cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improvement in Fiber-Reinforced Polymer–Concrete Bond by External Pressure

An experimental study evaluated the improvement in the bond of fiberreinforced polymer (FRP) and concrete to dry and wet substrates from applied pressure. In the study, 12 full-sized pile specimens, including four controls, were wrapped by using two different glass FRP systems—a prepreg and a wet layup—and two different layouts typically used for unidirectional and bidirectional fibers. Wrapping was conducted inside a partially filled tank to ensure that the bonded areas of the dry and wet regions were identical. Sustained pressure was maintained during curing by using pressure or vacuum bagging. Bond improvement was evaluated from more than 400 pull out tests. Results showed that external pressure led to improved bond in both the dry and submerged regions. However, vacuum bagging was better for prepreg systems, whereas pressure bagging was better for wet layups. Transverse fiber layout typically used with bidirectional fibers gave better bond in controls where no external pressure was applied.
Collection of Airborne Microorganisms by Electrostatic Precipitation

The applicability of electrostatic precipitation as a method for bioaerosol collection was investigated by using a modified Electrostatic Aerosol Sampler (EAS) (Model 3100, TSI Inc., St. Paul, MN). The physical and biological efficiencies of this method were determined. The tests were performed using three bacterial species which were collected onto agar, into water, and onto filters. The physical collection efficiency was higher than 80% when using a sampling flow rate of 1 L/min. When the Bacillus subtilis var niger (BG) spores were collected on agar, about 50-60% of the collected culturable organisms formed colonies. The bioefficiency exceeded 90% when the BG spores were collected on a filter, but was only 15-22% when collected into water. The Mycobacterium bovis BCG bacteria recovered at the 0-8% level on all three collection media. The least number of colonies were formed when Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria were collected on any of the collection media. The data show that the process of electrostat...
Revealed preference and intransitive indifference

Abstract This paper approaches revealed preference from an assumption of a type of bounded rationality on the part of the consumer. We assume that the individual may have discrimination problems with regard to alternative choices (specifically, we assume that the underlying preferences of the consumer are described by a semiorder). The main result of this paper is the description of a revealed preference condition which is satisfied by a set of partial choice data if and only if the partial choice function can be rationalized by semiorder preferences.
Cyclin-dependent kinases: a new cell cycle motif?

Abstract Increasing evidence suggests that the eukaryotic cell cycle is controlled at several checkpoints by different members of a novel class of protein kinase, the cyclin-dependent kinases. To phosphorylate their substrates, these enzymes bind to proteins of the cyclin family - proteins that are synthesized and degraded at specific points in each cell cycle. The most well known of these kinases is the 34 kDa product of the cdc2 gene in fission yeast, p34cdc2; however, several putative cyclin-dependent kinases have now been cloned or identified. Some of these closely resemble p34cdc2. Here we review these new proteins, their potential roles in the cell cycle and the cyclins with which they may interact.
Yoking OX40 to regulation of IL-9

The secretion of cytokines by helper T cells is affected by the cytokine environment and by costimulatory signals. Engagement of the receptor OX40 on T cells increases expression of the transcription factor TRAF6, activates the alternative transcription factor NF-κB pathway and induces the production of interleukin 9.
The effect of a 13-hour curriculum to improve residents' teaching skills: a randomized trial.

Background: Although resident physicians often teach, few trials have tested interventions to improve residents' teaching skills. A pilot trial in 2001-2002 found that 13 trained resident teachers taught better than did untrained control residents. Objective: To determine whether a longitudinal residents-as-teachers curriculum improves residents' teaching skills. Design: Randomized, controlled trial from May 2001 to February 2002 (pilot trial) and March 2002 to April 2003. Setting: 4 generalist residencies affiliated with an urban academic medical center. Participants: 62 second-year residents: 23 in the 2001-2002 pilot trial and 39 more in 2002-2003; 27 of the 39 participants were medicine residents required to leam teaching skills. Intervention: A 13-hour curriculum in which residents practiced teaching and received feedback during 1-hour small-group sessions taught twice monthly for 6 months. Measurements: A 3.5-hour, 8-station, objective structured teaching examination that was enacted and rated by 50 medical students before and after the intervention. Two trained, blinded raters independently assessed each station (inter-rater reliability, 0.75). Results: In the combined results for 2001-2003, the intervention group (n = 33) and control group (n = 29) were similar in sex, specialty, and academic performance. On a 1 to 5 Likert scale, intervention residents outscored controls on overall improvement score (post-test-pretest difference, 0.74 vs. 0.07; difference between intervention and control groups, 0.68 [95% Cl, 0.55 to 0.81]; P < 0.001) by a magnitude of 2.8 standard deviations and on all 8 individual stations. The intervention residents improved 28.5% overall, whereas the scores of control residents did not increase significantly (2.7%). In 2002-2003, 19 intervention residents similarly outscored 19 controls (post-test-pretest difference, 0.83 vs. 0.14; difference between intervention and control groups, 0.69 [Cl, 0.53 to 0.84]; P < 0.001). Twenty-seven medicine residents required to learn teaching skills achieved scores similar to those of volunteers. Limitations: The study was conducted at a single institution. No real life assessment with which to compare the results of the objective structured teaching examination was available. Conclusions: Generalist residents randomly assigned to receive a 13-hour longitudinal residents-as-teachers curriculum consistently showed improved teaching skills, as judged by medical student raters. Residents required to participate improved as much as volunteers did. Ann Intern Med. 2C04:141:257-263. www.annals.org For author affiliations, see end of text.
Response disinhibition evoked by the administration of nicotine and nicotine-associated contextual cues

Abstract Nicotine causes dose-dependent alterations in accuracy on the differential-reinforcement of low-rate responding (DRL) 29.5-s schedule in rats. The current investigation evaluated whether nicotine-associated contextual cues can produce nicotine-like perturbations in DRL-schedule performance in the absence of nicotine. Nicotine and saline administrations occurred just prior to DRL 29.5-s schedule responding for sucrose solution, and two different experimental contexts (differentiated by visual, olfactory, and tactile cues) were utilized. All subjects ( N = 16) experienced two consecutive sessions of DRL-schedule responding per day. The experimental group ( n = 8) was exposed to saline immediately prior to the first session and 0.3 mg/kg nicotine before the second session, and the context was changed between sessions. This sequence of saline and then nicotine administration, paired with two reliable contexts, persisted for 12 consecutive days and successive nicotine administrations corresponded with increasingly poorer performance on the DRL 29.5-s schedule. No nicotine was administered for days 13-20 during context testing, and the nicotine-associated context produced response disinhibition on the DRL schedule. Two control groups were included in the design; subjects in one control group ( n = 4) received saline in each context to verify that the contexts themselves were not exerting control over operant responding. To assess how explicit and non-explicit pairings of nicotine and contextual cues influenced DRL behavior, subjects in a second control group ( n = 4) were given nicotine prior to the second session, but the contexts were not altered between sessions. The results from this experiment suggest that environmental stimuli associated with nicotine exposure can come to elicit nicotine-induced performance decrements on a DRL 29.5-s schedule.
Teachers Don't Always Do What They Think They Should: A Preliminary Validation of the Early Childhood Educators' Knowledge of Self-Regulation Skills Questionnaire.

The extent to which teachers understand the concept of self-regulation skills and how best to implement practices that enhance self-regulation in children in the early childhood education classroom remains unexamined. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the self-reporting Early Childhood Educators Knowledge of Self-Regulation Questionnaire (ECESRQ) instrument designed to identify teachers’ knowledge and instruction of self-regulation skills in the classroom. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine three latent factors: teacher attitudes and beliefs, classroom management techniques, and child behavior. The findings identified parallel the literature in the preservice teacher-training arena, suggesting a theoretical basis for the underlying constructs. EFA contributed to establishing good estimates of construct validity in the ECESRQ; in addition Cronbach’s alpha results demonstrated moderate levels of internal reliability. Pearson correlation was used to a...
Cognitive impairments, information technology systems and the workplace

21.3 million Americans have some form of cognitive disability and a large majority of these individuals are working age adults (Braddock, 2005). Cognitive impairment, often labeled as a "hidden disability" is loosely defined as a disability that affect's an individuals awareness; memory; and ability to learn, process information, communicate and make decisions. "Cognition" refers to "understanding," the ability to comprehend what one sees and hears, and to infer information from social cues and body language. Persons with cognitive impairments have difficulty learning new things, expressing themselves through spoken or written language, and making generalizations from one situation to another (Davis, 2000).
A metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist regulates neurotrophin messenger RNA in rat forebrain

Abstract We have examined the role of metabotropic glutamate receptor activation in regulating neurotrophin messenger RNA levels in the brain with the use of the selective agonist (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid. Intracerebroventricular injection of (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid into adult rats resulted in increased expression of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor messenger RNA in the hippocampus and pyriform cortex and decreased levels of neurotrophin-3 messenger RNA in the hippocampal dentate gyrus granule cell layer. C-fos messenger RNA levels were also increased throughout hippocampal and cortical subfields following (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid administration. (1S,3R)-1-Aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid-induced changes in messenger RNA levels occurred without behavioral seizures, yet these changes were similar in magnitude and time course to early changes in neurotrophin and c-fos messenger RNA levels observed following recurrent limbic seizures. In contrast quisqualate, a potent agonist of metabotropic as well as ionotropic kainate/α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors, was only capable of inducing increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor messenger RNA at doses which produced recurrent motor seizures, and both effects were completely inhibited by the non-N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione. Neurotrophin messenger RNA changes induced by (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid were also partially susceptible to 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione antagonism, as well as the specific N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor antagonist (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydroxy-5H-dibenzo(a,d)-cyclohepten-5,10-iminedizoleipine. These results suggest that (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid-sensitive metabotropic glutamate receptors can dramatically increase the expression of neurotrophin and c-fos messenger RNAs in rat forebrain without producing significant behavioral trauma and that these influences may involve ionotropic glutamate receptors in certain brain regions.
DETERMINATION OF THE pKa VALUES OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON METABOLITES BY CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was used to determine the pKa values of six environmentally and metabolically important PAH metabolites. The pKa values obtained from CZE were close to the pKa values reported in the literature which were obtained by spectroscopy. In this work, it was found that CZE is very suitable for the determination of the pKa values of the weakly acidic, large ring PAH metabolites. A pKa value acquired for one of the model compounds by spectrometry gave supporting evidence for the reliability of CZE in obtaining pKa values for relatively large molecular weight hydroxyl compounds.
“Benign erythrocytosis” and other familial and congenital polycythemias

The term familial and congenital polycythemia encompasses a heterogeneous group of disorders with the common characteristic of an absolute increased red cell mass since birth and/or similar phenotype also present in relatives. In the last 2 decades the differential diagnosis between primary and secondary familial polycythemias became more physiologically relevant as new sensitive techniques, such as accurate measurements of serum erythropoietin (S-EPO) concentration by radioimmunoassay (RIA) or ELISA, and assessment of growth of erythroid progenitor cells in vitro became available. Consequently, correct classification of many older previous reports of familial polycythemias is difficult. While familial secondary polycythemias due to high oxygen affinity hemoglobin mutants are not infrequent and have been well delineated in terms of molecular pathophysiology and phenotype during the last 3 decades, those secondary familial polycythemias due to 2,3 DPG deficiency are very rare. Familial and congenital polycythemias with increased EPO concentration and normal arterial oxygen saturation and oxygen dissociation kinetics represent an intriguing group of disorders wherein the molecular lesions remain obscure; however, in some instances a possibility of abnormal oxygen sensing pathway involving hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) open an intriguing yet unexplored area of hematology and biology. In contrast the primary familial and congenital polycythemia (PFCP) has been only recently recognized (the first report published in 1977). Various designations have been used in the past to describe PFCP, a rare clinical syndrome, including: benign familial erythrocytosis, polycythemia vera of childhood, primary polycythemia, pure erythrocytosis, etc. Some of these terms stressed the relatively benign, non-progressive course of the disease with a normal lifespan of affected subjects; however, the apparent benignity of some of these disorders has been questioned. These disorders are familial and/or congenital, and the clinical and laboratory evidence of secondary polycythemias must be excluded. Only about 2 dozen familial and sporadic cases with PFCP have been reported. However, the mutations of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) found in some of families with PFCP represent the only defined molecular defect of primary polycythemic phenotypes. All reported PFCP associated EPOR mutations result in truncation of its intracytoplasmic C-terminal domain which negatively regulates the EPO/EPOR signal transduction pathway. Subjects with these mutations have decreased or normal S-EPO and increased sensitivity of erythroid progenitor cells to low EPO concentrations in in vitro assays. Mutations of other genes involved in post EPOR signaling pathway such as JAK-2, HCP and STAT 5 may also play a causative role in pathogenesis of some of PFCP families where mutation of EPOR was not found.
Enhancement of the in vivo antitumor activity of clofarabine by 1-β-d-[4-thio-arabinofuranosyl]-cytosine

Purpose Clofarabine increases the activation of 1-β-d-arabinofuranosyl cytosine (araC) in tumor cells, and combination of these two drugs has been shown to result in good clinical activity against various hematologic malignancies. 1-β-d-[4-thio-arabinofuranosyl] cytosine (T-araC) is a new cytosine analog that has exhibited excellent activity against a broad spectrum of human solid tumors and leukemia/lymphoma xenografts in mice and is currently being evaluated in patients as a new drug for the treatment of cancer. Since T-araC has a vastly superior preclinical efficacy profile in comparison to araC, we have initiated studies to determine the potential value of clofarabine/T-araC combination therapy.
Local unimodularity of matrix-vector pairs

Abstract The main theorem establishes a close relationship between the seemingly separate concepts of balancedness and total unimodularity of {0,1} matrices. The result involves classes of Eulerian matrices, and it is presented using terms “local unimodularity” and “local total unimodularity” recently proposed by Hoffman and Oppenheim.
Density of global trajectories for filtered Navier-Stokes equations*

For two-dimensional periodic Kelvin-filtered Navier–Stokes systems, both positively and negatively invariant sets , consisting of initial data for which solutions exist for all negative times and exhibiting a certain asymptotic behaviour backwards in time, are investigated. They are proven to be rich in the sense that they project orthogonally onto the sets of lower modes corresponding to the first n distinct eigenvalues of the Stokes operator. In general, this yields the density in the phase space of trajectories of global solutions, but with respect to a weaker norm. This result applies equally to the two-dimensional periodic Navier–Stokes equations (NSEs) and the two-dimensional periodic Navier–Stokes-α model. We designate a subclass of filters for which the density follows in the strong topology induced by the (energy) norm of the phase space, as originally conjectured for the NSEs by Bardos and Tartar (1973 Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 50 10–25).
AutoPart: automating schema design for large scientific databases using data partitioning

Database applications that use multi-terabyte datasets are becoming increasingly important for scientific fields such as astronomy and biology. Scientific databases are particularly suited for the application of automated physical design techniques, because of their data volume and the complexity of the scientific workloads. Current automated physical design tools focus on the selection of indexes and materialized views. In large-scale scientific databases, however the data volume and the continuous insertion of new data allows for only limited indexes and materialized views. By contrast, data partitioning does not replicate data, thereby reducing space requirements and minimizing update overhead. In this paper we present AutoPart, an algorithm that automatically partitions database tables to optimize sequential access assuming prior knowledge of a representative workload. The resulting schema is indexed using a fraction of the space required for indexing the original schema. To evaluate AutoPart we built an automated schema design tool that interfaces to commercial database systems. We experiment with AutoPart in the context of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database, a real-world astronomical database, running on SQL Server 2000. Our experiments demonstrate the benefits of partitioning for large-scale systems: partitioning alone improves query execution performance by a factor of two on average. Combined with indexes, the new schema also outperforms the indexed original schema by 20% (for queries) and a factor of five (for updates), while using only half the original index space.
SUBURBANIZATION IN THE SEVENTIES: The “Push-Pull” Hypothesis Revisited

This article compares the effects of “push” and “pull” factors on decisions of white and black households without children to move from central cities to the suburbs. Unlike previous studies where ...
Socialism and Dependency in Parsons' Theory of Evolution*

According to Parsons' theory of evolution, socialist (communist) societies deviate from the progressive line of evolutionary development. But Parsons' empirical analyses indicate that socialist societies exhibit many of the features which, according to his theory, are supposed to characterize societies at the apex of evolutionary development. An endeavor to elicit from Parsons' works plausible solutions to this contradiction fails. Juxtaposing Parsons' treatment of the relationships between the developed and the underdeveloped societies to that of the imperialism-dependency theory it is found that the assumptions, propositions, and interpretations of the two are incompatible, or even diametrically opposed to each other. Moreover, Parsons completely disregards the rich theoretical and empirical research emanating from the school of imperialism-dependency. It is concluded that Parsons' theory of evolution can explain neither the socialist path, of development, nor can it address the issue of change of underdeveloped countries within the context of the contemporary world system.
A new method of generating correlation matrices

A new procedure for generating correlation matrices is presented and contrasted with some of the other known methods. The procedure is quite flexible and provides the experimenter with the option of using correlation matrices where at least one of the intercorrelations is approximately of a specified magnitude. The procedure has many options but the general procedure generates successive correlation matrices where the condition number of the matrix is almost strictly increasing. The method is also easily programmable and quite inexpensive.
THEMIS observations and modeling of multiple ion species and EMIC waves: Implications for a vanishing He+ stop band

[1] Observations of left-hand polarized electro-magnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves with significant wave power across fHe+ are presented. Concurrent field and particle measurements reveal pitch angle scattering of thermal ions during the interval of maximum wave power. The observations suggest the presence of multiple cold ion species (H+, He+) at this time, below the sum of spacecraft potential and minimum energy of the ion instrument (i.e., <∼20 eV). Fortuitously, immediately following the most intense wave activity, the ambient plasma flow velocity became sufficiently large such that cold ions can be accelerated into the energy range of the particle instrument. Thus, two low energy ion components are revealed in the particle measurements at energies consistent with cold protons and He+. Maxwellian fits provide approximations of these cold ion species component densities and temperatures. The linear dispersion relation of parallel propagating EMIC waves for the observed conditions shows a vanishing cold plasma He+ stop band, consistent with the wave measurements during this interval. These results provide the first observational evidence of the importance of the cool ion species temperature/density in controlling linear wave growth through the heavy ion stop bands in warm plasma theory.
Interaction of human and bacterial AlkB proteins with DNA as probed through chemical cross‐linking studies

The Escherichia coli AlkB protein was recently found to repair cytotoxic DNA lesions 1-methyladenine and 3-methylcytosine by using a novel iron-catalyzed oxidative demethylation mechanism. Three human homologs, ABH1, ABH2 and ABH3, have been identified, and two of them, ABH2 and ABH3, were shown to have similar repair activities to E.coli AlkB. However, ABH1 did not show any repair activity. It was suggested that ABH3 prefers single-stranded DNA and RNA substrates, whereas AlkB and ABH2 can repair damage in both single- and double-stranded DNA. We employed a chemical cross-linking approach to probe the structure and substrate preferences of AlkB and its three human homologs. The putative active site iron ligands in these proteins were mutated to cysteine residues. These mutant proteins were used to cross-link to different DNA probes bearing thiol-tethered bases. Disulfide-linked protein–DNA complexes can be trapped and analyzed by SDS–PAGE. Our results show that ABH2 and ABH3 have structural and functional similarities to E.coli AlkB. ABH3 shows preference for the single-stranded DNA probe. ABH1 failed to cross-link to the probes tested. This protein, unlike other AlkB proteins, does not seem to interact with DNA in its E.coli expressed form.
Adaptive bandwidth reservation for traffic streams sharing an ATM virtual path

Adaptive, in-call, bandwidth reservation may be used to enhance bandwidth utilization in a policed ATM virtual path shared by traffic streams originated by many bursty sources. The mechanism is found to be effective when large changes in the aggregate traffic rate are slow in comparison to the feedback delay with which a requested change in the reserved rate is obtained. We present a model, based on Markov-modulated sources and stochastic fluid methods, for performance analysis of the proposed mechanism. The model, corroborated by simulations, is used to study the effects of feedback delay. >
The Color of Hunger: Race and Hunger in National and International Perspective.

The Color of Hunger: Race and Hunger in National and International Perspective. D.L.L. Shields, ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1995.
Expression of gp19K increases the persistence of transgene expression from an adenovirus vector in the mouse lung and liver.

Activation of the cellular immune system and subsequent lysis of vector-transduced cells by adenovirus- or transgene-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes have been shown to limit transgene expression in animal models. The adenovirus gp19K gene product associates with major histocompatibility complex class I proteins and prevents their maturation by sequestering them in the endoplasmic reticulum. gp19K has been shown to block the ability of adenovirus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes to recognize virus-infected cells in vitro. To determine if gp19K expression in an adenovirus vector would increase transgene persistence, a vector that replaces the E1 region of adenovirus with an expression cassette encoding both gp19K and beta-glucuronidase was constructed. This vector produced high levels of functional gp19K in infected cells. RNase protection analysis revealed efficient expression of the gp19K gene in the mouse lung. Enhanced persistence and increased beta-glucuronidase activity were observed in the lung and liver following delivery of the gp19K-expressing adenovirus vector in B10.HTG mice but not in BALB/c mice. Since gp19K binds to both class I alleles on B10.HTG mice but only one allele on BALB/c mice, these results suggest that the major histocompatibility complex class I haplotype of mice is important in determining the effectiveness of gp19K in vivo. Since gp19K has previously been shown to interact with every human major histocompatibility complex class I allele tested, the inclusion of gp19K in gene therapy vectors may increase vector persistence in human gene therapy trials.
Results of the 2014 Survey of the Association of Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs (ADROP)

Abstract Background In 2014, the Association of Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs (ADROP) conducted an in-depth survey of program directors along several axes. We report the results of this survey and compare the major findings with those of the 2007 ADROP survey. Methods and materials The survey was written and approved by ADROP leadership in 2012, announced online through broadcasts throughout 2013 and early 2014, and closed in mid-2014. The results based on question groups related to (1) hours spent in activities, (2) budget and nonprogram resources, (3) physics/biology didactics, (4) mock exams/didactics/research, (5) electives, (6) students, and (7) resources/challenges were tabulated. Descriptive comparisons with the 2007 survey were performed. Results There was 26% participation (23/88 programs). Major areas of time commitment were faculty and site organization, maintenance, and corrections (70 hours/year) and didactics/conferences and rounds (200 hours/year). The median program director protected time was 23% (range 0%-50%). All responding programs (100%) had biology and physics courses and assigned directors, but only approximately 20% of respondents had a threshold grade in these courses for graduation. Major resources desired were templates of goals/objectives by disease site, competency evaluations by level, journal club repository, and software for contouring, oral examination preparation, grant writing, publication writing, oral presentation, and effective teaching. Major activity challenges were Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education external review and time commitment. Conclusions Overall, the 2014 results are similar to those of the 2007 survey. The average time commitment remains considerably higher than the 10% minimum required in the current ACGME program requirements. The survey results may guide ADROP membership in centralizing some of the identified resources needed.
VLSI implementations of ATM buffer management

An architecture is introduced for a semi-shared buffer containing multiple FIFO (first in, first out) queues. The simple and fast FIFO stack approach is generalized to allow overlapping, leading to memory efficiencies similar to those of complex, fully shared architectures. A comparison is made of performance and VLSI implementation costs across the range of separated, semi-shared, and fully shared buffers. >
Assessing Career Search Self-Efficacy: Construct Evidence and Developmental Antecedents:

Evidence in support of career search self-efficacy as a construct is provided through a review of relevant empirical literature. Career search self-efficacy involves one's beliefs about one's own a...
Prognostic variables in patients with gastrointestinal carcinoid tumours

Prognostic variables in patients with gastrointestinal carcinoid tumour were studied with a view to identifying those most likely to benefit from aggressive therapy. A total of 188 patients were studied; the median follow-up of those surviving was 72 months. On univariate analysis variables of prognostic significance were sex (P < 0.01), site of the primary tumour (P < 0.01), depth of invasion (P < 0.001), tumour size (P < 0.005), presence of lymph node (P < 0.001) or liver (P < 0.001) metastases, mode of discovery (P < 0.001) and operative intent (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis the variables independently predictive of death from disease were sex (women have a better prognosis) and presence of metastases at the time of diagnosis.
Spatial aspects of multi-sensor data fusion: Aerosol optical thickness

The Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) investigated the applicability and limitations of combining multi-sensor data through data fusion, to increase the usefulness of the multitude of NASA remote sensing data sets, and as part of a larger effort to integrate this capability in the GES-DISC Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure (Giovanni). This initial study focused on merging daily mean Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT), as measured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites, to increase spatial coverage and produce complete fields to facilitate comparison with models and station data. The fusion algorithm used the maximum likelihood technique to merge the pixel values where available. The algorithm was applied to two regional AOT subsets (with mostly regular and irregular gaps, respectively) and a set of AOT fields that differed only in the size and location of artificially created gaps. The Cumulative Semivariogram (CSV) was found to be sensitive to the spatial distribution of gap areas and, thus, useful for assessing the sensitivity of the fused data to spatial gaps.
Measurement of elemental concentration of aerosols using spark emission spectroscopy

A coaxial microelectrode system has been used to collect and analyse the elemental composition of aerosol particles in near real-time using spark emission spectroscopy. The technique involves focused electrostatic deposition of charged aerosol particles onto the flat tip of a microelectrode, followed by introduction of spark discharge. A pulsed spark discharge was generated across the electrodes with input energy ranging from 50 to 300 mJ per pulse, resulting in the formation of controlled pulsed plasma. The particulate matter on the cathode tip is ablated and atomized by the spark plasma, resulting in atomic emissions which are subsequently recorded using a broadband optical spectrometer for element identification and quantification. The plasma characteristics were found to be very consistent and reproducible even after several thousands of spark discharges using the same electrode system. The spark plasma was characterized by measuring the excitation temperature (∼7000 to 10 000 K), electron density (∼1016 cm−3), and evolution of spectral responses as a function of time. The system was calibrated using particles containing Pb, Si, Na and Cr. Absolute mass detection limits in the range 11 pg to 1.75 ng were obtained. Repeatability of spectral measurements varied from 2 to 15%. The technique offers key advantages over similar microplasma-based techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, as: (i) it does not require any laser beam optics and eliminates any need for beam alignment, (ii) pulse energy from dc power supply in SIBS system can be much higher compared to that from laser source of the same physical size, and (iii) it is quite conducive to compact, field-portable instrumentation.
Prioritization of Emergency Network Traffic using Ticket Servers: A Performance Analysis

Broadband packet networks must dynamically recognize some network flows, like those that deal with disaster response, military operations, or emergencies as having greater importance than others. An architecture of geographically distributed ticket servers has been proposed to issue importance tickets to identify the priority that a flow should be given in the current dynamic network context. Any type of user or flow can be given priority, depending on the user needs and the context. Here the potential viability of such an architecture is studied with respect to the performance requirements of ticket servers, network overhead that would be added, and the severity of longer connection setup times. A hybrid simulation approach is used. The negotiation interaction between users and servers is simulated in a prototype. Network and ticket server performance are modeled using prototype results combined with analytical techniques for networks of queues. Two scenarios are studied, a hurricane event and an office building bombing event, and ticket server performance requirements and connection setup delays were not found to be prohibitive to the successful implementation of such an architecture.
Optimal information revelation in procurement schemes

A buyer procuring a single input possesses private information about each potential supplier's degree of fit with the buyer's needs. She can search among suppliers either sequentially or simultaneously. As long as the distribution of the fit parameter is not overly skewed to the left, sharing information with suppliers yields intensified price competition under simultaneous search. Moreover, the buyer cannot benefit by providing suppliers additional information beyond their own fitness parameter. Information revelation is never optimal with sequential search.
Quantifying hypoxia-induced chemoreceptor sensitivity in the awake rodent

We evaluated several methods for characterizing hypoxic chemosensitivity in the conscious rat. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 30) were exposed to normobaric hypoxia [inspired oxygen fraction (Fio2) 0.15, 0.12, and 0.09]. We measured ventilation (Ve; barometric plethysmography), arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2; pulse oximeter), and oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production (Vo2 and Vco2; analysis of expired air). Linear regression analysis was used to define stimulus-response relationships. Testing was performed on 2 days to assess day-to-day reproducibility. Exposure to graded, steady-state hypoxia caused progressive reductions in SpO2 that were, for any given Fio2, quite variable (SpO2 range, 20-30%) among individuals. Hypoxia produced progressive increases in Ve caused by increases in both tidal volume (VT) and breathing frequency. Hypoxia also increased the VT:inspiratory time (Ti) ratio, an indicator of central respiratory "drive." Hypoxia caused consistent, progressive declines in Vo2, Vco2, and core temperature (>20% at the lowest SpO2). We propose that optimal quantification of carotid chemoreceptor hypoxic sensitivity in the unanesthetized rodent should employ SpO2 [a surrogate for arterial Po2 (PaO2 )] as the stimulus variable and the ventilatory equivalent for Vco2 (Ve/Vco2) and/or mean inspiratory flow rate (VT/Ti) normalized for Vco2 as the response variables. Both metrics take into account not only the important influence of a falling metabolic rate, but also SpO2, which represents the hypoxic stimulus at the carotid body. Because of the somewhat curvilinear nature of these responses, exposure to multiple levels of graded hypoxia provides the most complete characterization of hypoxic chemosensitivity.
Camera stability problem and dynamic stereo vision

The authors show how stereo-based range data, obtained over time by a moving vehicle can be integrated without the explicit knowledge or computation of camera motion. A unique aspect of the approach is the transformation of range information into relative distances and encoding these distances in image registered maps. Results of experiments on dynamic stereo images, are presented. >
A Network Modeling Approach for the Spatial Distribution and Structure of Bone Mineral Content

This study aims to develop a spatial model of bone for quantitative assessments of bone mineral density and microarchitecture. A spatially structured network model for bone microarchitecture was systematically investigated. Bone mineral-forming foci were distributed radially according to the cumulative normal distribution, and Voronoi tessellation was used to obtain edges representing bone mineral lattice. Methods to simulate X-ray images were developed. The network model recapitulated key features of real bone and contained spongy interior regions resembling trabecular bone that transitioned seamlessly to densely mineralized, compact cortical bone-like microarchitecture. Model-simulated imaging profiles were similar to patients’ X-ray images. The morphometric metrics were concordant with microcomputed tomography results for real bone. Simulations comparing normal and diseased bone of 20–30 to 70–80 year-olds demonstrated the method’s effectiveness for modeling osteoporosis. The novel spatial model may be useful for pharmacodynamic simulations of bone drugs and for modeling imaging data in clinical trials.
BPDA2d--a 2D global optimization-based Bayesian peptide detection algorithm for liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry.

Motivation: Peptide detection is a crucial step in mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics. Most existing algorithms are based upon greedy isotope template matching and thus may be prone to error propagation and ineffective to detect overlapping peptides. In addition, existing algorithms usually work at different charge states separately, isolating useful information that can be drawn from other charge states, which may lead to poor detection of low abundance
Disconnect during Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD): Retrospective Experience with Three Different Systems:

Disadvantages of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), such as inconvenience and bulkiness of the apparatus, inflexibility of infusion volume, and predictable peritonitis incidence may be altered by using systems which allow disconnection from the tubing and bag after each exchange. At University of Michigan we have followed 35 patients using the O set with sodium hypochlorite (Baxter Healthcare Corp.) for 15.5 +/- 10 months, 16 patients using the Y configuration Ultraset (Baxter Healthcare Corp.) for 8.1 +/- 5 months, and 6 patients using a universal adapter (Delmed Corp.) for 14.3 +/- 7 months. Failure occurred in 7 cases (18%) at 12 +/- 8 months using the O set (3 elective, 3 related to peritonitis, 1 ultrafiltration difficulty), and 1 (7%) at 3 months using the Ultraset (related to peritonitis). Accidental sodium hypochlorite infusion occurred 8 times in 6 patients, 4 patients still on CAPD without residual effect and 2 in whom infusion contributed to failure but not to ultrafiltration difficulty. Cumulative per-patient-year (episode/months) peritonitis rates of 0.75 (1/16.4), 0.65 (1/18.4) and 0.88 (1/14.3), respectively, compare favorably with the overall center experience of 0.96 (1/12.2) (NIH-CAPD Registry). Peritonitis rates did not differ during use of any of the disconnect systems between patients with prior CAPD experience compared to patients without prior CAPD experience.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
First description of the nest of the Band-tailed Antshrike Thamnophilus melanothorax

RESuMo: Primeira descricao do ninho da choca-de-cauda-pintada Thamnophilus melanothorax. Em 10 de agosto de 2006 encontramos um ninho do Thamnophilus melanothorax (anteriormente em Sakesphorus) em Werephai, no sul do Suriname. O ninho consistia de uma taca aberta e profunda, suspensa pela sua borda na forquilha horizontal de uma arvore pequena (Siparuna decipiens) 1.6 m acima do chao. A taca foi construida com musgo vivo no exterior e rizomorfas de fungos (Marasmiaceae) no interior. Numerosos galhos e peciolos cobertos com micelios brancos de um fungo foram encaixados nas paredes do ninho, fortificando a matriz de musgo e rizomorfas. Em geral, a arquitetura deste primeiro ninho conhecido para a choca‐de‐cara‐pintada assemelha‐se ao de outras especies de Thamnophilus, com excecao do uso de galhos revestidos com micelios brancos, o que havia sido descrito previamente apenas para um congenerico (T. schistaceus). O ninho foi encontrado no estagio final de construcao e foi coletado antes da postura de ovos.
Thank You to Our Reviewers

knowledge and thank the following individuals for serving as reviewers for Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology the period of January 1, 2014, to May 31, 2015. We acknowlour central role in the academic mission of radiology, and your contribution to peer review is critical to the health of radiology as a scholarly field. Your knowledge, dedication, and hard work truly enable us to produce such a high-quality journal for the radiology community.
When the Legislature Requested the Governor to Investigate Its Own Operations

This paper examines the situation in New York State in 1943 when the state legislature asked the Governor to investigate its operations.
The Great Recession of 2007-2009 and Public Insurance Coverage for Children in Alabama: Enrollment and Claims Data from 1999-2011.

Objectives.This study examined the impact of the Great Recession of 2007–2009 on public health insurance enrollment and expenditures in Alabama. Our analysis was designed to provide a framework for...
Improvement of Coastal Inlets by Sidecast Dredging

The construction and maintenance of navigation channels through the shallow coastal inlets of North Carolina have always been a hazardous and expensive undertaking. With the development of a shallow-draft sidecasting dredge, the hazards have been virtually eliminated and the construction and maintenance costs have been brought within reasonable limits. The need for a dredge of the shallow-draft sidecasting type is shown and the history of its development is given. The plant is described and the operating procedure in a typical shallow inlet channel is discussed. Performance and cost experience are presented and observations are offered on stability of dredged channels.
A Qualitative Study of Black Women’s Experiences in Drug Abuse and Mental Health Services:

Little is known about black women’s perceptions of service barriers in mental health and substance treatment. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study that explored the perceptions of 29 black women who received treatment in a small urban Northeastern city. Findings of the focus group data revealed participants’ experiences of services as discussed through the themes of bias and stigma; incompatible perspectives of wellness versus illness between consumer and provider; consumer mistrust; and holistic wellness. Participants endorsed counseling as a treatment strategy but were adverse to the use of medication. Practice and research implications are discussed.
Size-Selective Synthesis and Stabilization of Small Silver Nanoparticles on TiO2 Partially Masked by SiO2

Controlling metal nanoparticle size is one of the principle challenges in developing new supported catalysts. Typical methods where a metal salt is deposited and reduced can result in a polydisperse mixture of metal nanoparticles, especially at higher loading. Polydispersity can exacerbate the already significant challenge of controlling sintering at high temperatures, which decreases catalytic surface area. Here, we demonstrate the size-selective photoreduction of Ag nanoparticles on TiO2 whose surface has been partially masked with a thin SiO2 layer. To synthesize this layered oxide material, TiO2 particles are grafted with tert-butylcalix[4]arene molecular templates (∼2 nm in diameter) at surface densities of 0.05–0.17 templates.nm–2, overcoated with ∼2 nm of SiO2 through repeated condensation cycles of limiting amounts of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), and the templates are removed oxidatively. Ag photodeposition results in uniform nanoparticle diameters ≤ 3.5 nm (by transmission electron microscopy (TEM))...
Development and characterization of high-frequency resonance-enhanced microjet actuators for control of high-speed jets

For flow control applications requiring high-frequency excitation, very few actuators have sufficient dynamic response and/or control authority to be useful in high-speed flows. Due to this reason, experiments involving high-frequency excitation, attempted in the past, have been limited to either low-frequency actuation with reasonable control authority or moderate-frequency actuation with limited control authority. The current work expands on the previous development of the resonance-enhanced microactuators to design actuators that are capable of producing high-amplitude pulses at much higher frequencies [ $$\mathcal {O}$$ (10 kHz)]. Using lumped element modeling, two actuators have been designed with nominal frequencies of 20 and 50 kHz. Extensive benchtop characterization using acoustic measurements as well as optical diagnostics using a high-resolution micro-schlieren setup is employed to characterize the dynamic response of these actuators. The actuators performed at a range of frequencies, 20.3–27.8 and 54.8–78.2 kHz, respectively. In addition to providing information on the actuator flow physics and performance at various operating conditions, this study serves to develop easy-to-integrate high-frequency actuators for active control of high-speed jets. Preliminary testing of these actuators is performed by implementing the 20-kHz actuator on a Mach 0.9 free jet flow field for noise reduction. Acoustic measurements in the jet near field demonstrate attenuation of radiated noise at all observation angles.