cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Other Customer Service Failures: Emotions, Impacts, and Attributions:

While customer-to-customer interactions are frequent in hospitality and tourism settings, very little research investigates the effects of other customers and other customer-generated service failu...
The Laboratory Investigation and Evaluation of Monolayers for Retarding the Evaporation of Water

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the laboratory investigation and evaluation of monolayers for retarding the evaporation of water. The laboratory method for measuring the specific evaporation resistance of a monolayer as a function of the surface pressure has important potentialities in the investigation of materials for retarding the evaporation of water in reservoirs. The method is simple in principle: a desiccating agent is supported a few millimeters above the surface of the water in a film balance, and measurements are made of the rate of water vapor absorption by the desiccant, both with and without a monolayer on the water surface. Many of the factors that are of paramount importance under field conditions can be studied accurately and conveniently under the controlled conditions of the laboratory. A few of these points have been investigated in a preliminary manner. If the monolayer is spread in the usual way at zero initial surface pressure and compressed to a surface pressure below 25 dynes/cm, a resistance lying approximately on the broken line is obtained. In monolayers of two components, there sometimes exist molecular interactions that increase the evaporation resistance.
Expressive footwear for computer-augmented dance performance

A sensor system is described for instrumenting a pair of dancing shoes in order to capture many expressive degrees of freedom and use them to drive music synthesizers and computer graphics in a real-time performance. Dynamic pressure is measured at three points in the shoe sole, as are the bend of the sole, pitch and yaw shoe angles, and translational shoe positions. Data will be transmit across a 19.2 kbaud wireless link, enabling updates at 10 msec intervals.
Modeling Single Event Crosstalk in Nanometer Technologies

With advances in CMOS technology, circuits become increasingly more sensitive to transient pulses caused by single event (SE) particles. On the other hand, coupling effects among interconnects can cause SE transients to contaminate electronically unrelated circuit paths which may increase the SE susceptibility of CMOS circuits. The coupling effects among interconnects need to be considered in single event hardening, modeling and analysis of CMOS logic gates due to technology scaling effects that increase both SE vulnerability and crosstalk effects. This work, for the first time, proposes an SE crosstalk noise estimation method for use in design automation tools. The proposed method uses an accurate 4-π model for interconnect and correctly models the effect of non-switching aggressors as well as aggressor tree branches noting the resistive shielding effect. The SE crosstalk noise expressions derived show very good results in comparison to HSPICE results. Results show that average error for noise peak is about 6.2% while allowing for very fast analysis in comparison to HSPICE.
Comparing Implicit Gender Stereotypes Between Women and Men with the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure

Gender is a pervasive social categorization bearing substantial impact on personal and social behavior throughout the lifespan. In some ways this categorization may perpetuate stereotypes and discrimination, such as women and men being viewed as suited for different educational and career pathways and family responsibilities. Much of the empirical literature and the gender theories that have been built from that literature are founded on self-report measures of gender perceptions. Self-reports of cognitive phenomena are vulnerable to social demand effects, a concern that has occasioned a comparatively small body of gender perception research with implicit measures. The current study explored implicit gender stereotypes among and between women and men with the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure, which can provide more specific assessments of biased attitudes than many comparable implicit measures. The results confirmed some previous findings, revealing stereotype-consistent attitudes and gender differences in the magnitude of those attitudes. Both of the genders measured provided response patterns indicating perceptions of women as emotional, gentle, and sensitive and of men as dominant, forceful, and logical. More specific and nuanced effects were also revealed, including a number of seemingly egalitarian effects and one stereotype-inconsistent bias for women when responding to the combination of women and the words dominant, forceful, and logical. These latter findings would be inaccessible with alternative implicit measures. These results may provide a foundation for a broader and deeper program of future research on the personal and social impact of gender stereotypes.
Toward a unified theory of business information

This article analyses and discusses concepts of business information, with a view to developing a unified theory of business information to help underpin professional information work.
Blood in the water: the Attica Prison uprising of 1971 and its legacy

The effort to shape the meaning of the 1971 Attica uprising and the state’s reprisals against the prisoners took many forms and involved a wide array of politicians, officers, judges, and lawyers. ...
Terrestrial gamma flashes at ground level — TETRA-II

An upgraded version of the TGF and Energetic Thunderstorm Rooftop Array (TETRA-II) consists of an array of BGO scintillators to detect bursts of gamma rays from thunderstorms at ground level in four separate locations: the campus of the University of Puerto Rico at Utuado; the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the Severe Weather Institute and Radar & Lightning Laboratories in Huntsville, Alabama; and the Centro Nacional de Metrologia de Panama (CENAMEP) in Panama City, Panama. TETRA-II began operation in May 2016. The original TETRA-I array of NaI scintillators at Louisiana State University detected 37 millisecond-scale bursts of gamma rays at energies 50 keV-2 MeV associated with nearby (< 8 km) thunderstorms. When TETRA-II is fully operational, it will have approximately an order of magnitude greater sensitivity than TETRA-I. The ability to observe ground-level Terrestrial Gamma Flashes from close to the source allows a unique analysis of the storm cells producing these events. A brief description of the TETRA-I observations, a description of TETRA-II, and preliminary results will be presented.
Money-Back Guarantees for Expensive Drugs: Wolf's Clothing but a Sheep Underneath

Kazi and colleagues show that a money-back guarantee for the lipid-lowering drug evolocumab will improve the drug's net cost-effectiveness by approximately 3% at most. The editorialists discuss why...
Is activation of human brown adipose tissue a viable target for weight management

To date, human studies show that brown adipose tissue (BAT) contributes a small yet highly variable amount to overall energy expenditure. No studies have shown a decrease in body weight with cold-i...
Looking Back at the Value of the Internship

Several years ago, we explored residents and fellows perceptives of the internship. They were done at the same time that discussions about the organization of radiology trainee years were under fruitful analysis and eventual change to the new format currently being introduced at the time of this writing. This report and the one to follow explore the relationship of the preliminary year to the subsequent residency interval and beyond. Each considers the effect on the various types of internships and their remembrance of them by senior residents and fellows.
Leapfrogging ICT with Cloud Computing in Emerging Countries

To understand the impact of conducting business in emerging countries, just analyze the balance sheet of global corporations such as IBM. One might have observed with interest how positive the results were that IBM has reported for the first quarter of 2009 and the quarter before in these difficult economic times. Careful listeners of the remarks during the earnings presentation will have heard where a lot of the profits came from: a successful business design in emerging countries. This provides a foundation for sustainable success to withstand the storm in the developed world. This article describes some core principles to generate very profitable revenue in the developing world.
Breast Cancer Stem Cells: From Theory to Therapy

The leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide is breast cancer. When detected during the primary stages of disease, treatment is largely successful, but if detection occurs after a tumor has already metastasized, breast cancer is often lethal. There is now substantial evidence for the existence of subpopulations of cells within breast tumors that display characteristics of normal stem cells. These cancer stem cells (CSCs) are capable of self-renewal, tumor-initiation capacity, and differentiation into nonself-renewing cells that constitute the bulk of a tumor. Experiments have established that these cells can be isolated by virtue of expressed CSC markers as well as by their physiologic behavior. Additionally, breast CSC self-renewal activity can be measured by passaging mammosphere colonies in culture and by tumor initiation in immunocompromised animals. Data suggests that breast CSCs are relatively resistant to conventional cancer therapies highlighting the importance of developing novel CSC-targeting agents are needed. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of breast CSC has lead to development of agents capable of targeting the CSC population. Several agents are now entering clinical trials to test whether targeting CSCs can improve the outcome of breast cancer patients.
On the stability of direct time-domain boundary element methods for elastodynamics

Abstract Numerical stability has been a fundamental challenge in direct time-domain boundary element methods (TD-BEM) for elastodynamics. In this paper, an analytical framework for the evaluation of the critical aspect is presented. By casting a convolution integral-based TD-BEM algorithm in the form of a linear multi-step method with a hybrid amplification matrix and the incorporation of some fundamental characteristics of commonly-used transient Green's functions, a rigorous assessment of the problem is shown to be reducible to a standard spectral analysis in matrix theory by which the stability threshold can be clearly defined. Apt to be relevant to the evaluation of other TD-BEMs, the approach is applied to a regularized time-domain direct boundary element method with optional collocation weights and orders of solution variable projections as illustration. By virtue of the proposed formalism and a systematic parametric study, a proper resolution of the critical aspect for some past schemes as well as the versatility of the generalized TD-BEM algorithm as they pertain to the benchmark finite-domain square-bar and the infinite-domain cavity elastodynamic problems are given as examples.
A nuclear lamina‐chromatin‐Ran GTPase axis modulates nuclear import and DNA damage signaling

The Ran GTPase regulates nuclear import and export by controlling the assembly state of transport complexes. This involves the direct action of RanGTP, which is generated in the nucleus by the chromatin-associated nucleotide exchange factor, RCC1. Ran interactions with RCC1 contribute to formation of a nuclear:cytoplasmic (N:C) Ran protein gradient in interphase cells. In previous work, we showed that the Ran protein gradient is disrupted in fibroblasts from Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) patients. The Ran gradient disruption in these cells is caused by nuclear membrane association of a mutant form of Lamin A, which induces a global reduction in heterochromatin marked with Histone H3K9me3 and Histone H3K27me3. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that heterochromatin controls the Ran gradient. Chemical inhibition and depletion of the histone methyltransferases (HMTs) G9a and GLP in normal human fibroblasts reduced heterochromatin levels and caused disruption of the Ran gradient, comparable to that observed previously in HGPS fibroblasts. HMT inhibition caused a defect in nuclear localization of TPR, a high molecular weight protein that, owing to its large size, displays a Ran-dependent import defect in HGPS. We reasoned that pathways dependent on nuclear import of large proteins might be compromised in HGPS. We found that nuclear import of ATM requires the Ran gradient, and disruption of the Ran gradient in HGPS causes a defect in generating nuclear γ-H2AX in response to ionizing radiation. Our data suggest a lamina-chromatin-Ran axis is important for nuclear transport regulation and contributes to the DNA damage response.
A Collaborative Practicum Targeting Communication Skills for Computer Science Researchers

Computer science researchers spend significant time writing and presenting their research ideas to conference audiences, reviewers, funding agencies, collaborators, and other technical and general audiences. Good communication skills can increase a researcher's effectiveness and efficiency, while currently most students rely on their PhD mentor, technical writing courses, tutors, or self-teaching to improve their communication skills. This paper details a graduate level course to provide graduate students with a collaborative practicum in building strong communication skills for a technical research career in computer science. Each class meeting is activity-based, using collaborative small-group analysis of writing and presentation samples and peer reviewing with rubrics created by the students and refined by the instructor. Assignments require students to stretch their thinking and practice their communication skills. Students write weekly reflect blog entries guided by prompts to promote reflection about their communication experiences, challenges and successes. We summarize and reflect on initial outcomes from two instantiations of the course.
The Tendyne transcatheter mitral valve replacement system for the treatment of mitral regurgitation.

Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is the most prevalent valvular disorder among the growing elderly population, occurring in over 6% of those aged >65. Unfortunately, many individuals with severe MR (particularly those with systolic dysfunction or secondary MR) will not be candidates for surgical valve repair or replacement due to high or prohibitive operative risk. For such patients, transcatheter mitral valve replacement represents a viable option. The TendyneTM valve (Abbott Vascular, CA, USA) is one of the most well-studied system to date, with a good safety and efficacy profile.
IMPLICATION AND PROCEDURES FOR WASTE ELIMINATION OF HAZARDOUS WASTES

ABSTRACT The technology of waste elimination is evolving as a major alternative to end-of-pipe treatment of hazardous waste and to perpetual storage in landfills. The extent of usage of waste elimination thus depends on the economics of alternatives. At the present time, these comparisons are not on a basis of environmental equivalence, particularly in relation to long term storage. The inadequacy of present comparisons will be discussed. Waste elimination can be categorized as 1) in-plant modification and 2) recycle/reuse, with different process characteristics for each group. For either group of techniques, a procedure is presented as well as the generic classes of technical solutions used in waste elimination.
Ten Years After the National Academy of Sciences’ Landmark Report on Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward – Where are We?

We are still struggling with the inability of courts to assess the efficacy of forensic evidence. When a forensic expert testifies about a method that has not been found to be valid and reliable, the expert does not know what he does not know and cannot explain the limits of the evidence. This is unacceptable. Judges and juries must understand the levels of uncertainty that are associated with forensic evidence so that they can determine whether the prosecution has met its burden of proving that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. We still need a national, independent agency to oversee forensic research and practices. This was the most important recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Identifying the Needs of the Forensic Science Community. We also need more top scientists engaged in serious research to determine the validity and reliability of forensic methods. And we need these individuals to appear in court to explain the limits of the evidence.
Real-time Parking Slot Detection for Camera-equipped Vehicles *

This paper proposes a novel camera-based approach for parking slot detection with markings, using surround-view cameras mounted on vehicles. By introducing a pipeline of marking-specific image feature extraction and novel filtering stages, we detect parking slot markings in pinhole cameras as well as in cameras with fisheye lenses without using a computationally intensive bird-view transformation. After projecting a compact set of image features into 3D space, our orientation-specific Hough transform finds explicitly the left and right edges of the parking slot markings in desired orientations, which is the basis for marking detection and tracking. We present a novel technique to detect and track the parking slots in the scene in a coherent manner, that preserves the structure of the overall parking layout and its temporal consistency. Our algorithm is designed to run on low cost hardware used in vehicles and it is shown to run at 30fps on ARM CPUs. We validated our algorithm on videos representing real-world scenarios of parking slots including marking occlusion, degradation and different weather conditions.
Growing acceptability of Undetectable = Untransmittable but widespread misunderstanding of transmission risk: Findings from a very large sample of sexual minority men in the United States

AbstractBackground:Several studies have demonstrated no linked HIV transmissions in serodifferent sexual encounters where the partner with HIV has an undetectable viral load (VL). As a result, awareness and dissemination of treatment as prevention (TasP), and movements like “Undetectable = Untransmi
Soft Tissues of the Neck

From neonates to adolescents, radiology plays an integral role in the diagnosis of pediatric conditions. There is considerable overlap in the clinical presentation of diseases in the pediatric population, and a fundamental understanding of radiographic findings is essential toward narrowing the differential diagnosis. This chapter will review the common causes of respiratory distress in pediatric patients, as well as key anatomic structures in the neck that may contribute to pathology.
The Phenomenon of Collaboration: A Phenomenologic Study of Collaboration between Family Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology Departments at an Academic Medical Center

Collaboration is essential to manage complex real world problems. We used phenomenologic methods to elaborate a description of collaboration between two departments at an academic medical center who considered their relationship to represent a model of effective collaboration. Key collaborative structures included a shared vision and commitment by leaders, rigorous quality improvement, clear delineation of roles with built-in flexibility, ongoing commitment to formal and informal communication channels and conflict resolution, relationship development grounded in respect and responsiveness, and shared training in a supportive learning environment with legitimate participation fostering skill development. This study reveals the complexity and resources required for collaboration which both explains why collaboration is not as easy to achieve and identifies processes that foster collaboration. Key Words: Collaboration, Phenomenology, Family Medicine, and Obstetrics There is a growing recognition that complex health issues necessitate intersectoral
Kidney transplantation using lymphocyte depleting induction and standard maintenance immunosuppression at the height of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in New York City: A single-center experience

Background Concerns have been raised regarding proceeding with kidney transplantation using standard immunosuppression in COVID-19 endemic areas. Methods We performed a single-center review of all adult kidney transplants performed during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Patients were managed with standard immunosuppression protocols, including lymphocyte depleting induction and trough-guided tacrolimus. Retrospective data were collected for 3 months from the date of transplantation or until study conclusion (5/7/2020). The primary outcomes assessed included patient and allograft survival as well as COVID-19 related hospital readmission. Results 30 kidney transplants were performed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a median follow-up of 51.5 days, 93.3% of patients were alive with 100% death-censored allograft survival. 9 patients were readmitted to the hospital during the study period, 4 (13.3%) related to infection with COVID-19. Infections were mild in 3/4 patients, with one patient developing severe disease leading to respiratory failure. Patients readmitted with COVID-19 were numerically more likely to be African American, have a BMI > 30 kg/m2, have a lymphocyte count ≤ 300 cells/mL, and be on maintenance corticosteroids. Conclusions Kidney transplantation in areas endemic to COVID-19 using standard induction and maintenance immunosuppression appears to be associated with a modest risk for severe COVID-19 related disease.
Neuromuscular Complications of Statin Therapy

This review provides an overview of neuromuscular side effects associated with statin use, their diagnosis, and treatment. The discovery of anti-HMGCR antibodies led to a better understanding of clinical aspects of statin-associated anti-HMGCR myopathy and its treatment. Statins are widely prescribed medications with well-established benefits in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Adherence to statins is influenced by development of side effects, especially muscle related. There is wide range of neuromuscular side effects associated with statin therapy. Documented neuromuscular side effects include asymptomatic elevation of muscle enzymes, mild-moderate myalgias and cramps, toxic and immune-mediated severe necrotizing myopathy, and rare cases of rhabdomyolysis. In addition, statins can lead to unmasking or triggering of underlying muscle and neuromuscular junction disorders. This article identifies the risk factors and provides a review of neuromuscular side effects associated with statin use, their diagnosis and treatment.
Association of Coming Out as Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual+ and Risk of Cigarette Smoking in a Nationally Representative Sample of Youth and Young Adults.

Importance Coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or other identities besides heterosexual (LGB+) may represent a susceptible period for cigarette smoking initiation in youth and young adults. Objective To assess whether young people who change their sexual identity have higher risk of cigarette smoking initiation and current smoking compared with those with consistent sexual identities. Design, setting, and participants This cohort study used data from the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study (wave 1, 2013-2014; wave 2, 2014-2015; wave 3, 2015-2016; wave 4, 2016-2018). Youth and young adults aged 14 to 29 years who were never smokers at wave 1 were included in this study. Analysis began October 2018 and ended June 2020. Exposures Consistent sexual identity (consistently heterosexual, consistently LGB+) vs changing sexual identity (coming out as LGB+, other LGB+ patterns) based on 4 waves of sexual identity data. Identities were further classified by distinguishing between bisexual and lesbian, gay, and other nonheterosexual identities. Main outcomes and measures Smoking initiation and current cigarette smoking at wave 4. Results Among 7843 individuals who never smoked at wave 1, 6991 (90.7%) reported a consistent sexual identity, and 852 (9.3%) changed sexual identity across waves. The mean (SE) baseline age of participants who reported consistent heterosexuality was 20.1 (0.8) years; consistently LGB+, 20.0 (3.7) years; coming out as LGB+, 18.0 (2.9) years, and other LGB+ pattern, 20.3 (3.8) years. A total of 14.1% (weighted) initiated smoking, and 6.3% were current smokers at wave 4. Compared with consistently heterosexual identities, coming out as LGB+ (23% vs 13%; odds ratio [OR], 1.72; 95% CI, 1.34-2.20), consistently LGB+ identities (17% vs 13%; OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.03-2.04), and other LGB+ patterns (17% vs 13%; OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.04-2.08) were positively associated with smoking initiation by wave 4. Compared with consistently heterosexual identities, ORs for smoking initiation were 2.24 (28% vs 13%; 95% CI, 1.72-2.92) for coming out as bisexual, 1.99 (23% vs 13%; 95% CI, 1.20-3.29) for consistently LGB+ with change to/from bisexual, and 2.20 (23% vs 13%; 95% CI, 1.40-3.46) for other LGB+ patterns with change to/from bisexual identity. Current smoking estimates were similar to those for smoking initiation. Conclusions and relevance Compared with consistently heterosexual identities, changing sexual identity over follow-up was associated with smoking initiation and current smoking. The risk associated with changing sexual identities was concentrated among participants coming out as bisexual or reporting other changes in their identity to/from being bisexual. More research is needed on mechanisms underlying the association between changing sexual identity and smoking initiation to inform tailored prevention programs and tobacco regulations.
Intimate Partner Violence and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: Indirect Effects Through Negative and Positive Emotion Dysregulation:

Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) are at heightened risk for developing posttraumatic stress (PTS). Emotion dysregulation has been linked to both IPV and PTS, separately, however...
Use of Absorbable Dermal Stapler in Reduction Mammoplasty: Assessing Technical, Quality-of-Life, and Aesthetics Outcomes.

Introduction Reduction mammaplasty is a mainstay in the treatment of symptomatic macromastia, with a well-described positive impact on patient quality-of-life (QoL). Absorbable dermal staplers have the potential to improve the efficiency of skin closure in reduction mammoplasties, but a more comprehensive assessment of its impact on key outcomes has not been fully elucidated. Methods A retrospective review of patients undergoing reduction mammoplasty between November 2018 and December 2020 was conducted. Patients were included if they had undergone a wise-pattern reduction with a superomedial pedicle and completed 3 months of follow-up. Patient demographics, operative information, clinical and aesthetic outcomes, and QoL were compared between patients that had INSORB stapler-assisted and suture-only closures. Results Seventy-five patients met the inclusion criteria, with 34 patients (45%) in the stapler cohort. Total procedure time was significantly reduced with the use of the dermal stapler (stapler: 154 vs. suture: 170 minutes; p = 0.003). The incidence of major complications was similar between cohorts (stapler: 8.8% vs. suture: 12%; p = 0.64), as was the incidence of minor complications (stapler: 44% vs. suture: 41%; p = 0.82). Regardless of closure technique, patients demonstrated significant increases in all QoL domains (p 0.05). Conclusions The dermal stapler improves efficiency of closure during reduction mammoplasty without increasing the incidence of wound healing complications. Additionally, cosmetic outcomes are not affected, and patients demonstrate similar post-operative satisfaction with the result regardless of closure technique.
Aquatic Rehabilitation for the Treatment of Neurological Disorders

Patients with neurological disorders present therapists with complex challenges for treatment, including weakness, hypertonicity, voluntary movement deficit, limited range of motion, sensory loss, incoordination, and postural instability. The presence of one or more of these impairments negatively influences these patients by contributing to problems in walking, transferring, and reaching. Aquatic rehabilitation offers a unique, versatile approach to the treatment of these disabilities. This article examines the problems encountered by patients with neurological disorders, general principles guiding neurotreatment, and aquatic neurorehabilitation approaches.
Deep Space Telecommunications Systems Engineering

A vital, often predominant function in every space mission is that of communications. From the moment of launch, the only connection between spacecraft and earth is the communications systems. This system is responsible for spending scientific data back to earth in the specified quality and quantity together with engineering data reporting the condition of the spacecraft. The communications system also provides the capability of tracking the spacecraft and commanding it to take certain actions. Without an effective communications system a successful mission would not be possible.
Abstract 18116: The Effect of Therapeutic Hypothermia on QT and Corrected QT Intervals in Patients With Cardiac Arrest and Their Association With Malignant Arrhythmias

Background: Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is used to improve neurological outcomes after cardiac arrest. The effects of TH on manually and computer derived measures of the QT and corrected QT (QTc) intervals, and their association with malignant arrhythmias, have not been well characterized. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 193 patients undergoing TH for cardiac arrest between July 2007 and February 2013, reviewing 12-lead electrocardiograms before, during and after TH if available. We tabulated both manually-calculated and computer-derived QT and QTc intervals and examined the relationship between QTc and the occurrence of malignant arrhythmias, as well as the influence of ejection fraction (EF), serum electrolytes and any known QT-prolonging medications. Results: 193 patients underwent TH for cardiac arrest, among which 100% (n=193) had a pre-TH ECG; 87% (n=167) had an ECG during-TH, and 74% (n=142) had a post-TH ECG. Computerized QTc was significantly different than manually derived QTc at...
eRulemaking at the crossroads, v.2.0: Sunday May 18, 2008, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Part of the 9th annual dg.o international conference, this workshop is a forum for presentation and discussion of eRulemaking. The conference is presented by the Digital Government Society of North America (DGSNA), with major support from the US National Science Foundation.
Analysis of prognostic factors in ewing sarcoma family of tumors: review of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital studies.

BACKGROUND. Advances in systemic and local therapies have improved outcomes for patients with the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT). As new treatments are developed, a critical review of data from past treatment eras is needed to identify clinically relevant risk groups. METHODS. The authors reviewed the records of 220 patients with ESFT who were treated on protocols at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital from 1979 to 2004. Two treatment eras were defined. Factors predictive of outcome were analyzed to identify distinct risk groups. RESULTS. The median age at diagnosis was 13.7 years (range, 1.1–25.2 years). Metastatic disease was associated with tumors measuring [ 8c m (P 5 .002) and axial location (P 5 .014). The 5-year overall survival (OS) estimate (63.5% � 3.5%) did not appear to differ by protocol. Tumor stage and size were found to be the only independent predictors of outcome. Treatment era and type of local control therapy were found to influence the outcome of patients with localized disease. Four risk groups were defined: favorable risk (age <14 years with localized, nonpelvic tumors), intermediate risk (localized, age � 14 years, or pelvic tumors), unfavorable-pulmonary (isolated lung metastases), and unfavorable-extrapulmonary (extrapulmonary metastases). The 5-year OS estimates for these groups were 88.1% � 4.4%, 64.9% � 5.2%, 53.8% � 9.4%, and 27.2% � 7.3%, respectively (P < .001). The incidence of therapy-related leukemia was significantly higher during the second treatment era, when more intensified regimens were used (6.1% � 2.7% vs 0% � 0%; P 5 .005). CONCLUSIONS. Risk stratification schemes such as this should be used to prospectively evaluate novel risk-based therapies. Studies of biologic pathways may help to refine this model. Cancer 2007;110:375–84. � 2007 American Cancer Society.
TURNING POINTS AND TRANSITIONS: THE ROLE OF FAMILY IN WOMEN’S IMMIGRATION EXPERIENCES

Given the significant number of immigrants in the United States, especially immigrant families with young children, there is a need to better understand the experiences of immigrant women, and especially immigrant mothers. In particular, the factors impacting women’s decisions to migrate, migration journeys, and post-migration adjustment should be examined. Framed in family life course theory and using ethnographic, in-depth interviews, we explored these three immigration phases for 40 first-generation Latina and African immigrant women who experienced motherhood in the U.S. Results of the study expand the literature focused on immigration experiences by considering turning points and transitions in women’s migration processes, as they are shaped by both micro- (family) and macro- (socio-historical) level factors. The findings illustrate the spontaneous nature of some decisions to migrate, as well as how immigration journeys are influenced by the financial and physical supports of families and the status of their documentation. In addition, study findings point to motherhood as an important turning point for first-generation immigrant women in their adjustment to life in the U.S., and particularly in their planning with respect to staying long term. Implications for programs, policy, and future research are discussed.
Derivation of Aerodynamic Kernel Functions

The method of Fourier transforms is used to determine the kernel function which relates the pressure on a lifting surface to the prescribed downwash within the framework of Dowell's (1971) shear flow model. This model is intended to improve upon the potential flow aerodynamic model by allowing for the aerodynamic boundary layer effects neglected in the potential flow model. For simplicity, incompressible, steady flow is considered. The proposed method is illustrated by deriving known results from potential flow theory.
A Shelter-Based Stress-Reduction Group Intervention Targeting Self-Esteem, Social Competence, and Behavior Problems Among Homeless Children

It has been estimated that families with children now account for 40% of the population who become homeless. Given the consistency of research showing the potentially damaging effects of homelessness as a stressor upon the social and emotional development of children, the question of importance is how to best intervene to reduce the likelihood or severity of such possible negative consequences. The approach taken here involved the development of a Shelter-Based Stress-Reduction Group Intervention Targeting Self-Esteem and Behavior Problems Among Homeless Children.
Primers on Molecular Pathways – Notch

Notch, initially discovered and well characterized in Drosophila due to the notches apparent in the wing blades of mutant strains, and its signaling pathway play a key role in cell-cell communication, which involves gene regulation mechanisms that control multiple cell differentiation processes during embryonic and adult life, including timely cell lineage specification of both the endocrine and exocrine pancreas. This pathway serves as an excellent model signaling cascade for the regulation of the transition from normal ductal epithelium to metaplasia to cancer. In human pancreatic cancer, the change in epithelial differentiation programming is an early hallmark. Several of these changes, including activation of the Notch pathway, which are observed in pathological scenarios, are also seen during normal embryonic development of the pancreas. Notch receptors, ligands as well as downstream targets have been identified to be upregulated in preneoplastic lesions to invasive pancreatic cancers in humans and mice, suggesting that Notch signaling may be an early event leading to accumulation of undifferentiated precursor cells in pancreatic cancers.
The Chemical Composition of Honey.

Honey is a supersaturated sugar solution, created by bees, and used by human beings as a sweetener. However, honey is more than just a supersaturated sugar solution; it also contains acids, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids in varying quantities. In this article, we will briefly explore the chemical composition of honey.
A Geometrical Model for Spirals: a Possible Paradigm for Belousov-Zhabotinskii

We formulate and investigate a local, geometrical model for steady-state spiral motion in order to better understand the spiral pattern observed in Belousov-Zhabotinskii (BZ) reactions. In particular, we demonstrate that the surface tension (i.e. curvature dependent) term is responsible for velocity selection in the toy model. In this model, the selected velocity for small surface tension is the unique velocity for which the zero surface tension term is nonsingular. We conclude with speculations on the implications of our results for BZ spirals.
Many Faces of the Synapse

Excitatory Amino Acids and Synaptic Transmission. H. V. WHEAL and A. M. THOMSON, Eds. 2nd ed. Academic Press, San Diego, 1997. xvi, 388 pp., illus., + plates. $75, ISBN 0-12-746031-4.
Resource Bundling for Distributed Computing

This paper describes techniques for integrating programs and their resources. The goal is to distribute the programs, to a variety of platforms, without loosing the resources that they need in order to run. Programs so integrated are less fragile than their nonintegrated counterparts. The techniques described include the use of a semi-automatic source code synthesizer, XML-based serialization and a base-64 GZIP encoded string format. The approach is suitable for small data objects (i.e., icons, short audio signals, etc.). It has been used, with good success, on a variety of projects. One drawback of the technique is that an added step is required during program development in order to integrate resources into the code. Another drawback is that integrating resources into the source code can dramatically increase the size of the class files. On the other hand, once the class files are loaded, the resources are available in memory (and hence, quickly accessible). The techniques described are a part of the Kahindu project, a joint project between the skunk works of DocJava, Inc. and Fairfield University. Kahindu is the name of a village in Kenya known for its fine coffee.
Speed of computation and simulation

This paper examines several issues related to information, speed of computation, and simulation of a physical process. It is argued that mental processes proceed at a rate close to the optimal based on thermodynamic considerations. Problems related to the simulation of a quantum mechanical system on a computer are reviewed. Parallels are drawn between biological and adaptive quantum systems.
Design Patterns in Software Maintenance: An Experiment Replication at University of Alabama

Design patterns are widely used within the software engineer community. Researchers claim that design patterns improve software quality. In this paper, we describe two experiments, using graduate student participants, to study whether design patterns improve the software quality, specifically maintainability and understandability. We replicated a controlled experiment to compare the maintainability of two implementations of an application, one using a design pattern and the other using a simpler alternative. The maintenance tasks in this replication experiment required the participants to answer questions about a Java program and then modify that program. Prior to the replication, we performed a preliminary exercise to investigate whether design patterns improve the understandability of software designs. We gave the participants the graphical design of the systems that would be used in the replication study. The participant received either the version of the design containing the design pattern or the version containing the simpler alternative. We asked the participants a series of questions to see how well they understood the given design. The results of two experiments revealed that the design patterns did not improve either the maintainability or the understandability of the software. We found that there was no significant correlation between the maintainability and the understandability of the software even though the participants had received the design of the systems before they performed the maintenance tasks.
Similarity among the implicit stimuli and responses in mediated paired-associate learning

In an A-B, B-C, A-C mediation paradigm similarity among the Bs was varied over four conditions. The effect on paired-associate performance in the A-C stage was as predicted from studies concerned with the effect of intralist similarity in conventional paired-associate learning. Performance facilitation in the A-C stage decreased as the similarity of the Bs increased.
Stability of a planar interface during solidification of a multicomponent system

Abstract A fully time-dependent analysis of the morphological stability of a planar interface during directional solidification of a multicomponent alloy at constant velocity is carried out for a simple model in which each solute acts independently. We show that there are no linearly unstable modes that are oscillatory in time (principle of exchange of stabilities in strong form) under any of the following conditions: (1) equal thermal properties in crystal and melt, (2) equal temperature gradients in crystal and melt, or (3) the thermal steady-state approximation. The stability-instability demarcation is analyzed in the thermal steady-state approximation. Numerical results are presented for ternary alloys in terms of a stability surface that becomes planar in the limits of modified constitutional supercooling and absolute stability.
Methotrexate for abortion at ≤42 days gestation

Methotrexate is cytotoxic to trophoblast and, in low doses, has minimal side effects. It is used to treat gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and ectopic pregnancy and has recently been shown to have similar effects on intrauterine trophoblast. A prior study suggested that methotrexate may successfully cause abortion of an early pregnancy without prostaglandin. To test this hypothesis, ten pregnant women at < or = 42 days gestation were treated with methotrexate 50 mg/m2 intramuscularly. Vaginal bleeding started 24 +/- 10 (mean +/- standard deviation) days after the injection and lasted 10 +/- 3 days. Methotrexate side effects occurred in 4 patients and were limited to the first 4 days after the injection. Methotrexate alone appears sufficient to abort a very early intrauterine pregnancy.
Automated Solid Phase Extraction and Quantitative Measurement of 2,3-Dibromo-1-Propanol in Urine Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

2,3-Dibromo-1-propanol (DBP) was used as an active flame retardant in the 1970s. It was also used as an intermediate in the preparation of insecticide formulations, pharmaceuticals and the flame retardants tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate (Tris-BP) and tetrabromobisphenol A bis (2,3-dibromopropyl ether). DBP is also produced in vivo as a metabolic product of Tris-BP in humans. In 1977, sleepwear containing DBP and Tri-BP was banned because of evidence of carcinogenicity animal studies. Although the production of DBP was reduced after 1977, studies show that DBP is still detected in indoor air and dust; hence, the U.S. population may be exposed potentially to DBP. Only a few methods have been reported in the literature for assessing exposure to DBP or Tris-BP by measuring DBP in urine. These methods are based on a labor-intensive and time-consuming liquid-liquid extraction for the isolation of DBP from the urine matrix. To measure urinary DBP in humans, a fast, accurate, and sensitive method was developed with a limit of detection of 0.1 ng/mL and extraction recovery of 96%. This method involves enzymatic cleavage of the DBP-glucuronide or sulfate conjugate, automated solid phase extraction, and analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using 1,4-dibromo-2-butanol as the internal standard.
Representing frequency spectra for shallow water waves

Abstract Wind waves recorded in water from 1.4 to 3.8 m deep near the southeastern shore of Lake Erie during 1981 were used to compare two methods for representing wave spectra in shallow water. The results show that the semi-theoretical Wallops model, which requires total energy, peak energy frequency, and depth as parameters, provides fair agreement with observed spectra at the deeper stations but only marginal agreement in very shallow water. The general empirical model, which requires average frequency and energy density at the spectral peak as additional parameters, provides closer agreement with observed wave spectra for all depths.
Biodegradation kinetics of monoterpenes in liquid and soil-slurry systems

Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the biodegradation rates of limonene, α-pinene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene and α-terpineol at 23 °C under aerobic conditions. Biodegradation was demonstrated by the depletion of monoterpene mass, CO2 production and a corresponding increase in biomass. Monoterpene degradation in liquid cultures devoid of soil followed Monod kinetics. The maximum specific growth rate (μmax) was 0.02 h−1 and 0.06 h−1 and the half-velocity constant (Ks ) varied from 32 mg/l to 3 mg/l for the limonene and α-terpineol respectively. The recovery of monoterpenes by solvent extraction from autoclaved and azide-amended soil-slurry samples decreased over time and ranged from 69% to 73% for 120 h of incubation period. Although a significant fraction of monoterpene hydrocarbon could not be extracted, mineralization of these compounds in the soil-slurry systems took place, as shown by CO2 production. The soil-normalized degradation rates for the hydrocarbon monoterpenes ranged from 0.6 μg g−1 h−1 to 2.1 μg g−1 h−1. A kinetic model – which combined monoterpene biodegradation in the liquid phase and net desorption – was developed and applied to data obtained from soil-slurry assays.
Fundamental skills for entering neurosurgery residents: report of a Pacific region "boot camp" pilot course, 2009.

Background Incorporation of the first postgraduate year of training into neurological surgery residencies in 2009 posed new challenges to neurosurgical educators. A "boot camp" course was held in August 2009 to introduce first year neurosurgical trainees to various fundamental cognitive and practical skills. Objective The effectiveness of this course was evaluated by electronic survey of all trainees and faculty members. Methods Eighteen trainees entering 5 western neurosurgical residencies (in either the first or second postgraduate year) participated in a course taught by 10 faculty members at a single host institution (Oregon Health & Science University) for 2 days. All trainees completed an online survey evaluating the relevance and quality of each didactic and hands-on course component and answered additional questions about the goals and design of the course. Faculty members were also surveyed. Results All trainees thought the course met its goals, provided relevant and useful information and experience, and was likely to improve patient care. In particular, hands-on procedural and operative course components were highly valued. Conclusion A fundamental skills boot camp course for first year neurosurgical trainees seems valuable.