cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spot-scanning beam proton therapy vs intensity-modulated radiation therapy for ipsilateral head and neck malignancies: A treatment planning comparison

Radiation therapy for head and neck malignancies can have side effects that impede quality of life. Theoretically, proton therapy can reduce treatment-related morbidity by minimizing the dose to critical normal tissues. We evaluated the feasibility of spot-scanning proton therapy for head and neck malignancies and compared dosimetry between those plans and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans. Plans from 5 patients who had undergone IMRT for primary tumors of the head and neck were used for planning proton therapy. Both sets of plans were prepared using computed tomography (CT) scans with the goals of achieving 100% of the prescribed dose to the clinical target volume (CTV) and 95% to the planning TV (PTV) while maximizing conformity to the PTV. Dose-volume histograms were generated and compared, as were conformity indexes (CIs) to the PTVs and mean doses to the organs at risk (OARs). Both modalities in all cases achieved 100% of the dose to the CTV and 95% to the PTV. Mean PTV CIs were comparable (0.371 IMRT, 0.374 protons, p = 0.953). Mean doses were significantly lower in the proton plans to the contralateral submandibular (638.7 cGy IMRT, 4.3 cGy protons, p = 0.002) and parotid (533.3 cGy IMRT, 48.5 cGy protons, p = 0.003) glands; oral cavity (1760.4 cGy IMRT, 458.9 cGy protons, p = 0.003); spinal cord (2112.4 cGy IMRT, 249.2 cGy protons, p = 0.002); and brainstem (1553.52 cGy IMRT, 166.2 cGy protons, p = 0.005). Proton plans also produced lower maximum doses to the spinal cord (3692.1 cGy IMRT, 2014.8 cGy protons, p = 0.034) and brainstem (3412.1 cGy IMRT, 1387.6 cGy protons, p = 0.005). Normal tissue V10, V30, and V50 values were also significantly lower in the proton plans. We conclude that spot-scanning proton therapy can significantly reduce the integral dose to head and neck critical structures. Prospective studies are underway to determine if this reduced dose translates to improved quality of life.
Critical analysis of the operative treatment of Hirschsprung's disease.

Objective: To critically analyze complications and long-term results of the operative treatment of Hirschsprung's disease. Design: Medical records of patients with Hirschsprung's disease were reviewed retrospectively. Follow-up was obtained using a standardized telephone questionnaire. Setting: Major pediatric referral center. Patients: Eighty-two infants and children (68 boys, 14 girls) were treated for Hirschsprung's disease during a 20-year period (1975 to 1994). The age at diagnosis was younger than 30 days in 47 neonates (57%), 30 days to 1 year in 22 infants (27%), and older than 1 year in 13 children (16%). Aganglionosis was limited to the rectosigmoid region in 66 patients (81%). Fifty-five Soave (endorectal) and 27 Duhamel (retrorectal) primary pullthrough operations were performed. Main Outcome Measures: Postoperative complications, reoperations, hospitalization, and current bowel habits. Results: Eighteen children (67%) undergoing the Duhamel operation recovered uneventfully compared with 33 children (60%) undergoing the Soave operation. The complications following the Duhamel operation included enterocolitis in five cases (19%), rectal achalasia in four cases (15%), and persistent rectal septum in two cases (7%). Additional operations, which included myomectomy, rectal septum division, diverting enterostomy, and sphincterotomy, were required in seven patients (26%). Only one patient required more than one reoperation. In contrast, complications following the Soave operation included enterocolitis in 15 cases (27%), rectal stenosis in 12 (22%), anastomotic leak in four (7%), late perirectal fistula in three (5%), rectal prolapse in one (2%), and recurrent severe constipation in one (2%). Sixteen patients (29%) required additional operations, including diverting enterostomy, myomectomy, redo pull-through, sphincterotomy, fistulectomy, and revision of rectal prolapse. In this group, nearly two reoperative procedures per patient were required. Telephone follow-up (mean, 89.3 months) after pull-through operations in 61 patients (74%) showed a mean of 2.8 stools per day, with 13 patients (21%) requiring daily medications. Conclusions: The most common operations (Soave and Duhamel) for Hirschsprung's disease result in an uneventful recovery in only 60% to 67% of patients. Although both Soave and Duhamel pull-through operations have nearly identical reoperation rates (26% vs 29%), complications after Soave pull-through operations often require multiple, more extensive procedures. Short-term total continence rates for both procedures are less than 50%, however, 100% became continent by 15 years after the pull-through procedure. Further refinement in operative technique and close follow-up are warranted. (Arch Surg. 1996;131:520-525)
Evolution in a genetically heritable social environment

Nearly 40 years ago W. D. Hamilton (1) published his classic paper on the genetic evolution of social behavior. His mathematical theory of kin selection and the related concept of inclusive fitness played a major role in redirecting the evolutionary study of social behavior and accounting for apparently altruistic phenotypes observed in nature. Since that time, and especially after publication of E. O. Wilson's book on sociobiology (2), the evolution of social behavior in animals has been studied as the balance between the fitness costs of behavior performed relative to the fitness benefits accrued by kin. This balance is summarized in Hamilton's rule, altruism will increase in a population when the genetic correlation among interacting individuals ( r ) exceeds the ratio of costs to benefits (| c |/ b ). The development of sociobiology has been seen as a triumph for the application of the principles of Darwinian evolution to the understanding of social behavior. Darwinian evolutionary theory states that evolutionary change occurs through the natural selection of heritable variation. However, there remains a difficulty with traditional kin selection theory as a model of Darwinian evolution. Most models of kin selection fail to adequately account for the nature of heritable variation in systems of interacting individuals (3) and heritable variation is a key partner with selection in the evolutionary process. In this issue of PNAS, Wolf (4) provides an explicit, general model and an experimental system in which it is possible to fully define and measure heritable variation in systems of interacting individuals. The key concept in this model is that an individual's characteristics are influenced by two kinds of genetic effects; direct genetic effects (DGEs) of the genes carried by that individual on its own traits and indirect genetic effects (IGEs) of genes carried by others. These indirect genetic effects are …
The frequency of long-duration solar X-ray events

The rate of occurrence of coronal and interplanetary phenomena during the solar sunspot cycle was studied based on nearly continuous satellite data for long-duration events in the period 1969-1982. The data were obtained using the NRL SOLRAD and the NOAA GOES spacecraft for each year in the interval. The duration of the X-ray events was defined as the time for the logarithm of the 1-8 A flux to return to approximately 10 percent of the pre-event level. The total number of X-ray events is plotted next to the annual sunspot number for the interval 1969-1982. It is shown that the long duration of X-ray events was not related to the sunspot cycle, particularly events of 6 hr or more.
Surrealist Black Humor as Oppositional Discourse

L'A. considere l'humour noir a la lumiere de la tentative d'A. Breton de mettre au jour et d'articuler un discours nouveau qui offre une alternative a la vision du monde imposee par le discours de la classe moyenne occidentale : conditions de production du discours de l'h. n., modalites et strategies d'opposition, angle de contestation
Gravitational Collapse and Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics

Einstein's field equations for a perfect fluid coupled to a frozen-in magnetic field are studied in the highdensity limit of gravitational collapse. The assumption of infinite electrical conductivity is used to integrate Maxwell's equations and the fluid entropy conservation equation; and the integrals obtained show that there are certain general, physically reasonable conditions under which the electromagnetic energy density can become much larger than the fluid energy density as the collapse proceeds, even when the electromagnetic field was initially very weak. The widest possible range of cases is discussed under the assumption that the equation of state is asymptotically linear. Ways in which the hypotheses used might go wrong are mentioned.
Financial Structure of Farm Businesses under Imperfect Capital Markets

Recent finance studies have considered whether gaps between a firm's costs of internal and external sources of investment funds, arising from capital market imperfections, influence its investment behavior and funding preferences. This study tests the applicability of the pecking order and partial adjustment theories of financial structure to farm businesses by fitting a set of simultaneous financial equations with farm panel data from Illinois. Model results indicate that Illinois farms adjust to long-run financial targets for equity, debt, and leasing, but that additional financing needs follow a pecking order that is stronger for farms with greater asymmetric information problems Copyright 2000, Oxford University Press.
Coordinated Regulation of and Transcriptional Activation by Xenopus Thyroid Hormone and Retinoid X Receptors

Thyroid hormone (T3) plays a causative role in amphibian metamorphosis. This regulation is thought to be mediated by heterodimers of T3 receptors (TRs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs). We report here that Xenopus TRs can indeed form strong heterodimers with Xenopus RXRs on the T3 response element (TRE) present in Xenopus TR beta genes. Using a T3-responsive in vivo transcription system established by introducing TRs and RXRs into Xenopus oocytes, we demonstrated that TR-RXR heterodimers repressed TR beta gene promoter in the absence of T3 and activated the promoter in the presence of the hormone. Furthermore, by analyzing the expression of TR and RXR genes, we showed that TR and RXR genes were coordinately regulated in different tissues during metamorphosis. Thus high levels of their mRNAs are present in the limb during early stages of limb development when morphogenesis occurs and in the tail toward the end of metamorphosis when it is being resorbed. Such correlations coupled with our TRE-binding and in vivo transcriptional activation experiments provide strong evidence that TRs and RXRs function together to mediate the effects of T3 during metamorphosis. These results further suggest a possible molecular basis for the temporal regulation of tissue-specific metamorphosis.
CSR reporting on apparel companies’ websites: framing good deeds and clarifying missteps

© A m Introduction Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting refers to the means by which an organization communicates to its stakeholders about the social, environmental, and financial impacts that its business practices have on society (Gray, 2008). CSR reporting is founded in the belief that organizations have responsibilities toward society that go beyond their legal obligations and economic interests (Carroll, 1991), including responsibilities toward employees, customers, suppliers, government and non-government organizations (Fraser, 2005). Within the global textiles and apparel industry, CSR involves mindful consideration of how the design, development, production, distribution, marketing, and consumption of goods may impact multiple stakeholders and simultaneously generate profit for individual companies (Dickson & Eckman, 2006). As such, disclosures of CSR business practices within the textiles and apparel industry necessarily focus upon a broad range of issues, including the environment, labor, fair trade, consumer deception and safety, and the objectification and commodification of the human body (e.g., in the context of advertising). Companies that engage in CSR reporting may derive varied benefits, including the ability to hire and retain quality employees (Dawkins, 2004), build customer loyalty (Sen & Bhattacharya, 2001), build/manage brand image (Kavitha & Anita, 2011; Welford & Frost, 2006), minimize/manage risks throughout the supply chain (Welford & Frost, 2006), and increase long-term profitability (Vanhamme & Grobben, 2009). Companies disclose information about their CSR business practices through advertising and public relations to foster awareness of their socially responsible decisionmaking among stakeholders (Capriotti & Moreno, 2007; Farache & Perks, 2010). Research also suggests that stakeholders are interested in being informed about companies’ CSR initiatives (Dawkins & Lewis, 2003) and are willing to support companies that embrace socially responsible practices and to rebuke companies that act irresponsibly (Consumers Worldwide 1999). Although annual reports are a primary channel for disclosing CSR practices (Kavitha & Anita, 2011), company websites also are used to communicate about CSR practices, especially among larger companies (Holder-Webb, Cohen, Nath, & Wood, 2009) because the internet provides a practical and inexpensive way by which to share a wealth of information with a variety of stakeholders (Kent, Taylor, & White, 2003). Further, websites offer an advantage over conventional mass media in that they provide a means by which to obtain direct feedback from stakeholders (Pollach, 2005).
Signaling pathways that regulate axon regeneration

Neurons in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) cannot regenerate axons after injury. in contrast, neurons in the mammalian peripheral nervous system and in some non-mammalian models, such as C. elegans and Drosophila, are able to regrow axons. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which these neurons support axon regeneration will help us find ways to enhance mammalian CNS axon regeneration. Here, recent studies in which signaling pathways regulating naturally-occurring axon regeneration that have been identified are reviewed, focusing on how these pathways control gene expression and growth-cone function during axon regeneration.
Test of a windowless storage cell target in a proton storage ring

Abstract Stored ion beams offer the possibility to use polarized internal targets that consist of a source of polarized atoms in conjunction with a long, narrow, windowless target cell to enhance the target thickness. In this paper, we discuss the effect of such a cell on the performance of the storage ring, based on measurements carried out with the Indiana Cooler. A prototype target cell was constructed and was operated with a controlled flow of H2 target gas in a beam of stored protons. Detection of protons scattered at angles from 4° to 15° in coincidence with the associated recoil particles was used to identify elastic scattering. The results show that the presence of a 25 cm long target cell with a rectangular opening of 6.4 mm by 7.9 mm is compatible with operation of the Cooler ring. This demonstrates the feasibility of an important component of experiments with stored, polarized beams and carrier-free polarized, internal targets.
Comparison of long-term progestin-based estrus synchronization protocols in beef heifers.

Two experiments evaluated long-term progestin-based estrus-synchronization programs on the basis of potential for use in facilitating fixed-time AI in estrous cycling and prepubertal beef heifers. In Exp. 1, heifers were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments by age, BW, and estrous cyclicity status. Heifers assigned to the melengestrol acetate-PGF 2α protocol (MGA-PG; n = 50) received MGA (0.5 mg·animal ―1 ·d ―1 ) in a 1.0-kg carrier from d 0 to 13 and were administered PGF 2α (25 mg, intramuscularly) 19 d after MGA withdrawal (d 32). Heifers assigned to the Show-Me-Synch protocol (n = 49) received a controlled internal drug release (CIDR) insert (1.38 g of progesterone) from d 2 to 16 followed by PGF 2α administration 16 d after CIDR removal (d 32). All heifers were fitted with HeatWatch estrus-detection transmitters at the time of progestin removal for continuous estrus detection through the synchronized period after PGF 2α . In Exp. 2, heifers (n = 396) were assigned to the same 2 treatments described in Exp. 1 by age, BW, and reproductive tract score. Heifers in Exp. 2, however, were fitted with HeatWatch estrus-detection transmitters at PGF 2α to characterize estrus-distribution patterns during the synchronized period after PGF 2α . Heifers in both experiments were inseminated approximately 12 h after the onset of estrus. In Exp. 1, estrous response after PGF 2α and mean interval to estrus after PGF 2α did not differ between MGA-PG and Show-Me-Synch treatments (P = 0.97). The variance for interval to estrus after PGF 2α tended (P = 0.06) to be reduced among MGA-PG-treated heifers compared with Show-Me-Synch-treated heifers. Conception to AI, AI pregnancy, and final pregnancy rates did not differ (P > 0.1) between treatments. In Exp. 2, estrous response after PGF 2α was greater (P = 0.01) among Show-Me-Synch-treated heifers (92%) compared with MGA-PG-treated heifers (85%); however, mean interval to estrus after PGF 2α did not differ (P = 0.74) between MGA-PG (57.4 ± 2.5 h) and Show-Me-Synch (56.2 ± 2.5 h) treatments. The variance for interval to estrus after PGF 2α was reduced (P 0.1) between treatments. In summary, the Show-Me-Synch protocol compared favorably with the MGA-PG protocol on the basis of estrous response, synchrony of estrus, and resulting fertility after treatment administration.
Retroperitoneal fibrosis in children (Eosinophilic and idiopathic)

Two cases of retroperitoneal fibrosis in children are presented; one was idiopathic while the other was in association with eosinophilic cystitis, heretofore not reported. A literature search of patients under eighteen years of age reviews presentation, treatment, and associated diseases.
The stimulation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1α-hydroxylase by estrogen☆

Abstract Homogenates of kidney from laying Japanese quail incubated in vitro with 25-hydroxy-[26,27- 3 H] vitamin D 3 produce more 1,25-dihydroxy-[26,27- 3 H]vitamin D 3 than do homogenates of kidney from mature nonlaying females or males maintained on the same diet and under identical conditions. Instead, the homogenates from male quail or nonlaying female quail convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 to 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 . The administration of 5 mg of estradiol to mature male quail 24 h prior to sacrifice suppressed the 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 -24-hydroxylase and markedly stimulated 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 -1-hydroxylase. The administration of estradiol to male quail caused hypercalcemia, which responded more slowly than did the 1-hydroxylase. As little as 0.1 mg of estradiol/quail was found effective in stimulating the 1-hydroxylase and suppressing the 24-hydroxylase. Other hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), cortisone, testosterone, and progesterone, even at high dose levels, produced little or no change in the 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 -1-hydroxylase. Testosterone did, however, suppress the 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 -24-hydroxylase. The stimulation of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 -1-hydroxylase by parathyroid hormone was of a smaller magnitude than that of the estradiol, and the effects of the two hormones were additive, suggesting that they function by a different mechanism.
Anticonvulsant Blood Levels: Historical Review With a Pediatric Focus:

Epilepsy is heterogeneous and its treatment is often complicated by variable drug responses. Buchtal et al reported a close correlation between serum phenytoin levels, electroencephalographic findings, and clinical status in 1960. They suggested that physicians adjust dosage to attain a "therapeutic level." The concept was enthusiastically received. "Therapeutic serum levels" were proposed for most anticonvulsant drugs, and by 1975, most authorities believed that pharmacokinetic factors explained individual differences in drug response. However, Froscher found that measuring levels did not improve patient outcome. More recently, Schumacher's double-blind study found no correlation between phenytoin levels and seizure control or adverse effects. Pharmacodynamic variables (differences in drug responsiveness) are more important than pharmacokinetic factors for many drugs, especially receptor-active drugs. Pharmacokinetic variables were studied first, and led to a simplistic model. They are less significant than pharmacodynamic factors in the case of warfarin anticoagulation. Anticonvulsant levels can reveal noncompliance and pharmacokinetic differences. They say nothing about pharmacodynamics. Reports of "subtherapeutic levels" imply a need to increase dosage, but this is not supported by outcome data. We still lack evidence that specific drug levels are a valid intermediate target 40 years after Buchtal's paper. Responses to some anticonvulsants could depend primarily on pharmacokinetic factors, while pharmacodynamic factors could be supreme for others.
Total pancreatectomy (R0 resection) improves survival over subtotal pancreatectomy in isolated neck margin positive pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

In patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC), conversion to total pancreatectomy (TP) may be necessary to achieve R0 resection. Hypothesis We sought to examine the oncologic benefit of conversion of PD to TP to achieve an R0 resection in patients with an isolated positive neck margin. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data at Indiana University and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. A review of 1,579 patients who underwent PD or TP for PC at these institutions between 1992 and 2006 was performed. Sixty-one patients were eligible. Results Twenty-eight patients underwent PD with an isolated positive neck margin found on pathologic examination; 33 patients had conversion to TP for isolated neck margin involvement to achieve R0 resection. Patients undergoing TP versus PD had a greater median survival (18 vs 10 months; P = .04). Mortality (6% vs 7%) and morbidity (36% vs 54%; P = .20) for TP versus PD were comparable. Multivariate analysis revealed PD and greater tumor size as the only independent predictors of poor long-term survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.2; P = .01 and HR, 1.3; P = .005). Conclusions Conversion of PD to TP to achieve an R0 resection in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma is associated with a survival benefit.
Purification of Escherichia coli pulse-labeled RNA by benzoylated DEAE-cellulose chromatography

The rapidly-labeled RNA fraction of Escherichia coli has been purified approximately 15-fold on benzoylated DEAE-cellulose columns. It is metabolically unstable (as shown by a pulse/chase experiment), and is considered to represent messenger RNA. The yield of pulse-labeled RNA is about 70% and comprises 4 to 5% of the RNA of the cell. The true size distribution of this RNA, determined by sedimentation in a denaturing solvent (99% dimethyl sulfoxide), does not change during purification. This result indicates that neither degradation nor selection for molecules of a particular size has occurred. Upon sedimentation of the final preparation in dimethyl sulfoxide, the distribution of pulse label is the same as that of RNA mass, indicating nearly complete separation from longer-lived RNA components.
DO BASINS AND BEAKERS NEGATIVELY BIAS DISPERSANT-EFFECTIVENESS TESTS?

ABSTRACT Beaker and basin dispersant-effectiveness tests are used to help determine if application of dispersants in a real oil-spill incident is worthwhile. This paper provides evidence indicating that these tests negatively bias expected dispersion at sea because beakers and basins do not allow the spreading of oil slicks that occurs after application of dispersant in the unbounded open ocean. One reason is that closed system walls and/or oil-slick containment methods impose physical boundaries that restrict oil spreading. In addition to these physical constraints, surfactant films developed after applying dispersant form on the water surface surrounding an oil slick and act as chemical herders to keep slicks thick. This occurs in the field during a real incident and in beaker and basin dispersant-effectiveness tests. Surfactant films on the water surface, however, are fragile and can't persist in the open ocean but can persist throughout the short duration of standard dispersant-effectiveness tests. Th...
Empirical evidence of the value of monitoring in joint ownership.

Abstract Joint ownership of assets by two partners can have an adverse effect on the incentives to invest and can result in unstable and inefficient organizational structures. Control sharing, however, plays an important role in economic, political, and social institutions. There is scarce empirical evidence on the benefits of joint ownership in corporate finance. We analyze acquisitions of corporate assets by joint ventures to empirically ascertain the value of joint ownership in economic activities. The results indicate that firms experience significantly larger returns in joint acquisitions than in full-control acquisitions and that this difference is restricted to the sample of firms in which both partners share equal ownership in the target. These findings suggest that monitoring in joint ownership structures ameliorates the possibility of value-destroying corporate decisions.
Colloidal test bed for universal dynamics of phase transitions

Early insight on the critical dynamics of phase transitions arose in a cosmological setting in an effort to understand the origin of structure formation in the early Universe. Kibble pointed out that in a spontaneous symmetry breaking scenario, when a system is driven across a phase transition from a high-symmetry phase to a topologically nontrivial vacuum manifold, causally disconnected regions of the system choose independently the broken symmetry (1, 2). These conflicting choices result in the formation of topological defects, such as domain walls in a ferromagnet and vortices in a superfluid, to name a couple of familiar examples.
Distributive and Procedural Justice as Antecedents of Job Dissatisfaction and Intent to Turnover

Although a great deal of research has addressed the issue of outcome "fairness," relatively little has been done to illuminate the relationship between perceptions of outcome fairness (distributive justice), organizational systems fairness (procedural justice), job satisfaction, and intent to turnover. This paper isolates the empirical relationships between the types of perceived fairness, critical work attitudes, and intent to turnover using a sample of 88 employees in technical fields such as computer assisted design, product testing and assurance, and computer equipment repair. Intent to turnover was found to be most sensitive to perceptions of procedural justice. Implications of these results for managers are discussed.
Analysis of Site Formation History and Potential Disturbance of Stratigraphic Context in Vertisols at the Debra L. Friedkin Archaeological Site in Central Texas, USA

Archaeological sites within physically “active” soils, such as Vertisols, are considered suspect by archaeologists because of concern for possible disturbance of stratigraphic context. Pedology, micromorphology, and geochemistry are tools useful for assessing soil mixing. Clay-rich floodplain soils (Typic Haplusterts) were examined at the Debra L. Friedkin archaeological site along Buttermilk Creek in southwestern Bell County, Texas, USA. The soil contains abundant lithic (mainly chert) artifacts and was assessed for disturbance by vertic soil processes affecting the stratigraphic integrity of the archaeological materials. Vertic features are only weakly to moderately expressed (slickensides and coarse angular blocky peds) in the field, and they are correspondingly weakly expressed in thin section, consisting mainly of stress cutans around detrital grains, microslickensides, and cross-striated birefringence fabric. Although there is evidence for clay shrink–swell, there has not been significant upward vertical displacement of older materials and no mixing of cultural horizons. Vertical fractures with dark infilling in gilgai microhighs are deep and narrow, and largely preclude downward movement of even small artifacts. Microdebitage is abundant in all levels within the soil profile above culturally sterile layers dated as >15,500 cal. yr B.P. Based on previously published OSL ages and magnetic susceptibility, sedimentation at the site was nearly continuous except for increases during the Younger and Older Dryas, possibly triggered by climate change, and subsequent pedogenesis resulted in uniform element leaching and concentration depth profiles. Vertisols can preserve “undisturbed” Paleoindian archaeological sites and therefore should not be excluded from archaeological surveys and excavations.
Factors relating to self-identification among bullying victims

Abstract While researchers often debate the use of subjective labels in school bullying research (e.g. “I am bullied…”) as a methodological issue, responses to such measures should be viewed as a valuable tool for evaluating student constructs of bullying victimization. Accordingly, this study compares demographic and descriptive characteristics and bullying experiences of self-labeled bullying victims to those students who have been victimized but do not label themselves a victim. Among 192 rural elementary and middle school students, 21.9% said that they have been bullied while another 22.9% met victimization criteria but did identify themselves as such. Based on chi-square and MANOVA comparisons, self-labeled victims experience more specific types of bullying, more total bullying behaviors, and more frequent bullying than their non-labeled counterparts. In light of such findings, the authors discuss the implications of labeling and self-identification for both research and bullying prevention.
Persistence length of polyelectrolytes with precisely located charges

The conformation of polyelectrolytes in aqueous salt solutions is closely related to their self-assembly properties. In particular, the persistence length has a large impact on how the chain can arrange itself. In this work, biomimetic poly N-substituted glycines (polypeptoids) have been designed to position charged side chains at precise distances from each other to elucidate the relationship between the spacing of the charges along the backbone, the ionic strength, and the persistence length. Using small angle neutron scattering (SANS), it is shown that at low ionic strength, polypeptoids with charged groups located closer to each other along the polymer backbone are stiffer than those with the charged groups spaced further apart. At high ionic strength, the total persistence length decreases for both macromolecules because the electrostatic repulsions between ionized groups are screened. The measured persistence lengths were compared to those calculated using a discrete chain model with bending rigidity, and it is shown that the electrostatic persistence length scales quadratically with the Debye screening length. It is also shown that the bare persistence length of a molecule with alternating ionizable and hydrophilic groups is larger than that of a molecule containing 100% ionizable groups. This difference can be attributed to the longer hydrophilic side chains that may induce local chain stiffening.
Evaluation of Alternative Filter Media for the Rotary Microfilter

The Savannah River Site is currently developing and testing several processes to treat high level radioactive liquid waste. Each of these processes has a solid-liquid separation process that limits its throughput. Savannah River National Laboratory researchers identified and tested the rotary microfilter as a technology to increase solid-liquid separation throughput. The authors believe the rotary microfilter throughput can be improved by using a better filter membrane. Previous testing showed that asymmetric filters composed of a ceramic membrane on top of a stainless steel support produced higher filter flux than 100% stainless steel symmetric filters in crossflow filter tests. Savannah River National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working together to develop asymmetric ceramic–stainless steel composite filters and asymmetric 100% stainless steel filters to improve the throughput of the rotary microfilter.
Adaptive control of a weakly nonminimum phase linear system

For a weakly nonminimum phase linear system, we design an adaptive state feedback control law that causes the system output to track a desired trajectory to an arbitrarily high degree of precision. The key to this is the use of a low gain feedback design technique.
World competition, technology, and women [engineering education]

This study shows a very high percentage of women nonengineering students believe engineering is not an interesting field of study. An insufficient background in mathematics is another main reason. The high school guidance counselor had a negative impact on a large number of students. To resolve this crucial problem, both higher education institutes and industry should spend much effort to introduce engineering to women. Many women could choose an engineering major if they had the opportunity to know about this field.
The neurobehavioural comorbidities of epilepsy: can a natural history be developed?

Summary Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that can be complicated by neurobehavioral comorbidities, which include cognitive impairment, psychiatric disorders, and social problems. Although such comorbidities are traditionally thought to arise predominantly from the effects of recurrent seizures, iatrogenic effects of medications, and adverse social reactions to epilepsy (eg, stigma), there is a growing body of evidence that other factors are involved. These influences include altered neurodevelopment of the brain, cognition, and behaviour; exacerbation of the comorbidities due to decades of medically intractable epilepsy; and possible acceleration of common age-associated changes, leading to uncertain and understudied outcome in old age. This Review summarises, from a lifespan perspective, the evidence for the neurodevelopmental origins of these comorbidities, how they develop over time, and their endpoints, with an emphasis on future clinical and research challenges.
Rival Jerusalems: The Geography of Victorian Religion . By K. D. M. Snell and Paul S. Ell. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Pp. xvi, 499. $74.95.

Keith Snell and Paul Ell have written a superb and definitive study of the geography of religion in Britain circa 1851, relying upon a massive database constructed by them from the original returns of the 1851 census of religious worship, which the government undertook, for the first and only time, as part of its decennial population census. The religious census measured attendance at worship, not individual professions of faith; the returns were head-counts at morning, afternoon, and evening services on census Sunday, submitted by the presiding minister of each denomination. These returns, despite inevitable doubts about their reliability, have long been recognized by historians as an extremely valuable source. But until now they have not been analyzed comprehensively or with the aid of multivariate statistics. Not only do the authors describe the distribution of the strength of each denomination across the whole of England and Wales, using parish-, registration-district-, and county-level data; they are also able to address associated historiographical issues with a decisiveness that convincingly settles many an important debate.
Stereoselective accumulation of the β‐receptor blocking drug atenolol by human platelets

We have studied the stereochemistry of accumulation of the hydrophilic beta-adrenoceptor antagonist rac-atenolol by human platelets in vitro. The accumulation was slow, not reaching equilibrium until 90 min at 37 degrees C. The uptake was temperature dependent with the accumulation at 37 degrees C being 3-4 times greater than at 4 degrees C. The accumulation was also stereoselective at 37 degrees C, favoring the active (-)-enantiomer over the (+)-enantiomer by 2.3-fold. Reserpine, but not desipramine, inhibited the platelet accumulation of rac-atenolol enantiospecifically. This uptake profile is different from the platelet uptake of lipophilic beta-blockers, which is characterized by nonspecific membrane binding, but similar to the carrier-mediated accumulation of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine by storage granules within the platelet.
Microcoded Modem Transmitters

This paper describes various microcoded designs for modem transmitters. The digital echo modulation technique, originally introduced by J-M. Pierret, is applied to cover the case of a fully digital universal modem. The capabilities of several microcoded modem designs are presented and their limitations are discussed.
Conjugate and Other Distributional Methods in Configural Frequency Analysis

Configural Frequency Analysis (CFA) is being increasingly used by psychologists and other researchers to test for the presence of combinations of categorical variables which occur more frequently or less frequently than expected under a particular model of chance. Configurations which occur more frequently than chance are known as “Types”-Configurations which are conspicuous by their absence or rarity are known as “Antitypes”. Most configural frequency test theory consists of binomial tests applied to the cells of a cross-tabulation table. The wide variety of statistical tests described in papers and books on CFA are approximations to the binomial test, due to the computational intensity associated with performing binomial tests directly (VON EYE, 1990b). This paper advocates direct computation of binomial probabilities instead of the usual approximations used in CFA. Mathematical relationships of the binomial distribution with the F and incomplete beta distributions are described which enable the researcher to efficiently compute binomial probabilities using functions available in common statistical software. The classical inference approach adopted by traditional CFA makes it difficult to make conclusions regarding the likely prevalence rates of types or antitypes in the reference population. It is also not possible to exploit additional information about the sample which, while not known precisely, is known with a degree of confidence and can aid in the identification of types and antitypes. A Bayesian conjugate distributions approach based on the incomplete beta distribution is proposed. Bayesian extensions of this model to both classical CFA and a sequential CFA analysis advanced by KIESER and VICTOR (1991) are described.
Effects of Feeding Tylosin to Layers Exposed to Mycoplasma Gallisepticum

Two experiments are reported in which the effect of tylosin upon the development of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) infection in replacement layers was monitored by serological and cultural methods. Concentrations of tylosin tested included 0, 22, 38.5, and 55 ppm. Egg production and feed consumption data were collected for one year. Tylosin slowed the rate of spread of MG infection as measured by serological and cultural methods. The effect of tylosin on the spread of MG infection was dose related. Hen day egg production peaked at 85 to 87% in the mediated groups, while controls peaked at 81 to 84%. The magnitude of tylosin effect on production increased with time to a maximum difference of 10 to 12% at 52 weeks. Feed efficiency was markedly improved by all concentration of tylosin ranging from 5% at peak production to 12 to 18% at 52 weeks. The incidence of shell-less or soft shelled eggs was markedly reduced in the tylosin treated group.
Patristic Arguments against the Eternity of the World

According to Aristotle himself, all the philosophers before him are agreed that the world was generated, which implies that he was the first to introduce the conception of an ungenerated world; but, according to John Philoponus, Aristotle was only the first among the natural philosophers who discovered a new method to establish the principle that the world had no beginning. Among the Church Fathers, Lactantius sometimes attributes the belief in the eternity of the world explicitly to Aristotle, but sometimes he refers it vaguely to “those who say that the world always existed.” Vague references to a belief in the eternity of the world, or to such a belief described as held by some people or by some philosophers, are to be found also in the works of such Fathers as Justin Martyr, Theophilus, Origen, Arnobius, Basil, Augustine, and Diodorus Tarsus. Two pre-Socratic philosophers are mentioned by some Fathers as exponents of the belief in the eternity of the world: Xenophanes by Hippolytus, Eusebius, and Theodoret of Cyrrhus; Pythagoras by Tertullian. Various arguments are used by the Fathers in their refutation of this view. These arguments, selected and grouped into six types, are the subject of discussion of the present paper.
Cerebellum and autism

The accumulation of published literature clearly indicates that the cerebellum is involved in the pathology of autism [1–3]. As to whether cerebellar pathology is primal or only part of an important brain circuitry involved in autism, the data are incomplete. What is clearly new and relevant to the etiology of autism is that cerebellar function is not limited to motor coordination but involves processing of cognition which is at the heart of autistic pathology [1, 4]. Fatemi et al. [5] recently reviewed the existing literature with respect to the pathological involvement of cerebellum in autism. The preponderance of evidence supports the involvement of this important brain area in etiology of autism. Recent supportive literature links developmental cerebellar pathology with decreased prefrontal dopamine transmission [3] and autistic behavior [6] in various animal models of autism. In a series of experiments, Rogers et al. [3] showed that despite having different cerebellar abnormalities, both the Lurcher and fragile X mental retardation 1 mutant mice exhibited abnormalities involving the cerebellar–prefrontal circuitry which resulted in abnormal dopamine transmission that underlie cognitive deficits in both mutant mouse models reminiscent of autistic phenotype. By the same token, Tsai et al. [6] showed that loss of tuberous sclerosis complex 1 protein in mouse cerebellar Purkinje cells in both heterozygous and homozygous mutants results in autistic behavior. Treatment with the mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, prevented both biochemical and behavioral deficits, further supporting a cerebellar contribution to the autistic etiology [6]. Ziats and Rennert [7] question the cerebellar contribution to autistic pathology and suggest that cerebellum may simply act as an anatomic beacon that reflects or exaggerates brain-wide manifestations of autistic disease but do not provide any data to support their claim. Indeed experimental evidence provided by Tsai et al. [6] and Rogers et al. [3] further support the notion that the cerebellum is partially causative for autistic behavior and pathology. Furthermore, Ziats and Rennert’s hypothesis, while plausible, clearly needs further supportive evidence and experimental and clinical verification. Finally, as Ziats and Rennert have shown in their report, cerebellar complexity is no less than in neocortex, showing that it is a site capable of modulating multiple cortical functions including cognition.
“You Have to Absorb Yourself in It”: Using Inquiry and Reflection to Promote Student Learning and Self-knowledge

Inspired by inquiry-guided learning and critical self-reflection as pedagogical approaches, we describe exercises that encourage students to develop critical thinking skills through inquiry and reflective writing. Students compile questions and reflections throughout the course and, at the end of the term, use their writings for a comprehensive analytic self-reflection that examines their intellectual and sociological growth. Following Schwalbe’s (2008) urging to emphasize sociological thinking over disciplinary nuances in introductory courses, we describe several complementary methods for teaching students how to think like sociologists. We detail five inquiry exercises and three reflection exercises that build up to the final analytic reflection essay. The unique value of these exercises is that students not only engage the course material throughout the course but also learn to examine their own writing as data. In doing so, students learn to value the process of learning, inquiry, and critical self-reflection while acquiring and constructing self-knowledge.
Cubic convolution for one-pass restoration and resampling

This paper describes an efficient filter that implements resampling and restoration of digital images in a single pass. The approach is to derive optimal parameters for a piecewise-cubic, reconstruction function based on a comprehensive model of the imaging process that accounts for acquisition blurring, sampling, noise, and reconstruction artifacts. For many data products produced from remotely sensed images, piecewise-cubic reconstruction is the standard algorithm for resampling. For these products, restoration with the optimal piecewise-cubic function requires virtually no additional processing resources and can significantly improve radiometric fidelity.
Manganese and iron distributions off central California influenced by upwelling and shelf width

In July 2002, a combination of underway mapping and discrete profiles revealed significant along-shore variability in the concentrations of manganese and iron in the vicinity of Monterey Bay, California. Both metals had lower concentrations in surface waters south of Monterey Bay, where the shelf is about 2.5 km wide, than north of Monterey Bay, where the shelf is about 10 km wide. During non-upwelling conditions over the northern broad shelf, dissolvable iron concentrations measured underway in surface waters reached 3.5 nmol L−1 and dissolved manganese reached 25 nmol L−1. In contrast, during non-upwelling conditions over the southern narrow shelf, dissolvable iron concentrations in surface waters were less than 1 nmol L−1 and dissolved manganese concentrations were less than 5 nmol L−1. A pair of vertical profiles at 1000 m water depth collected during an upwelling event showed dissolved manganese concentrations of 10 decreasing to 2 nmol L−1, and dissolvable iron concentrations of 12–20 nmol L−1 in the upper 100 m in the north, compared to 3.5–2 nmol L−1 Mn and ∼0.6 nmol L−1 Fe in the upper 100 m in the south, suggesting the effect of shelf width influences the chemistry of waters beyond the shelf. These observations are consistent with current understanding of the mechanism of iron supply to coastal upwelling systems: Iron from shelf sediments, predominantly associated with particles greater than 20 μm, is brought to the surface during upwelling conditions. We hypothesize that manganese oxides are brought to the surface with upwelling and are then reduced to dissolved manganese, perhaps by photoreduction, following a lag after upwelling. Greater phytoplankton biomass, primary productivity, and nutrient drawdown were observed over the broad shelf, consistent with the greater supply of iron. Incubation experiments conducted 20 km offshore in both regions, during a period of wind relaxation, confirm the potential of these sites to become limited by iron. There was no additional growth response when copper, manganese or cobalt was added in addition to iron. The growth response of surface water incubated with bottom sediment (4 nmol L−1 dissolvable Fe) was slightly greater than in control incubations, but less than in the presence of 4 nmol L−1 dissolved iron. This may indicate that dissolvable iron is not as bioavailable as dissolved iron, although the influence of additional inhibitory elements in the sediment cannot be ruled out.