cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for role of purine nucleoside phosphorylase in sensitivity of Novikoff hepatoma cells to 5-fluorouracil

Abstract Inosine, adenosine and guanosine, through the reaction catalyzed by purine nucleoside phosphorylase, stimulated the uptake of 5-FU and the conversion of 5-FU to F-uridine nucleotides in a FU-resistant cell line. The increased conversion of 5-FU to nucleotides by inosine in the resistant cell line was accompanied by an increase in the incorporation of 5-FU into RNA and the inhibition of ribosomal RNA maturation. In addition, the increased formation of F-dUMP was indicated by the data showing that the conversion of [ 14 C] deoxycytidine to thymidine was inhibited in the FU-resistant cell line by the presence of both 5-FU and inosine. There was also a corresponding inhibition of deoxycytidine incorporation into DNA. The addition of inosine to 5-FU-treated resistant cells caused inhibition of cell growth.
Diaphragmatic function following anastomosis of recurrent laryngeal and phrenic nerves

Abstract Unilateral anastomosis of the recurrent laryngeal and phrenic nerves was performed in eight rats. Six to 9 months later six rats were observed to have rhythmic contractions and recordable muscle potentials of the ipsilateral hemidiaphragm. In two of these animals transection of the vagus nerve high in the neck, just caudal to the nodose ganglion, abolished these contractions and muscle potentials. In four, contractions continued. Unilateral anastomosis of the recurrent laryngeal and phrenic nerves was performed in three monkeys. Fourteen months postoperatively only one exhibited spontaneous diaphragmatic function. However, in all three, rhythmic respiratory activity was evoked by asphyxia. Irritation of the trachea also produced a burst of activity in the diaphragm. In one of the three monkeys both the response to tracheal occlusion and to irritation were abolished by transection of the vagus nerve high in the neck after all nerve fibers entering the vagus in the superior mediastinum had been cut. It is concluded that the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which has been shown to transmit efferent respiratory bursts in the rat, is capable of restoring function to the paralyzed hemidiaphragm in the rat and monkey.
The choice of optimal parameters for measurement of spin-lattice relaxation times. IV: Effects of nonideal pulses

Abstract Optimum pulse spacing times are determined for measurements of spin-lattice relaxation times, T,, when the radiofrequency pulses deviate from their ideal values of 90 and 180°. The performance of the fast inversion-recovery technique in the presence and absence of separate estimates of the values of the effective flip angles resulting from nonideal rf pulses are compared, using as the criterion the total experimental time required to achieve a specified precision in the estimate of T 1. The important assumptions made are (1) that the cosine of the effective flip angles are either unknown or can be estimated in a separate experiment, (2) that M (∞) and T 1 are unknown, and (3) that an interval of uncertainty is known for the value of T 1 .
Transoral Robotic Surgery for Advanced Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

Objectives To determine the oncologic and functional outcomes in patients undergoing primary transoral robotic surgery followed by adjuvant therapy as indicated with a minimum of 18-month follow-up for advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma. Design Prospective single-center cohort study. Setting Academic university health system and tertiary referral center. Patients Forty-seven adults with newly diagnosed and previously untreated advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma. Intervention Transoral robotic surgery with staged neck dissection and adjuvant therapy as indicated. Main Outcome Measures Margin status, recurrence, disease-specific and disease-free survival, gastrostomy tube dependence, and safety and efficacy end points. Results In the 47 patients enrolled with stages III and IV advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma, mean follow-up was 26.6 months. There was no intraoperative or postoperative mortality. Resection margins were positive in 1 patient (2%). At last follow-up, local recurrence was identified in 1 patient (2%), regional recurrence in 2 (4%), and distant recurrence in 4 (9%). Disease-specific survival was 98% (45 of 46 patients) at 1 year and 90% (27 of 30 patients) at 2 years. Based on pathologic risk stratification, 18 of 47 patients (38%) avoided chemotherapy, and 5 patients (11%) did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy in their treatment regimen. At minimum follow-up of 1 year, only 1 patient required a gastrostomy tube. Conclusions This novel transoral robotic surgery treatment regimen offers disease control, survival, and safety commensurate with standard treatments and an unexpected beneficial outcome of gastrostomy dependency rates that are markedly lower than those reported with standard nonsurgical therapies.
Relative effects of static muscle contraction on digital artery and nailfold capillary blood flow velocities

Abstract Previous studies have shown that a decrease in blood flow to the finger is not necessarily accompanied by a corresponding change of blood flow in nailfold capillaries. The purpose of this study was to determine if nailfold capillary blood flow remains relatively stable during a decrease in finger blood flow induced by muscle contractions. Four male subjects 20 to 30 years of age exerted 2-min periods of static calf muscle contraction at levels of 7.5, 15, 30, and 45% of their maximum voluntary contractile force (MVC) while systemic blood pressure (BP), and flow velocities in the digital artery (VEL-A) and nailfold capillaries (VEL-C) were measured by, respectively, Doppler ultrasound and video densitometry. Each subject repeated the series five times. There was a significant linear decrease in VEL-A with increasing force of contraction for each subject individually ( P ≤ 0.009) and for the group as a whole ( P ≤ 0.0001); whereas VEL-C did not significantly change during muscle contraction. These results indicate that the initial cutaneous constrictor response in the finger during the onset of leg muscle exercise is not reflected to the nailfold capillaries.
The Pastries of La Festa di San Giuseppe: Roots to Italian sweet foodways

Pastries and desserts hold an important place in Italian cuisine. They are more symbols of culture than sugary treats to savor, imbued with religious, mystical, and historic significance. This significance appears during holidays, family events, and festivals, such as feast days honoring patron saints. With Italy's long-standing tradition of distinct regional cuisines, the festival foods differ from place to place, though common traits link them to the season and holiday. Breads and pastries in unique and meaningful forms are a major part of festival traditions and their regional variations illustrate local heritage, typical ingredients, and cooking traditions. Examining the roots of the sweet foodways of La Festa di San Giuseppe in two southern Italian locales, Sicily and Naples reveals much about Italian food history and the evolutionary influence at the hands of invaders, courts, and peasants. Consumption patterns based on scarcity and annual feasting reserved for church holidays are illustrated by the rituals of this feast day. Regional identity is expressed through place-specific recipes, ingredient use, and cooking methods. Sustenance issues also surface though the liturgical calendar that allows for the occasional splurges that were once rare moments of abundance, a break from incessant hunger, and an opportunity for a community to feed itself and its poor. Sweets play an important part in the conception of abundance and celebration, serving as special treats consumed once a year, marking a meal as a festive one, spent with family and community in common observance of a holiday or special event. This group consumption reinforces social ties, creates common memories and defines regional practices while also elevating the status of pastries and desserts and honoring the cooks and saints that make this consumption possible. A seemingly unremarkable feast day gives a piece of fried dough much meaning to a local person, reflecting regional identity while celebrating abundance.
Cue Effectiveness as a Function of Differential Preadaptation

(1970). Cue Effectiveness as a Function of Differential Preadaptation. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 82, No. 2, pp. 207-214.
PFFTC: An improved fast Fourier transform for the IBM cell broadband engine

Abstract The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is a widely used algorithm that is frequently employed in environments where high performance is critical. In the context of embedded systems, FFTs often have hard runtime constraints and must be evaluated using limited hardware. In this paper, we present a partitioned FFT algorithm (PFFTC) for the Cell Broadband Engine (Cell BE) that improves upon previous FFT implementations for this platform. PFFTC has three main phases to (i) partition the problem into independent sub-problems, (ii) solve the sub-problems in parallel, and (iii) combine the results of the sub-problems to obtain the solution to the original problem. PFFTC includes optimizations for exploiting data transfer parallelism, avoiding unnecessary communication through careful data routing, avoiding data dependency stalls with instruction-level double buffering, and minimizing synchronization overhead through the use of an “synchronous” signal-based barrier. We evaluate the performance of PFFTC and other FFT algorithms for the Cell BE. Our results indicate that PFFTC attains a peak processing rate of 33.6 GFLOPS, and achieves speedups ranging from 31% to 62% over the fastest previous Cell BE FFT algorithm’s reported performance for complex single-precision FFTs with 1,024-16,384 data points.
The bulimic syndrome in normal weight individuals: A review

Available studies indicate that the bulimia syndrome is a fairly common problem in young women. However, the exact incidence is unknown. In addition to binge-eating, patients with the problem usually either selfinduce vomiting or abuse laxatives as a means to rid themselves of unwanted food. A variety of medical complications have been described in association with bulimia including electrolyte abnormalities, parotid gland swelling, gastric dilatation and dental problems. Medical conditions which can mimic the bulimia syndrome are discussed. Little is known about the longitudinal course of this disorder.
A cooperative approach to collusion in auctions

The elegant Vickrey Clarke Groves (VCG) mechanism is well-known for the strong properties it offers: dominant truth-revealing strategies, efficiency and weak budget-balance in quite general settings. Despite this, it suffers from several drawbacks, prominently susceptibility to collusion. By jointly setting their bids, colluders may increase their utility by achieving lower prices for their items. The colluders can use monetary transfers to share this utility, but they must reach an agreement regarding their actions. We analyze the agreements that are likely to arise through a cooperative game theoretic approach, transforming the auction setting into a cooperative game. We examine both the setting of a multi-unit auction as well as path procurement auctions.
In vivo comparison between optical coherence tomography and intravascular ultrasound for detecting small degrees of in-stent neointima after stent implantation.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate optical coherence tomography (OCT) for detecting small degrees of in-stent neointima (ISN) after stent implantation compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Background The importance of detecting neointimal coverage of stent struts has grown with the appreciation of the increased risk for late stent thrombosis after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Intravascular ultrasound, the current standard for evaluating the status of DES, lacks the resolution to detect the initial neointimal coverage. Optical coherence tomography has greater resolution but has not yet been compared with IVUS in vivo with histological correlation for validation. Methods Intravascular ultrasound and OCT were performed with motorized pullback imaging in 6 pigs across 33 stents, 1 month after implantation. Each pig was euthanized, and histological measurements of vessel, stent, and lumen dimensions were performed in 3 sections of each stent. A small degree of ISN was defined as occupying l30% of the stent area measured with histology. The IVUS, OCT, and histological assessment of ISN were compared in matched cross-sections of the stents with a small degree of ISN. Results Eleven stents had a small degree of ISN (average ISN area: 1.26 ± 0.46 mm 2 , and percent area obstruction: 21.4 ± 5.2%). Compared with histology, the diagnostic accuracy of OCT (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.967, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.914 to 1.019) was higher than that of IVUS (AUC = 0.781, 95% CI 0.621 to 0.838). Conclusions Optical coherence tomography detects smaller degrees of ISN more accurately than IVUS and might be a useful method for identifying neointimal coverage of stent struts after DES implantation.
The management of renal angiomyolipomas in a patient with tuberous sclerosis

This article describes the case of a 17-year-old girl with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and angiomyolipomas (AML), who presented with multiple bilateral renal masses—including a 6.0 cm mass—during routine follow-up. The case highlights the use of MRI for imaging, and nephron-sparing treatment for managing TSC-associated AML. Background A 17-year-old girl, who was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis in infancy, presented with multiple bilateral renal masses, the largest of which was 6.0 cm in diameter on the left side. Investigations History and physical examination, ultrasonography, MRI, CT, magnetic resonance angiography, and measurement of serial creatinine levels. Diagnosis Bilateral angiomyolipomas. Management Observation, serial imaging, embolization and infarction.
Montesquieu, la république et le commerce

Contrary to a number of his contemporaries, Montesquieu did not consider that an inescapable antagonism existed between the republican government, based on the virtue of citizens and their dedication to the public good, and commercial activity, which was aimed at material interests. Well aware of the recurrent historical phenomenon of commercial republics, Montesquieu detected various mechanisms by which the commercial spirit could in fact encourage the formation of the psychological mindframe and behaviour necessary for republics. These included, in particular, a respect for rules, a distrust of emotions, a taste for individual independence acquired through work, and allegiance to a noncapricious government.
Tryptophan and serotonin metabolism after sustained tryptophan infusion

Abstract In an attempt to elucidate the effects of sustained administration of tryptophan on serotonin synthesis and turnover in mammalian brain, mini-osmotic pumps containing tryptophan or vehicle were implanted in albino mice for 24 and 96 h. Despite the extremely low dose of tryptophan administered by these pumps (8–12 mg/kg-day) statistically significant treatment effects were apparent with both treatment durations. Plasma and brain tryptophan concentrations varied in unison, and were inversely related to the tryptophan degradative capabilities of the liver as reflected in tryptophan pyrrolase activity. After 24 h of tryptophan infusion the hepatic enzyme activity was elevated and tryptophan values were no different from controls, and after 96 h the hepatic enzyme activity was reduced and tryptophan values in treated animals were greater than controls. Serotonin was elevated in treated animals after 24 h, but not after 96 h despite the elevated tryptophan concentration at this time. The turnover of serotonin, as evidenced by 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations, was not significantly affected by either treatment. Hepatic degradation of tryptophan thus seemed to be an important determinant of total plasma tryptophan, and brain tryptophan values paralleled plasma tryptophan. It appears that serotonin biosynthesis is regulated by factors other than tryptophan availability when the latter is chronically elevated.
Developmental rearrangements associated with a single type of expressed α-tubulin gene in tetrahymena

Abstract Southern blotting analyses with diverse heterologous probes indicate that there is only a single type of α-tubulin gene in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila. Comparisons of the germ-line configuration of α-tubulin sequences in the transcriptionally inert micronucleus with the somatic configuration in the transcriptionally active macronucleus indicate that rearrangements involving breakage and rejoining of sequences flanking both sides of the α-tubulin gene accompany macronuclear differentiation.
Circular waveguides with anisotropic walls

First, the wave propagation in circular waveguides with the boundary condition EΦ = HΦ = 0 is investigated, and the use of these guides for producing circularly polarised waves is described. Secondly, a similar investigation is made for corrugated guides. Their propagation characteristics are compared.
A Review of the Research: Common Core State Standards for Improving Rural Children's School Readiness.

Although a plethora of research focuses on economically at-risk preschool children in general across the United States, little can be found that investigates methods for improving rural children’s academic outcomes. This review of research is intended to provide a contextual understanding of the background and current conditions that exist for rural preschool children and their families in America, and to recommend strategies for improving adverse cognition and learning conditions, including a lack of early literacy skills, and low high school completion rates that frequently are found in this population, utilizing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as a framework. Attention will be given to demographics, academic performance and scientifically-based practices proven to impact both teaching and learning for rural preschool children, particularly those from minority households, incorporating the newly developed CCSS. A comparison will be made between rural white and African American children’s learning and cognition, highlighting significant disparities for African American students, despite the fact that they make up less than 10 % of all rural preschool children. For the scope of this study, rural communities will be defined as those with varying qualities situated outside of metropolitan areas. Results from this study reveal the conditions for rural preschool children, especially those from African American families with low-income levels. Findings indicate that providing training for teachers, administrators and families linked to rural schools; and infusing CCSS into the rural preschool curricula significantly improves school readiness, and decreases dropout rates.
The element separation property and parallel finite element methods for the Navier-Stokes equation☆

Abstract This report considers the amount of parallelism attainable in certain robust domain decomposition methods for linearizations of the Navier-Stokes equations. The connection between parallelism and the finite element basis is shown in terms of the separation property of that basis, introduced in Section 2. Section 3 studies these questions in particular for the Navier-Stokes equations. Section 3 resolves the separation properties of common, low order spaces which satisfy the inf-sup condition, as well as introduces a new, low order space which has the (optimal) element separation property.
Recovery and Composition of Swiss Cheese Whey Lipid-Containing Fractions

Cheese whey contains 0.1-0.2% residual lipids. The present study was conducted to develop a high-speed centrifugation procedure for fractionating and recovering residual whey lipids (RWL) from commercial Swiss cheese whey (SCW) and to determine the yields and compositions of the resulting fractions. Three RWL fractions were obtained: (1) a low-density lipid-containing fraction (LDLF) at the top of the centrifuge tubes; (2) a medium-density lipid-containing fraction (MDLF) in the clear, middle zone; and (3) a high-density lipid-containing fraction (HDLF) in the small, compact, and gelatinous pellet at the bottom of the centrifuge tubes. LDLF, MDLF, and HDLF contained about 95, 5, and 0.13% of the total SCW lipids, respectively. Palmitic acid was the major fatty acid, and oleic, stearic and myristic acids were present in lower concentrations. The major phospholipid components of all three SCW lipid fractions were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingomyelin.
An assessment of the utility of a non-metric digital camera for measuring standing trees

Abstract Images acquired with a commercially available digital camera were used to make measurements on 20 red oak (Quercus spp.) stems. The ranges of diameter at breast height (DBH) and height to a 10 cm upper-stem diameter were 16–66 cm and 12–20 m, respectively. Camera stations located 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 m from the stem were studied to determine the best distance to be used with the maximum wide angle setting on the camera. Geometric mean diameter estimates from the 12 and 15 m distances were within ±4 cm at any height (95% χ2). Though unbiased, measurement variation was found to increase with stem height. Using camera derived heights and diameters, volumes were found to be within 8% of volumes calculated using taped measurements of individual stems two times out of three — an improvement over existing DBH-height volume equations. This preliminary work demonstrates the ability of using a digital camera to acquire stem diameters and heights. Some limitations of the current technology are also noted. By combining equipment and procedural modifications with improved data flow from imagery to information, terrestrial digital imagery may revolutionize stem or even plot level data collection.
2′-5′-Oligoadenylate synthetase single-nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes are associated with variations in immune responses to rubella vaccine.

Interferon-induced antiviral genes are crucial players in innate antiviral defense and potential determinants of immune response heterogeneity. We selected 114 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 12 antiviral genes using an LD tagSNP selection approach and genotyped them in a cohort of 738 school children immunized with two doses of rubella vaccine. Associations between SNPs/haplotypes and rubella virus-specific immune measures were assessed using linear regression methodologies. We identified 23 significant associations (p < 0.05) between polymorphisms within the 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) gene cluster, and rubella virus-specific IL-2, IL-10, IL-6 secretion, and antibody levels. The minor allele variants of three OAS1 SNPs (rs3741981/Ser162Gly, rs1051042/Thr361Arg, rs2660), located in a linkage disequilibrium block of functional importance, were significantly associated with an increase in rubella virus-specific IL-2/T(h)1 response (p <or = 0.024). Seven OAS1 and OAS3 promoter/regulatory SNPs were similarly associated with IL-2 secretion. Importantly, two SNPs (rs3741981 and rs10774670) independently cross-regulated rubella virus-specific IL-10 secretion levels (p < or = 0.031). Furthermore, both global tests and individual haplotype analyses revealed significant associations between OAS1 haplotypes and rubella virus-specific cytokine secretion. Our results suggest that innate immunity and OAS genetic variations are likely involved in modulating the magnitude and quality of the adaptive immune responses to live attenuated rubella vaccine.
Water and nitrogen dynamics in an arid woodland

Arid environments are characterized by spatial and temporal variation in water and nitrogen availability. differences in δ15N and δD of four co-occurring species reveal contrasting patterns of plant resource acquisition in response to this variation. Mineralization potential and nitrogen concentration of surface soils associated with plant canopies were greater than inter-canopy locations, and values decreased with increasing depth in both locations. Mineralization potential and nitrogen concentration were both negatively correlated with soil δ15N. The spatial variation in soil δ15N caused corresponding changes in plant δ15N such that plant δ15N values were negatively correlated with nitrogen concentration of surface soils. Plants occurring on soils with relatively high nitrogen concentrations had lower δ15N, and higher leaf nitrogen concentrations, than plants occurring on soils with relatively low nitrogen concentrations. Two general temporal patterns of water and nitrogen use were apparent. Three species (Juniperus, Pinus andArtemisia) relied on the episodic availability of water and nitrogen at the soil surface. δ15N values did not vary through the year, while xylem pressure potentials and stem-water δD values fluctuated with changes in soil moisture at the soil surface. In contrast,Chrysothamnus switched to a more stable water and nitrogen source during drought. δ15N values ofChrysothamnus increased throughout the year, while xylem pressure potentials and stem-water δD values remained constant. The contrasting patterns of resource acquisition have important implications for community stability following disturbance. Disturbance can cause a decrease in nitrogen concentration at the soil surface, and so plants that rely on surface water and nitrogen may be more susceptible than those that switch to more stable water and nitrogen sources at depth during drougnt.
Clay‐enhanced DNA separation in low‐molecular‐weight poly(N,N‐dimethylacrylamide) solution by capillary electrophoresis

The effect of the separation medium in capillary electrophoresis consisting of a low-molecular-mass poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) solution on the DNA separation by adding a small amount of montmorillonite clay into the polymer matrix is presented. On the separation of the pBR322/HaeIII digest, both the resolution and the efficiency were increased by adding 2.5-5.0 x 10(-5) g/mL clay into the 5% w/v PDMA with a molecular mass of only 100 K. Moreover, there was no increase in the migration time of DNA fragments. Similar results were observed by using a C-terminated pGEM-3Zf(+) sequencing DNA sample in a sequencing buffer. Experimental data also showed that the addition of clay increased the viscosity of the polymer solution. We attribute this effect to the structural change of the polymer matrix caused by the exfoliated clay sheets, whereby the thin clay sheets function like a "dynamic cross-linking plate" for the PDMA chains and effectively increase the apparent molecular mass of PDMA.
Prevention of vascular inflammation by nanoparticle targeting of adherent neutrophils

Inflammatory diseases such as acute lung injury and ischaemic tissue injury are caused by the adhesion of a type of white blood cell--polymorphonuclear neutrophils--to the lining of the circulatory system or vascular endothelium and unchecked neutrophil transmigration. Nanoparticle-mediated targeting of activated neutrophils on vascular endothelial cells at the site of injury may be a useful means of directly inactivating neutrophil transmigration and hence mitigating vascular inflammation. Here, we report a method employing drug-loaded albumin nanoparticles, which efficiently deliver drugs into neutrophils adherent to the surface of the inflamed endothelium. Using intravital microscopy of tumour necrosis factor-α-challenged mouse cremaster post-capillary venules, we demonstrate that fluorescently tagged albumin nanoparticles are largely internalized by neutrophils adherent to the activated endothelium via cell surface Fcɣ receptors. Administration of albumin nanoparticles loaded with the spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor, piceatannol, which blocks 'outside-in' β2 integrin signalling in leukocytes, detached the adherent neutrophils and elicited their release into the circulation. Thus, internalization of drug-loaded albumin nanoparticles into neutrophils inactivates the pro-inflammatory function of activated neutrophils, thereby offering a promising approach for treating inflammatory diseases resulting from inappropriate neutrophil sequestration and activation.
SU-GG-J-21: Accuracy in the Localization of Thoracic Tumors Using Respiratory Displacement, Velocity, and Phase

Purpose: Current 4D CT reconstruction techniques are retrospectively based on phase or displacement of the respiratory signal. Both have known limitations. The aim of this work was to evaluate the reproducibility of tumor position as function of displacement, phase, and velocity of the respiratory signal, respectively, in order to determine the optimum combination of parameters for real‐time 4D CTimage sorting. Method and Materials: Estimated tumor centroid position and respiratory signal data were acquired with the Cyberknife Synchrony system for 26 patients (52 fractions) thoracic radiotherapy patients. A reference respiratory cycle was calculated for each patient. This reference cycle was used to calculate displacement, phase, and velocity of 10 image bins. The tumor position was then sorted into these bins if the phase, displacement (inhale and exhale separately), simultaneous displacement and phase, or simultaneous displacement and velocity of the respiratory signal were within tolerances of 0.5 mm and 0.5 mm/s for displacement and velocity corresponding to the bins, respectively. For phase sorting, phase closest to the reference phase for each bin was chosen. Results: The mean of the standard deviations of tumor positions over all bins and all fractions for the superior‐inferior direction were: 1.65 ± 0.74 mm for phase sorting, 1.00 ± 0.59 mm for displacement sorting, 0.98 ± 0.52 mm for simultaneous displacement and phase sorting, and 0.91 ± 0.53 mm for simultaneous displacement and velocity sorting. The same trend was observed for the anterior‐posterior and left‐right directions. Conclusion: This study illustrates that position of a tumor can be determined more accurately if displacement and velocity are used simultaneously as sorting parameters. A real‐time displacement and velocity based 4D CTimage sorting method may therefore produce smaller artifacts in 4D CTimages than current retrospective sorting methods. Conflict‐of‐Interest: Research supported by 1P01CA116602.
Life insurance in a portfolio context

Abstract The ownership of life insurance may be modeled as a portfolio problem in which the return on the life insurance contract is negatively correlated with the return on a claim to future wage income. The mean-variance model developed in the paper uses such a framework to express the optimal amount of insurance in terms of two components: the expected value of the wage claim and the risk/return characteristics of the insurance contract. The model thus offers an appealing way to formulate the life insurance problem in a portfolio context. Implications of the model for the functioning of a life insurance market are examined and the existence of accidental death contracts is explained.
Differential requirements for basic amino acids in transcription factor IIIA-5S gene interaction

Basic amino acids Arg, Lys, and His in the Cys2His2 zinc fingers of transcription factor IIIA (TFIIIA) potentially have important roles in factor binding to the extended internal control region (ICR) of the 5S ribosomal gene. Conserved and non-conserved basic residues in the N-terminal fingers I, II, III and the more C-terminal fingers V and IX were analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis and DNase I protection in order to assess their individual requirement in the DNA-binding mechanism. In the DNA recognition helix of finger II, the conserved Arg at position 62 (N-terminal side of the first zinc-coordinating histidine) was changed to a Leu or Gln. Both the R62L and R62Q mutations inhibited Xenopus TFIIIA-dependent DNase I footprinting along the entire 5S gene ICR. When His-58 (non-conserved basic residue with DNA-binding potential in the same helical region) was changed to a Gln, the mutated protein was able to protect the ICR from DNase I digestion. Therefore, Arg-62 is individually required for TFIIIA binding over the entire ICR whereas His-58 is not. Fingers V and IX have conserved Arg residues in positions identical to Arg-62 in finger II (Arg-154 in finger V and Arg-271 in finger IX). When these residues were changed to Leu and Ile respectively, TFIIIA-dependent DNase I protection was observed along the entire 5S gene ICR. These results indicate differing DNA-binding mechanisms by the N-terminal fingers versus the C-terminal fingers at the level of individual amino acid-nucleotide interactions. In the N-terminal finger I, the conserved Lys at position 11 outside the recognition helix and a conserved hydrophobic Trp at position 28 within the helix were changed to an Ala and Ser respectively. The K11A change inhibited TFIIIA-dependent DNase I protection to a much greater extent than the W28S change.
A Model of Human Decisionmaking in Multiple Process Monitoring Situations

It is proposed that human decisionmaking performance in multiple process monitoring situations can be modeled in terms of the detection of process related events and the allocation of attention among processes once events are felt to have occurred. An elementary pattern recognition technique, discriminant analysis, is used to generate estimates of event occurrence probability. A queueing theory framework is then utilized to incorporate these probabilities as well as other task characteristics into the solution of the attention allocation problem. The performance of the model is compared with that of subjects in two experiments.
EFFECT OF WORD PROCESSING ON STUDENTS' GRADES AND EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTION IN FRESHMAN COMPOSITION '

Summary.-The effect of word processing on students' grades and evaIuation of instruction was studied by resting 235 students in 15 sections of freshman composition. Word-processing sections wrote and revised their papers on the Macintosh Plus, while traditionally taught sections used paper, pencil, and typewriter. Ac the end of the semester responses to a 15-item scale for evaluation of instructor and course indicated that students in the word-processing sections had more positively expressed attitudes than those in the traditionally taught sections. There was no significant difference between the two modes of instruction on course grades. The introduction of the computer and word processing into the classroom setting has created the need for empirical research. The effect of word processing on writing has been examined at d grades from elementary school through college. Studies have examined the effect of word processing on revision (Hawisher, 1987; Coulter, 1986; Daiute, 1986; Harris, 1985; Lutz, 1987), quality of writing (Hawisher, 1987; Coulter, 1986), on length (Kaplan, 1986), on patterns of social interaction (Dickinson, 1986), and on feelings toward the use of the computer for writing. While some researchers have reported positive feelings toward the use of the computer (Hawisher, 1988; Haas & Hayes, 1986), others have indicated no significant differences in attitude between word-processing classes and traditionally taught classes (Greenland & Bartholomew, 1987; Giovannini & Miller, 1983, 1984). Still other work has yielded mixed feelings toward the use of the computer (Sommers, 1985; Teichman, 1985). Students seem to like the ease with which they are able to revise but do not like having to learn the package or the inconvenience of equipment failure and being tied to one location. Lansing (1984) reports a case study in which students composed four essays and wrote protocols after each writing session. She noted that, although students may have positive attitudes toward word processing or computing, this is not necessarily associated with their attitudes about writing. While most studies in the literature have focused on students' attitudes about word processing using a limited number of subjects, thls study was designed to examine the effects of word processing on students' attitudes toward the course and instruction and included a larger number of subjects.
Inconsistency of the maximum-parsimony method: the case of five taxa with a molecular clock

The inconsistency of the maximum-parsimony method for the case of five taxa with a molecular clock was studied using an analytical approach and Monte Carlo simulation. The inconsistency occurs in the case of a symmetrical tree with short internal branches and long external branches but can be avoided by using slowly evolving sequences. The neighbor-joining method is consistent if the evolutionary distances between taxa are estimated accurately. How? ever, for short sequences, estimates of distances are subject to large statistical errors, and the probability of obtaining a certain erroneous tree by this method can be larger than the probability of obtaining the true tree. The implications for phylogenetic reconstruction are discussed. (Phy? logeny; parsimony; neighbor joining; evolutionary rates; inconsistency; sequence length.)
State Policy as an Influence on the Participation of Young Children with Medical Needs in Childcare

The authors collected data from 48 states and the District of Columbia regarding state policies that affect the participation of children with medical needs in licensed childcare. They began with a more narrowly focused agenda of identifying policies affecting children with medically complex needs, but because few regulations are directed to this population, broadened their inquiry. The authors propose a conceptual change in the way professionals think about children with medical complexity. They argue that individual children may enter (and leave) a “zone of medical complexity” rather than being part of a fixed population they term children with medical complexity. Additional findings are clustered into six thematic areas: restrictions on dispensing of medications, policies on other medical treatments, higher subsidies and other financial supports, childcare health consultants and other informational resources, policies regarding specialized centers, and issues related to boards of nursing or nurse pract...
Molecular dynamics simulations on the Escherichia coli ammonia channel protein AmtB : Mechanism of ammonia/ammonium transport

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed at the atomic level to study the ammonium/ammonia transport across the Escherichia coli AmtB membrane protein. Although ammonia primarily exists in the form of NH4+ in aqueous solution, the recent X-ray structure determination of AmtB reveals that the ammonium/ammonia transporter proteins are ammonia-conducting channels rather than ammonium ion transporters [Khademi, S.; et al. Science 2004, 305, 1587; Zheng, L.; et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2004, 101, 17090]. Our simulations showed that the entrance of NH4+ into the periplasmic recruitment vestibule requires only 3.1 kcal/mol of energy. This is consistent with the X-ray crystal structure, where one NH4+ is captured in the binding vestibule. In this vestibule, NH4+ loses one water of hydration, but the loss is compensated by a hydrogen bond, first with the backbone carbonyl oxygen of Phe161 then with the hydroxyl group of Ser219, as well as the stabilizing π-cation interactions with the aroma...
Three-dimensional Marine Magnetotellurics For Petroleum Exploration

In this paper we investigate the application of marine magnetotellurics for petroleum exploration. The resistivity of petroleum reservoirs and of salt structures is usually on an order greater than those of surrounding sea-bottom sediments. That is why these structures can be considered easily detectable targets for marine MT methods. We consider the schematic model of an offshore Angola sea-bottom petroleum reservoir. We examine two models. One model contains a reservoir only, another represents a more realistic model of a petroleum reservoir in the presence of a salt dome structure. We invert the synthetic data computed for the reservoir model and the model with the salt dome using the CEMI 3-D MT inversion code QAINV3D. The inversion results show that even in the case of complex sea-bottom geological structures, where the reservoir response is strongly distorted by the salt dome effect, the inversion generates a clear image of the reservoir. These results demonstrate that the marine magnetotellurics can be a powerful method for offshore petroleum exploration.
The Ultimate Glass Ceiling Revisited: The Presence of Women on Corporate Boards

Has the diversity of corporate boards of directors improved? Should it? What role does diversity play in reducing corporate wrongdoing? Will diversity result in a more focused board of directors or more board autonomy? Examining the state of Tennessee as a case study, the authors collected data on the board composition of publicly traded corporations and compared those data to an original study conducted in 1995. Data indicate only a modest improvement in board diversity. This article discusses reasons for the scarcity of women on boards and concludes that, to enhance strategic decisions, board membership should reflect the corporation's consumer population. Thus, women are a critical but overlooked resource. Areas for future research are also considered.
Cottonwood and willow demography on a young island, Salmon River, Idaho

Woody colonizers of stream deposits are often aged to reconstruct flow and sedimentation history. Precise work requires knowledge of age structure of putatively even-aged stands or cohorts of colonizers. The demography of cottonwood and sandbar willow on a young island along the largely unregulated stream indicates that there can be 4 years of age variance between individuals that established within 2 meters of each other. Size of individuals indicates their relative ages, but sediment composition can also influence size.
Mercury, cadmium and arsenic contents of calcium dietary supplements

The cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) contents of calcium (Ca) supplements available on the Korean market were determined by a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer using Zeeman background correction and peak area mode after microwave digestion. The mercury (Hg) content of the supplements was measured using an Hg analyser. Recoveries ranged from 92 to 98% for Hg, Cd and As analyses. Fifty-five brands of Ca supplements were classified into seven categories based on the major composite: bone, milk, oyster/clam shell, egg shell, algae, shark cartilage and chelated. The means of Hg, Cd and As in Ca supplements were 0.01, 0.02, and 0.48 mg kg(-1), respectively. Ca supplements made of shark cartilage had the highest means of Hg (0.06 mg kg(-1)) and Cd (0.13 mg kg(-1)). The mean daily intakes of Hg and Cd from the supplement were estimated as about 0.1-0.2 microg, with both contributing less than 0.4% of provisional tolerable daily intakes set by the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization Joint Food Additive and Contaminants Committee.
Single-copy nuclear gene primers for Streptanthus and other Brassicaceae from genomic scans, published data, and ESTs

Premise of the study: We report 11 primer sets for nine single-copy nuclear genes in Streptanthus and other Thelypodieae (Brassicaceae) and their utility at tribal-level and species-level phylogenetics in this poorly resolved group. Methods and Results: We selected regions based on a cross-referenced matrix of previous studies and public Brassica expressed sequence tags. To design primers, we used alignments of low-depth-coverage Illumina sequencing of genomic DNA for two species of Brassica mapped onto Arabidopsis thaliana. We report several primer combinations for five regions that consistently amplified a single band and yielded high-quality sequences for at least 70% of the species assayed, and for four additional regions whose utility might be clade specific. Conclusions: Our primers will be useful in improving resolution at shallow depths across the Thelypodieae, and likely in other Brassicaceae.
Survival of bacteria exposed to extreme acceleration: implications for panspermia

Abstract We studied the effect of extreme acceleration and change in acceleration, or jerk, on bacteria to determine if they could survive impact ejection from a planet. Computer simulations based on the spallation model [H.J. Melosh, Icarus 59 (1984) 234–260; H.J. Melosh, Nature 363 (1993) 498–499] for ejecting material from planetary surfaces provided estimates for acceleration, rise time, and jerk for material accelerated to escape velocity. For ejection from Mars, the maximum acceleration predicted was 3×106 m/s2, or 3×105×g, with a rise time of 0.5 ms, and a corresponding jerk of 6×109 m/s3. We tested the resistance of Bacillus subtilis spores and Deinococcus radiodurans cells to high acceleration and jerk by (1) subjecting B. subtilis spores to the forces of an ultracentrifuge and (2) firing both bacteria from a rifle into a plasticene target. We measured the survival of B. subtilis spores at extreme acceleration in an ultracentrifuge operated at its highest speed, 100 000 rpm, corresponding to an acceleration of 4.27×106 m/s2, or 4.36×105×g. Approximately 107 spores were centrifuged in phosphate-buffered saline for 24, 48, 50 and 72 h. Spores were inactivated with simple exponential kinetics, and 65 h of centrifugation was required to inactivate 90% of the spore population. To test for resistance to jerk, spores of B. subtilis or cells of D. radiodurans were loaded into the rear cavities of lead pellets fired from a compressed-air pellet rifle into a target consisting of plasticene modeling clay, previously chilled to 4°C. The velocity of each pellet was measured using a chronograph and the depth of penetration of each pellet into the target was measured before removing the pellet from the clay using sterile forceps. Two different rifles were used, one with a measured pellet velocity of ∼100 m/s and the other with a velocity of ∼300 m/s. These correspond to estimated accelerations of 1.5×106 and 4.5×106 m/s2 and jerks of 1.5×1010 and 1.5×1011 m/s3, respectively. The percent survival for both organisms ranged from 40 to 100%. The samples in the ballistic experiments were subjected to jerks and accelerations 2.5–25 times larger than those estimated to prevail during ejection according to the computer simulation. We therefore conclude that acceleration and jerk are not important lethal factors during the ejection of viable microorganisms from planetary surfaces.
Ubiquity Scorned: Belief’s Strange Survivals

Abstract This paper attempts not to continue the methodological interrogation of “belief” as a category central to Religious Studies, but to problematize and analyze the ubiquity of such interrogations. Investigations of “belief,” I argue, are also occasions to explore the discipline’s less obvious investments in intellectual and institutional traditions still shackled to the very category under scrutiny. The stand-alone category “religion” that is so central to political culture and disciplinary formation depends on “belief” to facilitate recognition. Thus, while Religious Studies now habitually discredits “belief” as a ubiquitous analytical category, it also partly depends on “belief’s” presences for its disciplinary self-justification.
Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor expression in non-cancerous bronchial epithelia is associated with lung cancer: a case-control study

Background Normal bronchial tissue expression of GRPR, which encodes the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor, has been previously reported by us to be associated with lung cancer risk in 78 subjects, especially in females. We sought to define the contribution of GRPR expression in bronchial epithelia to lung cancer risk in a larger case-control study where adjustments could be made for tobacco exposure and sex.