cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors of international students’ psychosocial adjustment to life in the United States: A systematic review

Abstract This review systematically examined predictors of psychosocial adjustment of international undergraduate and graduate students in the United States. Sixty-four studies published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990 and January 2009 were reviewed. Statistically significant predictors of psychosocial adjustment were grouped by adjustment outcome variables (e.g., psychological symptoms and sociocultural adjustment). The methodological quality of each study was examined using an 11-point grading criteria, assessing the employment of theoretical framework, reporting of data's validity and reliability, study design, and analytic techniques, among others. The most frequently reported predictors included stress, social support, English language proficiency, region/country of origin, length of residence in the United States, acculturation, social interaction with Americans, self-efficacy, gender, and personality. The mean methodological score of the reviewed studies was 6.25 ( SD = 1.8; maximum possible score = 11). The reviewed studies overcame selected limitations pointed out by Church in a previous review (1982), by employing a wide range of theories, employing longitudinal designs, and comparing among countries/regions of origin. This review also discussed implications for health promotion for international students and directions for future research.
Optimal control of continuous systems with impulse controls

Summary Impulse control problems, in which a continuously evolving state is modified by discrete control actions, have applications in epidemiology, medicine, and ecology. In this paper, we present a simple method for solving impulse control problems for systems of differential equations. In particular, we show how impulse control problems can be reformulated and solved as discrete optimal control problems. The method is illustrated with two examples. Published 2014. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
Effect of Expansions in State Medicaid Eligibility on Access to Care and the Use of Emergency Department Services for Adult Medicaid Enrollees

Importance Medicaid enrollees typically report worse access to care than other insured populations. Expansions in Medicaid through less restrictive income eligibility requirements and the resulting influx of new enrollees may further erode access to care for those already enrolled in Medicaid. Objective To assess the effect of previous Medicaid expansions on self-reported access to care and the use of emergency department services by Medicaid enrollees. Design, Setting, and Participants Quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design among 1714 adult Medicaid enrollees in 10 states that expanded Medicaid between June 1, 2000, and October 1, 2009, and 5097 Medicaid enrollees in 14 bordering control states that did not expand Medicaid. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-reported access to care and annualized emergency department use. Results Among states expanding their Medicaid program for adults, the mean income eligibility level increased from 82.6% to 144.2% of the federal poverty level. Income eligibility in matched control states remained constant at 77.1% of the federal poverty level. The proportion of adults reporting being enrolled in Medicaid increased from 7.2% to 8.8% in expansion states and from 6.1% to 6.4% in matched control states. In Medicaid program expansion states, the proportion of Medicaid enrollees reporting poor access to care declined from 8.5% before the expansion to 7.3% after the expansion. In matched control states, the proportion of Medicaid enrollees reporting poor access to care remained constant at 5.3%. The proportion of enrollees reporting any emergency department use decreased from 41.2% to 40.1% in expansion states and from 37.3% to 36.1% in matched control states. In the period following expansions, newly eligible enrollees reported poorer access to care than previously enrolled beneficiaries, although the overall difference between groups did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions and Relevance We found no evidence that expanding the number of individuals eligible for Medicaid coverage eroded perceived access to care or increased the use of emergency services among adult Medicaid enrollees.
Commentary: Call me on my mobile phone…or better not?—a look at the INTERPHONE study results

Mobile phone (cell phone) use is increasing extraordinarily rapidly worldwide. There are now 4.6 billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide.1 In many low- and middle-income countries use of cell phones has made communications possible in vast areas lacking cable connections. Increasingly, in high-income countries, cell phones have replaced ‘land lines’ for personal telecommunications. Users of mobile phones are exposed to electromagnetic radiation, which has long been hypothesized to have adverse health effects, including increased risk of cancer.2,3 Research on biological mechanisms of cellular and tissue injury by electromagnetic radiation has been inconclusive, and consequently epidemiological studies have been the principal source of evidence on potential health risks of mobile phone use. Brain tumours have been of particular concern because the electromagnetic radiation generated by mobile phones passes through the brain when the phones are used without a hands-free device. To date, findings of diverse studies on mobile phone use and brain tumour risk have been reported with mixed findings, but with no clear indication of increased risk for cancer.4,5 To provide needed evidence on the potential risk of brain cancer associated with mobile phone use, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) initiated a multi-centre case–control study, the INTERPHONE study, in 1998–99.
Primary Enteric-Type Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Urethra in a Patient With Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract Primary carcinoma of the male urethra accounts for less than 1% of malignancies in men. Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the urethra is extremely rare, and its biologic behavior is poorly unders...
Pion entropy and phase space density in RHIC collisions

We present the source-averaged phase space density , the entropy per particle Sπ/Nπ, and the total pion entropy per participant (dSπ/dy)/Np extracted at midrapidity in six momentum intervals and seven centrality intervals, for pions produced in √sNN = 130 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. These are inferred from measured π − momentum spectra and HBT correlation analysis of pion data from the STAR detector. The source-averaged pion phase space density reaches a plateau with centrality and is significantly larger than that observed for √sNN = 17 GeV Pb+Pb central collisions at the CERN SPS. The entropy per particle Sπ/Nπ is relatively low, approaching the Landau limit. The total pion entropy per participant (dSπ/dy)/Np is about 6.5 ± 0.1, independent of centrality, suggesting that there is no per-participant increase in initial entropy production with increasing collision centrality.
“And Let Us Make Us a Name”: Reflections on the Future of the Religion and Health Field

After years of marginality, research on religion and health is entering the academic mainstream. Scholarship on this topic has evolved into a large, productive field. As in any emerging field, there are competing visions for what the field should be about and what research questions should be pursued. Different opinions exist as to which constructs should be researched. Words like religion, spirituality, faith, and prayer, and health, healing, medicine, and healthcare, imply different things. The study of their various interconnections can thus take myriad forms. This article argues for a welcoming approach open to the widest range of research subjects.
Lying: deception in human affairs

Seeking to clarify the concept of lying, I deal with several topics on which ideas vary. I consider the symbolic, intentional, misleading, and relational character of lies, and include secrecy and other forms of deliberate deception within lies on the basis of these components. Next, I distinguish between human and nonhuman deception, invoking the concepts of symbols, role‐taking, self, and mind. Following this, I present several representative categories of the infinite array of benign and exploitive social contexts in which lying occurs. In a brief discussion, I then impugn the commonly‐used notion of “self‐deception” as internally contradictory. And, finally, I describe both negative and positive consequences of deception in human affairs.
Cardiomyopathy predisposes hamsters to trichlorofluoromethane toxicity.

Abstract Cardiomyopathy occurs as an inherited trait in the BIO 82.62 strain of Syrian hamsters; the animals dying of frank congestive heart failure when they are between 240 and 270 days old. Exposure to 7.5 or 2% trichlorofluoromethane (F-11) killed four of four and four of five 240-day-old cardiomyopathic (CMP) hamsters, respectively, within 48 min. CMP hamsters, 150 days old, and random bred hamsters of both ages survived the 4-hr exposure and the 2-wk postexposure observation period. Other groups of 240-day-old CMP hamsters survived 4-hr exposures to air or 7.5% N 2 in air and lived an average of 8 days post exposure. Pentobarbital anesthetized random bred hamsters required exposure to 10% F-11 before arrhythmias (tachycardia) developed. Young (120-day-old) anesthetized CMP hamsters developed arrhythmias during exposure to 2.5% F-11. Both 120- and 180-day-old anesthetized CMP hamsters developed sinus bradycardia during exposure to 5% F-11. These studies show that F-11 is more toxic to CMP hamsters and that the toxicity is quanlitatively different as well.
Finite-horizon input-constrained nonlinear optimal control using single network adaptive critics

A single neural network based controller called the Finite-SNAC is developed in this study to synthesize finite-horizon optimal controllers for nonlinear control-affine systems. For satisfying the constraint on the input, a non-quadratic cost function is used. Inputs to the neural network are the current system states and the time-to-go and the network outputs are the costates which are used to compute the feedback control. Convergence of the reinforcement learning based training method to the optimal solution, the training error and the network weights are provided. The resulting controller is shown to solve the associated time-varying Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation and provide the fixed-final-time optimal solution. Performance of the new synthesis technique is demonstrated through an attitude control problem wherein a rigid spacecraft performs a finite time attitude maneuver subject to control bounds. The new formulation has a great potential for implementation since it consists of only one neural network with single set of weights and it provides comprehensive feedback solutions online though it is trained offline.
Revascularization for complex intracranial aneurysms

The modern management of intracranial aneurysms includes both constructive and deconstructive strategies to eliminate the aneurysm from the circulation. Both microsurgical and endovascular techniques are used to achieve this goal. Although most aneurysms can be eliminated from the circulation with simple clip reconstruction and/or coil insertion, some require revascularization techniques to enhance tolerance of temporary arterial occlusion during clipping of the aneurysm neck or to enable proximal occlusion or trapping. In fact, the importance of revascularization techniques has grown because of the need for complex reconstructions when endovascular therapies fail. Moreover, the safety and feasibility of bypass have progressed due to advances in neuroanesthesia, technological innovations, and ~ 5 decades of accumulating wisdom by bypass practitioners. Cerebral revascularization strategies become necessary in select patients who possess challenging vascular aneurysms due to size, shape, location, intramura...
The Human Cytomegalovirus UL44 Protein Is a Substrate for the UL97 Protein Kinase

Protein kinases play a crucial role in the regulation of protein function through phosphorylation of targeted proteins. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes many phosphorylated proteins and at least one protein kinase, the product of the UL97 open reading frame (ORF) (6, 13). UL97 is most closely related in sequence to certain protein kinases encoded by various herpesviruses, which collectively form the HvUL protein kinase family (18). These enzymes share many motifs typical of protein kinases but are relatively divergent. The protein kinase motifs of UL97 are even more divergent than those of other family members (6). Biochemically, UL97 is rather unusual in that it can phosphorylate nucleoside analogs such as the antiviral drugs acyclovir and ganciclovir (30). Indeed, phosphorylation of ganciclovir by UL97 is responsible for much of the antiviral selectivity of this drug (29). In vitro, UL97 can autophosphorylate (1, 13). It can also phosphorylate certain exogenous protein and peptide substrates (1, 2, 8, 13; P. B. Sethna, M. G. Davis, C. L. Talarico, W. H. Miller, K. Blackburn, W. A. Burhart, M. B. Moyer, K. K. Biron, and R. J. Harvey, submitted for publication). With these more conventional substrates, it is rather specific. For example, it phosphorylates histones only on particular serine residues (2), but it does not phosphorylate various other proteins, for example, glutathione S-transferase (GST) (8) or various serine/threonine containing peptides (2). Its specificity appears to be due in part to an unusual preference for basic residues five positions downstream of the phosphorylation site (1, 2). UL97 is important, but not completely essential, for viral replication (25). It has been reported to have roles at the stages of DNA replication, DNA encapsidation, and/or nuclear egress (3, 15, 33). An understanding of how UL97 functions during viral replication would be greatly aided by identifying its natural substrates. An initial step in that direction made use of maribavir (also known as 1263W94), a potent inhibitor of HCMV replication in tissue culture that acts via inhibition of UL97 (3). When lysates from wild-type (wt) HCMV-infected cells were incubated with radiolabeled ATP, the inclusion of maribavir reduced the phosphorylation of several proteins; the phosphorylation of these proteins was not reduced by maribavir in lysates from cells infected with a maribavir-resistant mutant (Sethna et al., submitted). One of these proteins was UL44, a phosphoprotein encoded by the HCMV UL44 ORF, also known as pp52 and ICP36 (5, 11, 16). UL44 is essential for HCMV DNA replication and appears to serve as the processivity subunit of the viral DNA polymerase (10, 24, 28, 32, 35), which might be relevant to the role of UL97 in viral infection. However, it was not shown that UL97 directly phosphorylates UL44, nor has there been evidence that UL97 is required for the normal phosphorylation of any viral protein in infected cells. We therefore sought to determine if UL44 is a substrate for UL97 in vitro and in infected cells.
Mutual Attraction: Demography and Life-Course Analysis

Bringing together a life course and demographic perspective provides a useful framework for studying aging. This perspective conceptualizes aging as the dynamic process of cohorts moving through the life course in historical time. Each cohort is embedded in a social structure that regulates how it ages, and the social structure changes as the cohort advances through the life course over time. This view of aging provides a strategy for developing research on such basic questions as: Why is the life course structured the way it is? How, and why, does the experience of aging differ between cohorts? And how, and why, is aging experienced differentially by various segments of a cohort?
The SQV-1 UDP-glucuronic acid decarboxylase and the SQV-7 nucleotide-sugar transporter may act in the Golgi apparatus to affect Caenorhabditis elegans vulval morphogenesis and embryonic development

Recent findings indicate that glycosaminoglycans can play important roles in animal development. The genes sqv-3, -7, and -8, which are necessary for vulval morphogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans, affect the biosynthesis of chondroitin and heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans. We cloned sqv-1 and showed that the SQV-1 protein is a type II transmembrane protein that functions as a UDP-glucuronic acid decarboxylase. SQV-1 localizes to punctate cytoplasmic compartments and colocalizes with the SQV-7 nucleotide-sugar transporter, which probably acts in the Golgi apparatus. SQV-1 and SQV-7 are both expressed in the vulva and in oocytes, where they likely act in vulval morphogenesis and embryonic development, respectively. Progeny of sqv-7 and sqv-1 null mutants fail to initiate cytokinesis, possibly because they are unable to separate the plasma membrane from the eggshell, a defect analogous to that of incomplete vulval invagination.
Relationship Between Male Pattern Baldness and the Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer: An Analysis of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial

Purpose Male pattern baldness and prostate cancer appear to share common pathophysiologic mechanisms. However, results from previous studies that assess their relationship have been inconsistent. Therefore, we investigated the association of male pattern baldness at age 45 years with risks of overall and subtypes of prostate cancer in a large, prospective cohort—the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. Methods We included 39,070 men from the usual care and screening arms of the trial cohort who had no cancer diagnosis (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) at the start of follow-up and recalled their hair-loss patterns at age 45 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated by using Cox proportional hazards regression models with age as the time metric. Results During follow-up (median, 2.78 years), 1,138 incident prostate cancer cases were diagnosed, 571 of which were aggressive (biopsy Gleason score ≥ 7, and/or clinical stage III or greater, and/or fatal). Compared ...
The role of social network websites in the consumer–brand relationship

Abstract Building and leveraging the brand community on a social network website (SN) such as Facebook is one of the popular social media strategies that companies employ to build a consumer–brand relationship. This research empirically tests a theoretical argument that the perceived benefits of a brand׳s social network website (BSN) influence the consumer׳s relationship with the brand׳s SN, which in turn leads to loyalty behavior. After qualitative exploration of the community to understand the practice of BSN, a quantitative method was utilized to test the hypothesized relationships. The results provide general support for the positive effect of BSN benefits on outcome variables. Specifically, experiential and functional benefits of a brand׳s SN positively influence the consumer׳s perception of relationship investment made by the brand, resulting in both brand relationship quality and the willingness to spread good words about the brand׳s SN. In addition, experiential benefits of BSN positively influence BSN relationship quality, which in turn leads to brand relationship quality, while the effect of functional benefits on BSN relationship quality is not found. The findings provide practical managerial suggestions to marketers and theoretical implications for future studies.
Pressure shift and broadening of the resonance lines of singly ionized alkaline-earth atoms and some alkali atoms in hot compressed Ar and He☆

Abstract With a ballistic compressor, the pressure shift and broadening of the resonance lines of singly ionized Ca, Sr and Ba were measured under various pressures of Ar and He at 2400 and 2500°K respectively. To make a comparison with the corresponding effects for alkali atoms, the first member of the principal series and that of the diffuse series of neutral Li and Na-D lines were also studied under the same experimental conditions. By tabulating the results of this paper and previous articles on neutral alkaline-earth resonance lines, it is found that the shift and broadening of the resonance lines of atoms belonging to the three different groups are quite alike. The amounts of shift and broadening taper off slightly in the order of neutral Group (IA), neutral Group (IIA) and singly-ionized Group (IIA) atoms in the periodic table.
Association of Coronary Wall Shear Stress With Atherosclerotic Plaque Burden, Composition, and Distribution in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Background Extremes of wall shear stress (WSS) have been associated with plaque progression and transformation, which has raised interest in the clinical assessment of WSS. We hypothesized that calculated coronary WSS is predicted only partially by luminal geometry and that WSS is related to plaque composition. Methods and Results Twenty‐seven patients with coronary artery disease underwent virtual histology intravascular ultrasound and Doppler velocity measurement for computational fluid dynamics modeling for WSS calculation in each virtual histology intravascular ultrasound segment (N=3581 segments). We assessed the association of WSS with plaque burden and distribution and with plaque composition. WSS remained relatively constant across the lower 3 quartiles of plaque burden ( P =0.08) but increased in the highest quartile of plaque burden ( P< 0.001). Segments distal to lesions or within bifurcations were more likely to have low WSS ( P< 0.001). However, the majority of segments distal to lesions (80%) and within bifurcations (89%) did not exhibit low WSS. After adjustment for plaque burden, there was a negative association between WSS and percent necrotic core and calcium. For every 10 dynes/cm2 increase in WSS, percent necrotic core decreased by 17% ( P =0.01), and percent dense calcium decreased by 17% ( P< 0.001). There was no significant association between WSS and percent of fibrous or fibrofatty plaque components ( P =NS). Conclusions In patients with coronary artery disease: (1) Luminal geometry predicts calculated WSS only partially, which suggests that detailed computational techniques must be used to calculate WSS. (2) Low WSS is associated with plaque necrotic core and calcium, independent of plaque burden, which suggests a link between WSS and coronary plaque phenotype. ( J Am Heart Assoc. 2012;1:e002543 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.112.002543.)
An on-chip self-repair calculation and fusing methodology

Laser fusing is a standard technique for improving yield with memory reconfiguration and repair, but implementing fusing in production can be challenging and costly. This article introduces an electrically programmable polysilicon fuse and shows how it can reduce fuse area and programming complexity.
THE ISOELECTRIC POINT OF GELATIN AT 40°C

Measurements have been made at 40°C. of the osmotic pressure and viscosity of 1 per cent gelatin solutions containing varying amounts of hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide. Each property was found to exhibit a decided minimum near pH 4.7. In the osmotic pressure experiments the pH of the inside solutions was greater than that of the outside solutions at pH values below 4.7, while it was less than that of the outside solutions at values above pH 4.7. These results indicate that gelatin at 40°C. retains its isoelectric point at about pH 4.7.
Regions of Interaction between Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor and α-Neurotoxins and Development of a Synthetic Vaccine Against Toxin Poisoning

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, (AChR) is a membrane protein on the postsynaptic neuromuscular junction. It has a principal role in postsynaptic neuromuscular transmission because it mediates ion flux across the membrane (1–2). The receptor is a pentamer composed of four subunits α2βγδ. Functional studies have focused mostly on the α-subunit because it is responsible for binding acetycholine (3–5) and α-neurotoxins (6). Snake venom postsynaptic neurotoxins form a large family of related proteins of which two subgroups, the long and short neurotoxins, are major constituents. Both long and short neurotoxins are known to bind specifically to the α-chain of AChR in a competitive manner with cholinergic ligands (7–8), but display differences in their association and dissociation kinetics.
Foreign Aid as Globalization: Does the Road to Aid Parallel Trade?

Studies of foreign aid have followed work in international political economy that explore and test the microfoundations of common political economy models. Nevertheless, they remain focused on determinants of aid in the “traditional” donors: members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Non-DAC donors and potential donors (that is, the states that do not give aid) are frequently ignored. I argue that a Stolper-Samuelson model of relative endowments of skilled and unskilled labor determine preferences for aid, just as they do for trade. Aid can alter factor endowments and their productivity in the recipient country. These changes, in turn, affect the returns to factors in potential donor countries and thus influence preferences among citizens. I test this approach using the 1995 World Values Survey. I contribute to the literature on individual preferences for aid by testing this argument without respect to a country’s donor status: both DAC, non-DAC, and non-donor countries are included in this sample. I then discuss “next steps” to connect individual level aid research to macro-level data.
Medical Informatics, the Internet, and Telemedicine

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Information systems and technology have become all-pervasive in the family medicine practice realm: electronic health records (EHRs), digital imaging systems, computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems, decision support tools, billing, and evaluation and management (E&M) coding systems reside in nearly all family physicians’ practices. Indeed, the vast majority of family physicians now use some form of EHR [1]. This chapter will focus on those aspects of clinical informatics most important to family physicians’ effective use of information technology.
Morphometry of Elephant Tusks

Operators of hunting safaries in Botswana have long noted that tusks of trophy animals shot by their clients usually exceed expectations based on estimates made from observations of the live elephant. Their previous experience in East Africa makes them underestimate the weight of ivory carried by the Botswana animals. This suggested that significant morphological differences might be present in various elephant populations which might prove to be genetic markers by which the distribution and movements of herds to and from a large geographic area might be detected. Such markers would permit estimation of the degree of interchange between contiguous populations as in Rhodesia and Botswana or between a game reserve and adjacent hunting areas.
Geocoris spp. (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) and the Striped Lynx Spider (Araneae: Oxyopidae): Cross Predation and Prey Preferences

Laboratory studies investigated cross predation between Geocoris spp. and Oxyopes salticus Hentz and prey preferences of these two species. Geocorid adults consumed all eggs or emerging spiderlings from a single O. salticus egg sac if the mother spider was excluded, but they preferred Heliothis zea (Boddie) eggs in a two-choice bioassay; H. zea eggs or first instars were consumed over O. salticus juveniles (first to third instar) or third-instar geocorids. Geocoris spp. adults successfully attacked first- to third-instar spiders occasionally but did not cannibalize third-instar geocorids. Adult O. salticus females fed upon geocorid third instars and adults and first- to third-instar O. salticus at a rate of 1-2 per 24 h. Adult female O. salticus showed no significant preference for second-instar H. zea over first- to third-instar O. salticus or geocorids (nymphs or adults) but tended to take the more active prey. The results suggest that inundation of fields with Geocoris spp. is unlikely to reduce O. salticus populations, but predation by an increased O. salticus population could decrease geocorid populations.
A New Species of Clavaspis (Homoptera: Diaspididae) from Pecan

A new species, Clavaspis crypta, from pecan, Carya illinoensis is described. The adult female, pygidium of 2nd-stage female, and antenna of the 1st instar are illustrated. This species, from several localities in Georgia, is close to C. disclusa Ferris, described from California.
Intra‐ and inter‐individual differences in human sperm DNA methylation

There is growing evidence that sperm DNA methylation is important in maintaining proper sperm health and function. Previous studies have associated sperm DNA methylation levels with sperm quality and function, however, little is known regarding the intra- and inter-individual variability in sperm methylation levels. This study characterizes this variation. Sperm epigenetic differences between successive semen samples from 12 patients were examined to identify the intra- and inter-individual differences globally across the genome, and in specifically defined genomic regions using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChips. Methylation analysis identified a bimodal distribution in the methylation levels that were non-uniformly distributed across the different genomic regions. The methylation levels were highly correlated in both the intra- and inter-individual comparisons. The intra-individual methylation levels were more highly correlated than the inter-individual comparison both globally and across the defined genomic regions, demonstrating that sperm DNA methylation levels are relatively stable between semen sample collections.
External-Beam Megavoltage Radiation Therapy in the Treatment of Post-Radical Prostatectomy Residual or Recurrent Tumor: Preliminary Results

AbstractHigh dose, external-beam megavoltage radiation therapy was administered to 21 patients because of incomplete excision (11 patients) or palpable local recurrence (10 patients) following radical prostatectomy. Of the 21 patients 8 were alive without clinical evidence of cancer for 29 to 97 months after radiation therapy. The best survival was in the 11 patients referred because of incomplete excision. Of these 11 patients 9 were alive, 6 without cancer, and 2 were dead of intercurrent disease without evidence of cancer. Of the 10 patients with palpable local recurrence 2 were alive without evident neoplasm, while 2 died of intercurrent disease without cancer. Acute treatment-associated symptoms occurred in 11 of the 21 patients. Generally, these symptoms were mild and responded to conservative, symptomatic management. Two serious complications were recorded.
A Typology of In-Vehicle Eco-Driving Feedback

Eco-driving is a promising strategy for reductions in fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Eco-driving is most frequently promoted via in-vehicle feedback. Eco-driving feedback studies demonstrate fuel economy improvements up to 18 %, but results are widely variable—partly due to the wide variation in feedback design. This paper addresses the need for a greater understanding of how variations in eco-driving feedback design are related to its effectiveness. We identified characteristics of feedback with implications for behavior change based on behavioral theory and evaluation of a large sample of in-vehicle eco-driving feedback interfaces. We developed a typology of in-vehicle eco-driving feedback interfaces based on these characteristics. We identified 15 distinct types of in-vehicle eco-driving feedback interfaces. We describe each feedback type and discuss implications for feedback design. Our typology provides a foundation for subsequent research to determine most effective feedback types for particular behaviors, drivers, and driving conditions.
On Unified Numerical Algorithm for 3-D Scattering From Dielectric and PEC Random Rough Surfaces

We present a unified fast scattering algorithm for dielectric random rough surfaces that asymptotically reduces to the perfect electric conductor (PEC) case when the loss tangent grows extremely large. The Coifman wavelets are employed to implement Galerkin’s procedure in the method of moments (MoM). The Coiflets-based surface integral equations (IEs) consist of both the tangential and normal components of electromagnetic fields as unknowns. The inherited mathematical superiority, e.g., local multiresolution analysis and high regularity with Holder index 1.449 in smoothness, allows efficiently implementing both electric field IE and magnetic field IE. Due to the high-precision one-point quadrature, the Coiflets yield fast evaluations of the most off-diagonal entries, reducing the matrix fill effort from O(N2) to O(N). The orthogonality and Riesz basis of the Coiflets generate well-conditioned impedance matrix, with rapid convergence for the conjugate gradient solver. In addition, a semianalytical expression of the tapered-wave carried power is derived, which speeds up computations of the normalization factor of scattering coefficients. Numerical results demonstrate that the reduced PEC model does not suffer from ill-posed problems, namely, matrix condition numbers are kept small and solutions are stable under extremely large loss tangent, where normal components of $H$ -field and tangential $E$ -field have vanished. Compared with the previous publications and laboratory measurements, good agreement is observed.
Abstract 239: Nitric Oxide Suppresses the Angiogeneic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) participate in blood vessel formation which is crucial for tissue regeneration. However, the mechanism involved in regulating MSC angiogenesis remains elusive. We examined the role of Nitric Oxide (NO) in this process by comparing angiogenesis by MSCs derived from wild type mice and mice lacking S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR-/-), an enzyme that increases intracellular GSNO and enhances endogenous S-nitrosylation (a ubiquitous redox-related modification of cysteine thiol by NO) Hypothesis: Nitric oxide signaling pathways are mediated via small molecular thiols that regulate MSC angiogenesis. Method: Bone marrow-derived MSCs were isolated from wild type and GSNOR-/- mice and grown for 7 days in endothelial growth media followed by 24h in Matrigel (in vitro angiogenesis assay) in the presence of either vehicle, 15µM L-NAME (a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor) or 500µM SNAP (a nitric oxide donor). Human (h)MSCs were similarly treated with vehicle, 15µM L-NAME and 100µM SNAP. MSC NO production and NOS expression were assessed. Results: Both types of MSCs exhibited similar levels of NO production and NOS expression, however, in the Matrigel Assay, MSCs from GSNOR-/- mice formed fewer (29.9±12.0 vs.. 50.0±15.4, p Conclusion: These findings are consistent with a paradoxical negative influence of NO/GSNO on vascular formation by MSCs and reveal a novel mechanism whereby NO/GSNO inhibits MSC dependent angiogenesis. These findings have implications for disease states characterized by excessive or dysregulated angiogenesis; moreover NO deficient environments may trigger MSC mediated angiogenesis.
Diseases of the esophagus: a pattern approach

The esophagus may be involved by a variety of morphologic abnormalities, including nodules and plaques, ulceration, distal esophageal strictures and rings, upper or midesophageal strictures, and diffuse narrowing (also known as a small-caliber esophagus). The use of a pattern approach for evaluating esophageal disease on barium studies facilitates diagnosis of a host of pathologic conditions associated with these morphologic abnormalities. This article therefore presents an approach for diagnosing esophageal disease on barium studies that emphasizes the radiographic and clinical features used to differentiate the underlying causes of disease and the diagnostic pitfalls associated with performing and interpreting these studies.
Diffusion of nickel into lead telluride between 200° and 400°C☆

Abstract The diffusion of nickel into lead telluride has been studied between 200° and 400° as a function of crystal composition and doping. Even at these temperatures, the diffusion of nickel is very dependent on the composition of the crystal. For the most part the nickel distribution profiles, as determined using radiotracer techniques, cannot be described by a simple solution of the diffusion equation. Except in crystals containing a large concentration of cation vacancies, the nickel distribution profiles are best fit by two overlapping curves, each of which is a solution of the diffusion equation with different values of the diffusion coefficient. Diffusion into crystals containing a large cation vacancy concentration can be described by a simple solution of the diffusion equation. The range of compositions which can be studied at these temperatures is restricted by the retrograde solubility of lead and tellurium in PbTe.
Peripheral Blood Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Graft Thawing

Hematopoietic cell transplants (HCTs) have been performed for decades, and the number of both autologous and allogeneic transplants is constantly increasing. Mobilized peripheral blood (PB) hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) are the most common cell source for adult patients, replacing almost completely the traditional bone marrow (BM) graft. Cryopreservation of PB HPC graft allows collecting and storing the product for later use. Cryopreservation is an essential practice for autologous products but can also be helpful for allogeneic one. The cryopreservation process itself can decrease cell viability and potency, and some of the reagents that are used to protect cells during cryopreservation can have toxic effects at thaw. Maintaining functional and viable HPCs is fundamental for HCT success. Thawing approaches of cryopreserved PB HPC should either minimize cell exposure time to toxic elements or include measures to rapidly remove them after thawing.
Paired associative stimulation modulates corticomotor excitability in chronic stroke: A preliminary investigation.

Background Paired associative stimulation (PAS) combining repeated pairing of electrical stimulation of a peripheral nerve with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) can induce neuroplastic adaptations in the human brain and enhance motor learning in neurologically-intact individuals. However, the extent to which PAS is an effective technique for inducing associative plasticity and improving motor function in individuals post-stroke is unclear. Objective The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of a single session of PAS to modulate corticomotor excitability and motor skill performance in individuals post-stroke. Methods Seven individuals with chronic stroke completed two separate visits separated by at least one week. We assessed general corticomotor excitability, intracortical network activity and behavioral outcomes prior to and at three time points following PAS and compared these outcomes to those following a sham PAS condition (PASSHAM). Results Following PAS, we found increased general corticomotor excitability but no significant difference in behavioral measures between PAS conditions. There was a relationship between PAS-induced corticomotor excitability increase and enhanced motor skill performance across post-PAS testing time points. Conclusion These results provide preliminary evidence for the potential of PAS to increase corticomotor excitability that could favorably impact motor skill performance in chronic individuals post-stroke and are an important first step for future studies investigating the clinical application and behavioral relevance of PAS interventions in post stroke patient populations.
Screening Mammography and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: Utilization Updates.

OBJECTIVE. There have been many recent developments in breast imaging, including the 2009 revision of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's breast cancer screening guidelines and the approval o...
Applications of Bacteriorhodopsin in Membrane Mimetic Chemistry

The chemistry of the photoreceptors of higher animals is a topic that reaches back more than forty years. By 1970, the photoreceptors of more than four hundred species of animals had been studied. All these species have in their visual pigments a common chromophore, retinal, connected to the protein opsins through a Schiff base bond. This protein complex, called rhodopsin, with its associated lipids makes up the photosensitive membrane in photoreceptor cells.1,2
Colonic Inertia and Megacolon

Colonic inertia and chronic functional megacolon represent two relatively uncommon disorders of colonic motility. In both disorders, there is evidence of disintegration of the neuroenteric system which governs colonic motor function and in the latter, there is (in addition) atrophy of the collagenous connective tissue which permits exaggerated distension of the colon and thinning of the smooth muscle.
Coping with Extreme Trauma

In an effort to address research challenges posed by the study of coping with extremely stressful life events, this chapter will outline a conceptual framework provided by a dynamic consideration of immediate and long-term coping with trauma and will consider the relationship of coping to psychological well-being. Although we consider such a fremework to be useful and necessary, we will also point to limitations of current research in operationalizing such a framework, especially as it relates to extreme stress and long-term adaptation. Specific illustrations of the suggested paradigm will be provided from the literature and from our study of coping efforts of Holocaust victims during the period of victimization and by survivors in the aftermath of the Holocaust.
Construction of BV Solutions by the Vanishing Viscosity Method

Admissible BV solutions to the Cauchy problem for general strictly hyperbolic systems of conservation laws, under initial data with small total variation, will be constructed by the vanishing viscosity method. It will be shown that these solutions may be realized as trajectories of an L 1-Lipschitz semigroup, which reduces to the standard Riemann semigroup, introduced in Chapter XIV, when the system is genuinely nonlinear.
Online recruitment of a non-help-seeking sample for an internet intervention: Lessons learned in an alcohol-exposed pregnancy risk reduction study

Abstract Background Recruiting a hidden population, such as the population of women at risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancy (AEP) who binge drink and are at risk of an unintended pregnancy, is challenging as this population is not typically seeking help or part of an identifiable group. We sought to identify affordable and efficient methods of recruitment for hidden populations. Methods Several popular online social media and advertising sites were identified. Cities with high rates of binge drinking among women were targeted. We placed advertisements and study notices using Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, University postings, and ClinicalTrials.gov . Results For this study, 75 women at risk for AEP were recruited from across the U.S. within 7 months. Online advertising for study participants on Craigslist resulted in enrollment of the majority 51 (68%) of the study participants. While Craigslist advertising could be tailored to specific locations with high rates of binge drinking among women, there were challenges to using Craigslist. These included automated deletion due to repeated postings and mention of sexual behavior or drinking, requiring increased efforts and resources by the study team. Several strategies were developed to optimize advertising on Craigslist. Approximately 100 h of staff time valued at $2500 was needed over the 7-month recruitment period. Discussion Despite challenges, the target sample of women at risk for AEP was recruited in the 7 month recruitment period using online advertising methods. We recommend that researchers consider online classified advertisements when recruiting from non-help seeking populations. By taking advantage of national data to target specific risk factors, and by tailoring advertising efforts, it is possible to efficiently and affordably recruit a non-treatment seeking sample.
Heterosis in Flue-Cured Tobacco and Its Utility in Predicting Transgressive Segregation within Derived Populations of Inbred Lines

Heterosis might be used in a strategic way to increase yields of flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), but previous reports have suggested levels of heterosis to be low for F₁ hybrids of this market class. Based on analysis of a 14-parent diallel, we found average levels of F₁ midparent heterosis to be 10.3%, a level that is substantially higher than previous estimates from the 1960s. Thirteen of ninety-one tested hybrids significantly outyielded the highest yielding parental lines. Heterosis might also be an indicator of superior allelic complementation by parental lines that, in principle, could be fixed in derived inbred lines. We compared F₃:₄ families derived from three high heterotic crosses and three low heterotic crosses and observed positive correlations between F₁ heterosis and desirable transgressive segregation. Hence, the data support the use of F₁ heterosis as a predictor of breeding crosses with increased potential for desired outcomes. Several derived F₃:₄ families exhibited yields that were comparable with, or significantly better than, corresponding heterotic F₁ hybrids, indicating that heterotic effects could be fixed within inbred lines. Results suggest a reconsideration of heterosis for increasing yields of flue-cured tobacco.
Occupational Health Internship Program at a Metropolitan Transit Authority: Exploring Split Shifts as a Health and Safety Concern for Bus Operators.

Bus operators are exposed to many occupational hazards, ranging from workplace violence to air pollution to biohazards. Through a summer project, Occupational Health Internship Program students exp...
High Temperature Alloys

High temperature alloys are combinations of metals used specifically for their heat resisting properties. Applications in the aircraft, automotive, power generation, and space-related industries include use in steam and gas turbine engines, as cutting tools, and as various spacecraft parts. The alloys most often used at high temperatures include steels, superalloys, refractory metal alloys, and intermetallic compounds. These alloys, their properties and surface stability, mechanical behavior, the strengthening mechanisms and process systems employed are discussed. Various low alloy steels and wrought stainless steels are employed as are modified stainless steels. Superalloys may have, for example, nickel, cobalt, or iron-nickel bases. Nickel continues to be the preferred alloy base for high temperature alloys. The reasons for this is that nickel lacks an allotropic phase transformation below its melting point, it has a high tolerance for a wide variety of alloying elements without causing any phase stability, its close-packed face-centered cubic crystal structure, and the ability to produce and manipulate a very stable precipitate, which is one of the primary sources of elevated temperature strength in Ni-base alloys. Keywords: nickel alloys; strengthening mechanisms; precipitation hardening; creep; fatigue; surface stability; specific alloy systems; stainless steels; refractory metals; molybdenum; titanium; chromium; iron; copper; aluminum; iron-nickel superalloys; coatings; cobalt-base superalloys