cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of the I Can Control Asthma and Nutrition Now (ICAN) pilot program on health outcomes in high school students with asthma

Asthma is the most prevalent chronic illness in childhood affecting 7 million youth. Many youth with asthma face another risk factor in obesity. Obesity, in turn, increases disorders such as asthma. Studies have recommended that asthma programs also address weight management in youth. Taking this into consideration, the I Can Control Asthma and Nutrition Now (ICAN) program is an innovative school-based program composed of (1) nutrition and weight management education, (2) asthma education, and (3) monthly reenforcement visits. This pilot study tested the initial effectiveness of the ICAN pilot program on a variety of asthma and nutrition outcomes in 25 urban minority students with asthma. Over the course of the pilot program, significant increases in asthma knowledge, asthma self-efficacy, asthma quality of life, asthma self-care, nutrition knowledge, nutrition self-efficacy, and asthma control were observed. The ICAN program has demonstrated promising preliminary results in improving nutrition and asthma health outcomes with urban minority high school students.
Expression of Oligohistidine-Tagged Ricin B Chain in Spodoptera frugiperda

DNA encoding ADPGH6G was fused to the 5'-end of RTB DNA and subcloned as a BamHI-EcoRI DNA cassette into the baculovirus transfer vector, pAcGP67A. Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells were cotransfected with pAcGP67A-ADPGH6G-RTB DNA and BaculoGold AcNPV DNA, and recombinant baculovirus was isolated by two cycles of limiting dilution assay followed by dot blot analysis with 32P-dCTP random primer labeled RTB DNA. Recombinant virus was purified and amplified to obtain stocks at titers of 10(7) infectious particles/mL. Sf9 cells grown in serum-free medium were then infected at an moi of 3 in the presence of 25 mM alpha-lactose. After 5 days, supernatants and cell pellets were harvested and assayed by an asialofetuin ELISA for recombinant RTB protein. Fusion RTB protein was produced in the supernatant at 5 mg/L and in the cell pellet at 1 mg/L. Recombinant protein was purified to > 80% homogeneity using either a monoclonal antibody affinity matrix with alkaline elution or a Ni(2+)-NTA matrix with imidazole elution. The purified protein bound asialofetuin similarly to plant RTB. N-terminal sequencing confirmed the oligohistidine tag. SDS-PAGE confirmed the 1,000 Da increase in mass relative to "wild-type" recombinant RTB produced in Sf9 cells. Immunoblots confirmed reactivity with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to plant RTB. The fusion protein reassociated with plant RTA similarly to plant RTB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Geophysical Discovery of a New LNAPL Plume at the Former Wurtsmith AFB, Oscoda, Michigan

Alight nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) ground water contaminant plume has been discovered by purely geophysical means at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (AFB) near Oscoda, Michigan. It is located near another plume called FT-02, which is a well-studied area undergoing natural bioremediation. The plume was discovered by ground penetrating radar (GPR) profiling while extending a long line from FT-02 to establish background variability around that plume. The new plume was apparent because of a high-conductivity “shadow’ or GPR reflection attenuation observed below the conductive zone at the top of the aquifer, identical to the pattern observed at the FT-02 plume. Further GPR surveys were conducted by students of a Western Michigan University geophysics field course to outline the proximal part of the plume. The GPR survey was supplemented by an electromagnetic induction (EM) survey which showed a group of four cables crossing the area. Finally, a magnetometer survey was conducted to search for any buried steel objects which might have been missed by the EM survey. The results of the three geophysical surveys were then used by students of a University of Michigan field course to guide subsurface soil and fluid sampling, which verified the presence of residual LNAPL product and ground water with conductivities 2.5 to 3.3 times above background. The plume source is in the vicinity of a vaulted underground storage tank (UST) formerly used for the collection of waste solvents and fuels for subsequent use in the fire training exercises at FT-02. This newly discovered LNAPL plume, along with other “mature’ plumes, fits the electrical model which predicts conductive ground water below the decomposing but electrically resistive LNAPLs. Finally, this is a fine example of the cooperative use of a dedicated research site for training by students of two different universities.
Radiotherapy induces responsiveness of a resistant mammary carcinoma to PD-1 blockade

ligands, PDL-1/2, were upregulated by RT on TSA cells and tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells, suggesting PD-1’s interaction with its ligands may limit RT-activated antitumor T-cell activity. Consistent with this hypothesis, RMP1-14 alone had no effect on tumor growth; RT delayed growth (p < 0.01), but only 1/6 mice showed tumor regression, whereas all mice receiving RT+RMP114 completely rejected tumors by day 25. In spleen, RMP1-14 had no effect on AH1-specific CD8 + T-cells
Do antiepileptic drugs play a role in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) accounts for approximately 2% of deaths in population-based cohorts of epilepsy, and up to 25% of deaths in cohorts of more severe epilepsy. When it occurs, SUDEP usually follows a generalised tonic-clonic seizure. Unresponsiveness, apnoea, and cardiac arrest occur in SUDEP, rather than the typical gradual recovery. The great majority of tonic-clonic seizures occur without difficulty and how the rare seizure associated with SUDEP differs from others is unknown.
Mutagenesis and Evolution of Sulfated Antibodies Using an Expanded Genetic Code

To facilitate the biochemical study of posttranslationally modified proteins, we have developed a strategy in which otherwise posttranslationally modified amino acids are genetically encoded in Escherichia coli in response to unique nonsense or frameshift codons. Here, we illustrate the utility of this approach through the characterization of the doubly tyrosine-sulfated anti-gp120 antibody, 412d. By expressing selectively sulfated variants of 412d directly in E. coli with an orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pair specific for sulfotyrosine, we were able to determine the contribution of each of the sulfates in 412d to gp120 binding affinity: tyrosine sulfation of 412d at position H100, position H100c, or dual sulfation at both positions (Kabat numbering where H designates heavy chain) leads to an increase in affinity for gp120 of 4.5-fold, 212-fold, or 500-fold, respectively. We also conducted directed evolution experiments to evolve 412d beyond the known sequence constraints required for posttranslational sulfation, while retaining the two tyrosine sulfates essential for function, yielding novel doubly sulfated antibodies, one of which binds gp120 with subnanomolar affinity. Taken together, our studies provide a more complete understanding of the role of 412d sulfation in gp120 binding and highlight the utility of genetically encoded unnatural amino acids in exploring the effects of posttranslational modifications on protein function.
Application of intravascular ultrasound in anti-atherosclerotic drug development

The background use of a number of established therapies presents a key challenge for the development of novel anti-atherosclerotic agents: how to predict potential efficacy before the completion of long-term trials with endpoints such as mortality. This challenge has stimulated the search to develop intermediate measures of efficacy. Recent advances now allow intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to provide an accurate assessment of atheroma accumulation within the arterial wall. Here we describe how IVUS can be applied to the serial assessment of atheroma burden in response to treatment with a range of anti-atherosclerotic strategies, which has resulted in its emergence as a key technology in the evaluation and approval of novel drugs.
The use of OR models in the assessment of alternative wave energy devices

: The author outlines the way in which OR models can be used to aid the development and technical assessment of different technologies for obtaining energy from the wave motion of the seas. The cost of prototype devices would be enormous and their use would be quite impracticable for comparing different technologies. The author's models are sophisticated enough to give an initial assessment of different devices using the input from relatively inexpensive small-scale physical models. They are capable of varying the design parameters of each device and locating optimum values, thus ensuring that comparisons are made under the most favourable conditions.
Microstructure and magnetism in barium strontium titanate (BSTO)–barium hexaferrite (BaM) multilayers

Abstract High quality multilayers of barium ferrite (BaM) and barium strontium titanate (BSTO) were grown in optimized conditions on thermally oxidized Si(1 0 0) and Al 2 O 3 substrates using magnetron sputtering. As-grown films were amorphous and different annealing procedures were explored to stabilize crystalline phases. BSTO and BaM phases were identified using X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional scanning electron micrographs showed sharp interfaces between BSTO and BaM layers. Magnetic hysteresis loops obtained at various temperatures and field orientations showed a large coercivity (∼2500 Oe) consistent with the hard magnetic hexaferrite component. Hysteresis loops also revealed the distinct influence of magnetocrystalline and shape anisotropies at different temperature ranges.
Spring Nitrogen Rate and Timing Influence on Seed Yield Components of Perennial Ryegrass

Spring application of N generally increases seed yield of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Understanding the influence of N rates and timings on seed yield components can be used to improve N use efficiencies and seed yield. Field experiments during 1982 and 1983 at Oregon State University studied the effects of 60, 90, and 120 kg N ha -1 applied either at double-ridge stage (DR) or at spikelet initiation stage (SI), on seed yield and yield components of the cultivar Pennfine. Control plots with no spring-applied N were also included. Little lodging was observed in 1982, but all plots severely lodged by maturity in 1983. Timing of N application did not affect seed yield in either year. Compared with the control, spring N increased seed yield 43% in 1982 and 39% in 1983 when averaged across rates. In 1982, seed yield did not vary with N rates applied at DR, but 120 kg N ha -1 produced greater seed yield than 60 kg N ha -1 when applied at SI. In 1983, seed yield was maximized by 90 kg N ha -1 applied at DR, and by 120 kg N ha -1 applied at SI. Nitrogen application did not affect the number of spikes per unit area, but increased seed number per spike in 1982 and weight per seed in 1983. Averaged across rates and timings, N increased total number of seeds produced per unit area 43% in 1982 and 30% in 1983. Seed yield was correlated with the number of seeds per spike in both 1982 (r 2 = 0.68) and 1983 (r 2 = 0.72). In 1983, seed yield was also correlated with weight per seed (r 2 = 0.55). We concluded that in the absence of severe lodging, 60 kg N ha -1 applied at DR is adequate for achieving maximum seed yield. If fertilization is postponed until SI, however, higher rates of N may be required. Results also suggest that modifications in N fertilization should focus on improving seed set per spike and seed growth rather than increasing the number of spikes per unit area or floret sites per spike.
Cultural memory and the cultural legacy of individualism and community in two classic films about labor unions

On the Waterfront and Salt of the Earth are read as epideictics for the experiences of directors Elia Kazan and Herbert Biberman testifying before the House Committee on Un-American activities (HUAC). These films are self-conscious studies of the directors' principles in which union struggles serve as the vehicle for narrative analogies that express differing philosophies about a key tension in the American identity–that between individualism and community. Because these films represent the creation of meanings at two different synchronic sites within the culture, they offer opportunities to inspect how their messages are historically and culturally determined and how they are like, or unlike, the cultural memory of our own time. This rhetorical approach to reading cultural memory investigates the diachrony of contexts, requiring the rhetorical critic to act not only as an archaeologist of the moment of production, but also as a historian of the circulation of texts, and as a contemporary social moralist....
Unidirectional fluxes of nitrate into and out of maize roots: measurement and regulation by prior nitrate nutrition

Abstract A method for rapid assay of concurrent fluxes of nitrate into and out of intact plant roots has been developed. Maize ( Zea mays L.) seedlings were grown on ‘normal’ 14 N-nitrate prior to exposure for 5 min to 99 at.% 15 N-nitrate. Influx and efflux rates were calculated from the depletion of nitrate and its 15 N enrichment in the external solution. Once developed, the assay was used to examine the regulation of nitrate fluxes by prior nitrate nutrition. Maize seedlings were pretreated for 24 h with 0, 20 or 200 μM 14 N-nitrate, providing root nitrate concentrations of 5.0, 8.2 and 30.7 μmol/g fw, respectively. Nitrate influx rates increased 55% when the root nitrate concentration rose from 5.0 to 8.2 μmol/g fw, but remained constant when root nitrate increased to 30.7 μmol/g fw. By contrast, efflux of nitrate continued to accelerate as root nitrate concentrations increased. As a consequence of these differential responses, net nitrate uptake was 26–30% higher at a root nitrate concentration of 8.2 μmol/g fw than at the lower and higher concentrations.
Preservice Science Teachers’ Uses of Inscriptions in Science Teaching

This study investigated preservice science teachers’ uses of inscriptions in their peer teaching activities and was guided by the following research questions: (1) What kinds of inscriptions and in...
Inclusion based robust clustering of fuzzy sets

In this paper, a new robust clustering methodology based on a genetic algorithm is proposed. The problem of interest is clustering an input set of fuzzy membership functions which in the past have been clustered using an inclusion index. Two distinct measures based on the inclusion index are also proposed for use as fitness functions for the genetic algorithm. The inclusion index-based fitness criteria are proposed as a replacement for criteria that use some kind of distance as a measure of similarity. The proposed methodology is also robust against outliers in the input set of membership functions, assuming that parameters of one or more sets may have been defined erroneously. Another distinct advantage of the proposed methodology is the fact that the number of clusters need not be defined a priori — the genetic algorithm rewards those partitions that cluster for the most optimal number of clusters based solely on the inclusion index. The proposed genetic algorithm-based inclusive clustering method is tested on two well-known data sets from literature and results comparing performance of the proposed algorithm to those reported in literature are presented.
Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in Reptiles: Proximate Mechanisms, Ultimate Outcomes, and Practical Applications

In many egg-laying reptiles, the incubation temperature of the egg determines the sex of the offspring, a process known as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). In TSD sex determination is an "all or none" process and intersexes are rarely formed. How is the external signal of temperature transduced into a genetic signal that determines gonadal sex and channels sexual development? Studies with the red-eared slider turtle have focused on the physiological, biochemical, and molecular cascades initiated by the temperature signal. Both male and female development are active processes--rather than the organized/default system characteristic of vertebrates with genotypic sex determination--that require simultaneous activation and suppression of testis- and ovary-determining cascades for normal sex determination. It appears that temperature accomplishes this end by acting on genes encoding for steroidogenic enzymes and steroid hormone receptors and modifying the endocrine microenvironment in the embryo. The temperature experienced in development also has long-term functional outcomes in addition to sex determination. Research with the leopard gecko indicates that incubation temperature as well as steroid hormones serve as organizers in shaping the adult phenotype, with temperature modulating sex hormone action in sexual differentiation. Finally, practical applications of this research have emerged for the conservation and restoration of endangered egg-laying reptiles as well as the embryonic development of reptiles as biomarkers to monitor the estrogenic effects of common environmental contaminants.
The development of new allocation policy for deceased donor kidneys.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The current system of kidney allocation in the United States has been undergoing review by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network kidney committee is nearing the release of a draft proposal for sweeping changes in kidney allocation. The involvement of the renal community is critical to the successful development and implementation of these new policies. RECENT FINDINGS This review describes ethical issues related to allocation of scarce resources such as kidneys, the current US kidney allocation system and problems associated with it, as well as the development of a new model for kidney allocation. The new paradigm involves the application of 'life years from transplant'--an approach that compares predicted survival of a recipient after transplant versus remaining on dialysis, adjusted for multiple factors such as cause of renal failure, age and co-morbid conditions. Alternate systems as well as criticism of the current proposals are presented. SUMMARY The use of life years from transplant would increase allocation of kidneys to patients more likely to benefit from transplantation, resulting in many thousands of additional life-years saved. Such a scheme would also tend to assign these kidneys to younger patients, which has generated controversy.
Making the Best of a Bad Situation: Material Resources and Teenage Parenthood

Past research has largely ignored the influence of material resources on teenage parents' life outcomes. A lack of resources such as housing, child care, and financial support is hypothesized to explain the negative effect of teenage parenthood on educational attainment. Regression analyses use nationally representative data from the 1988 - 2000 National Education Longitudinal Study (N = 8,432, n = 356 teenage parents). Results support the hypothesis completely for the teenage fathers in the sample and partially for mothers: Resources substantially diminish the educational penalty teenage parents paid by age 26. Gender influences which types of resources are protective, providing policy implications. Help with child care is critical for teenage mothers, whereas housing and financial resources may be important for men.
4.3.3 How Do I Keep Track of This Study

The commercialization of Systems Engineering is causing us to rethink some of the more labor intensive activities such as requirements management. Commercial engineers are already involved in cost, testing, program planning, procurement, configuration management and other activities. Relatively few organizations exist only to perform selective functions (such as CAD/CAM, computer support, facilities, etc.) Requirements management is likely to become the responsibility of the every day design engineer and therefore cannot be a massive effort. For requirements management to be used by commercial engineers, the effort must be perceived to have added value and be an overall time saver. Most engineers are extremely busy supporting currently mandated processes. More work is a hindrance, a more efficient way of doing the work already required is most helpful. We have been fairly successful in making a sound case for doing requirements management. However, the way requirements management is traditionally done is just an incredible amount of work. To become commercially palatable, requirements management must become more efficient in use of time and resources to be effectively used by design engineers.
Kinetic discrimination in T-cell activation

Abstract We propose a quantitative model for T-cell activation in which the rate of dissociation of ligand from T-cell receptors determines the agonist and antagonist properties of the ligand. The ligands are molecular complexes between antigenic peptides and proteins of the major histocompatibility complex on the surfaces of antigen-presenting cells. Binding of ligand to receptor triggers a series of biochemical reactions in the T cell. If the ligand dissociates after these reactions are complete, the T cell receives a positive activation signal. However, dissociation of ligand after completion of the first reaction but prior to generation of the final products results in partial T-cell activation, which acts to suppress a positive response. Such a negative signal is brought about by T-cell ligands containing the variants of antigenic peptides referred to as T-cell receptor antagonists. Results of recent experiments with altered peptide ligands compare favorably with T-cell responses predicted by this model.
Best treatment of jellyfish stings

(2000). Best treatment of jellyfish stings? Postgraduate Medicine: Vol. 107, No. 4, pp. 27-28.
Am I a control?: Genotype-driven research recruitment and self-understandings of study participants

Genotype-driven research recruitment complicates traditional study roles and may leave those recruited worried about unwelcome surprises from their DNA. This study investigated the ways that individuals experience genotype-driven recruitment, and conceptualize their roles as research participants. Individual interviews were conducted with the participants of a genotype-driven study on cystic fibrosis. The eligibility criteria included the presence of one of two genetic variants. We interviewed 24 of these participants: 9 had cystic fibrosis and 15 had been selected from a biobank as “healthy volunteers.” Participants with cystic fibrosis expressed no concerns about the eligibility criteria and saw themselves as part of a close-knit research community. However, biobank participants were unsure about why they had been selected and how they should think about themselves relative to the study. They sometimes reacted with anxiety to genetic information that they perceived to connect them with cystic fibrosis. Being recruited for a study on the basis of one’s genotype may raise uncertainties about the meaning and implications of the genotypic information. People without the disease under study may require especially clear and detailed explanations of what researchers already know about their genetic makeup, in terms of future risk for themselves or their children. Genet Med 2012:14(12):983–989
On financing the internal enforcement of illegal immigration policies.

"We introduce a government budget constraint into an illegal immigration model, and show that the effect of increasing internal enforcement of immigration laws on the host country's disposable national income depends on the mix of employer fines and income taxation used to finance the added enforcement. These issues are addressed under alternative assumptions about (a) the ability of host country employers to discern between legal and illegal workers, and (b) host country labor market conditions. Empirical evidence for the United States indicates that the employer sanctions program may have had a negative impact on disposable national income."
The Essence of Quiescence

Many cells in the human body are quiescent—that is, they are not actively dividing to create new cells, but can reenter the cell division cycle and proliferate at some later time. Among the cells that can survive in a quiescent state are lymphocytes that can become activated to mount an immune response, and dermal fibroblasts that can be called upon to aid in wound healing. The ability to enter and exit quiescence appropriately, and to remain viable while quiescent, is central to tissue homeostasis and the response to potentially life-threatening challenges. Yet, despite the central role of quiescence in normal physiology and pathophysiology, fundamental questions about quiescence remain unanswered but are currently being addressed.
Rapidin situhybridization technique for the detection of ribonucleic acids in tissues using radiolabelled and fluorescein-labelled riboprobes

In situ hybridization (ISH) is a useful diagnostic and research tool, but is also time consuming. This study was conducted to determine if a rate enhancement hybridization (REH) buffer, developed for membrane hybridization, could be used to decrease hybridization time for ISH. Tissue from swine with an enteric disease produced by a swine coronavirus, transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), was used as a model to standardize hybridization conditions for a rapid ISH technique. Small intestinal sections from pigs experimentally and naturally infected with TGEV were hybridized for various times at 52 degrees C and 70 degrees C with a radiolabelled or a fluorescein-labelled RNA probe in a standard hybridization or a REH buffer. Viral RNA was detected in intestines from as early as 30 min of hybridization by using both buffers with the radiolabelled probe; however, the signal was stronger with the REH buffer. With the fluorescein-labelled probe, viral RNA was detected in virus-infected cells of the intestines after 30 min of hybridization by using the REH buffer. Signal intensity was greater with the REH buffer than with the standard hybridization buffer when compared at each hybridization time and hybridization temperature using both radiolabelled and fluorescein-labelled probes. With the REH buffer, hybridization signal intensity was greater at 70 degrees C than at 52 degrees C for both probes. The best results were obtained when small intestinal sections were hybridized at 70 degrees C for 2 h using a radiolabelled or a fluorescein-labelled probe diluted in the REH buffer. The fluorescein-labelled RNA probe with REH buffer resulted in a minimal non-specific signal when compared with the radiolabelled probe. These studies demonstrated that the REH buffer can be used to decrease the time of ISH for the detection of viral RNA. This rapid ISH technique should have broad applications in the utilization of probe technology in diagnostics and research for the detection of target ribonucleic acids in situ
How R-Proteins Stabilize the R-RNA during Early Stages of Bacterial Ribosome Biogenesis

Ribosome biogenesis in E. coli has been extensively studied, yet, very little is known about the structural changes that occur to the rRNA upon r-protein binding. Recent cryo-electron microscopy and mass spectrometry studies from the Williamson laboratory have produced a time-resolved assembly map of the 16S subunit. The first r-protein to nucleate 16S folding, S4, binds to h16-h18 of the five-way junction–a signature region that idiosyncratically separates Bacteria and Archaea. S4, subsequently, nucleates the formation of the 5' domain of the 16S and recruits other r-proteins to bind.Guided by in vitro studies, we probe how S4 nucleates the 5' domain formation using a series of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the E. coli 5' domain with various r-proteins systematically bound to the rRNA. Large dynamic fluctuations in the structure of the rRNA were observed in both our long-time MD trajectories and multi-color single molecule FRET experiments from our collaborators. For example, with only S4 bound to the rRNA, an A-minor interaction between h8 and h14 opens up, but is stable upon adding S17 to a location distant from h8 and h14.We also are exploring the cooperative effects of the r-protein binding by generating weighted networks based on position correlations. Graph of the network weighed by edge-betweenness, a measure of the number of shortest paths that pass through a given edge, show a continuous path connecting the binding sites of S4, S17, and S20 with a branching point located near h15–the binding site the secondary binding r-protein S16. This path is hypothesized to modulate the binding between primary and secondary binding r-proteins and further probed using additional all-atom and structure-based models.
The Anthropology of Learning.

Although anthropologists have often reported child-training practices and formal efforts to transmit culture, they have not been overly concerned with the ways that individuals within a society actually “acquire” cu1ture. This paper calls for more attention to culture acquisition and suggests how the study of first-language acquisition seems to offer a useful model. Attention is also given to inventorying myriad concepts and ideas about learning that anthropologists have contributed but have not subjected to systematic inquiry. ANTHROPOLOGY AND EDUCATION, CULTURAL ACQUISITION, CULTURAL TRANSMISSION, ENCULTURATION, LEARNING.
Rural leadership development: pathways to community change

Although leadership development programs are seen as key to equipping individuals with the tools to navigate the challenges facing their communities, there is relatively little evidence of their im...
The investigation of GaN growth on silicon and sapphire using in-situ time-of-flight low energy ion scattering and RHEED

In-situ time-of-flight low energy ion scattering (TOF-LEIS) and reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) is used effectively to monitor surface structure, major elements, and impurities during substrate annealing, nitridation and thin film growth of GaN on Si and Al 2 O 3 substrates by electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) assisted MBE. During the annealing process of silicon, a combination of time-of-flight direct recoil spectroscopy (TOF-DRS) and mass spectroscopy of recoiled ions (MSRI) was used to monitor the desorption of surface contaminants such as H, C, and O. A change from a 1 x 1 RHEED pattern of oxygen-covered Si(001) to a 1 x 2 + 2 x 1 RHEED pattern, evidence of a clean Si(001) substrate, was observed. For the case of Al 2 O 3 (0001), a 1 x 1 RHEED pattern of the hexagonal structure was seen when all major contaminants were removed, as indicated by MSRI. The nitridation of a clean Al 2 O 3 surface was followed by RHEED and the formation of an AlN overlayer was confirmed by MSRI. A 1 x 1 RHEED pattern was observed after GaN thin film growth on sapphire, indicating a good crystalline structure. Si nitridation and subsequent deposition of columnar GaN on Si, resulted in an amorphous RHEED pattern. MSRI spectra showed the presence of Si in addition to Ga and N. When nitridation of Si was avoided the resulting GaN film was polycrystalline as observed by RHEED and complete coverage occurred, evidenced by the absence of Si in the MSRI spectra. The results show that a combination of RHEED and TOF-LEIS permit real-time optimization of substrate preparation and thin film growth parameters.
Visual Style and the Looking Subject: Nell Brinkley’s Illustrations of Modern Womanhood

Comics artist Nell Brinkley's early twentieth-century line drawings engage provocative themes related to emerging expressions of and questions about modern womanhood. Brinkley's visually complex rhetorical techniques (strategic juxtaposition, visual chiasmus, inversion, and motif) create a space for audience contemplation, and her use of the female “looking subject” produces a meta-discourse on the gendered politics of looking. This article examines these stylistic and thematic choices through a feminist visual rhetorical analytic lens.
Relationship of substratum wettability measurements and initial Staphylococcus aureau adhesion to films and fabrics

The adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to six films and four fabrics of commercial sources was measured following 1-h contact with the bacteria in aqueous suspensions. Among the untreated and glow-discharged film, increasing S. aureus adhesion was correlated with decreasing surface water wettability as measured by higher water contact angle measurements and lower critical surface tensions. Explicit differences in water wettability (drop absorbency and wicking time) and hydrophobicity (moisture regain) among the untreated as well as among the glow-discharged fabrics were observed. However, little difference in S. aureus adhesion among these two groups of fabrics indicates that the water wettability and hydrophilicity measurements of the fabrics were not the domainant factors attributing to their S. aureus adhesion properties. Different correlations between surface wettability and S. aureus adhesion on films and fabrics of similar chemical compositions further suggest that S. aureus adhesion may be influenced by other surface properties due to their different fabrication and finishing processes. Glow discharge improved wetting characteristics of both types of substratum, but S. aureus adhesion on fabrics was lowered and that on films was increased by the treatment. The bacteria—water wettability correlation on glow—discharged discharge induced active species on the surface.
Second-best subsidies in monopolistic competition

Abstract In the Spence-Dixit-Stiglitz model of monopolistic competition, an output (or input) subsidy is welfare-improving, under competitive conjecture. The significance of this result is that it holds even when the subsidy exacerbates the potential problem of excess product diversity.
The effect of B cell deficiency on the immune response to acetylcholine receptor and the development of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

Abstract To study the involvement of B cells in the immune response to acetylcholine receptor (AChR), B-cell-deficient (μ mutant) and control wild-type C57BL/6 mice were immunized with AChR and assessed for clinical and immunopathological manifestations of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). The μ mutant mice failed to generate anti-AChR antibodies and were completely resistant to the induction of EAMG. However, μ mutant mice developed clinical EAMG when antibodies to the AChR main immunogenic region were passively transferred. Further, thein vivoexpansion of lymph node cells after AChR immunization was greatly impaired in μ mutant mice. The μ mutant mice gave an effectivein vitroT cell immune response to the immunodominant pathogenic AChR α chain peptide 146–162 (α146–162) and to the whole AChR protein when tested on day 90 after immunization with AChR, whereas the response to both AChR and its α146–162 peptide was reduced when tested on day 7 after immunization. Thein vitroproduction of IFN-γ and IL-2 by AChR-specific and α146–162 peptide-specific lymphocytes was lower in μ mutant mice. The AChR immune μ mutant T cells proliferated and produced IFN-γ when AChR or α146–162 peptide was presented by wild-type irradiated AChR-primed antigen-presenting cells (APCs). This indicates that B cells are important in the processing and presentation of AChR dominant peptidein vitroduring the initial immune response to AChR. However, APCs of non-B-cell lineage are sufficient to process AChR and prime the T cells to AChR dominant T cell epitope peptides.
Image-guided radiotherapy platform using single nodule conditional lung cancer mouse models

Close resemblance of murine and human trials is essential to achieve the best predictive value of animal-based translational cancer research. Kras-driven genetically engineered mouse models of non-small-cell lung cancer faithfully predict the response of human lung cancers to systemic chemotherapy. Owing to development of multifocal disease, however, these models have not been usable in studies of outcomes following focal radiotherapy (RT). We report the development of a preclinical platform to deliver state-of-the-art image-guided RT in these models. Presence of a single tumour as usually diagnosed in patients is modelled by confined injection of adenoviral Cre recombinase. Furthermore, three-dimensional conformal planning and state-of-the-art image-guided dose delivery are performed as in humans. We evaluate treatment efficacies of two different radiation regimens and find that Kras-driven tumours can temporarily be stabilized upon RT, whereas additional loss of either Lkb1 or p53 renders these lesions less responsive to RT.
Synthesis and structural characterization of an 11-vertex nido-diphosphaborane, 7,9-Ph2-nido-7,9-P2B9H9

Abstract The new 11-vertex nido -diphosphaborane, 7,9-Ph 2 - nido -7,9-P 2 B 9 H 9 , has been synthesized by the reaction of Me 4 N + [ nido -B 9 H 12 − ] with PhPCl 2 in the presence of NaH. A single crystal X-ray diffraction determination and DFT/GIAO/NMR methods have both established that the compound has an open cage structure containing the phosphorus atoms in non-adjacent positions on the open face.
Perioperative patient radiation exposure in the endoscopic removal of upper urinary tract calculi

Abstract Background and Purpose: The efficacy of computed tomography (CT) in detailing upper urinary tract calculi is well established. There is no established acceptable annual recommended limit for medical exposure, yet the global accepted upper limit for occupational radiation exposure is <50 millisieverts (mSv) in any one year. We sought to appreciate the CT and fluoroscopic radiation exposure to our patients undergoing endoscopic removal of upper tract calculi during the periprocedure period. Patients and Methods: All patients undergoing upper urinary endoscopic stone removal between 2005 and 2009 were identified. To calculate the cumulative radiation exposure, we included all ionizing radiation imaging performed during a periprocedure period, which we defined as ≤90 days pre- and post-therapeutic procedure. Results: A total of 233 upper urinary tract therapeutic patient stone procedures were identified; 127 patients underwent ureteroscopy (URS) and 106 patients underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy...
Effect of hypohydration and altitude exposure on aerobic exercise performance and acute mountain sickness.

Hypoxia often causes body water deficits (hypohydration, HYPO); however, the effects of HYPO on aerobic exercise performance and prevalence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) at high altitude (ALT) h...
Messaging, music, and mailbags: How technical design and entertainment boost the performance of environmental organizations’ podcasts

Abstract The production and consumption of podcasts have grown exponentially since their introduction in 2004. As organizations increasingly use this social media tactic to reach their stakeholders, two theoretical frameworks – the theory of entertainment persuasion and the PodCred framework – can be used to create more meaningful messages for the podcasts’ audiences. Through a content analysis of 67 environmental podcasts, this study examined the extent to which environmental podcasts developed by organizations incorporate seven distinct communication strategies and design techniques. The study found that while inclusion of these strategies and techniques has statistical correlation to podcast popularity, organizations are only modestly incorporating them into their podcasts.
WE‐G‐141‐03: Diagnostic Quality CT with Soft Tissue Alignment for IGRT Can Safely Reduce Planning Margins For Prostate Cancer: Implication For SBRT

Purpose: To evaluate whether the use of daily diagnostic quality CT for image‐guided radiation therapy (IGRT) can safely reduce the planning margin using soft tissue alignment for prostate cancer treatment, which can be applied to SBRT. Methods: Nine patients with prostate cancer, who underwent IMRT and daily IGRT using the CT‐on‐rails system, were selected for this study. For all patients, a planning margin of 8mm/5mm posterior was used in the clinically approved plans. For this study, three additional plans were generated with planning margins of 6mm/4mm posterior, 4mm/2mm posterior, and 2mm uniform, resulting a total of four plans for each patient. On the first seven and last seven daily CTs, the prostate, bladder, and rectum were delineated by the same radiation oncologist. Subsequently, for each plan, the corresponding dose distribution on these daily CTs was calculated. The endpoint dose of the prostate was defined as the percentage of the volume receiving prescription dose of 78Gy (V78). V65 and V70 were used for the bladder and rectum, respectively. Results: For 8.7% of the first seven and 13.5% of the last seven fractions (n=126), the daily prostate volumes were 10% higher than those at simulation. Correspondingly, to achieve V78> 95%, the minimum margins of 4mm/2mm posterior and 6mm/4mm posterior were required for the first seven and last seven fractions, respectively. With margin reduced from 8mm/5mm posterior to 6mm/4mm posterior and 4mm/2mm posterior, the average bladder V65 decreased from 17.0±10.6% to 15.2±10.9% (p<0.01) and 9.9±7.4% (p<0.01), respectively. The average rectum V70 decreased from 15.2±8.9% to 13.6±7.9% (p<0.01) and 10.5±6.5% (p<0.01), respectively. Conclusion: A planning margin of 4mm/2mm posterior is sufficient for prostate SBRT with daily IGRT using soft tissue alignment with diagnostic quality CT. Drastic change in daily prostate volumes may increase the planning margin to 6mm/4mm posterior, requiring daily offline dose monitoring. Siemens Medical Solution
Competitive business cycles in an overlapping generations economy with productive investment

Abstract This paper examines the emergence of long-run competitive periodic equilibria in a two-period overlapping generations model with capital accumulation. The existence of periodic equilibria is a consequence of the existence of an aggregate bubble (money) and of a “non-linear” behaviour of aggregate savings. The technique used is to show that the problem can be reduced to the study of a dynamical map from an interval into itself, although it is originally two dimensional. This will allow us to study the occurrence of cycles from a global point of view.
Nodular fasciitis : a case series

Background:Given its rarity, varied histological presentation and often pseudosarcomatous appearance, nodular fasciitis is frequently misdiagnosed on pre-operative, intra-operative and final analyses.Methods:Four cases of nodular fasciitis are reviewed.Results:Physical and radiological findings were consistent with a parapharyngeal tumour, probably neurogenic, a level four neck mass suspicious for lymphoma; a sternoclavicular mass in a patient with a history of breast cancer suspicious for metastasis; and a cheek mass consistent with an accessory parotid tumour. Fine needle aspiration results were consistent with a neurogenic tumour in two patients and an undifferentiated malignancy in two patients. Frozen section examination most commonly included masses with spindle-type cells. The final diagnosis of nodular fasciitis was made only after permanent section and immunohistological analysis.Conclusions:In a patient with nonspecific results following investigation of a head or neck mass, nodular fasciitis should be considered. Use of appropriate immunohistochemical markers will aid in the final diagnosis.
Reconstituting Dehydrated Museum Specimens

The author reports a new procedure for rehydrating specimens of fish and amphibians which have become dried and shriveled from the evaporation of preservative fluids. In seven steps it employs acetic acid baths to make the tissue permeable, followed by a surfactant bath, a water bath, and progression through increasing concentrations of alcohol to the standard preservative level. Rehydration is monitored by specimen weight. The procedure proved adaptable to treating invertebrates and algal specimens.
Some numerical calculations of the vertical velocity field in hurricanes

The commonly observed crescent-shaped geometry of the tangential wind field in hurricanes is imposed on the primitive equations of atmospheric motion, and solutions for the vertical velocity field are obtained. It is shown that the numerically computed vertical motion field exhibits a spiral form, very similar to what is observed in radar pictures in individual hurricanes. Aircraft flight data from the National Hurricane Research Project are utilized to carry out the numerical calculations in several hurricanes over the Atlantic. An attempt is made to obtain an analytic solution for the same complete system of equations for a generalized Rankine vortex with a prescribed crescent-shaped geometry. It is shown that the analytic solution has an interesting spiral form. This solution for the Rankine vortex is compared with the corresponding finite difference solution to estimate the errors in the finite difference solution. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1962.tb00131.x
Queer linguistics vs. compulsory heterosexuality

WORD'S OUT: GAY MEN'S ENGLISH. By William Leap. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996; pp. ix‐180; $44.95; paper $17.95 QUEERLY PHRASED: LANGUAGE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY. Edited by Anna L...
Three distinct signalling responses by murine fibroblasts to genotoxic stress

GENOTOXIC stress triggers signalling pathways that mediate either the protection or killing of affected cells. Whereas induction of p53 involves events in the cell nucleus1, the activation of transcription factors AP-1 and NF-κB by ultraviolet radiation is mediated through membrane-associated signalling proteins, ruling out a nuclear signal2–6. An early event in AP-1 induction by ultraviolet radiation is activation of Jun kinases (JNKs) 3,7, which mediate the induction of the immediate-early genes c-jun and c-fos7–13. The JNKs have also been proposed to mediate the apoptopic response to genotoxins14. The non-receptor tyrosine kinase c-Abl is also activated by genotoxic stress15,16. To understand the relationship between these events, we compared the activation of p53, JNK and c-Abl by several DNA-damaging agents in murine fibroblasts. We found that whereas p53 was induced by every genotoxic stimulus tested, c-Abl was activated by most stimuli except ultraviolet irradiation and JNK was strongly stimulated only by ultraviolet light and the alkylating agent methyl methanesulphonate. Activation of JNK by this alkylating agent was normal in c-Abl-null cells but was reduced in c-Src-null cells. Unlike p53 induction, c-Abl activation occurs in the S phase of the cell cycle and does not affect cell proliferation. These findings show that signals generated by genotoxins are transduced by multiple, independent pathways. Only p53 appears to be a universal sensor of genotoxic stress.
Surgical Tool Failure Analyses

The tools used during surgical procedures are an important component to clinical success. Innovative surgical tool designs have enabled more intricate and less-invasive procedures resulting in advanced procedures, reduced patient pain, and recovery time. Examples of surgical tools include drills, catheters, needles, cannulas, scissors, and so on. These tools are often subjected to corrosive environments, high stresses, high loading frequencies, sterilization, and/or cleaning procedures. Given the extreme use conditions to which surgical tools can be exposed, and the potential for misuse, these devices can and do fail. These failures often occur during a surgical procedure and therefore can compromise clinical success. Understanding how and why failures occur is an important first step to prevent their occurrence. Accordingly, this paper provides selected surgical tool failure case studies.