showed that the higher rank anthracite graphitizes to a product with better-developed crystalline structure than the anthracite of lower rank, as was shown by a higher degree of graphitization, smaller Raman disorder parameter ( I D / I D + I G ) and higher oxidation resistance for products obtained from DECS21. The degree of metamorphism determines the extent of development in the lamellar structure and, by extension, the quality of the graphitization product. The dominance of aluminum-rich minerals in these coals led to no evidence of in situ catalytic graphitization. Contrarily, demineralization of both anthracites prior to graphitization led to products with slightly better degrees of graphitization, indicating that the minerals inherent in these anthracites may physically inhibit the ordering of graphene sheets rather than act as a catalyst. The formation and subsequent decomposition of silicon carbide in native anthracites facilitated the enhancement of crystallite width.
Recovery among Adolescents: Models for Post-Treatment Gains in Drug Abuse Treatments

Recovery among adolescents undergoing substance abuse treatment was modeled in terms of pre-treatment motivation, therapeutic relationships, psychological functioning, treatment retention, legal pressures, DSM diagnoses, and client demographics. To address between program differences, a within-covariance matrix, based on 547 youth, was used. Applicability of the results across treatment modalities was also examined. The data were from the NIDA-sponsored DATOS Adolescent study. Results from structural equation models (estimated using Mplus) indicated that higher pre-treatment motivation predicted stronger counselor and in-treatment peer relationships, better counselor relationships and retention predicted less illegal drug use at follow-up, and DSM diagnosis was important in the treatment process. Overall, illegal drug use at follow-up was associated with post-treatment alcohol consumption, cigarette use, condom nonuse, psychological distress, criminality, and school non-attendance. The results document the importance of motivation and therapeutic relationships on recovery, even when taking into account the relative effects of legal pressures, DSM diagnoses, and demographics.
Tactile Pattern Perception

Because efforts to use the cutaneous sense for conveying speech and visual information have met with only partial success, it would be useful to understand better the pattern-sensing capabilities of touch. This paper is an account of the sensory and perceptual factors known or hypothesized to limit the tactile perception of simple two-dimensional patterns, with special attention to the limited spatial bandwidth of touch.
Mitigating naval network instabilities with disruption toler

We describe an approach to improving network performance in networks with heterogeneous links - for example, a communications network constructed from satellite links, airborne relays, and line-of-site radios - using disruption tolerant networking. DTN defines an overlay network that uses storage at each hop to make end-to-end communications resilient to delay, loss, network disruption, temporary network partitioning, and congestion. DTN further improves performance by allowing separate transport layers at each hop of the overlay that can be tuned for the local network environments. We present recent work interfacing one such transport layer, the NACK oriented reliable multicast (NORM) protocol, to DTN; performance experiments from tactical radios; and simulation results based on models of deployed systems.
SEASONAL OCCURRENCE OF XYLEM EMBOLISM IN SUGAR MAPLE (ACER SACCHARUM)

Xylem embolism, the reduction of water flow by air-filled vessels, was measured in a stand of 5- to 8-year-old sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) saplings growing in a nursery bed in northwestern Vermont. Embolism was quantified as percentage loss in hydraulic conductivity of trunk and branch segments relative to maximum values obtained by removing air from vessels by repeated high pressure (173 kPa) perfusions. Ten segments per tree were cut from 6 trees for each of 11 measurement periods spaced at roughly monthly intervals from May 1986 to June 1987. During the 1986 growing season, embolism increased significantly from 11 to 3 1% in the larger branches and trunk (segment diameter ?0.5 cm), but remained at about 10% in twigs (segment diameter <0.5 cm). This was unexpected because the greatest water stess and thus potential for embolism occurs in twigs. During the winter, embolism increased throughout the trees and the trend with diameter was reversed; by February, small twigs were 84% embolized vs. 69% for larger branches and trunk. Dye perfusions showed that winter embolism in trunks was localized on the south side; this may have resulted from water loss by sublimation or evaporation in the absence of water uptake. Beginning in late March, embolism decreased throughout the trees to approximately 20% in June. This decrease was associated with positive xylem pressure of at least 16 kPa which may have originated in the roots, because weather conditions at the time were unfavorable for the generation of stem pressures characteristic of Acer species in early spring. IN THE MEDICAL SCIENCES, embolism is the blockage of a blood vessel caused by a foreign particle or embolus. By analogy, the term can be applied to blockage of water flow in vessels and tracheids ofplants; in this case the embolus is an air bubble. These bubbles can arise from air forced out of solution during freezing of xylem water, or by an unknown mechanism associated with the characteristically negative pressure of the transpiration stream. There is evidence suggesting that air is sucked into vessels from neighboring air spaces via pores in the vessel wall (Zimmermann, 1983; Crombie, Hipkins, and Milburn, 1985; Sperry, Holbrook, and Tyree, 1987). Once an air bubble is inside a vessel, negative pressure causes it to expand and block water flow. There has undoubtedly been selective pressure to minimize xylem embolism, because if unchecked it would block water supply to foliage. Certainly the xylem is well designed in this regard; instead of containing a single open pipe which would conduct water with the least resistance but would become embolized by a single bubble, xylem consists of individual tra
Ultrasonic volume monitoring in patient with prostate cancer treated by external beam radiation therapy

Abstract Objective. To determine whether or not tumor volume estimates are useful in predicting and detecting disease progression following radiation therapy in patients being treated for adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Methods. Compare preradiation therapy ultrasound determined volumetric analysis of the prostate gland, the hypoechoic tumor lesion, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values to sequential post-therapy determinations. Results. The average percent volume reduction rates at three months postradiation therapy of the entire prostate gland and the hypoechoic tumor lesion were 18.1 and 60 percent, respectively. The serum PSA value at three months decreased by 69.3 percent. After the first three months, further reductions in all three parameters were minimal. The volume of the histologically confirmed cancer lesions in progressing patients decreased at a slower rate than that of nonprogressing patients during the initial six months of follow-up ( p = 0.03). Among the 14 progressing patients, a new hypoechoic lesion (5 of which were biopsy-positive) developed in 7, and 7 had persistent lesions. An elevated PSA was observed in 10 of the progressors. Conclusions. The volume change of the hypoechoic lesion was sensitive in detecting disease progression and mirrored the change in PSA levels. The monitoring of hypoechoic lesion volume is useful both to predict and to detect disease progression following radiation therapy while volume change of the prostate gland was not sensitive for these purposes.
Shallow Tillage with a Traditional West African Hoe to Conserve Soil Water

Evaporation (E) from soil constitutes a large proportion of evapotranspiration (ET) of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] fields in West Africa. Reduced E would increase crop water supply and reduce the risk of resowing. We hypothesized that tillage after rain events with the hilaire, a traditional, shallow-cultivating hoe that pulverizes and darkens the soil surface, could conserve soil water and increase pearl millet yield. Experiments were conducted using bare and cropped plots. Tillage after rain ( + or -) was the only treatment for bare plots. Treatments for cropped plots were tillage after rain with the hilaire and fertilizer addition (12 kg ha -1 N and 12 kg P ha -1 ). For bare plots, tillage with the hilaire reduced soil surface reflectance by as much as 0.2 and increased soil temperature at 0.05 m by 12°C. Tillage increased soil water storage in the upper 2.4 m of bare plots by up to 47 mm. For cropped plots, tillage increased soil water storage in the upper 1.4 m by up to 32 mm, and it increased grain yield by 68% in 1991 and 70% in 1992. Fertilizer addition increased yield by 21% in 1991 and 116% in 1992. Tillage reduced ET in 1992 from 417 to 372 mm and increased water-use efficiency (WUE ET ) from 0.99 to 1.91 kg ha -1 mm -1 . Fertilizer addition increased WUE ET from 0.95 to 1.94 kg ha -1 mm -1 . Practical exploitation of the hilaire's effect upon evaporation is not expected because it is a hand-operated tool. However, the study demonstrates principles upon which an animal-drawn implement might be designed.
ID2 (inhibitor of DNA binding 2) is a rhythmically expressed transcriptional repressor required for circadian clock output in mouse liver.

Id2 is a helix-loop-helix transcription factor gene expressed in a circadian manner in multiple tissues with a phase-locked relationship with canonical clock genes (1). Our previous studies have identified circadian phenotypes in Id2 null mice, including enhanced photo-entrainment and disruption of activity rhythms, and have demonstrated a potent inhibitory effect of ID proteins upon CLOCK-BMAL1 transactivation of clock gene and clock-controlled gene activity (1). We have now begun to explore the potential role that ID2 may play in specifically regulating clock output. Here we show that ID2 protein is rhythmically expressed in mouse liver. Time-of-day-specific liver gene expression in Id2+/+ and Id2−/− mice under circadian conditions was studied using DNA microarray analysis, identifying 651 differentially expressed genes, including a subset of 318 genes deemed rhythmically expressed in other studies. Examination of individual time courses reveals that these genes are dysregulated in a highly time-specific manner. A cohort of different functional groups were identified, including genes associated with glucose and lipid metabolism, e.g. serum protein Igfbp1 and lipoprotein lipase. We also reveal that the Id2−/− mice show a reduction in lipid storage in the liver and white adipose tissue, suggesting that disruption of normal circadian activity of components of lipid metabolism can result in overt physiological alterations. These data reveal a role for the transcriptional repressor ID2 as a circadian output regulator in the periphery.