cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aging diminishes lamellar and woven bone formation induced by tibial compression in adult C57BL/6.

Aging purportedly diminishes the ability of the skeleton to respond to mechanical loading, but recent data show that old age did not impair loading-induced accrual of bone in BALB/c mice. Here, we hypothesized that aging limits the response of the tibia to axial compression over a range of adult ages in the commonly used C57BL/6. We subjected the right tibia of old (22 month), middle-aged (12 month) and young-adult (5 month) female C57BL/6 mice to peak periosteal strains (measured near the mid-diaphysis) of -2200 μe and -3000 μe (n=12-15/age/strain) via axial tibial compression (4 Hz, 1200 cycles/day, 5 days/week, 2 weeks). The left tibia served as a non-loaded, contralateral control. In mice of every age, tibial compression that engendered a peak strain of -2200 μe did not alter cortical bone volume but loading to a peak strain of -3000 μe increased cortical bone volume due in part to woven bone formation. Both loading magnitudes increased total volume, medullary volume and periosteal bone formation parameters (MS/BS, BFR/BS) near the cortical midshaft. Compared to the increase in total volume and bone formation parameters of 5-month mice, increases were less in 12- and 22-month mice by 45-63%. Moreover, woven bone incidence was greatest in 5-month mice. Similarly, tibial loading at -3000 μe increased trabecular BV/TV of 5-month mice by 18% (from 0.085 mm3/mm3), but trabecular BV/TV did not change in 12- or 22-month mice, perhaps due to low initial BV/TV (0.032 and 0.038 mm3/mm3, respectively). In conclusion, these data show that while young-adult C57BL/6 mice had greater periosteal bone formation following loading than middle-aged or old mice, aging did not eliminate the ability of the tibia to accrue cortical bone.
Design and delivery of antisense oligonucleotides to block microRNA function in cultured Drosophila and human cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), approximately 22-nt RNAs that mediate post-transcriptional regulation of mRNAs in animals and plants, are a diverse class of regulatory genes whose specific biological functions are largely unknown. Here we detail a protocol to design and introduce into cultured Drosophila and human cells sequence-specific antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that block the function of individual miRNAs. Coupled with recent studies that catalog the miRNAs expressed in diverse cultured cells, our method offers a rapid (<1 week) approach to validate miRNA targets and to study the cellular functions of individual human and Drosophila miRNAs. ASO-based inactivation of miRNAs is faster and simpler than comparable genetic or 'sponge'-based approaches, for which extensive recombinant DNA manipulation is required. We present our ASO design principles and an optimized transfection protocol in which transfection efficiency of Drosophila Schneider 2 cells can approach 100%. Our 3'-cholesterol-modified ASOs have enhanced potency, allowing miRNA inhibition for at least 7 d from a single transfection.
An Alternative Animal Model for the Study of Female Sexual Behavior

The white rat has long reigned as the preferred model to study various aspects of physiological psychology, including reproductive behavior. Rats were initially selected for labo ratory experimentation in part be cause of their ability to reproduce copiously and rapidly in captivity. Although this is a good criterion to use to select a model, it is not the only, or necessarily the best, reason to focus as extensively as we have done on one particular species. In this review, I introduce an alterna tive model animal, the musk shrew (Suncus murinus). I make the case that this animal is an excellent model for examining the neural and hormonal bases of female sexual be haviors. Modern shrews are considered primitive in evolutionary terms. A shrewlike animal was the first pla cental mammal to evolve and is be lieved to be the stem stock from which the present mammalian or ders evolved. In addition, the musk shrew is a semitropical mammal. Its range extends from southern Japan to Madagascar. Because all mam mals originated in the tropics, it is my hope that general theories can be formulated by studying the behav ioral endocrinology of these primi tive, semitropical mammals. Data collected in studies of the musk shrew provide new theoretical in sights that can be used to test new hypotheses about the mechanisms
Institutional Blessing: The Museum as Canon-Maker

With characteristic acuity, Marx Wartofsky once dispatched George Dickie’s Institutional Theory of Art by declaring it neither institutional nor a theory. Aestheticians, while commonly absorbed with theory, rarely have much to do with the actual institutions of the art world.1 I propose here to discuss one institution, the Museum, which, since the eighteenth century, has figured prominently in constituting the art world. I hold that the museum plays a major part in defining art and in evaluating it; that its institutional role is indeed culturally linked with the determination of what will count as art and, contingently, what is to be celebrated and preserved. As institutions, museums are mandated to collect and preserve objects identified as having a certain cultural value.2 As social institutions, moreover, they depersonalize the judgment of value that they make, rendering it both public and normative. Museums purport not to be expressive of private tastes, but to be archivally retentive of objective value and to serve as legitimate celebrants of items of indubitable (if not universally acknowledged) merit.3 Museums are thus implicated in the dissemination of cultural canons and, I contend, as well of their formation.
Electrical and optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous carbon films

Abstract We have measured the electrical conductivity (25 to 350C) and optical absorption (1.65 to 4 eV) of a series of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films prepared via dc glow discharge decomposition of acetylene (C2H2) at deposition temperatures Td between 25 and 375C. The electrical conductivity is not simply activated, and varies by over 11 orders of magnitude for the samples studied. Optical energy gaps inferred from optical absorption data lie between 0.9 and 2.1eV, decreasing with increasing Td. It can be inferred from these measurements that the films will be “graphitic” in their electrical and optical properties for Td greater than about 425C.
A Unified Approach for Power System Predictive Operations Using Viterbi Algorithm

A paradigm shift in the renewable energy proliferation in the U.S. necessitates a paradigm shift in power system operations to accommodate large-scale intermittent power while keeping the grid reliable and secure. Energy management systems (EMS) will benefit from an auxiliary function, which integrates the wind and load forecasting to state estimation and forecasting. This auxiliary function will create a predictive database for the power system states using the historical states as well as wind and load forecasts. The predictive database can be utilized to provide pseudo-measurements to a static state estimator in the case of loss of observability and bad data processing, or it can be used for short-term congestion and ramping predictions. This paper proposes an auxiliary tool for look-ahead power system state forecasting in electrical power systems with high intermittent renewable energy penetration. The method utilizes Markov models (MMs) and the Viterbi algorithm (VA) with a grid of feasible power system states obtained and updated by using the past states. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on the IEEE 14-bus and 118-bus systems using wind and load data available from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The results show good correlation between the predictions and the actual power system states.
The channel-kinase TRPM7 regulates phosphorylation of the translational factor eEF2 via eEF2-k.

Abstract Protein translation is an essential but energetically expensive process, which is carefully regulated in accordance to the cellular nutritional and energy status. Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) is a central regulation point since it mediates ribosomal translocation and can be inhibited by phosphorylation at Thr56. TRPM7 is the unique fusion of an ion channel with a functional Ser/Thr-kinase. While TRPM7's channel function has been implicated in regulating vertebrate Mg2+ uptake required for cell growth, the function of its kinase domain remains unclear. Here, we show that under conditions where cell growth is limited by Mg2+ availability, TRPM7 via its kinase mediates enhanced Thr56 phosphorylation of eEF2. TRPM7-kinase does not appear to directly phosphorylate eEF2, but rather to influence the amount of eEF2's cognate kinase eEF2-k, involving its phosphorylation at Ser77. These findings suggest that TRPM7's structural duality ensures ideal positioning of its kinase in close proximity to channel-mediated Mg2+ uptake, allowing for the adjustment of protein translational rates to the availability of Mg2+.
Specificity of gap junction communication among human mammary cells and connexin transfectants in culture

In a previous paper (Lee et al., 1992), it was shown that normal human mammary epithelial cells (NMEC) express two connexin genes, Cx26 and Cx43, whereas neither gene is transcribed in a series of mammary tumor cell lines (TMEC). In this paper it is shown that normal human mammary fibroblasts (NMF) communicate and express Cx43 mRNA and protein. Transfection of either Cx26 or Cx43 genes into a tumor line, 21MT-2, induced the expression of the corresponding mRNAs and proteins as well as communication via gap junctions (GJs), although immunofluorescence demonstrated that the majority of Cx26 and Cx43 proteins present in transfected TMEC was largely cytoplasmic. Immunoblotting demonstrated that NMEC, NMF, and transfected TMEC each displayed a unique pattern of posttranslationally modified forms of Cx43 protein. The role of different connexins in regulating gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) was examined using a novel two-dye method to assess homologous and heterologous communication quantitatively. The recipient cell population was prestained with a permanent non-toxic lipophilic dye that binds to membranes irreversibly (PKH26, Zynaxis); and the donor population is treated with a GJ-permeable dye Calcein, a derivative of fluorescein diacetate (Molecular Probes). After mixing the two cell populations under conditions promoting GJ formation, cells were analyzed by flow cytometry to determine the percentage of cells containing both dyes. It is shown here that Cx26 and Cx43 transfectants display strong homologous communication, as do NMEC and NMF. Furthermore, NMEC mixed with NMF communicate efficiently, Cx26 transfectants communicate with NMEC but not with NMF, and Cx43 transfectants communicate with NMF. Communication between Cx26 TMEC transfectants and NMEC was asymetrical with preferential movement of calcein from TMEC to NMEC. Despite the presence of Cx43 as well as Cx26 encoded proteins in the GJs of NMEC, few Cx43 transfectants communicated with NMEC. No heterologous GJIC was observed between Cx26- and Cx43-transfected TMEC suggesting that heterotypic GJs do not form or that Cx26/Cx43 channels do not permit dye transfer.
Clinical factors associated with bacterial biofilm formation in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Objectives. Bacterial biofilms appear to contribute to chronic rhinosinusitis. However, the mechanism behind biofilm formation in chronic rhinosinusitis remains poorly defined. The aim of this stud...
Mental Frameworks of Mexican American and Anglo Elementary Principals

The purpose of this research was to identify and analyze the mental frame works of urban elementary school principals to determine whet her they differ on the basis of majority (Anglo) or minority (Mexican American) group membership. Interviews were conducted with five male informants from each of the two ethnic groups using open-ended questions concerning typical duties, role relationships, problems, decision making, changes, and training. Although findings indicated many similarities among all of the principals, differences between ethnic groups were noted in the areas of tasks, role relationships, changes, and value statements. Most notable was the pressure felt by Mexican American principals to act as role models.
Composition of Pollen Loads of Megachile rotundata in Relation to Flower Diversity (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

Abstract We examined the composition of pollen loads of female alfalfa leafcutting bees (Megachile rotundata) at a location where a variety of flowering plants were available, but where alfalfa (Medicago sativa) provided the vast majority of flowers. All females carried alfalfa pollen. Based on counts of pollen grains, pollen loads were greater than 90% alfalfa on three-quarters of the females collected in July and on nearly two-thirds of those collected in August. A single non-alfalfa pollen made up the majority of the loads on just 6% of females. The most common alternative pollen sources were yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis), and Brassicaceae and Chenopodaceae whose pollens we could not distinguish at the species level. In both July and August, the diversity of pollen types on females was positively correlated with flower diversity within 50 m of shelters. This and other studies indicate that M. rotundata is an opportunist capable of exploiting a variety of plant taxa and flowers of different...
Governing Software Process Improvementsin Globally Distributed Product Development

Continuous software process improvement (SPI) practices have been extensively prescribed to improve performance of software projects. However, SPI implementation mechanisms have received little scholarly attention, especially in the context of distributed software product development. We took an action research approach to study the SPI journey of a large multinational enterprise that adopted a distributed product development strategy. We describe the interventions and action research cycles enacted over a period of five years in collaboration with the firm, which resulted in a custom SPI framework that catered to both the social and technical needs of the firm's distributed teams. Institutionalizing the process maturity framework got stalled initially because the SPI initiatives were perceived by product line managers as a mechanism for exercising wider controls by the firm's top management. The implementation mechanism was subsequently altered to co-opt product line managers, which contributed to a wider adoption of the SPI framework. Insights that emerge from our analysis of the firm's SPI journey pertain to the integration of the technical and social views of software development, preserving process diversity through the use of a multi-tiered, non-blueprint approach to SPI, the linkage between key process areas and project control modes, and the role of SPI in aiding organizational learning.
Optimizing an Empirical Scoring Function for Transmembrane Protein Structure Determination

We examine the problem of transmembrane protein structure determination. Like many questions that arise in biological research, this problem cannot be addressed generally by traditional laboratory experimentation alone. Instead, an approach that integrates experiment and computation is required. We formulate the transmembrane protein structure determination problem as a bound-constrained optimization problem using a special empirical scoring function, called Bundler, as the objective function. In this paper, we describe the optimization problem and its mathematical properties, and we examine results obtained using two different derivative-free optimization algorithms.
Results of Transantral Orbital Decompression in 428 Patients With Severe Graves' Ophthalmopathy

We reviewed records from 428 consecutive patients with severe Graves' ophthalmopathy to determine early and late results after transantral orbital decompression. Optic neuropathy was present in 217 (50.7%) patients. Postoperatively, 402 (89%) of 453 eyes with preoperative visual acuity worse than 20/20 improved or remained the same. Visual field scotomas improved or resolved in 245 (91%) of 269 eyes tested pre- and postoperatively. Pre-operative papilledema resolved or improved in 99 (94%) of 105 eyes, and preoperative exposure keratitis improved or resolved in 178 (92%) of 195 eyes. Average proptosis reduction was 4.7 mm. Postoperatively, new diplopia developed in 74 (64%) of 116 patients who had no diplopia before orbital decompression, although 300 patients ultimately had strabismus surgery. At late follow-up (N = 293 patients), 226 (77%) had single vision and 44 (15%) had correction with prism. Complications included sinusitis (18 patients), lower eyelid entropion (38 patients), numb lip (23 patients), cerebrospinal fluid leaks (15 patients), and one frontal lobe hematoma (one patient). The average duration of follow-up was 8.7 years. Transantral orbital decompression effectively reduces proptosis and usually corrects optic neuropathy. In other circumstances, the benefits achieved and the side effects incurred must be carefully balanced for each patient before transantral orbital decompression is considered.
A simplistic printed circuit board fabrication process for course projects

A low-cost method of fabricating a printed circuit board (PCB) is presented. The process is favorable over conventional PCB fabrication due to fewer processing steps and lower capital investment. A laser printer is used to print a circuit layout onto ink-jet paper or specialized transfer paper (i.e., PnP-Blue from Technics, Inc.). The image is then heat transferred to a copper clad board using a standard household clothes iron. The transferred toner acts as an etch resist in a ferric chloride (FeCl/sub 3/) or other etchant bath, such as ammonium persulfate. Using this method, it is possible to fabricate PCBs with state-of-the art feature sizes as small as 4 mils using a 300 DPI laser printer. A higher resolution printer is expected to give finer resolutions. Tradeoffs between the ink-jet paper and the PnP-Blue paper is analyzed and discussed. This approach has been used for graduate-level courses including a VHDL class project to implement an ALU using a 44-pin CPLD and a microwave class project to implement a microstrip matching network for a high-gain, 875 MHz transistor. Over 200 students have successfully processed PCBs using this technique.
Simulation in training family therapists: Process and outcome

This article reviews procedures for using simulated families in the training of novice-level family therapists. An evaluation of one training experience is described. The evaluation utilized a repeated measures analysis and found an increase in the student's observational and conceptual skill development.
Toward a mechanism for eastern North American forest mesophication: Differential litter drying across 17 species

Long-term fire exclusion has altered ecological function in many forested ecosystems in North America. The invasion of fire-sensitive tree species into formerly pyrogenic upland forests in the southeastern United States has resulted in dramatic shifts in surface fuels that have been hypothesized to cause reductions in plant community flammability. The mechanism for the reduced flammability or “mesophication” has lacked empirical study. Here we evaluate a potential mechanism of reduced flammability by quantifying moisture retention (response time and initial moisture capacity) of foliar litter beds from 17 southeastern tree species spanning a wide range of fire tolerance. A k-means cluster analysis resulted in four species groups: a rapidly drying cluster of eight species; a five-species group that absorbed little water but desorbed slowly; a two-species group that absorbed substantial moisture but desorbed rapidly; and a two-species cluster that absorbed substantial moisture and dried slowly. Fire-sensiti...
Tentative Checklist of the Mosquitoes of Vietnam Employing New Classification for Tribe Aedini (Diptera, Culicidae)

The new classification of tribe Aedini is used in a tentative checklist of the mosquitoes found in Vietnam, which contains 34 genera, 28 subgenera, and 191 species and subspecies. Mosquito-borne diseases in Vietnam are mentioned. Mosquito records from U.S. military sources during the Vietnam War are also considered.
Cellular Observations and Hormonal Correlates of Feedback Control of Luteinizing Hormone Secretion by Testosterone in Long-Term Castrated Male Rhesus Monkeys

Testosterone at physiological levels cannot exert negative feedback action on LH secretion in long-term castrated male monkeys. The cellular basis of this refractoriness is unknown. To study it, we compared two groups of male rhesus macaques: one group (group 1, n 5 4) was castrated and immediately treated with testosterone for 30 days; the second group (group 2, n 5 4) was castrated and treated with testosterone for 9 days beginning 21 days after castration. Feedback control of LH by testosterone in group 1 was normal, whereas insensitivity to its action was found in group 2. Using the endpoints of concentrations of aromatase activity (P450AROM messenger RNA [mRNA]) and androgen receptor mRNA in the medial preoptic anterior hypothalamus and in the medial basal hypothalamus, we found that aromatase activity in both of these tissues was significantly lower, P , 0.01, in group 2 compared with group 1 males. P450AROM mRNA and androgen receptor mRNA did not differ, however. Our data suggest that the cellular basis of testosterone insensitivity after long-term castration may reside in the reduced capacity of specific brain areas to aromatize testosterone. Because P450AROM mRNA did not change in group 2 males, we hypothesize that an estrogen-dependent neural deficit, not involving the regulation of the P450AROM mRNA, occurs in long-term castrated monkeys. androgen receptor, estradiol, hypothalamus, Leydig cells, LH, pituitary hormones, steroid hormones, testes, testosterone
Expression of oncogenic epidermal growth factor receptor family kinases induces paclitaxel resistance and alters β-tubulin isotype expression

Oncogenic transformation confers resistance to chemotherapy through a variety of mechanisms, including suppression of apoptosis, increased drug metabolism, and modification of target proteins. Oncogenic epidermal growth factor receptor family members, including EGFRvIII and HER2, are expressed in a broad spectrum of human malignancies. Cell lines transfected with EGFRvIII andHER2 are more resistant to paclitaxel-mediated cytotoxicity, and tubulin polymerization induced by paclitaxel is suppressed compared with cells expressing wild type epidermal growth factor receptor. Because differential expression of β-tubulin isotypes has been proposed to modulate paclitaxel resistance, we analyzed β-tubulin isotypes expressed in cell lines transfected with different oncogenes. EGFRvIII- and HER2-expressing cells demonstrated equivalent total β-tubulin protein compared with cells transfected with wild type receptor or untransfected controls. EGFRvIII-expressing cells demonstrated increases in class IVa (2.5-fold) and IVb (3.1-fold) mRNA, and HER2-expressing cells showed increases in class IVa (2.95-fold) mRNA. Expression of oncogenic Ha-Ras did not change class IV RNA levels significantly. Inhibition of EGFRvIII kinase activity using a mutant allele with an inactivating mutation in the kinase domain decreased expression of class IVa by 50% and partially reversed resistance to paclitaxel. Expression of oncogenic epidermal growth factor receptor family members is associated with modulation of both β-tubulin isotype expression and paclitaxel resistance in cells transformed by expression of the receptor. This effect on tubulin expression may modulate drug resistance in human malignancies that express these oncogenes.
Inference based modeling of nonlinear microwave devices

We present an inference-based algorithm for modeling complex non-linear systems, that integrates current approaches to modeling of microwave devices within a generalized framework. Familiar techniques for characterizing linear and non-linear systems are embedded in an automated non-linear weighting mechanism, so that globally complex behavior is approximated by simple local models.
Learning to Do Knowledge Work in Systems of Distributed Cognition

Within work sites that engage in knowledge work, newcomers have particular difficulty acquiring knowledge because knowledge keeps changing. Newcomers have to assimilate currently accepted knowledge...
Performance of hypercube routing schemes with or without buffering

Considers two different hypercube routing schemes, which are called the simple and the priority schemes. The authors evaluate the throughput of both the unbuffered and the buffered version of these schemes for random multiple node-to-node communications. The results obtained are approximate, but very accurate as simulations indicate, and are given in particularly interesting forms. They find that little buffer space (between one and three packets per link) is necessary to achieve throughput close to that of the infinite buffer case. They also consider two deflection routing schemes, called the simple nonwasting deflection and the priority nonwasting deflection schemes. They evaluate their throughput-using simulations, and compare them to the priority scheme. >
Chaotic Quantum Cryptography

Quantum cryptographic systems use quantum mechanical concepts that are based on qubit superposition of states, and on the no cloning or no copying theorem to establish unbreakable cipher keys. Using optical communications the most commonly quantum mechanical property used is the polarization state of photon. However, in most quantum cryptographic algorithms a random polarization state is required. In this case, the random number generator should not be publically known, and it should be preferably reproducible. A naturally reproducible RNG can be produced using chaos functions. In this paper we review a quantum key distribution algorithm and chaos functions as RNGs. We then describe how chaos functions can be used in quantum key establishment and also a method that requires substantially fewer bits in the stream to establish the key and also a faster method.
Studies on the water relations of adult locusts (orthoptera, acrididae). I. Respiration and the production of metabolic water

Adult males of Locusta migratoria migratorioides (R. & F.) had an oxygen consumption of 120 mm 3 g -1 h -1 at 15°C and 988 mm 3 g -1 h -1 at 37°C, although respiratory quotient in fed insects (0.83) did not alter over this temperature range. Starvation or starvation and desiccation reduced the respiratory quotient from 0.83 to 0.77 indicating a shift in metabolism from carbohydrates towards fats. It is shown that the amount of biologically useful energy produced (in the form of ATP) remains the same, and that a shift from carbohydrate to fat metabolism requires the depletion of a smaller weight of food reserve. The shift is counterproductive in terms of metabolic water production, as only 0.28 mg g -1 h -1 water is produced in starved or desiccated locusts compared with 0.35 mg g -1 h -1 in fed animals.
How Should Research Contribute to Instructional Improvement? The Case of Lesson Study

Lesson study, a Japanese form of professional development that centers on collaborative study of live classroom lessons, has spread rapidly in the United States since 1999. Drawing on examples of Japanese and U.S. lesson study, we propose that three types of research are needed if lesson study is to avoid the fate of so many other oncepromising reforms that were discarded before being fully understood or well implemented. The proposed research includes development of a descriptive knowledge base; explication of the innovation’s mechanism; and iterative cycles of improvement research. We identify six changes in the structure and norms of educational research that would enhance the field’s capacity to study emerging innovations such as lesson study. These changes include rethinking the routes from educational research to educational improvement and recognizing a “local proof route”; building research methods and norms that will better enable us to learn from innovation practitioners; and increasing our capacity to learn across cultural boundaries.
Mammalian genetic diversity as a function of habitat, body size, trophic class, and conservation status

Population genetic theory indicates that a species' standing level of genetic diversity (GD) is explained in large part by the long-term effective population size (Ne). Ne depends not only on intrinsic species attributes but also on extrinsic factors such as environmental conditions that limit range sizes and promote or limit gene flow. We explored how various factors associated with Ne influence mammalian GD by first reviewing published estimates of mammal microsatellite variation and subsequently considering GD as a function of habitat type, trophic class, body size, range size, and conservation status. Our results indicate that microsatellite GD (i.e., heterozygosity and allelic diversity) is positively correlated with range size in threatened/endangered mammals although no significant effects of habitat, trophic class, or body size were observed. We also show that, on average, mammals have less GD than do birds or fishes.
Cyclical hypofractionated radiotherapy technique for palliative treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer: institutional experience and review of palliative regimens.

Background Effective palliation in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer is important. Cyclical hypofractionated radiotherapy (Quad Shot) is a short-course palliative regimen with good patient compliance, low rates of acute toxicity, and delayed late fibrosis. Objective To review use of the Quad Shot technique at our institution in order to quantify the palliative response in locally advanced head and neck cancer. Methods The medical records of 70 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who had been treated with the Quad Shot technique were analyzed retrospectively (36 had been treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy and 34 with 3-D conformal radiotherapy). They had received cyclical hypofractionated radiotherapy administrated as 14.8 Gy in 4 fractions over 2 days, twice daily, repeated every 3 weeks for a total of 3 cycles. The total prescribed dose was 44.4 Gy. Primary endpoints were improvement in pain using a verbal numeric pain rating scale (range 1-10, 10 being severe pain) and dysphagia using the Food Intake Level Scale, and the secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), local regional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and time to progression. Results Pain response occurred in 61% of the patients. The mean pain scores decreased significantly from pre to post treatment (5.81 to 2.55, 𝑃 = .009). The mean initial dysphagia score improved from 2.20 to 4.77 55 (𝑃 = .045). 26% of patients developed mucositis (≤ grade 2), with 9% developing grade 3-level mucositis. 12 patients had tumor recurrence. The estimated 1-year PFS was 20.7%. The median survival was 3.85 months with an estimated 1-year OS of 22.6%. Pain response (hazard ratio [HR], 2.69; 95% confidence index [CI], I.552-1.77) and completion of all 3 cycles (HR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.003-2.907) were predictive for improved OS. Limitations This study is a retrospective analysis. Conclusion Quad Shot is an appropriate palliative regimen for locally advanced head and neck cancer.
Transient hair loss during treatment with dimethyl-fumarate for multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Introduction Dimethyl-fumarate is a recently approved drug for relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis in Italy. Clinical case A 55-year-old woman started therapy with dimethyl-fumarate on June 2014; it was well-tolerated aside from moderate flushing. Starting September 2014 she noticed a progressive hair loss, that neither the dermatological examination nor clinical and medical history nor blood investigations could explain. The hair loss slowed down after two months and was followed by a hair growth back. Discussion Transient hair loss is not a reported side effect of dimethyl-fumarate therapy but by excluding any known cause we attributed it to the beginning of the new therapy.
Laser Heating of 2-D Dusty Plasmas Using a Random Arc Pattern

A laser heating method for 2-D dusty plasmas is improved so that particle motion better resembles thermal motion in a liquid. Laser beams are rastered in a pattern of arcs with three randomly varying parameters: curvature, initial angle, and the speed of the laser footprint as it follows an arc. An experimental test is performed using particle tracking to generate power spectra of velocities. Peaks in these spectra indicate coherence in the particle motion, which is a discrepancy when compared with the stochastic nature of molecular motion in a liquid. We find that spectral peaks are diminished tenfold by rastering with random arcs as compared with a previously used pattern in which beams moved in straight lines at constant speeds.
Zinc interaction with struvite during and after mineral formation.

Sorption of Zn with struvite was assessed both during and after mineral formation at pH 9.0 for 1-100 μM (0.065-6.54 mg L(-1)) aqueous Zn. The Zn loadings of recovered solids were lower when Zn was present during struvite precipitation compared to when Zn was added to struvite-bearing solutions. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy confirmed that Zn added to struvite-bearing solutions at concentrations≤5 μM sorbed as both octahedral and tetrahedral complexes (Zn-O 1.98-2.03 A), with evidence for bidentate configuration (Zn-P 3.18 A). Bidentate complexes were incorporated into the near-surface structure, contributing to distortion of the struvite ν3 PO4(3-) band in the Fourier transform infrared spectra. At Zn concentrations>5 μM, tetrahedral monodentate adsorbates (Zn-O 1.98 A) dominated, transitioning to a Zn-phosphate precipitate at 100 μM. When Zn is present during struvite precipitation, octahedral monodentate sorbates detected at 1 μM (Zn-O 2.08-2.10 A; Zn-P 3.60-3.64 A) polymerized at 5-50 μM, ultimately forming a Zn-hydroxide precipitate at 100 μM. The lowest initial Zn concentrations (0.065 mg L(-1)) and resultant solid loadings from precipitation experiments (13 mg kg(-1)) are consistent with those reported for struvite recovered from wastewater, suggesting that similar Zn sorption processes may occur in more complex systems.
A review of experience of wastage in fluidized-bed boilers

Fluidized-bed boilers based on variants of bubbling bed, circulating bed and pressurized designs are in wide commercial use in a range of sizes, and burn a variety of fuels. There is experience of localized metal loss on the fireside circuit of these units with some experiencing none while others, often of identical design, required urgent attention to allow acceptable operating periods. Nevertheless, wastage by combinations of corrosive attack and wear has not proved to limit significantly the application of this technology but, in some cases, has resulted in a heavy maintenance burden. In this paper, the current experience of such fireside wastage is reviewed, and the practical measures adopted to combat it are examined together with the apparent causes of the wastage. A review of the current state of mechanistic understanding of the causes of wastage suggests that understanding is developing slowly, partly because of the large number of variables involved. Mechanism-based solutions to the wastage probl...
The Research of the Polynomial Bounded Circuit-Size Complexity of Some Languages Approximate to Probabilistic Classes BPP and PP

The polynomially bounded circuit-size complexity of some languages which is approximate to the probabilistic classes BPP and PP are discussed with the concepts of bounded polynomial query output and bounded polynomial error output on some set.
5 – Crystal Symmetry and Physical Properties (S)

All things intertwine one with another, in a holy bond: scarce one thing is disconnected from another. In due coordination they combine for one and the same order.
Machado’s Tales of the Fantastic: Allegory and the Macabre

This chapter analyzes three largely unstudied works in order to explore a fairly ignored facet of Machado’s oeuvre: his gothic short stories. Ginway examines three such stories, “O capitao Mendonca” (Captain Mendonca, 1870), “A vida eterna” (Eternal Life, 1870), and “Os oculos de Pedro Antao” (Pedro Antao’s Glasses, 1874), to suggest that these are actually political allegories disguised as tales of the macabre. All three conjure up images of death and decadence and take place in settings associated with the past. In this sense, Machado’s use of allegory in his tales of the fantastic brings us back to history, slavery, melancholy, and loss during the 1870s—precisely the images of ruin and devastation that are central to Benjamin’s concept of allegory.
Continuation Methods for the Finite Element Solution of Turbulent Flow

This paper concentrates on the solution of some turbulent flow problems by the combined use of the Galerkin finite element method and a continuation method; turbulence will be simulated by the k-e model. This turbulence model is adopted here because it currently appears to represent correctly most major features of many relatively complex flows while not overburdening the user with an unduly large number of unknowns per computational node (Rodi, 1980a). Application of the finite element method to the governing equations produces a nonlinear set of algebraic equations. Obtaining solutions to these equations is the primary problem facing the investigator.
Surface plasmon polariton-induced hot carrier generation for photocatalysis

Non-radiative plasmon decay in noble metals generates highly energetic carriers under visible light irradiation, which opens new prospects in the fields of photocatalysis, photovoltaics, and photodetection. While localized surface plasmon-induced hot carrier generation occurs in diverse metal nanostructures, inhomogeneities typical of many metal–semiconductor plasmonic nanostructures hinder predictable control of photocarrier generation and therefore reproducible carrier-mediated photochemistry. Here, we generate traveling surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at the interface between a noble metal/titanium dioxide (TiO2) heterostructure film and aqueous solution, enabling simultaneous optical and electrochemical interrogation of plasmon-mediated chemistry in a system whose resonance may be continuously tuned via the incident optical excitation angle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental demonstration of SPP-induced hot carrier generation for photocatalysis. We found electrochemical photovoltage and photocurrent responses as SPP-induced hot carriers drive both solution-based oxidation of methanol and the anodic half-reaction of photoelectrochemical water-splitting in sodium hydroxide solution. A strong excitation angle dependence and linear power dependence in the electrochemical photocurrent confirm that the photoelectrochemical reactions are SPP-driven. SPP-generated hot carrier chemistry was recorded on gold and silver and with two different excitation wavelengths, demonstrating potential for mapping resonant charge transfer processes with this technique. These results will provide the design criteria for a metal–semiconductor hybrid system with enhanced hot carrier generation and transport, which is important for the understanding and application of plasmon-induced photocatalysis.
The start-stop approximation

For the analysis of the SAR data inversion algorithm in Chapters 2 through 5, we have employed the start-stop approximation, which is considered standard in the literature, see, e.g., [25, 40, 76, 79] and also [86]. It assumes that the radar antenna is at standstill while it sends the interrogating pulse toward the target and receives the scattered response, after which the antenna moves down the flight track to the position where the next pulse is emitted and received.
Influence of Age of Listener on Preadolescents’ Linguistic Behavior

Research indicates that young children and adults alter their linguistic behavior in response to the age of the person they are addressing. Yet to be established is how different-age individuals affect the linguistic behavior of preadolescents. The present study explored this question. While seated in a lounge-like setting, five 11-year-olds individually interacted with a young child (6-years), an age-peer, and a young adult (25-30 years). Analysis of the videotaped interactions focused on the preadolescents; measures were taken on the number, duration, and content of their initiated interactions. With young children, the subjects tended to initiate many brief interactions; with adults the initiations were fewer but longer in duration. They tended also to refer to themselves or their family and friends when addressing adults, but referred to the child or the child’s family and friends when speaking with children. Additional findings were (a) most interactions were narrative and initiated verbal-vocally; (b) time frames were seldom specified, except with the adult concerning the past and future; (c) feeling reactions were rarely expressed; and (d) secondary adjustments were infrequent, but when they did occur, most were with the child as part of cooperative game-playing. These findings are consistent with research on adults and children. Importantly, the present study demonstrates the applicability of a research method based on a natural science approach to language.
Fatigue Monitoring System Progress

The Advanced Large Structural System (ATLSS) center at Lehigh University has been actively involved in the development of a long term fatigue monitoring system, with the system almost being completely realized now. The fatigue monitoring system consists of several wireless sensor units mounted on the structure under observation and a central control office. The sensor unit takes as an input a stress signal from a strain gage, processes the signal in real time using the rainflow counting algorithm and stores a stress histogram in its internal memory [1–3]. The central control office will periodically download the data from each sensor and analyze it to determine if a structural member under observation is in immediate danger of a fatigue crack. The goal of the fatigue monitoring system is to use VLSI technology to develop a complete cost effective system by merging the sensor, data acquisition system and real time processing units into one.
Second order harmonic guided wave mutual interactions in plate: Vector analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental results

The extraordinary sensitivity of nonlinear ultrasonic waves to the early stages of material degradation makes them excellent candidates for nondestructive material characterization. However, distinguishing weak material nonlinearity from instrumentation nonlinearity remains problematic for second harmonic generation approaches. A solution to this problem is to mix waves having different frequencies and to let their mutual interaction generate sum and difference harmonics at frequencies far from those of the instrumentation. Mixing of bulk waves and surface waves has been researched for some time, but mixing of guided waves has not yet been investigated in depth. A unique aspect of guided waves is their dispersive nature, which means we need to assure that a wave can propagate at the sum or difference frequency. A wave vector analysis is conducted that enables selection of primary waves traveling in any direction that generate phase matched secondary waves. We have tabulated many sets of primary waves and ...
Early Lumbar Nerve Root Deficit After Three Column Osteotomy for Fixed Sagittal Plane Deformities in Adults.

ABSTRACT Background: Three-column osteotomy is an effective means of correcting fixed sagittal plane deformities. Deformity correction surgeries may be associated with early postoperative neurological deficits often presenting as palsies involving the lumbar roots. The objective was to retrospectively assess a subset of our series of adult deformity correction surgeries and analyze neurological deficits and associated patient and surgical factors. Methods: Hospital records of 17 patients from a single center were examined. Inclusion criterion were adults (>18 years) who underwent a 3-column osteotomy (pedicle subtraction osteotomy) at the lumbar level for fixed sagittal plane deformities including positive sagittal balance, flat back syndrome, and posttraumatic kyphosis. These also included cases with associated degenerative lumbar scoliosis. Patients were divided in 2 groups: Group 1 with lumbar root deficit and Group 2 with no deficits. We examined the surgical details of the osteotomy, complications during surgery, and observed if the magnitude of correction in the sagittal or coronal plane bore any influence on the nerve deficit. Results: All 17 patients had a single-level resection except 1 patient who had 2-level osteotomy; 23.5% (4 of 17) developed nerve deficit. Nerve deficit presented as bilateral foot drop (1); unilateral extensor hallucis longus (EHL) weakness (2); and unilateral quadriceps weakness (1). The patient with quadriceps weakness partially recovered to functional strength. Two patients with EHL weakness fully recovered; however, the patient with bilateral foot drop did not improve. L5-S1 interbody fusion was done in 3 of 4 cases in Group 1 and 4 of 13 cases in Group 2. Conclusions: Nerve deficits after 3-column corrective osteotomies occurred in 23% cases. All but 1 case had significant improvement. Most nerve palsies are neuropraxia and unilateral and tend to recover. L5 weakness appears most common after high lumbar osteotomies. Significant correction of scoliosis at the osteotomy level (>50%) may be a reason for nerve palsy.
An Analysis of Author Contribution Patterns in Eclipse Foundation Project Source Code

Collaborative development is a key tenet of open source software, but if not properly understood and managed, it can become a liability. We examine author contribution data for the newest revision of 251,633 Java source files in 592 Eclipse projects. We use this observational data to analyze collaboration patterns within files, and to explore relationships between file size, author count, and code authorship. We calculate author entropy to characterize the contributions of multiple authors to a given file, with an eye toward understanding the degree of collaboration and the most common interaction patterns.
PI3K activation increases SDF-1 production and number of osteoclast precursors, and enhances SDF-1-mediated osteoclast precursor migration

Our previous studies showed that in a mouse model in which PI3K-AKT activation was increased (YF mice), osteoclast numbers and levels of SDF-1, a chemokine, were augmented. The purpose of this study was to delineate the role of PI3K activation in regulating SDF-1 production and examine whether SDF-1 can stimulate differentiation and/or migration of osteoclast precursors. Using flow cytometric analysis, we demonstrated that compared to wild type mice, bone marrow of YF mice had increased numbers of CXCL12 abundant reticular (CAR) cells, that are a major cell type responsible for producing SDF-1. At the molecular level, transcription factor specificity protein 1 (Sp1) induced an increased transcription of SDF-1 that was dependent on PI3K/AKT activation. YF mice also contained an increased number of osteoclast precursors, in which expression of CXCR4, a major receptor for SDF-1, was increased. SDF-1 did not induce differentiation of osteoclast precursors into mature osteoclasts; compared to cells derived from WT mice, cells obtained from YF mice were more responsive to SDF-1. In conclusion, we demonstrate that PI3K activation resulted in increased SDF-1, increased the number of osteoclast precursors, and enhanced osteoclast precursor migration in response to SDF-1.
Optimization of Functional Integral Equations: A Spectral Approach

The spectral method of Elnagar and Kazemi (J. Comp. Appl. Math. 76(1–2):147–158, 1996), which yields spectral convergence rate for the approximate solutions of Volterra-Hammerstein integral equatio...