cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The ‘common stomach’ as information source for the regulation of construction behaviour of the swarm

The construction of nests in insect societies requires building materials, pulp and water foragers, builders and also an organized workforce for effective construction. The central hypothesis of this study is that wasp societies developed a social crop, or common stomach, which stores water and provides a mechanism for worker connectivity, which in turn regulates construction behaviour. Inspired by the construction behaviour of social wasps, an agent-based model is presented to show that via the usage of the common stomach, larger colonies enjoy the benefit of having highly effective foragers, while most of the swarm stays on the nest and only a few engage in highly risky foraging trips. We also demonstrate how colony efficiency changes as a function of colony size and the constitution of the labour distribution, as well as how indirect interactions can increase efficiency of labour in wasp societies.
Forcing Thermodynamically Unfolded Proteins to Fold

A growing number of biologically important proteins have been identified as fully unfolded or partially disordered. Thus, an intriguing question is whether such proteins can be forced to fold by adding solutes found in the cells of some organisms. Nature has not ignored the powerful effect that the solution can have on protein stability and has developed the strategy of using specific solutes (called organic osmolytes) to maintain the structure and function cellular proteins in organisms exposed to denaturing environmental stresses (Yancey, P. H., Clark, M. E., Hand, S. C., Bowlus, R. D., and Somero, G. N. (1982)Science 217, 1214–1222). Here, we illustrate the extraordinary capability of one such osmolyte, trimethylamineN-oxide (TMAO), to force two thermodynamically unfolded proteins to fold to native-like species having significant functional activity. In one of these examples, TMAO is shown to increase the population of native state relative to the denatured ensemble by nearly five orders of magnitude. The ability of TMAO to force thermodynamically unstable proteins to fold presents an opportunity for structure determination and functional studies of an important emerging class of proteins that have little or no structure without the presence of TMAO.
Inertial components to supplement astro-fixes in space guidance

Abstract In this paper the requirements for inertial sensors in space navigation systems are discussed. Classically, terrestrial navigation has been based upon direct sensing of position and coordinate orientation. However, in space navigation another set of variables—thrust acceleration components—must be added to the conventional terrestrial set of measurements. These new variables are needed because, (i) different from terrestrial flight, an increment of applied thrust does not merely affect the course of the vehicle at the time it is applied, but it alters the whole path to the target and thus, if erroneously applied, must be accumulated before a correction can be instituted. Inertial elements serve to ascertain instantaneously that trajectory-correcting thrust is being applied in the correct direction and that the total impulse is correct. However, the inertial components have no capacity for sensing the errors which arise during ballistic flight due to (1) uncertainties in astronomical units, (2) uncertainties in gravity, (3) integration errors internal to the system. The position elements may be viewed as the low-frequency sensing elements which measure the accumulated errors, while the inertial elements are viewed as the high-frequency sensor which measures instantaneous errors in the system. In synthesizing a guidance system, a cross-over filter must be designed to accept information from each system. The nature of the cross-over filter depends upon the mission, the optimization of fuel consumption during the flight and the thrust. An example is studied involving a flight to a near planet with a 1000-mile unit terminal accuracy, including the effects of various thrust profiles upon component accuracy. Effects such as accelerometer bias errors, scale errors, nonlinearities and gyro errors are presented in terms of error at the target as a function of thrust profile. These curves are used to derive a cross-over filter accepting both inertial and position-sensed data.
Back to the future, back to basics: the social ecology of landscapes and the future of landscape planning

This paper discusses what we believe are the key needs and assets of landscape planning at the close of the century. While landscape ecology and systems approaches have increased our understanding of ecological sustainability, this still fails to constitute a sufficient basis for prescribing overall regional sustainability. If we are to foster strategies that will effectively lead to sustainable regional development, we must, like our predecessors, investigate and advocate for a more critical social ecology of landscapes. While most of us venerate the works of Mumford, McHarg, and Olmstead, we generally forget two facts. First, their real value was in their ability to formulate and articulate socially and ecologically relevant arguments to the problems associated with an aberrant development paradigm. Second, they spoke not of strategy and technique, but of challenging and altering the dominant social theories and practices that have caused the degradation of our landscapes in the first place. Landscape planning is clearly ecologically relevant. Our challenge therefore lies in our social relevance. To become more socially relevant, landscape planners must become aware of, account for, incorporate, and challenge the problems and opportunities that cultural adoptability, economic viability, social equitability, and political relevancy have on the condition of our landscapes. For although natural processes largely determine the ecological condition of our landscapes, social processes will continue to determine the directionality these processes take. Since the fate of our landscapes lies in the hands of humankind, it is imperative that research move beyond traditional descriptions of space, academic divisions, and rational methods. We must also reassert vision, value, and ethic, account for the relationships among the physical, cultural, economic, and political dimensions of space, and finally, better incorporate the knowledges, perceptions, and practices that exist between the places we study and the peoples and communities who call them home.
Superhydrophobic membranes with ordered arrays of nanospiked microchannels for water desalination.

Membrane distillation can desalinate seawater using low-grade heat energy or solar heat, but it has limited mass fluxes and membrane fouling issues. Glass membranes with integrated arrays of nanospiked microchannels and a narrow pore size distribution are made through a process that involves glass fiber drawing, dissolving template material from microchannels and differential chemical etching. After surface modification, superhydrophobic glass membranes with water contact angles of over 160° are produced because of the formations of ordered arrays of spiked nanostructures. The superhydrophobic membrane has shown better antifouling ability and higher flux than those of existing polymer membranes, especially at high salt concentration, owing to its large pore diameter, straight pore shape, narrow pore size distribution, high chemical and thermal stabilities, and water-repelling ability.
Tunable VCSEL with a ultra thin high contrast grating for fast tuning with large fabrication tolerance

A wavelength tunable VCSEL utilizing an ultra thin, 145 nm high contrast grating with a large fabrication tolerance is presented. Single mode operation with a fast tuning speed of ~60 ns is experimentally demonstrated.
Cyclomaltoheptaose (β-cyclodextrin) inclusion complex formation with chlorogenic acid: hydration enthalpy, the solvent entropy (hydrophobic) effect, and enthalpy–entropy compensation

Abstract Direct isothermal titration calorimetric measurement of Δ H and Δ S for the inclusion of chlorogenic acid (CA) by epichlorohydrin-polymerized cyclomaltoheptaose (β-cyclodextrin, β-CD n ), β-CD, and hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HP-β-CD) was performed at various temperatures ( T =10, 25, 40, and 55 °C) in 0.1 M Na phosphate buffer (pH 6.7). β-CD n and HP-β-CD, but not soluble β-CD, binding reactions with CA exhibited a significant variation in Δ H as a function of T (Δ C p =−228±51, −145±32, and −10±38 J mol −1 deg −1 , respectively). These CD–CA systems exhibited normal enthalpy–entropy compensation ( T Δ S versus Δ H ) behavior with a slope close to unity ( α =1.05±0.1) and small intercept ( T Δ S 0 =18 kJ mol −1 ). Thus, as Δ G was fairly uniform (−17±2 kJ mol −1 ) across T , mutually compensating adjustments in solvent-associated perturbations in both Δ S and Δ H for binding occurred. Relatively large unfavorable changes in Δ S (e.g., Δ S solv decreased with T ) mainly occurred in the substituted β-CD–CA systems and were compensated for by commensurate changes in Δ H . This thermodynamically favorable enthalpic deficit (negative values increasing with T ) was negatively correlated with T -dependent alterations in the number of water molecules bound by the β-CD n –CA complexes. This interpretation agrees with previous work [ Carbohydr. Res. , 282 (1996) 65–79], whereupon the convex curvature in the partitioning of CA by β-CD n as a function of T , implying a non-vanishing Δ C p , was eliminated with low water activity.
Adaptive Negotiation Agent for Facilitating Bi-Directional Energy Trading Between Smart Building and Utility Grid

Smart and green buildings have attracted much attention in recent years. Development of an effective negotiation model for facilitating the bi-directional energy trading between the utility grid and the building is important for enhancing the building intelligence. In this paper, a negotiation agent based on adaptive attitude bidding strategy (AABS) is proposed. A comprehensive set of factors for the integrated smart building and utility grid system is taken into account in developing the negotiation model. The AABS based negotiation agent turns out to be able to dynamically adjust its behavior in response to varying attitudes in the negotiation process. In addition, an improved particle swarm optimization-adaptive attitude bidding strategy (PSO-AABS) based negotiation agent is developed for adaptively adjusting the trader's decisions according to the opponent's behaviors. It turns out to be capable of making rational deals in bi-directional energy trading by maximizing the trader's payoffs with reduced negotiation time. The feasibility of the proposed negotiation agents is evaluated by the simulation results.
Technology Update on Fast Plastic Scintillators for Medical Applications

Plastic scintillators appear to have potential utility in three research areas related to nuclear medicine: (1) high count rate applications in general, (2) positron camera applications, and (3) positron source localization through measurement of relative arrival times of annihilation quanta at two co-linear detectors. These three areas of applicability depend on improvement in three specific areas of plastic scintillator technology: (a) development of plastics with very fast decay times, (b) development of plastics with greatly improved high energy photon detection efficiencies (high-Z loaded plastics), and (c) improvement of fast timing system capabilities. The three preceding areas of improvement are discussed.
Global West, American Frontier

This article questions the common assumption that nineteenth-century audiences in America and around the world viewed the American western frontier as an exceptional place, like no other place on earth. Through examination of travel writings by Americans and Europeans who placed the West into a broader global context of developing regions and conquered colonies, we see that nineteenth-century audiences were commonly presented with a globally contextualized West. The article also seeks to broaden the emphasis in post-colonial scholarship on travel writers as agents of empire who commodified, exoticized, and objectified the colonized peoples and places they visited, by suggesting that travel writers were also often among the most virulent critics of empire and its consequences for the colonized.
P04-54 LB. Genetic signature analysis identifies the CD4i region of gp120 as a determinant of broadly NAb responses in HIV-1-infected individuals.

Background Structure-assisted immunogen design plays a central role in current efforts to create an effective HIV-1 vaccine. Much of this effort utilizes available structural information on Env as an antigen. Considerably less is known about the molecular determinants of Env immunogenicity. We sought to close this gap by identifying amino acid signatures in serum-derived gp160 genes that associate with broadly neutralizing antibody responses.
Is partial breast irradiation a step forward or backward

Partial-breast irradiation (PBI) may prove to be a significant advance in the treatment of selected patients with early-stage breast cancer. However, because PBI treats a much smaller volume of breast tissue than does conventional whole-breast irradiation and the biologic equivalent dose delivered to the tumor may be considerably lower, it is possible that this treatment approach may increase the risk of recurrence. There may also be an increased risk of toxicity using PBI techniques that have significant dose inhomogeneity. Despite these uncertainties, many patients in the United States are currently treated with PBI outside of a clinical study. Showing that PBI is safe and effective requires having results from large clinical trials. If such trials are supported and completed, the benefits and limitations of PBI are likely to be elucidated, and this treatment technique, properly refined, may well prove to be an advance in breast cancer care. If instead PBI is adopted ad hoc within the radiation oncology community without proper testing, it is likely that poor outcomes will be underreported and many patients will receive suboptimal therapy. This would be a big step backward in the role of radiation therapy in breast cancer treatment.
A Pull-Out Resistant Pedicle Screw for the Osteoporotic Spine

Pedicle screws are commonly used in spine surgery to implant and affix metal devices to the spine. These screws are most commonly associated with cases that require rod or plate implantation. Use of pedicle screws in osteoporotic patients, however, is limited because they suffer from low bone mass density (BMD). The low BMD is harmful to patients in two ways — it leads to increased incidence of spinal trauma and also prevents surgeons from instrumenting osteoporotic patients because screws do not achieve the required fixation in osteoporotic patients [1]. The risk of trauma is increased due to the brittle bone and vertebral compression fractures, resulting in spinal misalignment and increased risk of future trauma. Instrumenting these cases with rods or plates, however, is impossible because osteoporotic bone is not strong enough to “hold” pedicle screws in, i.e., prevent screws from pulling out [2, 3].Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Cellular responses to EGFR inhibitors and their relevance to cancer therapy

EGFR is a trans-membrane receptor tyrosine kinase that belongs to the HER family of receptors. The EGFR family plays an essential role in normal organ development by mediating morphogenesis and differentiation. Unlike normal cells that have tight regulatory mechanisms controlling EGFR pathways, tumor cells often have dysregulated EGFR signaling through receptor overexpression and/or mutation. This leads to proliferation under adverse conditions, invasion of surrounding tissues, and increased angiogenesis as well as resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. Therefore, EGFR is a legitimate therapeutic target. Numerous EGFR inhibitors are under development, but to date only four of them are FDA-approved, including two that inhibit the receptor's intracellular tyrosine kinase activity (gefitinib and erlotinib) and two that block extracellular ligand binding (cetuximab, and most recently panitumumab). In this review, we focus on how these different inhibitors affect EGFR signaling and the mechanisms by which they potentiate the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Numerous clinical trials have been conducted with these agents either as monotherapy, in combination with chemotherapy, or concurrently with radiation. Unfortunately, many of the clinical trials reported so far have shown at best limited gains; therefore, understanding the actions of these agents is essential to improving their efficacy in the treatment of cancers.
Verification of a non-contact vital sign monitoring system using an infant simulator

In this paper, experimental result using a 5.8 GHz Doppler radar to monitor the variations of vital signs of an infant simulator under different medical conditions is presented. The infant simulator can mimic cardiovascular derangements seen in critically ill infants. The result demonstrates the system is capable of tracking a majority of the changes in heart rate and respiratory rate. Analysis suggests possible techniques for further improvement, such as direct coupling circuit, carrier frequency tuning and spectral analysis.
The Effect of Chain Length on Protein Solubilization in Polymer-Based Vesicles (Polymersomes)

Using a mean-field analysis we derive a consistent model for the perturbation of a symmetric polymeric bilayer due to the incorporation of transmembrane proteins, as a function of the polymer molecular weight and the protein dimensions. We find that the mechanism for the inhibition of protein incorporation in polymeric bilayers differs from that of their inclusion in polymer-carrying lipid vesicles; in polymersomes, the equilibrium concentration of transmembrane proteins decreases as a function of the thickness mismatch between the protein and the bilayer core, whereas in liposomes the presence of polymer chains affects the protein adsorption kinetics. Despite the increased stiffness of polymer bilayers (when compared to lipid ones), their perturbation decay length and range of protein-protein interaction is found to be relatively long. The energetic penalty due to protein adsorption increases relatively slowly as a function of the polymer chain length due to the self-assembled nature of the polymer bilayer. As a result, we predict that transmembrane proteins may be incorporated in significant numbers even in bilayers where the thickness mismatch is large.
Barriers to Faculty Pedagogical Change: Lack of Training, Time, Incentives, and…Tensions with Professional Identity?

Recent calls for reform, such as Vision and Change: A Call to Action, have described a vision to transform undergraduate biology education and have noted the need for faculty to promote this change toward a more iterative and evidence-based approach to teaching (American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS], 2011). A key challenge is convincing many faculty—not just a handful of faculty scattered across the country but the majority of life sciences faculty in every institution—to change the way they teach. Few would disagree that this is an ambitious goal. Change is difficult in any setting, but changing academic teaching appears to be especially tricky. Calls for change imply that the pedagogical approaches our own professors and mentors modeled and taught us might not be the best way to engage large numbers of diverse populations of undergraduates in our discipline. This effort potentially also involves telling faculty that what they have been doing for the past 5, 10, or even 30 yr may not the most effective approach, especially for today’s students. Widespread change in undergraduate biology teaching—or in any of the sciences for that matter—has been documented to be difficult (Hender-
An optimal mitigation strategy against the asteroid impact threat with short warning time

This paper presents the results of a NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) Phase 2 study entitled “An Innovative Solution to NASA's Near-Earth Object (NEO) Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development.” This NIAC Phase 2 study was conducted at the Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC) of Iowa State University in 2012–2014. The study objective was to develop an innovative yet practically implementable mitigation strategy for the most probable impact threat of an asteroid or comet with short warning time (< 5 years). The mitigation strategy described in this paper is intended to optimally reduce the severity and catastrophic damage of the NEO impact event, especially when we don't have sufficient warning times for non-disruptive deflection of a hazardous NEO. This paper provides an executive summary of the NIAC Phase 2 study results.
A parallel QR factorization algorithm using local pivoting

This paper presents a new parallel version of the Householder algorithm with column pivoting for computing the QR factorization of a matrix. In contrast to the standard algorithm we employ a local pivoting scheme that allows for efficient implementation of the algorithm on a parallel machine, in particular one with a distributed architecture. An inexpensive but reliable incremental condition estimator is used to control the selection of pivot columns by obtaining cheap estimates for the smallest singular value of the currently created upper triangular matrix R. Numerical experiments show that the local pivoting strategy behaves about as well as the traditional global pivoting strategy. They also show the advantages of incorporating the controlled pivoting strategy into the traditional QR algorithm to guard against the known pathological cases.
Mobilization and Meaning: Toward an Integration of Social Psychological and Resource Perspectives on Social Movements

This paper presents a model of the mobilization of people into movements that is compatible with a resource mobilization perspective on social movement organizations as the unit of analysis, but substitutes a cognitive social psychology based on attribution theory and the sociology of knowledge for the incentive model typically used in this perspective. We focus on the problem, neglected by resource mobilization theorists, of explaining the translation of objective social relationships into subjectively experienced, collectively defined grievances. On a macro level, our model gives independent causal weight to ideology without discounting the role that resources also play in defining group goals. On a social psychological level, we identify three distinct organizational strategies–conversion, coalition, and direct action–for mobilizing persons as participants and examine some cognitive and organizational consequences of each strategy. We conclude that incorporation of a more adequate social psychology of individual participation is not only compatible with the organizational focus and emphasis on rationality of the resource mobilization perspective, but can provide important insights into problems both social movement theorists and social movement organizers see as significant.
The Media and Behavioral Genetics Alternatives Coexisting with Addiction Genetics

To understand public discourse in the U.S. on genetic causation of behavioral disorders, we analyzed media representations of genetic research on addiction published between 1990 and 2010. We conclude first that the media simplistically represent biological bases of addiction and willpower as being mutually exclusive: behaviors are either genetically determined, or they are a choice. Second, most articles provide only cursory or no treatment of the environmental contribution. A media focus on genetics directs attention away from environmental factors. Rhetorically, media neglect the complexity underlying of the etiology of addiction and direct focus back toward individual causation and responsibility.
A Cluster of Nosocomial Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Pneumonia in a Medical Intensive Care Unit

We report a cluster of 3 cases of nosocomial herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) pneumonia occurring in close temporal and physical proximity during a 1-week period, which suggested a common source. HSV-1 nosocomial pneumonia occurs in immunocompetent intubated patients and presents as otherwise unexplained profound and/or prolonged hypoxemia (decreased F IO 2 , increased P o 2 and decreased A-a gradient) and “failure to wean”. The diagnosis of HSV-1 pneumonia is determined by demonstration of characteristic cytopathologic findings (Cowdry type A inclusion bodies) in distal respiratory epithelial cells from bronchoscopic specimens. Acyclovir therapy results in rapid improvement and ability to wean.
Tunable Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles on Nanopatterned Poly(ethylene glycol) Brushes

The organization of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) into ordered arrays on nanopatterned surfaces is an enabling process to fabricate devices and study the properties of the particles. Tailoring the interaction between NPs and nanopatterns is a necessity to gain a high level of control in this process. Here, nanopatterned poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) brushes are presented as a platform for the organization of Au NPs on surfaces. The binding of citrate-stabilized Au NPs to the PEG brushes depends on the size of the particles and molecular weight of the brushes: the density of NPs immobilized on the nanopatterns of PEG brushes increases with decreasing the diameter of the particles and increasing the chain length of the brushes. The key aspect of the process is to pattern PEG brushes with high resolution and chemical contrast to provide controllable and specific interaction between Au NPs and nanopatterns at a single particle resolution. The modulation of the number (0-4) of Au NPs (e.g., 30 nm) per patterned feature with a high level of accuracy and the generation of patterned heterostructures that consist of two different sizes (e.g., 40 and 20 nm) of particles constitute two examples showing the capabilities of the presented platform.
When Do Legal Sanctions Produce Conformity? A Review of the Literature on the Interaction of Perceived Legal Risk with Stakes in Conformity

This paper reviews ten published articles on deterrence that address the interaction of stakes in conformity with the perception of legal risk. These articles are classified by types of stakes in conformity examined, such as marriage, education, and employment, and more general types of stakes in conformity, such as social identity. Analysis of evidence suggests that some individuals with low stakes in conformity may be less deterrable by legal sanctions and for those with high stakes in conformity, legal sanctions, such as imprisonment, may increase recidivism. The results, however, continue to show an incongruence between whether and which stakes in conformity act as a consistent deterrent
High-accuracy 3D sensing for mobile manipulation: Improving object detection and door opening

High-resolution 3D scanning can improve the performance of object detection and door opening, two tasks critical to the operation of mobile manipulators in cluttered homes and workplaces. We discuss how high-resolution depth information can be combined with visual imagery to improve the performance of object detection beyond what is (currently) achievable with 2D images alone, and we present door-opening and inventory-taking experiments.
A server relay recovery strategy (SRRS) for reliable multicast over Internet-like topologies

For the last decade, a number of hierarchical reliable multicast schemes have been proposed in the literature due to their efficiency and scalability. They normally partition the group members into local groups and allocate one server for each local group to detect and recover packet loss. One common problem is how the server recovers the lost packet in the case that the server itself does not receive it. The usual solution is either to send requests to some upstream servers/source or to construct a tree-based hierarchy to organize the servers for recovery. However, these solutions may lead to long recovery latency. This paper presents a server relay recovery strategy (SRRS) for servers to achieve low recovery latency and low bandwidth usage for recovery. The basic idea is for each server to distributively compute and maintain a prioritized peer list that leads to minimal expected relay recovery latency. Our simulation results show that when the server distribution is not dense, SRRS outperforms SRM (scalable reliable multicast) and RMA (reliable multicast architecture) on both recovery latency and bandwidth usage in Internet-like topologies.
Violence and race in professional baseball: Getting better or getting worse?

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between race and violence in the context of professional baseball. Specifically, I used the number of times a batter was hit by a pitch (per plate appearance) as an indicator of being the victim of an indirect violent act. Archival data were gathered from 4,273 players from 1950 to 1997, yielding 27,022 individual records. Even after controlling for player ability and league rules, race was a significant predictor of being hit. Specifically, from 19 50 to 1997, the rate at which Blacks were hit was approximately 7.5% greater than the rate for Whites. The rate at which Hispanics were hit was approximately 7.6% greater than the rate for Whites. Testing year as a moderator revealed that the Black-White, difference was much greater in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1970 to 1989, race was not a significant predictor of being hit. Contrary to the hypotheses, from 1990 to 1997, Whites and Hispanics were hit at a significantly higher rate than Blacks (23.0% and 29.0%, respectively). Additional analyses revealed no relationship between pitcher race and batter race in hit-by-pitch events from 1997 to 1999. The findings are discussed with respect to group threat theory and the distinction between covert and overt aggression.
The New President Makes a Budget: From Eisenhower to Bush

Beginning with Eisenhower in 1953, newly elected presidents have proposed revisions to the budgets their predecessors submitted just before leaving office. Only Eisenhower and Reagan enjoyed substantial success in these efforts; the other four soon found that Congress has become increasingly determined to work its own will in budgetary matters. While we have only six cases of new presidents who tried to revise their predecessors' budgets, it seems clear that the two most significant determinants of success have been the personal popularity of the president and a favorable ideological (not partisan) balance in Congress.
Dynamic arc radiosurgery field shaping: a comparison with static field conformal and noncoplanar circular arcs.

Abstract Purpose: Recent advances in field-shaping technology and linac multileaf collimator (MLC) integration have resulted in new approaches to performing stereotactic radiosurgery. We present a modeling study comparing the absolute dose distributions from three radiosurgery delivery techniques: a conventional approach utilizing noncoplanar circular arcs, a static field conformal approach, and a dynamic arc field-shaping approach. In the latter, the MLC leaves more in a continuous fashion, conforming to the beam’s-eye-view projection of the target at every increment along the path of an arc. Methods and Materials: For the analysis, we devised a simulated target consisting of three overlapping spheres. This was chosen because it offered a straightforward planning approach for all three techniques, primarily the multiple isocenter approach. In addition, three representative cases were selected from the prior radiosurgery experience. These range in increasing size, from 0.50 to 9.79 cm 3 , and in complexity, requiring from 3 isocenters to 16 in the case of circular arcs. In each situation, the goals were twofold: (1) to cover the entire volume with as high an appropriate isodose level (90% in the case of the conformal and dynamic arc techniques, 50% in the case of circular collimators) while (2) minimizing the dose to normal brain and where applicable, any adjacent radiation-sensitive structures. Because of the latter requirement, a single isocenter circular arc approach was ruled out for the analysis. Results: In the case of large or irregularly shaped lesions, the circular arc technique requires multiple isocenters, producing a high level of dose heterogeneity within the target volume. Both the static field and dynamic arc conformal techniques, as with all single isocenter approaches, produce a highly homogeneous dose throughout the target region. For a given large dose, peripheral dose is decreased as additional beams or arc degrees are added with either of the conformal approaches. Dose–volume histogram analysis evaluating the peripheral dose shows that, in many cases, dose to surrounding structures can be reduced through the use of a conformal static or dynamic arc approach over the conventional multiple isocenter, circular arc techniques. Conclusions: Dynamic arc shaping is an efficient and effective method for accurately delivering a homogeneous target dose while simultaneously minimizing peripheral dose in radiosurgery applications.
Intravenous Busulfan and Melphalan, Tacrolimus, and Short-Course Methotrexate Followed by Unmodified HLA-Matched Related or Unrelated Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for the Treatment of Advanced Hematologic Malignancies

Abstract Results of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) to treat advanced leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) remain poor due to excessive relapse and transplant-related mortality. To improve transplant outcome in this patient population, 43 patients (median age, 46.1 years) with high-risk or advanced lymphoid (n = 5) or myeloid malignancy (n = 38) were prospectively enrolled on a pilot trial of cytoreduction with intravenous busulfan and melphalan followed by an unmodified HLA-A, -B, and –DRβ1–matched related (n = 18) or unrelated (n = 25) HCT. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of tacrolimus and methotrexate. Thirty-four patients had ≥ 5% blasts at the time of HCT; 12 of these had > 20% blasts. Seventeen patients had unfavorable cytogenetics, 8 patients underwent transplantation for secondary MDS or acute myelogenous leukemia, and 4 patients had relapsed after a previous allogeneic transplantation. Although mucositis was the most significant regimen-related toxicity, requiring the addition of folinic acid rescue and failure to receive all 4 doses of methotrexate in 23 patients, the nonrelapse mortality at 30 and 100 days was low at 0% and 16%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD was 24%, and that of extensive chronic GVHD was 7%. With a minimum follow-up of 18 months, the estimated 3-year overall survival is 37% and the estimated disease-free survival (DFS) is 33%. For 18 patients with MDS (≤ RAEB-2) or high-risk myeloproliferative disorder, the estimated 3 year DFS is 61%. These data demonstrate the curative potential of this regimen in patients with high-risk myeloid malignancies.
Studies of the Biogenic Amine Transporters. 12. Identification of Novel Partial Inhibitors of Amphetamine-Induced Dopamine Release

Previous studies identified partial inhibitors and allosteric modulators of 5-hydroxytryptamine ([5-amino-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,2-dihydropyrido[3,4-b]pyrazin-7-yl]carbamic acid ethyl ester [SoRI-6238], 4-(2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl)-1-(2-trifluoromethyl-benzyl)-piperidine [TB-1-099]) and dopamine transporters N-(diphenylmethyl)-2-phenyl-4-quinazolinamine, [SoRI-9804]). We report here the identification of three novel allosteric modulators of the dopamine transporter [N-(2,2-diphenylethyl)-2-phenyl-4-quinazolinamine [SoRI-20040], N-(3,3-diphenylpropyl)-2-phenyl-4-quinazolinamine [SoRI-20041], and [4-amino-6-[(diphenylmethyl)amino]-5-nitro-2-pyridinyl]carbamic acid ethyl ester [SoRI-2827]]. Membranes were prepared from human embryonic kidney cells expressing the cloned human dopamine transporter (hDAT). [(125)I]3beta-(4'-Iodophenyl)tropan-2beta-carboxylic acid methyl ester ([(125)I]RTI-55) binding and other assays followed published procedures. SoRI-20040, SoRI-20041, and SoRI-2827 partially inhibited [(125)I]RTI-55 binding, with EC(50) values ranging from approximately 1.4 to 3 microM and E(max) values decreasing as the [(125)I]RTI-55 concentrations increased. All three compounds decreased the [(125)I]RTI-55 B(max) value and increased the apparent K(d) value in a manner well described by a sigmoid dose-response curve. In dissociation rate experiments, SoRI-20040 (10 microM) and SoRI-20041 (10 microM), but not SoRI-2827 (10 microM), slowed the dissociation of [(125)I]RTI-55 from hDAT by approximately 30%. Using rat brain synaptosomes, all three agents partially inhibited [(3)H]dopamine uptake, with EC(50) values ranging from 1.8 to 3.1 microM and decreased the V(max) value in a dose-dependent manner. SoRI-9804 and SoRI-20040 partially inhibited amphetamine-induced dopamine transporter-mediated release of [(3)H]1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion from rat caudate synaptosomes in a dose-dependent manner. Viewed collectively, we report several compounds that allosterically modulate hDAT binding and function, and we identify novel partial inhibitors of amphetamine-induced dopamine release.
The Design and Performance of Axially Symmetrical Contoured Wall Diffusers Employing Suction Boundary Layer Control

This paper presents a procedure for the design and the performance prediction of axially symmetrical contoured wall diffusers employing suction boundary layer control. An inverse problem approach was used in the potential flow design of the diffuser wall contours. The experimentally observed flow characteristics and the stability of flows within the diffuser are also described. Guidelines for the design of low suction (less than 10 percent of the inlet flow) and thus high effectiveness contoured wall diffusers are also provided based on the results of the experimental program.
Optimal Percent Myxoid Component to Predict Outcome in High-Grade Myxofibrosarcoma and Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma.

Myxofibrosarcoma and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) are aggressive, genetically complex sarcomas. The minimum myxoid component used as a criterion for myxofibrosarcoma varies widely, so we determined the optimal myxoid component cutpoints for stratifying outcomes of UPS and myxofibrosarcoma. We also analyzed clinicopathologic factors associated with outcome. Review of a prospective, single-institution database identified 197 patients with primary, high-grade extremity/truncal myxofibrosarcoma or UPS resected during 1992–2013. Histology was reviewed and percent myxoid component determined for each tumor. Disease-specific survival (DSS) and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox regression. Median follow-up for survivors was 6.4 years. In minimum p value analysis of myxoid component, the best cutpoint for both DSS and DRFS was 5 % (adjusted p ≤ 0.001), followed by 70 %. Therefore, sarcomas with <5 % myxoid component (n = 69) were classified as UPS and those with ≥5 % myxoid component (n = 128) as myxofibrosarcoma. Five-year DRFS was 24 % for UPS, 51 % for 5–69 % myxoid component myxofibrosarcoma, and 65 % for ≥70 % myxoid component myxofibrosarcoma. Myxoid component, tumor size, and age were independently associated with DSS; myxoid component and tumor size were associated with DRFS. Only tumor site was associated with local recurrence. Percent myxoid component and tumor size are the two most important predictors of DSS and DRFS in high-grade myxofibrosarcoma and UPS. A 5 % myxoid component cutpoint is an improved criterion for classifying myxofibrosarcoma. Myxoid component-based classification improves stratification of patient outcome and will aid in selection of patients for systemic therapy and clinical trials.
Spatial Locality-Aware Cache Partitioning for Effective Cache Sharing

In modern multi-core processors, last-level caches (LLCs) are typically shared among multiple cores. Previous works have shown that such sharing is beneficial as different workloads have different needs for cache capacity, and logical partitioning of capacity can improve system performance. However, what is missing in previous works on partitioning shared LLCs is that the heterogeneity in spatial locality among workloads has not been explored. In other words, all the cores use the same block/line size in shared LLCs. In this work, we highlight that exploiting spatial locality enables much more effective cache sharing. The fundamental reason is that for many memory intensive workloads, their cache capacity requirements can be drastically reduced when a large block size is employed, therefore they can effectively donate more capacity to other workloads. To leverage spatial locality for cache partitioning effectively, we first propose a simple yet effective mechanism to measure both spatial and temporal locality at run-time. The locality information is then used to determine both the proper block size and the capacity assigned to each workload. Our experiments show that our Spatial Locality-aware Cache Partitioning (SLCP) significantly outperforms the previous works. We also present several case studies that dissect the effectiveness of SLCP compared to the existing approaches.
The Application of Back-to-Back Accelerometers to Precision Vibration Measurements.

Precision vibration measurements depend on accurate and repeatable calibration methods. Standardization of calibration test equipment and measurement techniques ensures more accurate and repeatable measurements. The use of the back-to-back accelerometer as a laboratory standard has become widespread. However, this use has been somewhat limited because of inadequate calibration methods. Recent developments in improved calibration methods have given the back-to-back accelerometer a greater potential as an accurate, repeatable, and stable vibration standard. As a vibration standard, the back-to-back accelerometer should prove to be a valuable asset for laboratories involved in vibration measurements and vibration transducer calibrations, By adapting existing techniques of laser interferometric calibration to the special geometry of the back-to-back accelerometer, improved accuracy (over existing methods) can be obtained over the range of 2-15,000 Hz and extension to 20,000 Hz is a good possibility. Recent work at NBS in this area is presented along with a description of a sample back-to.back transducer calibration.
Metallic Glasses and Metastable Crystalline Phases Produced by Picosecond Pulsed Laser Quenching

The mechanism of ultrafast cooling (1012K sec−1) by picosecond pulsed laser irradiation is reviewed, and it is demonstrated that only partitionless transformations can occur. The glass formation range in a number of binary systems is reviewed, demonstrating that many glasses can be formed below the To-line. The formation of metastable crystalline alloys in the Fe-B, Ni-Nb, Cu-Co and Au-Co systems is reported.
Facile route to produce chitin nanofibers as precursors for flexible and transparent gas barrier materials.

Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer in nature and has tremendous potential in renewable materials for packaging, energy storage, reinforced composites, and biomedical engineering. Despite attractive properties, including biodegradability, antibacterial activity, and high strength, chitin is not utilized widely due to strong molecular interactions, which make solubilization and processing difficult. We report a high pressure homogenization route to produce pure chitin nanofibers (ChNFs) starting with a mildly acidic aqueous dispersion of purified crab α-chitin. The well-dispersed ChNFs with diameter ∼20 nm do not form strong network structures under conditions explored herein and can be directly processed into useful materials, bypassing the need to dissolve the chitin. Dried ChNFs form pure self-standing chitin films with the lowest to-date reported O2 and CO2 permeabilities of 0.006 and 0.018 barrer, respectively. Combined with high flexibility and optical transparency, these materials are idea...
A Ghost Story: Remnant Structures in Corroded Ancient Iron Objects

The applicability of a broad spectrum of laboratory analytical methods to the study of remnant structures still observable in the corrosion products of ancient iron objects is discussed. These methods range from examination by light optical microscopy and SEM to direct microanalysis using x-ray mapping in EPMA. Samples ranging from low carbon iron to steels to cast iron have been examined and it has been found possible to observe remnant structures and infer fabrication information from the large majority of objects studied. The author thanks the Nathan Rubin-Ida Ladd Foundation for its support.
Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of high-spin mononuclear iron(II) p-semiquinonate complexes.

Two mononuclear iron(II) p-semiquinonate (pSQ) complexes have been generated via one-electron reduction of precursor complexes containing a substituted 1,4-naphthoquinone ligand. Detailed spectroscopic and computational analysis confirmed the presence of a coordinated pSQ radical ferromagnetically coupled to the high-spin FeII center. The complexes are intended to model electronic interactions between (semi)quinone and iron cofactors in biology.
Analysis of Nursing Clinical Decision Support Requests and Strategic Plan in a Large Academic Health System

To understand requests for nursing Clinical Decision Support (CDS) interventions at a large integrated health system undergoing vendor-based EHR implementation. In addition, to establish a process to guide both short-term implementation and long-term strategic goals to meet nursing CDS needs. We conducted an environmental scan to understand current state of nursing CDS over three months. The environmental scan consisted of a literature review and an analysis of CDS requests received from across our health system. We identified existing high priority CDS and paper-based tools used in nursing practice at our health system that guide decision-making. A total of 46 nursing CDS requests were received. Fifty-six percent (n=26) were specific to a clinical specialty; 22 percent (n=10) were focused on facilitating clinical consults in the inpatient setting. “Risk Assessments/Risk Reduction/Promotion of Healthy Habits” (n=23) was the most requested High Priority Category received for nursing CDS. A continuum of types of nursing CDS needs emerged using the Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom Conceptual Framework: 1) facilitating data capture, 2) meeting information needs, 3) guiding knowledge-based decision making, and 4) exposing analytics for wisdom-based clinical interpretation by the nurse. Identifying and prioritizing paper-based tools that can be modified into electronic CDS is a challenge. CDS strategy is an evolving process that relies on close collaboration and engagement with clinical sites for short-term implementation and should be incorporated into a long-term strategic plan that can be optimized and achieved overtime. The Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom Conceptual Framework in conjunction with the High Priority Categories established may be a useful tool to guide a strategic approach for meeting short-term nursing CDS needs and aligning with the organizational strategic plan.