cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Automated knowledge-based planning routine for stereotactic body radiotherapy of peripheral lung tumors via DCA-based volumetric modulated arc therapy.

PURPOSE To develop a knowledge-based planning (KBP) routine for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of peripherally located early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors via dynamic conformal arc (DCA)-based volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using the commercially available RapidPlanTM software. This proposed technique potentially improves plan quality, reduces complexity, and minimizes interplay effect and small-field dosimetry errors associated with treatment delivery. METHODS KBP model was developed and validated using 70 clinically treated high quality non-coplanar VMAT lung SBRT plans for training and 20 independent plans for validation. All patients were treated with 54 Gy in three treatments. Additionally, a novel k-DCA planning routine was deployed to create plans incorporating historical three-dimensional-conformal SBRT planning practices via DCA-based approach prior to VMAT optimization in an automated planning engine. Conventional KBPs and k-DCA plans were compared with clinically treated plans per RTOG-0618 requirements for target conformity, tumor dose heterogeneity, intermediate dose fall-off and organs-at-risk (OAR) sparing. Treatment planning time, treatment delivery efficiency, and accuracy were recorded. RESULTS KBPs and k-DCA plans were similar or better than clinical plans. Average planning target volume for validation was 22.4 ± 14.1 cc (7.1-62.3 cc). KBPs and k-DCA plans provided similar conformity to clinical plans with average absolute differences of 0.01 and 0.01, respectively. Maximal doses to OAR were lowered in both KBPs and k-DCA plans. KBPs increased monitor units (MU) on average 1316 (P < 0.001) while k-DCA reduced total MU on average by 1114 (P < 0.001). This routine can create k-DCA plan in less than 30 min. Independent Monte Carlo calculation demonstrated that k-DCA plans showed better agreement with planned dose distribution. CONCLUSION A k-DCA planning routine was developed in concurrence with a knowledge-based approach for the treatment of peripherally located lung tumors. This method minimizes plan complexity associated with model-based KBP techniques and improve plan quality and treatment planning efficiency.
Predicting college students' future intentions to engage in public-sphere water conservation behaviors

The purpose of this study was to describe selected college students’ (N = 252) perceptions of and future intentions (FI) to engage in public-sphere water conservation behaviors, and to determine if FI could be predicted by a single or linear combination of student demographic characteristics and latent variables. A majority of respondents agreed a growing population will negatively affect water quantity (90.5%) and there is a need for water resource management (85.6%). A majority disagreed or strongly disagreed that they (53.4%), their family (57.1%), or their friends (67.5%) practiced water conservation, or that people in their hometowns were concerned about local water availability (78.1%). A majority agreed they would engage in four of five public-sphere water conservation behaviors in the future: support water conservation programs (86.4%), care more deeply about water conservation (81.2%), join a water conservation organization (79.2%), and vote for stricter water use laws (55.0%). Fewer than one-half agreed or strongly agreed they would donate money to support water conservation (45.8%). Responses to statements concerning water conservation were factor analyzed and two factors were extracted: lack of agency (LA) and subjective norms (SN). A linear combination of gender, LA, and SN explained 36.7% of the variance in FI.
Experimental Observation of Hydrocarbon Growth by Resonance-Stabilized Radical-Radical Chain Reaction.

Rapid molecular-weight growth of hydrocarbons occurs in flames, in industrial synthesis, and potentially in cold astrochemical environments. A variety of high- and low-temperature chemical mechanisms have been proposed and confirmed, but more facile pathways may be needed to explain observations. We provide laboratory confirmation in a controlled pyrolysis environment of a recently proposed mechanism, radical-radical chain reactions of resonance-stabilized species. The recombination reaction of phenyl (c-C6 H5 ) and benzyl (c-C6 H5 CH2 ) radicals produces both diphenylmethane and diphenylmethyl radicals, the concentration of the latter increasing with rising temperature. A second phenyl addition to the product radical forms both triphenylmethane and triphenylmethyl radicals, confirming the propagation of radical-radical chain reactions under the experimental conditions of high temperature (1100-1600 K) and low pressure (ca. 3 kPa). Similar chain reactions may contribute to particle growth in flames, the interstellar medium, and industrial reactors.
E-cigarette vaping liquids and the flavoring chemical cinnamaldehyde perturb bone, cartilage and vascular development in zebrafish embryos.

Abstract As electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) become increasingly popular smoking devices, there is an increased risk for unintended exposure to e-cigarette liquids through improper disposal resulting in leaching into the environment, third hand vapor exposure through air, or embryonic exposure through maternal vaping. Thus, the safety of e-cigarettes for wildlife and developing embryos need to be thoroughly investigated. We examined perturbations in zebrafish embryonic development after exposures to two cinnamon flavored vaping liquids (with 12 mg/ml nicotine and without nicotine) for e-cigarettes from two different vendors, as well as the flavoring chemical cinnamaldehyde. We focused on the effects of the vaping liquids on hatching success and bone, cartilage and blood vessel development in 3–4 days old transgenic zebrafish larvae. We found that exposures to both of the vaping liquids perturbed the development of the cleithrum and craniofacial cartilage. Exposure to the liquids further caused non-overlapping and partially or completely missing intersegmental vessels. Hatching success was also reduced. Exposure to pure cinnamaldehyde replicated the effects of the vaping liquids with a 50% effect concentration (EC50) of 34–41 µM. Quantification of the amount of cinnamaldehyde in the vaping liquids by mass spectrometry revealed EC50s around 10–40 times lower than for pure cinnamaldehyde, suggesting that additional compounds or metabolites present in the vaping liquids mediate toxicity. Presence of nicotine in one of the vaping liquids decreased its EC50s about two fold compared to the liquid without nicotine. Exposure to the humectants propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin did not affect the vascular, cartilage or bone development in zebrafish embryos. In conclusion, our study shows that exposure to cinnamaldehyde containing vaping liquids causes severe tissue-specific defects in developing embryos.
Hypernuclear physics with the (π+, K+) reaction

The study of hypernuclei affords unique insights into the nature of hadronic forces beyond those obtainable from ordinary nuclear physics research. A hypernucleus consists of one or more hyperons bound to a nuclear core. In the SU(3) classification, the Λ, ∑, and Ξ hyperons occupy the same octet representation of spin- parity \({\frac{1}{2}}^+\)baryons as the neutron and proton, the familiar constituents of ordinary nuclei. The Λ and ∑ possess strangeness S = - 1 and isotopic spin I = 0, 1, respectively, while the Ξ has S = -2, I= \({\frac{1}{2^.}}\) In the underlying quark picture, the A and ∑ have the flavor structure s(ud) I=0,1, compared to the combination uud for the proton. The strange quark, s, carries the strangeness quantum number S = -1, which makes it distinguishable from the S = 0 u and d quarks. The lowest-lying hyperon is the A, with a mass of 1115.6MeV/c2, some 177MeV/c2 heavier than the proton. The study of the behavior of a hyperon embedded in the nuclear medium, through the theoretical analysis of level spectra, sheds light on the nature of the hyperon-nucleon (YN) effective interaction, i.e. on the role of the strange quark in strong interactions.
Switchwall: Automated Topology Fingerprinting and Behavior Deviation Identification

The continuous improvement of bandwidth, pervasiveness, and functionality of network switching technologies is deeply changing the Internet landscape. Indeed, it has become tedious and sometimes infeasible to manually assure the network integrity on a regular basis: existing hardware and software can be tampered with and new devices can be connected or become nonoperational without any notification. Moreover, changes in the network topology can be introduced by human error, by hardware or software failures, or even by a malicious adversary (e.g. rogue systems).
Does the Tea Party Still Matter?: Tea Party Influence in the 2012 Elections

Using both the 2012 American National Election Study and the 2012 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we investigate how attitudes toward the Tea Party shaped voting behavior in the 2012 presidential and congressional elections. We find that, compared to other Republicans (let alone independents and Democrats), Tea Party Republicans are notably more conservative across a broad range of issues, more hostile to Obama, more politically active, and more loyal to the Republican party and its candidates. Although Tea Partiers and religious conservatives overlap, they are distinguishable factions within the Republican Party. Attitudes toward the Tea Party are shaped by positions on social as well as economic issues, but most powerfully by views of Obama. Although views of the Tea Party are thus highly correlated with a variety of other influential political attitudes and beliefs, they still had a substantial and significant independent effect on voting behavior at all levels in 2012. We conclude with thoughts on the Tea Party Republicans’ contribution to polarized national politics and on the movement’s prospects beyond 2016, when Obama is no longer around to energize it.
A Study of Information Technology Structure: Firm Ownership and Managerial Characteristics

Seeks to isolate those intra‐organizational factors affecting the information technology (IT) structure of the firm. Analyses this phenomenon from two management perspectives: the agency and governance perspective on the one hand, and the management characteristics perspective on the other. Using a sample of 72 large organizations, empirical results indicate that information technology structure (centralized versus decentralized) is strongly related to management equity ownership, to concentration of stock holding and to the age of the CEO. For example, an organization where top executives and managers own a relatively high percentage of the company′s stock, possesses a more centralized information technology structure than an organization with a relatively lower percentage of management ownership. This means that user departments in the latter have more control over their IT functions than users in the former. On the other hand, companies with a high level of stock concentration have a more decentralized...
Can Tax Cuts Pay for Themselves? An Examination of Dynamic Scoring with Public Capital

Can a decrease in tax rates increase tax revenues? If so, to what extent? This paper builds upon recent work by Mankiw and Weinzierl (2006) on the issue by incorporating public capital into a dynamic scoring. The significant components of growth effects and transition paths, along with the conditions under which a tax cut can "pay for itself" are illustrated using the familiar Laffer curve. It is shown that the productivity of public capital and the amount of revenue allocated to public capital investment have important impacts on the growth effects, transition paths and Laffer curves. Using standard labor and capital tax rates, the growth effects are shown to offset only 1 percent of the potential revenue loss from a labor tax cut and 46 percent of the potential revenue loss from a capital tax cut. A broader measure of tax rates from Feldstein (2006) shows that growth effects can offset approximately 30 percent of the potential revenue loss from a labor tax cut and approximately 157 percent from a capital tax cut. The latter result indicates that capital tax cuts may be more than just self-financing; they may actually increase tax revenues by 57 percent.
Observations of the X-Ray Afterglows of GRB 011211 and GRB 001025 by XMM-Newton

We present the XMM-Newton observations of X-ray afterglows of the gamma-ray bursts GRB 011211 and GRB 001025. For GRB 011211, XMM detected a fading X-ray object with an average flux in 0.2-10 keV declining from 2.7 × 10-13 ergs s-1 cm-2 during the first 5 ks of the 27 ks observation to 1.0 × 10-13 ergs s-1 cm-2 toward the end of the observation. The spectrum of the afterglow can be fitted to a power law with α = 2.16 ± 0.03 modified for the Galactic absorption. No significant evolution of spectral parameters has been detected during the observation. A similar X-ray spectrum with α = 2.01 ± 0.09 has been observed by the XMM from GRB 001025. The nondetection of any extra absorption in these spectra above the Galactic value is an interesting fact and may impose restrictions on the favorable GRB models involving the burst origin in star-forming regions. Finally, we discuss soft X-ray lines from GRB 011211 reported by Reeves et al. and conclude that there is no definitive evidence for the presence of these lines in the spectrum.
NUTRITIONAL AND REGULATORY ASPECTS OF SERINE METABOLISM IN ESCHERICHIA COLI

Abstract Pizer, Lewis I. (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia), and Mary L. Potochny. Nutritional and regulatory aspects of serine metabolism in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 88:611–619. 1964.—Growth studies with a serine auxotroph have demonstrated a relationship between the serine supplied and the extent of growth, which closely agrees with the value calculated from the reported chemical composition of Escherichia coli. Serine could be replaced by glycine and, to a limited extent, by l-threonine. Both exogenous serine and glycine regulate their own endogenous synthesis from glucose or fructose. The inhibition of endogenous synthesis of both amino acids by serine was greater than 90% with both carbon sources. Greater amounts of exogenous glycine were utilized for cell synthesis when fructose was the carbon source. Growth conditions affected the levels of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase found in cell-free extracts. The highest levels were found in glucose-grown cells and the lowest in cells grown in a medium augmented with l-threonine, l-methionine, l-leucine, and dl-isoleucine. The levels of serine phosphate phosphatase were not altered by changes in growth conditions.
Immunoprecipitation of labelled proteins

The majority of autoantibodies to nuclear and other intracellular antigens have been shown to react with specific antigens which in the native state are components of subcellular particles (for review see [1]). These subcellular particles frequently comprise aggregates of several different proteins, with or without different species of RNA. Specific immunoprecipitation using a defined autoantibody, therefore results in the precipitation of not only the target antigen reacting with antibody but also other molecular components complexed with the target antigen. In this manner, the entire molecular composition of certain intracellular particles can be elucidated, although the autoantibody is reactive only with one component of the particle.
Neuroplasticity Associated with Treated Aphasia Recovery

Recovery of language function in individuals with stroke-induced aphasia has been attributed to neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt its structure and function as a result of internal and external experiences. Considerable evidence suggests neuroplasticity contributes uniquely to each phase of stroke recovery, from acute to chronic, which may explain varying accounts of brain changes associated with aphasia recovery. Somewhat limited evidence suggests that aphasia recovery relies on structural white matter changes. However, far more studies have revealed functional brain changes associated with both spontaneous and treated recovery from aphasia. Further research with larger patient numbers, detailed descriptions of language behaviors, and consistent methods across studies are necessary for a better understanding of neuroplasticity in aphasia recovery.
Analysis of crack arrest under elastic-plastic conditions

Elastic-plastic finite-element analyses of quasi-static crack propagation and arrest in a compact test specimen are described. The analyses evaluate the effect of the prior plastic deformation history of the propagation event on the shape of the J-resistance curve of the arrestor. In addition, experiments employing a special device are used to simulate fast fracture and arrest in small laboratory test specimens of ductile HY-80 steel and tough 7075 aluminum. The results show that large dynamic elevations of the J-curve are encountered during arrest. A relatively simple procedure for assessing or designing welded-in, steel crack arrestors, based on these findings is proposed.
Trans-Kin Undoing and Redoing Gender: Negotiating Relational Identity among Friends and Family of Transgender Persons

The experiences of transgender persons have gained increased attention in academic discourse; however, few studies address how significant others, family members, friends, and allies (SOFFAs) proce...
Prostaglandins and chemotherapy-induced ulcers in dogs.

About 50% of patients receiving intrahepatic infusion of 5-fluorouracil deoxyriboside (5-FUDR) for colorectal cancer with hepatic metastasis develop significant gastroduodenal lesions. This paper reviews two studies on the effect of 16,16 dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (DMPGE2) on 5-fluorouracil-induced mucosal lesions in dogs. DMPGE2 at high doses (2 μg·kg−1·h−1), which reduced histamine-stimulated gastric acid secretion by 65%, reduced gastric mucosal injury. Interestingly, DMPGE2 at much lower doses (0.02 μg·kg−1·h−1), which had no effect on histamine-stimulated gastric acid secretion, was also effective in lowering gastric mucosal injury. These animal studies, if supported by the results of a larger patient study, would provide a rational basis for the use of prostaglandins in the prophylaxis and treatment of chemotherapy-induced ulcers.
Eating disorder prevention: current evidence-base and future directions.

Objective: This narrative review sought to (a) characterize prevention programs that have produced reliable, reproducible, and clinically meaningful effects in efficacy trials, (b) discuss effectiveness trials that have tested whether prevention programs produce intervention effects under ecologically valid real-world conditions, (c) discuss dissemination efforts and research on dissemination, and (d) offer suggestions regarding directions for future research in this field. Conclusion: A literature revealed that 6 prevention programs have produced significant reductions in eating disorder symptoms through at least 6-month follow-up and that 2 have significantly reduced future eating disorder onset. Effectiveness trials indicate that 2 prevention programs have produced effects under ecologically valid conditions that are only slightly attenuated. Although there have been few dissemination efforts, evidence suggests that a community participatory approach is most effective. Lastly, it would be useful to develop programs that produce larger and more persistent reductions in eating disorder symptoms and eating disorder onset, focus more on effectiveness trials that confirm that prevention programs produce clinically meaningful effects under real-world conditions, conduct meditational, mechanisms of action, and moderator research that provides stronger support for the intervention theory of prevention programs, and investigate the optimal methods of disseminating and implementing evidence-based prevention programs. © 2013 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2013; 46:478–485)
Energy Parameters in Polypeptides. VI. Conformational Energy Analysis of the N‐Acetyl N′‐Methyl Amides of the Twenty Naturally Occurring Amino Acids

The conformational space accessible to the N-acetyl N′-methyl amides of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids has been explored extensively with the aid of empirical energy functions, and many minima have been located. The statistical weights for all minima with energy ≤ 3 kcal above the lowest for each residue have been calculated. In numerous cases, the conformation of lowest energy does not possess the highest statistical weight, thereby emphasizing the importance of considering the conformational librations when comparing theoretical and experimental results. The calculated minimum-energy conformations, as well as those of highest statistical weight, are for the most part in good agreement with experimental results from studies of these compounds in solution and in the crystalline state.
Social acceptance and facial behavior in children with oral clefts.

Abstract Objective: To examine and compare social acceptance, social behavior, and facial movements of children with and without oral clefts in an experimental setting. Design: Two groups of children (with and without oral clefts) were videotaped in a structured social interaction with a peer confederate, when listening to emotional stories, and when told to pose specific facial expressions. Participants: Twenty-four children and adolescents ages 7 to 161/2 years with oral clefts were group matched for gender, grade, and socioeconomic status with 25 noncleft controls. Main Outcome Measures: Specific social and facial behaviors coded from videotapes; Harter Self-Perception Profile, Social Acceptance subscale. Results: Significant between-group differences were obtained. Children in the cleft group more often displayed “Tongue Out,” “Eye Contact,” “Mimicry,” and “Initiates Conversation.” For the cleft group, “Gaze Avoidance” was significantly negatively correlated with social acceptance scores. The groups w...
Patient Reported Outcomes and Analgesia Use in Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Summary Objective Non-opioid analgesics (NOAs) are widely used to palliate osteoarthritis (OA) pain, however, their role in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in OA has not been well studied. Here, we assess the relationship of pain, physical function, and HRQoL to NOA use in symptomatic knee OA. Methods NOA dose, pain, physical function, and HRQoL were evaluated longitudinally over 1 year in medial knee OA. Doses provided by subjects' weekly medication diaries were normalized to equi-analgesic ibuprofen-equivalents (IEs). Descriptive analyses at baseline, 1.5, and 12 months, and non-parametric comparisons of NOA with pain, physical function, and HRQoL at 1.5 months and over 12 months were performed. Results Seventy-one subjects (19 males and 52 females; mean 57±10.5 years) used an overall median of 300mg/week of IE. Twenty-five subjects reported no analgesic use during the study; of the 46 subjects that reported NOA use, the median intake was 1325mg/weekIE. Whereas age, Physical Functioning (PF) and HRQoL were predictive of NOA dose both at 1.5 months and during the entire study, pain level was not. The median NOA dose declined over 12 months ( P =0.02), however, the change was not associated with changes in PF, HRQoL or pain. Conclusion Greater age and worse physical function and HRQoL, but not pain severity, are predictive of NOA use in symptomatic knee OA. Longitudinally, NOA use does not change as a function of pain. These data suggest that pain is not the primary determinant of NOA use over time among OA patients.
Assessing Goal-Directed Three-Dimensional Movements in a Virtual Reality Block Design Task

This study investigated three-dimensional (3D) goal-directed movements in a virtual reality (VR) simulation of a standardized psychomotor control task. Movement trajectories were collected from 22 subjects and parsed based on an existing two-phase model of motor control including ballistic and correction phases. Kinematic measures were also acquired to provide further insight into motor skill learning. Results revealed kinematic measures of total numbers of sub movements and numbers of sub movements in the correction phase to be significantly correlated with psychomotor task scores. A predictive model applied to the 3D movements revealed the correction phase movements to be more predictive of psychomotor performance than the ballistic phase. Findings indicate a greater degree of fine motor skill was required for performance of the psychomotor control task. This research supports the use of high resolution kinematic measures as reliable predictors of psychomotor task performance.
Radiation efficiency and input impedance of monopole elements with radial-wire ground planes in proximity to earth

Plots are presented of the radial efficiency and input impedance of a thin quarter-wave monopole element with a radialwire ground plane in proximity to flat lossy Earth, as a function of the number and length of the radial wires. Numerical results are from the method-of-moments NEC-GS program developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Extreme sulfur-cycling in acid brine lake environments of Western Australia

Abstract Regional-scale extreme acid brines in southern Western Australia are an example of sulfur-rich end-member continental waters and are amongst the most physically and chemically dynamic settings in the world. Here, aqueous sulfur compounds, sulfur minerals, and sulfur-interacting microorganisms are abundant and diverse and sulfur cycling is intense. Lake waters and groundwaters of the Yilgarn Craton are Na–Cl–SO 4 –Mg-rich with pH as low as 1.7, salinity as high as 32% total dissolved solids, and sulfuric acid as the dominant acid. Measured concentrations of dissolved total S range from 500 to 19,800 ppm, and SO 4 ranges from 692 to 35,169 ppm. The difference between total S and SO 4 suggests that other S species are present in these waters, particularly in the most acid brines. Rainwaters, which have previously been suggested as a source of sea spray aerosol SO 4 to the lake systems, yielded 7 to 8 ppm SO 4 . Sulfur isotope analysis shows that δ 34 S for lake waters is 17.0 to 19.1‰, for groundwaters is 17.0 to 18.6‰, for gypsum is 20.2 to 20.4‰, and for alunite is 18.9‰. These values are consistent with a combination of S sources and sinks. Sulfur cycling processes include sulfide oxidation, evapoconcentration, mineral precipitation, mineral dissolution, and bacterial reduction and oxidation. Field, petrographic, and molecular analyses of microorganisms in these acid saline environments suggest that some are S-oxidizing and S-reducing bacteria. Sulfur-bearing minerals in the area include both sulfides and sulfates. Sulfides, including pyrite, have been observed in veins and disseminated in surface exposures and shallow cores of Archean igneous and metamorphic host rocks, as well as in overlying sediments. Sedimentary sulfate minerals include gypsum, bassanite, anhydrite, and rozenite that grow directly from lake waters, and gypsum, anhydrite, jarosite, natrojarosite, alunite, basaluminite, hydrobasaluminite, langbeinite, and rozenite that grow diagenetically from shallow groundwaters. These sedimentary minerals are subjected to physical reworking and chemical dissolution and re-precipitation. Sulfur cycling among the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere in acid saline environments is dynamic. Driving forces are rock weathering, weather, and climate, which ultimately influence the water chemistry. Flooding–evapoconcentration–desiccation cycles accelerate short-term local and regional sulfur cycling. The combination of low pH, highly saline waters, and dynamic changes in environment make sulfur arguably the most important element in these environments.
The electrostatic charge of interplanetary grains

Abstract The equilibrium potential of an interplanetary grain is governed essentially by the balance between the photoelectric ejection of grain electrons by solar quanta and the capture of solar-wind electrons by the grain. When the photoelectric effect of the actual EUV and X-ray radiation of the Sun are accounted for, the equilibrium potential of a metallic grain during years of a quiet Sun is found to range from about +7 to +18 V, depending on whether the instantaneous flux of the solar wind is near its maximum or its minimum. A working typical value is +12 V, larger by a factor of two or three than other recent estimates. It is estimated that during the peak of the solar cycle the enhanced EUV solar radiation may result in grain potentials up to +30 Von occasions when the solar-wind flux is low. As is well known, one of the consequences of the finite electrostatic charge is that the solar wind exerts a Coulombic drag force on an orbiting interplanetary grain, which adds to other perturbative forces to reduce by a factor of about 1.5 the time taken for a grain to spiral inward toward the Sun until it is lost to the zodiacal cloud.
GROWTH HORMONE SECRETORY PATTERNS IN NORMAL STATURED SUBJECTS

To determine whether a correlation exists between height and the quantity of growth hormone (GH) secreted during physiologic conditions, we measured 24-hr GH concentration (GHC) in 29 non-obese, normal statured subjects, 16 males, 13 females, 7-18 yrs. Results (mean ± SE) are indicated in Table. SDS*, standard deviation score The data indicates that in normal statured subjects, 1) 24-hr GHC ranges from 2.1 to 6.2ng/ml, which overlaps with values reported in hypopituitarism, 2) GHC during sleep is significantly greater than during wakeful hrs and correlates well with 24-hr GHC (p<.01) 3) The puberty associated increase in 24-hr GHC results from an increase in GHC during wakeful hrs, 4) GHC does not correlate with height(SDS), age, SmC or midparental height, but correlates inversely with weight(SDS) and bone age in pubertal subjects only and 5) SmC correlates with age, bone age and sexual stage (p<.01). IN CONCLUSION: In normally growing subjects, stature does not appear to be determined by the amount of GH or SmC, but by genetic influences, including perhaps responsiveness to growth factors. Further, GH deficiency cannot be diagnosed solely by 24-hr GHC.
A preliminary study of PDA-based dietary self-monitoring in hemodialysis patients.

Objective The purpose of this study was to pilot test an intervention to enhance the adherence of study participants to the hemodialysis dietary regimen. Design A single case study design was used to examine the potential effectiveness of the intervention over a 4-month period of time. Setting A dialysis center in southwestern Pennsylvania. Patients Of the five individuals entered into the study, one was male and four were female, four were black, and one was white. Participants were 63 to 70 years of age, and had been receiving dialysis for a median of 36 months (range, 18 to 84 months). Intervention The intervention included counseling to enhance self-efficacy, by a renal dietitian, paired with personal digital assistant-based dietary self-monitoring. Participants met twice per week with interventionists during the first 6 weeks, weekly during the second 6-week period, and biweekly in the final 4-week period. Main outcome measures Monthly laboratory data regarding serum albumin, potassium, and phosphorus levels; Kt/V; and data on average monthly interdialytic weight gain were abstracted from the participants' medical records. C-reactive protein level was determined at baseline and at 4 months. Results Four of five study participants had an increase in serum albumin level from baseline to their final measurement, and one participant maintained a stable albumin level. Four of five participants also experienced a small increase in serum phosphorus level. Mixed results were obtained with regard to serum potassium and average monthly interdialytic weight gain. Conclusions Because of the small sample and single case study design, caution must be used in drawing firm conclusions from this study. Data suggest that the intervention may result in improved dietary intake and improved serum albumin levels. With increased dietary intake, serum phosphorus levels may increase. Additional research is needed to determine the potential efficacy and cost-effectiveness of this intervention for improving dietary adherence.
Diffusion-limited kinetics of the antiferromagnetic to ferrimagnetic λ-transition in Fe1−xS

Fe1−xS (0.08 ≤ x ≤ 0.11) exhibits a simultaneous magneto-structural “λ-transition” at approximately 200 °C. Time-dependent magnetization measurements demonstrate the λ-transition can be accurately modeled by a stretched exponential function, consistent with a nucleation-free, continuous reordering of the vacancy-bearing sublattice. The experimental result is supported by kinetic Monte Carlo simulations that confirm the activation energy for the transition to be 1.1 ± 0.1 eV—representing the iron vacancy migration energy in ordered Fe1−xS. A mechanistic understanding of the λ-transition enables potential functional uses of Fe1−xS such as thermally activated magnetic memory, switches, or storage.
Strategies for Optimizing Adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: Lessons from Research and Clinical Practice

Successful treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) requires that patients maintain nearly perfect adherence to the prescribed regimen. Suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy is clearly the most common cause of virologic failure of HAART regimens. Given the critical role of adherence in successful antiretroviral therapy, it is essential that providers of care for patients with HIV infection have a strategy that proactively assists and supports their patients' efforts to adhere to medication regimens. This review endeavors to provide a clinically focused approach to optimizing adherence of patients to HAART.
Evaluating the degree of concordance between employers' evaluations of work behavior

This study investigated employers' evaluations of work performed by six mentally retarded adults in a restaurant setting. The results suggested two important points. First, employers, when provided repeated observations of worker performance, rate employees fairly consistently along the production dimension (inter-rater reliability). Secondly, these same employers did not agree with themselves when provided double filmings of the same person working (intrarater reliability). Potential explanations for these findings and future areas of research are discussed. Finally, degree of concordance between trained observers and these same employers was estimated.
Surfactant displacement of human serum albumin adsorbed on loosely packed self-assembled monolayers: cetyltrimethylammonium bromide versus sodium dodecyl sulfate

The surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) displace human serum albumin (HSA) from loosely packed self-assembled monolayers (SAM) of hydrophobic alkyl chains by different means. Removal of HSA is of interest because previous work has suggested that the adsorption of HSA to such loosely packed SAMs may be sufficiently tenacious to offer opportunities for surface passivation. While HSA remains on the surface after exposure to SDS and rinsing, no protein remains after exposure to CTAB and rinsing. X-ray reflectivity and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicate that CTAB molecules remain interdigitated in the loosely packed SAM after rinsing, suggesting that CTAB is more effective in removing the HSA because it interacts more strongly with the SAM.
Development of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assays for Detection and Quantification of Surrogate Biological Warfare Agents in Building Debris and Leachate

Evaluation of the fate and transport of biological warfare (BW) agents in landfills requires the development of specific and sensitive detection assays. The objective of the current study was to develop and validate SYBR green quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) assays for the specific detection and quantification of surrogate BW agents in synthetic building debris (SBD) and leachate. Bacillus atrophaeus (vegetative cells and spores) and Serratia marcescens were used as surrogates for Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) and Yersinia pestis (plague), respectively. The targets for SYBR green Q-PCR assays were the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) region and recA gene for B. atrophaeus and the gyrB, wzm, and recA genes for S. marcescens. All assays showed high specificity when tested against 5 ng of closely related Bacillus and Serratia nontarget DNA from 21 organisms. Several spore lysis methods that include a combination of one or more of freeze-thaw cycles, chemical lysis, hot detergent treatment, bead beat homogenization, and sonication were evaluated. All methods tested showed similar threshold cycle values. The limit of detection of the developed Q-PCR assays was determined using DNA extracted from a pure bacterial culture and DNA extracted from sterile water, leachate, and SBD samples spiked with increasing quantities of surrogates. The limit of detection for B. atrophaeus genomic DNA using the ITS and B. atrophaeus recA Q-PCR assays was 7.5 fg per PCR. The limits of detection of S. marcescens genomic DNA using the gyrB, wzm, and S. marcescens recA Q-PCR assays were 7.5 fg, 75 fg, and 7.5 fg per PCR, respectively. Quantification of B. atrophaeus vegetative cells and spores was linear (R(2) > 0.98) over a 7-log-unit dynamic range down to 10(1) B. atrophaeus cells or spores. Quantification of S. marcescens (R(2) > 0.98) was linear over a 6-log-unit dynamic range down to 10(2) S. marcescens cells. The developed Q-PCR assays are highly specific and sensitive and can be used for monitoring the fate and transport of the BW surrogates B. atrophaeus and S. marcescens in building debris and leachate.
Discussion of “Application of the modified einstein procedure for computation of total sediment load”

Basically, any theory consists of a set of assumptions and various conclusions which are logically derived therefrom. An assumption, as the term is to be used here, may be based on an observed fact or relationship, a definition, an undefined (but generally accepted and understood) concept; or it may be based on a postulated relationship which has not been observed and may not even be directly observable. The conclusions of a theory in the physical sciences are, of course, intended to agree with and to predict observable facts. If a theory does not thus coincide with reality, it is eminently proper to examine the assumptions and the logical structure of the theory and, if possible, to modify the assumptions or correct the logic so that the conclusions do agree with observed facts.
Carboxymethylated cyclodextrins and their paramagnetic lanthanide complexes as water-soluble chiral NMR solvating agents

Cyclodextrins that are indiscriminately carboxymethylated at the 2-, 3-, and 6-position are used as chiral NMR solvating agents for cationic aromatic amines and aromatic hydroxy amines. Enantiomeric discrimination with the α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrin derivatives is compared. The carboxymethylated derivatives are consistently more effective as chiral NMR discriminating agents for cationic substrates than native cyclodextrins. The most effective cyclodextrin varies for different substrates, although the β-cyclodextrin derivative is usually the best for the phenyl-containing compounds examined herein. Addition of paramagnetic praseodymium(III) or ytterbium(III) to mixtures of the carboxymethylated cyclodextrin and substrate often causes enhancements in enantiomeric discrimination and facilitates measurements of enantiomeric purity. The lanthanide ion bonds to the carboxymethyl groups and shifts the NMR spectra of substrate molecules in the cyclodextrin cavity.
Nondestructive characterization of the mechanical strength of diffusion bonds. I. Experimental results

The application of ultrasonic reflectivity for the characterization of a variety of copper diffusion bonds is described. The quality of each diffusion bond has been described by its ultimate tensile strength. Furthermore, fractography of the failed bonds provided information on the relative fraction of bonded areas as well as the geometry of the bonds. This paper provides the experimental results obtained as well as empirical correlations between the quantities determined.
Rapid detection of food- and waterborne bacteria using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy coupled with silver nanosubstrates

Development of rapid and sensitive methods to detect pathogens is important to food and water safety. This study aimed to detect and discriminate important food- and waterborne bacteria (i.e., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Enterococcus faecelis) by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with intracellular nanosilver as SERS substrates. An in vivo molecular probing using intracellular nanosilver for the preparation of bacterial samples was established and assessed. Satisfactory SERS performance and characteristic SERS spectra were obtained from different bacterial samples. Distinctive differences were observed in SERS spectral data, specifically in the Raman shift region of 500-1,800 cm(-1), and between bacterial samples at the species and strain levels. The detection limit of SERS coupled with in vivo molecular probing using silver nanosubstrates could reach the level of single cells. Experiments with a mixture of E. coli O157:H7 and S. epidermidis for SERS measurement demonstrate that SERS could be used for classification of mixed bacterial samples. Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize changes of morphology and cellular composition of bacterial cells after treatment of intracellular nanosilver. The results indicate that SERS coupled with intracellular silver nanosubstrates is a promising method for detection and characterization of food- and waterborne pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacterial samples.
Rheological and mechanical properties of antiplasticized and rubber-toughened bisphenol A polycarbonate

The addition of a high-T g aromatic diluent to bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) reduced T g and melt viscosity while raising elastic modulus and yield stress substantially. Ultimate tensile elongation and impact toughness were badly affected. However, the addition to these antiplasticized blends of a small amount of a rubber modifier restored impact toughness and elongation but left the blend with increased melt fluidity and ambient stiffness re: neat PC. The key to this rebalancing of the properties of PC was found to be the disappearance of the plane strain crack instability that is a hallmark of the neat resin. The deformation mechanism in all the rubber-containing blends in all failure tests, regardless of geometric constraint and strain rate was found to be shear flow alone. The large plastic zone seen at the plane strain crack tip appears to involve rubber particle cavitation as well
Spatial and temporal patterns of serotonin release in the rat's lumbar spinal cord following electrical stimulation of the nucleus raphe magnus.

The monoamine neurotransmitter serotonin is released from spinal terminals of nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) neurons and important in sensory and motor control, but its pattern of release has remained unclear. Serotonin was measured by the high-resolution method of fast cyclic voltammetry (2 Hz) with carbon-fiber microelectrodes in lumbar segments (L3–L6) of halothane-anesthetized rats during electrical stimulation of the NRM. Because sites of serotonin release are often histologically remote from membrane transporters and receptors, rapid emergence into aggregate extracellular space was expected. Increased monoamine oxidation currents were found in 94% of trials of 50-Hz, 20-s NRM stimulation across all laminae. The estimated peak serotonin concentration averaged 37.8 nM (maximum 287 nM), and was greater in dorsal and ventral laminae (I–III and VIII–IX) than in intermediate laminae (IV–VI). When measured near NRM-evoked changes, basal monoamine levels (relative to dorsal white matter) were highest in intermediate laminae, while changes in norepinephrine level produced by locus ceruleus (LC) stimulation were lowest in laminae II/III and VII. The NRM-evoked monoamine peak was linearly proportional to stimulus frequency (10–100 Hz). The peak often occurred before the stimulus ended (mean 15.6 s at 50 Hz, range 4–35 s) regardless of frequency, suggesting that release per impulse was constant during the rise but fell later. The latency from stimulus onset to electrochemical signal detection (mean 4.2 s, range 1–23 s) was inversely correlated with peak amplitude and directly correlated with time-to-peak. Quantitative modeling suggested that shorter latencies mostly reflected the time below detection threshold (5–10 nM), so that extrasynaptic serotonin was significantly elevated well within 1 s. Longer latencies (>5 s), which were confined to intermediate laminae, appeared mainly to be due to diffusion from distant sources. In conclusion, except possibly in intermediate laminae, serotonergic volume transmission is a significant mode of spinal control by the NRM.
Neurocognitive functioning and improvement in quality of life following participation in cardiac rehabilitation

We investigated the relationship between neurocognitive functioning and quality of life/self-perceived health status (QOL) among cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients to determine whether level of neurocognitive functioning is related to baseline QOL and improvement following CR. CR patients (n = 35) were given a neurocognitive screening before participation in CR, and also completed a behavioral inventory (SF-36) before and after CR to measure QOL associated with medical illness. At baseline, CR patients obtained relatively low SF-36 scores compared with published norms, and as reported previously, demonstrated inferior neurocognitive performance compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, neurocognitive performance was strongly positively correlated to SF-36 scores. Significant improvements were evident on many of the SF-36 subscales following rehabilitation. These improvements were relatively greater among SF-36 indexes of physical health status compared with SF-36 indexes of mental health status. Baseline neurocognitive performance also correlated strongly to the degree of improvement in SF-36 scores following rehabilitation. These findings indicate a strong relationship between baseline neurocognitive functioning and QOL before CR, and the degree to which QOL improves following this intervention.