cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of the Star Properties Concept Inventory

Concept inventories (CIs)—typically multiple-choice instruments that focus on a single or small subset of closely related topics—have been used in science education for more than a decade. This paper describes the development and validation of a new CI for astronomy, the Star Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI). Questions cover the areas of stellar properties (focussing primarily on mass, temperature, luminosity, and lifetime), nuclear fusion, and star formation. Distracters were developed from known alternative conceptions and reasoning difficulties commonly held by students. The SPCI was tested through an iterative process where different testing formats (open-ended, multiple-choice + explain, and multiple-choice) were compared to ensure that the distracters were in fact the most common among the testing population. Content validity was established through expert reviews by 26 astronomy instructors. The SPCI Version 3 was then tested in multiple introductory undergraduate astronomy courses for non-scien...
PLATELET RESPONSE TO IMMUNOLOGICAL INJURY

Platelets are susceptible to innnunological destruction, but the nature of the immune lesion has not been defined. Biochemistry, physiology, freeze-etching and electron microscopy were used to detect antibody induced injury. Antiserum (AS) was raised in a horse by repeated I.M. injections of glutaraldehyde fixed human platelets. Absorbtion with PPP removed non-specific activity of AS. The AS caused release of serotonin to a dilution of 1:10,000 without producing ultrastructural damage. AS stimulated aggregation in stirred C-PRP to a dilution of 1:1000. Aggregates resembled those produced by collagen. Lactic dehydrogenase was not discharged by dilutions greater than 1:10. Dilutions to 1:100 caused platelet lysis and produced characteristic membrane lesions visible in replicas of freeze-etched cells. The lesions consisted of 80A° particles in semi-circular or circular arrangements located on the inner surface of the outer leaflet, but not on the outer surface of the inside half of the split lipid bilayer. Complement was required for development of the lesions. Anti-lymphocyte serum strongly active against human platelets produced similar lesions, but antisera to rabbit platelets raised in a goat did not. The results indicate that specific, complement-dependent lesions are produced in platelet membranes by lytic concentrations of AS. Smaller amounts of AS or other anti-platelet substances may cause aggregation and release serotonin without producing specific lesions.
Tick Spit Shines a Light on the Initiation of Coagulation

Mammalian blood has numerous essential and well-known functions, including oxygen and nutrient delivery. This elixir is recognized by blood-feeding species of mosquitos, ticks, fleas, lice, leeches, and bats that rely on blood meals for nutrition, life cycle progression, and survival. To obtain these blood meals that require minutes to a week or longer to complete,1 these blood-sucking creatures must thwart endogenous defense systems contained within blood—immune and procoagulant cells and plasma proteins that rapidly clot (within 3–4 minutes) to provide first-line defense against breaches in vascular integrity. In a fascinating display of evolutionary agility, hemovores have adapted elegant mechanisms to evade detection and to prevent blood coagulation by synthesizing an extensive armament of molecules with anesthetic, immunosuppressive, vasodilatory, anticoagulant, and profibrinolytic properties in mammals.1–3 Research characterizing the molecules generated by hemovores to bypass mammalian defense pathways has revealed exciting new mechanisms and, in some cases, novel therapeutic approaches for anticoagulation. Article see p 254 In particular, ticks have received considerable attention for their remarkable evolutionary adaptations to life as obligate hemovores. Briefly, the typical tick life cycle includes 4 stages: egg, 6-legged larva, 8-legged nymph, and adult (Figure). It takes 1 to 3 years to complete this full cycle. Ticks must consume blood at the larval, nymph, and adult stages to survive, and they die if they do not find a host. Interestingly, although neither larva nor nymphs have overt sexual differentiation, adults are fully differentiated into males and females, and compared with males, longer nymph feeding is required for the expression of female characteristics.4 Consequently, tick saliva contains multiple proteins that maintain blood fluidity to enable feeding and therefore tick survival. Figure. Life cycle of a typical tick. Larvae, nymphs, and adults require blood meals for survival and secrete anticomplement (tick salivary lectin pathway inhibitor …
CD4‐positive/heat‐stable antigen‐positive thymocytes cause graft‐versus‐host disease across non‐major histocompatibility complex incompatibilities

Single-positive thymocytes are the immediate precursors of peripheral recent thymic emigrants (RTE) which develop into mature peripheral T cells. The functional ability of RTE is unclear but their state of differentiation may be relevant to the development of tolerance to peripheral “self” antigens. Since RTE are difficult to analyze, precursor CD4+/8− thymocytes were assessed in a model in vivo to determine their functional capability and their susceptibility to tolerance induction. The ability of both heat-stable antigen-positive (HSA+) (immature) and HSA− (mature) single-positive thymocytes to cause graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) across non-major histocompatibility complex differences was examined. Both HSA− and HSA+ CD4+/8− thymocytes from C3H mice caused lethal GVHD in AKR recipients as did CD4+ peripheral T cells in controls. Further, neonatal C3H thymocytes also caused lethal GVHD in AKR recipients. Since CD4+/8− thymocytes are the precursors of RTE, these results suggest that RTE are not susceptible to tolerance induction to “minor” antigens and may have a normal immune function in vivo. This would suggest that peripheral tolerance may be dependent upon the manner of antigen presentation rather than T cell maturity.
ACL Injury prevention in female athletes: review of the literature and practical considerations in implementing an ACL prevention program

Female athletes are at 3.5 times risk of sustaining a non-contact ACL injury compared with males. Research has shown that this gender discrepancy results from differences in neuromuscular adaptations and biomechanics related to landing techniques. Studies have examined the preventative effect of ACL prevention programs, which have been designed to address these risky neuromuscular and biomechanical patterns. We review the key studies on ACL prevention in female athletes and summarize the critical components of ACL prevention strategies that have been shown to successfully decrease ACL injury risk. We also discuss recommendations and practical considerations in the implementation of ACL prevention programs in various community settings.
Piezoelectric Resonance Enhanced Electrooptic Transmission in PZN-8PT Single Crystal

ABSTRACT Piezoelectric resonance contributions to the electrooptic coefficients in ferroelectric PZN-8PT single crystals were studied by a dynamic electrooptic measurement carried out using a continuous frequency scan over the range of frequency covering the samples fundamental resonances. At certain frequencies relevant to piezoelectric resonance of a given mode, it is found that the E-field modulated optical transmission are greatly enhanced (> 2 orders of magnitude). Such enhancement is mode selective and scales with strain or the rate of change of dielectric permittivity. Instead of having linear dependence on the electric field, the piezoelectric resonance enhanced optical transmitted signal in this crystal shows a near linear response to the power of the modulating electric field. Keywords: piezoelectric, ferroelectric crystals, electro op tics, frequency dependence, resonance enhancement 1. INTRODUCTION Effective electrooptic (EO) coefficients of piezoelectric crystals consist of both intrinsic (Pockels) and secondary (acousto-optic via piezo coupling) contributions. Although the effective EO effect has been used extensively in modulating index of refraction in ferroelectric materials at low frequencies, it decreases steeply with increasing frequencies of applied electric field, due to the diminishing contribution of dipolar reorientation. Enhancement of electrooptic sensitivities thus optical transmission in dielectric materials modulated at microwave frequencies has scarcely been reported
Postoperative infection associated with polyester patch angioplasty after carotid endarterectomy

Abstract Objectives Postoperative infection is one of the most dreaded complications associated with use of synthetic patches for carotid endarterectomy. Although polyester patches were used extensively for carotid patch angioplasty throughout the last decade, few reports detail cases of deep patch infection. We describe our experience with polyester patch infections after carotid endarterectomy. Patients and methods From January 1996 through December 2001 we treated polyester patch infections after carotid endarterectomy in 10 patients. Results The interval from primary carotid endarterectomy to presentation with infection ranged from 11 days to 30 months. All patients underwent repeat operation that involved tissue debridement, excision of the polyester patch, and either interposition grafting or patch angioplasty with autologous vein. No perioperative stroke or death occurred; however, 1 patient had transient hoarseness, and in 1 patient a pseudoaneurysm developed that required additional surgical repair with a saphenous vein interposition graft. All patients remain well and free of infection with follow-up as long as 56 months. Conclusions Infection is a serious and rare complication of carotid patch angioplasty with polyester material. Nonetheless, it can be treated successfully with good results and acceptable morbidity with soft tissue debridement, prosthetic patch excision, and either patch angioplasty or interposition grafting with autologous vein.
Role of State-Level Governments in Fostering Social Innovation

This study examined U.S. state-level policy aimed at fostering social innovation. Using a web-based protocol, searches were conducted on key words: social innovation, social entrepreneurship, social enterprise, social impact, innovation, low-profit limited-liability, benefit corporations, and social impact bonds. Findings suggest states vary considerably in policy action and infrastructure that creates an environment to stimulate innovation. Policies allowing low-profit limited-liability companies and benefit corporations are primary tools, while social impact bonds are being explored in some states. Infrastructure development, including offices and committees are also used. Government can be seen as a key lever to stimulate and embed social innovation practice.
The recruitment of African-Americans to cancer prevention and control studies.

Abstract Background.African-Americans have the highest overall age-adjusted cancer incidence and mortality rates of any population group in the United States. Despite this fact, this group remains underrepresented in cancer prevention and control research studies, primarily because most recruitment strategies result in limited access to African-American populations.Methods.As part of three large-scale cancer prevention and control studies, effective strategies for recruiting African-American participants were developed and implemented.Results.Eight strategies have been identified as successful recruitment strategies for involving African-Americans in cancer prevention and control studies. Utilizing these strategies resulted in recruiting a representative number of African-American participants, in relation to the local population, into the three studies.Conclusions.African-Americans can be recruited to participate in cancer control and prevention studies if plans include special strategies targeted to addressing unique barriers, beliefs, and concerns.
Influence of acidification on the optical properties and molecular composition of dissolved organic matter

Acidification is a common method for preserving dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural water samples until sophisticated laboratory analyses can be performed. However, little is known about the effects of this practice on the composition and optical properties of DOM. In this study, the effects of acidification on DOM in porewater samples collected from the RL IV bog system of the Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatlands in northern Minnesota were characterized. Molecular composition was determined by ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry and optical properties by UV absorption and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy. Excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy results indicate that the fluorescence properties of the peatland porewater DOM were sensitive to pH and that the observed changes were fluorophore dependent. Ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry revealed the appearance of newly formed, oxygen-rich compounds upon acidification. The extent to which these oxygen-rich compounds were formed was also dependent on the composition of the DOM.
Multinational strategic alliances: a manager's perspective

• This article, the third in a series published in this journal, provides an analytical framework for understanding multinational strategic alliances, and application frameworks for entering into and managing such strategic alliances more effectively. • In exploring these topics, the article focuses on multinational strategic alliances from multiple viewpoints: what they are, kinds of strategic alliances, and management tasks such as enterprise-wide strategic alignment; negotiating strategic alliances; selecting alliance partners—people and company or government body; determining specific type and structure appropriate for individual situation requirements; making them work—managing and leading. • The article is based on field interviews with strategic alliances and other competing companies in China during five visits there, and during frequent visits to Russia and Europe between 1988 and 1996, as well as on other studies of multinational strategic alliances in China and elsewhere. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exploratory Evidence on the Behavior of Quality Costs

This study examines the time series behavior of quality costs reported by 49 manufacturing units of 21 companies. Analyses using both pooled annual data and plant-specific quarterly data indicate that the majority of units in the sample achieved ongoing reductions in nonconformance costs while maintaining or reducing reported prevention and appraisal costs. These findings are consistent with recent quality-based learning and continuous improvement models which suggest that, once an effective quality program is established, companies can reduce nonconformance costs over time with little or no subsequent increase in conformance expenditures.
Role for sumoylation in systemic inflammation and immune homeostasis in Drosophila larvae.

To counter systemic risk of infection by parasitic wasps, Drosophila larvae activate humoral immunity in the fat body and mount a robust cellular response resulting in encapsulation of the wasp egg. Innate immune reactions are tightly regulated and are resolved within hours. To understand the mechanisms underlying activation and resolution of the egg encapsulation response and examine if failure of the latter develops into systemic inflammatory disease, we correlated parasitic wasp-induced changes in the Drosophila larva with systemic chronic conditions in sumoylation-deficient mutants. We have previously reported that loss of either Cactus, the Drosophila (IκB) protein or Ubc9, the SUMO-conjugating enzyme, leads to constitutive activation of the humoral and cellular pathways, hematopoietic overproliferation and tumorogenesis. Here we report that parasite infection simultaneously activates NF-κB-dependent transcription of Spatzle processing enzyme (SPE) and cactus. Endogenous Spatzle protein (the Toll ligand) is expressed in immune cells and excessive SPE or Spatzle is pro-inflammatory. Consistent with this function, loss of Spz suppresses Ubc9− defects. In contrast to the pro-inflammatory roles of SPE and Spatzle, Cactus and Ubc9 exert an anti-inflammatory effect. We show that Ubc9 maintains steady state levels of Cactus protein. In a series of immuno-genetic experiments, we demonstrate the existence of a robust bidirectional interaction between blood cells and the fat body and propose that wasp infection activates Toll signaling in both compartments via extracellular activation of Spatzle. Within each organ, the IκB/Ubc9-dependent inhibitory feedback resolves immune signaling and restores homeostasis. The loss of this feedback leads to chronic inflammation. Our studies not only provide an integrated framework for understanding the molecular basis of the evolutionary arms race between insect hosts and their parasites, but also offer insights into developing novel strategies for medical and agricultural pest control.
Water-soluble calix[4]resorcinarenes as chiral NMR solvating agents for bicyclic aromatic compounds.

Water-soluble calix[4]resorcinarenes with proline, 3-hydroxyproline, and 4-hydroxyproline substituent groups are evaluated as chiral NMR solvating agents on a series of bicyclic aromatic compounds with naphthyl, indole, dihydroindole, and indane rings. The substrates interact with the calixresorcinarene through insertion of the aromatic ring into the cavity. Most of the substrates are analyzed as cationic species, although one anionic species is analyzed. All of the substrates exhibit enantiomeric discrimination in the 1H-NMR spectrum with one or more of the calixresorcinarenes. In most cases, the hydroxyproline derivatives are more effective at causing enantiodifferentiation than the corresponding proline derivative. Presumably, the hydroxyl group on the proline moieties is involved in interactions with the substituent groups of the substrate that are important in creating chiral recognition. The enantiomeric discrimination in the 1H-NMR spectrum is large enough for many resonances to permit the analysis of enantiomeric purity. Chirality 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Nonlinear cellular motions in Poiseuille channel flow

In a number of nonlinear solutions to the equations of channel flow the velocity is decomposed into a mean part plus a nonlinear disturbance. The idea that nonlinear effects place a limitation on the amplitudes of the disturbance flow is considered. In the reported investigation the disturbance flow is represented by drastically limited Fourier expansions in the downstream coordinate. The resulting equations are solved numerically with high accuracy to obtain a good representation of the cross-stream structure of the solution. The results of the investigation show that indeed the nonlinear terms always limit the amplitude of the disturbance flow in this approximation.
Handling Parameter Uncertainty in Portfolio Risk Minimization

Portfolio allocation decisions are frequently made according to optimization algorithms that treat parameters such as means, variances, and covariances of returns as given. These parameters, however, are estimated through error-prone procedures like statistical modeling or subjective evaluation. Robust optimization has become a way to incorporate uncertainty directly into the formulation of optimization problems. The technique can be applied to modeling uncertainty in the expected returns in portfolio shortfall minimization. Tests using simulated and real market data suggest that portfolio allocation strategies resulting from robust optimization formulations outperform strategies obtained using classic optimization methods.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN BORN TO WOMEN MAINTAINED ON METHADONE DURING PREGNANCY

Eighty-nine infants (S) born to women maintained on methadone during pregnancy have been evaluated periodically since birth to assess any long term effects of methadone on development and physical growth. Using Gesell's Developmental Schedule, 30 S had repeated measures between 23 weeks and 52 months, and 59 S had one measurement between 26 weeks and 41 months. Results show that the score for the first measure of each S ranged between 57 and 121: 43.2% of the scores fell below 100 with 2.3% below 75. 45.5% above 100, and 11.3% were at 100. Fifteen S had 3 to 5 repeated measures between 23 weeks and 37 months with no discernible trend over time. Analyses of height and weight were done for 22 of these infants and a control group (C) (N=18) born in the same nursery as S and followed in the hospital's clinic. The data were put into intervals in weeks: birth; 4-8; 9-13: 14-18; 19-23: 24-28; 29-38. For height, growth curves were parallel suggesting no difference in rate of growth but C was always higher(p<.025). The growth curves for weight were also parallel and there was no significant difference between groups over the study period. In general, the data suggested that infants of women maintained on methadone during pregnancy did not manifest adverse sequelae in regard to growth and development during our study period.
A Remote Electromechanical Vibration Absorber

A remote energy-absorbing technique for the vibration suppression of beams is introduced. The technique is based on the idea of coupling the primary beam to a remote dynamic absorber (RDA) beam electromechanically via piezoelectric elements. A thorough experimental/analytical investigation of the concept, using a RDA beam identical to the primary beam as had been suggested previously, has been conducted. In addition to elucidating the limitations of the concept, the investigation demonstrated that using identical RDA would not work. Instead, a tuned RDA, where the electromechanical coupling stiffness is incorporated in the RDA, is proposed and analytically studied. The study suggests that this tuned RDA concept is valid and may even be practical.
Photoaffinity labeling of β-adrenergic receptors in mammalian tissues

Abstract Photoaffinity labeling of β 1 - and β 2 -adrenergic receptors in plasma membranes from various mammalian tissues has been been performed utilizing the recently developed β-adrenergic antagonist probe [ 125 I]para-azidobenzylcarazolol. Tissues studied and their proportions of β 1 and /gb 2 receptors were: rat lung (18% β 1 , 82% β 2 ), rabbit lung (72% β 1 , 28% β 2 ), guinea pig lung (15% β 1 , 85% β 2 ), dog lung (20% β 1 , 80% β 2 ) and rabbit skeletal muscle (10% β 1 , 90% β 2 ). As assessed by autoradiograms of sodium dodecyi sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, two to three specifically protected bands of M r 62,000–65,000, 50,000–55,000 and 38,000–42,000 were observed in each tissue system. In each case, β-adrenergic agonists and antagonists protected against photolabeling with appropriate β 1 and β 2 selectivity. Thus, in rat lung the β 2 selective antagonist ICI-118,551 was more potent in blocking incorporation than the β 1 selective antagonist betaxolol, whereas in rat, dog and guinea pig lung and rabbit skeletal muscle epinephrine was more potent than norepinephrine in blocking labeling, indicating a β 2 specificity in these tissues. Conversely, in rabbit lung membranes, norepinephrine was approximately equipotent with epinephrine in blocking photoincorporation, indicating a β 1 selectivity. In some systems protease inhibitors, especially those specific for metalloproteases (EDTA, EGTA), markedly diminished the amount of the smaller M r peptides. For example, in rat lung the ratio of M r 62,000 :47,000:36,000 peptides changed from 30:40:30 to 60:35:5 in the presence of inhibitors. These results demonstrate the applicability of using [ 125 I]para-azidobenzylcarazolol to covalently label mammalian β-adrenergic receptors and suggest that mammalian β 1 and β 2 receptor binding sites primarily reside on peptides of M r 62,000–65,000 and that smaller ligand binding fragments may arise by proteolysis.
Assay of cyclopropenoid lipids by nuclear magnetic resonance.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method for the quantitative analysis of cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFA) in lipids is described. Good accuracy is obtained at CPFA concentrations of 1% to 100%. At a CPFA concentration of 10%, NMR is accurate to 0.5%. The position of absorption of the two ring methylene hydrogens is solvent dependent.
Exploring Mobile Devices as Personal Public Displays

We present design research on personal public displays: mobile and wearable displays that direct user designated content towards other collocated individuals. We built display software that projects text and image on the outer facing side of a two-screen laptop and used this prototype as a design probe with three different groups: (1) attendees at a 300-person conference, (2) eight office workers, and (3)twenty design students. We analyze how users crafted content for the displays, identifying that in close-knit groups, the social pressure to appear witty with text postsled to a preference for using images. The mobility afforded by the display allowed users to explore new relationships between physical location and digital content, and we also discuss how by standers observed the displays and re-purposed the messages for use with other outsiders. We conclude with a discussion of potential applications for future design and research work.
Environment behavior models for automation of testing and assessment of system safety

Abstract This paper presents an approach to automatic scenario generation from environment behavior models for testing of real-time reactive systems. The model of behavior is defined as a set of events (event trace) with two basic relations: precedence and inclusion. The attributed event grammar (AEG) specifies possible event traces and provides a uniform approach for automatically generating and executing test cases. The environment model includes a description of hazardous states in which the system may arrive and makes it possible to gather statistics for system safety assessment. The approach is supported by a generator that creates test cases from the AEG models. We demonstrate the approach with a case study of a software prototype of the computer-assisted resuscitation algorithm for a safety-critical casualty intravenous fluid infusion pump.
Sediment resuspension and bed armoring during high bottom stress events on the northern California inner continental shelf: measurements and predictions

Abstract Geoprobe bottom tripods were deployed during the winter of 1990–1991 on the northern California inner continental shelf as part of the STRESS field experiment. Transmissometer measurements of light beam attenuation were made at two levels and current velocity was measured at four levels in the bottom 1.2 m of water. Intervals of high measured bottom wave velocity were generally correlated with times of both high attenuation and high attenuation gradient in the bottom meter of the water column. Measured time series of light attenuation and attenuation gradient are compared to values computed using a modified version of the Smith [(1977) The sea, Vol. 6, Wiley-Interscience, New York, pp. 539–577] steady wave-current bottom-boundary-layer model. Size-dependent transmissometer calibrations, which show significantly enhanced attenuation with decreasing grain size, are used to convert calculated suspended sediment concentration to light attenuation. The finest fractions of the bed, which are the most easily suspended and attenuate the most light, dominate the computed attenuation signal although they comprise only about 5–7% of the bed sediment. The calculations indicate that adjusting the value of the coefficient γ0 in the expression for near-bed sediment concentration cannot in itself give both the correct magnitudes of light attenuation and attenuation gradient. To supply the volumes of fine sediment computed to be in suspension during peak events, even with values of γ0 as low as 5 × 10−5, requires suspension of particles from unreasonably large depths in the bed. A limit on the depth of sediment availability is proposed as a correction to suspended sediment calculations. With such a limit, reasonable attenuation values are computed with γ0 ≈ 0.002. The effects of limiting availability and employing a higher γ0 are to reduce the volume of the finest sediment in suspension and to increase the suspended volumes of the coarser fractions. As a consequence, the average size and settling velocity of suspended sediment increases as bottom shear stress increases, with accompanying increases in near-bed concentration gradients. Higher concentration gradients produce larger stratification effects, particularly near the top of the wave boundary layer at times when wave shear velocities are high and current shear velocities are low. These are the conditions under which maximum attenuation gradients are observed.
Some theorems on stability of discrete circulatory systems

Several theorems pertaining to the stability of discrete, linear, circulatory (i.e., nonconservative) systems are established. One theorem states the condition under which static loss of stability cannot occur. The other theorems are associated with the destabilizing effect of velocity-dependent forces. The usefulness of the new theorems in stability analysis is indicated.
Three-Dimensional Modeling of Gas Metal Arc Welding of Aluminum Alloys

A three-dimensional mathematical model and numerical techniques were developed forsimulating a moving gas metal arc welding process. The model is used to calculate thetransient distributions of temperature and velocity in the weld pool and the dynamicshape of the weld pool for aluminum alloy 6005-T4. Corresponding experiments wereconducted and in good agreement with modeling predictions. The existence of a com-monly observed cold-weld at the beginning of the weld, ripples at the surface of the weldbead, and crater at the end of the weld were all predicted. The measured microhardnessaround the weld bead was consistent with the predicted peak temperature and othermetallurgical characterizations in the heat-affected zone.
Moving Upstream: NEPA and the Golden River

NEPA practitioners are keenly aware of Title I, Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), especially its references to using a systematic, interdisciplinary approach to environmental assessment. Most NEPA practitioners are also knowledgeable about Title I, Section 101, which stresses the importance of preserving historic, cultural, and natural resources, and of achieving a balance between population and economic growth and resource use. Few of us, however, are aware of the nobler aspects of Section 101 that emphasize our responsibility as trustees “to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony,” not only for the present, but “for succeeding generations.” This article has three objectives. First, it traces the evolution of our environmental awareness by describing the social and cultural motivations that led this country to enact NEPA and other federal environmental laws. Second, the article assesses where our profession is today after 30-plus years of NEPA—for example, its effectiveness in protecting the environment and maintaining diversity of species. Third, the article looks ahead into the new century and speculates what will be required of us as environmental stewards, not only technically but also socially and emotionally, to meet environmental challenges—for example, the challenge of natural disaster impact assessment. The article suggests in part that there is a resonance in the natural world that can strike a chord within our beings that not only enlivens our spirits, but also stirs our imaginations and stimulates our highest creative efforts. To achieve the above objectives, the article journeys through 30 years of literary writings—from Roethke's The Far Field (1964) and Carson's Silent Spring (1962) and The Sense of Wonder (1965), to Oliver's American Primitive (1978), House of Light (1990), and West Wind (1997), and Steingraber's Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment (1997).
MET As a Possible Target for Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a heterogeneous group of disorders that is now being subdivided into molecular subtypes with dedicated targeted therapies. The MET receptor tyrosine kinase has been identified as aberrantly overexpressed, potentially having activating mutations, and amplified in certain subsets of lung cancers. The ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) can also be overexpressed in lung cancer or expressed in stroma, and both the MET receptor and the HGF ligand can be targets for therapeutics, especially in lung cancer. Activation of MET leads to a plethora of biochemical and biologic changes both in normal and cancerous cells. Preclinically, it has been shown that silencing or inactivating MET leads to decreased viability of cancer cells. There are a number of compounds against MET/HGF in clinical trials that have been shown to be active in lung cancers. This review will summarize the biology of MET as well as its therapeutic inhibition in lung cancer.
Factors Influencing Oviposition, and the Effect of Temperature on Development and Survival of Enoclerus lecontei (Wolcott) Eggs

The factors influencing oviposition and feeding of Enoclerus lecontei , and the effect of temperature on egg development and survival, were studied in the laboratory. When food was not a limiting factor, the total number of eggs laid, and the total number of bark beetles consumed by clerid pairs during their lives was strongly influenced by longevity of the female and to a lesser extent by female “vigor”. Female “vigor” and longevity were not necessarily coincident. The rate of oviposition and the rate of food consumption are mainly influenced by the “vigor” of the female clerid. The effect of suboptimal food on oviposition was determined. Regression equations are given for estimating the number of eggs laid utilizing three measures of food supply, number of bark beetles supplied, their weight, and number eaten. The independent variables may be used separately or combined as a multiple regression. Time for egg development varied from 5 days at 35 °C. to 28 days at 15 °C. Optimal conditions for development and survival were between 20° and 25 °C. Eggs can withstand cold storage (7° to 9 °C.) for 10 days before survival is impaired. Thereafter, mortality increases logarithmically until the 100 percentile is reached at about 43 days.
Hardware-Software Co-Synthesis of Low Power Real-Time Distributed Embedded Systems with Dynamically Reconfigurable FPGAs

In this paper, we present a multi-objective hardware-software co-synthesis system for multi-rate, real-time, low power distributed embedded systems consisting of dynamically reconfigurable FPGAs, processors, and other system resources. We use an evolutionary algorithm based framework for automatically determining the quantity and type of different system resources, and then assigning tasks to different processing elements (PEs) and task communications to communication links. For FPGAs, we propose a two-dimensional, multi-rate cyclic scheduling algorithm, which determines task priorities based on real-time constraints and reconfiguration overhead information, and then schedules tasks based on the resource utilization and reconfiguration condition in both space and time. The FPGA scheduler is integrated in a list-based system scheduler. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first multi-objective co-synthesis system, which uses dynamically reconfigurable devices to synthesize a distributed embedded system, to target simultaneous optimization of system price and power. Experimental results indicate that our method can reduce schedule length by an average of 41.0% and reconfiguration power by an average of 46.0% compared to the previous method. It also yields multiple system architectures which trade off system price and power under real-time constraints.
The Vacuolar Atpase of Neurospora Crassa Is Indispensable: Inactivation of the Vma-1 Gene by Repeat-Induced Point Mutation

To analyze the phenotype of cells lacking the vacuolar ATPase, we inactivated the vma-1 gene, which encodes the catalytic subunit of the enzyme. Because preliminary experiments suggested the vma-1 gene was essential, we developed a method of simultaneously inactivating the gene and complementing it with a functional copy. We call this method repeat-induced point mutation (RIP) & Rescue. Two strains, both of which contained an extra copy of the vma-1 gene, were mated. Progeny that had inherited a functional copy of the gene at an ectopic site in the genome were selected. In some of these progeny the endogenous vma-1 gene had been altered by the RIP process. Sequencing showed the endogenous vma-1 gene had been inactivated by multiple point mutations. Progeny from strains with an inactive endogenous vma-1 gene were inviable unless a functional copy of the gene cosegregated, indicating that the vacuolar ATPase is essential in Neurospora crassa.
Young Hispanic Women Experience Higher In‐Hospital Mortality Following an Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background Although mortality rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have declined for men and women, prior studies have reported a sex gap in mortality such that younger women were most likely to die after an AMI. Methods and results We sought to explore the impact of race and ethnicity on the sex gap in AMI patterns of care and mortality for younger women in a contemporary patient cohort. We constructed multivariable hierarchical logistic regression models to examine trends in AMI hospitalizations, procedures, and in-hospital mortality by sex, age ( Conclusion We found significant racial and sex disparities in AMI hospitalizations, care patterns, and mortality, with higher in-hospital mortality experienced by younger Hispanic women. Future studies are necessary to explore determinants of these significant racial and sex disparities in outcomes for AMI.
Is Corporate Hedging Consistent with Value Maximization? An Empirical Analysis

We study the derivative holdings of firms facing interest rate and/or currency risk. We net long and short positions to measure the extent of hedging with net notional values. We find that hedging increases with expected financial distress costs, firm size, and investment opportunities. Our evidence is also consistent with firms hedging to increase debt capacity and therefore firm value. We explicitly estimate the convexity in each firm's tax function but do not find evidence that convexity affects corporate hedging. We estimate that the potential increase in value related to tax convexity is much smaller than the tax gain associated with increased debt capacity.
Emerging technologies including robotics and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) colorectal surgery.

Endoluminal and minimally invasive techniques have a long history and bright future in colorectal surgery. First, we will examine how old (colonoscopy) and new (laparoscopy) techniques combine in the form of laparoscopically assisted colonoscopic polypectomy for removal of “colonoscopically unresectable” colon polyps. Next, we will review the early experiences with robot-assisted minimally invasive colon resections. Lastly, we will introduce the next frontier in minimally invasive surgery, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). J. Surg. Oncol. 2007;96:678–683. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Multimodal Speaker Diarization Using Oriented Optical Flow Histograms

Speaker diarization is the task of partitioning an input stream into speaker homogeneous regions, or in other words, to determine ”who spoke when.” While approaches to this problem have traditionally relied entirely on the audio stream, the availability of accompanying video streams in recent diarization corpora has prompted the study of methods based on multimodal audio-visual features. In this work, we propose the use of robust video features based on oriented optical flow histograms. Using the state-of-the art ICSI diarization system, we show that, when combined with standard audio features, these features improve the diarization error rate by 14% percent over an audio-only baseline.
Laparoscopic upper pole partial nephrectomy with concomitant en bloc adrenalectomy

Abstract Objectives To report our experience with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for renal tumor with concomitant adrenalectomy. An upper pole renal tumor may contiguously involve the adrenal gland, requiring concomitant adrenalectomy. Although commonly performed in the setting of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, concomitant adrenalectomy has not been described during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Methods Four patients with an upper pole renal tumor and suspected adrenal involvement underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy with concomitant ipsilateral adrenalectomy. Preoperative three-dimensional computed tomography revealed the renal tumor to be closely abutting the adrenal gland in 3 patients and a 4-cm adrenal mass in 1 patient. The mean renal tumor size was 3.2 cm (range 1.4 to 6.6). To maintain oncologic principles, our transperitoneal laparoscopic technique excises the adrenal gland en bloc with the renal tumor. As such, adrenalectomy is performed first, followed by partial nephrectomy, incorporating hilar control, tumor excision, and sutured renal reconstruction. Results All four procedures were performed without open conversion or intraoperative complications. The mean renal warm ischemia time was 36 minutes, estimated blood loss 169 mL, total operating time 3.9 hours, and hospital stay 3.2 days. One patient developed a transient urinary leak postoperatively. Pathologic examination of the renal tumor revealed renal cell carcinoma (n = 1), dystrophic calcification with ectopic bone formation (n = 1), adult mesoblastic nephroma (n = 1), and subcapsular heterotopic adrenal cortex with cyst (n = 1), all with negative surgical margins. Pathologic examination of the adrenal gland revealed adenoma in 1 case and a normal adrenal gland without malignant involvement in 3 cases. All patients were disease free at last follow-up (mean 6.2 months, range 2 to 12). Conclusions In patients with an upper pole renal tumor and radiologically suspected adrenal involvement, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy with concomitant adrenalectomy can be performed efficaciously respecting oncologic principles.
The mechanics of vertical moving fluidized systems: IV. Application to batch-fluidized systems with mixed particle sizes

The present paper extends the previous investigations from this laboratory on ideal fluidized systems to a system which is somewhat nonideal. Mixtures of different but well-defined glass spheres are fluidized by water to ascertain whether the principles developed for a single particle size still hold. The analysis indicates that the ideal prediction method gives a reasonable representation of the batch-expansion curves for mixed sizes.
Assessing Efficacy of Non-Lethal Harassment of Double-Crested Cormorants to Improve Atlantic Salmon Smolt Survival

Abstract Salmo salar (Atlantic Salmon) smolts are exposed to predation pressure as they migrate from freshwater into the estuary and near-shore marine environment. In particular, Phalacrocorax auritus (Double-crested Cormorants) are a predator of Atlantic salmon smolts during their estuary and near-shore migration. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Services’ (NMFS) telemetry data collected prior to this study (1997–2003), suggest that smolts are being removed from the Narraguagus River on their downstream out-migration. This removal may be the result of Cormorant predation. We investigated whether smolt survival could be improved by disrupting normal Cormorant foraging activity by integrating passive smolt tracking and active harassment techniques. Smolt movement and usage of various portions of the estuary according to light condition and tidal stage were explored along with concurrent avian harassment. Although harassment only occurred in approximately 33...
Ethanol and induction of microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes in the rat.

Abstract Male rats receiving a 15% ( v v ) ethanol solution in place of drinking water for 4 wk showed a significant increase in microsomal O-demethylase activity and a slight rise in P-450 content. DDT and chlorcyclizine administered with food in concentrations of 50 and 250 ppm, respectively, also enhanced the activity of this microsomal enzyme system. When these agents were administered along with ethanol, there was an additional increase in O-demethylase activity and P-450 content. The higher activity of the microsomal enzymes, associated with the ingestion of ethanol, ethanol along with DDT, or ethanol with chlorcyclizine did not seem to affect the rate of ethanol metabolism, as reflected in the production of 14CO2 from the ethanol-1-14C. The chronic administration of chlorcyclizine led to a significant reduction in liver alcohol dehydrogenase activity.
WSN11-3: A Throughput-Maximized MAC Protocol for Ultra Wideband Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we propose a MAC protocol: throughput-maximized MAC protocol (TM-MAC), based on the characteristics of ultra wideband (UWB) technology. In TM- MAC, we implement concurrent multiuser access instead of mutual exclusion method, such as TDMA and random access. For multiuser interference, we establish a model to adaptively adjust the data transmission rate to ensure a satisfied signal to noise ratio (SNR) at receiver side. We also analyze the relationship among the theoretical maximum channel capacity, the achievable maximum channel capacity and the maximum data transmission rate. According to the network topology, TM-MAC re-divides network into subsets, in which communication pairs can make communication simultaneously to enhance throughput and to exploit as fast as possible data transmission rate for reliable communication. For subset formation, we propose a general analytical framework, which captures the unique characteristics of shared wireless channel and allows to model a large class of systemwide throughput maximization issue via the specification of per-link utilization functions. Simulation results demonstrate that TM-MAC can implement throughput maximization to shorten latency and to enhance network processing capability.
Informal Caregiving and Retirement Timing among Men and Women Gender and Caregiving Relationships in Late Midlife

Informal caregiving, or the provision of unpaid, voluntary care to elderly or disabled family and friends, is an increasingly common experience for both men and women in late midlife. The authors examine the ways in which informal caregiving influences the transition to retirement and how this relationship is shaped by gender. Our data are 763 pension-eligible men and women in the 1994-1995 Cornell Retirement and Well-Being Study. Results from discrete-time event history analyses indicate that certain types of caregiving shape the timing of retirement but that the association depends on the relationship between caregiver and care recipient and is fundamentally moderated by gender. For example, wives caring for their husbands have retirement odds 5 times greater than women who are not caregivers, whereas husbands caring for their wives are substantially slower to retire. Our evidence suggests that in this sample, caregiving responsibilities lead to increased sex role-typical employment behavior in late mid...
Adaptive Feedback Communications

A scheme for transmitting binary signals through a Rayleigh fading multipath medium is analyzed. The scheme envisions an adaptive receiver and a feedback channel. The feedback channel conveys information to the transmitter on the forward channel state learned at the receiver. The transmitter uses this information to modify transmission. Results that show the improvement in performance of the system under the assumptions of perfect receiver learning and noise-free feedback are presented. In this way, upper bounds on system performance are established.