cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prostatitis, Epididymitis, Orchitis

A previously healthy 18-year-old male is seen in the emergency department with a 1-day history of scrotal pain and penile discharge. He has never had these symptoms before. He states that he has been sexually active with three different female partners over the past few months. Physical exam reveals erythema and tenderness to palpation of the left epididymis, with relief of pain with elevation of the scrotum. A purulent urethral discharge is noted. The diagnostic evaluation includes a urinalysis, urine culture, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis, fourth-generation HIV testing, and screening tests for syphilis, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. The young man is treated for presumed epididymitis with an intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone and a 10-day course of oral doxycycline. His NAAT testing is positive for N. gonorrhoeae, and the remainder of the workup for sexually transmitted infections is negative. The provider calls the patient to inform him of his results, emphasizes the importance of completing the prescribed antibiotic regimen, offers expedited partner therapy, and provides guidance regarding abstinence from sexual activity until both he and his partner(s) have been treated for 7 days and are asymptomatic.
STEM(ing) the Tide: A Critical Race Theory Analysis in STEM Education1

At the most basic level of human existence is the need to feel like one belongs. Sense of belonging is correlated with a person's motivation, drive, behavior, and identity. Research suggests instit...
Clinically actionable findings on surveillance EGD in asymptomatic patients with Lynch syndrome

Background and aims Lynch syndrome (LS) predisposes to multiple cancers including gastric and small bowel. Data supporting esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) surveillance in LS are limited. Our aim is to describe upper gastrointestinal (UGI) findings in asymptomatic LS patients undergoing EGD surveillance within a hereditary colorectal cancer registry. Methods Asymptomatic patients with LS who underwent >1 surveillance EGD were included. Demographics, genotype, and EGD findings were reviewed. The frequency of clinically actionable findings including neoplasia (cancer, adenomas), Barrett's esophagus (BE), H pylori, and hyperplastic polyps >5 mm were assessed. Results Three hundred twenty-three patients underwent 717 EGDs starting at a median age of 49.5 years. On average, each patient had 2 EGDs with an interval of 2.3 years between examinations. Clinically actionable findings were identified in 57 patients (17.6%). A total of 27.7% of findings were identified on baseline EGD and the remainder on surveillance EGD over an average of 3.5 years. Five asymptomatic patients (1.5%) had an UGI cancer detected during surveillance, all at early stage, including 1 patient each with BE-related esophageal adenocarcinoma, gastric neuroendocrine tumor, and gastric adenocarcinoma, and 2 patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma. Two cancers were found on baseline EGD and 3 on follow-up EGD. Conclusions Clinically actionable findings were found in approximately 1 in 6 asymptomatic patients with LS undergoing EGD surveillance. 5 patients (1.5%) were diagnosed with cancer, all detected at an early stage. These data suggest that both baseline and follow-up EGD surveillance are effective in detecting early stage UGI cancers in asymptomatic patients with LS.
A Revised LCDM Mass Model For The Andromeda Galaxy

We present an updated mass model for M31 that makes use of a Spitzer 3.6 $\mu$m image, a mass-to-light ratio gradient based on the galaxy's B-R colour profile, and observed rotation curve data from a variety of sources. We examine cases where the dark matter follows a pure NFW profile and where an initial NFW halo contracts adiabatically in response to the formation of the galaxy. We find that both of these scenarios can produce a reasonable fit to the observed rotation curve data. However, a pure NFW model requires a concentration c_{vir}=51 that is well outside the range predicted in LCDM cosmology and is therefore disfavoured. An adiabatically contracted NFW halo favors an initial concentration c_{vir}=20 and virial mass 8.2x10^{11} M_{\odot}, and this is in line with the cosmological expectations for a galaxy of the size of M31. The best-fit mass is consistent with published estimates from Andromeda Stream kinematics, satellite galaxy radial velocities, and planetary nebulae studies. Finally, using the known linear correlation between rotation curve shear and spiral arm pitch angle, we show that the stellar spiral arm pitch angle of M31 (which cannot be deduced from imaging data due to the galaxy's inclination) is P=24.7\pm4.4 degrees.
Facile Synthesis of a Constrained Dipeptide Unit (DPU) for Use as a β-Sheet Promoter

Previously described syntheses of lactam-constrained dipeptide amino acids involve lengthy and expensive procedures to obtain an aldehyde intermediate 4 [1]. We report a general route from D-glutamic acid to lactam-dipeptide units. The target lactam-constrained amino acid has a six-membered ring back-bone and isopropyl and isobutyl side-chains (Figure 1). The overall synthesis is shown in Figure 2.
A CubeSat catalog design tool for a multi-agent architecture development framework

Space systems are undergoing an architectural paradigm change. Large space organizations around the world are now considering CubeSats and other novel elements, such as hosted payloads or commercial services, in the architecture studies for the next generations of Earth observation and communications systems. As CubeSats are included in these trade studies, it is necessary to develop design tools that are tailored to these new architectural elements. Indeed, the traditional top-down approach for designing large satellites is not appropriate for CubeSats, which have many fewer components and make heavy use of COTS. This paper presents a bottom-up, catalog design tool tailored for CubeSats. A CubeSat design is represented by a valid combination of components. Components are selected from a database (catalog) of existing components containing information about mass, power, volume, cost, and performance of the components. The tool has two functioning modes: the forward mode and the backward mode. In the forward mode, the user creates a design by selecting a combination of components from the database, and the tool computes the properties of the resulting satellite: mass, power, and volume budgets, pointing accuracy, as well as cost and other system-level properties such as reliability. In the backward mode, the user enters a set of requirements (payload mass, power, data rate, volume, pointing accuracy, orbit, lifetime, and others) and the tool finds all valid combinations of components that satisfy all the requirements, and suggests one. If no valid design exists, the tool provides a set of explanations to the user pointing out the unmet requirements. The tool uses a rule-based approach to solve the configuration design problem, and implements the MadKit interface to be able to communicate with other agents in a multi-agent design environment. This paper describes the tool in technical detail and illustrates with examples using Earth observation and communications payloads.
Some reflections on Indian metaphysics

The paper that follows explores some structures and rationales in (South Asian) Indian metaphysics. While occasional references to particular views are made, the focus is on certain themes and tensions in the Indian metaphysical tradition.
Computer security for minis and micros

Mini and micro computers were originally designed mainly for low cost, real time computer applications. Security in these dedicated systems was not a concern. Now that minis and micros are being used in multi-user environments, security is much more a concern. In the commercial arena, security for word processing applications urgently needs to be addressed. Security and integrity are concerns in the communications area where minis and micros are used for both front-ends and network switches. Finally, with the widespread use of small computers in defense applications, data security in terms of the Department of Defense (DoD) national security policy also needs to be addressed.This paper provides some background on computer security to those new to the area and gives a general context for the two architecture papers following this overview.
In situ velocity measurements of very high power ultrasonic additive manufacturing using a photonic Doppler velocimeter

AbstractTo understand the dynamic structural movements of very high power ultrasonic additive manufacturing, simultaneous in situ velocity measurements of the sonotrode, welding foil and substrate during consolidation were made using a photonic Doppler velocimeter. During consolidation in which the welding foil was successfully bonded to the substrate, the welding foil and substrate had similar vibration phase angles which came into and then out of phase of the sonotrode; in addition to having large changes in relative velocity as the normal force from the sonotrode was applied and then removed. A consolidation pass in which no bonding occurred, consisted of relatively constant velocity amplitude for all structures. The welding foil and sonotrode remained fully coupled and in phase, but was out of phase of the substrate during the entire welding pass. Therefore, by examining velocity and phase data, bonding versus non-bonding conditions can be determined in situ using the photonic Doppler velocimeter system.
Epidermal growth factor and the onset of epithelial epidermal wound healing.

Abstract At 10 days in ovo the embryonic chick epidermis acquires the ability to spread as a cohesive epithelial sheet when wounded. A tissue culture system has been constructed that supports epidermal cell outgrowth consistent with epidermal behaviour in vivo and permits experimental manipulation of the isolated tissue with growth factors and other hormones. This culture system consists of embryonic chick epidermis isolated at days 8, 10, and 12 of development, serum-free, chemically-defined culture medium, and the inner surface of the vitelline membrane of the hen's egg as the culture substratum. At 8 days the cellular outgrowth is mesenchymal in the absence of exogenous EGF. The 8 day tissues responds to added EGF by exhibiting precocious epithelial outgrowth. The results suggest that sensitivity to EGF or EGF-likc growth factors is part of the mechanism underlying the developmental onset of epidermal wound healing in skin. The epidermal origin of the outgrowth is determined by antibody staining for specific cytokeratins. The epithelial character of the outgrowth is determined by visualizing actin microfilament distribution. The normal epithelial outgrowth shows apical/basal polarization of the sheet except at the edge. From 10 days on, the isolated epidermis exhibits epithelial outgrowth from explants in culture in the absence of exogenous EGF, suggesting endogenous production of an EGF-like factor. Glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid hormones both produce a reduced amount of epithelial outgrowth. This retardation of the early outgrowth by glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids could result from a reduced ability of the cut edge of the epidermis to ‘disorganize’ and assume the unpolarized migratory form required for rapid epidermal wound healing.
Image segmentation using globally optimal growth in three dimensions with an adaptive feature set

A globally optimal region growing algorithm for 3D segmentation of anatomical objects is developed. The notion of simple 3D connected component labelling is extended to enable the combination of arbitrary features in the segmentation process. This algorithm uses a hybrid octree-btree structure to segment an object of interest in an ordered fashion. This tree structure overcomes the computational complexity of global optimality in three dimensions. The segmentation process is controlled by a set of active features, which work in concert to extract the object of interest. The cost function used to enforce the order is based on the combination of active features. The characteristics of the data throughout the volume dynamically influences which features are active. A foundation for applying user interaction with the object directly to the feature set is established. The result is a system which analyzes user input and neighborhood data and optimizes the tools used in the segmentation process accordingly.
Replacement of the larval basement lamella by adult-type basement membrane in anuran skin during metamorphosis.

Abstract The basement lamella in the head of a 75-mm tadpole of Rana pipiens contained 46 orthogonally aligned layers, while the basement lamella over the muscular part of the proximal end of the tail in the same animal had about 32 layers. Invasion of the basement lamella by subdermal mesenchyme cells was first detected in the head skin of a tadpole at Taylor-Kollros stage XI. Invading cells, which appear to be fibroblasts, move upward toward the epidermis, then may spread horizontally between layers of the basement lamella. Mesenchyme cells are abundant within the membrane by stage XIV. Invasion of the basement membrane does not occur in the tail. At about stage XIV or XV, the basement lamella of head skin becomes detached from the epidermis. Connective tissue cells, principally fibroblasts and melanophores, then move into the subepidermal space and epidermal glands grow into it. The layer thus created is the stratum spongiosum. The basement lamella, which may now be called the dermal lamella, becomes the inner layer of the dermis, the stratum compactum. A new basement membrane develops under the epidermis after the larval lamella becomes detached. At stages during resorption of the tail, the basement membrane in the head consists only of granules or short filaments embedded in ground substance. Filaments are again abundant in the membrane by stage XXV when metamorphosis is complete. The adult frog retains the type of basement membrane developing at stage XXV. Filaments are grouped into bundles that appear to run in several directions beneath the highly folded border of basal epidermal cells. The regular layered pattern of the larva is not re-established.
Analysis of Complement Receptor Type 1 (CR1) Expression on Erythrocytes and of CR1 Allelic Markers in Caucasian and African American Populations

CR1 expression on erythrocytes (E) is regulated by an element that is tightly linked in Caucasians to the site of an RFLP of the CR1 gene. Genomic HindIII fragments of 7.4 and 6.9 kb identify alleles that are expressed in high (H allele) or low (L allele) amounts, respectively. When age-fractionated E of donors heterozygous for both the H and L alleles and for CR1 allotypes of differing molecular weights were analyzed in Western blots, the product of the L allele appeared to have an increased rate of loss during cell aging. A coding sequence polymorphism of CR1 predicted to cause a Pro-->Arg substitution in its proximal extramembranous region was tightly linked in Caucasians to the site of the HindIII RFLP. However, neither this polymorphism nor the HindIII RFLP correlated with CR1 expression among African Americans. Relative instability of CR1 encoded by the L allele thus may derive from another coding sequence polymorphism, or may require both the Pro-->Arg substitution and epistatic effects of another polymorphic gene.
The effects of novelty on laboratory rat digging behavior

Laboratory rats were allowed to burrow for the first time in an earthen-floored open field. The results indicated that the tendency to dig was related to the degree of novelty of the field; those Ss which were given the opportunity to become familiar with the digging area prior to their burrowing experience dug significantly less than those Ss which were not. The data suggested that in this case the digging may have been elicited by the rat’s aversion to the novel stimuli.
Luminescence of trivalent erbium in low-hydroxyl gels

Transparent gels, either purely inorganic or organically modified, are obtained through a sol- gel process circumventing the usual hydrolysis-condensation path. This non-aqueous route, which may also be described as a `non-hydrolytic' process, results in gels containing low amounts of hydroxyls vis-a-vis conventional gels. The mechanical properties of the gels range from rubbery to hard according to the functionality of the precursor. Erbium-doped methylsilsesquioxane shows luminescence at 664 nm under pumping with an argon line at 488 nm. Pure SiCl 4 -derived gels show an additional emission, ascribed to the 4 F 7/2 yields 4 I 3/2 transition at 710 nm.
Optimal solder and power density for diode laser tissue soldering (LTS)

Background and Objective Laser tissue soldering (LTS) using albumin and indocyanine green dye (ICG) is an effective technique utilized in various reconstructive surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to describe in vivo and in vitro temperature profiles of an albumin-based solder while varying ICG concentration and laser power density (PD), and to describe immediate and short-term tensile strength measurements and histology of tissue with variable ICG concentrations and PD. Study Design/Materials and Methods ICG ranged from 0.31 to 20 mg/mL while PD ranged from 3.2 to 63.7 W/cm2. Direct solder temperature measurements were obtained at 5-second intervals during laser activation. Differential temperature measurements were determined within the dermis of rat skin and the overlying solder. Eighteen rats were subjected to 2.0-cm incisions (n = 113) created on the dorsal skin followed by closure with LTS at varying PD and ICG concentrations. ICG concentrations included 0.31, 2.5, and 20 mg/mL, while PD ranged from 8.0 to 63.7 W/cm2. Tensile strength (TS) profiles were measured immediately and 10 days post-operatively. Histological examination was performed at the time of sacrifice. Results Temperature profiles of the ICG/albumin solder differed significantly only at the highest concentration of ICG (20 mg/mL), but showed statistically significant variability at different laser PD. Using solder color changes as an endpoint of LTS, average peak solder temperature ranged from 69°C at a PD of 8.0 W/cm2, 105°–120°C at PD 15.9–31.8 W/cm2, and > 200°C at PD ≥ 47.7 W/cm2. Peak intradermal temperatures remained below 50°C at all PDs. Varying ICG concentration only had an effect on the immediate TS of wounds at the lowest power densities. Increasing PD resulted in statistically significant increases in immediate TS up to a PD of 23.9 W/cm2 at an ICG concentrations of 0.31 and up to a PD of 15.9 W/cm2 at a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL. Statistically insignificant decreases in 10-day would strength resulted from higher PD. Power densities ≥ 23.9 W/cm2 showed significant thermal injury upon histologic examination. Conclusions Power density, not ICG concentration, is the primary determinant of solder and tissue temperature during LTS. Effective and reproducible laser tissue soldering may be achieved primarily by power density control when using diode laser and ICG-based albumin solder. Alterations in PD show the most direct and predictable effects on the healing properties of skin closed by LTS. Optimal laser wound closure occurs with an ICG of 2.5 mg/mL and at a PD between 15.9 and 23.9 W/cm2. Lasers Surg. Med. 29:53–61, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Impacts of Climate Changes in the Northern Pacific Coast on Related Regional Scale Energy Demands

For the past few decades sea surface temperatures across the globe have been increasing, causing changes in the global and regional climates. The focus of this study is to determine the impacts of these climate changes in coastal California region and possible linkages to energy infrastructure. The specific goal of this study is to determine the changes in cooling degree days (CDD) for the Northern Pacific Coast of the U.S., with emphasis on the California region for the years 1970 to 2007. Daily, monthly and annual temperature trends in months May, June, July, August and September are used to complement this analysis. Temperature data from more than 300 surface weather stations were obtained from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). The work follows recent findings by the authors where the decreasing of maximum summer temperatures in two coastal air basins of California was attributed to the increase in sea breeze flow. This was caused by regional climate changes which led to induced sealand asymmetric warming and referred to as a reverse-reaction of global warming. This study aims to analyze temperature trends along the entire North Pacific Coast and over time, showing how it relates in the same temporal and spatial scales to changes in CDD. Finally, the study explores the possible correlations of decadal trends of CDD with actual summer peak electric utility data demonstrating how regional climate changes are affecting regional energy demands.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A Longinian concept and methodology for technical communication

The rhetorician Longinus advises writers to “transport”; their readers by aligning the readers’ perspective with the writer's. The methods for transport are five “fountains”;: high thought, emotional appeals, figures of speech, notable language, and arrangement. This essay develops a Longinian concept and methodology for technical communication by comparing his ideas to current scholarship and then applying them to two technical texts. It shows how and why technical writers employ stylistic elements to achieve transport.
Alterations in human serum alkaline phosphatase and its isoenzymes by hypolipidemic agents: colestipol and clofibrate.

Total serum alkaline phosphatase (TSAP) determinations were done as part of the biochemical screening in comparative studies of lipid lowering agents in type lla hyperlipoproteinemic patients. TSAP determinations were made by using a modification of the Bessey-Lowry method and the Statland method. Increases in TSAP following colestipol treatment of 20% (P < 0.05) and 32% (P < 0.005) were seen by using the respective methods. Isoenzymatic determinations were done by employing the Statland method and all fractions were increased from baseline levels during colestipol therapy. Clofibrate was associated with 34% (P < 0.005) and 28% (P < 0.005) reductions in TSAP activity by using the respective methods; significant reductions in both “bone” and “other” isoenzymatic components occurred. Gamma-glutamyltransferase (γGT) results did not consistently reflect TSAP or “liver” isoenzyme results.
Effects of pH and Temperature on the Carbonyls and Aromas Produced in Heated Amino Acid-Sugar Mixtures

SUMMARY Solutions of glycine, glutamic acid, lysine, methionine, and phenylalanine adjusted to pH 6.5 were reacted separately with glucose, fructose, maltose, and sucrose at 100 and 180°C. Some of the aromas generated were reminiscent of foods, whereas others were distinctly unpleasant. Ethanal, propanal, acetone, isobutanal, aerolein, butanal, 2-butanone, 2,3-butane-dione, erotanal, 2-pentanone, and heptanal were identified as end products in one or more of the 20 mixtures. The glutamic acid-glucose mixture was also heated at 100 and 180°C after being adjusted to pH 5.0 and 8.0. Of the compounds above, isobutanal and heptanal were not formed. Pentaual was formed at 100° but not at 180°C. A synthetic potato medium containing glucose and glutamic acid heated at 100°C yielded ethanal, propanal, acetone, butanal, 2-butanone, 2,3-butanedione, and crotonal. A potato extract heated at 180° differed from the synthetic potato medium heated at 100° in the products formed. Not formed were 2-butanone and 2,3-butauedione; pentanal, heptanal and hexen-l-al were formed. In all, 85 carbonyls were detected in the various mixtures or substrates.
Gastric adenocarcinoma associated with fundic gland polyps in a patient with attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a rare autosomal dominant precancerous condition of the colon caused by mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene. FAP is characterized by the appearance of innumerable adenomatous polyps throughout the large bowel. Fundic gland polyps are the most common gastric lesion in FAP. It is generally believed that fundic gland polyps have little or no potential for malignant transformation in the population at large, and only a few case reports describe the development of high grade dysplasia or gastric adenocarcinoma associated with diffuse fundic gland polyposis in patients with FAP. We report the second case of gastric adenocarcinoma intimately associated with fundic gland polyposis in a family with an attenuated form of FAP. The patient had undergone routine screening per current guidelines because of his known mutation in the APC gene. This suggests that malignant transformation of fundic gland polyps in patients with FAP occur more frequently than previously believed. Current screening recommendations may not be sufficient for patients with FAP or its attenuated forms.
Out-of-plane scattering from vertically asymmetric photonic crystal slab waveguides with in-plane disorder

We characterize optical wave propagation along line defects in two-dimensional arrays of air-holes in free-standing silicon slabs. The fabricated waveguides contain random variations in orientation of the photonic lattice elements which perturb the in-plane translational symmetry. The vertical slab symmetry is also broken by a tilt of the etched sidewalls. We discuss how these lattice imperfections affect out-of-plane scattering losses and introduce a mechanism for high-Q cavity excitation related to polarization mixing.
Letter processing in reading and spelling: Some dissociations

We describe the complex pattern of spared and impaired performance observed in a neurologically impaired subject on a number of letter processing tasks including: written letter naming, alphabetization, matching across typecase and font, oral and written spelling to dictation, and across-case letter priming. The observed dissociation in performance between the naming of written letters and the naming of letters in oral spelling as well as the dissociation between oral spelling and written spelling are shown to support a model of letter processing in which a distinction is drawn between visuo-spatial and abstract levels of letter representation. We also describe symmetrical deficits in the reading and writing of letters. These can be understood: in reading, as the result of an impairment to the processes which mediate the conversion of visuo-spatial letter representations to abstract representations, and in writing, as a deficit to the processes which negotiate the apparently reverse operation. This finding is interpreted within the context of the notions of neural and functional proximity and we raise the possibility that processes which perform distinct computations may, nonetheless, share certain computational resources.
Old Turf New Battles Feminism, Legislation, and the Body

Legislation about female bodies has been a concern of social work since the early days of Hull House. Specifically, two Hull House residents and physicians, Alice Hamilton and Rachelle Yarro, were involved in programming and policy work related to the access to contraceptive devices (Haslett, 1997). Hamilton and Yarro sagely understood the ability (or lack thereof) to control reproduction as being related to ‘‘the causes and consequences of poverty, the role and status of women, classism, and ethnocentrism’’ (Haslett, 1997, p. 273). Reproductive rights continues to be a disputed turf on which women’s agency is battled over, compromised, bartered with and diminished through legislation, health policy, and Supreme Court decisions. The recent Supreme Court decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (2014) highlights multiple concerns regarding embodiment from a feminist perspective, including but not limited to the right of a corporation to determine if and which kinds of contraception it will provide as part of workers’ health care package, the determination that a corporation is a ‘‘person’’ with religiously held beliefs, and ultimately that a corporation’s religious noncorporal body has the same or perhaps more rights than women’s actual, corporal bodies. The implications of this Court decision potentially has dire consequences for people in the United States as we begin to think about the rights of corporations to discriminate against because it is a ‘‘person’’ complete with a belief system and a religious perspective protected by the constitution, even when that discrimination violates an otherwise enforceable antidiscrimination law. In the Supreme Court’s June 30, 2014, decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (2014), Hobby Lobby the owners of several closely held, for-profit corporations objected to regulations issued under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that required them to provide costfree health insurance coverage to women for certain methods of contraception. The basis of the companies’ objections was that the regulations violated the sincerely held religious beliefs of the companies’ owners. Although the companies asserted that the regulations violated both the Constitution (specifically, the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause) and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA), the Court, in a deeply divided decision, decided the case solely on statutory grounds under the RFRA. The RFRA prohibits the federal government from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religion, even if that burden results from the application a law of general applicability, unless
Operational technology transfer: Can we calculate the behavior costs?

Abstract Some technology transfer outcomes can be measured reliably, others cannot. Increases in productivity, effficiency, and predictability can be seen quantitatively as can decreases in costs and operational down time. By technology we mean “the knowledge, tools, equipment and work techniques used by an organization in delivering its product or service” [1]. In transferring technology to an operation, costs associated with aquiring the knowledge, tools and equipment are routinely considered and compared with benefits that are expected to result. However, work techniques that are acquired will generate costs from any recruitment, selection, or training. Some of these costs are direct, easily identified and thus lend themselves to reliable measurement. Others, while important sources of controllable costs, are indirect, obscure, or hidden and may be overlooked or ignored because they cannot be easily measured. The purpose of this paper is to point out some costs associated with changes that are required in work behavior, both in the short-term and in the long-term, in order to meet the challenges of successful technology transfer. The paper also suggests how these costs can and should be determined and shows how they can be estimated and controlled in calculating their impact on the total cost of operational technology transfer.
Ab initio calculation of phonon spectra for graphite, BN, and BC2N sheets.

Phonon spectra for graphitic sheets of carbon, BN, and BC{sub 2}N are computed and studied. The dynamical matrices are constructed from force constants obtained by performing supercell Hellmann-Feynman force calculations within the framework of the local-density approximation. The calculated phonon dispersions of the BC{sub 2}N sheet are found to be similar to a superposition of those of graphite and BN sheets. Geometrical relations between the calculated phonon modes of the BC{sub 2}N sheet and those of graphite and BN sheets are discussed.
Leptin Augments the Acute Suppressive Effects of Insulin on Hepatic Very Low-Density Lipoprotein Production in Rats

It is well established that leptin increases the sensitivity of carbohydrate metabolism to the effects of insulin. Leptin and insulin also have potent effects on lipid metabolism. However, the effects of leptin on the regulation of liver lipid metabolism by insulin have not been investigated. The current study addressed the effects of leptin on insulin-regulated hepatic very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) metabolism in vivo in rats. A 90-min hyperinsulinemic/euglycemic clamp (4 mU/kg x min(-1)) reduced plasma VLDL triglyceride (TG) by about 50% (P < 0.001 vs. saline control). Importantly, a leptin infusion (0.2 microg/kg x min(-1)) in combination with insulin reduced plasma VLDL-TG by about 80% (P < 0.001 vs. insulin alone). These effects did not require altered skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase activity but did include differential effects of insulin and leptin on liver apolipoprotein (apo) B and TG metabolism. Thus, insulin decreased liver and plasma apoB100/B48 levels (approximately 50%, P < 0.01), increased liver TGs (approximately 20%, P < 0.05), and had no effect on fatty acid oxidation. Conversely, leptin decreased liver TGs (approximately 50%, P < 0.01) and increased fatty acid oxidation (approximately 50%, P < 0.01) but had no effects on liver or plasma apoB levels. Importantly, the TG-depleting and prooxidative effects of leptin were maintained in the presence of insulin. We conclude that leptin additively increases the suppressive effects of insulin on hepatic and systemic VLDL metabolism by stimulating depletion of liver TGs and increasing oxidative metabolism. The net effect of the combined actions of insulin and leptin is to decrease the production and TG content of VLDL particles.
Replication of a Path Analysis Model of Secondary Physics Enrollments: 20 Years Later.

The percentage of enrollment in physics (PEP) at the secondary level in the United States has been approximately 20% for the past few decades. In an attempt to isolate variables related to physics enrollment. Bryant (1977) conducted a path analysis model of secondary physics enrollment in New York State. This present study is a replication and extension of the study conducted by Bryant. Current data were used to verify the Bryant model and construct models with data available since Bryant's work. Data gathered by the New York State Education Department for the 1990–1991 school year were used. The source of this data included surveys completed by teachers and administrators on student characteristics and school facilities. A data analysis similar to Bryant's was conducted to determine whether the relationships between a set of predictor variables and physics enrollment had changed in the past 20 years. The findings indicate that there has been no change in the set of variables related to physics enrollment. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Survival of patients with true pathologic stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

Background Many patients with resected, pathologic (p)stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are not adequately staged preoperatively or intraoperatively. Reported 5-year survival is about 65%. Recently, nonsurgical techniques are being offered to these patients. Methods A prospective database was retrospectively reviewed. All patients had an integrated positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (CT) and CT scan, an R0 pulmonary resection with lung palpation, and complete thoracic lymphadenectomy. Results From August 2002 until July 2008, 2171 patients presented with presumed, resectable NSCLC. Of these, 721 were clinically (c)staged I, and 1450 were (c)staged II, III, or IV. Of the 721 (c)stage I, 405 (56%) had (p)stage I disease; 101 (14%) were clinically over-staged (benign nodules). Of those with NSCLC, 32% were clinically under-staged (stage II or higher on path). The 5-year Kaplan-Meier survival rates were 80% for (p)stage IA, 72% for (p)stage IB (p = 0.026), and 87% for the 721 with (c)stage I disease. The median-follow up was 3.8 years. Conclusions When patients with NCSLC are accurately staged preoperatively and undergo complete thoracic lymphadenectomy, the 5-year survival is 80% for (p)stage IA tumors and 87% for (c)stage I disease. About 32% of patients are under-staged (most commonly from nonimaged N2 disease) despite the liberal application of all of the techniques that assess mediastinal lymph nodes preoperatively. Thus surgical intervention offers improved staging with resection of unsuspected nodal or parenchymal disease. If stereotactic radiation and radiofrequency ablation are considered for patients with clinically staged I NSCLC, these results should be considered.
Food Frequency Questionnaire is a Valid Tool for the Assessment of Dietary Habits of South Indian Pregnant Women

The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was validated against multiple 24-hour dietary recalls (24-HDRs) and for a few blood biomarkers in 154 pregnant women at the obstetrics and gynecology departm...
Regression modeling of streamflow, baseflow, and runoff using geographic information systems.

Abstract Regression models for predicting total streamflow (TSF), baseflow (TBF), and storm runoff (TRO) are needed for water resource planning and management. This study used 54 streams with >20 years of streamflow gaging station records during the period October 1971 to September 2001 in Pennsylvania and partitioned TSF into TBF and TRO. TBF was considered a surrogate of groundwater recharge for basins. Regression models for predicting basin-wide TSF, TBF, and TRO were developed under three scenarios that varied in regression variables used for model development. Regression variables representing basin geomorphological, geological, soil, and climatic characteristics were estimated using geographic information systems. All regression models for TSF, TBF, and TRO had R 2 values >0.94 and reasonable prediction errors. The two best TSF models developed under scenarios 1 and 2 had similar absolute prediction errors. The same was true for the two best TBF models. Therefore, any one of the two best TSF and TBF models could be used for respective flow prediction depending on variable availability. The TRO model developed under scenario 1 had smaller absolute prediction errors than that developed under scenario 2. Simplified Area-alone models developed under scenario 3 might be used when variables for using best models are not available, but had lower R 2 values and higher or more variable prediction errors than the best models.
N and P uptake by strawberry plants grown with composted poultry litter

Composted poultry litter (CPL) can be used for horticultural crops as a source of organic matter and stabilized N. Recent studies indicated that P was not stabilized by composting and that excess P could be released into the environment when CPL was applied to land on N-based plant requirements. This experiment determined the effect of CPL and fresh poultry litter (FPL) from two sources on leaf N and P concentrations in strawberry plants grown in three soil types. Leaf N was higher in plants grown with FPL than CPL at 6 weeks after planting (WAP), but leaf N was not different by 12 WAP. By 12 WAP strawberry plants grown in soils amended with CPL had higher leaf P than those grown in soils amended with FPL. Applying CPL on a plant N-use rate may contribute to over application of P and higher P uptake by strawberry plants.
Addition of bedtime H2 blocker to PPI bid decreases nocturnal gastric acid burden in GERD patients

Addition of bedtime H 2 blocker to PPI bid decreases nocturnal gastric acid burden in GERD patients
Integrated design and control under uncertainty: Embedded control optimization for plantwide processes

Abstract High performance processes should operate close to design boundaries and specification limits, while still guaranteeing robust performance without design constraint violations. Since design chemical process is operating close to tighter boundaries safely; much attention has been devoted to integrating design and control, in which the design decisions, dynamics, and control performance are considered simultaneously in some optimal fashion. However, rigorous methods for solving design and control simultaneously lead to challenging mathematical formulations which easily become computationally intractable. In an earlier paper of our group, a new mathematical methodology to reduce the combinatorial complexity of integrating design and control was introduced ( Malcolm et al., 2007 ). We showed that substantial problem size reduction can be achieved by embedding control for specific process designs. In this paper, we extend the embedded control methodologies to plantwide flowsheet. The case study for the reactor-column flowsheet will demonstrate the current capabilities of the methodology for integrating design and control under uncertainty.
Inter-digital variability in the palmer sweat indices of adult stutterers

Abstract This study examined the relationship of mean palmar sweat density of all fingers of each hand, thumbs excluded, to asymetrical interdigital sweat variability in adult stutterers. In addition, the relationship of mean print density to part word repetitions and prolongations was investigated. A modification of the palmar sweat printer developed by Brutten (1957) enabling the accommodation of eight fingers, was employed to obtain simultaneous PSI under identical controlled conditions for all fingers. Results indicated that the eight fingers are not reliable areas for the determination of palmar sweating in adult stutterers. Consequently, the PSI as it is currently employed, as well as the method used in the present study, does not appear to be an acceptable objective measure of ANS arousal in adult stutterers.
Feeding ecology of herring (Clupea harengus) larvae in the turbid Blackwater Estuary

Most studies on feeding by herring larvae (Clupea harengus) have taken place in clear, open waters, but several herring stocks around the world spawn in inshore and estuarine regions. An example is the spring-spawning Blackwater Estuary (Essex, England) stock. Samples were collected in this estuary to examine prey selectivity and feeding levels in relation to biological and environmental conditions. Herring larvae negatively selected copepod nauplii, but positively selected the copepodite and adult stages of Acartia spp. Gastropod larvae were also positively selected. Particles >150 μm width were preferred, whilst particles smaller than this value were preferentially rejected. Concentrations of potential prey items in the water were in the range of 6.0 to 49.7 organisms l−1 with a median concentration of 15.0 organisms l−1 (n = 26). These values are towards the low end of prey concentrations quoted in the literature as being required to sustain herring larval growth and survival. However, theoretical considerations suggest that, in this environment, levels of tidally-induced turbulence enhance encounter rates between larval herring and their prey. On the other hand, turbidity is also related to tidal current speed and might reduce feeding success by decreasing underwater light levels. Measurements at two sites in the estuary confirmed that tidally-induced turbidity reduced the effective water depth in which herring larvae could visually feed by up to 50% at times of peak current speed. However, with the gut-content data available in the present study, it was not possible to discern any clear relationships between feeding success and the state of the tide. Feeding success appeared to be more strongly influenced by surface light-levels.
Store-Operated Calcium Signaling in the Airway Epithelium- Functions and Molecular Mechanisms

Ca2+ is a ubiquitous second messenger that regulates a variety of essential cellular functions such as gene transcription, exocytosis and cell motility. In many cell types, store-operated Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels have emerged as a major mechanism of generating Ca2+ signals. In the conducting airways of the lung, airway epithelial cells (AECs) lining the respiratory tract play a central role in orchestrating both innate and adaptive immune responses. AECs shape the nature of the immune response in the airway by coordinating the recruitment and activation of immune cells through the release of a host of inflammatory mediators including various cytokines and chemokines. While a great deal has been learnt about the various downstream inflammatory mediators released by AECs, the upstream signaling pathways that lead to the generation of these mediators remain poorly understood. While Ca2+ fluxes have been shown to play an important role in initiating gene transcription and mediating cytokine release in many immune cell types, the nature and sources of Ca2+ entry that initiate the generation of cytokines in AECs remain poorly defined. Our initial results show that CRAC channels are a major route of Ca2+ entry in the airway epithelium. Furthermore, CRAC channel activation stimulates robust gene expression in AECs leading to the generation of a few key inflammatory modulators in the respiratory tract. We show that certain allergens and purinergic agonists which are known to play an important role in the airway inflammatory response associated with asthma stimulate sustained Ca2+ influx in AECs by activating CRAC channels. Based on these findings, we propose that CRAC channels constitute a key checkpoint in mediating inflammatory responses in the respiratory tract by potentially modulating the responses of the airway epithelium to various pathogens and allergens.
Concurrent cyclophosphamide and craniospinal radiotherapy for pediatric high-risk embryonal brain tumors

Embryonal tumors are an aggressive subtype of high-grade, pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors often with dismal survival rates. The 5-year survival for highest-risk embryonal tumors may be as low as 10 %. We report feasibility and efficacy from our experience using intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide concurrently with craniospinal radiation (CSI) in high-risk embryonal CNS tumors of childhood. Ten consecutive children (aged: 3.5–15.5 years, median: 10.2 years, six male) with high-risk embryonal tumors, including: large cell/anaplastic medulloblastoma (6), atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (1), and leptomeningeal primitive neuroectodermal tumor (3), were treated with IV cyclophosphamide 1 g/M2 on days 1 and 2 of CSI. Following a median of 36 Gy CSI plus tumor boosts, adjuvant treatment consisted of 21 doses of oral etoposide (7) and alkylator based chemotherapy from five to eight cycles in all. Of the ten patients thus treated, six remain alive with no evidence of disease and four are deceased. Median survival was 3.3 years, with a 3-year progression-free survival of 50 % (5/10). Median follow-up was: 3.3 years (range: 5 months—12.9 years) in the five patients with progression, median time-to-progression was: 1.3 years (range: 1 month—3 years). Median follow-up in the patients without progression is 8.8 years (range: 3–12.9 years). Complications due to adjuvant chemotherapy were typical and included myelosupression (10), necessitating shortened duration of chemotherapy in three, and hemorrhagic cystitis (1). In high-risk embryonal CNS tumors, cyclophosphamide given concurrently with CSI is well tolerated. Early results suggest that a phase II trial is warranted.
Radiation protection prostheses for edentulous patients.

Abstract A simplified technique for the construction of radiation protection prostheses for edentulous patients was described. A direct wax pattern is formed on a cold-curing acrylic resin base. A direct method for applying radiation shield material in the stent is incorporated in the procedure.