cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tumor biologic factors and breast cancer prognosis among white, Hispanic, and black women in the United States.

BACKGROUND In the United States, prognosis and survival after the diagnosis of breast cancer is poorer among black patients and, to a lesser extent, among Hispanic patients, compared with white patients. Patients who are black or Hispanic have been reported to present with higher stage or more advanced disease. Even after adjusting for stage, however, survival rates are lower for blacks but not for Hispanics. PURPOSE Our purpose was to compare survival, age, tumor size, nodal status, estrogen-receptor (ER) and progesterone-receptor (PgR) status, histologic type, S-phase fraction, DNA ploidy status, HER-2/neu protein expression, and p53 protein status, along with systemic treatment, in a large group of white, black, and Hispanic U.S. women. METHODS From 1970 to 1991, breast tumor specimens were submitted to The University of Texas Health Science Center from 31 contributing hospitals throughout the United States for ER and PgR assay. A total of 4885 white, 1016 black, and 777 Hispanic women were eligible for this study. Median follow-up was 57 months. RESULTS Overall, white women were significantly more likely to be older and to have smaller tumors, have less lymph node involvement, have tumors with positive ER and PgR status, and have a lower S-phase fraction compared with Hispanic or black women. There were no clinically important differences in DNA ploidy, histologic type, HER-2/neu, and p53 expression among the three groups. Considering all stages, white women had the best overall survival (date of diagnosis to date of death) at 5 years--75% +/- 1% (means +/- SE), with a median survival of 166 months, but Hispanic women had an intermediate survival--70% +/- 2% (median survival, 156 months), and black women had the worst survival--65% +/- 2% (median survival, 117 months) (P < .0001). For node-negative patients, there was no significant difference in disease-free survival (date of diagnosis to date of first recurrence) or overall survival, although blacks tended to have a worse prognosis. For node-positive or locally advanced disease and for metastatic disease, blacks had significantly (P < .0001) worse disease-free and overall survival than did white or Hispanic women. Differences in the use of systemic therapy did not explain these outcomes. CONCLUSION A number of biologic factors associated with poor prognosis are found with a significantly increased frequency in breast tumors from Hispanic and, particularly, from black women. Tumors with a more aggressive biology could lead to a higher stage at diagnosis and a poorer survival for the group as a whole.
Model reference control of vibrations in flexible smart structures

A finite dimensional discrete-time model reference control (MRC) algorithm for suppressing the vibrations in flexible smart structures is presented. Experimental results are furnished to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control algorithm in a personal computer (PC) based system designed to suppress vibrations in an aluminum cantilever test beam mounted with piezoelectric sensors and actuators.
Evaluation of meat-hook handle shapes

Seven meat hooks including two current designs and five new designs with flat-rectangular, frustum, double frustum, and cylindrical shapes were evaluated. A two-phase study was conducted. In the first experiment, maximum pulling forces were measured by load cell to evaluate the effects of handle shapes on subjective discomfort, maximum pulling force, and muscle activity. Two pulling forces, 15 and 30 kg, were employed to a pulley mechanism to simulate pulling a beef carcass horizontally in the second experiment. FSR (force sensitive resistor) glove was used to measure the pulling forces on the meat hooks. The glove has 12 sensors that result in placement on the pulpy regions of each phalange. In addition, a biomechanical hand model was developed and applied to predict tendon forces. Double frustum shaped handles produced significantly larger maximum pulling forces and best force efficiency when normalizing forces with EMG. In terms of external forces as measured by the FSRs, the averages of finger force contributions to the total finger force were 27%, 32%, 32%, and 10% in order from index finger to little finger. The averages of phalange force contributions to the total finger force were 20.9%, 33.7% and 45.4% for the distal, middle and proximal phalanges, respectively. A Chi-square analysis indicated that the phalange force distribution for double frustum handles deviated least from the average contributions for all hooks. Double frustum handles showed the least predicted tendon forces and normalized tendon forces per unit external force. The optimality of double frustum shaped handles was also supported by the lowest discomfort ratings. Therefore, based on both empirical physiological measurements and theoretical biomechanical calculations, a double frustum handle is most efficient for pulling task, producing the least amount of tendon forces.
Is Europe moving from cleansing genetically modified foodstuffs to peaceful ‘co‐existence’?

From 1999 to 2004, the EU had two domestic policies in place which in reality acted as direct barriers to trade on the stated grounds of protecting human health and the environment. In recent months, the EU policies regarding genetically modified foods and crops have changed. However, the relaxation of the moratorium and the development of co-existence guidelines will do little to help the commercialization of genetically modified organisms. Examination of the political economy in the EU shows no changes that would lead one to expect significant impacts on commerce. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
THE USE OF TALC AND PYROPHYLLITE IN SEMIVITREOUS DINNERWARE BODIES

The use of talc and pyrophyllite in semivitreous dinnerware bodies is discussed. The effect of these materials on shrinkage, absorption, modulus of rupture, and moisture expansion are shown. The advantages obtained are better drying and firing properties, higher mechanical strength, and greater resistance to delayed crazing.
Picosecond Optical Switching Using RF Nonlinear Transmission Lines

We propose a novel sub-ps optical switch composed of an interferometer in which the phase difference between the arms is controlled by a pair of electrooptic modulators (EOMs) driven by integrated nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs). As a proof-of-concept we demonstrate 70 ps switching using discrete LiNbO3 traveling wave EOMs and commercially available NLTLs capable of delivering a 35 ps falling edge. This technique is simple and robust, and can potentially be extended to sub-ps switching by integrating the NLTL into the EOM waveguide. This fast switch can be used to implement an Optical Time Division Multiplexing (OTDM) network architecture.
Precambrian Geochronology of the Medicine Bow Mountains, Southeastern Wyoming

The Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming are located in a transitional zone between the 2.5 b.y. old Superior Geochronologic Province to the north and the 1.3 to 1.7 b.y. old Central U.S. Geochronologic Province to the south. The mountains are crossed by a major northeast-trending shear zone, northwest of which is a quartzofeldspathic-gneiss complex that is intruded by the Baggot Rocks granite, by metagabbro, and by pegmatite. The complex is overlain nonconformably by more than 35,000 feet of miogeosynclinal metasedimentary rocks. Rb-Sr whole-rock isochrons indicate that the quartzofelds-pathic gneiss is 2410 ± 50 m.y. old, and the Baggot Rocks granite is 2340 ± 50 m.y. old. The metasedimentary rocks are at least 1550 ± 50 m.y. old, as indicated by a biotite Rb-Sr date, and are younger than 2410 ± 50 m.y. Whole-rock isochrons of 1550 ± 425 m.y. and 1650 ± 60 m.y. for two formations in the metasedimentary sequence may represent times of metamorphism but define at least minimum dates for sedimentation. Pegmatite intruding the gneiss complex is at least 1600 m.y. old; an anomalous initial Sr 87 /Sr 86 (0.745) permits the interpretation that the primary age is closer to 2400 m.y. Gneiss southeast of the shear zone is more calcic and mafic than that to the northwest, and it is intruded by metagabbro, pegmatite, foliated granite, and massive granite thought to be related to the Sherman Granite. The gneiss is unsuitable for direct dating because of low Rb/Sr ratios. Pegmatite yields mineral isochrons ranging from 1455 ± 40 to 1570 ± 40 m.y., and the Sherman-type granite yields a whole-rock isochron of 1335 ± 30 m.y. Analyzed whole-rock samples of foliated granite do not form a single isochron but show no evidence of being older than about 1715 m.y. No evidence has been found to indicate an age of 2.5 b.y. for rocks southeast of the major shear zone in the Medicine Bow Mountains, nor has any been found in nearby areas southeast of the projections of the shear zone. Rubidium-strontium mineral isochrons and individual mineral dates indicate one or more episodes of metamorphism in the Medicine Bow area between 1600 and 1455 ± 40 m.y. ago. We suggest that miogeosynclinal sedimentary rocks in the northern Medicine Bow Mountains, roughly correlative with Animikie and Huronian strata of Minnesota, Michigan, and Ontario, were deposited on the southern edge of a craton consisting of rocks mainly ≥ 2400 m.y. Gneiss of the southern Medicine Bow Mountains and gneiss and graywacke of the Front Range may be the more metamorphosed, eugeosynclinal counterparts of these sedimentary rocks which have been metamorphosed and transformed during the 1600 to 1455 m.y. old, or older, orogeny.
Use of an Option Generation Paradigm to Investigate Situation Assessment and Response Selection in Law Enforcement

When individuals make decisions in the natural ecology, generation and selection of a course of action is informed by their assessment of the situation. Previous option generation research—largely using complex but static tasks—has examined, separately, the decision strategies employed during the situation assessment and response phases of decision making. This research found that decision makers typically generate a small number of options, and their first option is generally a good one. In dynamic tasks, however, skilled performance involves not only comprehension of the current situation, but the ability to predict impending events. The goal of the current study is to test existing claims about the option generation strategies employed during the situation assessment and response phases of decision making, in the context of a dynamic task.
Electrochemical Studies of the Fries Rearrangement in Ionic Liquids

The Fries rearrangement of phenyl benzoate has been studied in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI BF4). Addition of the proton acid triflic acid was found to shift the reduction potential of phenyl benzoate from -2.0V to -1.1V vs Ag/AgCl, implying protonation of phenyl benzoate by triflic acid. After 1 day, however, the phenyl benzoate reduction potential shifted back to its original value, suggesting that triflic acid slowly reacts with the ionic liquid.
Atom probe tomography of a-axis GaN nanowires: analysis of nonstoichiometric evaporation behavior.

GaN nanowires oriented along the nonpolar a-axis were analyzed using pulsed laser atom probe tomography (APT). Stoichiometric mass spectra were achieved by optimizing the temperature, applied dc voltage, and laser pulse energy. Local variations in the measured stoichiometry were observed and correlated with facet polarity using scanning electron microscopy. Fewer N atoms were detected from nonpolar and Ga-polar surfaces due to uncorrelated evaporation of N2ions following N adatom diffusion. The observed differences in Ga and N ion evaporation behaviors are considered in detail to understand the influence of intrinsicmaterialscharacteristicsonthereliabilityofatomprobetomographyanalysis.We find that while reliable analysis of IIIN alloys is possible, the standard APT procedure of empirically adjusting analysis conditions to obtain stoichiometric detection of Ga and N is not necessarily the best approach for this materials system.
影响力投资：社会、环境价值及其启示 (Social Impact Investment: Social and Environmental Values and Implications)

Chinese Abstract: 影响力投资，是指在实现回报率同时，又能对社会、环境产生正面且可测量影响的投资，它将社会、环境与利润并重，旨在帮助政府、市场和非营利组织解决日益复杂和广泛的社会和环境问题。影响力投资主体涵盖个人、企业、基金会、风险投资等资本持有和管理机构，在投资之前就已确认资金所要实现的社会、环境目标；对象既可以是社会企业，也可以是一般工商注册企业；影响力既可以是盈利业务本身，也可以通过利润再分配实现；常见领域包括农业、教育、环境、住房等；当前尚处于发展初期，规模不大，潜力巨大。发展影响力投资，需要政府和专业机构推进，创立社会投资市场，激发公益创业热潮，积极开发各类影响力投资产品、服务，最大限度发挥其繁荣经济与改善社会、环境的作用。English Abstract: Social impact investment when realizing financial return produce positive social and environmental impact which can be measured. It gives the same weight to society, environment as to profit. It sets up social impact as a goal before it invests, different from the traditional investment. Currently the social impact investment market is relatively small, so it needs the government and professionals to promote it as a promising way to help the government and market to solve social and environmental problems. This article introduces social impact investment and its implication for China and other countries too.
Is Chest Radiography Necessary After Uncomplicated Insertion of a Triple- Lumen Catheter in the Right Internal Jugular Vein, Using the Anterior Approach?*

Study objectives: Chest radiographs are required in many institutions by protocol after the insertion of a right internal jugular vein triple-lumen catheter (TLC), even if the anterior approach is used. This study investigates whether correct placement can be predicted during insertion and whether a “routine” postprocedural chest radiograph can be safely omitted. Design: The operators included 18 first-, second-, or third-year medical residents, 3 pulmonary fellows, and a board-certified pulmonary medicine and critical care attending, with at least 1 certified physician present during the procedure. All operators were trained in the “seven number rule.” Patients: One hundred consecutive patients who required central venous access. Patients with left internal jugular vein or subclavian catheters were excluded. Setting: Single institution, medical ICU, step-down unit, and floors. Interventions: Right internal jugular vein TLC insertion, anterior approach, with subsequent chest radiograph. Measurements and results: Eighty-eight patients had uncomplicated insertions, as defined by fewer than four sticks with a 22-gauge pathfinder needle and fewer than four slides with the 18-gauge introducer needle. Ninety-eight catheters were in accurate position, 1 catheter was in the distal superior cava vein, and 1 catheter was in an S-shaped position. Conclusions: It is safe to omit the routine chest radiograph after uncomplicated insertion of a TLC. IV treatment can be initiated early. However, if there is any doubt about the correct position, a chest radiograph should be obtained. (CHEST 2005; 127:220–223)
Reactive Sputtering of Nanostructured WCx

Nanostructured WCx thin films were reactively sputtered in argon-methane plasma. A DC planar magnetron with a pure tungsten target was used. Films were deposited on glass, quartz, silicon and sapphire substrates at temperatures up to 700 °C. The carbon content in the film was varied by changing the partial pressure of methane. The carbon content in the films was analyzed by using X-ray Photon Spectroscopy (XPS) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS). The effect of temperature on the grain size was studied using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The target poisoning behavior was studied by measuring the target current. The critical methane concentration at which the metal – poison mode transition occurs was measured to be around 42% of CH4 in Ar. This transition is characterized by a sharp fall in the target current. The hysteresis in the target current can also be attributed to target poisoning. In this paper we describe the effects of film growth parameters on the film composition. We also discuss an alternate sputtering technique, hollow cathode sputtering, and the advantages of this technique over the conventional planar magnetron technique.
Natural obsolescence of village phone

Grameen Telecom's famous Village Phone program in Bangladesh has been hailed as an innovative model of ICT-based international development, and promoted by international aid agencies in a wide range of developing countries. Despite implementation at scale, and success both as a business model and in its impact on the poor, the Village Phone programs appear time-limited. Decline of Village Phone model is driven in part by mobile penetration obviating the need for a specialized service selling phone usage, but there are other intertwined factors. In this paper, we perform a multidisciplinary analysis of the evolution of the Village Phone program, which leads to two conclusions: (1) The rise-and-fall narrative arc of the Village Phone was an inevitable outcome of the multiple forces -- technological, economic, socio-cultural, and policy-based -- that allowed its initial success. It's success led to its decline. (2) Certain patterns of the Village Phone model may generalize to other instances of a common-use assetmodel, leading to high-level explanations for something we call natural obsolescence, as well as recommendations for such transitional interventions.
Skew-Tolerant Circuit Design

As advances in technology and circuit design boost operating frequencies of microprocessors, DSPs and other fast chips, new design challenges continue to emerge. One of the major performance limitations in today's chip designs is clock skew, the uncertainty in arrival times between a pair of clocks. Increasing clock frequencies are forcing many engineers to rethink their timing budgets and to use skew-tolerant circuit techniques for both domino and static circuits. While senior designers have long developed their own techniques for reducing the sequencing overhead of domino circuits, this knowledge has routinely been protected as trade secret and has rarely been shared. Skew-Tolerant Circuit Design presents a systematic way of achieving the same goal and puts it in the hands of all designers. This book clearly presents skew-tolerant techniques and shows how they address the challenges of clocking, latching, and clock skew. It provides the practicing circuit designer with a clearly detailed tutorial and an insightful summary of the most recent literature on these critical clock skew issues. * Synthesizes the most recent advances in skew-tolerant design in one cohesive tutorial * Provides incisive instruction and advice punctuated by humorous illustrations * Includes exercises to test understanding of key concepts and solutions to selected exercises Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction Chapter 2 - Fundamental Concepts Chapter 3 - IP Switching Chapter 4 - Tag Switching Chapter 5 - MPLS Core Protocols Chapter 6 - Quality of Service Chapter 7 - Constraint?based routing Chapter 8 - Virtual Private Networks
Synthesis and characterization of perfectly alternating polyorganosiloxane—Polyarylester and —Poly(aryl formal) block copolymers

Abstract Passive damping has been defined as a key element in vibration control. It is believed that the approach to passive damping could be addressed through the use of carefully designed viscoelastic polymeric materials. This article describes the synthesis and characterization of multiphase, transparent block copolymers that are potential candidates for passive damping applications in large space structures. Well defined, perfectly alternating polyorganosiloxane-polyarylester block copolymers of relatively high molecular weight were prepared via a silylamine-hydroxyl condensation reaction, as were polyorganosiloxane-polyaryl formal block copolymers. Due to the high degree of incompatibility between the ‘soft’ siloxane segments and the ‘hard’ ester or formal segments in the block copolymers, a multiphase microstructure developed at relatively low block molecular weights. To vary the miscibility of the siloxane and ester phases, and in turn the physical properties of the block copolymers, the block molecular weights and the siloxane block compositions (dimethyl, dimethyl-co-diphenyl, or dimethyl-co-trifluoropropylmethyl) were controlled. Structure analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance (proton and silicon) and Fourier transform infra-red (FTi.r.) verified that the desired difunctional oligomers and block copolymers were successfully prepared. The influence of copolymer composition on physical properties was studied by thermal, mechanical and surface characterization techniques.
Endogenous carbon monoxide is an endothelial-derived vasodilator factor in the mesenteric circulation

Chronic hypoxia (CH) is associated with both blunted agonist-induced and myogenic vascular reactivity, possibly due to an enhanced production of heme oxygenase (HO)-derived carbon monoxide (CO). Ho...
Response properties of whisker-related neurons in rat second somatosensory cortex.

In addition to a primary somatosensory cortex (SI), the cerebral cortex of all mammals contains a second somatosensory area (SII); however, the functions of SII are largely unknown. Our aim was to ...
Shape-based tracking of left ventricular wall motion

An approach for tracking and quantifying the nonrigid, nonuniform motion of the left ventricular (LV) endocardial wall from two-dimensional (2-D) cardiac image sequences, on a point-by-point basis over the entire cardiac cycle, is presented. Given a set of boundaries, motion computation involves first matching local segments on one contour to segments on the next contour in the sequence using a shape-based strategy. Results from the match process are incorporated with a smoothness term into an optimization functional. The global minimum of this functional is found, resulting in a smooth flow field that is consistent with the match data. The computation is performed for all pairs of frames in the temporal sequence and equally sampled points on one contour are tracked throughout the sequence, resulting in a composite flow field over the entire sequence. Two perspectives on characterizing the optimization functional are presented which result in a tradeoff resolved by the confidence in the initial boundary segmentation. Experimental results for contours derived from diagnostic image sequences of three different imaging modalities are presented. A comparison of trajectory estimates with trajectories of gold-standard markers implanted in the LV wall are presented for validation. The results of this comparison confirm that although cardiac motion is a three-dimensional (3-D) problem, two-dimensional (2-D) analysis provides a rich testing ground for algorithm development.
Echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac structure and function in broiler and Leghorn chickens

Abstract This study was conducted to validate echocardiography in chickens, and to compare cardiac structure and function between broiler and Leghorn chickens. Diameters of the right and left ventricles, and thicknesses of the left ventricular free wall and the interventricular septum were measured echocardiographically in 5- and 7-wk-old chickens from both lines. Images were obtained from minimally restrained, standing birds using a 7.5 MHz probe placed in a parasternal position. End-systolic and end-diastolic echocardiographic measurements were compared with post-mortem measurements of the same variables. Comparisons resulted in correlation coefficients greater than 0.70 between in vivo (echocardiographic) and post-mortem measurements of the same variables, with post-mortem measurements more closely resembling end-diastolic echocardiographic measurements. After being normalized to body weight, post-mortem myocardial thicknesses, aortic and left ventricular diameters, heart weight at 5 wk of age, and left ventricular weight at 7 wk of age were smaller in broiler than in Leghorn chickens. Echocardiographic parameters, including ventricular wall thicknesses, ventricular diameters, and left ventricular fractional shortening, were also smaller in the broiler chicken. Right ventricular fractional shortening did not differ between the chicken lines. These results indicate that echocardiography is a useful noninvasive technique for in vivo evaluation of cardiac structure and function in the chicken, and that broiler chickens have a relatively smaller structural and functional heart than Leghorn chickens.
THE CONCEPT OF DIASPORA; A NEW PARADIGM AND RELEVANCE FOR IRAQI INTELLECTUAL ELITE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY

This paper examines the use of the concept of Diaspora in the field of sociopolitical writings in the past and evaluates its suitability for the systematic analysis of population dispersion in light of the advancements of more rigorous theory building as well as systematic empirical measurement in recent decades. The paper maintains that past usages of the concept of diaspora have been broad, more descriptive and lacking the rigor found in today's academic social research and the more quantitatively-oriented theoretical designs. It suggests the need for a rather "revolutionary" paradigm(to use T.S. (hues publication title) to energize the concept's systematic use in social research and to move it away Tom the rather general trend of lowering its parameters to use( Moynihan terminology)so that it would conveniently fit any social problem resulting from the variety of population dispersion. The paper then proposes a rather elementary new paradigm for the use of the concept in the field and explores its relevance for the Iraqi intellectual elite in the American Society.
Uranium fate in Hanford sediment altered by simulated acid waste solutions

Abstract Infiltration of aqueous acidic waste to the subsurface may induce conditions that alter contaminant transport. Experiments were conducted to examine the effects of low pore water pH and associated changes to sediment properties on U(VI) behavior in sediments. Macroscopic batch experiments were combined with a variety of bulk characterization studies (Mossbauer and laser spectroscopy), micron-scale inspections (μ-XRF), and molecular scale interrogations (XANES) with the objectives to: 1) determine the extent of U(VI) partitioning to Hanford sediments exposed to acidic waste simulants and held at pH = 2, pH = 5, or under neutral conditions (pH = 8) at varying ionic strength, and in the presence of air [bench-top (BT) experiments] or in the absence of air [glove-box (GB) experiments]; and 2) determine the uranium micron-scale solid phase and associated valence state resulting from the experimental conditions. The investigation showed minimal overall changes in Fe mineralogy as a result of sediment exposure to acid solutions, but an increase in the highly reactive nano Fe fraction of the sediment. Greater uranium partitioning was observed at pH = 5 than at pH = 2 and 8. The μ-XRF inspections and XANES analyses confirmed that high concentration areas on sediment surfaces were rich in U(VI) in the BT experiments, and both U(IV) and U(VI) in the GB experiments. The laser spectroscopy data showed that uranyl phosphates {e.g., metaautunite [Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2·10–12H2O] and phosphuranylite [KCa(H3O)3(UO2)7(PO4)4O4·8H2O]} may have formed in the BT experiments. In the GB experiments, in addition to U(IV) phases, U(VI) phases may have also formed similar to those that are naturally present in the sediment, but at higher concentrations. The results provide insights about U(VI) mobility beneath acidic waste disposal sites.
Evidence for Prehistoric Exchange on the Maritime Peninsula

For the purposes of this chapter, the Maritime Peninsula is a region bounded on the north by the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the south by the Gulf of Maine, and includes the Maritime Provinces as well as parts of the Province of Quebec east of the Chaudiere River, and the state of Maine east of the Kennebec River. Interest in long-range exchange in this region goes back at least to DeLaguna’s (1946) speculations about the Eskimo origins of ground slate tools in the Northeast. Recent archaeological research reflects a heightened interest in the phenomenon (Brose 1979; Dragoo 1976; Granger 1978, 1980; Grayson 1970; Heckenberger et al. 1990; Loring 1985; Turnbull 1976, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986).
Third-Party Evaluation: A Review of Dietary Supplements Dispensed by Military Treatment Facilities From 2007 to 2011

ABSTRACT Introduction: Third-party certification/verification of dietary supplements (DS), although not mainstream, is one way to help ensure high-quality products. In the medical setting, physicians may prescribe DS to correct a deficiency or improve a health care outcome, and they want products of a certain standard of quality, free of adulteration/contamination. Objective: We reviewed DS dispensed from all Department of Defense military treatment facilities over a 5-year period to determine which products had been third-party reviewed and certified/verified. Methods: By using product name, manufacturer, and/or National Drug Codes, we examined product listings on the websites of three independent-evaluating organizations. Results: Over 1.5 million dietary supplement prescriptions consisting of 753 different products were dispensed from 2007 through 2011. Less than 3.6% of the products examined were third-party certified/verified by any of the three most well-known evaluation organizations: 19 were verif...
ARMY RANK AND SUBSEQUENT MORTALITY BY CAUSE: 23-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

Mortality among veterans has been studied in relation to military rank at separation in a series of 85,491 men discharged from the US Army in 1946 and traced through 1969. It was found that although the mortality of privates was very close to expectation based on population rates, non-commissioned officers had a 23% advantage and commissioned officers about a 40% advantage. The relative advantage of the veterans who had higher rank held not only for deaths from all causes but also for most of the specific causes examined and there was only a small tendency for the differences to diminish with the passage of time during the 23-year period of follow-up.
Valuing Environmental Resources through Demand for Related Commodities

We examine the revealed preference theory underlying the welfare analysis of public goods (e.g., environmental quality) by observing the consumption of related commodities. Inspired by Larson (1991) and Ebert (1998), and extended from Eom and Larson (2006), an empirical strategy is formulated, consistent with the theory of uniquely deriving use and nonuse values for a change in the public good. We show that the weak complementarity assumption and the Willig condition, the common preference assumptions used to support the revealed preference methods for non-market valuation, may be tested as parameter restrictions. A study of water quality valuation is presented to illustrate the proposed empirical strategy. Results show that the weak complementarity assumption and the Willig condition generally do not hold in the case study, and the consumer surplus derived from the indirect valuation method deviates largely from the exact welfare measures.
CafBijoux: A Small Business Marketing Challenge

It was five minutes to ten oclock on Wednesday morning, April 7, 2004, and Jennifer Coleman was anxiously driving back and forth on B Street in Hayward, looking for a restaurant called CafBijoux. Jennifer had a ten oclock appointment with Julie Sanders and Mary Carter, the managers and co-owners of CafBijoux but there was no visible sign of the restaurant. After circling around several more times, Jennifer finally spotted a small sign in a window that said CafBijoux. Jennifer Coleman was a university professor of marketing and a marketing consultant in the city of Hayward, California. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of the university invited Jennifer to help CafBijouxs management as part of its cooperative effort with the city to provide assistance to small businesses in need of and interested in consulting services in the universitys service area. The purpose of the Jennifers meeting that morning was to go over the caf current business situation and to establish a mutual understanding about Jennifers deliverables. At 10:05 am, Jennifer walked into CafBijoux and introduced herself to Julie and Mary. Jennifer apologized for being late and indicated that she had some difficulty in finding the restaurant. Julie said, Yes, I know that we really need a store sign but we did not have enough money to get one. It would cost at least $2000. We had some customers complaining about that but we just couldnt afford it. Our business has been terrible and we were hoping that you would be able to tell us how we can improve. Jennifer replied, Thats what I am here for. But first, I need to learn as much about the caf business from you as I can. Jennifer explained that the primary goals of the meeting were for her to learn about the caf current situation and to explore the next course of action. Both Julie and Mary agreed upon the plan.
Colorimetric hydrogel-based microfluidic assay system to monitor malnutrition in a microgravity environment

Malnutrition is a trademark effect of extended exposure to microgravity among astronauts due to reduced whole body protein turnover. Numerous studies have determined aspartate transaminase (AST) to be significantly higher and acetylcholinesterase (ACl) to be significantly lower in individuals afflicted with malnutrition in the absence of clinical liver disease. Concentration levels of AST and ACl have been shown to be useful in staging and diagnosing malnutrition. We are developing a colorimetric microfluidic-based platform that measures AST and ACl levels in blood serum by incorporating color reagents specific to AST and ACl into a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG-DA)-based hydrogel upon photopolymerization. Microfluidic based analytical methods are becoming attractive in diagnostics because of their inherent qualities like reduced sample volume (<10 μL), reduced waste, and rapid detection (few minutes). Given the restraints of space mission architecture, microfluidics is an apt option for in-flight medical diagnostics and care.
A New Species of Gahrliepia (Acari: Trombiculidae) from a Shrew-Hedgehog (Insectivora) in China

Gahrliepia ( Gahrliepia ) sinensis , n. sp., is described from a specimen from a Shrew-hedgehog, Neotetrachus sinensis , collected in Kwanshien, Szechwan, China.
Interference-filter tuning of a semiconductor laser in a misalignment-tolerant degenerate external cavity

A serious problem with conventional grating-tuned external-cavity lasers1 is their sensitivity to angular misalignment of the grating. While rotation of the grating about an axis parallel to the rulings tunes the laser output, a small rotation about an axis perpendicular to the rulings misaligns the external cavity. We describe an alignment-stablized degenerate external-cavity semiconductor laser tuned with an interference filter.
Some Patterns of Fluid Phase Behavior

Thermophysical properties often fall into simple, regular, and intuitive patterns within and among families, and these patterns can be used to fill in gaps in experimental measurements, to identify outliers that are likely in error, and to educate scientists and engineers to understand and anticipate expected behaviors. This notion is not new but has not been sufficiently exploited in the applied-thermodynamics literature, and it is particularly attractive today because large databases of thermophysical properties are widely available. This work presents some representative patterns of thermophysical properties related to fluid phase behavior and demonstrates their use to estimate missing properties, to identify those properties that may be in error, and to teach these patterns to scientists and engineers.
Recruitment models for mallards in Eastern North America

-Recruitment models developed for Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) have demonstrated a correlation between wetland habitat conditions on the prairie-parkland region of North America and annual reproductive success. Waterfowl habitat in eastern North America is composed of a variety of forested, inland, and coastal habitats that are subject to different environmental conditions than those in the prairies and parklands. My objective was to develop models relating environmental conditions in eastern North America to the annual reproductive success of eastern Mallards. I used estimated age ratios in the harvest to estimate the proportion of young in the fall population and developed multiple linear regression models to identify combinations of environmental and demographic variables that were correlated with annual recruitment. Annual recruitment was negatively correlated with population size and positively correlated with precipitation. Models with the best predictive ability contained either the Midwinter Inventory or the Breeding Bird Survey index, cumulative precipitation in winter (January and February) or May, and the ratio of precipitation during April in Pennsylvania to that in New Jersey. These models explained 61 to 72% (P < 0.001) of the annual variation in recruitment. Future attempts to model the population dynamics of Mallards in eastern North America should consider the effects of population size and precipitation on annual reproductive success. Received 18 April 1997, accepted 23
Controlled Depolymerization: Stimuli-Responsive Self-Immolative Polymers

Self-immolative polymers (SIPs) are unique macromolecules that are able to react to multiple types of environmental influences by giving amplified response outputs. When triggering moieties installed at SIP chain ends are activated by their corresponding stimuli, a spontaneous head-to-tail depolymerization ensues, often involving multitopic release of small molecules. SIP designs have evolved a high degree of modularity in each of their functional components, enabling a broad range of utility and applications-driven tuning. In this Perspective, we summarize and discuss recent progress in this nascent area of research, including (i) synthesis of different types of SIPs, (ii) design and evaluation of triggering moieties, (iii) depolymerization mechanisms and kinetics, (iv) applications of SIPs, and (v) outlook and challenges facing the field.
A Decade of Improved Lumber Drying Technology

In this paper, we comprehensively review the relevant literature published from 2005 to 2016, focused on lumber drying and provide a summary of where we feel future research will focus. Drying is a critical part of most wood products manufacturing process, and the methods used and proper control are key to achieving the appropriate production level, quality, and costs. While a combination of drying methods may be used, most lumber is dried in a kiln at some point in the process. The most common commercial kilns can be classified as conventional, high temperature, and vacuum; however, there continues to be some interest in solar and compression drying. While no new drying technologies have been proposed, work has continued on improving the existing methods. Control of the drying process varies with the type of kiln used, the species being dried and the temperatures used in the process; however, it usually involves some type of measurement of the moisture content of the wood being dried. The development of new methods for controlling the drying process focuses on new ways to measure moisture content or moisture content variation, temperature drop across the load, and drying stresses. While wood quality can be defined differently by its various users, for example, industrial or end users, certain aspects of quality remain constant across these groups, such as minimizing warp, checks, and splits, and discoloration, and maintaining or enhancing mechanical properties. New schedules have been proposed to increase drying rate and improve drying quality. Methods to reduce drying defects and improve its quality have focused mainly on mechanical restraint to prevent warp, better understanding of defect formation, and pre-treatments to speed up the drying process or reduce final moisture content variation. Finally, concerns regarding the environmental impacts of wood drying, most importantly the high energy demands and emissions, have increased in importance as concerns about sustainability and health issues become more mainstream.
Family–School Partnerships in a Context of Urgent Engagement: Rethinking Models, Measurement, and Meaningfulness

This commentary highlights key themes across the five chapters of this volume, as well as offers specific recommendations concerning future directions for inquiry on the issue of family–school connections. A case is made that in order to advance scientific knowledge of this issue and its application, dialogue is sorely needed that is multidisciplinary, engages mixed methods and emic traditions, and attends to how context shapes family–school connections.
Immune Complexes in Urine and Serum of Patients with Bladder Cancer

AbstractThe urine and/or serum of 43 patients with bladder cancer was tested for the presence of immune complexes. Immune complexes were present more frequently in the urine (38 per cent) than in the serum (23 per cent). Urinary immune complexes were elevated in 10 per cent of the patients with no tumor (group 1), 25 per cent with superficial neoplasms (group 2) and 89 per cent with infiltrating or metastatic disease (group 3), which compared favorably to elevated serum immune complexes in 20, 25 and 33 per cent of the patients, respectively. The incidence of urinary immune complexes was statistically significant when compared in patients with and without active tumors (p less than 03), and when group 3 patients were compared to those in group 1 or 2 (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.03, respectively). Unlike serum immune complexes urinary immune complexes appeared to correlate with the presence and stage of bladder cancer
Blunt torso trauma

Most blunt forces pose a simultaneous hazard to the regions of the chest and abdomen. Complications following such injuries to the torso are usually the result of delays in diagnosis or inadequate operative treatment. Successful operative treatment requires accurate hemostasis, detection of all injuries, and the application of generally accepted principles of repair.
Immigration and social capital in a Korean-American women’s online community: Supporting acculturation, cultural pluralism, and transnationalism

This study of a Korean-American women’s online community, also known as the “MissyUSA” community, has incorporated the concept of social capital with an important topic within each of three major migration research areas—legal immigration status in assimilation, the retention of Korean culinary culture in cultural pluralism, and transnational plans in transnationalism. The central argument of this article is that this “MissyUSA” community creates social capital for its online members. One important form of social capital stressed here is social resources that correspond to its online members’ (information seekers) access to valuable information regarding the process of obtaining legal status as documented immigrants, Korean-style cuisines, and their transnational plans. Moreover, social support is also regarded in this study as another form of social capital. In this case, the “MissyUSA” community becomes a network of social supporters by which they (respondents) support its information seekers through th...
Challenges to the Chilean Regime and Critical Mass Communication Studies: 1967–73

The year 1967 was a turning point for both Chilean politics and for academic life, for related reasons. The social forces unleashed by the Christian Democrat Party’s organizing efforts were overtaking the policies that the Frei administration had been trying to follow, and the three-way conflict between Chilean business and landowners, organized labour and peasants, and the government left the PDC with fewer and fewer allies to turn to. This narrowing of the ground which supported the PDC’s policies resulted from the party’s understanding of Chilean politics, a cultural logic — or structure of feeling — rooted in the social doctrine of the Catholic Church and in the international Christian Democrat movement. This structure of feeling was based on the PDC’s understanding that capitalist development had created societies with overly materialistic value systems and severe inequalities, but it rejected the leftist political tactics of developing the class struggle through political struggle in favour of ‘communitarian’ politics in which the values of the community would be shaped by Christian values of charity and love. Thus the PDC’s political strategy was to attempt to isolate the leftist parties and unions while at the same time attempting to improve social welfare.
Critical Reflection as an Adult Learning Process

Critical reflection calls into question the power relationships that allow, or promote, one set of practices considered to be technically effective. It assumes that the minutiae of practice have embedded within them the struggles between unequal interests and groups that exist in the wider world. For reflection to be considered critical, it must have as its explicit focus uncovering, and challenging, the power dynamics that frame practice and uncovering and challenging hegemonic assumptions (those assumptions we embrace as being in our best interests when in fact they are working against us). When adults learn to be critically reflective, they experience distinctive emotional rhythms – impostorship, cultural suicide, roadrunning, lost innocence and community. Nelson Mandela’s work as an ANC leader is used as an example of critical reflection.
Early Cytokine Responses to Viral Infections and Their Roles in Shaping Endogenous Cellular Immunity

Immune responses to different infectious agents have overlapping constituents. However, certain of these are induced to higher levels and/or play more important roles in defense under conditions of infections with particular agents. In the case of many viral infections, immune responses important in protection include the unique or uniquely prominent systemic type 1 interferons (IFN), i.e., IFN-α/β, activation and function of natural killer (NK) cells, and activation and function of CD8+ T cells. The studies presented here extend characterization of endogenous innate cytokine responses elicited at early times during viral infections and dissection of immunoregulatory roles for these cytokines in promoting cell-mediated immunity.
Digit-Like Bony Anomaly of the Hindfoot: A Case Report

Abstract We report the case of an asymptomatic digit-like bony anomaly located on the plantar aspect of the calcaneus, which was incidentally found on radiographs of a 50-year-old male with a tibial shaft fracture. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of such an anomaly in the foot. The differential diagnosis includes accessory ossicles, polydactyly, heel spur, heterotopic ossification, osteochondroma, and pelvic digits.
School-based teacher hiring and achievement inequality: A comparative perspective

Abstract The study examines associations between school-based teacher hiring and achievement inequality in mathematics and science. Using a nationally representative sample of 295,416 students from 34 OECD member countries who participated in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012, the study finds that school-based hiring is associated with a larger gap in the distribution of teacher quality between advantaged and disadvantaged schools. This study also finds an association between school-based hiring and inequality of achievement based on socioeconomic status. This suggests that school-based hiring may contribute to exacerbating inequality in learning opportunities and increasing family background’s positive effect on achievement.