cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-GG-T-523: A Creative Measure to Ensure the Accuracy of Removable SRS Mask

Purposes: To analyze geometrical uncertainties of Brainlab SRS head mask system during clinical practice, and evaluate the effectiveness in limiting the uncertainty by introducing a special longitudinal restraint. Material and Method: From June, 2009 to February, 2010, total 24 intracranial lesions were treated with Brainlab SRS mask system on Varian NTX at our center. All patients were immobilized with Brainlab head mask system, which was made about 15 minutes prior to simulation. The removable frame consists of a back and front thermoplastic mashes; reinforcing pieces cross the forehead and upper lip attached by a nose bridge and bite pieces. In the test group, a longitudinal restraint was extended cross the top of head. The mask is attached to a U shaped base ring for rigid geometric registration of simulation CT. During the treatment the setup of Brainlab's localizer was compared with CBCT. Results: The mean 3D displacement of 16 cases with Brainlab SRS mask was 4.1 ±1.5mm. Their vertical, longitudinal, and lateral shifts were 1.6 ±1.0mm, 3.2 ±1.9mm (p < 0.01), and 1.1 ±0.9mm respectively. Averaging all 8 cases in the test group using the longitudinal constraint, the shift was reduced to 0.3 ±0.5 mm (p<0.01). The only 2 cases were shifted, only by 1mm, and identified after CBCT to be caused by operator's oversight. Conclusion: During treatment setups for less cooperative patients, the accuracy of commercial Brainlab SRS head mask system can be easily compromised due to altered the pitch angle or longitudinal position of the head inside the mask. Due to this reason, we found greater variations in our practice for SRS setups using Brainlab's removable frame. The introduction of longitudinal restraint has demonstrated its effectiveness in ensuring the accuracy of this system.
Classification of 2-transitive symmetric designs

All symmetric designs are determined for which the automorphism group is 2-transitive on the set of points.
World model and its uncertainty in supervisory robot control

This paper describes new methods to deal with uncertainty in the position and orientation of objects in the world model in the context of robot teleoperations. The virtual obstacle (object) is defined to represent objects with uncertainty bounds which are constructed by the operator using geometric data base and a 6 d.o.f. input device while viewing video displays. These virtual obstacles are updated as the cameras move. Also, a new method to build the world model by so called `flying-and-matching' is introduced. Experiments have been performed with human subjects to evaluate the proposed schemes.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
John Henryism and blood pressure in black college students

Previous research on John Henryism, a coping mechanism linked to hypertension in blacks, has focused almost exclusively on rural, low-socioeconomic status (SES), adult populations. Furthermore, these studies have not evaluated mediating influences of John Henryism except in terms of SES. The primary focus of the current investigation was to examine the influence of John Henryism on cardiovascular disease risk factors among a relatively healthy sample of 421 urban, black college students. A second component of the study was to determine the role of social support as a mediating influence on those with limited coping resources and high John Henryism scores. Approximately 30% of males and 9% of females had systolic blood pressures ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressures ≥90. Females had higher John Henryism scores than males. John Henryism was also correlated with social support in females. Gender-specific regression models revealed that John Henryism was not an independent predictor of blood pressure in black college students. The results are discussed in terms of apparent gender differences with regard to overall coping mechanisms in black students and possible explanations for the lack of a John Henryism-blood pressure relationship in this population.
Future trends in crosslink communications

Lasers are now over thirty years old. In the years immediately following their first demonstration many potential uses were postulated and communications was at or near the top of most lists. Indeed, simple communication demonstrations using lasers were the stock-in- trade of many laboratory open houses during the '60s and '70s. However, as is often the case with new discoveries, much ancillary development must occur before the potential can be usefully exploited in practical systems--and this has certainly been the case with communications via laser beams. I personally believe that all of the pieces exist for practical space laser communication systems. However, funding constraints and the existence of a mature microwave (RF) technology base have contributed to a slow acceptance of laser crosslinks in space.
Detection of Campylobacter and Escherichia coli O157:H7 from filth flies by polymerase chain reaction.

. Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) that breed in faeces and other organic refuse (filth flies) have been implicated as vectors of pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7, which cause haemorrhagic colitis in humans, and Campylobacter, which is the principal causative agent of human enteritis. The potential role of filth flies in the epidemiology of these pathogens in the United States was investigated by examining the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157:H7 from two Arkansas turkey facilities. Polymerase chain reaction was conducted on DNA extractions of individual Musca domestica Linnaeus, Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus), Hydrotaea aenescens (Wiedemann), Adia cinerella Fallen and turkey faecal samples using primers specific for E. coli H7, O157 and Campylobacter spp. Culturing verified that the flies were carrying viable Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157:H7. Results from this study indicated that M. domestica, S. calcitrans, H. aenescens and Anthomyids are capable of carrying Campylobacter in North American poultry facilities and that the E. coli O157:H7 is carried by house flies and black dump flies associated with poultry. This PCR method provided a rapid and effective method to identify Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157:H7 directly from individual filth flies.
STEREOCHEMISTRY OF HOST PLANT MONOTERPENES AS MATE LOCATION CUES FOR THE GALL WASP Antistrophus rufus

In spring, adult males of the gall wasp Antistrophus rufus L. emerge from inconspicuous galls in stems of their host plant Silphium laciniatum L. and search for sites on stems where females will later emerge. The behavior of males suggests that they use olfaction rather than visual or tactile cues in searching for mates. In an earlier publication, we reported that galls of A. rufus were associated with changes in enantiomeric ratios of α- and β-pinene emitted by plant stems, and hypothesized that monoterpene stereochemistry served as a mate location cue for adult males. Here, we support this hypothesis with bioassays that demonstrate that males can discriminate between galled and ungalled stems, as well as between blends of synthetic monoterpenes with ratios of enantiomers representative of galled and ungalled stems.
Surgical Management of Vertical Root Fractures for Posterior Teeth: Report of Four Cases

Abstract Introduction The objective of this article was to present a surgical treatment option for teeth with incomplete vertical root fracture in maxillary and mandibular posterior teeth. Methods Four cases are presented in which 1 endodontically treated maxillary or mandibular molar had an incomplete vertical root fracture involving 1 of the roots. The tooth underwent a flap elevation procedure to visualize the pattern of bone loss and assess the extent of root fracture. The fracture line was eliminated by resecting the root in a beveled manner, after which root-end preparation and root-end filling were performed by using mineral trioxide aggregate. The osteotomy was covered with an absorbable collagen membrane. Cases were followed up for 8–24 months after surgery. Results The procedure was shown to be predictable and successful in this series. Root length was preserved, and tooth extraction was avoided. Conclusions The microsurgical treatment option for multirooted teeth with incomplete vertical root fracture resulted in long-term clinical success.
State Sharks and Nonstate Urchins

Policing the Globe: Criminalization and Crime Control in International Relations. By Peter Nadelmann, Ethan Andreas. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. 352 pp., $29.95 (ISBN: 0-19-508948-0). Predators and Parasites: Persistent Agents of Transnational Harm and Great Power Authority. By Oded Lowenheim. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2006. 280 pp., $70.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-472-09953-5), $25.95 paper (ISBN: 0-472-06953-8). Policing the Globe , by Peter Andreas and Ethan Nadelmann, and Predators and Parasites , by Oded Lowenheim, are two fascinating books with a number of great features in common. First, both books present stimulating multitheoretical approaches that successfully demonstrate the analytical and explanatory power that combined theories can produce. Andreas and Nadelmann, by tackling the influence of major powers on the spread of global norms via international institutions, successfully pull together the “separate tables” (Almond 1988) of realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Lowenheim, by focusing on norms and great powers in the international system, combines a realist framework with a constructivist analysis. Second, both books fill what is a still-too-large vacuum in the field of international security studies by looking at relations between states and nonstate actors. In that sense, they fit into the literature on widened concepts of security (see Ullman 1982; Brown 1989; Nye 1989, 2002; Crawford 1991; Haftendorn 1991; Tickner 1992; Waever et al. 1993; Krause and Williams 1996, 1997; Buzan, Waever, and de Wilde 1998; Paris 2001; Risse 2002; Andreas 2003; Farah 2004; Mueller 2004; Lischer 2005; Roberts 2006; Marten 2007) as well as into the literature on realist-constructivist approaches (see Ikenberry and Kupchan 1990; Finnemore 1996; Finnemore and Sikkink 1998). Third, the themes and findings of both books are timely, informative, and highly policy relevant, which, as Stephen Walt (1991:228) has put it, “is the main source of new research questions and discourages any drift toward academic irrelevance.” In Policing the Globe , Andreas and Nadelmann claim that the global spread of norms is a function of the domestic politics of major powers at a given period in time, not just a response to the …
Investigation of porcine parvovirus among persons with hemophilia receiving Hyate:C porcine factor VIII concentrate.

BACKGROUND: Porcine clotting factor has been used for more than 15 years to treat severe bleeding episodes in persons with hemophilia who have antibodies to human clotting factor. In 1996, QC procedures revealed for the first time the presence of porcine parvovirus (PPV) in the product. This report describes an investigation to determine the extent of product contamination and to evaluate past recipients of porcine clotting factor (Hyate:C, Speywood Biopharm) for evidence of PPV infection. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Stored specimens from 22 lots of previously released Hyate:C were tested for the presence of PPV DNA by PCR and nested PCR assays. Serum specimens from 98 recipients of Hyate:C and 24 controls who did not receive Hyate:C were tested for PPV antibodies by an immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS: PPV DNA was detected in product from 21 of the 22 lots of Hyate:C, primarily by nested PCR testing. In contrast, none of the serum specimens from the 98 Hyate:C recipients tested positive for PPV IgG antibodies. CONCLUSION: The risk of human disease from percutaneous exposure to low levels of PPV seems to be low. Nevertheless, the theoretical risk of human infection with PPV has led to manufacturing changes, including PCR screening of all porcine plasma, which are designed to eliminate this risk.
Orbital Ordering in β-Substituted Porphyrins: Resonance Raman Spectra of the Radical Cations

Copper β-substituted 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrins (CuTPP-β) and their cation radicals with varied electron-withdrawing/donating substituents were studied by resonance Raman spectroscopy. A1g, Eu and substituent modes were observed with Soret excitation. Q-band spectra and CuTPP-d7-CHO shifts aided mode assignments. In the cations, a2u is indicated as the highest occupied molecular, although an a1u CuTPP-OCH3 HOMO is predicted. Examination of the absorption spectra reveals orbital switching may occur for the neutral but not for the cationic species.
Failed Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release Operative findings and results of open revision surgery

From 1994 to 1997, 22 patients (24 wrists) underwent open revision carpal tunnel release for persistent carpal tunnel syndrome after a primary endoscopic release. The age range was from 21 to 77 years. At the time of revision surgery, 22 wrists had an incomplete release of the flexor retinaculum and two patients had median nerve transection (one partial and one complete). One patient had release of Guyon's canal and not the carpal tunnel. After the open revision carpal tunnel release, 20 patients returned to work with five patients returning to jobs of lighter duty. In addition, these 20 patients had significant improvement in symptoms. The remaining two patients had sustained a median nerve injury and did not return to work. One of these patients developed a painful neuroma in continuity of the median nerve which required vein wrapping with a saphenous vein graft. This study indicates that endoscopic release of the flexor retinaculum holds the same risks and complications as open release. Based on our study we believe that patients with persistent carpal tunnel syndrome after failed endoscopic flexor retinaculum release can be successfully treated with open release.
Fast query evaluation for ad retrieval

We describe a fast query evaluation method for ad document retrieval in online advertising, based upon the classic WAND algorithm. The key idea is to localize per-topic term upper bounds into homogeneous ad groups. Our approach is not only theoretically motivated by a topical mixture model; but empirically justified by the characteristics of the ad domain, that is, short and semantically focused documents with natural hierarchy. We report experimental results using artificial and real-world query-ad retrieval data, and show that the tighter-bound WAND outperforms the traditional approach by 35.4% reduction in number of full evaluations.
MOON: MapReduce On Opportunistic eNvironments

MapReduce offers an ease-of-use programming paradigm for processing large data sets, making it an attractive model for distributed volunteer computing systems. However, unlike on dedicated resources, where MapReduce has mostly been deployed, such volunteer computing systems have significantly higher rates of node unavailability. Furthermore, nodes are not fully controlled by the MapReduce framework. Consequently, we found the data and task replication scheme adopted by existing MapReduce implementations woefully inadequate for resources with high unavailability.To address this, we propose MOON, short for MapReduce On Opportunistic eNvironments. MOON extends Hadoop, an open-source implementation of MapReduce, with adaptive task and data scheduling algorithms in order to offer reliable MapReduce services on a hybrid resource architecture, where volunteer computing systems are supplemented by a small set of dedicated nodes. Our tests on an emulated volunteer computing system, which uses a 60-node cluster where each node possesses a similar hardware configuration to a typical computer in a student lab, demonstrate that MOON can deliver a three-fold performance improvement to Hadoop in volatile, volunteer computing environments.
Seasonality in habitat selection by the gold color morph of Cichlasoma citrinellum and its relevance to sympatric speciation in the family Cichlidae

Cichlasoma citrinellum is a polymorphic species whose individual coloration varies from the dark grey markings typical of the species to yellow, orange, and red. In Lake Jiloa, Nicaragua the depth distribution of these latter, nongrey, golden morphs shows dramatic seasonal variation. In the height of the dry season in February over 50% of the gold morphs occur above 9 m, but as the breeding season approaches they migrate deeper such that less than 7% of the gold population occurs above 9 m at the onset of the breeding season. During the rainy season when breeding occurs most of the gold morphs occur below 15 m. It appears that gold morphs ‘voluntarily’ move into deeper water to breed rather than being aggressively forced deeper by larger, territorial grey morphs as was implied in an earlier paper (McKaye & Barlow 1976). Since the morphs of this species assortatively mate and select different habitats in which to breed, future sympatric splitting of this species is possible. Likely examples of sympatric speciation and of incipient speciation in the family Cichlidae are discussed.
Moving beyond the soil test

Good research—whether original, incremental or synthesizing—both satisfies with greater understanding of the world’s complexity and suggests new questions. This paper does both. It demonstrates that exchangeable K, the standard for evaluating K in soils, does not predict plant available K and that soil testing alone should not guide farmers in nutrient augmentation—yet another compelling reason to review the efficacy of soil testing in an age when excess agricultural nutrients are a major pollution source and cost producers and consumers. But why, after so many excellent pieces of work, is this still an issue? Without belaboring the points made in this paper, I offer Ireland, a small island, as a case study where long-term systematic research identified this problem, formed a consensus and took action.
Interaxonal interaction defines tiled presynaptic innervation in C. elegans.

Summary Cellular interactions between neighboring axons are essential for global topographic map formation. Here we show that axonal interactions also precisely instruct the location of synapses. Motoneurons form en passant synapses in Caenorhabditis elegans . Although axons from the same neuron class significantly overlap, each neuron innervates a unique and tiled segment of the muscle field by restricting its synapses to a distinct subaxonal domain—a phenomenon we term synaptic tiling. Using DA8 and DA9 motoneurons, we found that the synaptic tiling requires the PlexinA4 homolog, PLX-1, and two transmembrane semaphorins. In the plexin or semaphorin mutants, synaptic domains from both neurons expand and overlap with each other without guidance defects. In a semaphorin-dependent manner, PLX-1 is concentrated at the synapse-free axonal segment, delineating the tiling border. Furthermore, plexin inhibits presynapse formation by suppressing synaptic F-actin through its cytoplasmic GTPase-activating protein (GAP) domain. Hence, contact-dependent, intra-axonal plexin signaling specifies synaptic circuits by inhibiting synapse formation at the subcellular loci. Video Abstract
Observation of magnetoplasma type surface polaritons on n-InSb

Abstract Surface polariton dispersion curves have been obtained for an n-InSb—air interface in a magnetic field using the ATR method and are found to be in qualitative agreement with theory. In particular the curves show the predicted non-reciprocal nature of the surface polariton propagation, and the appearance of virtual excitation type branches of the dispersion curves. On the basis of data obtained in zero magnetic field on etched surfaces, the quantitative differences between experimental and theoretical dispersion curves are attributed to surface damage.
Comparison of negative and positive ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry for the liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis of oxidized deoxynucleosides

Oxidized deoxynucleosides are widely used as biomarkers for DNA oxidation and oxidative stress assessment. Although gas chromatography mass spectrometry is widely used for the measurement of multiple DNA lesions, this approach requires complex sample preparation contributing to possible artifactual oxidation. To address these issues, a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to measure 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyadenosine (8-OH-dA), 2-hydroxy-2′-deoxyadenosine (2-OH-dA), thymidine glycol (TG), and 5-hydroxy-methyl-2′-deoxyuridine (HMDU) in DNA samples with fast sample preparation. In order to selectively monitor the product ions of these precursors with optimum sensitivity for use during quantitative LC-MS/MS analysis, unique and abundant fragment ions had to be identified during MS/MS with collision-induced dissociation (CID). Positive and negative ion electrospray tandem mass spectra with CID were compared for the analysis of these five oxidized deoxynucleosides. The most abundant fragment ions were usually formed by cleavage of the glycosidic bond in both positive and negative ion modes. However, in the negative ion electrospray tandem mass spectra of 8-OH-dG, 2-OH-dA, and 8-OH-dA, cleavage of two bonds within the sugar ring produced abundant S1 type ions with loss of a neutral molecule weighing 90 u, [M − H − 90]−. The signal-to-noise ratio was similar for negative and positive ion electrospray MS/MS except in the case of thymidine glycol where the signal-to-noise was 100 times greater in negative ionization mode. Therefore, negative ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry with CID would be preferred to positive ion mode for the analysis of sets of oxidized deoxynucleosides that include thymidine glycol. Investigation of the fragmentation pathways indicated some new general rules for the fragmentation of negatively charged oxidized nucleosides. When purine nucleosides contain a hydroxyl group in the C8 position, an S1 type product ion will dominate the product ions due to a six-membered ring hydrogen transfer process. Finally, a new type of fragment ion formed by elimination of a neutral molecule weighing 48 (CO2H4) from the sugar moiety was observed for all three oxidized purine nucleosides.
Multiple forced oscillations for the $N$-pendulum equation

We consider the periodically forcedN-pendulum equation. Forced oscillations are obtained, and their multiplicity is studied in terms of the mean value of the forcing term.
On a diffusion volterra equation

INTRODUCTION IN THIS paper we study the Volterra diffusion equation au/at = Au + au bu2 u(f*u)t (0.1 a) describing the evolution of some population governed by the intrinsic rate a bu and the memory rate f * u containing the effect of the past history on the actual population development. We suppose that the population lives in some bounded domain Sz without interaction with the exterior situation; this is expressed by the Neumann condition au/&i = 0 on aR (0.1 b) where Z%2 is the boundary of R and a/an is the exterior normal derivative to X?. Moreover we consider the initial condition u(x, 0) = UJX) > 0. (0.1 c) Let us observe that the classical Volterra equation [2] : ti = au bu2 u(f * u), u(O) = u. = const. (0.2) is equivalent to problem (0.1) with homogeneous initial distribution. [3] with the following hypoA discussion of problem (0.2) is contained, for instance, in theses [2] and
ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF AVIATION SYSTEM PERFORMANCE BY USING AIRLINE COST FUNCTIONS

The manner in which changes in the performance of the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) affect carrier costs is examined. The methodology includes estimation of airline cost functions that contain NAS performance metrics as arguments, using quarterly data for 10 U.S. domestic airlines. The primary interest is in the impact of delay on cost performance, and performance metrics that vary by airline and quarter are developed. The potentially large number of metrics are reduced by applying factor analysis to seven underlying variables, including average delay, delay variance, and the proportion of flights that are cancelled. The analysis reveals that variations in the seven variables can be adequately captured by three or fewer factors. The three factors used correspond to "delay," "variability," and "disruption," the last two of which are merged into a single "irregularity" factor in the two-factor model. When used as arguments in an airline cost function, the "disruption" factor is found to be a significa...
The High Profile of Trade in Higher Education Services

Proponents of free trade in higher education services present legitimate and convincing arguments to include higher education in major international trade agreements like the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Increasing access for American providers to foreign markets, providing services to willing education consumers abroad, and expanding educational opportunities in countries with less broadly developed systems of higher education are some of the perceived benefits of removing trade barriers to higher education providers. Indeed, free-trade supporters enjoy advocates in high places, including the U.S. Office of the Trade Representative (USTR), who promote such benefits of free trade for American higher education interests overseas. The protrade position, however, lacks a developed perspective on the implications of free trade for domestic higher education. A few informed representatives at national higher education associations have produced the only localized response from American higher education to the issue of including higher education in any trade agreements. Thus far, however, the issues raised locally have not led to a more broadly informed debate about the topic. It may be useful to present a “worst-case scenario” to showcase some of the ways in which trade liberalization could adversely impact American higher education through GATS and other international trade agreements.
A Patient With Blunt Trauma and Cardiac Arrest Arriving Pulseless at the Emergency Department; is that Enough Reason to Stop Resuscitation? Review of Literature and Case Report

The decision to stop or continue resuscitation in a patient with blunt trauma and cardiac arrest arriving pulseless to the hospital has always been controversial. While many authors still believe that it is a futile effort, with no chance of success for complete neurological recovery, some recent reports have challenged the idea. Here we report complete recovery of a severely injured patient following a motor vehicle accident who lost vital signs completely before arrival at our trauma center. No cardiac motion was detected on ultrasound examination on arrival. Emergency department thoracotomy, open cardiac massage, massive blood transfusion, damage control laparotomy with abdominal and pelvic packing, followed by angio-embolization of pelvic bleeding, and staged abdominal exploration were performed. This case is an example showing that resuscitation of patients with blunt trauma and cardiac arrest arriving pulseless to the hospital is not always futile.
Internal friction due to chromium and iron in magnesium oxide

Abstract Internal friction in magnesium oxide in the kc range shows a broad relaxation peak with a maximum near 850°C. The peak height is proportional to the chromium content, or to the iron content, whichever is the dominant impurity. The activation energy of the peak is 2.1 ± 0.1 eV, giving a pre-exponential frequency factor of 3 × 10 14 sec −1 , near that for a simple atomic diffusion process. A modified bound-vacancy model is discussed. The experimental results are consistent with such a model, but the agreement is not sufficiently clear-cut to allow positive identification of the relaxation parameters with those of vacancy diffusion.
Mathematical modeling and design of layer crystallization in a concentric annulus with and without recirculation

A solution layer crystallization process in a concentric annulus is presented that removes the need for filtration. A dynamic model for layer crystallization with and without a recirculation loop is developed in the form of coupled partial differential equations describing the effects of mass transfer, heat transfer, and crystallization kinetics. The model predicts the variation of the temperature, concentration, and dynamic crystal thickness along the pipe length, and the concentration and temperature along the pipe radius. The model predictions are shown to closely track experimental data that were not used in the model's construction, and also compared to an analytical solution that can be used for quickly obtaining rough estimates when there is no recirculation loop. The model can be used to optimize product yield and crystal layer thickness uniformity, with constraints on the supersaturation to avoid bulk nucleation by adjusting cooling temperatures in the core and jacket. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1308–1321, 2013
Staging of lung cancer CT and PET

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States with a 5 year survival of only 15%. [1] The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) issued a 7th edition of the TNM staging system for lung cancer in 2007. [2] It includes several revisions which better align TNM staging with prognosis and in some cases with treatment. There have been revisions in the TNM descriptors. In the T or tumor category, the T1 and T2 categories include now subcategorization of size with new T1a, T1b, T2a and T2b subdescriptors. One of the important changes is that tumors larger than 7 cm are now considered Stage T3 tumors. Stage IV tumors include separate tumor nodules in the same lung but not in the same lobe as the primary lesion which were previously considered metastatic (M1). Stage T4 disease is now downgraded to Stage III when satellite nodules are present in the same lobe as the primary lesion. The presence of malignant pleural effusion, pleural dissemination or pericardial disease is now considered metastatic disease, specifically stage M1a for local intrathoracic disease rather than Stage IV disease [3-5]. Although the IASLC has proposed a new lymph node map there are no changes to the end descriptors in the 7th edition of the TNM staging system [3-5]. Nearly one half of newly diagnosed lung cancers already demonstrate metastases within the lung, brain, liver, and bony structures. Any metastatic disease is automatically designated Stage IV disease and with few exceptions is considered surgically unresectable. The M category is now subcategorized into intra-thoracic metastasis M1a and extra-thoracic metastatic M1b with the former having a better prognosis [4]. Contrast enhanced CT remains the mainstay for staging of lung cancer. However, PET has particular value in nodal staging of lung cancer and also in determining the presence of distant metastatic disease. In a study by Gould et al, the sensitivity of PET CT for metastasis was 85% and the specificity was 95% as compared with a CT sensitivity of 61% and specificity of 79% [6]. PET CT does have a high false positive rate so it cannot replace invasive sampling, but it may be used to direct invasive staging. PET scanning is particularly useful in M staging of non-small cell lung cancer. PET can replace the use of bone scintigraphy and it is now widely used for determination of distant metastasis throughout the body. However, it is limited in the assessment of brain metastases. In the PLUS Trial, 188 patients with potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancer were randomized to either conventional work up or PET CT. Addition of the PET CT to the conventional work up prevented future surgery in 1 out of 5 patients [7].
Satellite Microwave Retrieval of Total Precipitable Water Vapor and Surface Air Temperature Over Land From AMSR2

An approach for deriving atmosphere total precipitable water vapor (PWV) and surface air temperature over land using satellite passive microwave radiometry from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) was developed in this study. The PWV algorithm is based on theoretical analysis and comparisons against similar retrievals from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). The AMSR2 PWV retrievals compare favorably with AIRS operational PWV products ( $R^{2}\geqslant 0.80$ and rmse: 4.4–5.6 mm) and independent PWV observations from the SuomiNet North American Global Positioning System station network, with an overall mean rmse of 4.7 mm and more than 78% of absolute retrieval errors below 5 mm. The PWV retrievals were then applied within an AMSR2 multifrequency brightness temperature algorithm for deriving atmosphere-corrected surface air temperatures. The estimated temperatures agree favorably ( $R^{2}>0.80$ and $\hbox{rmse} ) with independent weather station daily air temperature measurements spanning global climate and land cover variability. The resulting PWV estimates increase surface air temperature retrieval accuracy in our algorithm scheme. The AMSR2 algorithm is readily applied to similar microwave sensors including the AMSR for EOS and provides suitable performance and accuracy to support hydrologic, ecosystem, and climate change studies.
Production of Hydrogen from Biomass‐Derived Liquids

Biomass as a product of photosynthesis is a renewable resource that can be used for sustainable production of hydrogen. Direct production of hydrogen from biomass by gasification/water-gas shift technology is economically unfavorable, except for very low cost feedstocks and very large plants. An alternative strategy, with potentially better economics, results from the combined production of hydrogen with valuable co-products. The concept is based on a two-stage process: fast pyrolysis of biomass to generate bio-oil, followed by catalytic steam reforming of the oil or its fractions to produce hydrogen. The preferred option is to separate bio-oil into a lignin-derived fraction that could be used for producing phenolic resins or fuel additives, and a carbohydratederived material that would be steam reformed to produce hydrogen. In order to increase the hydrogen production in a biomass-based plant, co-reforming of the bio-oil fraction and natural gas has also been considered. The co-product strategy can also be applied to residual fractions derived from pulping operations and from ethanol production. Effluents from other biomass conversion technologies such as transesterification of vegetable oils and food processing residues (“trap grease”) can also be attractive low-cost feedstocks for the production of hydrogen. This work focused on catalytic steam co-reforming of (a) carbohydrate-derived fraction of bio-oil and natural gas and (b) “trap grease.” We employed a fluidized bed reactor configuration with commercial nickel catalysts developed for processing natural gas and naphtha. The hydrogen yields obtained were 80-90% of the potential values for stoichiometric conversion of feed to CO2 and H2.
Neutrophil-dependent goblet cell degranulation: role of membrane-bound elastase and adhesion molecules

We examined the effect of the neutrophil chemoattractants interleukin (IL)-8 and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine on goblet cell (GC) degranulation in guinea pigs. Chemoattractants caused time-dependent neutrophil recruitment and GC degranulation in vivo. NPC 15669 (an inhibitor of leukocyte infiltration) prevented both responses, implicating neutrophils. ICI 200,355 (an inhibitor of neutrophil elastase and proteinase-3) or secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (an inhibitor of elastase but not of proteinase-3) abolished IL-8-induced GC degranulation, implicating elastase. Incubating tracheal segments with IL-8 plus neutrophils caused GC degranulation in vitro, an effect due to activation of the neutrophils themselves (and not an effect present in the supernatant). Chemoattractant increased surface staining of elastase and the cleavage of elastase-specific fluorogenic substrate by neutrophils. Pretreatment with anti-intercellular adhesion molecule-1, anti-CD18, or anti-CD11b antibody inhibited the chemoattractant-induced GC degranulation in vitro, implicating adhesion molecules. These studies suggest that chemoattractants cause neutrophil-dependent GC degranulation involving adhesive interactions between cells, with elastase activity occurring at the cell interface, causing GC secretion. The findings, reproduced in human airways, suggest novel methods of therapeutic intervention.
Estimation of forest stand structure from Landsat TM through inversion of the Li-Strahler model

Results from several National Forests over several years indicate the capabilities and limitations associated with the use of the Li-Strahler invertible forest canopy reflectance model in vegetation mapping. On the basis of single date Landsat Thematic Mapper data, inversion of the Li-Strahler model provides accurate estimates of conifer crown cover, but is less reliable for tree size estimation. The problems in tree size estimation result primarily from estimates of intra-stand variance, which are influenced by factors other than stand structure. Key additional factors influencing variance in reflectance within stands are variation in background materials and prior forest management activities. Research continues on the use of multi-angle and finer resolution imagery to improve tree size estimates. >
Huntingtin Is Present in the Nucleus, Interacts with the Transcriptional Corepressor C-terminal Binding Protein, and Represses Transcription

Huntingtin is a protein of unknown function that contains a polyglutamine tract, which is expanded in patients with Huntington's disease (HD). We investigated the localization and a potential function for huntingtin in the nucleus. In human fibroblasts from normal and HD patients, huntingtin localized diffusely in the nucleus and in subnuclear compartments identified as speckles, promyelocytic leukemia protein bodies, and nucleoli. Huntingtin-positive nuclear bodies redistributed after treatment with sodium butyrate. By Western blot, purified nuclei had low levels of full-length huntingtin compared with the cytoplasm but contained high levels of N- and C-terminal huntingtin fragments, which tightly bound the nuclear matrix. Full-length huntingtin co-immunoprecipitated with the transcriptional corepressor C-terminal binding protein, and polyglutamine expansion in huntingtin reduced this interaction. Full-length wild-type and mutant huntingtin repressed transcription when targeted to DNA. Truncated N-terminal mutant huntingtin repressed transcription, whereas the corresponding wild-type fragment did not repress transcription. We speculate that wild-type huntingtin may function in the nucleus in the assembly of nuclear matrix-bound protein complexes involved with transcriptional repression and RNA processing. Proteolysis of mutant huntingtin may alter nuclear functions by disrupting protein complexes and inappropriately repressing transcription in HD.
Major Human Cytomegalovirus Structural Protein pp65 (ppUL83) Prevents Interferon Response Factor 3 Activation in the Interferon Response

We have identified a cytomegalovirus virion protein capable of modulating the rapid induction of an interferon-like response in cells that follows virus binding and penetration. Functional genomics revealed a role for the major cytomegalovirus structural protein, pp65 (ppUL83), in counteracting this response. The underlying mechanism involves a differential impact of this structural protein on the regulation of interferon response factor 3 (IRF-3). In contrast, NF-κB is activated independent of pp65, and neither STAT1 nor STAT3 becomes activated by either virus. pp65 is sufficient to prevent the activation of IRF-3 when introduced alone into cells. pp65 acts by inhibiting nuclear accumulation of IRF-3 and is associated with a reduced IRF-3 phosphorylation state. Thus, this investigation shows that the major structural protein of cytomegalovirus is committed to the modulation of the IRF-3 response, a primary mediator of the type I interferon response. By subverting IRF-3, the virus escapes throwing a central alarm devoted to both immediate antiviral control and regulation of the immune response.
Graphics for Serious Games: VFire: Immersive wildfire simulation and visualization

The destruction caused by wildfires has led to the development of various models that try to predict the effects of this phenomenon. However, as the computational complexity of these models increases, their utility for real-time applications diminishes. Fortunately, the burgeoning processing power of the graphics processing unit can not only mitigate these concerns but also allow for high-fidelity visualization. We present VFire, an immersive wildfire simulation and visualization system. Users are placed in a virtual environment generated from real-world data regarding topology and vegetation. There they can simulate wildfires in real-time under various conditions. They can then experiment with various suppression techniques, such as fire breaks and water drops. The simulation is performed on the graphics card, which then provides visualization of the results. The system is intended to train fire chiefs in planning containment efforts and to educate firefighters, policymakers, and the general public about wildfire behavior and the effects of preventative measures.
Energy-efficient low-voltage operation of digital CMOS circuits through charge-recycling

This paper describes an energy-efficient means to achieve onchip dc-dc conversion for digital CMOS circuits. The approach uses balanced voltage islands running at fractions of the off-chip supply voltage. Charge "discarded" by one domain is "recycled" to supply energy for another. When the domains are ideally balanced, all the energy dissipated by electrons in "dropping" to lower potentials is used for active computation. We describe the design and measurement of a prototype system in a 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS process that provides active on-chip voltage regulation and controlled dc-dc conversion with this technique.
Application of the fast-evaporation sample preparation method for improving quantification of angiotensin II by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization

The fast-evaporation method of sample preparation has been applied for quantitative analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. An instrumental protocol focusing on improvement of shot-to-shot repeatability and compensation for signal degradation has been developed for quantification of angiotensin II using the fast-evaporation technique and an internal standard. The fast-evaporation method was compared to the standard method of sample preparation (using a multicomponent matrix) in the quantitative analysis of angiotensin II, and found to be superior in several respects. Improvement in sample homogeneity using the fast-evaporation method enhanced both point-to-point repeatibility and sample-to-sample reproducibility. The relative standard deviations of the analyte/internal standard ratios (point RSD) were decreased by a factor of three compared to those obtained using the multicomponent matrix method. The average point RSD was found to be ca. 5% for the fast-evaporation technique. Two internal standards were evaluated for quantification of angiotensin II. The better one, 1-SAR-8-Ile angiotensin II, yielded a relative standard deviation of the standard curve slope of ca. 2.2% over two orders of magnitude of concentration (45 nM to 3000 nM), an improvement by a factor of two over the standard preparation method. Renal microdialysate samples, spiked with angiotensin II and the internal standard 1-SAR-8-Ile angiotensin II, were also analyzed using the fast-evaporation technique. The detection limit was calculated to be in the high attomole range (675 amol). Furthermore, the accuracy for a single determination of angiotensin II concentration in these samples was found to be 13.9% with a relative error of 8.19%.
Biological and Conformational Examination of Stereochemical Modifications Using the Template Melanotropin Peptide, Ac-Nle-c[Asp-His-Phe-Arg-Trp- Ala-Lys]-NH2, on Human Melanocortin Receptors

Examination of conformationally constrained melanotropin peptide (Ac-Nle4-c[Asp5-His-Phe7-Arg-Trp9-Ala-Lys]-NH2) on four human melanotropin receptors (hMC1R, hMC3R, hMC4R, and hMC5R) resulted in identifying the importance of ligand stereochemistry at positions 5, 7, and 9 for agonist binding affinity and receptor selectivity. A trend in ligand structure-activity relationships emerged for these peptides, with the hMC1R and hMC4R possessing similar tendencies, as did the hMC3R and hMC5R. alpha-MSH (Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Met4-Glu-His-Phe7-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2), NDP-MSH (Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Nle4-Glu-His-D-Phe7-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2), and MTII (Ac-Nle4-c[Asp5,D-Phe7,Lys10]-alpha-MSH(4-10)-NH2) were also examined at each of these melanocortin receptors. Interestingly, the linear NDP-MSH possessed greater binding affinity for the hMC3R and hMC5R than did the cyclic analogue MTII. The peptide Ac-Nle-c[Asp-His-Phe-Arg-D-Trp9-Ala-Lys]-NH2 demonstrated the greatest differentiation in binding affinity between the hMC1R and hMC4R (78-fold). Analogue Ac-Nle-c[Asp-His-Phe7-Arg-Trp-Ala-Lys]-NH2 resulted in micromolar binding affinity (or greater) at the hMC3R and hMC5R, demonstrating the importance of D-Phe7 for ligand binding potency at these receptors. Ac-c[Asp-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Ala-Lys]-NH2 resulted in loss of binding affinity at the hMC5R, implicating the importance of Nle4 (or a hydrophobic residue in this position) for binding to this receptor. Ac-Nle-c[D-Asp5-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Ala-Lys]-NH2 was unable to competitively displace [125I]NDP-MSH binding at micromolar concentrations on the hMC3R and hMC5R, suggesting the importance of chirality of Asp5 either for ligand-receptor interactions or for orientation of the side chain lactam bridge and the structural integrity of the peptide conformation. Energy calculations performed for these peptides resulted in the identification of a low-energy ligand conformer family that is common to all the ligands. The differences in ligand binding affinities observed in this study are postulated to be a result of different ligand-receptor complexed interactions and not solely to the ligand structure.
Topography of FUS pathology distinguishes late-onset BIBD from aFTLD-U

Background: Multiple neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the abnormal accumulation of FUS protein including various subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with FUS inclusions (FTLD-FUS). These subtypes include atypical frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (aFTLD-U), basophilic inclusion body disease (BIBD) and neuronal intermediate filament inclusion disease (NIFID). Despite considerable overlap, certain pathologic features including differences in inclusion morphology, the subcellular localization of inclusions, and the relative paucity of subcortical FUS pathology in aFTLD-U indicate that these three entities represent related but distinct diseases. In this study, we report the clinical and pathologic features of three cases of aFTLD-U and two cases of late-onset BIBD with an emphasis on the anatomic distribution of FUS inclusions. Results: The aFTLD-U cases demonstrated FUS inclusions in cerebral cortex, subcortical grey matter and brainstem with a predilection for anterior forebrain and rostral brainstem. In contrast, the distribution of FUS pathology in late-onset BIBD cases demonstrated a predilection for pyramidal and extrapyramidal motor regions with relative sparing of cerebral cortex and limbic regions.