cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spot Scanning Proton Therapy for Malignancies of the Base of Skull: Treatment Planning, Acute Toxicities, and Preliminary Clinical Outcomes

Purpose To describe treatment planning techniques and early clinical outcomes in patients treated with spot scanning proton therapy for chordoma or chondrosarcoma of the skull base. Methods and Materials From June 2010 through August 2011, 15 patients were treated with spot scanning proton therapy for chordoma (n=10) or chondrosarcoma (n=5) at a single institution. Toxicity was prospectively evaluated and scored weekly and at all follow-up visits according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0. Treatment planning techniques and dosimetric data were recorded and compared with those of passive scattering plans created with clinically applicable dose constraints. Results Ten patients were treated with single-field-optimized scanning beam plans and 5 with multifield-optimized intensity modulated proton therapy. All but 2 patients received a simultaneous integrated boost as well. The mean prescribed radiation doses were 69.8 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]; range, 68-70 Gy [RBE]) for chordoma and 68.4 Gy (RBE) (range, 66-70) for chondrosarcoma. In comparison with passive scattering plans, spot scanning plans demonstrated improved high-dose conformality and sparing of temporal lobes and brainstem. Clinically, the most common acute toxicities included fatigue (grade 2 for 2 patients, grade 1 for 8 patients) and nausea (grade 2 for 2 patients, grade 1 for 6 patients). No toxicities of grades 3 to 5 were recorded. At a median follow-up time of 27 months (range, 13-42 months), 1 patient had experienced local recurrence and a second developed distant metastatic disease. Two patients had magnetic resonance imaging-documented temporal lobe changes, and a third patient developed facial numbness. No other subacute or late effects were recorded. Conclusions In comparison to passive scattering, treatment plans for spot scanning proton therapy displayed improved high-dose conformality. Clinically, the treatment was well tolerated, and with short-term follow-up, disease control rates and toxicity profiles were favorable.
The addition of lysostaphin dramatically improves survival, protects porcine biomesh from infection, and improves graft tensile shear strength.

Background Lysostaphin (LS), a naturally occurring Staphylococcal endopeptidase, has the ability to penetrate biofilm, and has been identified as a potential antimicrobial to prevent mesh infection. The goals of this study were to determine if LS adhered to porcine mesh (PM) can impact host survival, reduce the risk of long-term PM infection, and to analyze lysostaphin bound PM (LS-PM) mesh-fascial interface in an infected field. Methods Abdominal onlay PMs measuring 3 × 3 cm were implanted in select groups of rats ( n = 75). Group assignments were based on bacterial inoculum and presence of LS on mesh. Explantation occurred at 60 d. Bacterial growth and mesh-fascial interface tensile strength were analyzed. Standard statistical analysis was performed. Results Only one out of 30 rats with bacterial inoculum not treated with LS survived. All 30 LS treated rats survived and had normal appearing mesh, including 20 rats with a bacterial inoculum (10 6 and 10 8 CFU). Mean tensile strength for controls and LS and no inoculum samples was 3.47 ± 0.86N versus 5.0 ± 1.0N ( P = 0.008). LS groups inoculated with 10 6 and 10 8 CFU exhibited mean tensile strengths of 4.9 ± 1.5 N and 6.7 ± 1.6 N, respectively ( P = 0.019 and P Conclusion Rats inoculated with S. aureus and not treated with LS had a mortality of 97%. By comparison, LS treated animals completely cleared S. aureus when challenged with bacterial concentrations of 1 × 10 6 and 1 × 10 8 with maintenance of mesh integrity at 60 d. These findings strongly suggest the clinical use of LS-treated porcine mesh in contaminated fields may translate into more durable hernia repair.
Use of prophylactic anticoagulation and the risk of hepatic veno-occlusive disease in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease is a serious regimen-related toxicity in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on the effect of anticoagulation in preventing veno-occlusive disease. Several databases and online journals were searched for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. Twelve studies (2782 patients) were eligible. Anticoagulation prophylaxis was associated with a statistically nonsignificant decrease in risk of veno-occlusive disease (pooled relative risk (RR), 0.90; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.62-1.29). Results of one of three randomized controlled trials may have been affected by delayed introduction of anticoagulation. A second trial enrolled patients who received conventional chemoradiotherapy for early-stage disease (RR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04-0.78). The third trial was a pilot study with a small sample size (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.53-1.04). Significant heterogeneity and methodologic weaknesses preclude drawing a meaningful conclusion from the pooled analysis. Despite some limitations, results of two of three eligible randomized controlled trials suggest that prophylactic anticoagulation may help prevent veno-occlusive disease. However, a large randomized controlled trial is needed for confirmation. Additionally, in future studies, owing to the wide spectrum of severity of veno-occlusive disease, outcomes such as 100-day mortality should strongly be considered.
Phosphorite grains: Their application to the interpretation of North Carolina shelf sedimentation

Abstract Study of phosphorite grains in North Carolina continental shelf, beach, sound, and river sediments reveals that: ( 1 ) the shelf is an important source of beach sediment, and ( 2 ) North Carolina shelf cuspate embayments are essentially independent entities, in terms of sediment content and transport.
The NK1 receptor antagonist WIN51708 reduces sensitization after chronic cocaine

Abstract We tested the tachykinin NK1 receptor antagonist WIN51708 (17βhydroxy17αethynyl5αandrostanol[3,2b]pyrimido[1,2-a]benzimidazole) in a behavioral sensitization model. Rats were given 7 days of cocaine then 7 days of withdrawal to induce sensitization. Thereafter, another 7 days of cocaine with WIN51708 (2 mg/kg i.p.) given 3.5 h after each cocaine injection was given. WIN51708 reversed sensitization but had no effect on controls. NK1 receptor antagonists may have use in stimulant abuse and schizophrenia treatment.
Truthful Double Auction Mechanisms

Following the multistage design approach, we propose two asymptotically efficient truthful double auction mechanisms, the BC-LP mechanism and the MBC mechanism, for an exchange market with many buyers and sellers. In this market, each buyer wants to procure a bundle of commodities and each seller supplies one unit of a commodity. Furthermore, various transaction-related costs will be incurred when a buyer trades with a seller. We prove that under both mechanisms, truthful bidding is a dominant strategy for all buyers and sellers when the buyers' bundle information and the transaction cost information are common knowledge. The BC-LP mechanism can be implemented by just solving two linear programs, whereas the MBC mechanism has a higher complexity. The empirical study shows that the MBC mechanism achieves higher efficiency over the BC-LP mechanism and that both outperform the KSM-TR mechanism, the only known truthful mechanism for a more restrictive exchange market.
Lung macrophage defense responses during suramin-induced lysosomal dysfunction

Lysosomes form an integral part of the degradative mechanisms of the phagocytic cells. Mice were injected with suramin, a lysosomotrophic drug, to investigate the effects of lysosomal pathology on the cell biology and in situ bactericidal activity of the pulmonary macrophage. Treatment with suramin resulted in marked alterations in the cell biology of the macrophage: (i) increased vacuolization and protein content, (ii) suppressed intracellular phagosome-lysosome fusion, (iii) decreased activity of the lysosomal enzymes beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and (iv) enhanced exocytosis of acid phosphatase during phagocytosis. Addition of suramin, in vitro, to cell lysates resulted in a reduction in the catalytic activities of acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase, and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase; thereby suggesting that selective interaction, in vivo, between suramin and lysosomes containing beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase may have occurred. Plasma membrane 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity was increased in macrophages recovered from suramin-treated animals. Although the "resting-state" reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) was lower in these macrophages, cells stimulated by a phagocytic challenge demonstrated normal increases in NBT reduction. Phagocytosis, in vitro, and pulmonary bactericidal activity were not altered. These data demonstrate that suramin altered numerous aspects of the phagocyte's lysosomal system. Despite these changes in the cell biology of the pulmonary macrophage, the cell's defense functions were not reduced.
Biological Control of Damping‐off of Cucumber caused by Pythium ultimum with a Root‐Colonization‐Deficient strain of Escherichia coli

Suppression of damping-off of cucumber and root colonization was compared for strain 501R3 of Enterobacter cloacae and strain S17R1 of Escherichia coli, a rifampicin-resistant mutant of E. coli S17-1. Both strains 501R3 and S17R1 provided effective biocontrol of pre-emergence and post-emergence damping-off of cucumber caused by Pythium ultimum when applied as seed treatments containing approximately 10 7 cfu per seed. Plant stands from seeds treated with 501R3 or with S17R1 were 93% and 92%, respectively (similar at P ≤ 0.05), when sown in soil-less mix infested with P. ultimum. The plant stand with the pathogen control was only 30% - significantly less (P ≤ 0.05) than stands from the 501R3 and S17R1 treatments. Cucumber was only briefly susceptible to damping-off caused by P. ultimum since seeds pregerminated for 29 h or longer before sowing in P. ultimum-infested soil-less mix yielded plant stands similar to the healthy control treatment. Plant stands from non-pregerminated seeds were significantly less (P ≤ 0.05) than pregerminated seed treatments. E. coli strain S17R1 was not an effective colonizer of cucumber rhizosphere. When applied as seed treatments containing approximately 10 4 or 10 8 cfu per seed, populations of strain S17R1 were significantly smaller (P ≤ 0.05) than with corresponding treatments of strain 501R3 at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after sowing in soil-less mix. Populations of strain S17R1 increased only 65-fold over 96 h when applied at 10 4 cfu per seed. In contrast, populations of strain 501R3 increased 24 000-fold over the same period when applied at 10 4 cfu per seed. Populations of strain S17R1 were limited to the upper 1 cm of cucumber root at 7 days and decreased to approximately 10 1 cfu/g of total root system over 42 days. Strain 501R3 was capable of becoming widely distributed along cucumber roots and was detected at populations of approximately 10 8 cfu/g of total root system at 42 days. Results from this study indicate that E. coli is capable of suppressing damping-off of cucumber caused by P. ultimum. In addition, extensive root colonization by E. coli strain S17R1 was not required in this biocontrol interaction because of the brief period of susceptibility of cucumber to this disease.
A static magnetic exciter for synchronous alternators

The paper illustrates the application of the theory of electric machinery to the practical design of a static magnetic exciter. The basic exciter circuit is of such nature as to make the alternator (which is energized by the exciter) as much self-regulating as possible. Remaining deviations of the alternator voltage affect a voltage-sensitive circuit which provides a correction signal to the exciter. The energy for the exciter is obtained entirely from the alternator. With this system, no antihunt means are needed, and the steady-state alternator voltage can be easily held within ±0.6 per cent. The transient response is rapid and yet well damped. A short circuit of the alternator will not cause loss of excitation; as a matter of fact, during a short circuit the excitation becomes several times normal, a feature which is desirable for the selective tripping of protective devices.
Early iNOS impairment and late eNOS enhancement during reperfusion following 2.49 MHz continuous ultrasound exposure after ischemia

Objective Ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury, occurring during heart attacks, hemorrhagic shock, and bypass and transplant surgeries, impairs microcirculatory function and nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. We report the regulation of endothelial and inducible NO synthase (eNOS and iNOS) proteins as a consequence of the application of continuous mode diagnostic frequency ultrasound application following IR injury.
Risk Homeostasis Theory and Traffic Accident Data

The risk homeostasis theory posits, in essence, that a control mechanism analogous to the thermal homeostatic system in warm-blooded animals tends to keep risk per unit time constant, and, as a consequence, the number of traffic accidents per unit time of driving also tends to remain constant, essentially independent of changes in the traffic safety system. It is the purpose of the present research to examine the validity of this claim using a wide variety of traffic accident data. All the data examined are found to be incompatible with the risk homeostasis theory. The only specific field accident data offered in the literature to support the risk homeostasis theory are found to, in fact, refute the theory. The accident data provide evidence that a rich variety of user responses occur. While it is possible for users to collectively respond in such a way that safety benefits are completely cancelled, such a response is not particularly common; it is certainly not universally occurring, as suggested by the risk homeostasis theory. It is concluded that the risk homeostasis theory should be rejected because there is no convincing evidence supporting it and much evidence refuting it.
Carrier-Current Selector Supervisory Equipment

The rapid advances made in the application of automatic principles to the control of electrical energy have produced many new and novel installations. This paper describes a supervisory system which centralizes the control and indication of all power used in operating a modern interurban railroad. Supervision is accomplished over a single circuit consisting of one insulated wire with ground return. A single frequency carrier current is used for transmitting all signals over the circuit connecting all stations. Considerable attention has been given to make the equipment simple in design, rugged in construction, easy to install, and convenient to maintain.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors: A new mode for inhibition of cholesterol metabolism

Eukaryotic gene expression is a complex process involving multiple cis and trans activating molecules to either facilitate or inhibit transcription. In recent years, many studies have focused on the role of acetylation of histone proteins in modulating transcription, whereas deacetylation of these same proteins is associated with inactivation or repression of gene expression. This study explores gene expression in HepG2 and F9 cell lines treated with Trichostatin A (TSA), a potent histone deacetylase inhibitor. These experiments show that TSA treatment results in clear repression of genes involved in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway as well as other associated pathways including fatty acid biosynthesis and glycolysis. TSA down regulates 9 of 15 genes in this pathway in the F9 embryonal carcinoma model and 11 of 15 pathway genes in the HepG2 cell line. A time course study on the effect of TSA on gene expression of various enzymes and transcription factors involved in these pathways suggests that down regulation of Srebf2 may be the triggering factor for down regulation of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Our results provide new insights in the effects of histone deacetylases on genes involved in primary metabolism. This observation suggests that TSA, and other related histone deacetylase inhibitors, may be useful as potential therapeutic entities for the control of cholesterol levels in humans.
A tissue embedding technique for measuring the structure of hairy root mats ofTagetes erecta

A tissue embedding protocol which preserves root diameter was developed for hairy root mats ofTagetes erecta. Embedded root mats were sectioned, stained and the cut surfaces were subjected to image analysis to determine the void fraction of the root mats. Void fractions of mats of different ages, grown from inocula containing different numbers of tips, were analyzed. The method was found to give reproducible values for the void fractions, exhibiting reasonable trends with respect to initial tip number and mat age.
Treatment Adherence Difficulties Among Children with Cancer: The Role of Parenting Style

Investigated the prevalence of treatment adherence problems among children undergoing cancer treatment and explored the relationship of sociodemographic factors, child functional status, and parenting style to these difficulties. Nurse ratings of adherence difficulties encountered during the cancer treatment regimen were completed on 77 children and their caregivers. A subset of caregivers also completed a measure of parenting attitudes and practices. Results indicated that certain adherence difficulties were related to the child's age and functional status, the family's socioeconomic status (SES), and parenting style. The child's age was related to adherence to procedure-related tasks; younger children had more frequent problems with completing these tasks. More functional children had a greater number of adherence problems. Families with a lower SES had more difficulties with timeliness and cancellations/delays of clinic appointments and promptness of reporting of the child's reactions to treatment. Children of caregivers who had a more "supportive" parenting style (were more sensitive to children's input, had a less restrictive attitude towards parenting, and were more nurturant) canceled and delayed fewer appointments, were on time more frequently for appointments, and reported reactions to treatment with less delay. Implications of these findings for future research on treatment adherence and for clinical interventions are discussed.
Modeling the NEWTON-LEIPNIK Attractor

We examine the invariant set of the Newton–Leipnik attractor using the inverse limit of a related function. This is accomplished using a simpler model than that proposed in [LoFaro, 1997b], and we argue that the earlier model is suspect.
Assessment of the scope and quality of clinical practice guidelines in lung cancer.

Study objectives: To provide an evidence-based background for developing the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) lung cancer guidelines, a systematic review of the literature was performed to identify published lung cancer guidelines and evaluate their quality. Design, setting, and participants A systematic search was performed for relevant literature from MEDLINE, Cancerlit, CINAHL, HealthStar, the Cochrane Library, and the National Guidelines Clearinghouse published from January 1989 to July 2001. Measurement and results From 369 citations, 51 relevant guidelines were identified. Each guideline was evaluated by at least four reviewers using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument and was coded for clinical topics covered. The recommendations included in each guideline also were abstracted. Of the 51 guidelines evaluated, 27 (53%) were evidence-based. Clinical topics identified by the ACCP for their guideline effort each were represented by at least one existing guideline. Of the 880 clinical recommendations abstracted from the guidelines, only 253 (29%) were evidence-based. The AGREE instrument rates guidelines along six domains. As a group, the guidelines performed well in the scope and purpose domain, with only six guidelines (12%) scoring Conclusions All major clinical lung cancer topics are covered by at least one guideline, but no single guideline addresses all areas. Furthermore, although existing guidelines may accurately reflect clinical practice, most performed poorly when evaluated for quality. Future guideline efforts that address each item of the AGREE instrument would add substantially to the literature.
Explicit Information, Grammatical Sensitivity, and the First-Noun Principle: A Cross-Linguistic Study in Processing Instruction

This study presents the results of four experiments in the framework of processing instruction conducted with four language learner groups (Spanish, n = 43; German, n = 46; Russian, n = 44; and French, n = 48; discussed in that order). In each experiment, the processing problem was held constant (the First-Noun Principle) although the structure was unique to the language. The independent variables were explicit information prior to treatment and grammatical sensitivity as measured by the Modern Language Aptitude Test. Two dependent measures were included: (a) trials-to-criterion (how long it took participants to begin processing correctly) and (b) improvement over time (pretest/posttest). Results show that explicit information may be useful for the processing of some structures but not others; however, explicit information is not necessary. Results also show that grammatical sensitivity does not significantly correlate with any of the measures under any conditions except for the German group that received explicit information. Our conclusion is that when instructed SLA is viewed as processing, variables such as explicit information and grammatical sensitivity may not play the same role as when instructed SLA is viewed as rule learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Protection from Lipopolysaccharide-induced Lung Injury by Augmentation of Airway S-Nitrosothiols

Rationale: S-Nitrosothiols (SNO) inhibit immune activation of the respiratory epithelium and airway SNO levels are decreased in inflammatory lung disease. Ethyl nitrite (ENO) is a gas with chemical properties favoring SNO formation. Augmentation of airway SNO by inhaled ENO treatment may decrease lung inflammation and subsequent injury by inhibiting activation of the airway epithelium.Objectives: To determine the effect of inhaled ENO on airway SNO levels and LPS-induced lung inflammation/injury.Methods: Mice were treated overnight with inhaled ENO (10 ppm) or air, followed immediately by exposure to aerosolized LPS or saline. Parameters of inflammation and lung injury were quantified 1 hour after completion of the aerosol exposure and correlated to lung airway and tissue SNO levels.Measurements and Main Results: Aerosolized LPS induced a decrease in airway and lung tissue SNO levels including S-nitrosylated NF-κB. The decrease in lung SNO was associated with an increase in lung NF-κB activity, cytokine/c...
Case study: volume rendering of pool fire data

We describe how techniques from computer graphics are used to visualize pool fire data and computer radiative effects from pool fires. The basic tools are ray casting and accurate line integration using the RADCAL program. Example images in the visible and infrared band are shown which give qualitative insights about the fire data. Examples are given of irradiation calculations and novel methods to visualize the results of irradiation calculations.
Application of a generalized MWC model for the mathematical simulation of metabolic pathways regulated by allosteric enzymes

In our effort to elucidate the systems biology of the model organism, Escherichia coli, we have developed a mathematical model that simulates the allosteric regulation for threonine biosynthesis pathway starting from aspartate. To achieve this goal, we used kMech, a Cellerator language extension that describes enzyme mechanisms for the mathematical modeling of metabolic pathways. These mechanisms are converted by Cellerator into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) solvable by Mathematica/spl trade/. In this paper, we describe a more flexible model in Cellerator, which generalizes the Monod, Wyman, Changeux (MWC) model for enzyme allosteric regulation to allow for multiple substrate, activator and inhibitor binding sites. Furthermore, we have developed a model that describes the behavior of the bifunctional allosteric enzyme aspartate Kinase I-Homoserine Dehydrogenase I (AKI-HDHI). This model predicts the partition of enzyme activities in the steady state which paves a way for a more generalized prediction of the behavior of bifunctional enzymes.
EXCITATION OF FIELD ALIGNED SOUND WAVES BY ELECTRON STREAMS

Excitation of sound by streaming electrons in the ionosphere is analogous to phonon excitation by Hall currents, but the dynamics and coupling are somewhat different. The coupling is provided by ions that communicate with the neutral gas by collisions and with the electrons by macroscopic electrostatic fields. The sharp dependence of electron mobility on anale, near the 90 un. Concent 85% inclination to the magnetic field, provides a necessary tunability of the electronic generator to the acoustic load. The wave fronts are field aligned, because the electrons can short out all electric fields. (C.E.S.)
The effects of aging and activity on muscle blood flow

Our purpose was to determine if aging had an influence on muscle blood flow independent of habitual physical activity levels. Blood flow was measured in the femoral artery by Doppler ultrasound after cuff occlusion of 10 minutes. Active and inactive older subjects (73 ± 7 years) were compared to active and inactive young subjects (26 ± 6 years). Peak blood flow capacity when normalized to lean muscle mass was related to activity level (p < 0.001), but not to age. Specifically, the young active group had higher peak blood flows than the young inactive (p = 0.031) or older inactive (p = 0.005) groups. Resting blood flow and conductance were not significantly different between groups. Mean arterial pressure was significantly higher in the older compared to young group (p = 0.002). Conductance was related to both activity (p = 0.002) and age (p = 0.003). A prolonged time for blood flow to recover was found in the older compared to the young group (p = 0.038) independent of activity status. The prolonged recovery time in the older subjects may suggest a reduced vascular reactivity associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Peak blood flow capacity is maintained in older subjects by physical activity. In summary, maximal flow capacity and prolonged recovery of blood flow are influenced by different mechanisms in young and older active and inactive subjects.
African American Faculty and White American Students Cross-Cultural Pedagogy in Counselor Preparation Programs

The development of culturally competent counseling skills and knowledge is experienced differently when faculty and students are from culturally and/or racially different backgrounds. This article reviews some of the factors that influence learning and teaching in counselor preparation programs when the faculty member is African American and the students are White Americans.
Identification of Temporal Construal Effects on Entrepreneurial Employment Desirability in STEM Students

As universities expand the influence entrepreneurial programmes have on science, engineering, technology and math (STEM) students, we investigate the impact Temporal Construal Theory has on measure...
A Mixed Signal (Analog-Digital) Integrator Design

Presented is a design of a mixed signal integrator, consisting of a traditional analog integrator (op-amp with capacitor in feedback) augmented with comparators, logic, counter registers, and a precharged capacitor that can be switched into, and out of, the input of the analog integrator. This device integrates with analog, but stores results in analog and digital. Whenever an analog integrator voltage equals or exceeds a threshold voltage, an amount of charge equivalent to the threshold voltage is cleared from the feedback capacitor of the analog integrator, and the counter register is incremented or decremented accordingly. With the threshold voltage representing one in a counting system, these actions convert the integrator contents to ±1. At any instant, the counter register holds the integer portion of the integral, and the analog integrator holds any fractional portion, permitting the integral to be internally stored as a real number. The mixed signal integrator accumulates integral beyond supply rails without op-amp saturation; has analog integrator bandwidth that extends into the limited gain low frequency region; avoids drift due to low pass filter effects and unbalanced input biases; and exhibits no sampled data or discrete system effects. Tests on a PCB prototype verified the design.
Re-thinking the Missing Mission of Higher Education: An Anatomy of the Research Challenge of African Universities

Research capacities in African universities are less developed due to many challenges — poor research infrastructure, limited Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the lack of leadership mandate and support, the lack of congenial political and academic environment in some countries, shortage and lack of faculty to pursue academic research due to heavy teaching loads, inadequate financial support, etc. This paper discusses the challenges facing higher education research in Africa. Using research reports, policy papers, and data in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) from Thompson’s Web of Science, this paper discusses the state of academic research in Africa. The author argues that for the continent of Africa to experience socioeconomic development, universities and research institutes need robust research agendas that will unleash to their economies the knowledge, ideas, innovation, and ...
Development of infrared sensors using carbon nanotube (CNT) based field effect transistor (FET)

One dimensional (1D) Schottky diodes between metals and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can separate the photo-generated electron-hole (e-h) pairs in order to produce photocurrent in the CNT infrared (IR) sensors for detection and quantification. However, the traditional Schottky barrier theories developed for the metal and planar semiconductor contacts are different from the contacts between metal and CNT owing to the unique properties originated from CNT's nano-scale size. Therefore how to optimize the performance of the 1D Schottky photodiodes is still a mystery. The properties of the 1D Schottky diodes are determined by the energy alignment between metals and CNT. In order to improve our understating of its working principle, we not only used different metals to explore the role of metal work function, but also investigated the performances of the photodetectors by varying the Fermi levels of the CNT through electrostatic doping utilizing the gate from CNT field effect transistor (CNTFET). It was observed that a low work function metal electrode (Cu) based photodetector can render a higher on/off ratio than its high work function contender (Au) by suppressing the dark current with a higher barrier. It was also demonstrated photocurrent was maximized by selecting high built-in potential and moderate doping using the CNTFET. CNTs may become important building blocks for future nanooptoelectronic sensors.
On a traffic control problem

A traffic network can be modeled by a digraph, while the traffic sensor location problem can be studied by using a minimum edge control set which is defined as follows. Let G=(V, E) be a digraph. A subset F of the edge set E is called an edge control set of G if every flow of G is completely determined by F. An edge control set F is said to be minimum if |F| is the least cardinality among all edge control sets of G. In this paper an algorithm for constructing a minimum edge control set of any digraph is established.
UC Davis vacuum and solid state millimeter wave electronics program

Major impetus for the vacuum electron beam and solid state based millimeter wave research and development activities at UC Davis derives from requirements for advanced accelerators, fusion plasma diagnostics, millimeter wave radar, HPM, materials characterization, phased array radar, high data rate communications speech recognition, and collision avoidance radar. This has necessitated fundamental studies of high brightness laser driven photocathode electron beam sources, gyro-amplifiers, monolithic quasi-optical grid arrays loaded with III-V based devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based arrays, and ultrashort pulse microimpulse radars. In this paper, a few of these studies are briefly discussed.
The Science of Teratology in a Regulatory Setting

The science of teratology is discussed from a regulatory point of view. A brief history of this branch of toxicology is presented with emphasis on specific instances of the inadvertent production of birth defects in humans as a result of exposure to exogenous agents. The basic principles of teratology are elucidated as a means of understanding current test protocols and their scientific rationale. A typical, general protocol is given and some of the major shortcomings of such a bioassay are presented. Among these shortcomings are the problems of significance of fetal toxicity and lack of a postnatal component to the teratology test system. The teratogenic and/ or fetotoxic potential of selected pesticides are examined with special reference to the bioassay problems alluded to. Pesticides discussed include cacodylic acid, endrin, benomyl, ETU, nitrofen, and mirex. Finally, a brief discussion of a proposed teratology screen using pregnant laboratory animals is presented.
Response to comment on "A reporting protocol for thermochronologic modeling illustrated with data from the Grand Canyon"

We suggested a reporting protocol for thermochronologic modeling with which to arrange and explain the choice of thermal history modeling inputs, and emphasized the need to fully depict model outputs (Flowers et al., 2015). Our goals were to improve transparency and reproducibility in thermochronologic data interpretation and motivate a broader discussion of this topic. We welcome the contribution by Gallagher (2016), and agree that clearly conveying how well a preferred thermal history model outcome honors the data is essential to allow evaluation of the derived conclusions and how they can be tested. However, in our view, how this goal is best achieved depends largely on the modeling approach. Rather than posing a one-size-fits-all scheme, in this case we suggest that the developers of the modeling software and their user communities should define “best practices” to which users should adhere.
Getting on the Rolls: Analyzing the Effects of Lowered Barriers on Voter Registration:

States and the federal government have initiated reforms designed to increase voting participation. Research has focused on the effects of these reforms-specifically, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA)-on voter turnout, but little research has focused directly on voter registration. Moving beyond the question of whether the NVRA increased registration, we ask: Did its implementation diminish the influence of core demographic variables on registration, producing a more representative pool of registered citizens? Relying on data from Current Population Surveys, our analyses provide limited affrmative support. The NVRA attenuated the influence of income in the states with no previous Motor Voter laws. It also reduced the on-year influence of age and the off-year influence of residential stability in these states and those that had prior passive Motor Voter laws. It did not have a similar effect on the influence of other core characteristics.
Laser-induced sub-millisecond heating reveals distinct tertiary ester cleavage reaction pathways in a photolithographic resist polymer.

Acid-catalyzed, thermally activated ester cleavage reactions are critical for lithographic patterning processes used in the semiconductor industry. The rates of these high-temperature reactions within polymer thin films are difficult to characterize because of the thermal instability of many polymers and a lack of temperature-resolved measurement techniques. Here we introduce the use of transient laser irradiation to heat a methyladamantane-protected acrylate copolymer to 600 °C in less than a millisecond. These conditions mediate the removal of the protecting groups and enable accurate kinetic measurements. At sub-millisecond exposure to high temperatures (∼600 °C), the rate of the ester cleavage reaction exhibits the expected first-order dependence on acid concentration. In contrast, the reaction exhibits more complex kinetics when the polymer film is heated to lower temperatures (115 °C) on a conventional hot-plate. We identify distinct methyladamantane-derived deprotection products under the high- and...
Group Values in Mate Selection, in a Sample of College Girls

one to column (2); one to column (4); two to column (1); two to column (5). The arithmetic mean of each trait (e.g., Education) was found, and these means were expressed as percentages of the maximum mean of 2. On the basis of these percentages, the traits were then ranked from the most important to the least important, as shown in Table 2. According to these results, the traits most desired in a prospective husband by the 259 college girls were character and intelligence. The popularity of the young man, especially with the girl's family, ranked second in importance. Then followed in order the man's physical characteristics, his religious affiliation and family, and his occupation. Of least consequence were nationality back-
An Easy and Accurate Technique for Feces Collection in Adult Roosters

Abstract A simple technique is described for the quantitative collection of excreta from adult male chickens. Excreta are collected in plastic bags attached to a plastic collar that has been sutured to the skin surrounding the cloaca. Excreta samples collected in this manner are free from contaminants such as feed, feathers, or scales.
Controls of Feeding in Horses

Members of the genus Equus are large, nonruminant herbivores. These animals utilize the products of both enzymatic digestion in the small intestine and bacterial fermentation (volatile fatty acids) in the cecum and large colon as sources of metabolizable energy. Equine animals rely primarily upon oropharyngeal and external stimuli to control the size and duration of an isolated meal. Meal frequency, however, is regulated by stimuli generated by the presence and (or) absorption of nutrients (sugars, fatty acids, protein) in both the large and small intestine plus metabolic cues reflecting body energy stores. The control of feeding in this species reflects its evolutionary development in an environment which selected for consumption of small, frequent meals of a variety of forages.
Theoretical Studies of Metal Clusters as Models for Surface Phenomena

With the advent of the great technological advances in ultra-high vacuum technology within the last decade, which has stimulated the development of a variety of new experimental techniques, a re-awakening of interest in the basic understanding of gas-solid interactions has taken place. This in turn has led to an almost explosive growth in the once fledgling discipline of surface science.
WE-AB-207B-07: Dose Cloud: Generating “Big Data” for Radiation Therapy Treatment Plan Optimization Research

Purpose: To provide a tool to generate large sets of realistic virtual patient geometries and beamlet doses for treatment optimization research. This tool enables countless studies exploring the fundamental interplay between patient geometry, objective functions, weight selections, and achievable dose distributions for various algorithms and modalities. Methods: Generating realistic virtual patient geometries requires a small set of real patient data. We developed a normalized patient shape model (PSM) which captures organ and target contours in a correspondence-preserving manner. Using PSM-processed data, we perform principal component analysis (PCA) to extract major modes of variation from the population. These PCA modes can be shared without exposing patient information. The modes are re-combined with different weights to produce sets of realistic virtual patient contours. Because virtual patients lack imaging information, we developed a shape-based dose calculation (SBD) relying on the assumption that the region inside the body contour is water. SBD utilizes a 2D fluence-convolved scatter kernel, derived from Monte Carlo simulations, and can compute both full dose for a given set of fluence maps, or produce a dose matrix (dose per fluence pixel) for many modalities. Combining the shape model with SBD provides the data needed for treatment plan optimization research. Results: We used PSM to capture organ and target contours for 96 prostate cases, extracted the first 20 PCA modes, and generated 2048 virtual patient shapes by randomly sampling mode scores. Nearly half of the shapes were thrown out for failing anatomical checks, the remaining 1124 were used in computing dose matrices via SBD and a standard 7-beam protocol. As a proof of concept, and to generate data for later study, we performed fluence map optimization emphasizing PTV coverage. Conclusions: We successfully developed and tested a tool for creating customizable sets of virtual patients suitable for large-scale radiation therapy optimization research.
The Space Syntax of Intelligible Communities

Cities are complex human artifacts organized to be legible. Their legibility directly affects how easily we can explore them and how effectively we can find our way to specific destinations. Legibility, however, is deeply linked to other kinds of functionality, specifically the distribution of movement and co-presence over public space, and the distribution of land uses relative to the street network. Space syntax, one particular approach to the analysis of the legibility of urban space, links our intuitive understanding of space to rigorous analysis and quantification. By offering quantitative descriptions of the spatial structure of environments as it affects human functions, including exploration and wayfinding, space syntax contributes to interdisciplinary research on spatial cognition. In addition, analytical descriptions such as those offered by space syntax allow us: First, to specify and benchmark the properties of different types of environments thus helping us articulate what is desirable in particular situations according to a growing body of systematic knowledge and evidence. Second, to evaluate design and planning alternatives in order to make decisions. The aim of this chapter is to provide an introduction to current space syntax research that is most directly linked to community wayfinding.
Enzymatically Biodegradable Polyrotaxane–Deferoxamine Conjugates for Iron Chelation

Chelation therapy is frequently used to help reduce excess iron in the body, but current chelators such as deferoxamine (DFO) are plagued by short blood circulation times, which necessitates infusions and can cause undesirable toxic side effects in patients. To address these issues, polyrotaxanes (PR) were synthesized by threading α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) onto poly(ethylene glycol) bis(amine) (PEG-BA, MW 3400 g/mol) capped with enzymatically cleavable bulky Z-L phenylalanine (Z-L Phe) moieties. The resulting PR was conjugated to DFO and hydroxypropylated to generate the final polyrotaxane-DFO (hPR-DFO). The iron chelating capability of hPR-DFO was verified by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and the ability of materials to degrade into smaller CD-conjugated DFO fragments (hCD-DFO) in the presence of the protease was confirmed via gel permeation chromatography. In vitro studies in iron-overloaded macrophages reveal that hPR-DFO can significantly reduce the cytotoxicity of the drug while maintaining its chelatio...
Milk Proteins | α-Lactalbumin

The milk whey protein α-lactalbumin is responsible for the ability of most mammals to synthesize lactose and assemble and secrete the aqueous phase of milk. It performs this function by modulating the specificity of a galactosyltransferase that has a primary function in glycoconjugate biosynthesis, so that it can bind glucose as a substrate and catalyze lactose synthesis. α-Lactalbumin is homologous with the type-c lysozymes, and its gene appears to have arisen by duplication of an ancestral lysozyme gene. The α-lactalbumins and lysozymes are closely similar in three-dimensional structure but highly divergent in function. A tightly bound calcium ion in α-lactalbumin stabilizes its structure and is required for correct folding and disulfide cross-link formation. Recent studies indicate that genetic manipulation of α-lactalbumin synthesis in transgenic pigs can increase lactose and milk production, thereby enhances the growth of piglets. A second function of α-lactalbumin involves a calcium-depleted form, which is stabilized in a partially unfolded state by lipid binding; this has been found to induce apoptosis in tumor cells and has therapeutic potential for some cancers. A similar form has been suggested to act in promoting mammary involution during weaning, indicating that α-lactalbumin may act in both initiating and terminating lactation.
Osmotic and Ionic Regulation by Freshwater and Marine Fishes

The cellular metabolism which defines life is apparently only possible in a milieu whose ionic and organic solute concentrations are relatively consistent since all organisms which have been examined regulate both the osmotic and ionic concentrations of their cells rather carefully. The constraints of this regulation result in a limited tolerance to salinity variation by most aquatic animals and plants. Because of their evolutionary history, the vertebrates in general, and the fishes in particular, show some nearly unique patterns of osmotic and ionic regulation. Moreover, some species of fishes are able to adjust their patterns to allow tolerance of rather wide salinity variation. Thus, investigation of osmotic and ionic regulation in fishes has been rather extensive; however, as will become obvious, we are still far from knowing the underlying mechanisms of this regulation.
Industrial Ecology in the Age of Input-Output Analysis

To some, industrial ecology is the field that seeks to understand and replicate the dense network of by-product exchanges found in the famous industrial district of Kalundborg, Denmark. To others, it is the attempt to look to natural systems for models for industrial design and practice. To still others, it is nearly any effort to mesh environmental concerns with production and consumption. A handbook on input-output analysis needs more clarity than this, both to provide context for the individual chapters and to provide an introduction to those less familiar with industrial ecology. This opening chapter will provide such an introduction by first reviewing the goals, history, elements and state of development of the field. It will then examine six dimensions of industrial ecology in terms of their potential relationship to input-output analysis.