cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-E-T-435: Flattening Filter Free Beams for Head and Neck IMRT and VMAT Optimization

Purpose: To investigate if there is benefits of using flattening filter free (FFF) versus flattening filter (FF) beams during plan optimization for head and neck targets. Methods: Five head and neck cancer patients previously treated were selected for this study. Each plan was optimized for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using 2 full arcs. Target volumes and the organs at risk (OAR) were outlined by the same physician. The prescription doses for each patient and the dose limits for each OAR were specified by the physician. For each patient four plans were created by varying the photon beam energy (6MV vs 10MV) and the use of FF or FFF. For each patient the prescription dose and OAR dose limits remained unchanged. Furthermore, the number of optimization iterations remained the same for each plan without user interference. The plans were compared using dose volume histograms, conformity and homogeneity indices. Results: Our results showed that the plans optimized with FF beams produced more homogeneous dose distributions in the PTV than the ones with FFF beams (0.92 vs. 0.86 and 0.92 vs.85 for 6MVFF, 6MVFFF, 10MVFF and 10MVFFF respectively). The conformity was better for FFF beams than for FF beams (1.26 vs. 1.20 and 1.27 vs. 1.21 for 6MVFF, 6MVFFF, 10MVFF and 10MVFFF respectively). The overall minimum, maximum and means doses were reduced for the FFF plans by approximately 4% to 6%. All FFF plans allowed more sparing of organs at risk by 7% to 9% on average. Only one 10MVFFF plan had a 1% higher dose than the respective 10MVFF for the spinal cord. Conclusion: The 6MVFFF and 10MVFFF beams illustrated the improvement of normal tissue sparing while achieving similar target dose distribution compared to 6MVFF and 10MVFF beams. Further investigation is required to determine the magnitude of improvement. case specific, fluence-based optimization improved both PTV and OAR dosimetry in 80% of cases.
Are We There Yet? Virtual Travel and Victorian Realism

It is a commonplace that the habits and expectations that mark much of our relationship to digital media originated in the new commodity culture, infrastructure, and networks of the 19th century. B...
Foundational Value of Statistics Education for Management Curriculum

Summary The purpose of this paper is to propose a unique and distinct value of statistics education for management. The 1986 inaugural conference on Making Statistics More Effective in Schools of Business (MSMESB) proposed valuable guidelines for reforming statistics education in schools of business. However, a survey conducted by McAlevey & Everett (2001) identified that their impact has been minimal, and argued that structural problems many business schools have are the potential cause. We argue these structural problems exist because the value of the body of statistical tools for management is ambiguous and has not been made explicit. The unique and distinct value of statistics for management can be identified as the body of tools necessary to meet the inherent needs of a manager charged with making predictive judgments facing data. The need arises because human information-processing capacity is quite limited, as the findings of researchers in cognitive psychology testify. These findings also affirm that the basic statistical concepts needed for processing data cannot be learned from management experiences. The model of a manager faced with data, while considering the evidence of inherent limitations of human information-processing capacity, establishes the foundational value of statistics training in the management curriculum. Statistics education in business schools will be made more effective when management educators recognize such value of the discipline, lend their support and reward the ownership commitment for continuous improvement and innovations of the business statistics curriculum.
Serum lactic dehydrogenase levels in the diagnosis and treatment of carcinoma of the ovary.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to assess the significance of serum lactic dehydrogenase in the diagnosis and treatment of carcinoma of the ovary. In this study, there is evidence that SLDH is elevated in the presence of carcinoma of the ovary. It is also noted that SLDH is reduced following effective treatment. Other forms of pelvic cancer do not seem to affect the levels of SLDH.
Initial Clinical Experience: Symmetric-Tip Dialysis Catheter with Helical Flow Characteristics Improves Patient Outcomes.

Abstract Purpose To report preliminary clinical experience with a new symmetric-tip dialysis catheter compared with a conventional split-tip catheter. Materials and Methods Over a 5-month period, patients requiring a tunneled catheter for hemodialysis or undergoing exchange of a dysfunctional dialysis catheter at a tertiary academic medical center were retrospectively analyzed. Patients underwent placement of a VectorFlow or Ash Split Cath catheter at the discretion of the inserting interventional radiologist. Patient demographics, catheter patency, mean blood flow rate, and arterial and venous pressures were compared according to catheter type. Catheter failure was analyzed based on clinical and anatomic variables by using a multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model. Results A total of 33 VectorFlow and 46 Ash Split Cath catheters were placed. Patients in the VectorFlow group had significantly higher body mass index ( P = .013) and Charlson Comorbidity Index ( P = .049), as well as more non–internal jugular vein placements. At 120 days, 89% of VectorFlow catheters remained functional, compared with 45% of Ash Split Cath catheters ( P = .046). The VectorFlow catheter was associated with 16% lower arterial pressures during dialysis ( P = .009); mean blood flow rate was equivalent. On multivariate analysis, the risk of catheter failure was 13.3 times higher in the Ash Split Cath group compared with the VectorFlow group ( P = .004). Left-sided catheters were also predictive of catheter failure (relative risk=5.5; P = .02). Conclusions The VectorFlow catheter was associated with a significant increase in intervention-free catheter patency compared with the Ash Split Cath catheter, with equivalent flow at lower arterial pressures during dialysis.
Diversity within a Colony Morphotype: Implications for Ecological Research

Sets of bacterial isolates with the same colony morphologies were selected from spread plates of bacteria from deep subsurface rock samples; each set had a unique morphology. API-rapid-NFT analysis revealed that isolates within a set were the same. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis of one set of isolates clustered organisms within the same species, defining variation between isolates at the biotype (subspecies) and strain levels. Metal resistances consistently tracked with colony morphology, while antibiotic resistances were less reliable.
Anti-oncogene Ribozymes for Cancer Gene Therapy

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on a general overview of ribozymes and their applications for cancer gene therapy. Ribozymes are small RNA molecules that possess specific catalytic activities and are being actively investigated for their therapeutic applications in the field of gene therapy. Ribozymes have the ability to modulate specific gene expression because of their site-specific cleavage activity. Ribozymes can be designed for any disease in which a specific protein has been linked to its etiology, and may offer some advantages over antisense oligonucleotide strategies. Since the discovery of the protooncogene, cancer has been defined as a genetic disease. Therefore, gene therapy could be a rational and promising strategy for the treatment of specific cancers. So, oncogenes are obvious targets for the therapeutic application of anti-oncogene ribozymes. One of the problems for successful gene therapy is to define the role of specific oncogenes in specific tumors. Ribozyme technology can be used to help define and delineate the role of oncogenes in cancer and can be used as a therapeutic agent as well. Extensive studies have investigated the efficacy of antioncogene ribozymes, and have shown successful alteration of the human malignant phenotype in vivo. The appearance of gene therapy as an alternative treatment for cancer and other diseases has led researchers toward the development of efficient delivery systems. Among the first methods developed for gene delivery, viral systems have been potentially the most promising. Although viral transfer shows huge potential for clinical settings, nonviral delivery systems are receiving increasing attention. Thus, effective delivery systems with minimal toxicity may advance ribozymes as important therapeutic modalities in the clinical field. Ribozymes could have an important impact on the field of gene therapy in the near future.
High-Stake Decision Making--An Empirical Study Based on House Purchase Process

Like the decision to accept a new job or purchase a new house, high-stake decision making involves great uncertainty and grave consequence. Furthermore, it will not recur frequently in the near future. This class of decision problems is very important in our lives. However, due to its complexity there is no universally accepted model or methodology in solving these problems. In this article we will use real-life problems for an empirical study of high-stake decision process. Our objectives are fivefold: (1) to describe a conceptual framework based on behavior bases and the least resistance principle described in [9] so that the complex process of high-stake decision problems can be captured, (2) based on 108 observed samples of house purchasing decisions, to report on the validity and the predictability of the conceptual framework, (3) to introduce a methodology to trace the change of cognition over the time and report the significance of the change, (4) to report the patterns of the change of cognition and the patterns of final decision reached by husbands and wives in their joint decision processes, and (5) to describe some implication on decision aids so that researchers or consultants can make contributions to decision makers involved in high-stake decision processes.
Without remnant movement, MGs are context-free

Minimalist grammars offer a formal perspective on a popular linguistic theory, and are comparable in weak generative capacity to other mildly context sensitive formalism. Minimalist grammars allow for the straightforward definition of so-called remnant movement constructions, which have found use in many linguistic analyses. It has been conjectured that the ability to generate this kind of configuration is crucial to the super-context-free expressivity of minimalist grammars. This conjecture is here proven.
Laser-Spectroscopic Measurement Techniques for Hypersonic, Turbulent Wind Tunnel Flows

Until recently, aerodynamic measurements obtained away from a surface have been limited either to the use of intrusive probes to determine pressure, mass flux, and total temperature or to visualization methods for indications of the flow geometry. New laser-spectroscopic methods are now emerging which offer compelling opportunities to obtain simultaneous measurements of density, temperature, and their fluctuations, with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution [1]. As a result, measurement techniques are now feasible which can be used in supersonic and hypersonic flows to characterize the effects of compressibility on turbulent behavior and to obtain quantitative descriptions of complex, three-dimensional flow fields.
Chapter 4 Multiscale modeling of the synthesis of quantum nanodots and their arrays

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the multiscale modeling of the synthesis of quantum nanodots and their arrays. Reducing the sizes of crystals to the nanometer range strongly affects their optical and electrical properties. This effect is attributed to the changes in the density of states of electrons as a function of the dot size—that is, a quantum size effect. At the subatomic level, quantum mechanical simulations are necessary to delineate the potential energy surfaces that govern intermolecular interactions. Atomistic simulations, then, are appropriate to model the assembly of a single nanodot, but cannot simulate large enough systems to capture their mesoscale assembly into arrays. Mesoscopic models thus are required at the larger length scale. The chapter reviews the results of a multiscale simulation method designed to understand the surfactant-mediated synthesis of cobalt nanodots and their assembly into two-dimensional hexatic arrays in a unified manner. The method of reverse Monte Carlo (MC) simulations is also reviewed.
The evaluation of MD5 hash tools as a digital forensics class experiment

Digital forensics tools frequently use the MD5 hash function to verify that a data set has not been altered due to the application of various evidence collection and analysis tools and procedures. Additionally, due to the impact on the personal life of the subject of an investigation, verification of the correct operation of tools and procedures is critical. This paper discusses an experiment that investigates the implementation of several MD5 hash tools. The results demonstrate that without sufficient attention to detail, unreliable tools can be created using reliable components. Additionally, unreliable results can be obtained through the improper application of the tools.
Direct coupling between blood flow and metabolism at the capillary level in striated muscle

In hamster cremaster muscle, capillary networks consist of anatomically invariant subunits termed modules [Berg, B. R., and I. H. Sarelius, Am. J. Physiol. 268 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 37): H1215-H122...
The predictivity of animal bioassays and short-term genotoxicity tests for carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenicity to humans

The successful use of surrogate tests to predict whether a chemical may be carcinogenic to humans requires that the tests be both sensitive (few false negatives) and specific (few false positives). To assess specificity, results for non-carcinogens must be compared. Although no chemicals have been definitively shown not to cause cancer in humans, we have identified 29 chemicals for which some evidence of non-carcinogenicity exists in evaluations by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Twenty of these probable non-carcinogens have been tested for rodent carcinogenicity in animal bioassays; 19 were positive and only one was negative, indicating that the specificity of animal bioassays is low. The sensitivity of animal bioassays, however, is very high: all definite human carcinogens adequately tested were positive. Most short-term tests which measure genotoxicity or transformation also had low specificity; however, four tests gave predominantly negative results for probable human non-carcinogens as well as predominantly positive results for definite human carcinogens. These results are based on comparison of small numbers of chemicals, but do suggest the need for more investigation of the relationships of genotoxicity and rodent carcinogenicity to carcinogenicity in humans.
Regional variations in spermine levels in the developing rat brain following exposure to lead.

Polyamines are ubiquitous compounds involved in growth and differentiation, and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), is their rate-limiting enzyme. In an effort to examine whether changes in ODC enzyme activity are reflected in alterations in the availability of polyamines, levels of the more stable end-product spermine, were examined following exposure to lead (Pb). Rats were lactationally exposed to 0.2% Pb-acetate from birth to weaning. At postnatal days 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20, pups were sacrificed, and spermine was extracted from their brain tissue and the extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a fluorescence detector. Basal spermine levels in the cerebellum were found to be higher than those in the neocortex, and exhibited a characteristic developmental profile. In Pb-exposed animals, spermine levels were attenuated in both brain regions, however, there was a rebound in cerebellar levels during the third week after birth. While basal spermine levels are in concert with reported patterns of ODC activity, they depart from each other following a toxic challenge to the cerebellum. This study suggest that developmental polyamine levels are not necessarily a direct translation of ODC activity and that modulations in their biosynthesis depend on regional stages of growth.
Clinical and radiographic results after implant removal in idiopathic scoliosis.

Study design Prospective radiographic and clinical analysis of patients with idiopathic scoliosis who had complete implant removal following posterior spinal fusion (PSF) at least 2 years previously. Objective To evaluate the clinical and radiographic effect of implant removal after PSF for idiopathic scoliosis. Summary of background data Occasionally, implants must be removed following instrumented PSF. Indications for removal include infection and late operative site pain. Previously, it has been thought that there was little morbidity associated with implant removal in the presence of a solid fusion. However, recent studies have reported loss of coronal correction after implant removal in patients who had a PSF for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Few long-term studies have assessed the clinical or radiographic results of complete implant removal after PSF. Methods We identified 56 patients who had undergone PSF for idiopathic scoliosis and subsequently had complete removal of all instrumentation. None of these patients had a pseudarthrosis at the time of implant removal. After IRB approval, 43 of 56 (77%) patients returned for new standing posteroanterior and lateral spine radiographs and completion of an SRS-22 questionnaire. Results For the 43 patients who had new radiographs and completed an SRS-22, the time from the original PSF to complete implant removal averaged 2.9 years (range, 7 months to 7.25 years). Twenty-two patients had implants removed because of infection, and 21 patients had implants removed secondary to pain. The average time from implant removal to completion of the most recent radiographs and SRS-22 questionnaire was 9.5 years (range, 3.2-17.9 years). Patients were considered to have had progression of deformity after implant removal if their Cobb angle measurements increased by more than 10 degrees . Two patients had 11 degrees to 20 degrees of coronal plane progression of their main thoracic curve. No patient had more than 10 degrees of coronal plane progression of a lumbar curve. Sagittal curve progression was identified more frequently. Nineteen patients had between an 11 degrees and 20 degrees increase in thoracic kyphosis, and 5 patients had >20 degrees of thoracic kyphosis progression. Patients with >20 degrees of thoracic kyphosis progression after implant removal had greater thoracic kyphosis before surgery and larger main thoracic and lumbar coronal curves at the time of implant removal. Progressive kyphosis did not correlate with: reason for implant removal, length of follow-up, or time from fusion to implant removal. Although total SRS-22 scores correlated inversely with increased thoracic kyphosis, this trend did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion Implant removal after PSF for idiopathic scoliosis may be complicated by progression of deformity. Patients requiring implant removal should be appropriately counseled and monitored.
Cardiac physiology and monitoring.

The cardiovascular system serves the body by supplying nutrients and removing wastes. The function of the heart and circulation can be measured by a great variety of methods, but it is essential to understand the physiologic basis of the measurements for proper interpretation. Furthermore, the entire clinical condition must be always considered in the combination with the wealth of numerical data available in today’s patients (Table II). Since all pharmacologic interventions have risks, interventions to correct a single numerical aberrancy should be undertaken only if the overall clinical picture is compatible with the value and/or if there is other corroborating data.
Measuring the effectiveness of output filtering against SQL injection attacks

SQL injection (SQLi) attacks present severe risks to applications; they may result in the unintended exposure, modification, corruption, or deletion of information. An error in a single line of code can introduce a vulnerability to an application, compounding the risk. There are a variety of strategies for detecting and mitigating SQLi, including but not limited to output filtering. Output filtering protects a system and its information by validating the records that are returned from the database management system. In this paper, we evaluate the effectiveness of output filtering, which has not yet been examined in the literature. We employ output filtering to protect custom Web application known to be vulnerable to SQLi attack. An experiment was performed to determine if output filtering was able to defend an application against SQLi attacks, as well as measure the potential performance impact. Results demonstrate that output filtering has the potential to defend against SQLi attacks and has a limited impact on an application's response time.
Thoracic Temperature Stabilization byn Blood Circulation in a Free-Flying Moth.

The sphinx moth, Manduca sexta, maintains its thoracic temperature within a degree of 42°C while in free flight over a range of air temperatures from about 17° to 32°C. Tying off the dorsal vessel abolishes temperature control. Moths with tied off vessels overheat and then stop flying at air temperatures of about 23°C. However, flight at this temperature is possible when the thoracic scales are removed. The mechanism of temperature control involves transfer of the heat produced in the thorax to the blood pumped from the dorsal vessel, and the subsequent dissipation of this heat when the blood returns to the relatively cool abdomen.
Challenges Confronting Community College Deans

ABSTRACT Community college deans and other senior administrators are faced with a variety of issues and challenges that include, but are not limited to, the ever-changing nature of technology, changes in diverse populations, industry training, and job placements. At this level, the frequently identified emergence of leadership and supervision issues have been more than community college deans can address proactively. Various approaches are used to identify such issues and trends in the field. However, this article describes a 3-round Delphi approach to identifying leadership and supervision issues confronting community college deans over a 5-year period in 4 southeastern states: Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia. The results of the study produced 48 major issues and 18 categories that have implications for community colleges throughout the nation. 12 of the 48 issues had a mean score of 4 or more points based on the assigned 5-point Likert-type scale. Community college deans, more than ever ...
Lanczos calculation of the spectrum of Hamiltonian lattice gauge theory.

The use of a generalized Lanczos technique for the accurate diagonalization of lattice-gauge-theory Hamiltonians is explored. The starting ansatz wave function is a Gaussian one which solves the theory exactly in the weak-coupling limit. Results are given for compact U(1) lattice gauge theory in 3+1 dimensions, on ${4}^{3}$ and ${6}^{3}$ spatial lattices, and for a range of couplings in the continuum region. With 8 Lanczos states the precision for ground-state energies obtained ranges (depending on lattice size and coupling) from 1 part in ${10}^{6}$ to 1 part in ${10}^{8}$. .AE
NUTRIENT STATUS OF TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS INFLUENCES SOIL N DYNAMICS AFTER N ADDITIONS

Soil nitrogen (N) transformations and N-oxide emissions were measured following N additions in three tropical montane rain forests in the Hawaiian Islands that differed in substrate age and nutrient status. Nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO) emissions were negligible following first-time N additions in a forest where N limits primary production, and they increased significantly following 11 yr of N fertilization. Furthermore, N-oxide fluxes in the N-limited forest were relatively low in response to a range of N additions, and all doses of N except the two highest (125 and 175 kg N/ha) resulted in net negative rates of mineralization and nitrification (i.e., soils showed significant N consumption). Short-term laboratory 15N experiments supported these trends by showing that both 15NH4+ and 15NO3− were strongly consumed in soil from both the control and long-term fertilized plots in the N-limited site. Long-term N fertilization in the N-limited forest significantly increased N availability and turnov...
Connecting carbon tubules.

Two possible joints between different types of carbon tubules are discussed. Both joints introduce a single pentagon-heptagon pair into the perfect hexagon bonding pattern of the two tubules. These two types of joints can be used to form composite tubules in which every carbon atom is threefold coordinated. The first type of joint removes or adds a single hexagon from the circumference of the tubule and the second joins specific ``crenelated'' and ``sawtooth'' tubules of significantly different radii at an angle of 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}.
Apolipoprotein E interaction with the neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques in Alzheimer disease: implications for disease pathogenesis.

Abstract Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype is a significant risk factor for the development of Alzheimer disease (AD) and the ApoE protein is associated with senile plaques (SP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), the pathological lesions of AD. Despite this data, the relevance of ApoE to the disease pathogenesis is unknown. In this study we sought to understand the role that ApoE protein could play in the pathogenesis of AD. Using an in situ binding technique, we showed that ApoE bound avidly to SP and NFT in diseased brain. Molecular characterization of ApoE binding suggested that binding to NFT was mediated by τ, the main protein component of NFT, and that ApoE binding to SP was mediated by amyloid-β, the main protein component of SP. There was no significant difference in binding or binding characteristics between the different ApoE isoforms, ApoE3 and ApoE4. These findings suggest that the interaction of ApoE with τ and amyloid-β proteins in AD could play a important role in the formation of NFT and SP, respectively, contributing to the pathogenesis of AD.
Special Education & School Choice: The Complex Effects of Small Schools, School Choice and Public High School Policy in New York City

This article begins to unpack the complex effects of the policies of both the small schools and choice on students with special needs. Drawing on qualitative data collected throughout the 2008-2009...
Service-Learning for Preservice Teachers: Ethical Dilemmas for Practice

Abstract Increasingly in the United States, service–learning is being used to educate preservice teachers. Service varies greatly in its ethical foundation, however, and service–learning presents new teachers with a variety of dilemmas revealing the moral and political nature of teaching and service. This article presents one case of four preservice teachers writing curriculum as a service to a community agency hoping to promote service geared toward social justice among high school students. The case highlights ethical dilemmas faced by teachers in the process and illustrates the potential of service–learning to educate teachers for the moral imperative of their profession.
A phase II neoadjuvant trial of anastrozole, fulvestrant, and gefitinib in patients with newly diagnosed estrogen receptor positive breast cancer

Endocrine therapy in patients with breast cancer can be limited by the problem of resistance. Preclinical studies suggest that complete blockade of the estrogen receptor (ER) combined with inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor can overcome endocrine resistance. We tested this hypothesis in a phase II neoadjuvant trial of anastrozole and fulvestrant combined with gefitinib in postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed ER-positive breast cancer. After a baseline tumor core biopsy, patients were randomized to receive anastrozole and fulvestrant or anastrozole, fulvestrant, and gefitinib (AFG) for 3 weeks. After a second biopsy at 3 weeks, all patients received AFG for 4 months and surgery was done if the tumor was operable. The primary endpoint was best clinical response by RECIST criteria and secondary endpoints were toxicity and change in biomarkers. The study closed after 15 patients were enrolled because of slow accrual. Median patient age was 67 years and median clinical tumor size was 7 cm. Four patients had metastatic disease present. Three patients withdrew before response was assessed. In the remaining 12 patients, there were two complete clinical responses (17%), three partial responses (25%), five had stable disease (41%), and two (17%) had progressive disease. Most common adverse events were rash in four patients, diarrhea in four, joint symptoms in three, and abnormal liver function tests in three. There were no grade 4 toxicities and all toxicities were reversible. At 3 weeks, cell proliferation as measured by Ki-67 was significantly reduced in the AFG group (P value = 0.01), with a parallel reduction in the expression of the Cyclin D1 (P value = 0.02). RNA microarray data showed a corresponding decrease in the expression of cell cycle genes. These results suggest that AFG was an effective neoadjuvant therapy and consistently reduced proliferation in ER-positive tumors.
Activation by methylene blue of large Ca2+-activated K+ channels

Using the patch-clamp method, we found that the methylene blue (MB), a free radical inhibitor of guanylyl cyclase, activated large, Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BKCa) in either cell attached or excised, inside-out patches of human mesangial cells in culture. Since BKCa are important feedback regulators of contraction of smooth muscle and mesangial cells, these results indicate that MB may be an important opener of BKCa channels and a regulator of vascular volume and resistance.
Routes to failure in rotating MEMS devices experiencing sliding friction

Gear systems rotating on hubs have been operated to failure using Sandia`s microengine as the actuation device. Conventional failure modes such as fatigue induced fracture did not occur, indicating that the devices are mechanically extremely robust. The generic route to failure observed for all rotating devices involves sticking of structures that are in sliding contact. This sticking evidently results from microscopic changes in the sliding surfaces during operation. The rate at which these changes occur is accelerated by excessive applied forces, which originate from non-optimized designs or inappropriate drive voltages. Precursors to failure are observed, enabling further understanding of the microscopic changes that occur in the sliding surfaces that ultimately lead to failure.
Optimization of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory Digital Data Acquisition System for use with fast scintillator detectors

Abstract The Digital Data Acquisition System (DDAS) at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) has expanded to instrument arrays composed of fast-scintillator detectors. The expansion has motivated the development of software designed to optimize the time- and energy-resolving capabilities of the system, which is a collection of 16-channel FPGA-programmable modules running 12- and 14-bit ADCs with sampling frequencies of 100 and 250 MSPS, respectively. Using the techniques described herein, the time resolution of the DDAS electronics has been substantially improved. For signal amplitudes occupying 10 % the full range of the ADC, the time resolution of the DDAS electronics, measured online, has been reduced to 100 ps and 40 ps for 100 MSPS and 250 MSPS modules, respectively. A time resolution of ≈ 350 ps, at 511 keV, between two 38 mm×38 mm lanthanum bromide (LaBr3) detectors, equipped with Hamamatsu R6231 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), has also been realized. Similar optimization techniques applied to the DDAS energy-extraction algorithms have yielded energy resolutions below 2% at 1.33 MeV for both the 100 and 250 MSPS digitizers using the same LaBr3 detectors. The techniques described in this work are broadly applicable to other digital acquisition systems that are capable of recording the digitized raw detector signals.
Comparison of methods for calculating annual solute exports from six forested Appalachian watersheds

Six methods were compared for calculating annual stream exports of sulfate, nitrate, calcium, magnesium and aluminum from six small Appalachian watersheds. Approximately 250–400 stream samples and concurrent stream flow measurements were collected during baseflows and storm flows for the 1989 water year at five Pennsylvania watersheds and during the 1989–1992 water years at a West Virginia watershed. Continuous stream flow records were also collected at each watershed. Solute exports were calculated from the complete data set using six different scenarios ranging from instantaneous monthly measurements of stream chemistry and stream flow, to intensive monitoring of storm flow events and multiple regression equations. The results for five of the methods were compared with the regression method because statistically significant models were developed and the regression equations allowed for prediction of solute concentrations during unsampled storm flows. Results indicated that continuous stream flow measurement was critical to producing exports within 10% of regression estimates. For solutes whose concentrations were not correlated strongly with stream flow, weekly grab samples combined with continuous records of stream flow were sufficient to produce export estimates within 10% of the regression method. For solutes whose concentrations were correlated strongly with stream flow, more intensive sampling during storm flows or the use of multiple regression equations were the most appropriate methods, especially for watersheds where stream flows changed most quickly. Concentration–stream flow relationships, stream hydrological response, available resources and required level of accuracy of chemical budgets should be considered when choosing a method for calculating solute exports. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The use of citation speed to understand the effects of a multi-institutional science center

The extent to which an article attracts citations has long been of interest. However, recent research has emphasized not just the receipt but also the pacing of citation. Citation speed has been shown to be affected by journal prestige and self-citation but also public funding of research. Amidst these viewpoints, this paper explores the speed of article citation of a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary publicly funded research center relative to that of a comparison group of articles. Results indicate that articles by authors affiliated with the center are significantly more likely to have early-cited papers within the year of publication than the random comparison group, with controls by field also being significant. Implications for the ability of a publicly funded center to attract attention toward articles are discussed.
Insect repellents: effect of mosquito and repellent-related factors on protection time.

The effect of factors like mosquito size and vigor, nutritional state, different mosquito batches from the same population, mosquito density, and repellent dose on the protection time of repellents was studied. The size and vigor of mosquitoes did not affect protection time. Mosquitoes recently gorged on sugar water took significantly longer to bite through repellent than starved ones. The protection times of repellents with different batches from the same mosquito population were similar but varied significantly with different populations. Mosquito density affected the protection time significantly. Repellents failed sooner in high density cages. Regarding the effect of repellent dose on protection time, higher dosages gave less variable results than lower dosages.
Dominant‐negative CREB inhibits heparanase functionality and melanoma cell invasion

Heparanase (HPSE-1) is an endo-β-d-glucuronidase involved in the degradation of cell-surface/extracellular matrix heparan sulfate (HS) in normal and neoplastic tissues. HPSE-1 represents the first example of purification and cloning of a mammalian HS-degradative enzyme. Elevated HPSE-1 levels are known to be associated with metastatic cancers, directly implicating HPSE-1 in metastatic events. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in modulating HPSE-1-mediated effects on human melanoma cell invasion. Highly invasive, brain-metastatic melanoma cells (70W) were transfected with the dominant-negative CREB (KCREB) and subsequently analyzed for changes in their HPSE-1 content, functionality, and cell invasive properties. KCREB-transfected cells showed a decrease in HPSE-1 mRNA expression and activity. This correlated with a significantly decreased invasion of these cells through Matrigel™-coated filters. Furthermore, adenoviral vectors containing the full-length human HPSE-1 cDNA in sense orientation (Ad-S/hep) were constructed to investigate CREB effects on HPSE-1. Restoration of HPSE-1 expression and functionality following Ad-S/hep infection of KCREB-transfected 70W cells recovered melanoma cell invasiveness. These results demonstrate that KCREB inhibits HPSE-1 and suggest that one of the roles CREB plays in the acquisition of melanoma cells metastatic phenotype is affecting HPSE-1 activity. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Self-perceptions of body size in women at an inner-city family-planning clinic.

Objective The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and body size perception among female patients in an inner-city family-planning clinic. Study Design All participants (n = 81) were measured for height and weight and completed an anonymous survey. Self-perceived, current, and ideal body sizes were determined by using a standardized scale. Body image discrepancy was calculated by the difference between body image perception and measured BMI. Results Approximately two-thirds of the participants were obese or overweight. As measured BMI increased, the body image discrepancy increased, with significant differences in body perception in both obese ( P P Conclusion Overweight and obese women in an inner-city clinic are likely to underestimate their body size. Our data support the need for culturally sensitive education for this population, because many do not view themselves at risk for complications related to excessive weight.
Stormwater ponds as a source of long-term surface and ground water salinisation

We investigated the spatial and temporal distribution of chloride and conductivity in a long hydroperiod retention pond and two short hydroperiod detention ponds. In both cases we observed greatly elevated conductivities in surface and ground waters with peak conductivities exceeding 45 mS cm−1 in the retention pond and 25 mS cm−1 in one detention pond. Pond ground water conductivity remained highly elevated into the summer months and never declined to local stream conductivity levels. Conductivity and chloride concentrations were also elevated in floodplains adjacent to all ponds throughout the year. First order streams draining the detention pond floodplain were consistently elevated in conductivity and were a year-round net source of ions to the second order stream into which they flowed. These results indicate that both short and long hydroperiod stormwater ponds have the potential to serve as long-term, year round sources of chloride to adjacent surface and ground waters.
Habits and the Anomalies in Intertemporal Choice

This paper analyzes a model of discounted utility under habit formation. Habit formation means that utility in each period is determined by the difference between the received outcome and the customary outcome at that point in time. Preferences are rational, in the sense that the decision maker correctly anticipates the habit formation process and behaves in a dynamically consistent manner, i.e., plans are truly carried out. The purpose is to demonstrate that this generalization of the discounted utility model accounts, jointly and in a meaningful way, for the most striking anomalies with respect to classical discounted utility theory. The common difference effect is explained first. This effect, also called decreasing impatience effect, has usually been viewed as evidence against exponential discounting. Then, the frequently observed preference for increasing sequences of outcomes is examined. Such preference, under the traditional discounted utility model, would be regarded as a paradoxical case of negative discounting. A discussion of the descriptive, prescriptive, and normative values of the model is included.
Introducing Evidence-Based Practice to an Inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit

Objective An evidence-based practice (EBP) course was presented to the nonphysician clinical staff of an inpatient child psychiatry unit to assess change in attitude and knowledge.
Supporting Families Dealing with Autism and Asperger's Disorders

Autism and related disorders are becoming more common (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2009), and family therapists are likely to encounter families with a member with some form o...
Evidence Behind the 4-Hour Rule for Initiation of Antibiotic Therapy in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Study objective US regulatory authorities mandate delivery of antibiotics within 4 hours of arrival for patients being admitted to the hospital with community-acquired pneumonia. This evidence-based emergency medicine review examines the scientific evidence pertaining to this requirement. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, other databases, and bibliographies. We selected articles allowing comparison of inpatient or 30-day mortality among patients receiving early versus delayed antibiotics. We prospectively categorized studies according to whether they were retrospective or prospective and whether they adjusted for severity with the Pneumonia Severity Index. We evaluated the precision with which the interval to initiation of antibiotic therapy was defined and the compliance of retrospective studies with standard reporting criteria for chart reviews. Results We identified 13 observational studies reporting comparative outcomes in patients receiving early versus delayed antibiotic initiation, of which 10 allowed calculation of our primary outcome. Of the 4 prospective studies, 1 allowed severity adjustment using the Pneumonia Severity Index score. Among the retrospective studies, definition of time to antibiotic therapy was frequently imprecisely defined, and compliance with standard reporting criteria for chart review was scanty in the subgroup lacking severity adjustment. Odds ratios (ORs) for mortality varied widely. One methodologically weak study reported a large benefit of early antibiotics (OR for mortality antibiotics 4 hours 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08 to 0.71). The one study that used prospective enrollment and severity adjustment using the Pneumonia Severity Index observed a contrary result (adjusted OR for mortality, antibiotics 4 hours 1.99; 95% CI 1.22 to 13.45). Results from studies reporting an 8-hour cutoff also varied in magnitude and direction of effect. Conclusion Evidence from observational studies fails to confirm decreased mortality with early administration of antibiotics in stable patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Although timely administration of antibiotics to patients with confirmed community-acquired pneumonia should be encouraged, an inflated sense of priority of the 4-hour time frame is not justified by the evidence.
Treatment of material discontinuity in the Element-Free Galerkin method

Abstract A method is presented for application of the Element-Free Galerkin method (EFG) to solid mechanics problems containing material discontinuities. By using the EFG method, the trial and test functions for the weak form are constructed with moving least-square interpolants in each material domain. Additional constraints are imposed at the variational level to ensure satisfaction of interface conditions. As a result, only nodal data (no elemental connectivity) is needed. Given C 1 continuity of the interpolant weighting function, the dependent variable and its gradient are continuous in each material domain. Two linear elastic bi-material examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the method.
Growth of thin plates of Bi12SiO20 single crystals

Abstract Thin plates of Bi 12 SiO 20 (BSO) single crystal were grown by the EFG method. In this experiment, three different kinds of dies with planar, angular-concave, and concave top geometries were used. The experiment proved that it is possible to achieve stable growth of cm-sized thin plates of BSO single crystals using a die with a concave die-top geometry. The effect of die-top geometry on growth stability is qualitatively explained according to the meniscuc model developed by V. A. Tatarchenko.
Metal-enhanced biosensor for genetic mismatch detection

DNA biosensors are increasingly used in hybridization reactions, mutation detection, genomic sequencing, and identification of pathogens. However, the inability to monitor the recognition signals without resorting to the use of labels or electroactive mediators has led to DNA devices with inadequate sensitivity. Moreover, some electroactive species require high redox potentials that often destroy the DNA complementarity. This article presents the concept of metal-enhanced detection (MED) for the determination of DNA-DNA reactions and presents the application of this concept for mismatch detection. The MED concept relies on the idea that metallic films deposited as a continuous layer or monolayer onto a solid electrode, or even electrostatically held, could greatly enhance the rate of electron transfer by reducing the distance between the donor and acceptor species and could lead to label-free assays during DNA hybridization reactions. The MED concept has been tested for voltammetric detection of gene sequence of Microcystis spp. The resulting biosensor involved the immobilization of a 17-mer DNA probe that is complementary to a specific gene sequence of Microcystis spp. on a gold electrode via avidin-biotin chemistry. Electrochemical reduction and oxidation of DNA-captured Ag(+) ions provided the detection signals for the target gene sequence in solution. A linear response of silver cathodic peak current with concentration of the target oligonucleotide sequence was observed with a detection limit of 7 x 10(-9)M. This label-free approach was successfully applied to detecting two-base-pair mismatches in the gene sequence of Microcystis spp.
Internal-External Control and Attitudes Toward Energy Conservation and Warren Commission Report

Summary The present investigation examined the relationship between college students' locus of control and attitudes toward energy conservation. It was predicted that the more external orientation would relate to the person's belief that energy resources were controlled by powerful others whose manipulation created energy shortage, and personal conservation would not help the situation. The present study also compared 1977 students' reactions to the Warren Commission Report to those of the sixties, to study changing attitudes among college students. Three hundred forty-seven male and female college students were administered the Rotter I-E scale and a questionnaire that included items dealing with energy and the Warren Commission Report. Analysis of variance supported the hypothesis: males were found to be more internal than females, and those who believed in energy shortage and conservation were more internal than those who believed otherwise. A similar analysis of the responses to the Warren Report show...