cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lexical access during eye fixations in reading: Are word access codes used to integrate lexical information across interword fixations?

Eye fixation records during reading were obtained to test whether lexical access of a word is distributed across successive interword fixations. Specifically, prelexical analyses discerning the word access code could be performed during the parafoveal processing of a word and lexical access could be completed during the word's subsequent fixation. A series of sentences was read with each sentence containing either a 6-letter compound word (e.g., cowboy), a 6-letter pseudocompound word (e.g., carpet), or a 6-letter control word (e.g., mirror). Reading occurred under four parafoveal text preview conditions affording either no usable preview, preview of a word's beginning three letters, preview of a word's beginning four letters, or preview of a complete parafoveal word. Previews of three and four letters either corresponded to linguistically defined subword units (putative word access codes) or violated these units. The results showed that parafoveal preview benefits from 3- and 4-letter sequences were unaffected by the linguistic status of previewed letters, indicating that word access codes are not used to integrate lexical information across interword fixations. Parafoveal previews of whole words revealed, however, effects of linguistic status. Preview benefits were largest for pseudocompound words which comprised high frequency beginning and ending subword constituents and smallest for control words which did not contain subword constituents with lexical representations. These results support models of parafoveal word recognition which posit, first, that all letters of a parafoveal word contribute to the early phase of word identification and, second, that these letters form mutually reinforcing letter coalitions.
Stochastic permeability models of fluid flow during contact metamorphism

Stable isotope data from hydrothermally altered rocks often show significant scatter. Such scatter cannot be quantitatively interpreted by models in which each lithologic unit is assumed to have a uniform permeability. If a stochastic modeling approach is used instead, heterogeneous permeability maps can be constructed to approximate the statistical distributions of natural systems, and both overall isotopic trends and data scatter can be matched. Three models are presented for the Alta, Utah, contact aureole to show that the observed scatter in δ18O values is consistent with subhorizontal down-temperature fluid infiltration through carbonates with heterogeneous permeabilities. Infiltration through rocks with heterogeneous permeabilities creates irregular, lobate isotope patterns, so that the idealized isotope profiles predicted by one-dimensional homogeneous permeability models do not develop. Localized sampling is unlikely to yield an accurate estimate of the overall importance of fluid-rock interaction or of dominant flow directions. In heterogeneous systems, large-scale hydrothermal alteration and flow patterns can best be estimated from statistically unbiased and spatially distributed data sets.
Interference Shaping for Improved Quality of Experience for Real-Time Video Streaming

The unpredictability of the wireless medium poses a major challenge to delivering a high quality of experience (QoE) for real-time video services. Bursty co-channel interference is a prominent cause of wireless throughput variability, which leads to video QoE degradation, even for a fixed average channel quality. In this paper, we propose and analyze a network-level resource management algorithm termed interference shaping to smooth out the throughput variations (and hence improve the QoE) of video users by decreasing the peak rate of co-channel best effort users. Wireless link capacity variations are mapped to the real-time video packet loss rate, and the interference shaping QoE gain for video users is quantified by benchmarking against a modified multi-scale structural similarity (H-MS-SSIM) index. H-MS-SSIM is an accurate perceptual video quality metric that incorporates the important hysteresis effect whereby the current QoE (which is subjective) may strongly depend on the recent past. The proposed technique increases mean QoE and reduces the QoE variability over time, with a net perceptual increase of about 2-3x in illustrative settings while incurring insignificant decrease in the QoE for co-channel best effort users. Interference shaping can be implemented in both unicast and multicast real-time video streaming with much higher potential gains for multicast.
REGULAR STEINER POLYGONS

Abstract The symmetric difference area functional is minimized for a pair of planar convex polygons. Two solution procedures are outlined: a direct constructive methodology and a support function formulation. Examples illustrate the solution methodology.
Human factors in agile manufacturing: A brief overview with emphasis on communications and information infrastructure

Agile manufacturing has been promoted as a national strategy for improving industrial competitiveness. Agility refers to the capability to very rapidly go from a set of unique customer requirements to a quality, finished product. An appreciation of the human factors inherent to agile product development is pivotal to the successful integration of agility-enabling technologies, as well as the coordination of personnel working within a concurrent engineering environment. This article briefly summarizes human factors contributions to: (1) development of agile business practices; (2) design of enabling technologies; and (3) management of the introduction and fielding of new technologies and business practices. More detailed discussion is offered for human factors related to the communications and information infrastructure essential to an organization making the transition from traditional to agile product development. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF COMMERCIAL EGG SUBSTITUTES

Sensory evaluations were conducted on liquid whole egg and two commercial egg substitutes prepared as scrambled egg and used in a plain cake. Consumers scored whole egg significantly higher in flavor than either substitute but were unable to distinguish between the aromas of one substitute and of whole egg. The texture of this same substitute product was judged similar to whole egg in descriptive scoring tests with experienced panelists. Also, this panel rated whole egg superior to both substitute products in aroma and flavor. No significant differences were apparent in color. The two egg substitutes differed significantly in flavor and aroma according to both the consumer and the laboratory panels. Cake volumes decreased when substitutes were used, and one of the substitutes had a flavor which persisted in the baked products.
Spiking neuron model of basal forebrain enhancement of visual attention

Attentional mechanisms allow the brain to enhance the representation and transmission of certain signals at the expense of others. The basal forebrain has been shown to play an important role in attention through its diverse set of interactions with sensory and associational areas. A recent empirical study indicates that the nucleus basalis, a subset of neurons located in the basal forebrain, is important for improving sensory processing by increasing reliability and decreasing redundancy in the cortex and thalamus [1, 2]. We developed a spiking neural network model that simulates the nucleus basalis' interaction with the thalamus and visual cortex. In this model, we simulated two modes of action by which it is thought that the nucleus basalis may be influencing sensory processing: (1) inhibitory projections from the nucleus basalis to the thalamic reticular nucleus, which disinhibit the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and gate information into the cortex, and (2) cholinergic excitation of inhibitory neurons in the visual cortex. We showed that the inhibition of the thalamic reticular nucleus GABAergic neurons leads to an increase in the reliability of spikes in the LGN and cortex. We observed that a decrease in the burst to tonic firing ratio in the LGN, coupled with the cholinergic system increasing inhibition in the visual cortex caused decorrelation in the cortex. These findings will help us better understand the mechanisms behind the control of attention by the basal forebrain and shed light on how the orchestrated action of the basal forebrain on multiple target areas can improve information processing in the brain.
THE INFLUENCE OF SOME PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ON LATENCY OF THE GALVANIC SKIN REFLEX

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of differences in motivativation and in attention on latency of the endosomatic GSR. Using verbal instructions, two different levels of motivation were induced in a group of 37 Ss who performed a simple reaction task in which they pressed a button whenever a 250 cycle tone was presented. The same tone also served as a stimulus for eliciting the GSR. In a second experiment, 42 different Ss performed a similar reaction task, but in this case the stimulus was the 250 cycle tone or a 1,000 cycle tone of equal subjective intensity. Ss were asked to give a voluntary response to all tones irrespective of frequency and then, later on, to respond only when the 1,000 cycle tone was presented. Although voluntary reaction times were significantly shorter under conditions of high as compared with low motivation, latency of the GSR did not differ for the two conditions. In the second experiment, significantly shorter GSR latencies were recorded under the condition where Ss were required to pay closer attention to the stimulus.
A HYPERSINGULAR INTEGRAL FORMULATION FOR ACOUSTIC RADIATION IN MOVING FLOWS

Abstract This paper presents a hypersingular integral equation for acoustic radiation in a subsonic uniform flow. The work is motivated by the need for a normal-derivative integral equation to be used in the Burton and Miller method for overcoming the non-uniqueness difficulty in the boundary integral formulation. Although the non-uniqueness, difficulty in the conventional Helmholtz integral formulation has been well studied before, it is shown in this paper that this difficulty becomes more severe in the presence of a mean flow. A generalized normal-derivative operator is defined to derive the hypersingular integral equation. Regularization of the hypersingular kernels is performed to render the integral equation numerically integrable. Theoretical derivation is first given for a general three-dimensional formulation. The resulting hypersingular integral equation is then reduced to the axisymmetric case for numerical implementation. Numerical examples at relatively high frequencies and different Mach numbers are given to verify the formulation.
Action of fluorescein mercuric acetate upon mitochondrial energized processes

Abstract Fluorescein mercuric acetate (FMA ★ ) has been shown to be a highly selective reagent for suppressing the energized to energized-twisted configurational transition of heavy beef heart mitochondria as determined by electron microscopy and by measurement of light scattering changes. At the concentrations required for this selective suppression, FMA does not affect the primary conformational changes of energy coupling as measured by the proton shift reaction. Furthermore, it has been shown that FMA prevents the binding of inorganic phosphate by beef heart mitochondria in the energized state. The mechanism of action of FMA on oxidative phosphorylation and energized translocation of Ca ++ can be rationalized in terms of an energy cycle involving two successive conformational changes — a primary energy-conserving conformational change (FMA-insensitive) resulting in proton release and cation uptake, and a secondary conformational change (FMA-sensitive) involving binding of inorganic phosphate.
Reduction of photoautotrophic productivity in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 by phycobilisome antenna truncation.

Truncation of the algal light-harvesting antenna is expected to enhance photosynthetic productivity. The wild type and three mutant strains of Synechocystis sp. strain 6803 with a progressively smaller phycobilisome antenna were examined under different light and CO2 conditions. Surprisingly, such antenna truncation resulted in decreased whole-culture productivity for this cyanobacterium.
Theory of photoelasticity for birefringent filamentary composites

Abstract Recently two different photoelastic experimental investigations have been conducted with filamentary composite materials in which the fibers were of very small diameter and both fiber and matrix materials were birefringent. Also, to explain the resulting anisotropic behavior, two different ad hoc theories have been proposed. The present analysis uses a more fundamental approach: it is based on the application of Bhagavantam's theory of photoelasticity for the orthorhombic crystalline system, a theory which is well established in crystal physics. For composites containing non-transparent constituents, the use of fiberglass/epoxy as a birefringent coating in conjunction with reflection photoelasticity is suggested. The direction of the fibers should be lined up with the fibers in the adjacent layer of the non-transparent substrate to minimise problems due to Poisson-ratio mismatch.
Insight into molecular interactions between constituents in polymer clay nanocomposites

The mechanisms responsible for the enhancement of physical properties of polymer clay nanocomposites (PCN) over pristine polymers are not well understood. This knowledge is important for obtaining a better control over the physical properties of PCN and designing PCN with tailored properties. The interactions among the different constituents of PCN may be a key factor for controlling physical properties of PCN. The interaction energy is an important measure of the interactions among different constituents of composites. Molecular dynamics (MD) is a useful tool for studying the nature and quantitative analysis of interaction energies of a molecular system. In this work, the interaction energies among different components of intercalated organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) and PCN have been investigated. Here, the interaction of polymer or organic modifier with clay and polymer and modifier is studied. Also, the nature and quantitative contributions arising from functional groups or backbone chain have been assessed. This investigation provides important insight into the mechanism of intercalation, and specific information about the interactions of different constituents in the nanocomposites system. In this current work using MD, for the first time, we have provided a detailed quantitative picture of interactions among the different components of OMMT and PCN.
Markets of sorrow, labors of faith: New Orleans in the wake of Katrina

Markets of Sorrow, Labors of Faith: New Orleans in the Wake of Katrina is an insightful and provocative ethnographic analysis of how market-driven disaster relief and recovery aid created what Adam...
Exponentiation cryptosystems on the IBM PC

Several cryptosystems based on exponentiation have been proposed in recent years. Some of these are of the public key variety and offer notable advantages in cryptographic key management, both for secret communication and for message authentication. The need for extensive arithmetic calculations with very large integers (hundreds of digits long) is a drawback of these systems. This paper describes a set of experimental programs that were developed to demonstrate that exponentiation cryptosystems can be efficiently implemented on the IBM Personal Computer (PC). The programs are organized into four layers, comprising procedures for: multiple precision integer arithmetic, modular exponentiation, prime number generation and testing, and cryptographic key generation. The major emphasis of the paper is on methods and techniques for improving execution speed. The items discussed include: the use of a specialized squaring procedure; a recursive splitting method to speed up squaring and multiplication; the computation of residues by using multiplication instead of division; the efficient encoding of residue information; and the use of thresholds to select the most effective primality testing algorithm for a given size number. Timing results are presented and discussed. Finally, the paper discusses the advantages of a mixed system that combines the superior key management capabilities inherent in public key cryptosystems with the much higher bulk-encryption speed obtainable with the Data Encryption Algorithm.
NAO influence on sea ice extent in the Eurasian coastal region

[1] Influence of winter pre-conditioning of Arctic sea ice due to atmospheric forcing associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the reduction in summer sea ice extent is studied. It is found that winter sea ice is about 50 cm thinner in high-NAO index years than in low-NAO index years in the Eurasian coastal region mainly due to stronger wind-driven ice export. The thinner wintertime ice combined with strengthened southerlies in spring promotes an earlier break-up of the ice pack in the Eurasian coastal region, resulting in significant sea ice export. The higher ice efflux, in turn, further reduces the ice compactness, thus more solar radiation is absorbed by the oceans which enhances the summer melting process. Thus, winter and spring atmospheric anomalies associated with the positive phase of the NAO may underlie the reduction of summer sea ice extent observed during the 1980s and 1990s.
Directly‐Deliberative Polyarchy

This essay by Joshua Cohen and Charles Sabel promotes visions of democracy, constitutionalism and institutional innovations which may help to open up new dimensions in the search for legitimate European governance structures and their constitutionalisation. Faced with Europe's legitimacy problems, proponents of the European project often react by pointing to the many institutional failings in the (national) constitutional state. These reactions, however, seem simplistic, offering no normatively convincing alternatives to the once undisputed legitimacy of a now eroding nation state. The essay by Cohen and Sabel forecloses such strategies. Summarising and endorsing critiques of both the unfettered market system and the manner of its regulatory and political correction, it concludes that the many efforts to establish new equilibria between well‐functioning markets and well‐ordered political institutions are doomed to fail, and opts instead for fundamental change: conservative in their strict defence of fundamental democratic ideals, such ideas are radical in their search for new institutional arrangements which bring democratic values directly to bear. How is the concept of directly‐deliberative polyarchy complementary to and reconcilable with our notions of democratic constiutionalism? To this question the readers of the essay will find many fascinating answers. Equally, however, how might the debate on the normative and practical dilemmas of the European system of governance profit from these deliberations? Which European problem might be resolved with the aid of the emerging and new direct forms of democracy identified in this essay? How might direct democracy interact with the intergovernmentalist and the functionalist elements of the EU system? Although this essay contains no certain answers to these European questions, its challenging messages will be understood in European debates.
Detailed resolution of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation using the full adaptive wavelet transform

The propagation of optical pulses in nonlinear optical fibers is described by the nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equation. This equation can generally be solved exactly using the inverse scattering method, or for more detailed analysis, through the use of numerical techniques. Perhaps the best known numerical technique for solving he NLS equation is the split-step Fourier method, which effects a solution by assuming that the dispersion and nonlinear effects act independently during pulse propagation along the fiber. In this paper we describe an alternative numerical solution to the NLS equation using an adaptive wavelet transform technique, done entirely in the wavelet domain. This technique differs form previous work involving wavelet solutions tithe NLS equation in that these previous works used a 'split-step wavelet' method in which the linear analysis was performed in the wavelet domain while the nonlinear portion was done in the space domain. Our method takes ful advantage of the set of wavelet coefficients, thus allowing the flexibility to investigate pulse propagation entirely in either the wavelet or the space domain. Additionally, this method is fully adaptive in that it is capable of accurately tracking steep gradients which may occur during the numerical simulation.
Piped water flows but sachet consumption grows: The paradoxical drinking water landscape of an urban slum in Ashaiman, Ghana

Abstract Packaged “sachet” water has become the primary drinking water source for millions of West Africans despite ongoing controversy over inadequate management of the new waste streams created by all the plastic wrappers. While recent literature from Ghana has shown that municipal water rationing and lower socioeconomic status tend to drive sachet consumption at the metropolitan scale, some low-income communities with a reliable piped water supply still exhibit diverse drinking water-seeking behaviours. This paper explores the drinking water landscape of one poor, informal community in Ashaiman, Ghana, as a case study of the individual- and community-level factors that shape household drinking water decisions. Using the results of a water questionnaire completed by 95 households and the transcripts of four focus groups, our findings suggest that, after controlling for demographics, sachet water consumption is associated with proxies for higher disposable income and lack of knowledge about household water treatment methods, while social processes and attitudes toward water quality do not seem to drive drinking water decisions. This community presents a paradoxical drinking water landscape, as poverty abounds despite excellent piped water access, and low-income households with slightly greater means tend to opt for packaged water as opposed to being driven to it by piped water shortages. These nuances in drinking water purchasing behaviour can inform policy and planning for drinking water provision in urban slums across the region.
Directed enzyme evolution: climbing fitness peaks one amino acid at a time

Directed evolution can generate a remarkable range of new enzyme properties. Alternate substrate specificities and reaction selectivities are readily accessible in enzymes from families that are naturally functionally diverse. Activities on new substrates can be obtained by improving variants with broadened specificities or by step-wise evolution through a sequence of more and more challenging substrates. Evolution of highly specific enzymes has been demonstrated, even with positive selection alone. It is apparent that many solutions exist for any given problem, and there are often many paths that lead uphill, one step at a time.
Association of Rapidly Progressive Moyamoya Syndrome With Bevacizumab Treatment for Glioblastoma in a Child With Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a common multisystemic disorder that can result in tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system. Individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 are also at increased risk to develop moyamoya syndrome, which is a cerebrovascular condition that predisposes affected individuals to develop strokes as a result of progressive narrowing of the intracranial internal carotid arteries and failure of adequate blood supply through collateral vessels. We report a case of a young boy with neurofibromatosis type 1 with glioblastoma who developed rapidly progressive moyamoya vasculopathy after treatment with the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab.
Choice of exercise: a predictor of behavioral risks?

Abstract After controlling for differences in gender, educational achievement, and exercise duration among a sample of 7,248 Americans 18–34 years old, we found that runners-joggers-fast walkers (RJWs) and tennis players were less likely to be obese, smoke, consume large quantities of alcohol, and drive without seat belts than those who participate in team and an aggregate of other sports. These behavioral differences might be explained by imprecise data, intervening variables such as exercise intensity, or other variables that were not measured. But a more interesting explanation is that running-jogging-fast walking and playing tennis are integral components of healthy lifestyles, and team sports and some other exercise behaviors are part of riskier ways of Jiving. No consistent association was found between duration of exercise and behavioral risk.
NON-RIGID IMAGE REGISTRATION BASED STRAIN ESTIMATOR FOR INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND ELASTOGRAPHY

Abstract Intravascular ultrasound elastography (IVUSe) could improve the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease by revealing vulnerable plaques through their mechanical tissue properties. To improve the performance of IVUSe, we developed and implemented a non-rigid image-registration method to visualize the radial and circumferential component of strain within vascular tissues. We evaluated the algorithm's performance with four initialization schemes using simulated and experimentally acquired ultrasound images. Applying the registration method to radio-frequency (RF) echo frames improved the accuracy of displacements compared to when B-mode images were employed. However, strain elastograms measured from RF echo frames produce erroneous results when both the zero-initialization method and the mesh-refinement scheme were employed. For most strain levels, the cross-correlation-initialization method produced the best performance. The simulation study predicted that elastograms obtained from vessels with average strains in the range of 3%–5% should have high elastographic signal-to-noise ratio (SNRe)–on the order of 4.5 and 7.5 for the radial and circumferential components of strain, respectively. The preliminary in vivo validation study (phantom and an atherosclerotic rabbit) demonstrated that the non-rigid registration method could produce useful radial and circumferential strain elastograms under realistic physiologic conditions. The results of this investigation were sufficiently encouraging to warrant a more comprehensive in vivo validation.
Social Costs Caused by Errors in Agricultural Production Forecasts

U.S. agriculture. The accuracy of SRS forecasts would appear to be a valid area of concern. Increased accuracy of SRS estimates would require additional expenditures. Several questions need to be answered prior to committing funds for this purpose. What is the nature and magnitude of social costs generated by SRS forecast errors? Do all forecast errors generate social costs? Is the magnitude of these social costs dependent on the size of the forecast error?
Submarine pockmarks: a case study from Belfast Bay, Maine

Measurements of fluid and gas properties associated with the sediments within and around the Belfast Bay, ME, pockmark field and in the overlying water column were conducted to determine whether fluid flow or methane gas venting is occurring through these pockmarks or has occurred recently. No clear geochemical, lithologic, or biological indications of methane and/or freshwater seepage, such as low salinity pore water, obvious authigenic carbonates, anomalously high water methane concentrations in pore water and the overlying water column, or unusual benthic fauna were observed. Thus, these pockmarks may be inactive or a process different from gas/and or freshwater seepage is responsible for creating and maintaining these features.
Acetonitrile complexes of diiridium Part 1. Isolation and characterization of the partially solvated cations [Ir2(COD)(μ-form)2(MeCN)3]2+ and [Ir2(μ-form)2(MeCN)6]2+ (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, form = N, N′ -di-p-tolylformamidinate)

Abstract The partially solvated dinuclear complexes of the Ir24+ core have been prepared from reactions of Ir2(COD)(μ-form)2 (O2CCF3)2(H2O) (1) with an alkylating reagent in acetonitrile. The compound [Ir2(COD)(μ-form)2(MeCN)3][BF4]2 (2) is produced in essentially quantitative yields from reactions of 1 with an excess of Et3OBF4 in acetonitrile at room temperature whereas the thermal substitution product [Ir2(μ-form)2(MeCN)6[BF4]2 (3) is isolated in ∼ 60% yield when the identical reaction is refluxed. Both compounds were fully characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopies, electrochemistry and X-ray crystallography. Single crystal X-ray data for 2·(CH3)2CO·(C2H5)2O: monoclinic, P2 1 /n, a = 19.534(6), b = 13.285(5), c = 22.113(4) A , β = 105.07(2)° , V = 5541(5) A 3 , Z = 4, R = 0.074, R W = 0.107; 3 : orthorhombic , Pbca, a = 21.670(6), b = 31.407(5), c = 14.543(6) A , V = 9898(9) A 3 , Z = 8, R = 0.047, R W = 0.053 . The molecular structure of [Ir2(COD)(μ-form)2(MeCN)3]2+ is very similar to the parent trifluoroacetate complex and consists of an Ir-Ir unit bridged by two cis-tolylformamidinate groups, with one Ir atom ligated by a cyclooctadiene ligand in the equatorial plane and the other Ir center ligated by three MeCN molecules. The absence of an axial ligand on the Ir center bonded to the COD ligand and the short Ir-NCCH3(axial) interaction of the other Ir atom (2.02(3) A) support the formulation of the compound as a mixed-valence Ir(I)-Ir(III) species. The more symmetrical cation [Ir2(μ-form)2(MeCN)6]2+ is comprised of cis-tolyformamidinate ligands and six acetonitrile molecules that occupy four equatorial and two axial sites. In spite of the presence of two bridging ligands, the cations in 2 and 3 are considerably distorted from an eclipsed geometry with average torsional twist angles χ of 28 and 20°, respectively. The Ir-Ir distances of 2.717(2) A for (2) and 2.601(1) A for (3) are shorter than the corresponding metal-metal interaction in the parent complex Ir2(COD)(μ-form)2(O2CCF3)2(H2O) (2.774(1) A) but are appreciably longer than the Ir-Ir bond length in the previously reported tetra-bridged molecule Ir2(μ-form)4 (2.524(3) A). The 1H NMR spectral properties of the new compounds are in accord with retention of the solid state structures in solution (Cs symmetry for 2 and C2v symme in acetone at a glassy carbon electrode revealed quite different electronic properties for the two diiridium species, with 2 exhibiting behavior similar to the starting compound 1 which is in agreement with its description as a mixed-valence species. The syntheses and structures of the two new compounds in this study are discussed in light of their potential use as precursors to other metal-metal bonded Ir24+ complexes including bridging carboxylase compounds and a fully solvated dinuclear cation.
SU-E-T-257: Risk of Radiogenic Second Cancer after Photon and Proton Craniospinal Irradiation.

Purpose: To compare proton and photon therapies in terms of the risks of second cancers for a pediatric medulloblastoma patient receiving craniospinal irradiation (CSI). Methods: Two CSI treatment plans with 23.4 Gy or Gy (RBE) prescribed dose were computed for a 4‐year‐old boy withmedulloblastoma: a three‐field 6‐MV photon therapy plan and a four‐field proton therapy plan. The primary doses for both plans were determined using a commercial treatment planning system. Stray radiationdoses for proton therapy were determined from Monte Carlo simulations, and stray radiationdoses for photon therapy were determined from measured data. The dose‐riskmodel based on Biological Effects of IonizationRadiation VII report was used to estimate risk of second cancer.Results: Baseline predictions of the relative risk of each organ were always less for proton CSI than for photon CSI after various follow‐up years for the patient. The lifetime risks of the incidence of second cancer after proton CSI and photon CSI were 7.7% and 92%, respectively, and the ratio of lifetime risk was 0.083. Uncertainty analysis revealed the qualitative findings of this study were insensitive to any plausible changes of dose‐riskmodels and mean neutron radiation weighting factor. Conclusions:Proton therapy confers lower predicted risk of second cancer for the pediatric medulloblastoma patient compared with photon therapy.
The bovine fatty acid binding protein 4 gene is significantly associated with marbling and subcutaneous fat depth in Wagyu x Limousin F2 crosses

Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), which is expressed in adipose tissue, interacts with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and binds to hormone-sensitive lipase and therefore, plays an important role in lipid metabolism and homeostasis in adipocytes. The objective of this study was to investigate associations of the bovine FABP4 gene with fat deposition. Both cDNA and genomic DNA sequences of the bovine gene were retrieved from the public databases and aligned to determine its genomic organization. Primers targeting two regions of the FABP4 gene were designed: from nucleotides 5433-6106 and from nucleotides 7417-7868 (AAFC01136716). Direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products on two DNA pools from high- and low-marbling animals revealed two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): AAFC01136716.1:g.7516G>C and g.7713G>C. The former SNP, detected by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism using restriction enzyme MspA1I, was genotyped on 246 F2 animals in a Waygu x Limousin F2 reference population. Statistical analysis showed that the FABP4 genotype significantly affected marbling score (P = 0.0398) and subcutaneous fat depth (P = 0.0246). The FABP4 gene falls into a suggestive/significant quantitative trait loci interval for beef marbling that was previously reported on bovine chromosome 14 in three other populations.
Functional neuroimaging: magnetoencephalography

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is increasingly implemented as an important part of the pre-operative evaluation in the setting of intractable epilepsy. With MEG, epileptogenic zones can be non-invasively localized and the relationship to eloquent functional cortex highly accurately determined. These provide the epilepsy team with additional valuable information with which they can assess the likelihood of postoperative seizure freedom, while more precisely prognosticating the potential functional deficits that might result from resective surgery. Paradigms for motor, vision, auditory and somatosensory testing are robust. Paradigms allowing localization of those regions necessary for competent language function, although promising, are under continuous optimization. Correlation with MR white matter trajectory data, created from diffusion tensor imaging obtained in the same setting as the localization brain MRI, provides more comprehensive, multi-modal information for the neurosurgeon. A collaborative effort among neuroradiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, technologists and physicists is needed for successful implementation of MEG within an epilepsy program. MEG also provides highly accurate functional mapping that can be extremely valuable in the preoperative evaluation of intracranial neoplasms and arteriovenous malformations. Particularly given the alterations in blood flow that frequently accompany these conditions, functional mapping with MEG has been shown to be superior to functional MRI.
Patients with Depression are at Increased Risk for Secondary Cardiovascular Events after Lower Extremity Revascularization

Background For patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), depression is associated with worse patency and recurrent symptoms in the treated leg, but its association with death or cardiovascular events in other vascular beds is unknown.
In vitro P-glycoprotein affinity for atypical and conventional antipsychotics

The transmembrane transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an ATP-dependent efflux pump for a wide range of drugs. P-gp potentially limits access to brain tissue of psychoactive substrates, but little is known about its specificity for antipsychotics. The objective of this study was to assess the affinity of some atypical antipsychotic drugs in vitro for P-gp as indicative of their potential as P-gp substrates in vivo. The activity of P-gp towards four atypical and two conventional antipsychotics and a proven substrate, verapamil, was examined by their P-gp ATPase activity, a putative measure of P-gp affinity. The Michaelis-Menten equation was fitted to the data. The rank order of the ratio V(max) / K(m) was: verapamil (2.6) > quetiapine (1.7) > risperidone (1.4) > olanzapine (0.8) > chlorpromzaine (0.7) > haloperidol (0.3) = clozapine (0.3). The atypical antipsychotics quetiapine and risperidone were relatively good P-gp substrates, although their affinities were not as high as verapamil. Olanzapine showed intermediate affinity and clozapine showed the least affinity of the drugs studied. These results suggest that P-gp is likely to influence the access to the brain of all of the atypical antipsychotics studied to various degrees. In vivo studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Understanding teachers' professional identity and beliefs in the Chinese heritage language school in the USA

Heritage language education has come to prominence worldwide. Despite the increasing number of Chinese heritage language learners and Chinese schools in the USA, little attention has been given to teachers. This study investigated three heritage language teachers' professional identity and beliefs about curriculum and instructional practices in a community-based Chinese school. A qualitative multiple case study was employed, and multiple data sources, such as semi-structured interviews, researcher's journals, and teachers' artefacts, were included. Cross-case analysis indicated that these teachers appeared to develop a weak sense of professional identity since they viewed teaching Chinese as a ‘secondary’ and ‘volunteer’ job. Teaching Chinese as a heritage language helped the teachers reconnect language and cultural knowledge. Learning contexts involved dynamic teacher–student interaction, parental support, and cultural-knowledge integration. While these teachers believed that they had a responsibility to...
Patent Ductus Arteriosus in the Premature Infant: A Clinical Dilemma

Abstract The ductus arteriosus (DA) connects the main pulmonary artery and the aorta in the fetus. Although the term infant DA almost always closes in the first three days of postnatal life, that of the preterm infant can be present for weeks to months. The frequency of diagnosis and rate of complications due to patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) are inversely proportional to gestational age. This vascular connection between pulmonary and systemic circulations can lead to the “stealing” of blood from systemic organs supplied by the aorta. Furthermore, with left-to-right shunting across the DA, the preterm lung is challenged with increased pulmonary blood flow. Although these complications can be serious, many infants with a PDA are asymptomatic. Despite monumental advances in neonatal care over the last 20 years, the best approach to management of PDA in preterm infants remains unclear. Clinical practice still varies widely with regard to treatment.
Transmittance and Radiance Computations for Rocket Engine Plume Environments

Emission and absorption characteristics of several atmospheric and combustion species have been studied and are presented with reference to rocket engine plume environments. The effects of clous, rain, and fog on plume radiance/transmittance has also been studied.Preliminary results for the radiance from the exhaust plume of the space shuttle main engine are shown and discussed.
A simplified equation of state near nuclear density

Abstract The equation of state near nuclear density influences shock formation in stellar collapse Supernovae. The drop in the adiabatic index below 4 3 in this region, due to the negative nuclear pressure, disturbs the homology of the inner core and decreases its size. The initial shock energy and formation dynamics are particularly sensitive to matter in this regime. Only matter at low entropies ( S ⩽ 1.5) in the unshocked inner core approaches nuclear densities. We derive a simple equation of state for this material and find that nuclear properties are close to those at S = 0. The entropy associated with the nuclear surface can be absorbed into an “effective mass” which decreases towards one with increasing density, giving an accurate accounting for the storage of entropy in the excitation of the large nuclei. Such thermal excitation drains energy with little contribution to the pressure and thus may have important effects on the launching of the shock. Two phase transitions are considered. The first, from the heavy nucleus to the “bubble” phase, occurs at half nuclear matter density and is accomplished by use of simple expressions for the energy and pressure that include effects of the transition implicitly. The second, that to uniform nuclear matter, is done by requiring continuity of the pressure and entropy at the transition. The density at which this transition takes place is calculated and is found to decrease with entropy in a simple manner. With the use of suitable approximations, the equation of state is presented in a non-iterative form easily adapted for use in full hydrodynamical calculations of the supernovae process. Comparison with more detailed equations of state is made and the simplified one is found to represent well all important features.
Peel-Zone Model of Tape Peeling Based on the Gecko Adhesive System

A tape-peeling model based on the geometry of the peel zone (PZ) is derived to predict the peeling behavior of adhesive tapes at peel angles less than or equal to 90°. The PZ model adds an angle-dependent multiplier to the Kendall equation that takes into account the geometrical changes within the peel zone. The model is compared with experimental measurements of the peel force at different angles for a model tape and two commercial tapes, each with different bending moduli, stretch moduli, and adhesive strengths. Good agreement is found for a wide range of peel angles. The PZ model is also applied to the gecko adhesive system and predicts a spatula peel angle of 18.4° to achieve the adhesion forces reported for single setae. The PZ model captures the fact that adhesive forces can be significantly enhanced by peeling at an angle, thereby exploiting high friction forces between the detaching material and the substrate.
TRANSIENT ADSORPTION BY USE OF THE DYNAMIC BALANCE METHOD

A jet-stirred chamber is combined with the dynamic-balance technique to provide direct adsorption data. In this approach, adsorbate species are maintained at constant gas-phase levels, and adsorption rates are determined by monitoring the rate of addition of adsorbate species required to maintain preset gas-phase concentrations.
Photo-Assimilation of Acetate by an Obligate Phototrophic Strain of Euglena gracilis

SYNOPSIS. Light-dependent incorporation of acetate occurs in an obligate phototrophic strain of Euglena gracilis (strain L). Assimilation is into all major biochemical fractions. Acetate does not induce operation of the glyoxylate by-pass as it does in heterotrophic strains; neither does it stimulate oxygen consumption. Acetate will not replace CO2 in phototrophic growth. A number of carbon sources tested would not support growth in the dark, and glucose was not incorporated either in the light or the dark.
Efficient modeling and simulation environment for expedient preliminary design of complex power distribution networks

This paper presents an efficient and systematic modeling and simulation methodology for complex power distribution networks to meet the higher demands of the effective design and analysis of such structures. A locally three-dimensional model is used to model correctly the field behavior at irregular discontinuities such as splits, holes, vias, and pins in the power-ground plane structure. Systematic equivalent circuit synthesis is used to make the model compatible with SPICE and thus facilitate the connection of the model to circuit components external to it. These systematic procedures are demonstrated by means of numerical results that demonstrate the sort of geometric complexity that can be accommodated by the proposed modeling methodology.
Time Budgets of Wild Nine-Banded Armadillos

Dasypus novemcinctus (Nine-banded Armadillo) produces litters of genetically identical quadruplets and, because of this, has long been considered a potential model system for the study of kin selection. However, long-term fi eld studies have failed to reveal any obvious instances of kin-selected altruism in this species. Social interactions, such as altruism, require time and energy. The time- constraints hypothesis proposes that, because of certain aspects of their biology, Nine-banded Armadillos may have to devote most of their active time to foraging, thus precluding any opportunity for the evolution of kin-selected social behavior. To determine the potential validity of this conjecture, we recorded time budgets of wild Nine-banded Armadillos at a study site in western Mississippi during two summers. Both focal and instantaneous sampling showed armadillos allocated 77-90% of their above-ground active time to foraging. A search of the literature indicated that this is among the highest values reported for any mammal. We interpret these fi ndings as consistent with the time-constraints hypothesis.
Hyperbolic Regular Polygons with Notched Edges

In this article we solve the tiling problem for hyperbolic and Euclidean regular polygons whose edges are notched with matching bumps and nicks.
Utility of radiographic hepatic injury grade in predicting outcome for children after blunt abdominal trauma.

Background/Purpose: The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) liver injury grading system has been adopted in the management of pediatric hepatic injuries. However, the usefulness of this grading system in children remains undefined. The authors, therefore, examined the validity of AAST grading in the management of pediatric blunt liver injury. Methods: The authors identified 152 patients, ages 0 to 18 years, with blunt hepatic injury treated at our pediatric trauma center between 1995 and 2000. Radiographic AAST grade was assigned retrospectively by 2 radiologists. Variables analyzed included age, gender, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), Injury Severity Score (ISS), and associated injuries. Outcome measures were mortality rate and length of stay (LOS). Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance or linear regression. Results: Computed tomography (CT) scans were available for 95 patients. Radiographic injury grade did not correlate with mortality rate, hospital LOS or intensive care unit (ICU) LOS. ISS and associated injury, but not age, gender, or GCS, were predictive of LOS. Grade did not correlate with mortality rate, ICU LOS, or hospital LOS. Conclusions: Radiographic liver grading does not predict outcome reliably in children and should not be the main parameter utilized to guide clinical decision making. A role for scoring systems that utilize factors such as associated injuries and ISS is indicated.