cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemoradiation for invasive cervical cancer in elderly patients: outcomes and morbidity.

Goodheart M, Jacobson G, Smith BJ, Zhou L. Chemoradiation for invasive cervical cancer in elderly patients: outcomes and morbidity. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2008;18:95-103. Age may impact survival and treatment in cervical cancer patients. We sought to determine if treatment and survival were different in elderly patients and whether chemoradiation increased morbidity. We per- formed a retrospective chart review to identify patients treated with definitive radiation therapy at the Uni- versity of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics between 1997 and 2001. Three hundred sixty-four patients had a new diagnosis of invasive cervical cancer, of which 150 patients were treated with radiation. We excluded pa- tients treated postoperatively or with palliative intent, leaving 96 patients treated with definitive radiation therapy. Patients were divided into two age categories: elderly (� 65) and nonelderly (,65). We compared these groups with respect to treatment received, morbidity, and survival. Sixty-nine (72%) women were less than 65 years old, and 27 (28%) women were greater than or equal to 65 years old. Chemoradiation was associated with decreased mortality (P , 0.01). The decrease in mortality did not differ between the two age cohorts (all causes: P ¼ 0.66; cancer specific: P ¼ 0.65), nor was there a difference in the complication rate due to chemoradiation (P ¼ 0.70). Although elderly patients were more likely to be diagnosed with nonsquamous histologies (P , 0.01), their odds of receiving chemoradiation were 0.35 (95% CI: 0.13-0.90) times the odds for nonelderly. Elderly cervical cancer patients more often have nonsquamous histology and are likely to receive only radiation therapy compared to younger patients. Treatment with chemoradiation was associated with similar survival increases in both age cohorts. Complication rates between the two were similar. Chemoradiation should be considered in elderly patients with invasive cervical cancer.
The Right to Fashion in the Age of Terrorism

Abstract As part of a feminist commitment to collaboration, this article appears as a companion essay to Mimi Thi Nguyen’s “The Biopower of Beauty: Humanitarian Imperialisms and Global Feminisms” and offers a point of departure for thinking about fashion and beauty as processes that produce subjects recruited to, and aligned with, the national interests of the United States in the war on terror. The Muslim woman in the veil and her imagined opposite in the fashionably modern—and implicitly Western—woman become convenient metaphors for articulating geopolitical contests of power as a human rights concern, as a rescue mission, as a beautifying mandate. This article examines newer iterations of this opposition, in the wake of September 11, 2001, in order to demonstrate the critical resonance of a biopolitics on fashion and beauty. In “The Right to Fashion in the Age of Terrorism,” the author examines the relationship between the U.S. war on terror, targeting persons whose sartorial choices are described as t...
Cannabinoids, hippocampal function and memory.

Prior studies from this laboratory have shown that the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), interferes with short-term memory (1-3) in both delayed match and nonmatch to sample tasks (DMS/DNMS). Recent experiments have shown that other cannabinoids such as the potent CB1 receptor agonist, WIN 55,212-2 produces a delay-dependent deficit in the DNMS task at a dose range (0.10-0.50 mg/kg) well below that of delta9-THC which was blocked by the CB11 receptor antagonist SR141716A (Sanofi Inc). The effects of WIN 55,212-2 at low doses were similar to those of isolated lesions of the hippocampus, whereas high doses (0.50 mg/kg, i.p.) produced effects similar to lesions of both hippocampus and surrounding retrohippocampal areas. The low dose effect was delay-dependent while the high dose introduced an additional deficit at short delays that was sensitive to both SR141716A and the GABA(B) receptor antagonist, phaclofen. Comparison of lesion vs. cannabinoid effects on DNMS performance suggests that CB1 receptors on hippocampal neurons interfere with the processing of DNMS task-specific information within a trial. CB1 receptors on hippocampal GABAergic interneurons and in retrohippocampal areas appear to influence the ability to maintain segregation of information between trials in the task.
Generation and propagation of infrasonic airwaves from volcanic explosions

Abstract Analysis of infrasonic pressure waves generated by active volcanoes is essential to the understanding of volcanic explosion dynamics. Unlike seismic waves propagating in the earth, infrasonic airwaves offer a relatively unfiltered representation of source motions at the vent during an eruption. Time-varying acoustic propagation filters caused by changeable atmospheric conditions are minimal for microphones deployed at intermediate distances ( Johnson et al., J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., in press ].
Light Activated Shape Memory Polymer Characterization

Since their development, shape memory polymers (SMPs) have been of increasing interest in active materials and structures design. In particular, there has been a growing interest in SMPs for use in adaptive structures because of their ability to switch between low and high stiffness moduli in a relatively short temperature range. However, because a thermal stimulus is inappropriate for many morphing applications, a new light activated shape memory polymer (LASMP) is under development. Among the challenges associated with the development of a new class of material is establishing viable characterization methods. For the case of LASMP both the sample response to light stimulus and the stimulus itself vary in both space and time. Typical laser light is both periodic and Gaussian in nature. Furthermore, LASMP response to the light stimulus is dependent on the intensity of the incident light and the time varying through the thickness penetration of the light as the transition progresses. Therefore both in-plane and through-thickness stimulation of the LASMP are nonuniform and time dependent. Thus, the development of a standardized method that accommodates spatial and temporal variations associated with mechanical property transition under a light stimulus is required. First generation thick film formulations are found to have a transition time on the order of 60 min. The characterization method proposed addresses optical stimulus irregularities. A chemical kinetic model is also presented capable of predicting the through-thickness evolution of Young's modulus of the polymer. This work discusses in situ characterization strategies currently being implemented as well as the current and projected performance of LASMPs.
Emotion, appetite and thought

A programming manager typically has only a few minutes of personal contact with a candidate for a senior programming position. This is indeed a short period of time for objectively determining whether or not there is a proper match between such an expensive resource and a critical position. And, of course, the potential employee has just the same period of time for trying out his ideas and ideals on the manager. The resume and/or application are of little help in identifying the key topics that should be pursued, and to the extent that references would be of greater value, they usually are not available at this crucial time.
Short time scale variability in Mkn 501

Abstract In the TeV blazars Mkn421 and Mkn501, the same electrons are thought to be responsible for the synchrotron X-rays and TeV Comptonized emission. As a prelude to simultaneous X-ray/TeV analysis, we present results from variability studies of Mkn 421 and Mkn 501. We find that each source has a variability of 5% r.m.s. amplitude on time scales shorter than 20 minutes. We find some evidence that the hard X-ray flux may be more variable than the soft X-ray flux in Mkn 421. For Mkn 501 we also present comparisons with nearly simultaneous TeV observations taken by the HEGRA collaboration.
SPARSE MATRIX ALGORITHM FOR MINIMUM WEIGHT DESIGN OF LARGE STRUCTURES

Exploiting the zeros inside the sparse global stiffness matrix of a large space structure, a general sparse algorithm has been developed for optimization of large structures. An indirect reference data structure has been used to store the nonzero elements of the stiffness matrix in compact form. The optimization approach used is the optimally criteria method with stress, displacement, and fabricational constraints. The algorithm has been applied to minimum weight design of three space structures with the largest one having 2024 members. The performance of the algorithm is compared with the widely-used banded matrix approach. The new algorithm is substantially more efficient than that based on the banded matrix approach.
Cellular roles of DNA polymerase ζ and Rev1 protein

The majority of both spontaneous and DNA damage-induced mutations in eukaryotes result from replication processes in which DNA polymerase zeta (Polzeta) and Rev1 protein (Rev1p) play major roles. Understanding these roles is likely to provide information relevant to the origin of genetic diseases, such as cancer, and may provide new insights for their prevention. DNA Polzeta also appears to be involved in the somatic hypermutability that occurs during development of the immune response. The results from a variety of genetic and enzymological investigations have started to delineate the cellular roles of these enzymes, but a number of important issues have not yet been resolved and much remains to be learned. Questions concerning the possible existence of other subunits to these enzymes, of their possible association with one another or with other proteins, of the nature of their enzymatic activities and of the relative roles played by these and other DNA polymerases in the bypass of different kinds of DNA damage, require further investigation. Finally, very little is known about the way these enzymes are regulated and brought into play when needed.
Systems Processes and Pathologies: Creating An Integrated Framework for Systems Science

Among the several official projects of the INCOSE Systems Science Working Group, one focuses on integrating the plethora of systems theories, sources, approaches, and tools developed over the past half-century with the purpose of enabling a new and unified “science” of systems as a fundamental basis for SE. Another seeks to develop a much more SE-usable Systems Pathology also grounded in a “science” of systems. This paper introduces the wider SE community to the current status of this unique knowledge base produced over the past three years by an INCOSE-ISSS alliance summarizing the current output of 7 Workshops, 12 Papers, >24 Presentations or Webinars, and 5 Reports. It describes the need for integration of systems knowledge by demonstrating the extensive fragmentation of numerous contributing fields. It presents the current 12-step “protocol” used by the current group to guide its efforts at synthesis across systems domains, disciplines, tools, and scales asking for feedback to improve the approach. It introduces 15 Working Assumptions or Hypotheses that form the foundation for this attempt at unification citing why these could be used as working principles but why it may be undesirable to call them “principles” as others often do. The paper presents working frameworks for integration and criteria used to judge whether results are a “science” of systems or not with reminders that these early guidelines are being subjected to constant testing and revision. The paper ends with images of the resulting “system” of systems processes theory (SoSPT) and its major spin-off, the new top-down Systems Pathology. Fifty-five key Systems Processes are listed that are dynamically and causally joined by more than 200 Linkage Propositions resulting in a much more detailed general theory of how systems work than previously known. The paper argues these products and the networked community of scholars working on them could prove very useful to future SE design, testing, modeling/simulation, and gradual evolution of better SE understanding of the sustainability, maintenance, and repair of systems of all kinds, far beyond those currently served by SE.
Dynamical complexity and pathological order in the cardiac monitoring problem

Abstract Studies of a nonlinear differential equation for the heartbeat and its analogue, a codimension-2 endomorphism, are used to derive a ρ=ƒ(μ,ϵ) plot predictive of the parameter distance from loss of normal mixing conditions and the emergence of two contrasting, rhythmic, fatal cardiac dysrhythmias.
The liaison of isotype class switch and mismatch repair: an illegitimate affair.

The Ig class switch allows the expression of a V region with new CH regions associated with various effector functions (for reviews, see references ([1][1]) and ([2][2])). Switch recombination (SR) occurs by an intrachromosomal deletion process in which the intervening genetic material between the
Nonlinear Image Processing Methods

Image processing methods are often applied to nuclear medicine images to improve their smoothness or to sharpen detail boundaries. These processing methods are either linear or nonlinear. Nonlinear mnethods are those in which individual data points are compared with some standard or fit to determine their suitability for modification or acceptance. Nonlinear methods improve images by modification or removal of improbable values by rejecting data from smoothing areas because of size disagreement or by rejecting spatial frequency components that are too small. Problems in spatial frequency domain methods are discussed, and two-dimensional leastsquares bounding is compared with linear methods and with a two-dimensional median smoothing method.
Systematic review of topical antimicrobial therapy for acute otitis externa

Objective To determine the efficacy of topical antimicrobials for acute otitis externa. Study design Systematic review and random effects meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials with parallel groups permitting one or more of the following comparisons: antimicrobial vs placebo, antiseptic vs antimicrobial, quinolone antibiotic vs nonquinolone antibiotic, steroid-antimicrobial vs antimicrobial, or antimicrobial-steroid vs steroid. Results Twenty trials met inclusion criteria and 18 had data suitable for pooling. Topical antimicrobials increased absolute clinical cure rates over placebo by 46% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29% to 63%) and bacteriologic cure rates by 61% (95% CI, 46% to 76%). No significant differences were noted in clinical cure rates for other comparisons, except that steroid alone increased cure rates by 20% compared with steroid plus antibiotic (95% CI, 3% to 38%). Quinolone drops increased bacteriologic cure rates by 8% compared with nonquinolone antibiotics (95% CI, 1% to 16%), but had statistically equivalent rates of clinical cure and adverse events. Conclusion Topical antimicrobial is highly effective for acute otitis externa with clinical cure rates of 65% to 80% within 10 days of therapy. Minor differences were noted in comparative efficacy, but broad confidence limits containing small effect sizes make these of questionable clinical significance. Significance Summary estimates from the 13 meta-analyses can be used to facilitate evidence-based management recommendations and clinical practice guideline development.
Platinum-Coated Cobalt Nanowires as Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalysts

Cobalt nanowires (CoNWs) are coated with platinum (Pt) by partial galvanic displacement, forming core/shell wires 200–300 nm in diameter and 100–200 μm in length. Pt-coated CoNWs (PtCoNWs) are characterized for activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with rotating disk electrode half-cells in 0.1 M perchloric acid electrolytes. The resulting catalysts demonstrate ORR-specific activities in the range 2053–2783 μA cmPt−2, comparable to the specific activity of polycrystalline Pt. The specific activities of PtCoNWs increase with decreasing Pt content and exhibit a corresponding increase in Pt lattice compression. PtCoNWs have exhibited a maximum mass activity of 793 mA mgPt−1, 2.6 times greater than carbon-supported Pt nanoparticles.
Group differences in the role of g and prior job knowledge in the acquisition of subsequent job knowledge

Abstract The role of ability and prior job knowledge on the acquisition of subsequent job knowledge was examined for 41,976 participants in technical training. Comparisons were made for samples of men and women and for Whites, Blacks and Hispanics. Ability and prior job knowledge were measured prior to entering job training and subsequent job knowledge was measured at the completion of job training. The structural equation model that was used had been statistically confirmed and had shown a role for both ability and prior job knowledge. In all groups, the relative causal impact of ability was far greater than that of prior job knowledge. It should be noted, however, that the relative causal impact of ability and prior job knowledge varied by group, being greater for women and Blacks. Cor.trary to expectations, prior job knowledge had virtually no causal role regarding the acquisition of subsequent job knowledge for women. The R 2 for predicting subsequent job knowledge was about equal for men and women, but less for Blacks than for Whites or Hispanics.
Providing public standardized data access function: Lessons learned from accessing USGS Landsat archive

The geospatial community is experiencing a shift from having data locally to sharing them over the Web. However, not all the data accessing systems are built in compliance with open geospatial standards and thus are weak in terms of interoperability. The USGS Landsat data are now available through free electronic access though not yet through standard Web service interfaces. This paper intends to discuss the experience and lessons learned from integrating a public data access function to the USGS Landsat data archive into a geospatial workflow environment. Currently available systems and their problems, proposed solutions and application scenarios are discussed.
Antiretroviral Use Among Active Injection-Drug Users: The Role of Patient–Provider Engagement and Structural Factors

HIV-seropositive, active injection-drug users (IDUs), compared with other HIV populations, continue to have low rates of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use, contributing to disparities in their HIV health outcomes. We sought to identify individual-level, interpersonal, and structural factors associated with HAART use among active IDUs to inform comprehensive, contextually tailored intervention to improve the HAART use of IDUs. Prospective data from three semiannual assessments were combined, and logistic general estimating equations were used to identify variables associated with taking HAART 6 months later. Participants were a community sample of HIV-seropositive, active IDUs enrolled in the INSPIRE study, a U.S. multisite (Baltimore, Miami, New York, San Francisco) prevention intervention. The analytic sample included 1,225 observations, and comprised 62% males, 75% active drug users, 75% non-Hispanic blacks, and 55% with a CD4 count <350; 48% reported HAART use. Adjusted analyses indicated that the later HAART use of IDUs was independently predicted by patient-provider engagement, stable housing, medical coverage, and more HIV primary care visits. Significant individual factors included not currently using drugs and a positive attitude about HAART benefits even if using illicit drugs. Those who reported patient-centered interactions with their HIV primary care provider had a 45% greater odds of later HAART use, and those with stable housing had twofold greater odds. These findings suggest that interventions to improve the HIV treatment of IDUs and to reduce their HIV health disparities should be comprehensive, promoting better patient-provider engagement, stable housing, HAART education with regard to illicit drug use, and integration of drug-abuse treatment with HIV primary care.
Neonatal muscle tone recorded from eye movement leads.

A simplified way of recording muscle tone during newborn sleep uses electrode placement over periorbital musculature. One study analyzed 30 nights of recording for the emergence of tonic muscle activity during REM to non-REM sleep transitions. The periorbital location equalled the standard chin location in manifesting these changes even though the periorbital electrodes were originally intended for eye movement recording. Another study employed technical adjustments to enhance muscle tone recording from the periorbital location. Analysis of 8 recording nights indicated even more favorable results from this location.
Inductor design for PWM buck converter operated as dynamic supply or amplitude modulator for RF transmitters

Pulse-width modulated (PWM) DC-DC buck converters can play a critical role in high-efficiency power management systems when operated as dynamic power supplies or amplitude modulators. However, no analysis or design methodology currently exists for a buck converter used as variable-output supply in continuous conduction mode (CCM). This paper describes a key difference in analysis and design for this application, namely the method for determining the optimum inductance value. New inductor design equations, different from those derived for fixed-output CCM buck converters in the existing literature, are presented and verified through simulation of an example design.
A Note on the Robustness of Dixon's Ratio Test in Small Samples

Dixon (1950) introduced his ratio statistic rlo= (X(n)-X(n-1l)/(X(fn)-X(l)) to test for outlying observations, where X(1), X(2), X(3), ..., X(n) are the order statistics from a sample of size n. That article illustrates the effectiveness of rio and similar ratios for testing a null hypothesis that all the data come from a single normal population versus the alternative that at least one observation comes from a normal distribution with a shift in mean (contamination model A) or with a larger variance (contamination model B). Dixon (1951) derives the exact density of rlo under the null hypothesis for n = 3, 4, and 5 and gives tables for larger values of n. Likes (1966) gives tables of Dixon's ratio when the data are assumed to come from an exponential distribution. See the text of Barnett and Lewis (1978) for applications of Dixon's test under various null distributions. In moderate sample sizes (15 to 30) two or more outliers may be present and rlo would not be very useful. Dixon proposed other ratio tests to avoid this problem, known as masking. Naus (1975) recommends the use of Dixon's ratio test to detect gross outliers. He calls the method of applying the test to small groups of data the gross error control method; he attributes this application to Nordbotten (1963). The technique is recommended for use in groups as small as three and for situations where the data are normally distributed but the mean or variance change slowly over time. In this note we show that Dixon's test is robust to departures from normality when the sample size n = 3. Naus was apparently unaware of this robustness property, for he writes "The main limitation of this method is that it requires the assumption of normality; it is most useful for spotting individual outliers rather than group outliers." Thomas (1969) did a Monte Carlo investigation of the robustness of Dixon's test by comparing the critical values given by Dixon for the normal case with Monte Carlo estimates for gammaand beta-distributed data when n = 6, 10, and 15. His study showed that for symmetric beta-distributions the critical values were nearly the same as for the normal case. However, for skewed distributions the critical values varied markedly. In Table 1, we compare the critical values at the five percent level for the uniform, normal, and exponential distributions when n = 3, 4, and 5. Also included is a Table 1. Comparison of Critical Values of Dixon's Ratio Test at the Five Percent Level
Abstract 319: The mucin MUC16 protects ovarian cancer cells from innate immune responses

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Epithelial ovarian cancer cells overexpress the mucin MUC16. The estimated molecular weight of this membrane spanning mucin is ∼5 million Da. CA125, a diagnostic marker used to monitor regression and recurrence of ovarian cancer in patients undergoing treatment for this disease, is a repeating peptide epitope present in MUC16. Recent studies have indicated that MUC16 facilitates metastasis of ovarian cancer cells and likely also plays a pro-oncogenic role. We have demonstrated that MUC16 protects the ovarian cancer cells from natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity. The large molecular weight allows the mucin to act as a barrier around the cancer cells and prevent the formation of activating immune synapses between NK cells and ovarian cancer cells. In addition, MUC16 also inhibits NK cell responses by interacting with the inhibitory receptor Siglec-9. Here, we extend these initial studies to demonstrate that knockdown of MUC16 impairs ovarian cancer cells from forming tumors in SCID mice. Cytotoxicity experiments using splenocytes from SCID mice proved that the residual biologically active macrophages and NK cells from SCID mice are able to more effectively lyse the MUC16 knockdown ovarian cancer cells as compared to control cells expressing this mucin. The higher susceptibility of the MUC16 knockdown cells to immune cell mediated lysis was also observed when assays were conducted with murine effectors that were previously stimulated with anti-CD40 antibody. In addition, our data also demonstrates that humanized anti-EpCAM antibody is unable to overcome the immunesuppression mediated by MUC16. Stimulation of the immune cells with the cytokine huKS-IL2, an immunotherapeutic agent used in ovarian cancer clinical trials, also does not circumvent the immunosuppressive effects of MUC16. The data we have obtained indicates that ovarian cancer cells specifically express MUC16 to protect themselves from immune attack. Modulation of MUC16 expression may therefore serve as a useful strategy to control the progression of ovarian cancer via immunologic therapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 319. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-319
1386 PLASMA PROSTAGLANDIN RESPONSE TO INDOMETHACIN THERAPY FOR PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS IN PREMATURE INFANTS

1386 PLASMA PROSTAGLANDIN RESPONSE TO INDOMETHACIN THERAPY FOR PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS IN PREMATURE INFANTS
Protandrous Hermaphroditism in Striped Bass from Coos Bay, Oregon

Abstract Eleven of 42 adult striped bass collected from Coos Bay, Oregon, were possibly protandrous. The older hermaphrodites, ages 7 to 10 years, showed increasing signs of pathology associated with egg retention. Received October 25, 1982 Accepted May 10, 1983
Logistical and fiscal sustainability of a school-based, pharmacist-administered influenza vaccination program.

Objective To assess the fiscal and logistical viability of school-based, pharmacist-administered influenza vaccination programs. Design Econometric observational study. Setting Nine schools in the Rincon Unified School District, Santa Rosa, CA. Participants Safeway Pharmacies; Rincon Unified School District; California Department of Public Health, Immunization Branch; and University of California, San Diego. Intervention Assessment of direct workflow observations and administrative data. Main outcome measures Unit costs, productivity, and effectiveness of school-based, pharmacist-administered influenza vaccination programs. Results The results showed a unit cost of $23.63 (compared with $25.60 for mass vaccination and $39.79 for walk-in shot-only vaccination clinics). The productivity index ($0.88) and efficiency index ($1.12) were better compared with data reported for comparable vaccination programs. Conclusion School-based, pharmacist-administered vaccination programs are fiscally and logistically self-sustaining, viable alternatives to medical office-based or community-based mass vaccination clinics, and may offer a practical strategy for vaccinating children and adolescents.
Fiber-optic flow sensors for high-temperature environment operation up to 800°C

This Letter presents an all-optical high-temperature flow sensor based on hot-wire anemometry. High-attenuation fibers (HAFs) were used as the heating elements. High-temperature-stable regenerated fiber Bragg gratings were inscribed in HAFs and in standard telecom fibers as temperature sensors. Using in-fiber light as both the heating power source and the interrogation light source, regenerative fiber Bragg grating sensors were used to gauge the heat transfer from an optically powered heating element induced by the gas flow. Reliable gas flow measurements were demonstrated between 0.066 m/s and 0.66 m/s from the room temperature to 800°C. This Letter presents a compact, low-cost, and multiflexible approach to measure gas flow for high-temperature harsh environments.
High-power transmission characterization of Chalcogenide glasses using a Tm:fiber laser system

Chalcogenide samples with varying selenium concentrations, As 10 Se 90 , As 30 Se 70 , As 40 Se 60 , and As 50 Se 50 , were characterized for high power transmission using a Tm:fiber laser system. The Tm:fiber laser oscillator consists of a LMA fiber with 25/400 μm core/cladding diameters pumped by 793 nm diode. The output beam was collimated to a 3 mm beam diameter, and transmitted through the chalcogenide samples at CW powers up to 23 W. We measure the transmission as a function of incident power, as well as some initial characterization of surface damage from nanosecond pulses at 2 μm. Furthermore, we utilize a wavefront sensor to characterized the thermal lens induced by the Tm:fiber laser.
Understanding Career Choice of African American Men Majoring in Information Technology

A diverse workforce is essential for developing the nation's technological innovation, economic vitality, and global competitiveness. Yet, the under-representation of women, Latinos and African Americans has persisted in the field. In this study, we focus on African American male undergraduates majoring in information technology (IT). Despite the bleak numbers of African American males in IT there are still those who persist and graduate from a university and enter the workforce. To gain insights into those who do persist, we used a digital inequality framework to inform a qualitative study of undergraduates at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). We conducted interviews with 20 African American males to uncover factors that contribute to their choice to pursue an IT major. The findings reveal that the five constructs from this framework (technical apparatus, digital skill, social support, autonomy of use, and purpose of use) in addition to two new constructs (work ethic and IT career exposure) help to explain how and why African American males choose IT majors. The study contributes to the limited literature on African American men's academic success, and helps to clarify some of the mixed and contradictory findings about their career choices that exist in the current literature.
Results of Selective Use of Operative Laparoscopy in Gynecologic Oncology

Abstract Objective. To evaluate the impact of integration of operative laparoscopy on length of stay (LOS) and complication rates on an academic gynecologic oncology service. Methods. Retrospective analysis of all admissions to our gynecologic oncology service was performed for the academic years 1990/1991 and 1993/1994. Primary endpoints were frequency of complications and LOS. Results. In 1990/1991, there were 785 total admissions, of which 287 were surgical and 3% were approached laparoscopically. In 1993/1994, there were 973 admissions of which 436 were surgical and 23% were approached laparoscopically. Operative laparoscopy was applied equally regardless of age and reproductive status; the utilization of laparoscopy was increased by 14-fold for patients with cancer, 4.5-fold for patients with benign disease, and 12-fold for patients with adnexal masses. No change in the mean LOS of nonsurgical admissions was noted, yet overall LOS for all patients decreased from 6.3 to 4.8 days ( P P Conclusions. Aggressive utilization of operative laparoscopy, even only for selected patients, into the surgical practice of a gynecologic oncology service demonstrates significant improvements in LOS without adversely affecting surgical complication rates.
An Empirical Study of the Accuracy of Corrections for Restriction in Range Due to Explicit Selection

An empirical study of the corrections for restric tion in range due to explicit selection resulted in the following conclusions. (1) The corrected sample correlation was no more accurate than the u...
On balanced colorings of sparse hypergraphs

We investigate 2-balanced colorings of sparse hypergraphs. As applications, we derive several results on balanced edge-colorings of multigraphs.
Emerging operative strategies in neurosurgical oncology.

Purpose of review In recent years, the safety and efficacy of neurosurgical intervention has rapidly improved for brain tumor patients. Technological advances, combined with refined intraoperative techniques, now enable well tolerated surgical access to any region of the human brain. For patients with gliomas, these improvements have redefined the clinical possibilities, and here we review several emerging operative strategies that are essential for next-generation neurosurgical oncologists and major brain tumor centers. Recent findings The value of glioma extent of resection remains controversial, but review of the modern literature reveals important opportunities for early neurosurgical intervention. Although microsurgical resection must be balanced by the risk of neurological compromise, improvements in intraoperative stimulation techniques now enable resection of highly eloquent tumors with minimal morbidity. Additionally, the emergence of fluorescence-guided surgery as a new operative paradigm provides a unique opportunity to resect tumors to the margins of microscopic infiltration. Summary Neurosurgical intervention remains the first step in effective glioma management. With intraoperative mapping techniques, aggressive microsurgical resection can be safely pursued even when tumors occupy essential functional pathways. With the development of tumor-specific fluorophores, such as 5-aminolevulinic acid, real-time microscopic visualization of tumor infiltration can be surgically targeted prior to adjuvant therapy.
SURVEY FOR ZOONOTIC RICKETTSIAL PATHOGENS IN NORTHERN FLYING SQUIRRELS, GLAUCOMYS SABRINUS, IN CALIFORNIA

Epidemic typhus, caused by Rickettsia prowazekii, is maintained in a southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) sylvatic cycle in the southeastern United States. The northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) has not been previously associated with R. prowazekii transmission. A second rickettsial pathogen, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, infects dusky-footed woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes) and tree squirrels in northern California. Because northern flying squirrels or their ectoparasites have not been tested for these rickettsial pathogens, serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to test 24 northern flying squirrels for R. prowazekii and A. phagocytophilum infection or antibodies. Although there was no evidence of exposure to R. prowazekii, we provide molecular evidence of A. phagocytophilum infection in one flying squirrel; two flying squirrels also were seropositive for this pathogen. Fleas and ticks removed from the squirrels included Ceratophyllus ciliatus mononis, Opisodasys vesperalis, Ixodes hearlei, Ixodes pacificus, and Dermacentor paramapertus.
Extraction and visualization of power system interarea oscillatory modes

Interarea oscillatory modes pose a threat to power system stability. An algorithm is presented for the identification and analysis of such modes from high resolution phasor measurement data. The process outlined includes data collection, conditioning, extraction of the primary oscillatory frequency, and determination of participating areas of the system. Additionally a visualization methodology is presented which displays these results. Using the tools developed in this paper the dominant modes and their associated regions of influence in a power system can be determined directly from measurement data.
Production of nickel powder by the titanium redox method and its application to conductive materials

An attempted was made to produce nickel powder in an electroless nickel plating bath using Ti (III) ions as the reducing agent. The crystallite diameter of the obtained nickel powder was about 1.7 nm. This nickel powder magnetically formed chain-like clusters, because the primary particles were small. The resistance of the chain-like powder paste-applied sheets was less than about 1/8 compared to that of the existing spherical powder-applied sheets. To exhibit the same resistance as the spherical nickel powder-applied sheets, the amount of nickel can be markedly reduced by applying the chain-like nickel powder.
Ideals in the multiplication algebra of a non-associative K-algebra

For a non-associative K-algebraA, and σ ∊ A there are K Vector space morphisms L σ : A → A and R σ : A → A given by
Application of the uncertainty principle to electron scattering by phonons in solids

Abstract The contribution of the uncertainty principle to the scattering rates of electrons by phonons in non-polar semiconductors is derived and applied to the hot electron problem. It is shown to modify all of the transport integrals to a certain extent and to remove a singularity appearing in the expression for the mobility when expanded in powers of the electric field. This singularity results from the occurrence of an abrupt threshold for the emission by an electron of an optical phonon. The contribution to the mobility of the term in question and its dependence on the energy uncertainty are calculated for conduction in n-type germanium.
Direct evidence for de novo synthesis of rat liver phenylalanine: Pyruvate transaminase after glucagon treatment

Abstract A specific antibody to phenylalanine:pyruvate transaminase has been used to show that the number of enzyme molecules and the rate of enzyme synthesis are increased by glucagon and N 6 ,O 2′ -dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Cycloheximide given simultaneously with glucagon or dibutyryl cyclic AMP blocked the increase in [ 3 H]leucine incorporation when it was injected along with glucagon, but had no effect when given 4 h after the glucagon. This finding suggests that the mRNA synthesis for phenylalanine:pyruvate transaminase may be completed in 4 h.
Examining the administration of work sanctions on the frontlines of the welfare system

Objectives. Financial penalties, or sanctions, are a core mechanism for enforcing the work requirements of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and helping clients achieve self-sufficiency. This study's objective is to examine whether sanctions are being administered consistent with policy goals of encouraging work. Methods. This study uses administrative fair hearing decisions, which are the product of an adversarial-style procedure triggered when a client appeals an adverse decision by the agency, including work sanctions. Qualitative content analysis is used to analyze the decisions. Results. The study found that despite organizational reforms, local offices had created the welfare-to-work version of an eligibility-compliance culture, where sanctions were based primarily on attendance records and became a paper-processing function. Transactions between clients and workers were often routinized and mechanical, resulting in improper and arbitrary sanctions that were reversed by the hearing officers nearly 50 percent of the time. Conclusion. This study underscores the importance of scrutinizing and correcting agency errors that may undercut clients' engagement in work activities.
Photodynamic Therapy for Obstructive Esophageal Malignancies

Objectives Determine factors affecting survival rates, benefits and complications of patients with obstructive esophageal cancer treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT).
The Driving Appraisal Inventory: Psychometric Characteristics and Construct Validity1

Four studies examined the dimensionality, reliability and construct validity of the Driving Appraisal Inventory (DAI), a self-report measure of driving habits and skills. In Study 1, analysis of 127 items led to the formation of four unidimensional, internally reliable scales: Carelessness, Drunken Driving, Vehicle Safety, and Self-Evaluation. In Study 2, all were found to have acceptable test-retest reliability. In Study 3, convergent validity support was obtained for the Carelessness and Vehicle Safety scales. In Study 4, concurrent criterion-related validity support was obtained for the Carelessness and Drunken Driving scales. Scores on the Self-Evaluation scale appear to be more a function of self-confidence and/or ego-involvement in driving skills and less a function of actual driving skills. Men score higher than women do on the Carelessness, Drunken Driving, and Self-Evaluation scales, and in Study 4, criterion-related validity of the Self-Evaluation scale was stronger among women than among men.
Activation of factor IX by activated factor X: a link between the extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation systems.

Blood coagulation is initiated by two pathways which converge at a point where factor X is converted to factor Xa. In the intrinsic pathway, this reaction is catalyzed by activated factor IX; in the extrinsic, or tissue factor pathway, the conversion is catalyzed by a complex of tissue factor and factor VII [l-3] . Until recently, it had been thought that Xa acted only on prothrombin, but data from this laboratory have shown that factors X, X, and VII all have bonds which are cleaved by X, [4,5]. In view of the fact that X, acts on three homologous proteins, prothrombin and factors VII and X [6], we studied its effect on a fourth homologous protein, factor IX. We now report that factor X, converts factor IX to an active form. By examining the reaction products by electrophoresis in acrylamide gels containing sodium dodecylsulfate, we conclude that activation of the zymogen is accompanied by cleavage of at least two peptide bonds.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus MicroRNAs Repress Breakpoint Cluster Region Protein Expression, Enhance Rac1 Activity, and Increase In Vitro Angiogenesis

ABSTRACT MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, ∼22-nucleotide-long RNAs that regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally. Kaposi9s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) encodes 12 pre-miRNAs during latency, and the functional significance of these microRNAs during KSHV infection and their cellular targets have been emerging recently. Using a previously reported microarray profiling analysis, we identified breakpoint cluster region mRNA (Bcr) as a cellular target of the KSHV miRNA miR-K12-6-5p (miR-K6-5). Bcr protein levels were repressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) upon transfection with miR-K6-5 and during KSHV infection. Luciferase assays wherein the Bcr 3′ untranslated region (UTR) was cloned downstream of a luciferase reporter showed repression in the presence of miR-K6-5, and mutation of one of the two predicted miR-K6-5 binding sites relieved this repression. Furthermore, inhibition or deletion of miR-K6-5 in KSHV-infected cells showed increased Bcr protein levels. Together, these results show that Bcr is a direct target of the KSHV miRNA miR-K6-5. To understand the functional significance of Bcr knockdown in the context of KSHV-associated disease, we hypothesized that the knockdown of Bcr, a negative regulator of Rac1, might enhance Rac1-mediated angiogenesis. We found that HUVECs transfected with miR-K6-5 had increased Rac1-GTP levels and tube formation compared to HUVECs transfected with control miRNAs. Knockdown of Bcr in latently KSHV-infected BCBL-1 cells increased the levels of viral RTA, suggesting that Bcr repression by KSHV might aid lytic reactivation. Together, our results reveal a new function for both KSHV miRNAs and Bcr in KSHV infection and suggest that KSHV miRNAs, in part, promote angiogenesis and lytic reactivation. IMPORTANCE Kaposi9s sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection is linked to multiple human cancers and lymphomas. KSHV encodes small nucleic acids (microRNAs) that can repress the expression of specific human genes, the biological functions of which are still emerging. This report uses a variety of approaches to show that a KSHV microRNA represses the expression of the human gene called breakpoint cluster region (Bcr). Repression of Bcr correlated with the activation of a protein previously shown to cause KS-like lesions in mice (Rac1), an increase in KS-associated phenotypes (tube formation in endothelial cells and vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] synthesis), and modification of the life cycle of the virus (lytic replication). Our results suggest that KSHV microRNAs suppress host proteins and contribute to KS-associated pathogenesis.
Liquid Crystals Tunable Optical Metamaterials

A critical discussion with detailed calculations for the complex refractive indexes of metamaterials of various nanoconstituent makeups, sizes, shapes and concentrations, and periodic nanostructured patterns/geometry are presented. These metamaterials possess tunable subunity, zero, or negative refractive indexes, on account of the large birefringence of their nematic liquid crystal constituent. We also studied the special case involving laser dye-doped nematic liquid crystals that could provide optical gain. It is shown that the resulting metamaterials' loss can be minimized, while achieving the desired tunable birefringence. Some preliminary experimental studies have demonstrated fast optically induced modulation of the nematic liquid crystals and indicated the possibility of ultimately realizing fast tunable or nonlinear optical metamaterials.
Reconstruction of rough-surface profiles with the Kirchhoff approximation

An inversion algorithm, based on the Kirchhoff approximation, for the reconstruction of a rough-surface profile from measurements of the scattered field is described. It is shown that the data can be related to the surface profile through a Fourier-transform relationship by a specific choice of data and so lead to a simple fast-Fourier-transform-based procedure. The algorithm is illustrated through the use of numerical results.
Aeroelastic Stability of Wide Webs and Narrow Ribbons in Cross Flow

Aeroelastic flutter can lead to large amplitude oscillations of tensioned wide webs and narrow ribbons commonly used in the paper-handling, textile, sheet-metal, and plastics industries. In this article, we examine the aeroelastic stability of a web or a ribbon, which is submerged in an incompressible and inviscid fluid flow across its free edges. The web or ribbon is modeled as a uniaxially tensioned Kirchhoff plate with vanishingly small bending stiffness. A Galerkin discretization for the structural dynamics together with panel methods for the unsteady three dimensional potential flow are used to cast the coupled system into the form of a gyroscopic, nonconservative dynamical system. It is found that wide webs mainly destabilize through a divergence instability due to the cross-flow-induced conservative centrifugal effects. However, for certain values of applied tension, the wake-induced nonconservative effects can destabilize the web via a weak flutter instability. Contrarily, narrow ribbons in cross flow are nearly equally likely to undergo flutter or divergence instability depending on the value of applied tension.