cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associations of plasma, RBCs, and hair carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios with fish, meat, and sugar-sweetened beverage intake in a 12-wk inpatient feeding study.

Background Naturally occurring carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios [13C/12C (CIR) and 15N/14N (NIR)] are promising dietary biomarkers. As these candidate biomarkers have long tissue residence times, long-term feeding studies are needed for their evaluation. Objective Our aim was to evaluate plasma, RBCs, and hair CIR and NIR as biomarkers of fish, meat, and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in a 12-wk dietary intervention. Methods Thirty-two men (aged 46.2 ± 10.5 y; BMI: 27.2 ± 4.0 kg/m2) underwent a 12-wk inpatient dietary intervention at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in Phoenix, Arizona. The effects of fish, meat, and SSB intake on CIR and NIR were evaluated using a balanced factorial design, with each intake factor at 2 levels (present/absent) in a common, background diet (50% carbohydrate, 30% fat, 20% protein). Fasting blood samples were taken biweekly from baseline, and hair samples were collected at baseline and postintervention. Data were analyzed using multivariable regression. Results The postintervention CIR of plasma was elevated when diets included meat (β = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.73,1.05) and SSBs (β = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.64). The postintervention NIR of plasma was elevated when diets included fish (β = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.64, 1.05) and meat (β = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.8). Results were similar for RBCs and hair. Postintervention RBC CIR and NIR had strong associations with baseline, suggesting that turnover to the intervention diets was incomplete after 12 wk. Estimates of isotopic turnover rate further confirmed incomplete turnover of RBCs. Conclusions CIR was associated with meat and SSBs, and more strongly with meat. NIR was associated with fish and meat, and more strongly with fish. Overall, CIR and NIR discriminated between dietary fish and meat, and to a lesser extent SSBs, indicating their potential utility as biomarkers of intake in US diets. Approaches to make these biomarkers more specific are needed. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01237093.
Metacognition and Multiplicity: The Arts as Models and Agents

This article proposes (1) that educational theories usually reserved for behind-the-scenes curriculum design should be considered as the open content of metacognitive activities in the classroom; and (2) that works of art are particularly rich sources for the invitation and validation of multiple perspectives. The author provides examples of reflection on evolving theories of education that may help students' metacognition with regard to their own learning and the learning of others. As specific examples of this claim, Gardner's theories of multiple intelligences and entry points are explored as authentic topics for classroom learning. Suggesting and reviewing art-related metacognitive activities that engage inquiry, access, and reflection, the paper draws from research led by the author in Project Museums Uniting with Schools in Education (MUSE).
Towards a method of estimating out-of-plane effects on measurements of turbulent flame dynamics

Abstract Turbulent flames are highly three-dimensional and while planar measurement techniques for studying these flames are widely used, the interpretation of two-dimensional flame data can suffer from three-dimensional, out-of-plane effects. In this study, a methodology to statistically estimate three-dimensional effects on flame propagation measured from planar high-speed measurements is presented. This methodology uses a theoretical approach to estimate the out-of-plane motion effects on flame propagation and probabilistic modeling to separate this effect from measured experimental data. The methodology is applied to the consumption speeds of reactant pockets in a rectangular Bunsen flame experiment. Simultaneous s-PIV and OH-PLIF measurements are performed to track the behavior of reactant pockets and obtain their consumption rates. A univariate mixture model is used to model the experimental data and a distribution reflecting the out-of-plane motion contribution of the consumption speed is obtained by modeling three-dimensional pockets and convecting them through a plane based on the measured pocket edges and out-of-plane velocities. A Markov-chain Monte Carlo approach is used to separate the two distributions and uncertainties are estimated in the experimental consumption speed data. Finally, we discuss the applicability of this approach to experimental measurements.
Evaluation of in vitro neuronal networks for the study of spontaneous activity

In the absence of external stimuli, the nervous system exhibits a spontaneous electrical activity whose functions are not fully understood, and that represents the background noise of brain operations. Spontaneous activity has been proven to arise not only in vivo, but in in vitro neuronal networks as well, following some stereotypical patterns that reproduce the time course of development of the mammalian nervous system. This review provides an overview of in vitro models for the study of spontaneous network activity, discussing their ability to reproduce in vivo - like dynamics and the main findings obtained with each particular model. While explanted brain slices are able to reproduce the neuronal oscillations typically observed in anaesthetized animals, dissociated cultures allow the use of patient-derived neurons and limit the number of animals used for sample preparation.
Association Between Implementation of the 2009 American Thyroid Association Guidelines and De-escalation of Treatment for Low-risk Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

This quality improvement study assesses the association between the implementation American Thyroid Association guidelines and de-escalation of thereapy for patients with low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Modulating sorbitol crystallization using impurities

Abstract Sorbitol crystallization in complex systems, such as those seen in sugar-free confectionery products, is not well understood. By leveraging torque rheology, crystallization onset time was measured using the inflection point at which torque increased during mixing as a result of crystallization. Select impurities (mannitol, maltitol, and glycerol) were used 5, 10, and 20% to determine their impact on sorbitol crystallization behavior from 10% moisture sorbitol syrups. Binary and ternary blends of the same impurities were also evaluated at a total impurity addition level of 20% to investigate any synergies. Overall, mannitol had the most pronounced inhibition of sorbitol crystallization onset time, with onset time being directly proportional to the amount of mannitol added. Interestingly, despite inhibited onset time, mannitol did not impact the final torque measurement and the impact on melting point was minimal; this differed from the other ingredients studied as well as ingredient blends.
Mechanical performance of zirconia-silica bilayer coating on aluminum alloys with varying porosities: Deep learning and microstructure-based FEM

Abstract Despite significant efforts in multiscale modeling of multiphase materials, the effective mechanical response of the thin surface layers still remains elusive due to the complexity of heterogeneous microstructures and composition. This work presents a multiscale modeling approach for determining the effective elastic properties and mechanical behavior of heterogeneous materials such as thin multilayered oxides. This approach is specifically tailored for identifying the mechanical performance of porous solid oxides as the outermost layer. A generative adversarial network (GAN) is used to generate microstructure with varying porosities, complex pore shapes, and randomly distributed pores. The multiscale modeling framework is based on the Mechanics of Structure Genome (MSG) to concurrently derive micromechanics and structural analysis models from heterogeneous structures. We have evaluated the modeling approach based on the available experimental data in the literature. By resorting to the presented framework, not only the effective mechanical properties but also the global and local fields within the macro- and micro-structures, respectively, can be quantitatively predicted for a wide range of heterogeneous systems. A thorough investigation of the mechanical performance of aluminum alloys with deposited porous ZrO2 – SiO2 bilayer is presented to demonstrate the efficacy and applicability of this approach. Results show that the elastic properties of silica and zirconia are dramatically reduced when porosity exceeds 5 % and 3 % , respectively.
Modified phase-generated carrier demodulation of fiber-optic interferometric ultrasound sensors

We propose and demonstrate a modified phase-generated carrier (PGC) demodulation scheme optimized for detection of ultrasound using interferometric sensors with sinusoidal fringes. The sensor used in demonstration is made from a pair of weak fiber Bragg-gratings at the ends of a coiled fiber that form a low-finesse Fabry-Perot interferometer. The phase of the laser source is modulated using an electro-optic phase modulator to generate the carrier signal and obtain 2 quadrature (the sine and cosine) terms at the first and the second order carrier frequencies. The signal of interest (ultrasound) has much higher frequency than the environmental perturbation but a very small amplitude that causes only small phase shift. Using small-signal approximation, for each of the 2 quadrature terms, we separate the contributions from the environmental perturbations (quasi-DC component) and from the ultrasound (AC component). The AC components that contain the information of the ultrasound signal are then further amplified with a large gain. The signal of interest is constructed by simple algebraic operations on the 2 quasi-DC components and the 2 amplified AC components involving multiplying and summing. This work provides a simple and robust demodulation method with potentially high sensitivity for fiber-optic interferometric ultrasound sensors.
Cytoprotective IgG antibodies in sera from a subset of patients with AQP4-IgG seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Most NMOSD patients are seropositive for immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies against astrocyte water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4), called AQP4-IgG. AQP4-IgG binding to aquaporin-4 causes complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), leading to inflammation and demyelination. Here, CDC was measured in AQP4-expressing cells exposed to human complement and heat-inactivated sera from 108 AQP4-IgG seropositive NMOSD subjects and 25 non-NMOSD controls. AQP4-IgG positive sera produced a wide range of CDC, with 50% maximum cytotoxicity produced by as low as 0.2% serum concentration. Unexpectedly, 58 samples produced no cytotoxicity, and of those, four sera were cytoprotective against cytotoxic AQP4-IgG. Cytoprotection was found against different cytotoxic monoclonal AQP4-IgGs and NMOSD patient sera, and in primary astrocyte cultures. Mechanistic studies revealed that the protective factor is an IgG antibody that did not inhibit complement directly, but interfered with binding of cytotoxic AQP4-IgG to AQP4 and consequent C1q binding and complement activation. Further studies suggested that non-pathogenic AQP4-IgG, perhaps with altered glycosylation, may contribute to reduced or ineffectual binding of cytotoxic AQP4-IgG, as well as reduced cell-surface AQP4. The presence of natural cytoprotective antibodies in AQP4-IgG seropositive sera reveals an added level of complexity in NMOSD disease pathogenesis, and suggests the potential therapeutic utility of ‘convalescent’ serum or engineered protective antibody to interfere with pathogenic antibody in AQP4-IgG seropositive NMOSD.
Crossover youth post arrest: Placement status and recidivism

Abstract The association between child maltreatment and juvenile delinquency is well established. Maltreated youth experience significantly higher delinquency rates than their peers. Studies report that placement instability in substitute care and placement in congregate settings (e.g., group homes) contribute to higher rates of offending. To date, no studies have focused on the judicial response and the likelihood of continued offending. The current study investigates the association between post-arrest placement decisions and recidivism. We analyze administrative records from the Los Angeles County Department of Probation and the Department of Children and Family Services. The sample includes all first-time violent offenders with an open child welfare case. Forty-nine percent of youth experienced a subsequent arrest. Using Cox regression, we find that moving crossover youth from a family-like setting to a congregate care setting was associated with significantly higher rates of recidivism. We discuss the policy and practice implications of these findings.
Sharp thresholds for high-dimensional and noisy recovery of sparsity

The problem of consistently estimating the sparsity pattern of a vector $\betastar \in \real^\mdim$ based on observations contaminated by noise arises in various contexts, including subset selection in regression, structure estimation in graphical models, sparse approximation, and signal denoising. We analyze the behavior of $\ell_1$-constrained quadratic programming (QP), also referred to as the Lasso, for recovering the sparsity pattern. Our main result is to establish a sharp relation between the problem dimension $\mdim$, the number $\spindex$ of non-zero elements in $\betastar$, and the number of observations $\numobs$ that are required for reliable recovery. For a broad class of Gaussian ensembles satisfying mutual incoherence conditions, we establish existence and compute explicit values of thresholds $\ThreshLow$ and $\ThreshUp$ with the following properties: for any $\epsilon > 0$, if $\numobs > 2 (\ThreshUp + \epsilon) \log (\mdim - \spindex) + \spindex + 1$, then the Lasso succeeds in recovering the sparsity pattern with probability converging to one for large problems, whereas for $\numobs < 2 (\ThreshLow - \epsilon) \log (\mdim - \spindex) + \spindex + 1$, then the probability of successful recovery converges to zero. For the special case of the uniform Gaussian ensemble, we show that $\ThreshLow = \ThreshUp = 1$, so that the threshold is sharp and exactly determined.
Measuring Dynamic Changes in Histone Modifications and Nucleosome Density during Activated Transcription in Budding Yeast

Chromatin immunoprecipitation is widely utilized to determine the in vivo binding of factors that regulate transcription. This procedure entails formaldehyde-mediated cross-linking of proteins and isolation of soluble chromatin followed by shearing. The fragmented chromatin is subjected to immunoprecipitation using antibodies against the protein of interest and the associated DNA is identified using quantitative PCR. Since histones are posttranslationally modified during transcription, this technique can be effectively used to determine the changes in histone modifications that occur during transcription. In this paper, we describe a detailed methodology to determine changes in histone modifications in budding yeast that takes into account reductions in nucleosome.
Ballistic Missiles and Space Launch Vehicles in Regional Powers

International security concerns about ballistic missile proliferation have frequently highlighted the links between ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles. This article examines the extent of...
The distribution of l-asparagine synthetase in the principal organs of several mammalian and avian species

A survey was conducted of the distribution of l-asparagine synthetase and of l-asparaginase in the principal organs of representative mammals and birds. Although a radiometric assay was used as a routine, several additional criteria, including enzymic and chromatographic ones, were used to verify that the product of the synthetase was l-asparagine. Recoveries of exogenous l-asparagine were assessed in the presence of a number of mouse organs and found to be about 85%. In addition, evidence is presented for the existence in mouse liver of a thermolabile activity capable of destroying l-asparagine and stimulated by high concentrations of NH(4) (+) ions. Of the organs surveyed, pancreas was generally found to synthesize l-asparagine at the most rapid rate, whereas extracts of liver catalysed the decomposition of this amide at the greatest velocity. Of the species studied, guinea pig had the highest activities of pancreatic l-asparagine synthetase and also of hepatic l-asparaginase. The pancreas of mouse and ox also were good sources of l-asparagine synthetase.
Putting Anthropology Back Togedier Again: The Ethnogenetic Critique of Cladistic Theory 925

Cladistic theories of human evolution, derived from biological theories of speciation, are currently being advanced to explain worldwide distributions of language, culture, and physical type. Such theories are weak and inconsistent, and inappropriate for describing evolution within the boundaries of human species. Ethnogenetic theory, based on the idea that each human society and culture is built from elements derived from two or more antecedent societies, is ethnographically and logically superior in several important respects.
Formation and evolution of sediment layers in an aggregating colloidal suspension.

The coupled aggregation and sedimentation of colloidal particles with short-range attractions are investigated. Nonadsorbing polymer is used to induce depletion interactions between the hard-sphere particles. Gravitational forces, caused by a density mismatch between the particles and the suspending fluid, result in the sedimentation of particles and aggregates, as well as the compaction and rearrangement of the final sediment layer. At low polymer concentrations ${C}_{\mathrm{P}}$, or low initial volume fractions ${\ensuremath{\phi}}_{\mathrm{o}}$, clusters formed during the period of fast sedimentation are small, and the structure of the final sediment is dense. Conversely, at high ${C}_{\mathrm{P}}$, or high ${\ensuremath{\phi}}_{\mathrm{o}}$, large clusters form during sedimentation, and the resulting sediment structure is significantly less dense, with large void volumes. The size of the presediment aggregates depends on ${C}_{\mathrm{P}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\phi}}_{\mathrm{o}}$ with a functional form that resembles other thermally activated barrier hopping processes in colloidal systems, such as the delayed sedimentation of colloidal gels. Finally, when the particles are weakly attractive, gravitational stresses are found to induce compaction of the sediment over long periods of time. However, sediments composed of particles that are strongly attractive resist rearrangements and compaction, even when the sediment layers have a relatively large amount of free volume.
Transport-limited modulation bandwidth of quantum well, wire, and dot lasers

Recently, it was shown that transport effects, including both diffusion in the separate confinement (SCH) region and intrinsic capture of carriers into the quantum well (QW), are significant in determining the ultimate modulation bandwidth of QW lasers.1-3 In particular, it was shown that the intrinsic quantum capture process, which has a subpicosecond time scale and, therefore, was considered to be irrelevant to the modulation response, even at 100 GHz, does indeed matter a great deal.3 In this paper we offer a simple physical interpretation of the quantum capture effect and, by inference, predict the ultimate modulation-bandwidth limit of various quantum wire and dot laser structures.
Hysteresis in the Mott transition between plasma and insulating gas.

We show that hysteresis can occur in the transition between a neutral plasma and the insulating gas consisting of neutral pairs bound by Coulomb attraction. Since the transition depends sensitively on the screening length in the plasma, regions of bistability occur in density-temperature phase space. We present numerical results which indicate where these regions occur for systems such as spin-polarized hydrogen, positronium gas, and excitons in a semiconductor. (c) 1995 The American Physical Society
Room-Temperature Electrophilic 5-endo-dig Chlorocyclization of Alk-3-yn-1-ones with the Use of Pool Sanitizer: Synthesis of 3-Chlorofurans and 5-Chlorofuropyrimidine Nucleosides (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 20/2008)

The cover picture shows an artistic image related to the chlorocyclization reaction with the use of trichloro-s-triazinetrione, which is sold as a chemical for pools. This reagent is a source of electrophilic chlorine that triggers a tandem chlorination/cylization reaction that yields 3-chlorofurans or 5-chlorofuropyrimidine nucleosides. Details are discussed in the Short Communication by R. Dembinski et al. on p. 3449 ff. Cover art by Tomasz Sniady.
Radiometric assay of total tryptophan hydroxylation by intact cultured pineal glands.

Abstract— A new method is described for the analysis of total tryptophan hydroxylation by intact tissue in culture. This method differs from classical measurements of tryptophan hydroxylase because it allows the detection of changes in tryptophan hydroxylation due to alterations in tryptophan transport, cofactor regeneration and protein synthesis. The rat pineal gland was studied. It was found to hydroxylate tryptophan linearly for a 48-h period. A direct proportional relationship between the concentration of tryptophan in the culture medium and the amount of tryptophan hydroxylated persists between 0.05 and 0.5 mm. As the medium concn of tryptophan is increased above 0.5 mm the amount of tryptophan hydroxylated decreases. Tryptophan hydroxylation is substantially inhibited by 1 mm p-chlorophenylalanine and 0.03 mm cycloheximide. No difference in the total amount of tryptophan hydroxylated was detected between male and female rat pineal glands, between chronically denervated and normal rat pineal glands, or between control glands and glands treated with 0.1-0.001 mm norepinephrine, 0.01 mm isoproterenol, or 0.01 mm mescaline.
Evidence of a Distinct Behavioral Phenotype in Young Boys with Fragile X Syndrome and Autism

Abstract Objective How does the behavioral expression of autism in fragile X syndrome (FXS + Aut) compare with idiopathic autism (iAut)? Although social impairments and restricted, repetitive behaviors are common to these variants of autism, closer examination of these symptom domains may reveal meaningful similarities and differences. To this end, the specific behaviors comprising the social and repetitive behavioral domains in young children with FXS + Aut and iAut were profiled. Method Twenty-three male subjects 3 to 5 years old with FXS + Aut were matched by age to a group of 38 boys with iAut. Repetitive behavior was assessed using the Repetitive Behavior Scales-Revised. Social behavior was evaluated using Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule social item severity scores. Results Rates of stereotypy, self-injury, and sameness behaviors did not differ between groups, whereas compulsive and ritual behavior scores were significantly lower for subjects with FXS + Aut compared with those with iAut. Those with FXS + Aut scored significantly lower (less severe) than the iAut group on five Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule measurements of social behavior: gaze integration, quality of social overtures, social smile, facial expressions, and response to joint attention. Conclusions The behavioral phenotype of FXS + Aut and iAut are most similar with respect to lower-order (motoric) restricted, repetitive behaviors and social approach, but differ in more complex forms of restricted, repetitive behaviors and some social response behaviors. These findings highlight the phenotypic heterogeneity of autism overall and its unique presentation in an etiologically distinct condition.
Dynamic Mechanical Spectroscopy of Biomembrane Systems

Abstract Torsional briad analysis (TBA) was used to study the molecular interactions between the membrane components, e.g. protein-lipid and lipid-lipid. Several model systems as well as red cell ghosts were examined. In various phospholipids two or more relaxation peaks, depending on the system, were observed in each of three temperature intervals between 100–360[ddot]K. These peaks have been attributed to melting, rotation of whole long segments and rotation of short segments and/or end groups of the hydrocarbon chains. It was found that these peaks were affected by the fatty acid composition, i.e., chain length and degree of unsaturation, and water content.
Metallic stents for the treatment of biliary obstruction: a report of 100 cases.

The results of the first 100 patients to receive Gianturco-Rosch “Z” stents is presented along with recommendations for their use. The patient population was comprised of 57 men and 43 women, age range 17–85 years (mean 65 years). Fifty-four of the patients had benign obstruction and 46 had malignant obstruction. Of the benign lesions, 11 had sclerosing cholangitis and the remainder had postoperative strictures. Thirty-one of the malignant obstructions were secondary to cholangiocarcinoma with the majority of the others secondary to metastases from various sources. All but one had multiple systems involved. Patients with benign postoperative strictures were all initially treated with balloon angioplasty; if this failed, stents were inserted. In patients who had stents in place for greater than 1 year, the occlusion rate was 13%. The overall occlusion rate in the 43 patients was 7%. Patients with sclerosing cholangitis did less well. In those with sclerosing cholangitis secondary to intraarterial chemotherapy, the occlusion rate was 77%, and we no longer use the metallic “Z” stent in these patients. The stent was not used for malignant common duct obstruction. All patients had hilar involvement. In the patients with malignant obstruction, 17% reobstructed prior to their death. The patients with cholangiocarcinoma did well with a mean survival time of 14 months and a re-obstruction rate of 16%. All late obstructions were secondary to tumor over-growth either proximal or distal to the stents. We conclude that the “Z” stent is an effective form of treatment in patients with benign postoperative strictures and those with malignant obstruction involving the hilum. We do not recommend it as a replacement for conventional stents, but rather as an additional device that allows treatment of some of the more difficult causes of obstruction.
Elastic constants of equiatomic L10-ordered FePd single crystals

The elastic properties of a c1-FePd single crystal have been measured using the pulse–echo overlap method. The anisotropic elastic constants of this tetragonal L10 structure are explained in part by the different bond strength between Fe–Pd neighbors compared with Fe–Fe and Pd–Pd neighbors. The tetragonal elastic anisotropy as measured for the single crystal appears to depend on the remaining fraction of misoriented order variants. The anisotropy parameters for c1-FePd are (c44/c66) = 0.93 ± 0.04, A1 =2 c66/ (c11 � c12) = 2.78 ± 0.14 and A2 =4 c44/(c11 + c33 � 2c13) = 2.53 ± 0.40, implying a shear stiffness along [1 0 0] that is smaller in (0 0 1) than in (0 1 0). The magnitude of the elastic anisotropy (e.g., A1 and A2 )o fc1-FePd is similar to that of some face-centered cubic metals (e.g., Au with A =2 c44/(c11 � c12) = 2.90 and Ni with A = 2.51) and considerably larger than that of c-TiAl (e.g., A1 = 1.44 and A2 = 1.98). However, the deviations of the considerably anisotropic elastic properties of the tetragonal c1-FePd from that expected for an equivalent elastically anisotropic crystal of cubic symmetry are less pronounced than for c-TiAl. In contrast to c-TiAl, the elastic constants indicate that shearing in the (1 1 1) plane is easiest along [� 1 1 0] and increases in difficulty as the shear direction changes via [� 1 0 1] towards [� 1 � 1 2] for c1-FePd.
Fluoromethoxydiazirine and fluoromethoxycarbene

Abstract 3-Fluoro-3-methoxydiazirine was synthesized in ~35% overall yield in a two-step procedure that eschews elemental fluorine.
Non-critical orbifolds

Abstract We generalize the notion of orbifold to statistical mechanical models away from their critical points. In the simplest models, our non-critical orbifold construction reduces to Kramers-Wannier duality. More generally, it gives a new model whose toroidal partition function can be expressed in terms of that of the original model. The construction also preserves the star-triangle relations, so that the “orbifold” of an exactly solvable model remains exactly solvable. At a critical point, our construction reduces to the conventional orbifold construction of conformal field theory.
Prospective randomized study of contrast reaction managementcurricula: Computer-based interactive simulation versus high-fidelityhands-on simulation

Abstract Purpose We developed a computer-based interactive simulation program for teaching contrast reaction management to radiology trainees and compared its effectiveness to high-fidelity hands-on simulation training. Materials and methods IRB approved HIPAA compliant prospective study of 44 radiology residents, fellows and faculty who were randomized into either the high-fidelity hands-on simulation group or computer-based simulation group. All participants took separate written tests prior to and immediately after their intervention. Four months later participants took a delayed written test and a hands-on high-fidelity severe contrast reaction scenario performance test graded on predefined critical actions. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the computer and hands-on groups’ written pretest, immediate post-test, or delayed post-test scores ( p > 0.6 for all). Both groups’ scores improved immediately following the intervention ( p p ≤ 0.02). The computer group's performance was similar to the hands-on group on the severe contrast reaction simulation scenario test ( p = 0.7). There were also no significant differences between the computer and hands-on groups in performance on the individual core competencies of contrast reaction management during the contrast reaction scenario. Conclusion It is feasible to develop a computer-based interactive simulation program to teach contrast reaction management. Trainees that underwent computer-based simulation training scored similarly on written tests and on a hands-on high-fidelity severe contrast reaction scenario performance test as those trained with hands-on high-fidelity simulation.
Pattern formation and chaos in networks

Chaos theory involves the study of how complicated behavior can arise in systems that are based on simple rules, and how minute changes in the input of a system can lead to great differences in the output. Using computer graphics, the dynamic behavior of chaos-producing networks is explored, and convergence maps reveal a visually striking and intricate class of displayable objects.
Special Issue on Wireless Networks

The past few decades have seen tremendous growth in the development and adoption of wireless networking technology. This growth has been accompanied by a flowering of research in the area, which in...
RAF plus EGFR Inhibition for BRAF-Mutant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer—Letter

I read with interest the recently published article by Yaeger and colleagues ([1][1]). The primary endpoint was overall response, and the secondary efficacy endpoints were progression-free survival and overall survival. Yet, in the abstract, the authors note “tumor regressions were seen in 10 of
The Effect of Target Status on Witnesses' Reactions to Confrontations of Bias

Although interpersonal confrontations can be effective in reducing expressions of bias (Czopp, Monteith, & Mark, 2006), target group members (e.g., Blacks) may be less effective in their confrontations than nontargets (e.g., Whites) because they are perceived as complainers (e.g., Czopp & Monteith, 2003). This study extends previous research beyond the confrontation dyad and examines evaluations of third parties who witness a biased response and its confrontation by a target or nontarget. In addition, to determine the absolute (rather than relative) effectiveness of target versus nontarget confrontations, this study included a no-confrontation control condition. White participants watched a video debate between two students in which a White speaker expressed negative race-related comments and was either confronted or not by a White or Black speaker. The nontarget's confrontation was rated as more persuasive and increased perceptions of the White speaker's level of bias, whereas the target's confrontation ...
The role of political competence in global assignments of expatriate managers

Abstract Many expatriate managers have had difficulty in successfully adjusting to the demands of increasingly complex global assignments. There has been a wide range of generic explanations why the level of dissatisfaction with expatriate global competence has increased. One aspect that has not received significant attention when examining this problem has been the assessment of expatriate managers' political competence. The self-confidence and the social astuteness, plus the ability to adapt to social settings, to gain the confidence of others, to have influence on others and being viewed as genuine/sincere, are the indicators of an expatriate manager's political competence. This paper employs a political competency-based approach to global assignments. Therefore, a means to assess the level of political competence of expatriate managers is developed in the paper.
Thermochemical Properties (D°0and IP) of the Lanthanide Monohalides☆

Thermochemical data for the lanthanide monohalides have been combined with recent ligand field theory calculations (A. L. Kaledin, M. C. Heaven, R. W. Field, and L. A. Kaledin (1996). J. Mol. Spectrosc. 179, 310) to estimate the dissociation energies and ionization potentials for all LnX (where Ln in Ba through Lu, and X in F, Cl, Br, or I) molecules and the dissociation energies for the LnX+ ions. Owing to the negligible involvement of the core-like 4f electrons in bonding, the dissociation energies and ionization potentials of all LnX molecules, where Ln in Ba through Lu, and X in O, S, F, Cl, Br, or I, should vary with Ln atom in a simple linear manner, provided that corrections are made for differences in f-orbital occupancy between the LnX molecule and the free Ln atom or between the LnX molecule and the LnX+ molecular ion. We provide such a model here and, in so doing, correct several inconsistencies in the thermochemical data. Based on thermochemical data (A. A. Kitaev, I. S. Gotkis, P. G. Val'kov, and K. C. Krasnov (1996). Russ. Chem. Phys. 7, 1685) and recent spectroscopic observations (M. C. McCarthy, J. C. Bloch, R. W. Field, and L. A. Kaledin (1996) J. Mol. Spectrosc. 179, 251), a revised value for the ionization potential of DyF, IP(DyF) = 5.85 +/- 0.06 eV, is proposed. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
Generation of metal–ligand cluster ion beams through pulsed discharge ionization and ablation

Abstract Pulsed capacitor discharge ionization in supersonic expansions was investigated for the production of intense beams of molecular cluster ions from seeded and ablated compounds. A pulsed discharge based on a triggered spark gap switch was designed and used as a method for ionization and ablation. Several combinations of nozzle geometry and electrode arrangement in front of a pulsed valve, were made to optimize the intensity of the ion beam as well as its composition. The cationic metal–ligand complexes Cu+–(methanol)n, Cu+–(acetone)n, Cu+–(toluene)n, Cu+–(water)n, and Al+–(water)n were synthesized by ablation of the metal from metallic discharge electrodes in a discharge gas mixture of helium seeded with the ligand of choice. The cluster mass spectra of the expanded plasmas show little background ion signal besides the metal–ligand species. Charge exchange processes in the expansion guarantee high ionization yields of the desired species and account for low backgrounds. Changes in the successive binding energy of Cu+–(water)n clusters n = 1–4 are clearly observed in the cluster mass spectra as step formation. A similar pattern found in Cu+–(acetone)n suggests the same trend in the successive binding energy as known for water.
Regional flow during experimental hemorrhage and crystalloid resuscitation: persistence of low flow to the splanchnic organs.

Background and Methods. Rapid changes in cardiac output (CO) and organ perfusion occur with hemorrhagic shock and fluid resuscitation. To assess regional alterations of flow, 40 Sprague-Dawley male rats were subjected to hemorrhagic shock and crystalloid resuscitation under halothane anesthesia. Polyethylene microspheres were injected before and after hemorrhage and after resuscitation. At sacrifice, brain, lungs, heart, liver, intestine, spleen and kidneys were harvested, weighed and radioactivity counted. Changes in mean arterial pressure, oxygen consumption, organ flow and CO were also measured. Results: Cardiac output decreased during hemorrhage (P 0.05), since a larger percentage of CO was maintained as hepatic perfusion. During resuscitation, flow to brain and kidneys increased over the percentage values expected by increased CO (P < 0.01), but flow to the liver did not increase significantly. Flow to small bowel remained depressed (P < 0.005). Conclusions: Following hemorrhage there is hypoperfusion of all splanchnic organs; however, flow to the liver decreases least. Crystalloid resuscitation in our model failed to return CO to baseline. Blood supply to intestine remained depressed in disproportion to CO both after hemorrhage and resuscitation and hepatic blood flow remained decreased after resuscitation.
MedSurv: a software application for creating, conducting and managing medical surveys and questionnaires

Background and solution MedSurv is a system designed for the rapid creation and maintenance of research surveys and questionnaires that does not require programmer intervention. MedSurv is built with medical surveys in mind and utilizes a groupbased permission control with additional security features to help ensure compliance with applicable healthcare regulations. MedSurv is designed as a module for DotNetNuke [1], an open source portal and content management system built with ASP.Net technology, and therefore can be deployed and managed as intranet, extranet, and web sites. At the same time, all data is stored at the researcher's institution to guarantee the required data privacy. Thanks to its built-in support for user authentication and user roles, there is no need to create such functionality from scratch. However, a group-based permissions system is added to MedSurv to support sufficient granularity for access control. Although from the data access point of view data storage acts as a relational table, MedSurv uses a solution that we call virtual tables. The premise behind such a solution is that the structure of the tables is itself stored in a set of relational tables within the database, essentially creating a miniature database within the database. This additional layer is transparent to the user and removes the need for any programming or database knowledge. At the same time it gives the user the flexibility of changing the survey at runtime. Unlike a traditional structure that may require database developer's involvement each time a survey is added or changed, with virtual tables there is very low developer and database administration need after launch. MedSurv allows for creating complex medical surveys and is, in particular, used to develop questionnaires for research driven data collection in the Department of Gastroenterology.
Validity concerns of common heart-rate variability indices

Time- and frequency-domain analyses of HRV have provided researchers with important measures of cardiac vagal activity. Stationarity is of theoretical importance for such analyses in the frequency domain but may not be of practical significance in any particular data set. It has been argued that if a stationarity test is available, it should be used. On the other hand, it is also possible that the RSA is quite robust to nonstationarity; the spectral data support that contention. Furthermore, procedures that correct for nonstationary data segments may compromise the representativeness of the data set. With regard to the time domain, MSD is advantageous in that it is conceptually and computationally simple, does not require respiration data, and under many conditions may be a reasonable alternative to HF spectral power or RSA. All told, the selection of cardiac vagal control indices and use of correction procedures should be based upon experimental situation and availability to the researcher, rather than orthodox adherence to idealized standards.
SU-FF-T-52: A Method to Measure the Output of IORT Applicators Used with the Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System

Purpose: To measure the output of IORT applicators used with the miniaturized 50 kVp X‐Ray source of the Axxent electronic brachytherapy system. Method and Materials:Brachytherapydose calculations are based on a set of measured or calculated dosimetry parameters for the Axxent X‐Ray source. They are used to calculate dose when the X‐Ray source is surrounded by soft tissue. Clinical examples are partial breast irradiation or intracavitary vaginal applications. In situations though, where the X‐Ray source is within an applicator external to the tissue, direct output measurements for the specific treatment geometry are needed. The Axxent shielded test fixture was first used to obtain a calibration factor for a pinpoint chamber. The fixture allows for both the chamber and the source to be inserted in separate channels within a phantom. The source dwell position is set directly opposite to the chamber and at a set distance. The TG43 parameters and the dwell time are used to calculate the dose at the chamber's location. The calibration factor is obtained from the chamber's reading. The applicator with the radiation source inside is then made to touch the phantom. The chamber is positioned within the phantom at the appropriate depth. The output calculation is based on the chamber's reading and the source's dwell time and is referenced to a nominal Air Kerma Strength. We have supplemented our chamber measurements with relative GAFCHROMIC film dosimetry at various depths in a Solid Water phantom. Results: We have used the Axxent radiation source to deliver a single doseradiation treatment intra‐operatively. A table of dwell times vs. dose for various applicators is prepared for use in the O.R. Conclusion: We have found the use of a list of dwell times versus prescription dose and applicator type easy and convenient to implement during IORT cases.
The effect of oxidative controlled potential electrolysis on viruses

Abstract A method is described for inactivation of viruses by oxidation at controlled potentials. If the applied potential is adjusted properly, it is possible to destroy the infectivity of the viruses without changing other properties. The rate of loss of infectivity is shown to be dependent upon the applied potential and the purity of the virus preparation used. Control experiments are described which indicate that the loss of infectivity is due to oxidation of the viruses at the surface of the working electrode. Contact of the viruses with this electrode is necessary for the inactivation to occur. A method is also described which relates the “resting potential” of the electrolytic cell to the number of electrons transferred per functional group on the virus particle.
Expression of plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor mRNA in human fibroblasts grown on different substrates.

mRNA levels for urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA), tissue type plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) were examined in human diploid (neonatal foreskin) fibroblasts grown in 200-ml microcarrier suspension culture. Four different substrates were used. These included gelatin-coated polystyrene plastic, DEAE-dextran, glass-coated polystyrene plastic and uncoated polystyrene plastic. Our previous studies have shown that culture fluids from diploid fibroblasts grown on DEAE-dextran contained higher levels of plasminogen-dependent fibrinolytic activity than culture fluids from the same cells grown on other substrates. The increased plasminogen activator activity was due largely to elevated amounts of tPA (In Vitro Cell. Develop. Biol. 22: 575–582, 1986). The present study shows that there is a corresponding elevation of tPA mRNA in diploid fibroblasts cultured on DEAE-dextran relative to the other substrates. There does not appear to be any difference in uPA mRNA or in mRNA for PAI-1 or PAI-2 produced by the same cells on the four substrates. These data suggest that the influence of the substrate on plasminogen activator production is mediated at the genetic level.
Evaluation of Enhanced Condensational Growth (ECG) for Controlled Respiratory Drug Delivery in a Mouth-Throat and Upper Tracheobronchial Model

Purpose The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of enhanced condensational growth (ECG), as a novel inhalation drug delivery method, on nano-aerosol deposition in a mouth-throat (MT) and upper tracheobronchial (TB) model using in vitro experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.
Supporting business systems planning studies with the DB/DC data dictionary

Traditionally, Business Systems Planning (LISP) studies have been conducted using manual techniques. This paper describes one approach for computer assistance to such a study. The Extensibility facility of the IBM DB/DC Data Dictionary is shown to satisfy the requirements for the capturing of and subsequent reporting on BSP study data. The possibility of extending this approach to follow-on software development activities is discussed. General overviews of the Business Systems Planning methodology and the IBM DB/DC Data Dictionary are also provided.
INHIBITION OF REPAIR OF DNA SINGLE STRAND BREAKS IN MOUSE LEUKEMIA CELLS BY ACTINOMYCIN D.

Abstract The effects of Actinomycin D, cytosine arabinoside and temperature shifts on the repair of single strand breaks produced in murine leukemia cell DNA by ionizing radiation have been studied. A recently introduced modification of the alkaline sucrose sedimentation methods was used, allowing breaks to be demonstrated following clinical range irradiation doses. The results contrast to previous data using standard gradient procedures and indicate that low concentrations of Actinomycin D can inhibit single strand break repair, while cytosine arabinoside is ineffective. Inhibition can also be demonstrated by temperature shifts to 3° but not 24°, paralleling previous results from cellular repair studies (Elkind-Sutton repair). The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the accumulation of sublethal radiation damage in mammalian cells may be based on residual non-repaired single strand breaks.