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Knowledge about renewable energy is limited and a lack of information pertaining to biofuels is prevalent. If consumers believe there are negative consequences towards use of biofuels then they are less likely to use biodiesel. Based on perceptions portrayed through media formats, the battle between food and fuel has been formulated and presented to the public. This study sought to examine selected college students' awareness, use and perceptions of biodiesel and determine if there was variance between selected regions based on gender, major (agriculture vs. non-agriculture), type of area where students were raised (farm, rural non-farm, town or city), or political orientation (conservative, moderate, or liberal). Findings indicated that one in five (20.9%) participants reported owning or driving a vehicle fueled by diesel while over three-fourths (76.4%) had heard of biodiesel. Furthermore, males, agriculture majors, and students raised on a farm were significantly more likely to have heard of biodiesel than females, nonagriculture majors, and students raised in a town or city. Illinois State University students tended to be more likely to have purchased biodiesel, be more positive about the benefits of biodiesel and have a lower level of concern about the effects of biodiesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leishmania infections in American veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have raised concern that veterans could serve as reservoirs of Old World parasites for domestic vector populations. A survey of sand flies on three U.S. Army facilities in the southern United States was conducted to identify potential vectors. Five species, including two new state records, are reported for Fort Hood, TX. Very few flies were detected in Fort Bragg, NC. Large numbers of a man-biting species, Lutzomyia shannoni, were trapped on Fort Campbell, KY. Weekly activity patterns for dominant species are presented. In addition, an infection experiment was conducted to determine if a domestic sand fly is susceptible to infection with Old World Leishmania major. Lu. shannoni became infected and supported Le. major up to 6 days post- prandial. Metacyclogenesis and actual transmission of Le. major to an uninfected mouse did not occur because infected flies did not take subsequent blood meals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral leishmaniasis, caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania donovani complex, is a vectorborne zoonotic infection that infects humans, dogs, and other mammals. In 2000, this infection was implicated as causing high rates of illness and death among foxhounds in a kennel in New York. A serosurvey of >12,000 foxhounds and other canids and 185 persons in 35 states and 4 Canadian provinces was performed to determine geographic extent, prevalence, host range, and modes of transmission within foxhounds, other dogs, and wild canids and to assess possible infections in humans. Foxhounds infected with Leishmania spp. were found in 18 states and 2 Canadian provinces. No evidence of infection was found in humans. The infection in North America appears to be widespread in foxhounds and limited to dog-to-dog mechanisms of transmission; however, if the organism becomes adapted for vector transmission by indigenous phlebotomines, the probability of human exposure will be greatly increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eddy current methods often provide adequate crack detection in thin non-ferrous multi-layer structures such as aircraft fuselage skins. However, as the first layer becomes thicker, the second-layer crack detectability quickly becomes inadequate using eddy currents. This is the case in many aircraft wing structures where the structurally-critical spar flange is often hidden beneath a thick skin layer. For many years, ultrasonic methods have been ruled out due to the difficulty and unreliability of coupling the ultrasound into the second layer. Whilst this situation has not fundamentally changed, the improved adhesion and widespread use of sealants for corrosion protection, and to seal wing fuel tanks, has resulted in some opportunities for the use of ultrasound in the second layer of wing skins. Groups in the USA and Australia have developed techniques for second-layer crack detection using singleelement angle probes and have evaluated the resulting probability of detection for their techniques. The NDE Group at QinetiQ has recently developed a method using an angled phased-array probe that can acquire full-waveform data in a fraction of the time. However, regardless of the acquisition method, the scans are somewhat complex to understand, so an automated analysis program has been developed to enhance the distinction between crack indications and potential false calls. This program also sentences each fastener hole using pass/maybe/fail criteria and attempts to size any crack that is found - based on calibration data from an EDM-notched specimen. This paper describes the difficulties of the complex analysis required and explains the methodology behind the automated analysis technique. Examples are given on EDM-notched real structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the university students' misunderstanding of natural selection in the U.S. Misunderstanding of the idea of natural selection was assumed to occur because students were basing their explanations on the two assumptions: first, variations in a population have little importance in its change process and second, when nature changes, it is not at random. From these assumptions, hypotheses were developed and tested by analyzing the responses of university sophomores on an evolution problem.

Investigates the impact of university employments on the economic base of Gainesville, Florida. Differences in the basic-service ratio of university employment; Income producing capacity of university student employment; Relation of local dollar expenditures to basic employee equivalents.

The article presents a discussion of the role of state regulatory agencies in the disposition of low-activity radioactive materials. It mentions that since the opening of the first disposal site for commercially generated low-level radioactive waste at Beatty, Nevada, in September 1962, the states have been involved as landowners, regulators, environmental monitors, and sometimes promoters of the sites and the businesses operating the sites. It adds an indication of the impact states played in the creation of new sites for radioactive wastes and to suggest that in the long run it will be the states which ultimately decide whether or not efforts to establish new sites for very low-level radioactive wastes will be successful.

Background: Several studies in the oncology literature have demonstrated the prognostic value of baseline quality of life (QoL). We investigated whether changes in QoL could predict survival in prostate cancer patients., Methods: We evaluated 250 prostate cancer patients treated at our institution between Jan 2001 and Dec 2009 who were available for a minimum follow-up of 3 months. QoL was evaluated at baseline and after 3 months of treatment initiation using EORTC-QLQ-C30. Cox regression evaluated the prognostic significance of baseline and changes in QoL scores after adjusting for relevant clinical and demographic variables., Results: Median overall survival was 89.1 months (95% CI: 56.5-121.7). Baseline QoL scale predictive of survival upon multivariate analysis was fatigue (p = 0.001). Associations between changes in QoL and survival, upon multivariate analysis, were observed for dyspnea and cognitive functioning. Every 10-point increase (worsening) in dyspnea was associated with a 16% increased risk of death (HR = 1.16; 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.30, p = 0.02), and every 10-point increase (improvement) in cognitive functioning was associated with a 24% decreased risk of death (HR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.54 to 0.98, p = 0.04)., Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence to indicate that prostate cancer patients with better baseline fatigue and patients whose dyspnea and cognitive functioning improves within 3 months of treatment are at a significantly decreased risk of mortality.

Objectives: We investigated whether changes in quality of life (QoL) during treatment could predict survival in stage IV pancreatic cancer., Methods: Quality of life was evaluated at baseline and after 3 months of treatment using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) in 186 patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Cox regression evaluated the prognostic significance of baseline and changes in QoL scores after adjusting for age, sex, and treatment history., Results: One hundred twenty-one patients were males and 65 were females. One hundred twenty-seven patients' condition was newly diagnosed, whereas 59 were previously treated. The mean age at diagnosis was 55.1 years. Baseline QoL scale predictive of survival upon multivariate analysis was global health (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.95; P = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, QoL change variable that was significantly predictive of survival after 3 months of treatment was cognitive function (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.99; P = 0.04)., Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence to indicate that patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer who have a better global health at baseline as well as those whose cognitive function improves within 3 months of treatment have a significantly increased probability of survival.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated the predictive significance on survival of baseline quality of life (QoL) in colorectal cancer (CRC) with little information on the impact of changes in QoL scores on prognosis in CRC. We investigated whether changes in QoL during treatment could predict survival in CRC., Methods: We evaluated 396 stages III-IV CRC patients available for a minimum follow-up of 3 months. QoL was evaluated at baseline and after 3 months of treatment using EORTC QLQ-C30. Cox regression evaluated the prognostic significance of baseline, 3-month and changes in QoL scores after adjusting for age, gender and stage at diagnosis., Results: After adjusting for covariates, every 10-point increase in both baseline appetite loss and global QoL score was associated with a 7% increased risk of death with HR = 1.07 (95% CI, 1.01-1.14; P = 0.02) and (HR = 0.93 (95% CI, 0.87-0.98; P = 0.01) respectively. A lower risk of death was associated with a 10-point improvement in physical function at 3 months (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78-0.94; P = 0.001). Surprisingly, a higher risk of death was associated with a 10-point improvement in social function at 3 months (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.13; P = 0.008)., Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence to indicate that CRC patients whose physical function improves within 3 months of treatment have a significantly increased probability of survival. These findings should be used in clinical practice to systematically address QoL-related problems of CRC patients throughout their treatment course.

One of the most significant modern day efforts to prevent and control an arthropod-borne disease during a military deployment occurred when a team of U.S. military entomologists led efforts to characterize, prevent, and control leishmaniasis at Tallil Air Base (TAB), Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Soon after arriving at TAB on 22 March 2003, military entomologists determined that 1) high numbers of sand flies were present at TAB, 2) individual soldiers were receiving many sand fly bites in a single night, and 3) Leishmania parasites were present in 1.5% of the female sand flies as determined using a real-time (fluorogenic) Leishmania-generic polymerase chain reaction assay. The rapid determination that leishmaniasis was a specific threat in this area allowed for the establishment of a comprehensive Leishmaniasis Control Program (LCP) over 5 mo before the first case of leishmaniasis was confirmed in a U.S. soldier deployed to Iraq. The LCP had four components: 1) risk assessment, 2) enhancement of use of personal protective measures by all personnel at TAB, 3) vector and reservoir control, and 4) education of military personnel about sand flies and leishmaniasis. The establishment of the LCP at TAB before the onset of any human disease conclusively demonstrated that entomologists can play a critical role during military deployments.

Background: Ultrasound has a wide variety of applications in surgery, but until recently few surgeons received any formal training in its use. To facilitate incorporation of ultrasound into surgical practice, the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) developed an ultrasound educational program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the ACoS ultrasound education program., Methods: A survey was mailed to all surgeons who had completed at least one of several ultrasound courses offered by the ACoS from 1998 to 2002., Results: A total of 1,791 surveys were mailed out and 873 completed surveys were returned. Sixty-five percent (576) of respondents reported using ultrasound in their practices after these educational courses. Of those performing ultrasound examinations, 267 did so in one clinical area and 309 in more than one. The most common examination was breast (369 surgeons); vascular, acute/trauma, abdominal, intraoperative/laparoscopic, and head/neck were utilized fairly equally (100-200 surgeons). The number of examinations performed by surgeons before they felt competent was between 11 and 20 and did not vary by the type of ultrasound examination. Of the 267 surgeons performing ultrasound in one clinical area, 176 performed ultrasound-guided procedures. Most surgeons had access to 2 ultrasound machines, but 386 (67%) were restricted from performing ultrasound in certain locations., Conclusions: The ACoS ultrasound courses are extremely popular and have contributed to the increasing use of ultrasound in surgical practice. Surgeons successfully use ultrasound in their practices including performance of ultrasound-guided procedures but are restricted from using ultrasound in certain patient care areas. Since many surgeons received prior and/or additional training outside of the ACoS, there is a need to facilitate export of ACoS courses to other venues and to focus on incorporating ultrasound training into surgical residency programs.

Purpose: Beginning in July 2003, residency programs will be required to incorporate new educational assessment methods as defined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) outcome initiative. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is an assessment tool that is favorably viewed by the ACGME. Our institution has utilized the OSCE for evaluation of surgery trainees since 1996. Despite the positive acceptance of the OSCE by students, residents expressed dissatisfaction with the examination. This study was therefore undertaken to specifically evaluate resident perception of the OSCE., Methods: Two sequential surveys were administered to surgery residents at the Medical College of Ohio. Response of medical students to a standard survey following completion of the OSCE was tabulated., Results: On the first, general survey, residents felt that the OSCE was not an adequate measure of either clinical (15 of 17 residents) or technical (15 of 18 residents) skills; 14 of 16 residents felt that the OSCE should not be used when considering promotion. When specifically queried in a follow-up survey, residents indicated that the OSCE was an adequate measure of clinical knowledge (2.2 +/- 0.3); however, most still felt that the OSCE should not be used when considering promotion (4.3 +/- 0.3). (Scores = mean +/- SEM on a Likert scale where 1 = strongly agree and 5 = strongly disagree). By contrast, 97.6% of 663 medical students surveyed (September 1996 through February 2002) felt the OSCE was useful., Conclusions: The OSCE has been shown to be a reliable and valid measure of basic clinical and technical competence. Despite our residents' current perception, we believe that the OSCE is an important method for resident evaluation, particularly within the context of the current ACGME outcome initiative.