cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards fully automated testing and characterization for photonic compact modeling on 300-mm wafer platform

We demonstrate a fully automated and flexible wafer level photonic device testing and characterization with wavelength, optical power, temperature, and voltage dependencies. High precision setup and data analysis tools are developed for photonic compact modeling.
Virtual climate scientist: A VR learning experience about paleoclimatology for underrepresented students

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have served as a call-to-action to educate and engage global communities on various issues, namely climate change. Despite heightened awaren...
Remarks on rigidity properties of conics

Inspired by the recent results toward Birkhoff conjecture (a rigidity property of billiards in ellipses), we discuss two rigidity properties of conics. The first one concerns symmetries of an analog of polar duality associated with an oval, and the second concerns properties of the circle map associated with an oval and two pencils of lines.
Influence of Critical Care Transport Ventilator Management on Intensive Care Unit Care

Abstract Objective High tidal volume ventilation is associated with ventilator-induced lung injury. Early introduction of lung protective ventilation improves patient outcomes. This study describes ventilator management during critical care transport and the association between transport ventilator settings and ventilator settings in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods This was a retrospective review of mechanically ventilated adult patients transported to an academic medical center via a critical care transport program between January 2018 and April 2019. Ventilator settings during transport were compared with the initial and 6- and 12-hour postadmission ventilator settings. Results Three hundred eighty patients were identified; 114 (30%) received tidal volumes > 8 mL/kg predicted body weight at the time of transfer. The transport handoff tidal volume strongly correlated with the ICU tidal volume (Pearson r = 0.7). Patients receiving high tidal volumes during transport were more likely to receive high tidal volumes initially upon transfer (relative risk [RR] = 4.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.3-6.5) and at 6 and 12 hours after admission (RR = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.8-3.8 and RR = 2.7; 95% CI, 1.7-4.3, respectively). Conclusion Exposure to high tidal volumes during transport is associated with high tidal volume ventilation in the ICU, even up to 12 hours after admission. This study identifies opportunities for improving patient care through the application of lung protective ventilation strategies during transport.
Toward Unity and Bold Theory: Popperian Suggestions for Two Persistent Problems of Social Psychology

Two persistent and interrelated problems confront the emergence of a broad-based, multimethod discipline of social psychology. The first is unity between its contrasting branches--symbolic interactionism, contextual social psychology, and experimental social psychology. The second problem is the general paucity throughout social psychology of bold theory that can be tested and falsified. This chapter briefly considers each of these problems, and ventures several suggestions toward their solution from the perspective of Karl Popper’s integrated philosophies of knowledge and science (Ackermann, 1976; Burke, 1983; Currie & Musgrave, 1985; Levinson,1982; Magee, 1973; Miller, 1985; O’Hear, 1980; Popper, 1950, 1959, 1968, 1976). [1]
Chapter 15 Electrophoretic Fractionation of Histones Utilizing Starch Gels and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate—Urea Gels

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the techniques for electrophoretic fractionation of histones utilizing starch gels und sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-urea gels. Histone separation in polyacrylamide gels is superior to any other method for their qualitative and quantitative analysis. While polyacrylamide gels containing urea in addition to the employed buffers produce the best separation of the individual histone fractions, the inferior systems containing either polyacrylamide gels with SDS or starch gels with urea can be useful under special circumstances. The best method for rapid quantitative and qualitative separation of all histone fractions and their phosphorylated or acetylated derivatives is electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels. Extensive aggregation and insolubility of chromosomal nonhistone proteins in conventional electrophoresis buffers, led to the introduction of polyacylamide gel electrophoresis performed in the presence of detergents, most frequently SDS. Because of their interactions with this detergent, most proteins form negatively charged complexes that separate electrophoretically in polyacrylamide gels in order of their molecular weights.
Paleobiology of the Precambrian: The Age of Blue-Green Algae

Depending one one’s predilections and the geological time in question, the Eras of the Phanerozoic can be properly (if informally) referred to as “the age of mammals,” “the age of angiosperms,” “the age of reptiles,” and so forth. In like manner and with equal force, the Precambrian Era, encompassing the earliest seven-eighths of geological history, can be termed “the age of blue-green algae”; microscopic cyanophytes formed the dominant component of the earth’s earliest biota (Schopf, 1970a).
The Critical Project Today

As befits its title and heft, The Domain of Reasons is a magisterial work. John Skorupski presents nothing less than a systematic account of the normative realm as a whole, which he interprets in terms of reasons to believe, to do, and to feel. Moreover, he situates his account within an illuminating discussion of developments in thinking about normativity from Kant’s ‘‘Critical turn’’ onward—connecting his view dialectically not only with Kant, but with a series of important postKantian thinkers, including Hegel, the Intuitionists, the Logical Positivists, and the later Carnap and Wittgenstein. In so doing Skorupski makes a number of novel and important contributions to our understanding of these thinkers, and constructs a compelling philosophical narrative that leads to his own view, the ‘‘Normative view’’, a form of ‘‘irrealist cognitivism’’. Skorupski takes from Kant’s Critical project the idea of arguing that: (i) however opposed they might seem, skepticism and traditional responses to skepticism share certain assumptions; (ii) these assumptions are part of the problem, not of the solution, in systematic philosophy; and (iii) they can and should be rejected—opening up the way for new and more credible ways of thinking about reality and establishing the possibility of knowledge and morality. The Domain of Reasons does not shrink from any of these tasks. The key defective assumption uniting skeptics and their adversaries, in Skorupski’s view, is ‘‘global realism’’, the conjunction of two theses:
Sticky Prices for Foreign Capital: Implications for Savings-Investments Equilibriums

I find distortions to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) induced within countries that adopt hybrid exchange rate regimes can generate equilibriums that are pareto optimal in relation to alternate equilibriums that are not associated with the price stabilization or monetary policy objectives of hybrid exchange rate regimes. These findings provide evidence that monetary equilibriums associated with "sticky prices" can be better than monetary equilibriums within which price changes are entirely a function of market forces. These findings hold within both loan and equity securities markets and provide evidence that FDI inflows can be beneficial for savings and domestic investments.
G protein-coupled extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+o)-sensing receptor (CaR): roles in cell signaling and control of diverse cellular functions.

Publisher Summary A body of indirect evidence had suggested the presence of a Ca 2+ o -sensing mechanism in parathyroid cells, C-cells, and kidney cells, through which Ca 2+ o could act, in effect, as an extracellular first messenger via its own putative G protein-coupled, cell surface receptor. Such evidence, principally accumulated in studies, involving dispersed bovine parathyroid cells, included some well-defined actions of the elevated Ca 2+ o . The body of evidence, suggesting the existence of a Ca 2+ o -sensing receptor, provides a foundation for the successful use of expression cloning in Xenopm laevis oocytes to isolate a full-length complementary DNA (cDNA), encoding the bovine parathyroid Ca 2+ o -sensing receptor (abbreviated as CaR). Research shows that the CaR provide the molecular basis for a number of the known effects of Ca 2+ o on its target tissues involved in mineral ion homeostasis, especially parathyroid and kidney. Although additional studies are needed to prove its mediatory role, the CaR may likewise participate in the aspects of the control of intestinal function and bone turnover that are relevant to systemic mineral ion metabolism. This receptor also plays key roles in human disorders, such as familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH)/neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism (NSHPT), autosomal dominant hypocalcemia, and sporadic hypocalcemia/hypoparathyroidism as well as in the impaired urinary concentrating capacity or, in some cases, frank nephrogenic diabetes insipidus observed in hypercalcemic persons. However, findings of the wide distribution of the CaR in tissues uninvolved in systemic Ca 2+ o homeostasis indicate that the CaR also participates in modulating the neuronal activities in the brain and perhaps intestine as well as a variety of other cellular functions.
The Computerized Socialbot Turing Test: New Technologies of Noopower

Networks of socialbots are spreading across social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Socialbots are software systems built to automatically control social media profiles. Importantly, unlike their more benign predecessors, socialbots are built to appear to be human; they respond to direct messages, gain followers, and subtly shape online interaction. As an initial study of socialbots, this paper draws on the heritage of Alan Turing's famous test of computer intelligence. Following Turing's analysis of the human mind, I suggest that social media's "culture of confession" is producing a massive dataset of the internal states of mind in human beings. Once this codification is done, then a universal Turing machine (in this case, socialbots) can imitate the human in a modern day Turing test. Socialbots' success in this regard certainly raises the specter of machine intelligence. But more importantly, socialbots' success demonstrates that social media capitalism is getting more and more skilled at alienating the fruits of laborers, in this case data appropriated from social media users via surveillance and standardization. Moreover, I ultimately argue that socialbots are new technologies of noopower. "Noopower" is power over and through attention and memory. Derived as they are from the patterns of social media user activities, and because they can "pass" as human within social media, socialbots can be key technologies in shaping user thoughts and perceptions.
White ancestry in perceptions of Black/White biracial individuals: implications for affirmative‐action contexts

The present studies examine how White ancestry influences perceivers' minority categorization of Black/White biracial individuals, as well as the implications of minority categorization for distribution of minority resources and stereotype use. Study 1 suggests that people are less likely to categorize those of Black/White biracial descent as minority and thus are less likely to view them as appropriate recipients of affirmative action than those of Black monoracial or Black/Native American descent. Study 2 tests a model in which Black/White biracial individuals with a greater amount of White ancestry are perceived as experiencing less discrimination and are less likely to be categorized as minority; therefore, they are judged as less appropriate for minority resources.
What would surgeons like from materials scientists

Surgery involves the repair, resection, replacement, or improvement of body parts and functions and in numerous ways, surgery should be considered human engineering. There are many areas in which surgical materials could be improved, but surgeons are generally unaware of materials available for use, while materials scientists do not know what surgeons require. This article will review some of the areas where surgeons and materials scientists have interacted in the past and will discuss some of the most pressing problems which remain to be solved. These include better implant materials for hernia repair, breast reconstruction, the treatment of diabetes, vascular stenting and reconstruction, and electrical pacing devices. The combination of tissue engineering and nanomaterials has great potential for application to nearly every aspect of surgery. Tissue engineering will allow cells or artificial organs to be grown for specific uses while nanotechnology will help to ensure maximal biocompatibility. Biosensors will be combined with improved electrodes and pacing devices to control impaired neurological functions. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2013, 5:299–319. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1220 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
A cluster-based approach to broadcast news

We present an approach to detection and tracking of topics in multilingual broadcast news based upon a dynamic clustering scheme. Our approach derives from a system used to filter Web searches from multiple sources, with extensions for pipelining document clusters, part-of-speech tagging and extraction of named entities for use in an extended similarity measure.
Valutazione della biblioteca e sondaggi sull’utenza nelle biblioteche accademiche degli Stati Uniti

Le biblioteche accademiche negli Stati Uniti devono confrontarsi con crescenti richieste di dimostrare la loro accountability e assicurare la qualita. Oltre a dover far fronte alle pressioni esterne, i bibliotecari accademici sono altresi impegnati a fornire servizi di alta qualita che rispondano alle necessita degli utenti. La valutazione della biblioteca fornisce gli strumenti che consentono a bibliotecari e biblioteche di rispondere alle pressioni esterne per l’accountability, mentre monitorano e migliorano la qualita dei servizi. Questo saggio fornisce una visione generale delle attuali iniziative di valutazione nella biblioteconomia accademica e di ricerca degli Stati Uniti con un focus particolare sui sondaggi rivolti all’utenza come meccanismo per raccogliere dati utili al supporto decisionale e allo sviluppo del servizio nelle biblioteche.
VLSI Implementation of the Multistage Detector for Next Generation Wideband CDMA Receivers

The multistage detection algorithm has been proposed as an effective interference cancellation scheme for next generation Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) base stations. In this paper, we propose a real-time VLSI implementation of this detection algorithm in the uplink system, where we have achieved both high performance in interference cancellation and computational efficiency. When interference cancellation converges, the difference of the detection vectors between two consecutive stages is mostly zero. Under the assumption of BPSK modulation, the differences between the bit estimates from consecutive stages are 0 and ±2. Bypassing the zero terms saves computations. Multiplication by ±2 can be easily implemented in hardware as arithmetic shifts. However, the convergence of the algorithm is dependent on the number of users, the interference and the signal to noise ratio and hence, the detection has a variable execution time. By using just two stages of the differencing detector, we achieve predictable execution time with performance equivalent to at least eight stages of the regular multistage detector. A VLSI implementation of the differencing multistage detector is built to demonstrate the computational savings and the real-time performance potential. The detector, handling up to eight users with 12-bit fixed point precision, was fabricated using a 1.2 μm CMOS technology and can process 190 Kbps/user for 8 users.
Designing neural network explanation facilities using genetic algorithms

The authors describe the use of genetic algorithms to provide components of explanation facilities for neural network applications. The genetic algorithm implementation, Genesis, uses a trained backpropagation neural network weight matrix as the genetic algorithm fitness function. Using different combinations of Genesis' run-time options, codebook vectors and decision surfaces are defined for the trained neural network. These vectors and surfaces can then be used as components of a facility that explains how the network is trained, and how it differentiates between classes. Two examples of this methodology are presented and briefly discussed. The first is a network trained to solve the XOR problem. The second is a network trained to diagnose appendicitis. >
A mobile seismograph array

A movable array composed of Ranger type seismometers, 60-day film recorders and 7-day magnetic tape recorders housed in compact trailers, has been developed. The array is useful for research requiring frequent instrument relocation such as P-delay, micro-seismicity, aftershock and signal-to-noise ratio studies. The array unit combines the functions found in conventional fixed stations with a high degree of mobility. Conveniences such as solid state amplifiers, radio and clock circuitry, internal calibration, and minimum installation time are special features. With the battery supply provided, a one week period of unattended film and tape recording is possible. With commercial power, the instruments can operate unattended for up to sixty days. Useful magnification up to several million is available, depending on the frequency band selected.
The Measurement and Recognition of Intangible Assets

Today's economy value is being created by intangible (intellectual) capital. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia estimates that in the year 2000 more than $1 trillion was invested in intangibles. Some of these intangibles were not being recognized on the Statement of Position. This paper reviews the existing and recently promulgated accounting standards relating to intangibles. Presently, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles allow for inconsistencies in the measurement and reporting of intangibles. The objective of this review is to provide evidence and alternatives to help improve the measurement and recognition of intangible capital. This will lead to the reporting of quality earnings that reflect the qualities of relevance and reliabilitye.
Design of an Online Curriculum Promoting Transformative Learning in Post Professional Doctoral Students

Written reflections of 113 occupational therapy clinical doctoral students who graduated from an online program between 2007 and 2013 were analyzed for themes which reflected transformative learning and characteristics of curricular design which promoted transformative learning. Qualitative analyses of written reflections were performed. Several themes emerged which are presented using the framework of Person/Learner, Environment/Learning Context, and Occupation/Engagement in Learning Activities. Strategies such as active learning; assignments that directly apply to students’ work settings; implementation of a cohort model; and use of reflection, dialog, and project implementation appear to be effective in facilitating transformative learning in an online clinical doctoral program.
Perception of conserved pathogen elicitors at the plasma membrane leads to relocalization of the Arabidopsis PEN3 transporter

The Arabidopsis PENETRATION RESISTANCE 3 (PEN3) ATP binding cassette transporter participates in nonhost resistance to fungal and oomycete pathogens and is required for full penetration resistance to the barley powdery mildew Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei. PEN3 resides in the plasma membrane and is recruited to sites of attempted penetration by invading fungal appressoria, where the transporter shows strong focal accumulation. We report that recruitment of PEN3 to sites of pathogen detection is triggered by perception of pathogen-associated molecular patterns, such as flagellin and chitin. PEN3 recruitment requires the corresponding pattern recognition receptors but does not require the BAK1 coreceptor. Pathogen- and pathogen-associated molecular pattern-induced focal accumulation of PEN3 and the PENETRATION RESISTANCE 1 (PEN1) syntaxin show differential sensitivity to specific pharmacological inhibitors, indicating distinct mechanisms for recruitment of these defense-associated proteins to the host–pathogen interface. Focal accumulation of PEN3 requires actin but is not affected by inhibitors of microtubule polymerization, secretory trafficking, or protein synthesis, and plasmolysis experiments indicate that accumulation of PEN3 occurs outside of the plasma membrane within papillae. Our results implicate pattern recognition receptors in the recruitment of defense-related proteins to sites of pathogen detection. Additionally, the process through which PEN3 is recruited to the host–pathogen interface is independent of new protein synthesis and BFA-sensitive secretory trafficking events, suggesting that existing PEN3 is redirected through an unknown trafficking pathway to sites of pathogen detection for export into papillae.
Shedding new light on nature's brightest signals

Abstract Most colour in nature arises from pigments, but the most brilliant, deeply saturated visual signals have structural origins. These colours are generated from nanoscale structural arrays that interact with incident light to produce specific optical effects. Perhaps the most dazzling of nature's signals, the iridescent colours of tropical butterflies, have long been known to originate from such structures. However, new research by Vukusic and colleagues reveals the true depths to which evolution has crafted these fascinating optical devices.
Pattern drilling exploration: Optimum pattern types and hole spacings when searching for elliptical shaped targets

In this study the selection of the optimum type of drilling pattern to be used when exploring for elliptical shaped targets is examined. The rhombic pattern is optimal when the targets are known to have a preferred orientation. Situations can also be found where a rectangular pattern is as efficient as the rhombic pattern. A triangular or square drilling pattern should be used when the orientations of the targets are unknown. The way in which the optimum hole spacing varies as a function of (1) the cost of drilling, (2) the value of the targets, (3) the shape of the targets, (4) the target occurrence probabilities was determined for several examples. Bayes' rule was used to show how target occurrence probabilities can be revised within a multistage pattern drilling scheme.
Generalizing binary quadratic residue codes to higher power residues over larger fields

In this paper, we provide a generalization of binary quadratic residue codes to the cases of higher power prime residues over the finite field of the same order. We find generating polynomials for such codes, define a new notion corresponding to the binary concept of an idempotent, and use this to find a lower bound for the codeword weight of the duals of such codes. This in turn leads to a lower bound on the weight of the codewords themselves.
Thalamic volume in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder patients before and after cognitive behavioral therapy.

Abstract Background: Neurobiologic abnormalities in the thalamus have been implicated in the pathophysiology of obsessive–compulsive disorder. We recently reported increased thalamic volume in treatment-naive pediatric obsessive–compulsive disorder patients versus case-matched healthy comparison subjects that decreased to levels comparable to control subjects after effective paroxetine therapy. To our knowledge, no prior study has measured neuroanatomic changes in the thalamus of obsessive–compulsive disorder patients near illness onset before and after cognitive behavioral therapy. Methods: Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging studies were conducted in 11 psychotropic drug-naive 8–17-year-old children with obsessive–compulsive disorder before and after 12 weeks of effective cognitive behavioral therapy monotherapy (≥30% reduction in obsessive–compulsive disorder symptom severity). Results: No significant change in thalamic volume was observed in obsessive–compulsive disorder patients before and after cognitive behavioral therapy. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that reduction in thalamic volume after paroxetine therapy may be specific to paroxetine treatment and not the result of a general treatment response or spontaneous improvement. These results are preliminary in view of the small sample studied.
A physiological age-grading system for female Hydrellia pakistanae Deonier (Diptera: Ephydridae)

Abstract The female reproductive system of Hydrellia pakistanae Deonier was described by dissecting individuals of known ages and describing changes in relation to number of eggs oviposited. Female H. pakistanae have meroistic ovaries, in that specialized nurse cells or trophocytes (nutritive cells associated with the eggs) are present within each ovariole, and of the polytrophic subtype because nurse cells closely accompany each developing egg, or oocyte. The reproductive system includes two ovaries, each consisting of 8 or 10 tube-like ovarioles. The ovariole can be divided into two distinct areas: a distal germarium, which produces the follicles, and a more proximal vitellarium, which houses the developing follicles. Each ovariole is surrounded by an ovariole sheath and houses several developing follicles, a term referring to the ova (yolk and surrounding cells; i.e., the egg), nurse cells, and surrounding epithelium. Within an ovariole, the follicle proximate to the lateral oviduct is the most mature with each subsequent, more distal follicle becoming less mature. All ovarioles within an ovary are connected via the lateral oviducts, while the common oviduct connects the ovaries to each other. The spermatheca and accessory glands branch off the common oviduct. Sperm stored in the spermatheca fertilize eggs as they pass through the common oviduct. Based on this information the continuum of ovarian maturation was divided into three nulliparous and four parous stages. The nulliparous stages are classified based on degree of ovariole segmentation and maturity of the most proximal follicle while follicle relic quantity and appearance is mainly used to separate the parous classes. Limited field sampling demonstrated the possibility of using this system to assess reproductive health of wild populations.
Improved prediction and tracking of volcanic ash clouds

Abstract During the past 30 years, more than 100 airplanes have inadvertently flown through clouds of volcanic ash from erupting volcanoes. Such encounters have caused millions of dollars in damage to the aircraft and have endangered the lives of tens of thousands of passengers. In a few severe cases, total engine failure resulted when ash was ingested into turbines and coating turbine blades. These incidents have prompted the establishment of cooperative efforts by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the volcanological community to provide rapid notification of eruptive activity, and to monitor and forecast the trajectories of ash clouds so that they can be avoided by air traffic. Ash-cloud properties such as plume height, ash concentration, and three-dimensional ash distribution have been monitored through non-conventional remote sensing techniques that are under active development. Forecasting the trajectories of ash clouds has required the development of volcanic ash transport and dispersion models that can calculate the path of an ash cloud over the scale of a continent or a hemisphere. Volcanological inputs to these models, such as plume height, mass eruption rate, eruption duration, ash distribution with altitude, and grain-size distribution, must be assigned in real time during an event, often with limited observations. Databases and protocols are currently being developed that allow for rapid assignment of such source parameters. In this paper, we summarize how an interdisciplinary working group on eruption source parameters has been instigating research to improve upon the current understanding of volcanic ash cloud characterization and predictions. Improved predictions of ash cloud movement and air fall will aid in making better hazard assessments for aviation and for public health and air quality.
Differential increase in neuropeptide Y-like levels and myenteric neuronal staining in diabetic rat intestine

Abstract Neuropeptide Y is a regulatory peptide found in adrenergic and non-adrenergic neurons. Diabetes, which may cause autonomic neuropathy, induces an increase in hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) levels; thereby we measured the effects of chronic diabetes on neuropeptide Y in the intestine. Rats were injected with streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) and maintained for up to 20 weeks. Another group of rats was injected with 6-hydroxydopamine (50 mg/kg) × 2 to induce sympathectomy. Ileum and colon were harvested and both whole and microdissected intestine were (1) stained with antibodies to neuropeptide Y, vasoactive intestine polypeptide, and neurofilaments or (2) extracted for neuropeptide Y radioimmunoassay. Neuropeptide Y levels were similar under all conditions in the colon, but there was a trend toward an increase in the diabetic whole ileum. NPY levels were significantly increased in the dissected myenteric plexus ileal layer in diabetics. We noted an increase in the number of neuropeptide Y and vasoactive intestine polypeptide immunoreactive myenteric neurons in diabetics and after 6-hydroxydopamine-induced sympathectomy. Diabetes, and to a lesser extent sympathectomy, induced an increase in ileal neuropeptide Y levels and neuropeptide Y-staining myenteric but not submucosal neurons. Altered tissue levels of neuropeptide Y may account for certain of the gastrointestinal disturbances commonly seen in diabetes.
SU‐GG‐T‐505: Efficiency and Cost of RapidArc to Deliver Highly Heterogeneous Dose for Simultaneous Integrated Boost Plans: A Dosimetry Study

Purpose: A set of parameters unique to heterogeneous dose distribution is used to standardize the evaluation of RapidArc (RA) for simultaneous integrated boost (SIB). Methods and Materials: RA plans were run on both phantom and patients. 30 Gy was prescribed to PTV and 35–90 Gy were prescribed to boost tumor volume (BTV) with varying size and location inside the PTV. Dose contrast, defined as the mean dose to the BTV divided by that of PTV, was used to evaluate the ability of RA system to escalate BTV doses without over‐treating the rest of PTV. A biological contrast was computed using biological equivalent dose (BED). To calculate standardized efficiency, both contrast indices were normalized to ideal cases that boost dose can be delivered without other changes to the plan. The integral dose to the entire phantom excluding PTV was used to assess the cost to other normal tissue. Five brain patients with SIB prescription were planned and analyzed based on the same methodology. SIB plans are subsequently compared with sequential boost (SEB) plans. Results: Efficiency decreases non‐linearly with the size of the BTV and the boost doses. An optimal boost dose at 45 Gy was observed using the metric. For BTVs located in the center of the PTV, the integral dose to the normal tissue increased by less than 5% comparing to the PTV only plan, and surprisingly stays almost constant with increasing boost doses. For BTVs close to the edge of PTV, the integral dose increased by 5–20% with boost dose. SIB plans are dosimetrically more favorable than SEB plans. The patient plans are consistent with phantom plans. Conclusion: The nonlinearity of cost and efficiency to delivery SIB plan was demonstrated, indicating the feasibility to selectively boost small tumor volume to a very high dose on the RapidArc platform.
A model genetic system for testing the in vivo function of peptide toxins.

We have developed a model genetic system for analyzing the function of peptide toxins from animal venoms. We engineered and propagated strains of Drosophila melanogaster expressing heat-inducible transgenes encoding either κ-ACTX-Hv1c or ω-ACTX-Hv1a, two insect-specific neurotoxic peptides found in the venom of the Australian funnel-web spider Hadronyche versuta. Heat induction of transgene expression for 20 min was sufficient to kill all transgenic flies, indicating that the ion channels targeted by these toxins are viable insecticide targets. The unusual phenotype of flies induced to express ω-ACTX-Hv1a recapitulates that of a hypomorphic allele of the high-voltage-activated calcium channel Dmca1D, suggesting that this is likely to be the target of ω-ACTX-Hv1a.
Advanced diffuse histiocytic lymphoma, a potentially curable disease.

Abstract Twenty-seven patients with advanced Summary diffuse histiocytic lymphoma (reticulum-cell sarcoma) were treated with combination chemotherapy utilising nitrogen mustard (or cyclophosphamide), procarbazine, vincristine, and prednisone. Eleven (41%) achieved a complete remission and only one of these has had a recurrence of tumour. The remaining ten complete responders were free of all evidence of tumour when last seen 26-105 months from the end of treatment. In contrast, all non-responders or partial responders have died. An interpretation of published survival data suggests that this virulent disease evolves quickly and is usually rapidly fatal if treatment is unsuccessful. Survival free of disease beyond 2 years from the end of treatment may be considered tantamount to cure. This definition of cure, previously applied only to patients treated with radiotherapy, seems applicable to patients who achieve complete remissions with modern drug treatment.
Using Web-based Tutorials To Enhance Library Instruction.

Abstract This article describes the development of a Web site for library instruction at Carson-Newman College and its integration into English Composition courses. A virtual tour, a tutorial on database searching, tutorials on specific databases, and library guides to specific disciplines were created using a combination of Microsoft FrontPage, PowerPoint, and Word. The use of the Web pages along with a hands-on exercise is described as an effective mechanism for active learning.
Antimicrobial peptides and surfactant proteins in ruminant respiratory tract disease

In ruminants, respiratory disease is multifactorial and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary innate immunity is the first line of defense for the respiratory tract. Alteration of regulation, expression, and function of these factors may be important to disease development and resolution. Many antimicrobial peptides and surfactant proteins are constitutively expressed in the respiratory tract and expression levels are regulated. Beta-defensins are cationic peptides with broad antimicrobial activity against bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens. Beta-defensins are primarily expressed in mucosal epithelia (and in some species leukocytes); where they may also participate in chemotaxis, wound repair and adaptive immune responses. Surfactant proteins A and D are secreted pulmonary surfactant proteins that have antimicrobial and immune regulatory activity. Anionic peptide is a constitutively expressed, aspartate-rich peptide that has antimicrobial activity and is most prominent during reparative epithelial hyperplasia. Regulation of these immune defense components by stress, pathogens, and inflammatory cytokines may play a role in the susceptibility to, severity and resolution of respiratory infection. The expression patterns of these molecules can be specific for host-species, class of pathogen and stage of infection. Understanding the regulation of antimicrobial peptide/protein expression will further enhance the potential for novel prophylactic and therapeutic modalities to minimize the impact of respiratory disease.
Adding injury to insult: unexpected rejection leads to more aggressive responses

Previous research indicates that rejection by a group causes aggressive responses. However, in these previous studies, rejected participants were led to believe that they were liked and accepted before the rejection; likely, this rejection was highly unanticipated. Sociometer theory (Leary et al., 1995) proposes the existence of a psychological mechanism (a "sociometer") that enables individuals to detect potential rejection via others' reactions; a properly working sociometer affords a person predictive control over an interaction. We hypothesized the lack of predictive control inherent in previous rejection studies was a critical contributor to participants' aggressive responses; predictive control should lead to decreased aggression. To test this, we manipulated predictive control by varying confederate behavior toward participants before a rejection manipulation. Results indicate that unpredictable rejection undermined participants' belief that they could predict other's behavior (i.e., led to the perception of a broken sociometer) and led to higher levels of aggression.
A Deadly Combination: The Legal Response to America's Prescription Drug Epidemic

Shortly after noon on June 25, 2010, musicicon Michael Jackson was rushed to the U.C.L.A. Medical Center in Los Angeles after he was found unresponsive and not breathing in his bed. 1 Medical perso...
Attentional costs in multiple-object tracking

Attentional demands of multiple-object tracking were demonstrated using a dual-task paradigm. Participants were asked to make speeded responses based on the pitch of a tone, while at the same time tracking four of eight identical dots. Tracking difficulty was manipulated either concurrent with or after the tone task. If increasing tracking difficulty increases attentional demands, its effect should be larger when it occurs concurrent with the tone. In Experiment 1, tracking difficulty was manipulated by having all dots briefly attract one another on some trials, causing a transient increase in dot proximity and speed. Results showed that increasing proximity and speed had a significantly larger effect when it occurred at the same time as the tone task. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that manipulating either proximity or speed independently was sufficient to produce this pattern of results. Experiment 4 manipulated object contrast, which affected tracking performance equally whether it occurred concurrent with or after the tone task. Overall, results support the view that the moment-to-moment tracking of multiple objects demands attention. Understanding what factors increase the attentional demands of tracking may help to explain why tracking is sometimes successful and at other times fails.
An expression for the permeability of anisotropic granular media

There are many expressions proposed for the permeability of isotropic media based on flow channel and pore size distribution concepts, but there are no such expressions for anisotropic media. In this paper an expression for the permeability of an anisotropic medium is proposed, which has been verified in the laboratory. The mechanism behind fluid flow through soil was investigated using microscopic computer simulations to propose an expression for macroscopic permeability. The soil was assumed to be a spatially periodic porous medium, and the Navier-Stokes equation was solved using the FEM with appropriate boundary conditions for several different arrangements of the porous medium. The basic variables influencing flow through soil at the microscopic level were identified as specific surface area, void ratio, particle shape, material heterogeneity and the arrangement of particles in a porous medium. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to obtain an expression for the permeability in terms of the above variables. The corresponding macroscopic variables for the above microscopic variables are average specific surface area, average void ratio, anisotropy, tortuosity due to material heterogeneity, and the arrangement of particles respectively. An expression for the directional permeability is proposed in terms of these variables for the most common occurrence of particles in a porous medium. For the verification of the proposed equation, the permeability values of a fine-grained sand were measured at different void ratios and were compared with those predicted by the proposed equation. The results show that the predicted permeability values from the proposed equation are very close to the measured values.
Heavy Thunderstorms Observed Over Land by the Nimbus 7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer.

Brightness temperatures obtained through examination of microwave data from the Nimbus 7 satellite are noted to be much lower than those expected on the strength of radiation emanating from rain-producing clouds. Very cold brightness temperature cases all coincided with heavy thunderstorm rainfall, with the cold temperatures being attributable to scattering by a layer of ice hydrometeors in the upper parts of the storms. It is accordingly suggested that brightness temperatures observed by satellite microwave radiometers can sometimes distinguish heavy rain over land.
Effect of Red Light on the Phototropic Sensitivity of Corn Coleoptiles

The effect of red light in alteration of the phototropic sensitivity of corn coleoptiles (Zea mays L., cultivar Burpee Barbecue Hybrid) is investigated. Phototropic dosage-response curves for etiolated coleoptiles are compared with those for coleoptiles receiving 1 hour of continuous red light immediately prior to phototropic induction. In the former case, only curvature comparable to the first positive curvature of oat coleoptiles is obtained. There is no evidence for first negative curvature and only minimal second positive curvature. The reciprocity law proved valid for all curvatures obtained. With red light, the sensitivity of the first positive curvature was decreased over ten-fold and there was clear appearance of second positive curvature for which the reciprocity law was not valid. Once again there was no evidence for negative curvature. Time course studies indicated that within 1 hour of the beginning of red light treatment at 25°, reactions leading to the decrease in phototropic sensitivity of the first positive component had gone to completion whether the red light was continuous or consisted of a single 1 second exposure followed by a 1 hour dark period. An action spectrum for the red-induced change in phototropic sensitivity showed a marked peak near 660 mμ with a small broad shoulder between 610 and 630 mμ, characteristic of phytochrome-mediated responses. The effect of red light could be fully reversed by low dosages of far-red light, but longer doses of far red were less effective. Large dosages of far-red light alone induced the same alteration in phototropic sensitivity as did red light.
New limit on possible long-range parity-odd interactions of the neutron from neutron-spin rotation in liquid 4He.

Various theories beyond the standard model predict new particles with masses in the sub-eV range with very weak couplings to ordinary matter. A parity-odd interaction between polarized nucleons and unpolarized matter proportional to ${g}_{V}{g}_{A}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{s}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}$ is one such possibility, where $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{s}$ and $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}$ are the spin and the momentum of the polarized nucleon, and ${g}_{V}$ and ${g}_{A}$ are the vector and axial vector couplings of an interaction induced by the exchange of a new light vector boson. We report a new experimental upper bound on such possible long-range parity-odd interactions of the neutron with nucleons and electrons from a recent search for parity violation in neutron spin rotation in liquid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$. Our constraint on the product of vector and axial vector couplings of a possible new light vector boson is ${g}_{V}{g}_{A}^{n}\ensuremath{\le}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}32}$ for an interaction range of 1 m. This upper bound is more than 7 orders of magnitude more stringent than the existing laboratory constraints for interaction ranges below 1 m, corresponding to a broad range of vector boson masses above ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$. More sensitive searches for a ${g}_{V}{g}_{A}^{n}$ coupling could be performed using neutron spin rotation measurements in heavy nuclei or through analysis of experiments conducted to search for nucleon-nucleon weak interactions and nuclear anapole moments.
Comparison of mesiodistal root angulation with posttreatment panoramic radiographs and cone-beam computed tomography.

Introduction Orthodontists assess mesiodistal root angulations before, during, and after orthodontic treatment as an aid in establishing proper root position. Panoramic imaging has been useful for this purpose and is a valuable screening tool in diagnosis and planning treatment of orthodontic patients. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for imaging of the craniofacial complex creates the opportunity to evaluate 3-dimensional images compared with traditional 2-dimensional images. The purpose of this project was to compare mesiodistal root angulations by using posttreatment panoramic radiographic images and CBCT scans. Methods Mesiodistal root angulations from panoramic images and CBCT scans of 35 orthognathic surgery patients after orthodontic treatment were compared. The panoramic images were measured by using VixWin (Gendex Dental Systems, Des Plaines, Ill), and the CBCT scans by using InvivoDental 3D (version 4.1, Anatomage, San Jose, Calif). The mesiodistal root angulation of each maxillary and mandibular tooth was measured by using the occlusal plane as the reference line. With an intercept-only linear regression for correlated data (with an unstructured covariance structure), the global test of whether the mean vector of all differences for the teeth is zero was performed separately for the 2 arches. Results The global test for both arches was statistically significant (P Conclusions The assessment of mesiodistal tooth angulation with panoramic radiography should be approached with caution and reinforced by a thorough clinical examination of the dentition.
Studying Morality Within the African Context: a model of moral analysis and construction

Abstract For centuries researchers have studied the universality of matters of ethics and morality. Now, the challenge is to make theoretical contributions which account not only for the universals, but also for the life conditions and cultural circumstances of various people in different societies. This paper attempts to capture the essence of morality and ethics in the African context and to elucidate forms of moral wisdom and behaviour grounded in the web of the African community.
Low-Frequency Copy-Number Variants and General Cognitive Ability: No Evidence of Association

Abstract Although twin, family, and adoption studies have shown that general cognitive ability (GCA) is substantially heritable, GWAS has not uncovered a genetic polymorphism replicably associated with this phenotype. However, most polymorphisms used in GWAS are common SNPs. The present study explores use of a different class of genetic variant, the copy-number variant (CNV), to predict GCA in a sample of 6199 participants, combined from two longitudinal family studies. We aggregated low-frequency (
Protect the killer: CTLs need defenses against the tumor

Evasion of the immune system is an all too common feature of cancer. A new study suggests one evasion mechanism: induction of T-cell apoptosis through B7-H1, a molecule expressed on the surface of many tumor cells ( pages 793–800 ).