cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Job Search Behavior at the End of the Life Cycle

This paper presents one of the first formal dynamic models of job search by older individuals. It also presents an empirical analysis of job search behavior among this population using the Health and Retirement Study. Several factors currently compound to make the topic of this research an important one in the agenda of the Economics of Aging: ongoing demographic, epidemiological, socio-economic, technological, and labor market trends indicate that older Americans are more likely to be labor force participants beyond traditional retirement ages. Increasing longevity, improving health, strong labor market conditions, increasing labor supply flexibility stemming from an increase in part-time work and self-employment and the use of technological advances to promote second careers, and increasing labor force participation, make the study of search behavior at the end of the life cycle, in a formal theoretical and empirical model, an important contribution. Our findings show that older Americans actively search for new jobs, both on the job and when out of work, and that previous work attachment and health limitations are key to understanding the different job search behavior of employed and non-employed individuals, as well as males and females.
Trends of quality control practices in multicenter PET/CT facilities

2526 Objectives PET camera calibration, image reconstruction and data analysis may significantly alter the measured SUV. In the United States PET/CT quality control should be in accordance with the ACR technical standards. However, currently there are no regulations that require PET/CT centers to adhere to a standardized QC procedure unlike Europe and Australia. Considering the impeccable value of standardizing quality control procedures we conducted a survey of multiple PET/CT sites in an attempt to identify and analyze trends of quality control procedures implemented by multiple PET/CT centers. Methods Online survey was sent to PET/CT centers in the mid Atlantic region to evaluate quality control practices, with emphasis on the most common QC procedures, required by accreditation agencies. The survey was answered by chief or in charge technologist on site. Descriptive analysis and binary compliance model were used to evaluate the level of adherence to ACR standards. We attributed “0” for each of the tested QC procedure which was not followed (or less frequently than regulated) and “1” if it was followed. Results 10 ACR certified PET/CT facilities responded to the survey, 80% representing hospital based or out-patient practices with a volume of 500-3000 scan per year. All centers have written QC guidelines, but in 20% of cases the guidelines were other than ACR standards. Only 60% of centers certified to QC results to the accreditation agencies. A high variability was noted amongst PET/CT centers in following daily QC procedures: 20% for clocks synchronization, 80% for dose calibrator, 60% for blank scans and 40% for water phantoms. A complete descriptive analysis is displayed in Table 1. Compliance score average was 5.2 (range 2-8). Conclusions Quality control guidelines appear to be variably followed and sometimes inaccurately implemented across ACR certified facilities.
Early versus delayed postoperative radiotherapy for treatment of low‐grade gliomas

Background In most people with low-grade gliomas (LGG), the primary treatment regimen remains a combination of surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy. However, the optimal timing of radiotherapy is controversial. It is unclear whether to use radiotherapy in the early postoperative period, or whether radiotherapy should be delayed until tumour progression occurs.
Mass and β Decay of the New Isotope Mg 29 : Systematics of Masses of T z = 5 2 Nuclides in the 2 s − 1 d Shell

Measurements of the mass, half-life, and $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of the new isotope $^{29}\mathrm{Mg}$ are reported. Produced by the $^{18}\mathrm{O}(^{13}\mathrm{C},2p)^{29}\mathrm{Mg}$ reaction, this activity was periodically transferred to remotely located Ge(Li) and NE 102 detectors. $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray energies (in keV) and relative intensities for the $^{29}\mathrm{Al}$ daughter transitions are 960.3 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.4 (52 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 18), 1397.7 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.4 (${64}_{\ensuremath{-}20}^{+30}$), 1430 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 1.5 (34 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 17), 1753.8 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.4 (22 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 5), and 2223.7 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.4 (100 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 6). The $^{29}\mathrm{Al}$ excitation energies (in keV) and relative $\ensuremath{\beta}$ branching intensities are 1397.7 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.4 (${64}_{\ensuremath{-}28}^{+35}$), 1753.8 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.4 (10), 2223.8 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.4 (55 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 22), and 3184.0 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.6 (100 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 35). Upper limits on other possible transitions are given. $^{29}\mathrm{Mg}$ decays with a half-life of 1.20 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.13 sec, measured by the decay of the prominent 2224-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray. The decay of $^{29}\mathrm{Mg}$ is discussed in terms of the Nilsson model. By measuring the spectrum of pulses in the NE 102 detector coincident with 2224-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays, the mass excess for $^{29}\mathrm{Mg}$ has been determined to be -10 590 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 400 keV, disagreeing by 1.7 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.5 MeV from a previous report. The present mass for $^{29}\mathrm{Mg}$ is combined with all other information concerning masses of ${T}_{z}=\frac{5}{2}$ nuclides in the $2s\ensuremath{-}1d$ shell, and the results are compared with predictions based upon measured masses closer to stability using the transverse relationship of Garvey. When the differences between the measured and predicted values are plotted against atomic weight, systematic effects are evident.
A non-scanning sonar indicating in three dimensions

Most sonar systems determine the bearing of an incoming signal either by scanning a beam through space or by examining the outputs of several preformed beams. Signal bearing may also be determined by operating on the set of relative signal amplitudes derived from four or more hydrophone arrays. So long as the set of relative responses is uniquely related to signal bearing, direction may be determined unambiguously. A simple form of array group leading to a unique solution in three dimensions is a set of three mutually perpendicular acoustic dipoles plus an omnidirectional sensor. By correlating each of the dipole outputs with the omnidirectional output and normalizing, the direction cosines of the received signal bearing are obtained. In the active sonar case, the region under observation may be illuminated by a pulsed source. The direction cosines may then be multiplied by range and applied to a pair of cathode ray tubes to show the plan view and side elevation for the region. Since system performance will be degraded by the occurrence of multiple echoes within one range resolution cell, the system is susceptible to adverse reverberation conditions. The receiver will function over a very wide bandwidth (greater than a decade), however, and thus range resolution may be made very great. The system may also be made 'foolproof' under conditions permitting all significant targets to carry transponders. As such, the system may be quite useful in observing or supervising underwater diving operations.
Nonparametric Inference for an Inverse-Probability-Weighted Estimator with Doubly Truncated Data

Efron and Petrosian (1999) formulated the problem of double truncation and proposed nonparametric methods on testing and estimation. An alternative estimation method was proposed by Shen (2010a), utilizing the inverse-probability-weighting technique. One aim of this paper was to assess the computational complexity of the existing estimation methods. Through a simulation study, we found that these two estimation methods have the same level of computational efficiency. The other aim was to study the noniterative IPW estimator under the condition that truncation variables are independent. The IPW estimator and the interval estimation was proved satisfactory in the simulation study.
Radioiododestannylation: preparation and evaluation of radioiodinated thienyl alcohols.

Abstract Radioiododestannylations was employed to prepare a series of four specifically labeled thienyl alcohols: 1-(5-iodo-2-thienyl)-cyclopentan-1-ol and -cyclohexan-1-ol; 17α-(5-iodo-2-thienyl)-17β-estradiol and -estradiol-3- O -methyl ether. The method utilized 5-(trimethylstannyl)thienyl intermediates which had been prepared in good yields from 2,5-bis(trimethylstannyl)thiophene and the appropriate cyclic ketones. The trimethylstannyl substrates reacted with no-carrier-added Na 125 I in the presence of 30% H 2 O 2 -acetic acid (2:1) at pH 4.5 at ambient temperature for 5–15 min to give, after HPLC separation, the desired 5-[ 125 I]iodothien-2-yl products in greater than 90% isolated yields. Although tissue distribution studies in rats were uneventful, the methodology employed to give the labeled products possesses distinct advantages compared to alternative methods for preparing radioiodinated aryl moieties.
Enhanced bioaccumulation of heavy metals by bacterial cells displaying synthetic phytochelatins.

A novel strategy using synthetic phytochelatins is described for the purpose of developing microbial agents for enhanced bioaccumulation of toxic metals. Synthetic genes encoding for several metal-chelating phytochelatin analogs (Glu-Cys)nGly (EC8 (n = 8), EC11 (n = 11), and EC20 (n = 20)) were synthesized, linked to a lpp-ompA fusion gene, and displayed on the surface of E. coli. For comparison, EC20 was also expressed periplasmically as a fusion with the maltose-binding protein (MBP-EC20). Purified MBP-EC20 was shown to accumulate more Cd2+ per peptide than typical mammalian metallothioneins with a stoichiometry of 10 Cd2+/peptide. Cells displaying synthetic phytochelatins exhibited chain-length dependent increase in metal accumulation. For example, 18 nmoles of Cd2+/mg dry cells were accumulated by cells displaying EC8, whereas cells exhibiting EC20 accumulated a maximum of 60 nmoles of Cd2+/mg dry cells. Moreover, cells with surface-expressed EC20 accumulated twice the amount of Cd2+ as cells expressing EC20 periplasmically. The ability to genetically engineer ECs with precisely defined chain length could provide an attractive strategy for developing high-affinity bioadsorbents suitable for heavy metal removal. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 70: 518–524, 2000.
Population Genetics and Geographic Variation of Alcohol Dehydrogenase (Adh) Paralogs and Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6pd) in Drosophila mojavensis

Populations of Drosophila mojavensis from the deserts of the Baja California peninsula and mainland Mexico utilize different cactus hosts with different alcohol contents. The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) has been proposed to play an important role in the adaptation of Drosophila species to their environment. This study investigates the role of ADH in the adaptation of the cactophilic D. mojavensis to its cactus host. In D. mojavensis and its sibling species, D. arizonae, the Adh gene has duplicated, giving rise to a larval/ovarian form (Adh-1) and an adult form (Adh-2). Studies of sequence variation presented here indicate that the Adh paralogs have followed different evolutionary trajectories. Adh-1 exhibits an excess of fixed amino acid replacements, suggesting adaptive evolution, which could have been a result of several host shifts that occurred during the divergence of D. mojavensis. A 17-bp intron haplotype polymorphism segregates in Adh-2 and has markedly different frequencies in the Baja and mainland populations. The presence of the intron polymorphism suggests possible selection for the maintenance of pre-mRNA structure. Finally, this study supports the proposed Baja California origination of D. mojavensis and subsequent colonization of the mainland accompanied by a host shift.
Constant pressure fluid infusion into rat neocortex from implantable microfluidic devices

Implantable electrode arrays capable of recording and stimulating neural activity with high spatial and temporal resolution will provide a foundation for future brain computer interface technology. Currently, their clinical impact has been curtailed by a general lack of functional stability, which can be attributed to the acute and chronic reactive tissue responses to devices implanted in the brain. Control of the tissue environment surrounding implanted devices through local drug delivery could significantly alter both the acute and chronic reactive responses, and thus enhance device stability. Here, we characterize pressure-mediated release of test compounds into rat cortex using an implantable microfluidic platform. A fixed volume of fluorescent cell marker cocktail was delivered using constant pressure infusion at reservoir backpressures of 0, 5 and 10 psi. Affected tissue volumes were imaged and analyzed using epifluorescence and confocal microscropies and quantitative image analysis techniques. The addressable tissue volume for the 5 and 10 psi infusions, defined by fluorescent staining with Hoescht 33342 dye, was significantly larger than the tissue volume addressed by simple diffusion (0 psi) and the tissue volume exhibiting insertion-related cell damage (stained by propidium iodide). The results demonstrate the potential for using constant pressure infusion to address relevant tissue volumes with appropriate pharmacologies to alleviate reactive biological responses around inserted neuroprosthetic devices.
Gap junctions of chick lens fiber cells.

Abstract Gap junctions of chick lens cortical fiber cells are extensive in distribution and can be visualized by scanning electron microscopy.
Aggregation, Metal Ion Extraction, and Solubility Properties of Silyl-Substituted Alkylenediphosphonic Acids

Partially esterified alkylenediphosphonic acids were shown to be effective solvent extraction reagents for the removal of actinide cations from acidic aqueous solutions into conventional organic solvents. As a first step in an effort to design diphosphonic acid extractants that are soluble in supercritical carbon dioxide, we prepared and characterized a novel series of silyl-substituted alkylenediphosphonic acids. The aggregation of these extractants in toluene at 25°C was studied by vapor pressure osmometry. Their solvent extraction chemistry was investigated by employing radiotracers to determine the distribution ratios for selected metal ions between an acidic aqueous phase and an organic phase containing the diphosphonic acid extractant. To determine the effect of incorporating a silicon functionality into diphosphonic acids, the aggregation and solvent extraction properties of the silyl-substituted alkylenediphosphonic acids were compared with those of the conventional alkyl-substituted di(2-ethylhex...
Functional improvement in a patient with cerebral calcinosis using a bisphosphonate

Idiopathic cerebral calcification can be associated with a progressive neurologic disorder for which there is no known treatment. This report describes a patient with a familial form of this disorder presenting in middle age with progressive Parkinson-like features along with spasticity, dystonia, and ataxia. Disodium etidronate, a bisphosphonate, produced a two-fold improvement in the rate of his speech and gait, but did not affect his spasticity, dystonia, or ataxia. Quantitative analysis of cerebral calcification did not reveal any reduction in the amount of calcification, suggesting other possible mechanisms for this clinical improvement.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Spectroscopy of Dipyridocatecholate Complexes of Platinum.

Several new complexes containing 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-diolate (dipyridocatecholate, dpcat2-) ligand are reported. The complex (dpcat)Pt(dbbpy) (4; dbbpy = di-tert-butylbipyridine) was synthesized from Cl2Pt(dbbpy) and dpcat2-. The reaction of (dpcat)Pt(dbbpy) with Cl2Pt(PhCN)2 yielded Cl2Pt(dpcat)Pt(dbbpy) (5). The latter complex was reacted with 3,4-dimercaptotoluene (toluenedithiolate, tdt2-), 3,5-di-tert-butylcatecholate (dbcat2-), and dpcat2- to give (tdt)Pt(dpcat)Pt(dbbpy) (6), (dbcat)Pt(dpcat)Pt(dbbpy) (7), and (dpcat)Pt(dpcat)Pt(dbbpy) (8), respectively. All of these complexes containing Pt(diimine)(diolate) centers display intense absorption bands in the 500−600 nm range. However, excitation at these wavelengths does not result in photoemission similar to that seen for closely related Pt(diimine)(dithiolate) complexes. The absorption bands of the dinuclear species are unsymmetrical, possibly indicating isolated but overlapping transitions for the two chromophores in each complex. The complex (d...
Perception of screening and risk reduction surgeries in patients tested for a BRCA deleterious mutation.

BACKGROUND: Women at a high risk for breast cancer are offered choices for screening or prophylactic surgeries. The aim of this study was to evaluate opinions regarding screening and surgical strategies in high-risk women. METHODS: Women at the authors' institution who received BRCA1 of 2 testing before July 2005 were sent a follow-up patient survey. The authors compared responses of women who tested positive for a deleterious mutation with those who tested negative. For those who expressed an opinion (agree vs disagree), a 2-sided Fisher exact test was used to compare responses. RESULTS: A total of 540 surveys were sent, and 312 were returned (58%). Of these, 217 had breast cancer, and 86 women tested positive for a mutation. No BRCA+ women felt mammograms were difficult to get because of discomfort, whereas 5.4% of the BRCA− group did (P = .039). Seventy percent of BRCA+ women agreed that prophylactic mastectomy (PM) is the most effective means for reducing risk, compared with 40% of BRCA− women (P < .001). PM was felt to be the only way to reduce worry in 64.7% of BRCA+ and in 34.4% of BRCA− women (P < .001). PM was felt to be too drastic for 36.1% of BRCA+ and 40.5% of BRCA− women (P = .562). Difficulty in deciding between screening and PM occurred in 23.9% of BRCA+ and 12.5% of BRCA− women (P = .046). After excluding women with bilateral breast cancers, 81.0% of women who agreed that PM was best to reduce risk underwent a PM versus 19.1% of those who disagreed (P < .001). Of women who felt PM was the only way to reduce worry, 84.2% underwent PM. Only 15.8% of women who did not believe that it was the only way to decrease worry underwent PM (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: BRCA mutation carriers were more likely to believe PM to be the best way to reduce both risk and worry of breast cancer. High-risk women who agreed that PM was more likely to reduce risk and worry of breast cancer were more likely to proceed with this intervention. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Comparison of Energy-Minimized Structures of [PdII(N-methyliminodiacetate)] Complexes of X1-His-X3-His-His Peptides as an Analysis of Steric and Specific Interactions with Synthetic Binding Tags for IMAC Separations

[PdII(mida)(peptide)] complexes for the series of peptides of sequence X1-His-X3-His-His were studied by molecular mechanics methods using Spartan, MMFF94, and SYBYL programs with X1 = X3 = glycine (G), phenylalanine (F), tyrosine (Y), tryptophan (W), and with X1 = glycine (G) and X3 = proline (P). For comparison purposes, data were also obtained for the Ser-Pro-His-His-Gly (SPHHG) and the (His)5 peptides. The latter two peptides and GHPHH are tags in current use for IMAC separations. These provide calibration points as to the binding affinities that have been determined for the entire series. The energies of the complexes, as an average trend found from the composite behavior of the three methods, were found to be SPHHG (205* kcal/mol) (most stable; * are values obtained by MMFF94 methods) < HH#HH#H# (222*; where # implies the site of attachment to match the other X1-His-X3-His-His peptides) < YHYHH (249*) < GHGHH (265*) < WHWHH (284*) ≈ GHPHH (286*) < FHFHH (311*) (least stable), implying that FHFHH might be a useful chromatographic tag for IMAC protein separations that would elute more readily than GHPHH from IMAC sites that are of square-planar structure, such as CuII(ida-supported) IMAC columns. Specific H-bonded interactions are observed between the tyrosine X1 and pendant carboxylates and between X3 and the N-terminal amine of [Pd(mida)(YHYHH)]. Face-to-π-face ring stacking occurs between phenylalanine X1 and X3 units in [Pd(mida)(FHFHH)], whereas edge C-H to π H-bonding or π stacking occurs between the X1 and X3 tryptophans of [Pd(mida)(WHWHH)]. Two energy minima were found with tryptophan. The more stable form has the aromatic rings more parallel, similar to the stacked form of phenylalanine, rather than the edge C-H to π H-bonding, and virtually the same overall energy as for [Pd(mida)(GHPHH)]. The “perpendicular” structure was found as an initial local energy minimum, but additional MMFF94 calculations found the π -stacked arrangement at energy ca. 39 kcal/mol lower than that of the nearly “perpendicular” arrangement of the tryptophan rings, a composite effect of relaxation of the peptide, together with differences in stabilities imparted by the differing geometries. The use of the terms “π-stacked ” and “perpendicular” forms represent the limiting cases available to the tryptophan side chain groups. A twist of about 15° to 20° in dihedral angle is all that is necessary to change between structures that are nearly described as one form or the other.
Solubilized coal as a substrate for biodesulfurization

Problem areas in a multi-step coal desulfurization process were investigated. The process involves mild hot air oxidation, followed by alkaline extraction to separate the resultant humic acid molecules from the insoluble pyrite and ash, and microbial removal of organic sulfur from the solubilized coal molecules. A computer-controlled and -monitored solubilization reactor for humic acid production was constructed. Studies designed to evaluate the physical/chemical nature and solubility characteristics of the humic acids were undertaken, with the ultimate aim of ensuring accessibility of sulfur atoms buried in the interior of these large hydrocarbon macromolecules. One per cent Tween-80 enhanced the solubility of humic acids four-fold. Radiotracer labelled humic acids containing 10.8 × 10−11 Bq mg−1 of 125I were produced. These labelled humic acids will be used to develop an accurate and dependable assay for microbial organic desulfurization.
Gramsci in green: Neoliberal hegemony through urban forestry and the potential for a political ecology of praxis

Abstract The US Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources coordinate the distribution of urban forestry grants to nonprofits and citizen groups. These granting agencies increased state funding during a period of neoliberal, fiscal austerity in order to channel ecosystem services provided by urban forests. Increased funding is an instance of rollout neoliberalism whereby the fiscally austere state builds market capacity to harness these services as part of an ecologically modernist agenda. A Gramscian perspective and data gathered from 20 in-depth interviews with foresters are used in this paper to theorize how rollout policy is deployed through urban forestry to extend market hegemony to new geographies. This is anything but a smooth process because the public’s perception of urban trees is highly varied. State bureaucracies must build civil sector capacity to educate people about the ecosystem services trees provide as market commodities. In doing so the state’s market-oriented regulatory legitimacy is consolidated through the apparently benign act of promoting urban forestry. This dialectical process limits participation in urban forestry because markets are inherently selective. Yet it potentially gives rise to an alternative political ecology of praxis beyond market ideology when grant recipients participate in the production of urban ecology and recognize their relationship with nature.
American Indian Activism and Audience: Rhetorical Analysis of Leonard Peltier's Response to Denial of Clemency

This essay focuses on the movement to free Leonard Peltier to better understand the relationship between the rhetoric of American Indian activism and non–American Indian audiences. A rhetorical analysis of Peltier's response to denial of clemency in 2001 reveals how Peltier appealed to non–American Indian supporters to join in a broader struggle for American Indian social justice revealing a rhetorical strategy of transference from individual to collective. The essay challenges assumptions of previous research and adds more complexity to our understanding of the rhetoric of American Indian activism.
Random drift and the omniscient viewpoint

Alexander Rosenberg (1994) claims that the omniscient viewpoint of the evolutionary process would have no need for the concept of random drift. However, his argument fails to take into account all of the processes which are considered to be instances of random drift. A consideration of these processes shows that random drift is not eliminable even given a position of omniscience. Furthermore, Rosenberg must take these processes into account in order to support his claims that evolution is deterministic and that evolutionary biology is an instrumental science.
Cognitive Complexity and Duration of Classroom Speech.

Analysis of speech patterns in 27 high school discussion classes revealed that both teachers and students, and both males and females, took an increasingly longer time to express successively higher-cognitive types of utterances. Student utterances, though systematically briefer, followed precisely the same pattern as teacher utterances. The results suggest that duration of speech is related to level of cognition.
Site-specific voltage control of adsorption on glassy carbon electrodes

The influence of applied potential on the adsorption of organic compounds on glassy carbon (GC) electrodes has been examined using electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography (EMLC). The results not only confirm that the extent of adsorption is site dependent [Anal. Chem. 69 (1997) 4680], but also demonstrate for the first time that these sites exhibit differences in their potential dependence of adsorption. The results additionally reveal how the extent of adsorption is affected by the supporting electrolyte. Together, these results demonstrate the power of EMLC to serve as a tool for unraveling fundamental issues regarding adsorption on carbonaceous and other electrified interfaces.
Cortical activation and inter-hemispheric sensorimotor coherence in individuals with arm dystonia due to childhood stroke.

Objective Dystonia is a disabling motor disorder often without effective therapies. To better understand the genesis of dystonia after childhood stroke, we analyzed electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings in this population.
A THEORETICAL STUDY OF THE SEA BREEZE

Abstract Series of observations of the sea breeze has been made along a portion of the New England coast near Block Island, Rhode Island. These observations were presented in an earlier paper (Fisher, 1960). With these data as a basis, a dynamical theory of the sea breeze is described and a numerical solution of these sea-breeze equations is obtained. The solution shows the sea breeze in the stages of development and decay and succeeds in reproducing not only the gross features of the wind system but many of its small details as well. The model sea breeze develops a cellular structure similar to the observed system. The depth of the landward branch of the current, its velocity, the velocity of the return current aloft, the elevation, location, and timing of the maximum flow, agree closely with observations. The model also reproduces the rotational effects due to the Coriolis force. The accumulation of error in the model causes its behavior to become irregular by evening (14 hr from its start) so that the ...
Risk-stratified patients with resectable soft tissue sarcoma benefit from epirubicin-based adjuvant chemotherapy

As adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for soft tissue sarcomas is controversial, we performed a retrospective analysis of patients seen at Washington University in St. Louis to evaluate whether it benefited our patient population. Patients were risk-assessed using the Memorial Sloan Kettering Predictive Nomogram (MSKPN). We defined high-risk patients by a MSKPN 4-year postoperative probability of sarcoma-specific death of ≥0.3 and investigated if they benefited from AC. Retrospective review was performed on patients seen between 15 February 1996 and 6 February 2010. A propensity score method in the logistic regression framework was used to model the likelihood of receiving AC. To make causal inference on the effect of AC on survival outcomes, a propensity score inverse probability of treatment weighting approach was applied to survival analysis. Overall, 135 high-grade patients were assessed, 33 were treated with Ifosfamide/Epirubicin (I/Epi) and 102 were non AC patients. The stratified MSKPN risk was not significantly associated with any survival endpoint in the whole cohort, but trended for overall survival (OS) when evaluated against non AC patients. After adjustment for MSKPN risk and other variables, patients not receiving chemotherapy had significantly worse OS, recurrent free survival, and disease-specific survival (DSS) with adjusted hazard ratios of 4.18 (95% CI: 2.22–7.90), 8.96 (95% CI: 3.85–20.83), and 5.42 (95% CI: 2.09–14.06), respectively. In retrospective analyses, risk-stratified patients with soft tissue sarcoma benefited from I/Epi-based AC. Randomized I/Epi versus I/Doxorubicin clinical trials may determine the optimal adjuvant treatment.
Lattice-constant dependence of the 4f excitation energy in lanthanum metal.

Calculations of the 4f electron excitation energy ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{+}$(${\mathit{f}}^{0}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathit{f}}^{1}$) in lanthanum metal as a function of the Wigner-Seitz radius ${\mathit{r}}_{\mathrm{WS}}$ are reported. The renormalized atom method is employed to construct crystal potentials and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{+}$(${\mathit{f}}^{0}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathit{f}}^{1}$) is derived from a difference of band total energies. As ${\mathit{r}}_{\mathrm{WS}}$ diminishes from its equilibrium value, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{+}$ reaches a maximum and then progressively decreases more rapidly and changes sign. The behavior of ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{+}$ coupled with one-electron estimates of the 4f level width and an estimate of the 4f Coulomb correlation energy lead to the conclusion that increasing 4f occupancy can be expected at elevated pressures.
Swelling of liver mitochondria from rats fed diets deficient in essential fatty acids

SummaryComparison of rates of in vitro swelling of liver mitochondria from control rats and from rats fed diets deficient in essential fatty acids were studied under a variety of conditions. Higher swelling rates of EFA deficient mitochondria were observed using 0.30 M sucrose medium. Addition of ATP or serum albumin inhibited swelling of normal but not that of EFA deficient mitochondria. Respiratory inhibitors prevented swelling of both groups of mitochondria. Cholate accentuated the swelling pattern of mitochondria from both groups of rats. The fatty acid composition of lipid from mitochondrial, microsomal and supernatant fractions from both groups of livers were also presented.
On the possibly low H2 formation rate in dense clouds

It has been found for the Rho Ophiuchi cloud, and suggested for diffuse cloud cores in general, that H2 has a lower formation rate than normally expected in diffuse clouds. It is proposed that this may be due to a reduction in grain surface area per unit volume, if the grains in these regions are enlarged due to coagulation. For the Rho Oph cloud, there is independent evidence that grain coagulation has occurred, so this hypothesis regarding H2 formation has a more substantial basis than for other clouds, where the evidence for suppressed H2 formation is less certain, and for which there is little information on grain sizes.
The Myth of Tribal Sovereignty: An Analysis of Native American Tribal Status in the United States

This article will first explore the history of Native American relations with the United States, examining early treatment of tribal nations by the U.S. government. It will then discuss the idea of sovereignty, more specifically as it relates to Native American tribes. The argument section rejects the idea that Native American Tribes are Sovereign Nations, explains why their current status is more akin to that of “States” by highlighting the similarities between state rights and current Native American, but concludes that native tribes are really quasi-states because they lack protection under the idea of federalism. The final section will discuss native views on the topic.
Ferroresonance in a Transformer Switched with an EHV Line

One transformer of a 1000-MVA 525/241.5-kV 60-Hz Y-connected bank of autotransformers, left connected to a 19-mi (30.5-km) 525-kV line but otherwise disconnected from the power system, was overheated after operating for nine minutes in ferroresonance sustained by capacitive coupling to a parallel, energized, 525-kV line. It was later untanked, tested and inspected, and no damage was found. However, to prevent recurrence of ferroresonance, the bank was modified to permit a set of existing 34.5-kV windings to be connected in delta. In similar situations where a Y-connected bank without tertiary windings is switched together with a 525-kV line paralleled by another 525-kV line, it was decided to disconnect the transformer from the line promptly after each de-energization of the transformer.
Gasification and pyrolysis - routes to competitive electricity production from biomass in the UK

Biomass has the potential to become one of the largest sources of renewable, sustainable energy in the UK and many other parts of the European Union. However, for biomass to reach its full potential in the electricity market generation technologies must be used that maximise the efficiency of conversion to power. The first generation of these advanced technologies will be expensive but, as the market expands, should provide a route to fully commercial electricity from biomass. This paper examines how the economics of advanced biomass power generation technologies might develop from the demonstration stage to commercial plant and shows how they can produce competitive electricity in the future.
Driver injury severity: an application of ordered probit models.

This paper describes the use of ordered probit models to examine the risk of different injury levels sustained under all crash types, two-vehicle crashes, and single-vehicle crashes. The results suggest that pickups and sport utility vehicles are less safe than passenger cars under single-vehicle crash conditions. In two-vehicle crashes, however, these vehicle types are associated with less severe injuries for their drivers and more severe injuries for occupants of their collision partners. Other conclusions also are presented; for example, the results indicate that males and younger drivers in newer vehicles at lower speeds sustain less severe injuries.
The microbiology of an activated sludge waste-water treatment plant chemically treated for phosphorus removal

Abstract Microbiological research was conducted on a dual, secondary wastewater treatment system which was part of The Pennsylvania State University wastewater treatment plant. Each aeration basin received identical wastewater which was the effluent from a high rate trickling filter. One of the aeration basins was dosed with aluminum sulfate for the purpose of phosphorus removal. The other aeration basin (control) was operated in the conventional manner without alum addition. Plate counts performed on combined chemical-biological sludge and control activated sludge revealed that a higher number of viable micro-organisms was contained in the chemical-biological sludge, but the magnitude of difference between the two sludges was significant depending on the culture medium employed. Results suggest the aluminum flocs formed in the chemical-biological treatment enmesh dispersed wastewater micro-organisms, some of which are qualitatively unlike those indigenous to natural activated sludge. The combined chemical-biological sludge contained significantly higher numbers of lipolytic, gelatinolytic, and thiosulfate oxidizing micro-organisms and, possibly, fewer nitrite oxidizing micro-organisms than did control activated sludge. Alum did not appear to affect flagellated protozoa in mixed liquor; however, amoeboid and ciliated protozoa were found less frequently in alum dosed than in control mixed liquor. The settled effluent from the combined chemical-biological aeration basin generally contained fewer total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci than did counterpart control effluents.
Manufacturing information systems

New eras of increased productivity and profits through advanced Manufacturing Information Systems---the great nonsequitur. Far from fulfilling years of advanced publicity and still resistant to new technologies, more economical devices, and a host of new optimizing gadgets, total systems answers to manufacturing problems continues to be the elusive "brass ring" for the adventurous and a Waterloo for those who have been given the resources to make it happen.
Integrated enrichment analysis of variants and pathways in genome-wide association studies indicates central role for IL-2 signaling genes in type 1 diabetes, and cytokine signaling genes in Crohn's disease.

Pathway analyses of genome-wide association studies aggregate information over sets of related genes, such as genes in common pathways, to identify gene sets that are enriched for variants associated with disease. We develop a model-based approach to pathway analysis, and apply this approach to data from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) studies. Our method offers several benefits over existing approaches. First, our method not only interrogates pathways for enrichment of disease associations, but also estimates the level of enrichment, which yields a coherent way to promote variants in enriched pathways, enhancing discovery of genes underlying disease. Second, our approach allows for multiple enriched pathways, a feature that leads to novel findings in two diseases where the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a major determinant of disease susceptibility. Third, by modeling disease as the combined effect of multiple markers, our method automatically accounts for linkage disequilibrium among variants. Interrogation of pathways from eight pathway databases yields strong support for enriched pathways, indicating links between Crohn's disease (CD) and cytokine-driven networks that modulate immune responses; between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and “Measles” pathway genes involved in immune responses triggered by measles infection; and between type 1 diabetes (T1D) and IL2-mediated signaling genes. Prioritizing variants in these enriched pathways yields many additional putative disease associations compared to analyses without enrichment. For CD and RA, 7 of 8 additional non-MHC associations are corroborated by other studies, providing validation for our approach. For T1D, prioritization of IL-2 signaling genes yields strong evidence for 7 additional non-MHC candidate disease loci, as well as suggestive evidence for several more. Of the 7 strongest associations, 4 are validated by other studies, and 3 (near IL-2 signaling genes RAF1, MAPK14, and FYN) constitute novel putative T1D loci for further study.
Liquid coating formulation for the application of biological seed treatments of Trichoderma harzianum.

Abstract Seed coating formulations were developed for application of biological control agents (bioprotectants) to seeds. Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) seeds were used as a model system to evaluate the efficacy of the bioprotectant, and soil infested with Pythium spp. was used in a laboratory bioassay. A liquid coating formulation that contained a suspension of an aqueous binder (Pelgel or Polyox N-10), a finely ground solid particulate material (Agro-Lig or muck soil), and a bioprotectant, Trichoderma harzianum strain 1295-22, was developed. A continuous, uniform coating of T. harzianum were also formulated as a dry treatment (powder coating). Efficacy of the T. harzianum applied with either liquid coating or powder coating was enhanced compared to that of a slurry application of T. harzianum in binder. High humidity post-treatment of liquid-coated seeds improved plant stands compared to liquid-coated seeds alone. Stands obtained from sowing liquid-coated seeds were comparable to those from seeds treated by solid matrix priming. No differences in field emergence between biological seed treatments and chemical treatments were measured in 1989 or 1990. In conclusion, the liquid coating formulation enhanced efficacy of T. harzianum when seeds were sown in a Pythium -infested soil in a laboratory bioassay. The coating provided a physical barrier that delayed the pathogen attack and resulted in a conducive environment for T. harzianum growth.
Timing with high purity germanium coaxial detector

Abstract The timing properties of a high purity Ge coaxial detector are studied and compared with those of a Li-drifted detector of similar size. The 1/ r field distribution in a Li-drifted device is modified by fixed space charge in the high purity Ge coaxial detector and this results in a higher and more uniform field distribution in a large portion of the detector volume. The effect is felt particularly in an improved hole collection due to their velocity not being saturated at the 100–500 V/mm fields. It is found that hole mobility obtainable in such fields is reduced by a factor of approximately 8 from the value normally specified at low fields. An immediate advantage of high purity Ge coaxial detectors is found, therefore, in a smaller spread in their charge collection times from which an improved time resolution and smaller energy dependent time walk results, particularly at low energies.
Composition of the cement line and its possible mechanical role as a local interface in human compact bone

Abstract Human compact bone may be viewed as a fiber reinforced composite material in which the secondary osteons act as the fiber reinforcements. The cement line, which is the interface between the ‘fibers’ (osteons) and extraosteonal bone matrix, may impart important mechanical properties to compact bone. The nature of these properties is not known partly because the composition of the cement line is unknown. This analysis examines the constituents of the osteon cement line using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microprobe analysis to address its biomechanical functions as a local interface. The analysis suggests that the cement line is a region of reduced mineralization which may contain sulfated mucosubstances. This composition is consistent with the hypothesis that the cement line provides a relatively ductile interface with surrounding bone matrix, and that it provides the point specific stiffness differences, poor ‘fiber’-matrix bonding and energy transfer qualities required to promote crack initiation but slow crack growth in compact bone.
Quantifying the effects of degeneration and other patient factors on lumbar segmental range of motion using multivariate analysis.

Study design Retrospective review and multivariate analysis. Objectives Assess lumbar spine segmental range of motion (ROM) with flexion/extension (F/E) radiographs and determine the relation to clinical variables. Summary of background data Prior studies have investigated the roles of age and degeneration on lumbar segmental ROM only using univariate analyses. Multivariate analyses are also required to differentiate the multiple factors that may affect ROM and quantify their relative effects. Methods Radiographs of 258 patients were analyzed, including 137 females and 121 males with ages ranging from 18 to 92 years. Segmental ROM and Kellgren score (KS) of degeneration were assessed for L1-S1. Multivariate regression analyses were performed for each level. Predicting variables evaluated were: (1) KS at the level of interest, (2) KS at the level above, (3) KS at the level below, (4) age, (5) gender, (6) weight, (7) height, (8) body mass index (BMI), and (9) smoking. Significance was defined as P Results Interobserver reliabilities for assessing KS (ICC 0.70) and segmental ROM (ICC 0.80) were good to excellent. In the multivariate analyses, age had a significant negative association with ROM at L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, and L4-L5. BMI had a significant negative association with ROM at L2-L3, L3-L4, and L4-L5. KS at the level of interest had significant negative association with ROM only at L5-S1. KS at adjacent levels, gender, weight, height, and smoking did not have a significant association with ROM at any level. Conclusion The results of this study provide the clinician with insight into factors that influence segmental lumbar ROM. Age was the strongest statistical predictor of ROM and was associated with declining ROM, amounting to an approximate 3 degrees decrease in total sagittal lumbar ROM in the superior 4 segments every 10 years. BMI was another factor associated with lumbar ROM. Degeneration was a significant predictor of ROM only at L5-S1.
QR-type factorization, the Yang-Baxter equation, and an eigenvalue problem of control theory

Abstract It is shown that every solution to the Yang-Baxter equation corresponds with the O R-type algorithm. The structure of solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation is described and examples relevant to the algebraic Riccati equation are considered.
ONTOGENY OF PARIETAL CELL FUNCTION: RESPONSE TO PGE 2

PGE2 decreases H+ production by the parietal cells of mature animals & humans. To study the ontogeny of this effect, the guinea pig mucosal model was used & dose response curves (DRC) to PGE2 in 1, 3, 7, 10 & 14d old animals were established. CoSO4 staining, as an index of OH− production (HIP) & H+ secretion, was used to quantitate cellular response. In 3d old animals PGE2 was a potent inhibitor of HIP over a range of concentrations from 10−11-10−6M; Dmax 10−8M. The DRC for 1d was shifted to the right of 3d. Dmax could not be calculated but at 10−6m there was a 30% decrease in HIP. The DRC of the 14d animal was parallel to the 3d, Dmax-10−8M, % decrease HIP, 15% vs 30% for the 3d. In the 7 & 10d old animals PGE2 increased HIP; Dmax 10−9M; % increase 30 & 20 respectively. HIP was suppressed in all age groups by PGE2 (10−6M); most effectively in 1d with 30% decrease in the others by 10%. In summary, the response of the parietal cell to PGE2 is age dependent & the development of this response is biphasic. Ontogenically PGE2 may play an important role in up and down regulation of acid secretion.