cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tumors of the Spine

Spine tumors can be divided into tumors of the spinal cord and tumors of the spinal column. The latter is the focus of the following chapter section. The age of the patient (pediatric vs adult), location of the tumor (anterior elements vs posterior elements), and level of the spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral) serve as clues to help delineate the type of tumor prior to histological confirmation. Imaging (XR, CT, MRI), labs (ESR, CRP, specific genetic markers), and histological characteristics all serve to identify the specific spine tumors and guide treatment. The following chapter section identifies the common presentations of the most common primary and secondary tumors of the spinal column.
Differential effects of long‐term slow‐pressor and subpressor angiotensin II on contractile and relaxant reactivity of resistance versus conductance arteries

Abstract Vascular reactivity was evaluated in three separate arteries isolated from rats after angiotensin II (Ang II) was infused chronically in two separate experiments, one using a 14‐day high, slow‐pressor dose known to produce hypertension and the other using a 7‐day low, subpressor but hypertensive‐sensitizing dose. There were three new findings. First, there was no evidence of altered vascular reactivity in resistance arteries that might otherwise explain the hypertension due to the high Ang II or the hypertensive‐sensitizing effect of the low Ang II dose. Second, the high Ang II dose exerted a novel differential effect on arterial contractile responsiveness to the sympathetic neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, depending on the level of sympathetic innervation. It clearly enhanced that responsiveness in the sparsely innervated aorta but not in small mesenteric resistance arteries or the proximal (conductance) portion of the caudal artery, both of which are densely innervated. This suggests that the increased expression of alpha adrenergic receptors after long‐term exposure to Ang II as previously reported for aortic smooth muscle, is prevented in densely innervated arteries, likely due to long‐term Ang II‐mediated increase in sympathetic neural traffic to those vessels. Third, the same high dose of Ang II impaired aortic relaxation in response to the nitric oxide (NO) donor nitroprusside without impairing aortic endothelium‐dependent relaxation. NO is the main relaxing substance released by aortic endothelium. Accordingly, it is possible that this dose of Ang II is also associated with enhanced release of and/or enhanced smooth muscle responsiveness to other endothelial relaxing substances in a compensatory capacity.
Embedding Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis Within the Medical Home: Decreasing Wait Times Through Streamlined Assessment

Long waits for diagnostic assessment prevent early identification of children suspected of having autism spectrum disorder. We evaluated the benefit of embedded diagnostic consultation within primary care clinics. Using a streamlined diagnostic model, 119 children with concerns for autism spectrum disorder were seen over 14 months. Diagnostic clarity was determined through streamlined assessment for 59% of the children, while others required follow-up. Latency from first concern to diagnosis was 55 days and median age at diagnosis was 32 months: considerably lower than national averages or comparable tertiary clinics. Findings support that embedded processes for effective triage and diagnosis within the medical home is a viable mechanism for efficient access to diagnostic services and assists in bypassing a common barrier to specialized services.
Anisotropic Isotope Effect for Diffusion of Zinc and Cadmium in Zinc

The sectioning technique and the half-life method of isotope discrimination were used to study the relative rates of diffusion of ${\mathrm{Zn}}^{65}$ and ${\mathrm{Zn}}^{69m}$, and of ${\mathrm{Cd}}^{109}$ and ${\mathrm{Cd}}^{115}$ in high-purity zinc single crystals. The isotope effect, $E_{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}=\frac{(\frac{1\ensuremath{-}{D}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}{{D}^{\ensuremath{\beta}}})}{[1\ensuremath{-}{(\frac{{m}^{\ensuremath{\beta}}}{{m}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}]}$, was measured; $\frac{{D}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}{{D}^{\ensuremath{\beta}}}$ and $\frac{{m}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}{{m}^{\ensuremath{\beta}}}$ are the ratios of the diffusion coefficients and of the masses of the two isotopes $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and $\ensuremath{\beta}$, respectively. The average of the values of $E_{69}^{}{}_{}{}^{65}$ at 411.6 and 382.8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C for diffusion of zinc isotopes in zinc, parallel to the hexagonal axis, is 0.669\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.024, whereas the corresponding value perpendicular to the hexagonal axis is 0.687\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.022. These results are consistent with diffusion by vacancy (basal and nonbasal) mechanisms and appear to rule out the interstitial, ring, interstitialcy, and crowdion as the dominant mechanism. The observed isotope effect, both for parallel and perpendicular diffusions, is thus about 13% less than the value predicted on the basis of the inverse-square-root mass dependence of the atomic jump frequency, i.e., the correlation factor for self-diffusion. This deviation is apparently due to many-body aspects of diffusion, and on these considerations it is concluded that a small fraction (about 13%) of the translational kinetic energy of the activated state is possessed by atoms other than the jumping atom. At 410.1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, the values of $E_{115}^{}{}_{}{}^{109}$ for diffusion of cadmium isotopes in zinc, parallel and perpendicular to the hexagonal axis, are 0.507\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.034 and 0.317\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.032, respectively. These values indicate an attractive interaction between the cadmium impurity and the vacancy, the interaction being larger when both of them are in the same basal plane. Under the assumption that the many-body consideration is essentially the same as for self-diffusion, and by making some reasonable simplifying approximations as to how the presence of the impurity influences the vacancy jump, the enhancement of cadmium diffusion over zinc diffusion is examined. It is found that the rapid interchange of the cadmium impurity with the vacancy and the greater density of the vacancies next to the cadmium impurity are both responsible for the enhancement in the diffusivity of cadmium in zinc.
Multiuser Detection Techniques for Hierarchical Cell Structures in CDMA Cellular Systems

CDMA-only microcell/macrocell cellular systems have traditionally suffered from the near-far problem in the microcells located near the macrocell boundary. Strong macrocell interference in these microcells disables conventional single-user detectors. The solutions currently adopted in the literature include bandwidth-consuming frequency separation between macrocell and microcell tiers and complex hybrid architectures. In this work we present the techniques for multiuser receiver design that address this problem. The preprocessing stage, called the projection stage, which projects the received signal onto the space orthogonal to the subspace spanned by macrocell users' signature sequences, is introduced. It is followed by the stage employing conventional multiuser detection (MUD) techniques. This class of detectors, called multiuser projection detectors (MPD), provides efficient protection against macrocell interference in all microcells, regardless of their location within the macrocell. The protection is optimal if the amplitudes of macrocell interferers are not known by the microcell BS. We analyze four MPDs using different MUD techniques in the detection stage, and perform performance comparison.
Keynote Q & A

BRIEF SESSION DESCRIPTION:Keynote speaker, Dr. Saundra McGuire, will address audience questions in a conversational setting.______________________________________________________________Additional Resources: Learningservices.gmu.edu
Elevated glucose concentration in culture media decreases membrane trafficking of SGLT2 in LLC-PK1 cells via a cAMP/PKA-dependent pathway

Na+-dependent glucose reabsorption in the renal proximal tubule is dynamically regulated by changes in blood glucose levels. There is, however, a disparity in reports studying the relationship betw...
Dynamics of a System of Two Coupled MEMS Oscillators

We investigate the dynamics of two limit cycle MEMS oscillators connected via spring coupling. Each individual oscillator is based on a MEMS structure which moves within a laser-driven interference pattern. As the structure vibrates, it changes the interference gap, causing the quantity of absorbed light to change, producing a feedback loop between the motion and the absorbed light and resulting in a limit cycle oscillation. A simplified model of this MEMS oscillator, omitting parametric feedback and structural damping, has been previously presented (Rand et al in Proceedings of 9th European Nonlinear Dynamics Conference (ENOC 2017), 2017, [3]). For the coupled system, a perturbation method is used to obtain a slow flow which is investigated using AUTO and numerical integration. Various bifurcations which occur as a result of changing the coupling strength are identified.
Clinicopathologic features associated with survival after cytoreductive nephrectomy for nonclear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Abstract Objectives To report the overall survival (OS) outcomes of patients with nonclear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC) treated at our institution with a cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) and better understand the clinical and pathological characteristics of the patients that respond best. Material and methods We queried our prospectively maintained database for patients who underwent CN for nccRCC between 1989 and 2018. Histology was reviewed by an expert genitourinary pathologist, and nccRCC tumors were subdivided into papillary, unclassified, chromophobe, and other histology. Baseline clinicopathology, treatments, and survival outcomes were recorded. Preoperative hematological parameters including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were analyzed. Significant univariate predictors of OS were tested in a multivariate model. Results There were 100 nccRCC patients treated with CN. Median age was 61 years (IQR: 48–69) and 65% were male. There were 79 patient deaths with a median OS of 13.7 months (10.8–27.2). Estimated 2- and 5-year survival was 40.1% and 12.2%, respectively. Median follow-up of survivors was 13 months (IQR: 3–30). On multivariate analysis, increasing NLR (hazard ratio [HR] 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14–1.40, P Conclusions OS outcomes in patients with nccRCC who underwent a CN are consistently modest throughout the study period. Patients with papillary features and a lower preoperative NLR may be better candidates for a CN.
Mastery learning in a bachelor's of nursing program: the Roseman University of Health Sciences experience.

Roseman University of Health Sciences (RUHS) developed and delivers a mastery learning curriculum designed for students to acquire the knowledge and skills to become competent nurses. Despite a trend in nursing education to adopt competency-based education (CBE) models, there is little in the nursing literature about programs based on a mastery model. The aim of this study is to describe an undergraduate nursing program built on a mastery learning model and to report on program outcome measures. The 18-month BSN nursing program is divided into blocks, varying in length and focusing on a single subject. Students must demonstrate mastery, defined as ≥90% on an assessment, to pass a block. Recognizing the critical nature of health care, educators seek methods to assure that practitioners become competent to perform the services they provide. Program outcomes reported include comparisons to national standards and RUHS student exit survey data. From 2013 to 2017 the RUHS College of Nursing students’ pass rates ranged from 82 to 97% for the National Council Licensure Examination exam compared to national pass rates between 81.8–84.5% during the same time frame. The program completion rate ranged from 86 to 100% and employment rates exceeded accreditation standards. Students reported overall satisfaction with their education as 4.38 and with the block system as 4.74 (5 point Likert scale). Roseman University’s mastery learning model appears successful as measured by high levels of student satisfaction, outcomes on exams, and degree completion when compared to national averages. The results suggest that other nursing and health profession’s programs can develop a successful mastery based learning model.
Predictive maintenance architecture development for nuclear infrastructure using machine learning

Abstract Nuclear infrastructure systems play an important role in national security. The functions and missions of nuclear infrastructure systems are vital to government, businesses, society and citizen's lives. It is crucial to design nuclear infrastructure for scalability, reliability and robustness. To do this, we can use machine learning, which is a state of the art technology used in various fields ranging from voice recognition, Internet of Things (IoT) device management and autonomous vehicles. In this paper, we propose to design and develop a machine learning algorithm to perform predictive maintenance of nuclear infrastructure. Support vector machine and logistic regression algorithms will be used to perform the prediction. These machine learning techniques have been used to explore and compare rare events that could occur in nuclear infrastructure. As per our literature review, support vector machines provide better performance metrics. In this paper, we have performed parameter optimization for both algorithms mentioned. Existing research has been done in conditions with a great volume of data, but this paper presents a novel approach to correlate nuclear infrastructure data samples where the density of probability is very low. This paper also identifies the respective motivations and distinguishes between benefits and drawbacks of the selected machine learning algorithms.
Building Community Knowledge In Online Competitions: Motivation, Practices and Challenges

Knowledge building is a prevalent feature in open online systems, but it is challenging to motivate participants to contribute and to maintain quality in the participants' contributions. Open online competitions, where participants compete for prizes with knowledge artifacts, offer a potential design model for online systems to incentivize community knowledge building activities. However, while there is evidence that participants contribute to public knowledge and share it during competitions, it remains unclear how and why they do so. In this study, through interviews with 14 participants in Kaggle Competitions, we investigate participants' motivation, practices, and challenges when contributing to community knowledge under a competitive structure. We find that competitive mechanisms impact expert and beginner participants very differently in their public knowledge building behaviors. Experts contribute to shared knowledge in order to compete for reputation, while they tend to form their own niches and only share knowledge artifacts that are abstract and not usable by less experienced participants. Beginners are often driven away from contributing to shared knowledge because of their vulnerable social image. We leverage Scardamalia's framework for Knowledge Building Communities to discuss the different challenges and opportunities that competitive design brings to expert and beginner participants. We offer design implications for effectively implementing competitive mechanisms that could benefit both expert and beginner participants in future knowledge building systems.
Role of Nature Therapy and Mindfulness for Resilience Among Rural Healthcare Providers

The risk of burnout and compassion fatigue is high in healthcare providers in rural areas. When healthcare providers experience these symptoms, patient outcomes are negatively affected. This chapter explores the definitions and contexts of nature therapy, the healing environment, and the relationship between nature therapy, mindfulness, and resilience through a rural health perspective. The current evidence is discussed, and philosophical underpinnings and nursing theory are presented.
Immune response to COVID-19 in older adults

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the third highly pathogenic coronavirus to emerge in the human population in last two decades. SARS-CoV-2 spread from Wuhan, China, across the globe, causing an unprecedented public healthcare crisis. The virus showed remarkable age dependent pathology, with symptoms resembling common cold in most adults and children while causing more severe respiratory distress and significant mortality in older and frail humans. Even before the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak infectious diseases represented one of the major causes of death of older adults. Loss of immune function and reduced protection from infectious agents with age - immunosenescence - is a result of complex mechanisms affecting production and maintenance of immune cells as well as the initiation, maintenance and termination of properly directed immune responses. Here we briefly discuss the current knowledge on how this process affects age-dependent outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Situated emotion and its constructive role in collaborative design: A mixed-method study of experienced designers

The process of design involves rich emotional experiences from resolving team conflict to breaking impasses to discovering creative insight. To explore emotion in designing we present a mixed-method study of experienced designers. Situated emotion is assessed by triangulating speech acoustics, electrodermal activity, and semantics with contextual inquiry of video data and retrospective self-reporting. We show the value of triangulating multimodal data in dealing with discrepancies amongst different measures. We present results to show how situated emotion mediates design work using multi-level model analysis. To conclude, we discuss how emotion relates to design ability and the role of emotion in designing. Finally, we reflect on the methodological approach we have taken and indicate directions for future emotion research in the process of design.
Neural Encoding of Auditory Statistics.

The human brain extracts statistical regularities embedded in real-world scenes to sift through the complexity stemming from changing dynamics and entwined uncertainty along multiple perceptual dimensions (e.g., pitch, timbre, location). While there is evidence that sensory dynamics along different auditory dimensions are tracked independently by separate cortical networks, how these statistics are integrated to give rise to unified objects remains unknown, particularly in dynamic scenes that lack conspicuous coupling between features. Using tone sequences with stochastic regularities along spectral and spatial dimensions, this study examines behavioral and electrophysiological responses from human listeners (male and female) to changing statistics in auditory sequences, and employs a computational model of predictive Bayesian inference to formulate multiple hypotheses for statistical integration across features. Neural responses reveal multiplexed brain responses reflecting both local statistics along individual features in fronto-central networks, together with global (object-level) processing in centro-parietal networks. Independent tracking of local surprisal along each acoustic feature reveals linear modulation of neural responses; while global melody-level statistics follow a nonlinear integration of statistical beliefs across features to guide perception. Near identical results are obtained in separate experiments along spectral and spatial acoustic dimensions, suggesting a common mechanism for statistical inference in the brain. Potential variations in statistical integration strategies and memory deployment shed light on individual variability between listeners in terms of behavioral efficacy and fidelity of neural encoding of stochastic change in acoustic sequences. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The world around us is complex and ever-changing: in everyday listening, sound sources evolve along multiple dimensions, such as pitch, timbre, and spatial location, and they exhibit emergent statistical properties that change over time. In the face of this complexity, the brain builds an internal representation of the external world by collecting statistics from the sensory input along multiple dimensions. Using a Bayesian predictive inference model, this work considers alternative hypotheses for how statistics are combined across sensory dimensions. Behavioral and neural responses from human listeners show the brain multiplexes two representations, where local statistics along each feature linearly affect neural responses, and global statistics nonlinearly combine statistical beliefs across dimensions to shape perception of stochastic auditory sequences.
A new unusual Monachinae from the Neogene of the Atlantic Coastal Plain (Maryland, USA)

To date, for the family Phocidae, only two fossil genera of the subfamily Monachinae (Monotherium and Terranectes) and two fossil genera of the subfamily Phocinae (Prophoca and Leptophoca) have bee...
Previewable Contract-Based On-Chain X-Ray Image Sharing Framework for Clinical Research.

Author(s): Li, Megan Mun; Kuo, Tsung-Ting | Abstract: BackgroundAn image sharing framework is important to support downstream data analysis especially for pandemics like Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Current centralized image sharing frameworks become dysfunctional if any part of the framework fails. Existing decentralized image sharing frameworks do not store the images on the blockchain, thus the data themselves are not highly available, immutable, and provable. Meanwhile, storing images on the blockchain provides availability/immutability/provenance to the images, yet produces challenges such as large-image handling, high viewing latency while viewing images, and software inconsistency while storing/loading images.ObjectiveThis study aims to store chest x-ray images using a blockchain-based framework to handle large images, improve viewing latency, and enhance software consistency.Basic proceduresWe developed a splitting and merging function to handle large images, a feature that allows previewing an image earlier to improve viewing latency, and a smart contract to enhance software consistency. We used 920 publicly available images to evaluate the storing and loading methods through time measurements.Main findingsThe blockchain network successfully shares large images up to 18nMB and supports smart contracts to provide code immutability, availability, and provenance. Applying the preview feature successfully shared images 93% faster than sharing images without the preview feature.Principal conclusionsThe findings of this study can guide future studies to generalize our framework to other forms of data to improve sharing and interoperability.
Wanted: Spectrum Bounty Hunters: An Analysis of Market-Based Solutions to Regulate Wireless Interference, Manage Spectrum, and Address Critical Vulnerabilities

Politicians on both sides of the aisle love to promote market solutions to regulatory problems, especially when it comes to telecommunications policy. Despite this preference, bounties, and similar financial incentives — historically, popular market solutions to regulatory problems — have yet to be widely used in wireless policy. In response, we consider three hypothetical kinds of bounty programs that could be used to regulate harmful interference or address critical vulnerabilities in wireless systems. A number of legal barriers, market forces, and other considerations will likely limit the effectiveness of these programs in the near term, but bounties still offer tremendous promise for wireless regulation. As wireless technology becomes ubiquitous in our everyday lives, our wireless “ecosystem” is becoming increasingly congested. In this new crowded ecosystem, bounties may likely become an effective and efficient tool for wireless regulation.
Oncological Outcomes in Patients with Appendicular Myxofibrosarcomas: A Retrospective Study

Background. Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) is notorious for its infiltrative growth pattern, making wide excisions difficult to achieve. Our objective was to assess the impact of surgical margins and other factors that affected rates of local recurrence (LR), distant metastasis (DM), and overall survival (OS) of individuals undergoing resection for MFS. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 209 patients with appendicular soft tissue sarcomas between January 2012 and June 2018. Of these, 29 patients (14%) were diagnosed with myxofibrosarcoma. These patients underwent a total of 33 resections. The pathological analyses were conducted by an experienced musculoskeletal (MSK) pathologist. Demographics data, operative details, adjuvant therapy, and oncological outcomes were assessed. Results. Of the 29 patients (33 resections), the overall LR rate was 24% (7/29) and the 2-year LR rate was 17% (5/29). Factors associated with negative oncological outcomes were as follows: tumor size ≤10 cm (2-year local recurrence-free rates (LRFRs), 65%; 95% CI, 44–86%; ) and positive surgical margins grouped with surgical margins ≤0.1 cm (hazard ratio (HR), 11.74; 95% CI, 1.41–97.74; ). Chemotherapy and radiotherapy together increased the 2-year LRFR (LRFR, 100%; 95% CI, 100%, ). Two-year DM and OS rates were 15% and 79%, respectively. Female gender was a predictor of distant metastasis. Local recurrence had a negative impact on overall survival. Intraoperative analysis of resection margin accuracy was 75% (12/16) when non-MSK pathologists were involved but 100% accurate (12/12) when analyzed by an MSK pathologist. Conclusion. Myxofibrosarcomas showed high LR rates after treatment. Close margins (≤0.1 cm) should be considered as a risk factor for LR, and LR is associated with negative overall survival. Neoadjuvant therapy in terms of combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy associates with decreased LR rates. If intraoperative assessment of margins is to be done, it should be performed by an experienced MSK pathologist.
Demand Point Aggregation for Some Basic Location Models

Location problems occurring in urban or regional settings may involve many tens of thousands of “demand points,” usually individual residences. In modeling such problems it is common to aggregate demand points to obtain tractable models. We discuss aggregation approaches to a large class of location models, consider various aggregation error measures, and identify some effective measures. In particular, we focus on an upper bounding methodology for the error associated with aggregation. The chapter includes an example application.
Ultrasonic size determination of cracks with large closure regions

A number of investigators have developed acoustic methods for measurement and determination of crack length. These methods have generally fallen into one of three categories, determination of crack area, time of flight to determine crack length, or recognition of the crack tip by changes in the signal response. These methods have been successful in location of the crack tip to within {+-}0.5 mm. In all cases, however, it was necessary for the crack length or the crack-tip position to be determined with the crack in a fully open state in order to remove the effects of crack closure. Recent work has developed acoustic scanning techniques and subsequent analysis to the point where the same accuracy of {+-}0.5 mm is now possible through scanning of the crack in an unloaded condition with closure accounted for. A review of the previous methods will be given together with an explanation of the advances in scanning technique and analysis that have allowed this simplification to occur.
Role of Lipid Domains in EGF Receptor Signaling

Publisher Summary Epidermal growth factor (EGF), a 53 amino acid polypeptide, elicits its cellular effects through binding to the cell surface EGF receptor. The EGF receptor is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase composed of an ∼620 amino acid extracellular ligand binding domain, a single-pass transmembrane domain, a tyrosine kinase domain, and an ∼200 amino acid C-terminal tail. The EGF receptor is a member of the ErbB receptor family having four members that include the EGF receptor (ErbB1), HER2/neu (ErbB2), ErbB3, and ErbB4. The receptors are structurally similar but in ErbB3 the kinase domain is inactive. The ErbB receptors bind a family of ligands, with each receptor having different ligand selectivity. ErbB2 is the exception, in that there is no known ligand for this receptor. The EGF receptor, upon binding ligand, dimerizes and undergoes inter-chain autophosphorylation, primarily in the C-terminal tail of the receptor. This promotes complex formation with SH2 and PTB domain-containing proteins and initiates intracellular downstream signaling cascades. The effect of cholesterol on EGF receptor kinase activity is traceable to its effect on the ability of EGF to induce receptor dimer formation. Cholesterol depletion enhances receptor dimerization, whereas cholesterol loading impairs dimerization. Overexpression of the wild-type EGF receptor or a C-terminally truncated form of the EGF receptor results in an EGF-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of caveolin-1 that seems to be mediated by pp60src. EGF induces the redistribution of caveolin-1 from the plasma membrane to an early endocytic compartment. The observation that EGF stimulates the phosphorylation and endocytosis of phospholipid scramblase 1, a resident lipid raft protein, is consistent with the notion that EGF may regulate the trafficking of a variety of proteins present in low-density membrane domains.
Two human 90-kDa heat shock proteins are phosphorylated in vivo at conserved serines that are phosphorylated in vitro by casein kinase II.

Abstract Amino-terminal protein sequence analysis revealed that exponentially growing human HeLa cells at 37 degrees C express two closely related 90-kDa "heat shock" proteins (hsp 90) in nearly equal amounts. Both hsp 90s begin with proline; the initial methionine residue is removed. The alpha protein contains a 9-amino acid segment, TQTQDQPME, from residues 4 to 12, that is replaced by a 4-amino acid segment, VHHG, in the beta form. The purified hsp 90 mixture contains 2 mol of phosphate/mol of polypeptide. Both hsp 90 proteins are phosphorylated at two homologous sites. For the alpha protein, these sites correspond to serine 231 and serine 263. A 5-amino acid segment, ESEDK, between the two phosphorylation sites is absent from the beta protein. The sequence between phosphorylation sites of both hsp 90s is predicted to have alpha helical structure. Dephosphorylated hsp 90 is phosphorylated at both sites by casein kinase II from HeLa cells, calf thymus, or rabbit reticulocytes; no other hsp 90 residues were phosphorylated by casein kinase II in vitro.
Schottky Barriers, Measurement and Modeling

The Schottky barrier, one of the earliest and simplest semiconductor of interfaces studied, consists of a metal in contact with a semiconductor. It is named after Walter Schottky, who in the 1930s developed a comprehensive theory of such contacts, and traced their properties to the electrical barrier that forms at the metal–semiconductor (MS) interface. If the barrier height is relatively large, the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics exhibit an asymmetrical rectifying behavior, while a symmetrical linear I–V response results from a low barrier. The rectifying MS contact is called the Schottky diode, whereas the non-rectifying device is simply referred to as an ohmic contact. Keywords: Schottky barrier; metal-semiconductor interface; semiconductor surface; Schottky diode
Testis and Paratesticular Tissues

The diagnosis of testicular neoplasms is often based solely on morphologic pattern recognition, but there are newer markers that can play a significant role in the identification of germ cell tumors such as SALL4, Nanog, LIN28 and OCT4. Similarly, GAL-3 and other newer markers can be helpful in the identification of sex cord/stromal tumors. Many of the markers used in the identification of testicular tumors may be present in normal testicular cells as well, but their expression patterns may change according to the life stage of the patient. This chapter attempts to address that question, although the literature is somewhat sparse. Markers of normal paratesticular epithelia are included, as well as markers in paratesticular tumors and adenocarcinomas in the male pelvis. Basic algorithms are provided to assist in the workup of testicular and paratesticular neoplasms.
Distant metastasis of adenoacanthoma of the endometrium

Abstract Forty-nine examples of adenoacanthoma of the endometrium, more than one fourth of which metastasize to distant areas, are presented. Criteria studied in relation to prognosis were clinical staging, pathologic grading, degree of myometrial invasion, and use of intracavitary radium. The group includes an instance of complete regression of pulmonary metastasis following medroxy progesterone therapy.
The Imperfect Primary: Oddities, Biases, and Strengths of U.S. Presidential Nomination Politics

1. Happenstance and Reforms 2. Presidential Nomination Politics at the Dawn of the 21st Century 3. Is This a Fair Way to Select a Presidential Nominee? 4. Alternative Methods for Nominating Presidents 5. Oddities, Biases, and Strengths of U.S. Presidential Nomination Politics
A method to compensate for probe positioning errors in an antenna near field test facility

A method is presented to compute the electric field at points on a perfect planar surface from the electric field measured at points on a nearby non-planar surface. Such a method is useful in relaxing the mechanical requirements for a near field measurement facility.
On the Importance of Nonlinearity of Brain Tissue Under Large Deformations

Linear shear properties of human and bovine brain tissue were determined from transient stress-relaxation experiments and their material functions were compared. Quasi-linear viscoelastic theory was then utilized to determine material constants for bovine brain tissue subjected to large deformations. The range of applicability for linear and quasi-linear constitutive models of brain tissue was determined. A nonlinear Green-Rivlin constitutive model was subsequently applied to characterize temporal nonlinearity of bovine brain tissue in shear. Overall, 10 brain specimens from 5 fresh human cadavers and 156 brain specimens from 26 fresh bovine cadaver brains were used to quantify and compare shear brain responses under various loading conditions. The assumptions of homogeneity, isotropy, and incompressibility of brain material were made in order to reduce the required number of experiments. A series of single-, two-, and three-step strain inputs was applied to one end of a cylindrical brain specimen and the stress-time histories were measured at the other end. The time delays between the applied strain step inputs were altered in order to determine the temporal nonlinearity of brain tissue. The study resulted in linear constitutive models for human and bovine brain tissue, and quasi-linear and nonlinear constitutive equations for bovine brain tissue in shear. It was found that human brain is somewhat stiffer than bovine brain; the difference, however, was not statistically significant and bovine brain may be a good substitute in studying nonlinear human brain response. A linear constitutive model was found to be sufficient to characterize brain tissue response when Lagrangian shear strains do not exceed 0.2 (advised to limit the range to the shear strain of 0.175), a quasi-linear constitutive model can then be used for loading conditions of up to 0.5 of Lagrangian shear strains (advised to limit the range to the shear strain of 0.325). For any shear strain magnitudes and histories a fully nonlinear Green-Rivlin viscoelastic constitutive model may be utilized.
Transmission of hospital staphylococci among newborn infants. II. Colonization of the skin and mucous membranes of the infants.

The rate and sequence in which various body areas of the newborn infant acquire coagulase-positive staphylococci was studied in two hospitals at a time when nursery infections were not occurring. The infants became colonized rapidly on numerous body surfaces in one nursery, and more slowly and less extensively in the other. Skin and rectal cultures usually became positive before those from the nose, throat, and eye. The groin and axilla of infants in one nursery tended to become colonized before the umbilical cord; in the other nursery, colonization of the umbilical cord often preceded that of the groin or the axilla. Different body sites of an individual infant often became colonized with different strains of staphylococci, as determined by phage typing, and two strains sometimes were detected in a single site. The carrier state of the newborn infant can be assessed accurately only by culturing many body sites and by phage typing many colonies. Cultures of skin, rectum, and umbilical cord are likely to be more informative than nasal cultures, because the nose is often the last site to become colonized. The culture procedure which is most likely to portray the carrier state may have to be determined independently for each hospital nursery to be studied. It may be difficult to prevent acquisition of hospital strains by applying bacteriostatic substances to the umbilical cord stump or portions of the skin because of the extent to which staphylococci multiply upon the skin, mucous membranes, and perhaps within the intestinal tract.
Dialogic Reading: Language and Preliteracy Outcomes for Young Children With Disabilities

Dialogic reading is an evidence-based practice for preschool children who are typically developing or at-risk; yet there is limited research to evaluate if it has similar positive effects on the la...
A Bayesian Approach to Understanding Time Series Data

Abstract This paper explores the use of Bayesian models to analyze time series data. The Bayesian approach produces output that can be readily understood by actuaries and included in their own experience studies. We illustrate this Bayesian approach by analyzing U.S. unemployment rates, a macroeconomic time series. Understanding time series of macroeconomic variables can help actuaries in pricing and reserving their products. For example, a change in the level and/or variance of the unemployment series is of interest to actuaries, because its movement can explain a changing pattern of lapse rates of incidence rates. Our Bayesian analysis, based on models developed by McCulloch and Tsay (1993, 1994), allows for shifts in the level and in the error variance of a process. We develop a measure of model fit, based on the Akaike Information Criterion, that can be used in choosing between alternative models. Posterior prediction intervals for the fitted values are also created to pictorially show the range of pa...
From 3-moves to Lagrangian Tangles and Cubic Skein Modules

We discuss several open problems in classical Knot Theory and we develop techniques that allow us to study them: Lagrangian tangles, skein modules and Burnside groups.
The materiality of the new family house in Hungary: Postsocialist fad or middle-class ideal?

In the social and economic upheaval during the first decade after the fall of state socialism in Hungary, the emergence of new neighborhoods of detached family houses outside of a former “socialist city” provoked ambivalent reactions. Were these homes the natural housing form for an emerging middle class in newly independent, free-market Hungary, or a passing fad led by the nouveaux riches? This article argues that that the eventual triumph of this suburban housing form had little to do with an inevitable trajectory of capitalism modeled on that of the West. Instead, it was a unique material and aesthetic form that, in the Hungarian context, was aligned with the values of its rural precedents while at the same time distinguished from them as “middle class.” The materiality of the new family house has not only redefined the conditions for belonging to the ranks of a new middle class, but has been instrumental in constituting and legitimating this emerging class.
Component dependency in object-oriented software

Component dependency is an important software measure. It is directly related to software understandability, maintainability, and reusability. Two important parameters in describing component dependency are the type of coupling between two components and the type of the dependent component. Depending upon the different types of coupling and the type of the dependent components, there can be different effects on component maintenance and component reuse. In this paper, we divide dependent components into three types. We then classify various component dependencies and analyze their effects on maintenance and reuse. Based on the classification, we present a dependency metric and validate it on 11 open-source Java components. Our study shows that a strong correlation exists between the measurement of the dependency of the component and the effort to reuse the component. This indicates that the classification of component dependency and the suggested metric could be further used to represent other external software quality factors.
Synthesis and characterization of new electroactive polymers

Abstract Optical quality thin films of polyquinoxaline ladder polymers have been prepared by thermal treatment of open-chain precursor polymers derivatized with a variety of substituents to improve solubility. Polycondensation synthesis is employed to avoid problems of polymer branching and disorder. Both alkyl derivatization which improves solubility with little effect upon electronic properties and derivatization with vinylamine side groups which influences both physical and electronic properties are discussed. The planar conformation of ladder polymers optimizes π-orbital overlap; thus, large optical nonlinearities are anticipated. Third order susceptibilities as high as 3 x 10 −9 esu for pristine polymers have been measured by degenerate four wave mixing and third harmonic generation.
Spontaneous lifetime in a dielectrically-apertured Fabry-Perot microcavity

We present calculations of the modification of the spontaneous emission rate from a point source dipole in a Fabry-Perot microcavity containing an optically thin dielectric aperture. The dielectric aperture is described as a passive current source which is driven by the spontaneous point source. The spontaneous emission rate is shown to depend on the details of the aperture design, and shows a strong enhancement on resonance due to 3-dimensional optical confinement by the dielectric aperture.
XPS study of some selected selenium compounds

Abstract X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of the Se 3 d peak for Se in Se, SeO 2 , As 2 Se 3 , ZnSe, CdSe, CoSe, FeSe, CrSe, VSe 2 and TiSe were studied. It was found that, firstly, in the case of As 2 Se 3 , ZnSe, CdSe, CoSe and CrSe, as the change in electronegativity of the anion increases, the change in the binding energy value of the Se 3 d peak also increases and, secondly, in all of the Se compounds studied, the Se-Se bond in pure Se is stronger than the Se-x bond, where x = As, Zn, Cd, Co, Fe, Cr, V and Ti.
Radiation Gauge Electrodynamics. I. The Two-Point Function

The Lehmann representations of the spin zero and spin one-half Green's functions are studied with particular emphasis upon infrared effects. By means of a Bloch-Nordsieck type model the infrared parts of these functions are calculated and the analytic properties of the solution examined. A double integral representation of the two-point function is proposed and a possible application suggested.
Quantitating the Balance between Enthalpic and Entropic Forces in Alkanethiol/Gold Monolayer Self Assembly

We have studied the temperature and adsorbate concentration dependence of alkanethiol/gold monolayer formation in situ and in real time using a quartz crystal microbalance to monitor the rate of reaction. The temperature dependence of the experimental rate constants, for a given concentration, demonstrates that the formation of these monolayers is not diffusion rate limited for the conditions we report here. Our data are modeled accurately by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and, using this model, we have determined the adsorption and desorption rate constants for monolayer self assembly. We have extracted from these data the thermodynamic quantities ΔGads, ΔHads, and ΔSads for monolayer formation. For 1-octadecanethiol adsorption from n-hexane onto gold, ΔGads is temperature dependent and is ca. −5.5 kcal/mol, ΔHads = −20 ± 1 kcal/mol, and ΔSads = −48 ± 1 cal/(mol·K). These data have direct bearing on the broader field of interface chemistry because they underscore the dominant role that entropy plays in...
Engineering management: Abstractions, analysis, and clones do not a manager make

Abstract In this paper we argue that a loss in American technological competitiveness and inventiveness has resulted, in part, from an excessive reliance on widely publicized managerial practices and control. These managerial practices tend to be based on analysis, technique, and other abstractions of reality. Individually such practices are valuable tools for the manager, but applied universally and in mass they have become counterproductive. Such dysfunctions are especially true in engineering and research management where the tangle of requirements, procedures and reports interferes with innovation. Managers who rely to excess on such approaches tend to create bureaucratic climates which are hostile to innovation. Insulated by the very techniques they practice, they lose any sense or feel of the richness of organizational functioning and become overly concerned with risk avoidance. The proposed alternative management style is one which balances managerial control with autonomy for technical professionals while encouraging high levels of information-sharing.
SU‐E‐T‐515: Comparison of Two Dose‐Specification Methods for the Treatment of Uterine Cervix Cancer with HDR Brachytherapy Using a Tandem and Ring Applicator

Purpose: To compare the dose to the high‐risk clinical target volume (HRCTV)‐D90 and dose‐limiting structures with the dose prescription to point A (Manchester system) using conventional methods to image‐guidedtreatment planning with doseoptimization and a dose prescription to D90 of the HRCTV. Methods: CT‐MR‐fused image sets for 16 patients (stage IA2‐IIIB) with uterine cervix cancer were obtained for each of 5 fractions of HDR brachytherapy using tandem and ring applicators to generate 2 sets of plans. In the first set, the dose was prescribed to point A with a standard dwell weight pattern reflecting the Manchester system loading pattern. In the second set, the dose was prescribed to D90 of the HRCTV with graphical plan optimization. Parameters of clinical significance (HRCTV‐D90 and dose received by 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0cc of the bladder, rectum, and sigmoid) were compared, as recommended by GEC‐ESTRO. Results: HRCTV‐V for 6 patients was =30cc (largest radius, 30cc (largest radius, =2cm) for the others. For the first set of plans, when HRCTV‐V was 30cc, it varied from 0.75 to 0.95. In the second set of plans, HRCTV‐D90 always received the prescription dose.Doses to 2cc of one or more organs at risk exceeded >10% of the limiting doses for 9 patients in the first set of plans but remained <10% in all patients in the second set of plans. A 10–25% dose reduction to 2cc of the bladder and 15–35% to 2cc of the rectum and sigmoid occurred in the second set of plans. Conclusions:Image‐guidedbrachytherapy with doseoptimization yields a prescribed dose to the HRCTV‐D90 while maintaining doses to organs at risk close to their limiting value, offering a dosimetric benefit over the traditional method.