cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing a short-term process evaluation of a wellness center serving persons with HIV/AIDS.

In the summer of 1996, the Berks AIDS Network (BAN), a social services case management, support, and referral agency, was awarded a 6-month demonstration grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which was distributed through AIDSNET, the regional nonprofit coordinating body. The purpose of the project was to develop a Wellness Center to enhance primary health care services for persons with HIV/AIDS living in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Specifically, BAN was adding a nurse practitioner to the array of services they already offered, with the goal of enhancing HIV-infected individuals’ care. Services offered through the Wellness Center included:
Flash-lamp-pumped Ho:Tm:Cr:YAG and Ho:Tm:Er:YLF lasers: experimental results of a single, long pulse length comparison

Flash-lamp-pumped, room-temperature Ho:Tm:Cr:YAG and Ho:Tm:Er:YLF are compared for single but long pulse operation, with pulse lengths of approximately 1.0 µs. Under similar operating conditions in normal-mode operation, a slope efficiency of 0.0331 was observed for Ho:Tm:Er:YLF compared with 0.0047 for Ho:Tm:Cr:YAG. For Q-switched operation, Ho:Tm:Er:YLF yielded a slope efficiency of 0.0075. In comparison, a slope efficiency of 0.0012 was obtained for Ho:Tm:Cr:YAG. Two methods of producing long pulse lengths are compared: pulse selection of normal-mode relaxation oscillations and Q-switching in a long resonator. Theoretical models developed in a companion paper for normal-mode relaxation oscillations and Q-switching in quasi-four-level solid-state lasers are in agreement with the experimental results.
Role of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor as adjuvant treatment in neutropenic patients with bacterial and fungal infection

The results are presented of two preliminary studies conducted to assess the role of GM-CSF as adjuvant treatment in neutropenic patients with bacterial or fungal infections. In the first study the effect of GM-CSF on the rate of response to antibiotics was assessed. Febrile neutropenic patients (n = 91) were randomized to receive ticarcillin-clavulanate plus netilmicin with or without GM-CSF (60 micrograms/m2). Response rates were significantly higher in patients who received antibiotics plus GM-CSF (p = 0.05). An increase in neutrophil count was seen in 89% of GM-CSF patients with initial low neutrophil counts (< 100/microliters) compared with 67% of control patients (p = 0.04). In the second study the activity of GM-CSF in patients with fungal infections was assessed. Neutropenic patients with documented fungal infections received amphotericin B plus GM-CSF. Of the eight evaluable patients, six responded and four had a complete response to treatment. The neutrophil counts of the two non-responding patients did not increase substantially during GM-CSF treatment and both died of their fungal infection. The prognosis of neutropenic patients with fungal infections is usually poor and the results of this pilot study are therefore very encouraging. The two studies show that GM-CSF is able to stimulate neutrophil recovery in neutropenic patients and may improve the response to antibiotic and antifungal treatment.
Combined resistive and laser heating technique for in situ radial X-ray diffraction in the diamond anvil cell at high pressure and temperature.

To extend the range of high-temperature, high-pressure studies within the diamond anvil cell, a Liermann-type diamond anvil cell with radial diffraction geometry (rDAC) was redesigned and developed for synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments at beamline 12.2.2 of the Advanced Light Source. The rDAC, equipped with graphite heating arrays, allows simultaneous resistive and laser heating while the material is subjected to high pressure. The goals are both to extend the temperature range of external (resistive) heating and to produce environments with lower temperature gradients in a simultaneously resistive- and laser-heated rDAC. Three different geomaterials were used as pilot samples to calibrate and optimize conditions for combined resistive and laser heating. For example, in Run#1, FeO was loaded in a boron-mica gasket and compressed to 11 GPa then gradually resistively heated to 1007 K (1073 K at the diamond side). The laser heating was further applied to FeO to raise temperature to 2273 K. In Run#2, ...
Gold–platinum alloy nanoparticles through water-in-oil microemulsion

Au–Pt alloy nanoparticles have been synthesized by the reduction of tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl4) and chloroplatinic acid (H2PtCl6) using sodium borohydride in water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion of water/Triton X-100/cyclohexene/1-hexanol at 25 ± 2 °C. The observed nanoparticles looked like a chain with diameter of 2.5 nm. The particles formation was characterized by UV–visible spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy images. The particles are crystalline confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and diffraction pattern. A bright-field and dark-field images were compared to find out the nature of the nanochains.
African culture and business markets: implications for marketing practices

Purpose – This paper seeks to focus on the key underpinnings of African culture and its implications for business marketing practices.Design/methodology/approach – Using Kluckholn and Strodtbeck's and Hofstede's conceptualizations as a backdrop, the paper provides a synoptic view and modal focus of African culture. Covered are the culture's implications for organizational behavior, buyer‐seller interactions, collaborative partnerships and negotiations.Findings – The study shows that African culture promotes the principle of reciprocity. In buyer‐seller interaction, respect for the elderly is an important guiding principle. In collaborative partnerships, preference is for the terms of the collaboration to be reached through consultation and consensus. The foreign company needs to pay attention to the softer issues surrounding the relationship and to send a high‐ranking employee‐team. In negotiations, long‐term relationship and win‐win outcome are preferred and encouraged.Research limitations/implications –...
Case sampling in LROC: a Monte Carlo analysis

We conducted a series of Monte Carlo simulations to investigate how hypothesis testing for modality effects in multireader localization ROC (LROC) studies is influenced by case effects. One specific goal was to evaluate for LROC studies the Dorfman-Berbaum-Metz method of analyzing case effects in reader data acquired from a single case-set. Previous evaluations with ROC study simulations found the DBM method to be moderately conservative. Our simulations, using procedures adapted from those earlier works, showed the DBM method to be a conservative test of modality effect in LROC studies as well. The degree of conservatism was greater for a critical value of (alpha) equals0.05 than for (alpha) equals0.01, and was not moderated by increased numbers of readers or cases. Other simulations investigated the tradeoff between power and empirical type-I error rate for the DBM method and two standard hypothesis tests. Besides the DBM method, a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to performance indices based on the LROC curve under an assumption of negligible case effects. The third test was a three-way ANOVA applied to performance indices, which required two sets of images per modality. With (alpha) equals0.01, the DBM method outperformed the other tests for studies with low numbers of readers and cases. In most other situations, its performance lagged behind that of the other tests.
Skin irritation and skin tumor production by beta propiolactone (BPL).

Abstract Skin irritation and skin tumors were produced by application of beta propiolactone to mouse skin. Short term application of undiluted BPL or of its solutions in acetone or corn oil produced reactions varying from erythema to hair loss and scarring with one to six applications of 0.8 to 100 mg BPL. Lifetime painting of acetone and corn oil solutions ranging from 0.25 to 5 per cent BPL produced both papilloma and cancer on mouse skim. Tumor production was concentration related; this relationship was more sharply defined when adjustment for mortality was made by a life-table technique. Tumorigenesis by benzpyrene and BPL applied successively appeared additive.
A Combined Linear Ion Trap for Mass Spectrometry

We propose a novel ion cyclotron resonance ion trap capable of confining ions even at high pressure. The trap consists of three capacitively coupled axial sections, each composed of four circular cross-section rods parallel to the magnetic field axis. Ion confinement along the magnetic field direction is provided by applying the same static voltage to each set of “endcap” rods. As for a two-dimensional quadrupole mass filter, a sufficiently high rf frequency (several MHz) leads to an “effective” electrostatic “pseudopotential” well with a minimum on the trap central axis. Ions are confined radially by the combination of an applied axial static magnetic field and a radially inward-directed electric field resulting from differential rf voltages applied to each set of four rods. Ion confinement properties are revealed from a Paul traplike “stability diagram,” whereas ion trajectories are analyzed in terms of Penning-type ion cyclotron rotation, magnetron rotation, and axial oscillation motional modes. Ion cyclotron frequency increases with the strength of the rf trapping field. Ion magnetron motion becomes stable if the rf voltage is high enough. Therefore, ion trajectories can be stable even in the presence of ion-neutral collisions. Adding an ac potential to a Penning trap should dramatically increase the upper mass detection limit.
Extrinsic surgical denervation inhibits Clostridium difficile toxin A-induced enteritis in rats

Abstract Clostridium difficile enteritis is caused by toxin A (TA) which stimulates substance P release and subsequent receptor activation. This receptor stimulation results in secretion, inflammation, and structural damage. However, it is unclear as to which subset of neurons is required to initiate substance P release following toxin stimulation. Five centimeter ileal segments were surgically denervated. After 10 days, three ileal loops were constructed in each rat: the denervated loop was injected intraluminally with 5 μg of TA and two intact loops were injected with TA or vehicle, respectively. Ileal secretion, myeloperoxidase activity, and histology were then assessed. Denervated ileal loops injected with TA had a 75% reduction in ileal secretion ( P P P
Immunosuppressive effects of predator induced stress in mice with acquired immunity to hymenolepis nana

Abstract Mice were given an immunizing infection with the eggs of the cestode Hymenolepis nana. Subsequently, they were exposed to either a cat or an empty stress chamber for 10 min of each hour for 1, 2, 4 or 8 periods per day. A challenge egg infection was administered 96 hr before euthanasia on the 17th day. Increasing frequency of exposure to the cat produced proportional increases in adrenal weights, decreases in seminal vesicle and spleen weights and retarded normal body weight gain in mice. Plasma corticosterone levels were proportionally higher at all exposure levels in cat-stressed mice than in mice exposed to an empty chamber. Reinfection rates indicated that the well-established acquired immunity of cat-stressed animals was significantly depressed in proportion to the frequency of exposure. Animals exposed to an empty chamber maintained uniform immunity.
The role of external customer mind-set among service employees

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to develop and test a model of the antecedents and outcomes of one aspect of customer mind-set (CMS) – external CMS (ECMS) — among front-line employees. The goal of this paper is to help managers address customer-level orientation by further investigating the external dimension of CMS (referred to as ECMS). Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered from a sample of front-line employees of a variety of firms located in a mid-sized southeastern US city. Findings – The results indicate that greater amounts of job autonomy and job satisfaction are positively associated with front-line employee ECMS, while the employee’s global role ambiguity, customer-specific ambiguity and role conflict are negatively associated with ECMS. In turn, front-line employee ECMS is associated with increased work motivation and sales performance. Research limitations/implications – The data are cross-sectional in nature; so, strictly causal relations cannot be inferred from these result...
Cuprizone Demyelination of the Corpus Callosum in Mice Correlates with Altered Social Interaction and Impaired Bilateral Sensorimotor Coordination

For studies of remyelination in demyelinating diseases, the cuprizone model of CC (corpus callosum) demyelination has experimental advantages that include overall size, proximity to neural stem cells of the subventricular zone, and correlation with a lesion predilection site in multiple sclerosis. In addition, cuprizone treatment can be ended to allow more direct analysis of remyelination than with viral or autoimmune models. However, CC demyelination lacks a useful functional correlate in rodents for longitudinal analysis throughout the course of demyelination and remyelination. In the present study, we tested two distinct behavioural measurements in mice fed 0.2% cuprizone. Running on a 'complex' wheel with varied rung intervals requires integration between cerebral hemispheres for rapid bilateral sensorimotor coordination. Maximum running velocity on the 'complex' wheel decreased during acute (6 week) and chronic (12 week) cuprizone demyelination. Running velocity on the complex wheel distinguished treated (for 6 weeks) from non-treated mice, even after a 6-week recovery period for spontaneous remyelination. A second behavioural assessment was a resident-intruder test of social interaction. The frequency of interactive behaviours increased among resident mice after acute or chronic demyelination. Differences in both sensorimotor coordination and social interaction correlated with demonstrated CC demyelination. The wheel assay is applicable for longitudinal studies. The resident-intruder assay provides a complementary assessment of a distinct modality at a specific time point. These behavioural measurements are sufficiently robust for small cohorts as a non-invasive assessment of demyelination to facilitate analysis of subsequent remyelination. These measurements may also identify CC involvement in other mouse models of central nervous system injuries and disorders.
Feeding Naturally Fermented, Cultured, and Direct Acidified Colostrum to Dairy Calves

Abstract Thirty-two Holstein calves which were allowed to nurse their dams for the first 3 days of life were allotted randomly into four groups of four males and four females and fed liquid diets of commercial mill replacer, naturally fermented, lactic acid cultured, and acetic acid treated colostrum from 3 to 45 days of age. The colostrum was diluted 1:1 with water and fed twice daily at a daily rate of 10% of body weight. A starter ration of 18% crude protein was fed free choice beginning at 10 days of age. Average daily gains were .24, .29, .20, and .32 kg per calf for the respective diets. Daily starter intakes were .25, .53, .42, and .51 kg per calf; dry matter intakes per kg gain were 3.22, 2.59, 3.15, and 2.37. Incidence of scours was lower for calves fed colostrum than those fed commercial milk replacer.
Lifetime of the 5− 4585 keV 38Ar level☆

Abstract The mean lifetime of the J π = 5 − 38 Ar level at an excitation energy of 4585 keV was measured by the gas target variant of the recoil distance technique. The result of 181 ± 13 ps is 1.6 times longer than recent shell model predictions.
Low-Reynolds-Number Turbulent Boundary Layers

A test facility operating at substantially reduced pressures is described and shown to be suitable when used with an open-circuit turbulent boundary layer wind tunnel. The facility is capable of producing flows with momentum Reynolds number in the range 200-10,000 by varying the ambient pressure. At low-Reynolds-number flows the pressure is low enough to allow the tunnel to operate with large values of freestream speed. The tunnel's reliability is verified by examining flows where momentum Reynolds number is greater than 1200. The results skin friction coefficients, wake parameters, and basic velocity profiles - consistently agreed with well-established data. For momentum Reynolds number from 600 through 1200 the resulting data indicate that the 'universal velocity profile' is accurate and correctly describes the mean flow properties. For Reynolds number from 425 through 600, the viscous sublayer in this range can no longer maintain its characteristic size.
Alpha2 adrenergic receptors are located prejunctionally in the Auerbach's plexus of the guinea pig small intestine: Direct demonstration by radioligand binding

Abstract We provide direct evidence that alpha 2 -receptors in the guinea pig small intestine are localized prejunctionally in neurons of the Auerbach's plexus. The alpha 2 -agonist ligand [ 3 H]clonidine bound to a single saturable class of sites with a K d of 1–2 nM and a capacity of approximately 70 fmol/mg protein in membranes from the innervated longitudinal and circular muscle layers of the intestine. By a special dissection technique the Auerbach's plexus could be completely removed from the longitudinal muscle. In these denervated preparations the clonidine binding sites were virtually completely removed whereas the expected binding was observed in innervated controls. The innervated preparations also contained a small number of alpha 1 -receptors as revealed by binding with [ 3 H]prazosin (capacity approximately 18 fmol/mg protein with a K d of 0.4-0 3 7 nM). Thus, the present study suggests that alpha 2 -receptors ([ 3 H]clonidine binding sites) are localized in neurons (i.e., prejunctionally) in the Auerbach's plexus of the guinea pig small intestine.
Information source and advertising content preferences of American and Japanese youth

This study compared American and Japanese youth preferences for information sources and advertising content within the context of their respective cultures’ relationship and communication values. It found larger parental involvement and smaller media use for Japanese students. In an interesting reversal from cultural expectations, Japanese students ranked advertising as the most important information source and family as considerably less important, while American students did the opposite. Friends, not family, were the important interpersonal information source for the Japanese. Japanese consumers of the ‘90s may be ‘holonic’: able to be both individualistic and in harmony with groups important to them. The Japanese youth preferences for advertising content—indirect, symbolic, visual, emotional, with infrequent brand identification—were more in line with expectations.
Progress and implementation of team-based care in the United States

Background There are currently many changes taking place in the health care system in the United States. Major transformations occurring in primary care settings strive to improve efficiency and effectiveness of health promotion and prevention activities, coordination of patient care, and management of chronic diseases. Team-based care is a major component of primary care redesign. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of how primary care practices in the United States are implementing team-based care. The study focused on understanding team-based care approaches, challenges to implementation, and successful strategies.
Consumption, income distribution and taxation: Keynes' fiscal policy

The General Theory argued that income distribution affected consumption. Greater income inequality put more money into the hands of people with higher MPCs, leading to increased consumption; and inequality had the reverse impact. Yet, of the six objective factors that Keynes identified as affecting consumption, only distribution has failed to become part of the mainstream consumption theory. This paper examines the reasons why this is so, and then develops a model incorporating the after-tax distribution into a Keynesian consumption function. Empirical tests of this model find that after-tax income distribution is a significant determinant of consumption.
A DUAL MECHANISM OF BIOMECHANICAL CHANGE IN RAT CERVIX IN GESTATION AND POSTPARTUM: APPLIED VASCULAR MECHANICS

Biomechanical studies were designed to determine the dynamic progression of the uterine cervix of pregnant rats at various stages of gestation and to determine its functions in retaining the fetus while at the same time undergoing characteristic softening to allow for dilatation at parturition. Whole cervices from Sprague-Dawley rats at 10, 15, and 21 days gestation and at 3 days postpartum were subjected to detailed biomechanical studies. Tension–length change, tension–diameter, pressure–area, stress–diameter, and stress–strain curves were calculated using analytical methods adopted from vascular mechanics. The circular diameter of the tissue was greatly increased as pregnancy advanced. Cervix volume increased, while tissue wall stress and cervix pressure were both maintained in a constant range throughout pregnancy. The compliance increased until term. The rat cervix undergoes two mechanical changes, a change in mechanical properties and a increase in volume, that allow it to maintain its two physiological functions of: (a) softening in preparation for delivery, and (b) at the same time remaining undilated in order to maintain fetuses in utero.
Transpiring Cooling of a Scram-Jet Engine Combustion Chamber

The peak cold-wall heating rate generated in a combustion chamber of a scram-jet engine can exceed 2000 Btu/ft\super{2}sec (approximately 2344 W/cm\super{2). Therefore, a very effective heat dissipation mechanism is required to sustain such a high heating load. This research focused on the transpiration cooling mechanism that appears to be a promising approach to remove a large amount of heat from the engine wall. The transpiration cooling mechanism has two aspects. First, initial computations suggest that there is a reduction, as much as 75 percent, in the heat flux incident on the combustion chamber wall due to the transpirant modifying the combustor boundary layer. Secondly, the heat reaching the combustor wall is removed from the structure in a very effective manner by the transpirant. It is the second of these two mechanisms that is investigated experimentally in the subject paper.
Reduced‐dimension nonlinear finite‐element analysis of a vibrating disk in an unbounded domain

We present and evaluate the formulation of a reduced-dimension (one-dimensional) finite element for the nonlinear analysis of a vibrating disk in a two-dimensional unbounded domain. As this problem is relevant in studies of the dynamic response of laterally loaded piles, numerous spring-and-dashpot representations of the disk undergoing displacement in an unbounded material domain have been developed to date: static and dynamic, linear and nonlinear. With the focus on material nonlinearity, the present simplified formulation circumvents the complications associated with nonlinear springs and dashpots. Indeed, the continuum-based treatment described herein accounts for the interaction between the two modes of energy dissipation, due to wave propagation in the unbounded domain and loss associated with inelastic behavior. The formulation is a good compromise between the competing desires for realistic representation and efficient computation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Navy jet fuel production Strategies for a Persian Gulf crisis

Abstract Regional refinery linear programming models have been used to estimate the availability of US Navy jet fuel during petroleum disruption scenarios characterized by the loss of 11 million bbl/ day of Persian Gulf crude oil production for 90 days. In one scenario, the disruption impacts were mitigated by use of two million bbl/day of Strategic Petroleum Reserves and by invoking the sharing agreements of the international Energy Agency. The analysis suggested that use of the reserves and international sharing increases Navy jet fuel availability by 25%. The analysis also indicated that Navy jet fuel availability could be further enhanced by increasing the price offered to refiners or by accepting a poorer quality fuel. Estimates of the Navy jet fuel production response to price change and specification relaxation are presented.
Collision detection with relative screw motion

We introduce a framework for collision detection between a pair of rigid polyhedra. Given the initial and final positions and orientations of two objects, the algorithm determines whether they collide, and if so, when and where. All collisions, including collisions at different times, are computed at once along with "properness" values that measure the extent to which the collisions are between parts of the objects that properly face each other. This is useful for handling multiple (nearly) concurrent collisions and contact points. The relative motions of the rigid bodies are limited to screw motions. This limitation is not always completely accurate, but we can estimate the error introduced by the assumption. Our implementation uses rasterization to approximate the position and time of the collisions. This allows level-of-detail techniques that provide a tradeoff between accuracy and computational expense. The collision detection algorithms are only approximate, both because of the screw motion assumption and because of the rasterization. However, they can be made robust so as to give consistent information about collisions and to avoid sensitivity to roundoff errors.
Multispectral UV-Vis-IR imaging using low-cost quantum dot technology

The current mainstay for short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging is InGaAs-based focal plane arrays (FPAs). They provide excellent detectivity and low noise, but suffer from high costs, limited spectral response, and the same integration issues that limit array size for most inorganic FPA technologies. RTI has demonstrated a novel photodiode technology based on IR-absorbing, solution-processed colloidal quantum dots that can overcome the limitations of InGaAs FPAs. We have fabricated preliminary devices with quantum efficiencies exceeding 50%. These devices also show response times less than 10 μS, making them suitable for high speed imaging. The have demonstrated excellent linearity with over 40 dB of dynamic range. These devices are processed entirely at room temperature, and are compatible with monolithic integration onto readout ICs, thereby removing any limitation on device size. The process steps involve low-cost, high volume techniques that do not require sophisticated infrastructure, which should serve to dramatically reduce costs. This combination of high performance, dramatic cost reduction, and multispectral sensitivity is ideally suited to expand the use of SWIR imaging in current applications, as well as to address applications which require a multispectral sensitivity not met by existing technologies.
Determination of phenolic pollutants in water using permeation sampling

Abstract A passive sampling technique for the determination of time‐weighted‐average concentrations of phenolic priority pollutants in water is described. Phenols permeate a silicone polycarbonate membrane and are collected on a polymeric adsorbent. For high concentration ranges, phenols are adsorbed on the XAD‐7 resin and then desorbed with acetonitrile. Low ppb concentrations of phenols are analyzed by collection on Tenax‐TA followed by thermal desorption. Separation and quantification is achieved by capillary column gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector. A linear relationship between the amount of phenols collected and the products of the exposure time and phenolic concentrations over the range of 5 ppb ‐ 20 ppm have been determined. Temperature and solution pH affect permeation rates of the phenols. The sampling method is simple, inexpensive and suitable for multilocation monitoring.
A Compressive Sensing and Unmixing Scheme for Hyperspectral Data Processing

Hyperspectral data processing typically demands enormous computational resources in terms of storage, computation, and input/output throughputs, particularly when real-time processing is desired. In this paper, a proof-of-concept study is conducted on compressive sensing (CS) and unmixing for hyperspectral imaging. Specifically, we investigate a low-complexity scheme for hyperspectral data compression and reconstruction. In this scheme, compressed hyperspectral data are acquired directly by a device similar to the single-pixel camera based on the principle of CS. To decode the compressed data, we propose a numerical procedure to compute directly the unmixed abundance fractions of given end members, completely bypassing high-complexity tasks involving the hyperspectral data cube itself. The reconstruction model is to minimize the total variation of the abundance fractions subject to a preprocessed fidelity equation with a significantly reduced size and other side constraints. An augmented Lagrangian-type algorithm is developed to solve this model. We conduct extensive numerical experiments to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed approach, using both synthetic data and hardware-measured data. Experimental and computational evidences obtained from this paper indicate that the proposed scheme has a high potential in real-world applications.
Radiation and chemotherapy improve outcome in oligodendroglioma.

Abstract Purpose : Oligodendroglioma is a rare central nervous system tumor which may occur in pure or mixed histology. This scarcity results in difficulty in defining optimal management, mainly due to a lack of outcome analysis. Results are further complicated because the reported series include patients treated before megavoltage radiation or computed tomographic (CT) scan development. This makes extrapolitan of outcome difficult to apply to modern-era patients. We report obtained by current treatment and evaluation. Methods and Materials : Outcome of all 38 patients (age 5–70 years) pathologically diagnosed between 1975 and 1993 were reviewed. Pure lesions were seen in 14 cases, of which three were anaplastic. The remainder had mixed tumors, of which six contained anaplastic astrocytic elements. Each patient had undergone maximal debulking surgery, but all remained with residual disease on postoperative CT. Results : For nonanaplastic lesions, no local failure was seen in any patient receiving postoperative radiation (60 Gy) and chemotherapy (vincristine, procarbazine, and carcmustine), Follow-up ranged from 28 to 240 months (median 125; N = 6). No postoperative therapy or chemotherapy alone resulted in local failure in all nine patients at risk [time to failure (TTF): 2–40 months; median 25]. Radiation alone in doses of 50 Gy at 2 Gy per day resulted in all six patients failing (TTF: 12–52 months; median 36). Achieving 60 Gy at 2 Gy a day allowed five of eight patients to remain disease free (disease-free survival: 24–160 months; median 66), with three failing at 26, 40, and 60 months. All lesions containing anaplastic elements underwent postoperative radiation therapy (60 Gy) and chemotherapy, with five of nine patients alive and well (median disease-free survival: 48 months; range 28–120). Conclusion : The combination of radiation and chemotherapy increases local control of oligodendroglioma whether they contain pure, mixed, or anaplastic histology. Radiation alone may offer good local control as long as 60 Gy is delivered. Chemotherapy alone appears to delay TTF and may be useful for pediatric patients.
Abbreviated GaN metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy growth mode on nano-patterned sapphire for enhanced efficiency of InGaN-based light-emitting diodes

Metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) nucleation studies of GaN on planar sapphire and nano-patterned AGOG (Deposition of Aluminum, Growth of Oxide, and Grain growth) sapphire substrates were conducted. The use of abbreviated GaN growth mode, which utilizes a process of using 15nm low temperature GaN buffer and bypassing etchback and recovery processes during epitaxy, enables the growth of high-quality GaN template on nano-patterned AGOG sapphire. The GaN template grown on nano-patterned AGOG sapphire by employing abbreviated growth mode has two orders of magnitude lower threading dislocation density than that of conventional GaN template grown on planar sapphire. The use of abbreviated growth mode also leads to significant reduction in cost of the epitaxy. The growths and characteristics of InGaN quantum wells (QWs) light emitting diodes (LEDs) on both templates were compared. The InGaN QWs LEDs grown on the nano-patterned AGOG sapphire demonstrated a 24% enhancement of output power enhancement over that of LEDs grown on conventional GaN templates.
On the confluence of optimism and hope on depressive symptoms in primary care patients: Does doubling up on bonum futurun Proffer any added benefits?

A model involving optimism and hope as predictors of depressive symptoms was tested in a sample of 28 male and 67 female primary care patients. Beyond the distinct influence of the two predictors on depressive symptoms, optimism and hope were also hypothesized to interact together to predict depressive symptoms. Results of a regression analysis indicated that, independent of demographic variables (viz. age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, and educational level), optimism and hope were significant and unique predictors of depressive symptoms in adults. Noteworthy, beyond optimism and hope, the Optimism × Hope interaction term was found to significantly augment the prediction of depressive symptoms. Some implications of the present findings are discussed.
Clinical and pathological characteristics of micropapillary transitional cell carcinoma: a highly aggressive variant.

Purpose: We present preliminary clinical, histochemical and molecular findings for 5 patients with micropapillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, a rare histological variant not widely recognized in the urological literature.Materials and Methods: The 5 patients were prospectively identified. In 3 cases immunohistochemical staining for expression of CD31, p53, E-cadherin, and α, β and γ-catenin was performed on paraffin embedded tissue. Sequencing was used to identify point mutations in exons 5 to 9 of p53, and exons 1 and 2 of H-ras.Results: Of the patients 2 died within 1 year of presentation to our institution with rapid local extension along the bladder serosal surface and ureteral sheaths. Another patient had progression to invasive disease within 22 months. In the 3 cases with immunohistochemical staining p53 was negative, despite positive staining of nonmicropapillary transitional cell carcinoma within the same specimen. Stains for the angiotrophic marker CD31 were negative. In all 3 ca...
Attractors for a Neural Network Equation

Under consideration is the neural network equation $$\begin{aligned} \frac{\partial v(w,t)}{\partial t} = -v(w,t) + J*(f\circ v)(w,t) + h \end{aligned}$$ posed on the bounded domain \(\mathbb {S}^1\) in \(L^2\). Recently it has been shown that the semigroup of solution operators corresponding to the initial value problem admits a family of global attractors that is upper-semicontinuous with respect to the kernel \(J\) (Horacia da Silva, Differ. Eqn. Dyn. Syst. 19:87–96, 2011). In this paper we provide further information about the upper-semicontinuity of the global attractors; namely, we obtain explicit control over the semidistances in terms of the perturbation parameter. In addition, we show that under an additional assumption, the semigroup admits a family of exponential attractors in \(L^2(\mathbb {S}^1)\) that is also upper-semicontinuous with respect to \(J\). The result also means that the corresponding global attractors are finite dimensional.
WE-C-204B-01: Target Definition of Lung Tumors Combining Patient Specific Pharmacokinetics and Lung Nodule Motion with SUV Distributions in PET-CT Scans

Purpose: FDG metabolism and the standardized uptake value (SUV) in PET‐CT scans vary significantly among patients. Such information is lost in defining target based solely on SUV threshold. The aim of this research is to combine patient‐specific pharmacokinetics and a nodule motion model in target delineation of lungtumor with PETimaging.Method and Materials: Regions of interest (ROIs) for thirty patients were carefully delineated in PET‐co‐scanned CT (petCT). Patient‐specific FDG distributions in any ROIs were determined in co‐registered PET. The voxel values in PET (petVal) were converted to the SUV. Each volume element in the tumor was assumed to travel along a 3D eclipse trajectory with anisotropic axes determined by its location in the lungs. The lung background levels were then adjusted to a preset baseline of 0.6 and tumor SUV were proportionally corrected as they share the same blood feeding stream. In the petCT and simulation CT (simCT), GTVs were defined according to the ground‐glass opacity and overlapping of the SUV‐enhanced region. The 40% source‐background ratio (SBR), threshold of 0.3 +0.6 (P3P6) or SUV=2.5 (2P5) were used for automatic contouring of the GTVs. GTV difference from petCT scans to simCT scans measured the tumor growth from the PET diagnosis to the treatment simulation. Results: Squamous cell lungcancer has much higher SUV than that of other tumors. On average, GTVs from SBR and P3P6 methods are consistent with GTVs from petCT. The tumors grow by ∼20% from PET scans to CT simulation. GTVs from 2P5 method are 40% lower which may be improved with more accurate motion and metabolism modeling.Conclusion: The study reveals that combination of nodule motion and patient‐specific pharmacokinetics in PET significantly increases the accuracy in definition of GTV. This is our first step towards correlation of the apparent SUV to the tumor‐vital activity.
A sphingosine kinase inhibitor induces cell death in temozolomide resistant glioblastoma cells.

Purpose Sphingosine kinase is an oncogene that is up-regulated in several solid tumors. The product of the sphingosine kinase activity, sphingosine-1-phosphate is a potent mitogen involved in diverse cell processes such as cell survival and migration. Current standard therapy in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy using the drug temozolomide (TMZ). However, virtually all tumors become resistant to TMZ. Therefore, new drug targets are necessary. In this study, we investigated whether inhibiting sphingosine kinase could induce cell death in TMZ-resistant GBM cells.
A Retinoic Acid–Induced Clonal Cell Line Derived From Multipotential P19 Embryonal Carcinoma Cells Expresses Smooth Muscle Characteristics

Abstract Despite intense interest in understanding the differentiation of vascular smooth muscle, very little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control differentiation of this cell type. Progress in this field has been hampered by the lack of an inducible in vitro system for study of the early steps of smooth muscle differentiation. In this study, we describe a model system in which multipotential mouse P19 embryonal carcinoma cells (P19s) can be induced to express multiple characteristics of differentiated smooth muscle. Treatment of P19s with retinoic acid was associated with profound changes in cell morphology and with the appearance at high frequency of smooth muscle α-actin–positive cells that were absent or present at extremely low frequency in parental P19s. A clonal line derived from retinoic acid–treated P19s (9E11G) stably expressed multiple characteristics of differentiated smooth muscle, including smooth muscle–specific isoforms of α-actin and myosin heavy chain, as well as functional responses to the contractile agonists phenylephrine, angiotensin II, ATP, bradykinin, histamine, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, and PDGF-BB. Additionally, 9E11G cells expressed transcripts for MHox , a muscle homeobox gene expressed in smooth, cardiac, and skeletal muscles, but not the skeletal muscle–specific regulatory factors, MyoD and myogenin. Results demonstrate that retinoic acid treatment of multipotential P19 cells is associated with formation of cell lines that stably express multiple properties of differentiated smooth muscle. It remains to be determined whether retinoic acid has induced commitment to a smooth muscle cell lineage as opposed to directly (or indirectly) activating genes characteristic of differentiated smooth muscle cells. However, results suggest that this cell system may be of use in attempting to identify genes involved in controlling smooth muscle differentiation and/or lineage determination.
Concurrent Measurements of the Vehicular Channel Transfer Function and the 802.11 Received Signal Strength Index

This paper describes experiments which study the effects of both a stationary and a moving vehicle on the 22 MHz 802.11b and the 20 MHz 802.11a channel transfer functions. Our setup enables concurrent measurements of: (1) the complex channel transfer function with a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA), and (2) the Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) obtained using off-the-shelf 802.11 cards. Our results show that, for the case of the stationary channel, the average RSSI is a several dBs away from the channel loss measured by the VNA, even with meticulous calibration of the 802.11 cards. The VNA measurements show that a vehicle moving in an environment resembling a multi-lane highway can cause a change in the magnitude of the transfer function on the order of tens of dB. The results of the RSSI measurements show that changes in RSSI caused by the passing vehicle are in the order of magnitude of the ones measured with the VNA.
Targeting Csnk1a1 in leukemia.

![Figure][1] Insight from Kimberly Stegmaier The molecular dissection of the landscape of AML has been at the leading edge of cancer discovery, but the treatment of AML has remained largely unchanged. A defining feature of AML is a differentiation defect, yet current therapy focuses almost
Optimized helix with ferrite core for wireless power transfer via resonance magnetic

The wireless power transfer (WPT) efficiency of systems based on strongly coupled magnetic resonance (SCMR) depends on the Q-factor of the system elements, which is a function of the geometrical parameters. This paper analytically derives the equations that can be used to design optimal helical elements with ferrite core for SCMR systems. Also, shows that the helices has global maximum Q-factor which is critical for design SCMR systems with ferrite core.
Use of Polymer/Composite Insulators in Construction, Maintenance and Temporary Procedures

The use of high-strength polymer insulators is examined and discussed with respect to new construction and maintenance techniques which these insulators have introduced to the industry. Also discussed are new uses for fiberglass-reinforced polymer insulators as construction tools, rigging devices and as solutions to emergency restoration of transmission lines.
CONSEQUENCES OF ANTENNA DESIGN IN TELEMETRY STUDIES OF SMALL PASSERINES

Abstract Entanglement and mortality of Palila (Loxioides bailleui), an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, occurred when birds were radio-tagged with transmitters equipped with a long, limp, solder-tipped antenna. Birds were found suspended in trees by their transmitter antenna on eight occasions. Although these birds eventually freed themselves or were freed by us, at least one bird died afterwards. For radio telemetry studies of small passerine species we recommend avoiding transmitters equipped with an antenna that is bulbous at the tip, >16 cm in length, limp, and shiny.
In Vitro Quantification of the Relative Packaging Efficiencies of Single-Stranded RNA Molecules by Viral Capsid Protein

While most T=3 single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses package in vivo about 3,000 nucleotides (nt), in vitro experiments have demonstrated that a broad range of RNA lengths can be packaged. Under the right solution conditions, for example, cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) capsid protein (CP) has been shown to package RNA molecules whose lengths range from 100 to 10,000 nt. Furthermore, in each case it can package the RNA completely, as long as the mass ratio of CP to nucleic acid in the assembly mixture is 6:1 or higher. Yet the packaging efficiencies of the RNAs can differ widely, as we demonstrate by measurements in which two RNAs compete head-to-head for a limited amount of CP. We show that the relative efficiency depends nonmonotonically on the RNA length, with 3,200 nt being optimum for packaging by the T=3 capsids preferred by CCMV CP. When two RNAs of the same length-and hence the same charge-compete for CP, differences in packaging efficiency are necessarily due to differences in their secondary structures and/or three-dimensional (3D) sizes. For example, the heterologous RNA1 of brome mosaic virus (BMV) is packaged three times more efficiently by CCMV CP than is RNA1 of CCMV, even though the two RNAs have virtually identical lengths. Finally, we show that in an assembly mixture at neutral pH, CP binds reversibly to the RNA and there is a reversible equilibrium between all the various RNA/CP complexes. At acidic pH, excess protein unbinds from RNA/CP complexes and nucleocapsids form irreversibly.
Not a social event: The follow-up phone call

Abstract The follow-up phone call provides an invaluable opportunity to evaluate patient education, identify trends that may require improvement in practice, determine compliance with discharge instructions, and assess overall impressions of performance. This process supports efforts to "close the loop" on patient contact.
Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor (SLPI) Expression and Tumor Invasion in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Differential expression of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) impacts on tumor progression. SLPI directly inhibits elastase and other serine proteases, and regulates matrix metalloproteinases, plasminogen activation, and plasmin downstream targets to influence invasion. We examined tissues from human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) for SLPI expression in parallel with proteases associated with tumor progression and evaluated their relationships using tumor cell lines. Significantly decreased SLPI was detected in OSCC compared to normal oral epithelium. Furthermore, an inverse correlation between SLPI and histological parameters associated with tumor progression, including stage of invasion, pattern of invasion, invasive cell grade, and composite histological tumor score was evident. Conversely, elevated plasmin and elastase were positively correlated with histological parameters of tumor invasion. In addition to its known inhibition of elastase, we identify SLPI as a novel inhibitor of plasminogen activation through its interaction with annexin A2 with concomitant reduced plasmin generation by macrophages and OSCC cell lines. In an in vitro assay measuring invasive activity, SLPI blocked protease-dependent tumor cell migration. Our data suggest that SLPI may possess antitumorigenic activity by virtue of its ability to interfere with multiple requisite proteolytic steps underlying tumor cell invasion and may provide insight into potential stratification of oral cancer according to risk of occult metastasis, guiding treatment strategies.