cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the non-uniqueness of optimal radiation treatment plans

The possibility of multiple locally optimal dose distributions in radiation treatment planning has been discussed and documented in the literature. Here we study a different question related to uniqueness: Is it possible for different treatment plans to generate the same dose distribution? For greatly simplified two-dimensional model problems, we show that the answer is `yes' in regions where two or more beams intersect. In realistic problems, those are of course not the only regions of interest. However, as a result of cancellations in regions of intersection, substantial perturbations of beam profiles in certain directions may still have only small effects on the dose distribution. This is interesting because it offers an opportunity to optimize some other useful property, for instance simplicity, among all treatment plans generating a desired dose distribution with sufficient accuracy. We take a first step beyond our model problems by proving the stability of our results with respect to small perturbations of problem parameters. Since realistic problems differ from our model problems by much more than small perturbations, we plan to present a numerical study of more realistic examples in a sequel to this article.
A protein kinase C-, Ras-, and RSK2-dependent signal transduction pathway activates the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein transcription factor following T cell receptor engagement.

The cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) transcription factor is required for normal T cell activation following stimulation through the T cell antigen receptor (TCR). CREB is present in resting T cells in an unphosphorylated and inactive state. TCR engagement results in the rapid phosphorylation of CREB on Ser133 and its concomitant activation. In the studies described in this report, we have investigated the signaling pathway(s) that are responsible for CREB activation in normal T cells. Using pharmacological agonists, we show that protein kinase C (PKC)-, calcium/calmodulin-, and protein kinase A-dependent pathways are each capable of independently eliciting CREB phosphorylation in T cells and thymocytes. Pharmacological inhibitor studies demonstrated that the PKC-mediated signaling pathway is required for TCR-mediated activation of CREB. In contrast, inhibitors of protein kinase A and calmodulin kinases had no effect on CREB phosphorylation following TCR cross-linking. T cells lacking the p56lck tyrosine kinase failed to phosphorylate CREB in response to TCR engagement. Overexpression of dominant-negative mutant Ras and Raf-1 proteins in Jurkat T cells abolished TCR-mediated CREB phosphorylation, whereas overexpression of the RSK2 serine/threonine kinase significantly potentiated TCR-mediated CREB phosphorylation. Taken together, these experiments are consistent with a model in which TCR engagement leads to the rapid phosphorylation and activation of CREB via a signaling pathway involving the activation of p56lck , PKC, Ras, Raf-1, MEK, and RSK2. Given the importance of CREB phosphorylation in normal T cell activation, this pathway may be an attractive target for the development of novel immunosuppressive agents.
Twenty-seven new microsatellites for the migratory Asian catfish family Pangasiidae

In this paper, we describe primers for 27 new microsatellite loci tested on five species of migratory Asian catfish: Pangasius krempfi , P. bocourti , P. conchophilus , P. pleurotaenia , and Helicophagus waandersii . These primers were developed from a (GATA) n library created from the pooled DNA of three species of pangasiid catfish. All 27 loci are polymorphic in at least one species. Fifteen loci are polymorphic in at least three species. The primers described in this paper are thus shown to be useful in several species within the catfish family Pangasiidae, and may prove useful in additional species in future tests.
Method and Theory in Coastal New York Archaeology: Paradigms of Settlement Pattern

Settlement pattern research in Coastal New York follows the philosophical structure of advances in method and theory in science. Two alternative paradigms for settlement pattern complexity are currently under debate with the traditional based on maize as the principal factor to promote or “allow” increased sedentism, and the new on the European fur-wampum trade. The history of the two paradigms is presented and five important issues are discussed and evaluated as supporting evidence: archaeological maize, pollen, soil, fertilizer, and settlement pattern models. The evidence appears to offer stronger support for the new. The major goal of this paper is to outline past and present archaeological research as a basis for future directions; it is also to serve as a rejoinder to Silver's (1980) comments on an earlier article of mine (1979) in this journal.
Transition temperature to the superconducting phase of QCD at high baryon density

Recent interest in the study of color superconductivity has focused on the regime of high baryon density where perturbative QCD may be employed. Based on the dominant one-gluon-exchange interaction, both the transition temperature and zero temperature gap have been determined to leading order in the coupling g. While the leading non-BCS behavior ${T}_{C}\ensuremath{\sim}\ensuremath{\mu}{g}^{\ensuremath{-}5}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\kappa}/g}$ is easily obtained, the pre-exponential factor has proved more difficult to evaluate. Focusing on the transition temperature, we present a perturbative derivation of this factor, exact to leading order in g. This approach is first motivated by the study of a toy model and involves working to second order in the perturbative expansion. We compare this result to the zero temperature gap. Additionally, we extend the analysis to the case of higher angular momentum for longitudinal and transverse quark pairing.
Improved Box Model for Simulating Pesticide Transport in the Vadose Zone with Dispersive Flux through the Boundary Layer

AbstractA box-type transport model can be a useful tool for screening-level, long-term predictions of contamination and the relevant environmental assessment, especially when data are scarce and quick decisions are needed. In most box-type transport models, only advective flux is simulated to account for the interaction between boxes. In reality, however, significant mass transfer may also occur through the boundary between two boxes as a result of dispersion. For volatile contaminants (e.g., pesticides), the mass transfer through the boundary may involve both dissolved and vapor phases. In this study, an improved box-type analytical pesticide transport model with dispersive flux through the boundary layer (APTM-DF) was developed for simulating fate and transport of three-phase pesticides in the vadose zone, which was further divided into the surface zone, plant root zone, and deep vadose zone. The model also simulated pesticide leaching, degradation, volatilization, sorption, partition between dissolved ...
No-Saying in Habermas

This paper uses Jurgen Habermas's understanding of civil disobedience and its role in a constitutional democracy to dispute the common characterization of the author as a relentless theorist of an unrealistic and ultimately destructive consensus. Instead of the "consensus machine" his critics see, Habermas's account of deliberative democracy can be understood to rest on a more primordial moment of "no-saying." A central example of Habermasian no-saying is his account of civil disobedience, which we understand as an aesthetic-expressive mode of action. When the importance of no-saying is drawn out, it allows us to read Habermas's communicative paradigm to be marked by dissensus and agonism as well as consensus.
Preparation and microstructural analysis of poly(lactic‐alt‐glycolic acid)

Alternating copolymers of glycolic (G) and lactic (L) acid were prepared by the condensation of the preformed dimers: LLG and LracG. By size exclusion chromatography (THF, PS standards), poly(LLG) exhibited a molecular weight (Mn) of 15.6 kg mol−1, with a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 26.9 kg mol−1 and a PDI of 1.72. The Mn for poly(LracG) was 9.2 kg mol−1, with a Mw of 12.9 kg mol−1 and a PDI of 1.40. The NMR spectra of poly(LLG) were consistent with an isotactic microstructure. NMR spectra of the racemic poly(LracG) were consistent with an atactic structure. The methylene region of the 1H NMR spectrum showed a tetrad level of resolution of the nearby stereochemical relationships, for example, iii. Resonances for other groups in both the 1H and 13C NMR spectra gave only a triad level of resolution. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4704–4711, 2008
Exercise information resources on the World Wide Web.

Abstract Health professionals and members of the public are often interested in locating exercise information on the World Wide Web (the Web). There is a large amount of information available on the Web; however, the challenge for all people is to identify the high quality information that can be depended upon. Much of the quality exercise information on the Web is hidden within sites of reputable organizations concerned with exercise and health. This article examines several categories of commonly needed exercise related information. For each category, a few high quality sources of exercise information are listed. Combined, these Web sites provide an excellent and extensive body of knowledge for a person who is not experienced with exercise and wants to get started learning, or for a person with a moderate level of experience and knowledge who wants to learn more.
Differential control of aggression by the midbrain

Electrical stimulation of the midbrain tegmentum can produce differential modulation of quiet biting attack and affective defense behavior elicited from the hypothalamus of the cat. Stimulation of the lateral half of the tegmentum facilitated quiet biting attack and suppressed affective defense. Conversely, stimulation of the medial tegmentum suppressed quiet biting attack and facilitated affective defense. These results clearly indicate a topographic organization of modulatory sites controlling hypothalamic aggression within the midbrain tegmentum.
Gibberellin biosynthesis in bacteria: Separate ent-copalyl diphosphate and ent-kaurene synthases in Bradyrhizobium japonicum

Gibberellins are ent-kaurene-derived diterpenoid phytohormones produced by plants, fungi, and bacteria. The distinct gibberellin biosynthetic pathways in plants and fungi are known, but not that in bacteria. Plants typically use two diterpene synthases to form ent-kaurene, while fungi use only a single bifunctional diterpene synthase. We demonstrate here that Bradyrhizobium japonicum encodes separate ent-copalyl diphosphate and ent-kaurene synthases. These are found in an operon whose enzymatic composition indicates that gibberellin biosynthesis in bacteria represents a third independently assembled pathway relative to plants and fungi. Nevertheless, sequence comparisons also suggest potential homology between diterpene synthases from bacteria, plants, and fungi.
Anorexia nervosa and schizophrenia

The authors present 12 patients who met the DSM-III diagnostic criteria for both anorexia nervosa and schizophrenia. The negative symptoms of schizophrenia were prominent, and the patients had an unremitting course for the eating disorder. The coincidence of anorexia and schizophrenia is discussed.
Linear response theory for systems performing a random walk

Abstract Linear response theory is developed for systems whose time dependence is described by a random walk equation. A fluctuation—dissipation theorem expressing the linear response of the system in terms of fluctuation properties of the system in equilibrium is derived. The results are illustrated by calculating the response of a charged particle which performs a random walk along a finite linear chain in a time-dependent external electric field.
Experience-dependent effects of context and restraint stress on corticolimbic c-Fos expression

Stressors are typically multidimensional, comprised of multiple physical and sensory components that rarely occur as single isolated events. In this study, the functional activation patterns of key corticolimbic structures in response to context exposure alone, its combination with restraint, and how prior experience with either of these modulates subsequent activation was measured using Fos expression. On day 1, rats were transported to a novel context and either restrained for 6 hours or left undisturbed. On day 2, these two groups were either restrained or not in the same context, then processed for Fos immunohistochemistry. Regardless of previous experience, rats in context and not restrained expressed more Fos-like immunoreactive (IR) labeling in CA1 and CA3 of dorsal hippocampus, and basolateral and central amygdala, while this pattern was reversed in the dentate gyrus infrapyramidal blade. Conversely for the infralimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the previous day's experience with restraint or immediate experience with restraint elevated Fos-like IR compared to rats placed in context on both days. These data show that exposure to context produces robust Fos induction in the hippocampus and amygdala, regardless of prior experience with restraint and compared to the immediate experience to restraint, with prior experience modulating Fos expression within the mPFC.
The configuration and electronic absorption spectra of tetrachloro- and tetrabromocuprate lons

Measurements of the absorption spectra of tetrachlorocuprate and tetrabromocuprate ions are reported for the region 0.2–6μ. The modified ionic model employed by Felsenfeld to account for the configuration and spectrum of CuCl4−2 has been extended to CuBr4−2. With the proper choice of values of the screening constants for the d-electrons and of the polarizability of the halide ions, reasonable predictions for the equilibrium angles and spectra can be made.
ESECT/EMAP: Mapping algorithm for computing intersection volumes of overlaid meshes in cylindrical geometry

ESECT et EMAP sont des logiciels qui fournissent un moyen pour appliquer des mailles arbitraires sur des mailles rectangulaires en geometrie cylindrique
Photobiological production of hydrogen

Abstract This literature survey of photobiological hydrogen production covers the period from its discovery in relatively pure cultures during the early 1930s through 1978. The focus is hydrogen production by phototrophic organisms (and their components) which occurs at the expense of light energy and electron-donating substrates. The survey covers the major contributions in the area; however, in many cases, space has limited the degree of detail provided. Among the topics included is a brief historical overview of hydrogen metabolism in photosynthetic bacteria, eucaryotic algae, and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). The primary enzyme systems, including hydrogenase and nitrogenase, are discussed along with the manner in which they are coupled to electron transport and the primary photochemistry of photosynthesis. A number of in vivo and in vitro photobiological hydrogen evolving schemes including photosynthetic bacterial, green algal, cyanobacterial, two-stage, and cell-free systems are examined in some detail. The remainder of the review discusses specific technical problem areas that currently limit the yield and duration of many of the systems and research that might lead to progress in these specific areas. The final section outlines, in broadest terms, future research directions necessary to develop practical photobiological hydrogen-producing systems. Both whole cell (near- to mid-term) and cell-free (long-term) systems should be emphasized. Photosynthetic bacteria currently show the most promise for near-term applied systems.
Active filters with low sensitivity to element changes

The active element has the greatest influence on the properties of active filters and may cause oscillations especially in more complicated networks. An active filter network is described which is almost independent of element changes. The analysis shows that the constant of the negative impedance converter may be changed by as much as ±10% without appreciably influencing the properties of the filter. Synthesis was carried out for a whole system of filters of fourth- and sixth-degree with various minimum attenuations in the stop-band. The changes of all other elements are briefly considered and it is shown that the influence of all elements not determining the position of the transmission zero is less than the same relative change of the impedance converter constant.
Effect of three‐body interactions on the structure of small clusters

Minimum energy configurations of microclusters (up to six atoms) have been calculated using two‐ and three‐body interactions. Structural changes were parametrically analyzed as a function of the intensity of three‐body forces. The results are qualitative in nature; they indicate, however, that three‐body interactions play an important role in the equilibrium structure of microclusters. The effect of the intensity of the three‐body interactions on the structure of small clusters is not manifested in a continuous manner. Rather, changes in the energetically most stable structure occur abruptly. The results are in qualitative agreement with experimental observations as well as other calculations.
The private-practice perspective of the manpower crisis in radiology: Greener pastures?

Rising consumer expectations and a rapidly aging population point to a long-term shortage of all physicians, including radiologists. While attention has been drawn to the escalating manpower crisis in academic radiology departments, the private-practice perspective has been generally overlooked. Although clinical workloads and income are higher in private practice, studies have shown higher satisfaction levels (likely because of a greater variety of work) among academic radiologists. As the distinction between community and teaching hospitals has become increasingly blurred, there is now considerable overlap in the skill sets, sources of job satisfaction, and stresses that are encountered in both practice settings. Perhaps more than at any time in the recent past, diagnostic radiologists in academic and private practice share more in common than any perceived differences. Both groups must work together in concert with the ACR to address the growing manpower shortage, as well as the other challenges that confront diagnostic radiology at the beginning of the 21st century.
SU‐FF‐T‐359: Primary Electron Beam Spot Parameter Determination for X‐Ray Beams

Purpose: Determine the characteristics, especially spot size and position, of a linac's primary electron beam, required as input to high‐precision Monte Carlo calculations of the X‐ray beam. Method and Materials: A parallel slit beam spot camera is placed on the block tray and a diode (oriented with normal to flat surface perpendicular to the beam) is scanned through the beam in air. This method permits easily making many scans to investigate parameter dependences. An upper bound to the diode resolution is determined by partially blocking the beam. Camera slit width is determined by varying target‐diode distance. Measurements are made with/without flattening filters, using different targets, and versus beam parameters (soft‐pots) including static, dynamic steering. The camera is simulated using Monte Carlo.Results: Resolution of the diode is < 0.5 mm FWHM. For 5 Siemens Primus/Oncor linacs, FWHM spot sizes are: 6 MV: crossplane, 0.96 +/− 0.13 mm; inplane, 1.29 +/− 0.13 mm; 18 MV: crossplane 0.087 +/− 0.011 mm; inplane 1.012 +/− 0.005 mm (errors, standard deviation). Inplane is larger than crossplane by 0–0.6 mm, 6 MV is larger than 18 MV by 0–0.4 mm. Broadening from flattening filters is less than 10%. Steering moves the inplane spot position by: 18 MV: −1.8 +/− 0.1 mm/A (static steering); 1.35 +/− 0.05 mm/A (dynamic); 6 MV: −7.5 +/− 1.5 mm/A (static); 2.3 +/− 0.1 mm/A (dynamic). Conclusions: Spot sizes of 5 Siemens Primus/Oncor linacs at 6, 18 MV are in the range 0.7–1.5 mm. The method is ideally suited for investigating parameter dependences. Support from NIH R01 CA104777‐01A2.
Surgical Treatment of Endocarditis

Since early investigators first suggested that the treatment of endocarditis should include valve replacement for infections not readily controlled with medical therapy alone, the role of surgery has become expanded, yet refined, to improve the outcome of patients with this potentially fatal disease. Innovative surgical techniques have also been developed in an effort to improve the results of surgical treatment for complex sequelae of invasive infections. This article examines the current indications for surgical intervention, compares the various surgical options, and assesses the expected short-and long-term outcome after valve replacement for patients with native valve or prosthetic valve endocarditis.
Recognition of areas effected by petroleum seepage: Northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope

The presence of large amounts of gas and/or liquid hydrocarbon seepage in near surface sediments can produce distinct features including an irregular topography (on several scales, ranging from meters to kilometers); seismically transparent/chaotic sediments; oil staining; gas plumes; sediments containing elevated concentrations of extractable organic matter, organic carbon, and calcium carbonate; associated brine seepage and anoxic conditions; extensive bacterial mats; hydrate formation and decomposition; and dense chemoautotrophic communities. Although no single characteristic is always uniquely associated with seepage, the co-occurrence of several of these features is strongly suggestive of an area being exposed to non-indigenous upward migrating hydrocarbons.
Root competition can cause a decline in diversity with increased productivity

Summary 1 Plant community theory often invokes competition to explain why species diversity declines as productivity increases. Competition for all resources might become more intense and lead to greater competitive exclusion or, alternatively, competition for light only could become more intense and exclude poor light competitors. 2 To test these hypotheses, we constructed communities of seven old-field species using combined monocultures. Constructs experienced no interspecific competition, only shoot competition or only root competition, with and without fertilizer. Diversity in these limited interaction communities was compared to diversity in unfertilized and fertilized mixtures of the seven species. 3 Diversity decreased with fertilization in mixtures and in communities with only root competition. Shoot competition had small effects on the community and did not contribute to changes in diversity with fertilization. 4 Root competition may strongly impact plant community structure in unproductive communities where light never becomes limiting, or under non-equilibrium conditions following human disturbances.
Effects of exposure to sublethal copper on the locomotor behavior of the sea catfish, Arius felis

Abstract The locomotor behavior of invidual sea catfish (Arius felis) was electronically monitored in a 16-choice circular tank before and immediately after 72 h of exposure to Cu2+ (0.0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, or 0.2 mg Cu2+ ·1−1). Changes in the general behavioral variables of locomotor activity and angular orientation of movements, previously known to be statistically non-random and autonomous, depended on the concentration of Cu2+. Control fish, and those exposed to 0.005, 0.01, and 0.05 mg Cu2+ ·1−1 were hypoactive immediately after exposure, while 0.1 and 0.2 mg Cu2+ ·1−1 elicited hyperactivity. The orientation angles of movements in the monitor tank increased significantly for all fish except controls and those exposed to 0.005 mg Cu2+ ·1−1. This change in orientation angles produced a decrease in the frequency of turning behavior. Although 0.01 and 0.05 mg Cu2+ ·1−1 elicited hypoactivity, fish exposed to these concentrations displayed shifts in orientation angles not significantly different from those produced at the higher concentrations. These results are discussed in terms of exploratory behavior and the (neural) ‘retention’ (or ‘memory’, process, and in physiological contexts.
The application of automated reasoning to questions in mathematics and logic

Sharply different from the well-known use of various computer programs for the numerical aspects of mathematics and logic is the newer and less familiar use of a program to address the logical reasoning aspects. In this article, we focus on such a program — the automated reasoning program OTTER — which is portable, available electronically by anonymous FTP, and usable on a wide variety of computers, even on personal computers. We discuss the types of assistance provided by OTTER, including proof finding, conjecture formulation, and object construction. With OTTER's assistance, we have answered a number of open questions taken from a variety of fields. We focus on such questions from combinatory logic, equivalential calculus, Robbins algebra, and finite semigroup theory. For those who enjoy a challenge, we also offer ten questions, including some that are still open, and an open question that eluded even Tarski.
Lamellar phase in a model for block copolymers.

We report results from a simulated annealing study of a coarse-grained model for block copolymers. For sufficiently slow cooling rate, the system develops a well-defined lamellar structure by avoiding the formation of defects. We show that the strong segregation limit of the model is computationally accessible when the interface thickness is small enough.
Impact of Outdoor Gestating Gilts on Soil Nutrients, Vegetative Cover, Rooting Damage, and Pig Performance

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to document changes over time in soil nitrate and phosphorus (P) concentrations, percentage of ground cover, rooting holes, and gilt and litter productivity for pastures of “Spar” old-world bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) that were either burned or not burned before occupation. Pregnant gilts (seven in each pasture; n = 56) were assigned at random to each of four replicated treatments of burned or non-burned pastures (0.4 ha each). Each pasture was subdivided into three regions: (1) inner-hub, (2) middle, and (3) outer-with a feeding place along the fence-line. Soil samples (12 per pasture) were collected at 0–15.2 cm depth every 30 days and assayed for nitrate, and percentage of ground cover visually estimated. Four composites from initial and final soil samples, corresponding to the three regions plus the feeding place, were used to determine P concentration. Rooting holes were counted and sizes measured on day 0, 30, and 60. Ground cover decreased (P < 0.05)...
Fast Pairwise Query Selection for Large-Scale Active Learning to Rank

Pair wise learning to rank algorithms (such as Rank SVM) teach a machine how to rank objects given a collection of ordered object pairs. However, their accuracy is highly dependent on the abundance of training data. To address this limitation and reduce annotation efforts, the framework of active pair wise learning to rank was introduced recently. However, in such a framework the number of possible query pairs increases quadratic ally with the number of instances. In this work, we present the first scalable pair wise query selection method using a layered (two-step) hashing framework. The first step relevance hashing aims to retrieve the strongly relevant or highly ranked points, and the second step uncertainty hashing is used to nominate pairs whose ranking is uncertain. The proposed framework aims to efficiently reduce the search space of pair wise queries and can be used with any pair wise learning to rank algorithm with a linear ranking function. We evaluate our approach on large-scale real problems and show it has comparable performance to exhaustive search. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, and validate the efficiency of hashing in accelerating the search of massive pair wise queries.
Silence in Teaching and Learning: Perspectives of a Nepalese Graduate Student

The nature of silence is complex in any classroom with international or domestic students. Instructors sometimes fail to recognize that the classroom silence of foreign students is unlike their native counterparts. With an insider perspective, this article explores the concept of silence among international students by examining the existing body of literature relating to cultural norms. It also suggests a number of ways of dealing with silent students in a diverse classroom setting. Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know. —Lao Tzu
The Verbal and Nonverbal Correlates of the Five Flirting Styles

The present investigation identifies the nonverbal and verbal behaviors associated with the five flirting styles (i.e., physical, traditional, sincere, polite, playful) (Hall et al. in Commun Q 58:365–393, 2010). Fifty-one pairs (N = 102) of opposite-sex heterosexual strangers interacted for 10–12 min and then reported their physical attraction to their conversational partner. Four independent coders coded 36 nonverbal and verbal behaviors. The residual variance of the interaction term between each flirting style and physical attraction was calculated, accounting for variance associated with the other styles. These five residual terms were separately correlated with the coded verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Each flirting style was correlated with behaviors linked to the conceptualization of that style: more conversational fluency for physical flirts, more demure behaviors for traditional female flirts and more assertive and open behaviors by traditional male flirts, less fidgeting, teasing, and distraction and more smiling for sincere flirts, more reserved and distancing behavior by polite flirts, and more obviously engaging and flirtatious behaviors by playful flirts.
Exploring the structure-activity relationship of the ethylamine portion of 3-iodothyronamine for rat and mouse trace amine-associated receptor 1.

3-Iodothyronamine (1, T1AM) is a naturally occurring derivative of thyroid hormone that can potently activate the orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) known as the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1). We have previously found that modifying the outer ring of the phenoxyphenethylamine core scaffold of 1 can improve potency and provide potent agonists. In this study, we explored the tolerance of rat and mouse TAAR1 (rTAAR1 and mTAAR1) for structural modifications in the ethylamine portion of 1. We found that incorporating unsaturated hydrocarbon substituents and polar, hydrogen-bond-accepting groups were beneficial for rTAAR1 and mTAAR1, respectively, providing compounds that were equipotent or more potent than 1. Additionally, we have discovered that a naphthyl group is an excellent isosteric replacement for the iodophenyl ring of 1.
Red Tape and Public Service Motivation: Findings from a National Survey of Managers in State Health and Human Services Agencies

This article examines the relationship between red tape and public-service motivation. Using a recent national survey of public managers in various state health and human service organizations, the...
Iontophoretic delivery of piroxicam across the skin in vitro

Iontophoresis of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, piroxicam, across hairless mouse skin in vitro has been investigated. The following drug delivery issues have been examined: (a) to what extent is the percutaneous absorption of the drug enhanced by iontophoresis; (b) how do current density, current duration, and drug formulation variables affect the efficiency of delivery; and (c) does the combination of iontophoresis with a chemical penetration enhancer (oleic acid) elicit additive or synergistic transport-promoting effects? Cathodal iontophoresis of negatively-charged piroxicam was carried out using three pH 7.4 formulations (a solution, a gel, and a gel containing 0.3% w/w oleic acid). From the solution, following a 6-h application period, iontophoresis at constant current densities in the range 0.07–0.50 mA/cm2 delivered 100–1000 times more drug than passive diffusion. Penetration of intact piroxicam was directly proportional to current density. At the highest current density, iontophoretic flow of other ions in the system (especially Na+ and Cl−) caused the piroxicam flux to peak and then gradually fall off with time. Short-duration current application (30 min) also increased the 6-h delivery of drug significantly (more than 10 times the no-current control at 0.07 mA/cm2,150-fold at 0.50 mA/cm2 ). Piroxicam transport from a simple gel was not as well correlated with current density as that from the solution. A lower drug concentration and altered ionic transport numbers are believed to be the reason for this behavior. Nevertheless, enhancement over passive diffusion (following iontophoresis for both 0.5 and 6 h) was substantial. When the gel containing oleic acid was used, drug delivery at the lowest current density was reduced relative to the gel with no enhancer. At higher current densities, on the other hand, piroxicam transport is augmented by oleic acid. This change in the relative delivery could be a consequence of oleate ion competition for transport dominating at low current density, with the enhancement effects taking over at higher current. This conclusion was consistent with pretreatment experiments in which the skin was exposed to oleic acid for 3 h prior to iontophoretic piroxicam delivery from the simple gel without oleic acid. The degree of drug delivery was significantly greater than the sum of those achieved by pretreatment alone and by iontophoresis alone.
Biodiversity loss and emerging infectious disease: An example from the rodent-borne hemorrhagic fevers

Abstract The relationship between biodiversity loss and emerging infectious diseases is studied in this paper using as examples the rodent-borne hemorrhagic fevers (those caused by hantaviruses and arenaviruses). Both biodiversity loss and infectious disease have taken on importance in the last two decades and both are related to human disturbance of natural systems. Intuitively, one might expect the most diverse natural habitats to support the greatest number of animal diseases that could be transmitted to humans (zoonotic diseases). Yet an examination of the circumstances surrounding outbreaks of rodent-borne hemorrhagic fevers suggests that anthropogenically disturbed, low-diversity habitats present the greatest risk. Two possible mechanisms are suggested to help explain this increased risk. First, disturbed habitats often favor opportunistic/generalist species which happen to be reservoirs for hemorrhagic fever viruses. Second, through a process called the dilution effect, in communities of lowering r...
Men at the crossroads: A profile analysis of hypermasculinity in emerging adulthood.

The purpose of this study is twofold: to evaluate the factor structure of the Auburn Differential Masculinity Index (ADMI-60) and to investigate the varied adoption of hypermasculine attitudes with...
1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase in tomato is encoded by a multigene family whose transcription is induced during fruit and floral senescence.

Abstract The key regulatory enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of the plant hormone ethylene is 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (EC 4.1.1.14). It catalyzes the conversion of S-adenosylmethionine to ACC, the precursor of ethylene. We isolated complementary DNA sequences, ptACC2 and ptACC4, for two distinct and differentially regulated ACC synthase mRNAs expressed in ripe tomato fruit. The authenticity of the clones has been confirmed by expression experiments in E. coli. The predicted size of the encoded polypeptides (54,690 and 53,519 Da) is similar to that of the primary in vitro translation products and to the proteins found in vivo. The sequence of the gene encoding one mRNA, LE-ACC2, has been determined and its transcription initiation site defined. Four additional genes, LE-ACC1A, LE-ACC1B, LE-ACC3 and LE-ACC4, have also been identified and the sequence of their coding regions determined. The LE-ACC1A and LE-ACC1B genes are adjacent to each other and are convergently transcribed. Their encoded polypeptides are 96% identical; the identity of the other polypeptides to each other varies between 50 and 70%. The proteins predicted to be encoded by the ACC synthase genes so far cloned from tomato and zucchini contain 11 of the 12 conserved amino acid residues found in various aminotransferases involved in the binding of the substrate and the cofactor pyridoxal-5′-phosphate. The data indicate that ACC synthase is encoded by a divergent multigene family in tomato that encodes proteins related to aminotransferases.
Local Atomic Structure of Plzt Determined by Real-Space Refinement of Neutron-Powder-Diffraction Data

The local atomic structure of (Pb{sub 1{minus}x} La{sub x})(Zr{sub y} Ti{sub 1{minus}y}){sub 1{minus}x/4}O{sub 3} (PLZT) has been examined by means of pair-distribution function (PDF) analysis derived from neutron powder diffraction. The authors find that atoms are displaced from the atomic sites in the average periodic structure by a significant amount. The directions and magnitudes of the atomic displacements in PLZT are very similar to those found in Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3} (PMN). The short- and intermediate-range structural changes between ferroelectric, relaxor and antiferroelectric PLZT phases were compared.
Image resolution of surface-plasmon-mediated near-field focusing with planar metal films in three dimensions using finite-linewidth dipole sources

We study the role of surface plasmons in the near-field focusing of a finite-linewidth point dipole by a planar silver film using three-dimensional finite element calculations. We find that the intensity distribution in the image plane at a distance of 60 nm from the source is narrowed by a factor of 1.4 in the presence of a 30-nm-thick silver film. The lateral field components are found to be focused significantly better. We show that the difference is caused by unavoidable stray fields normal to the lens surface due to the interface charge distribution induced by the presence of surface plasmons.
Evolution and Molecular Phylogeny of Listeria monocytogenes Isolated from Human and Animal Listeriosis Cases and Foods

To probe the evolution and phylogeny of Listeria monocytogenes from defined host species and environments, L. monocytogenes isolates from human (n = 60) and animal (n = 30) listeriosis cases and food samples (n = 30) were randomly selected from a larger collection of isolates (n = 354) obtained in New York State between 1999 and 2001. Partial sequencing of four housekeeping genes (gap, prs, purM, and ribC), one stress response gene (sigB), and two virulence genes (actA and inlA) revealed between 11 (gap) and 33 (inlA) allelic types as well as 52 sequence types (unique combination of allelic types). actA, ribC, and purM demonstrated the highest levels of nucleotide diversity (π > 0.05). actA and inlA as well as prs and the hypervariable housekeeping genes ribC and purM showed evidence of horizontal gene transfer and recombination. actA and inlA also showed evidence of positive selection at specific amino acid sites. Maximum likelihood phylogenies for all seven genes confirmed that L. monocytogenes contains two deeply separated evolutionary lineages. Lineage I was found to be highly clonal, while lineage II showed greater diversity and evidence of horizontal gene transfer. Allelic types were exclusive to lineages, except for a single gap allele, and nucleotide distance within lineages was much lower than that between lineages, suggesting that genetic exchange between lineages is rare. Our data show that (i) L. monocytogenes is a highly diverse species with at least two distinct phylogenetic lineages differing in their evolutionary history and population structure and (ii) horizontal gene transfer as well as positive selection contributed to the evolution of L. monocytogenes.
Blind channel estimation in aperiodic time hopping ultra-wideband systems

In a traditional pulse position modulation (PPM) time hopping ultra-wideband (UWB) communication system, each user is assigned a distinct time-hopping sequence, either periodic short sequence or aperiodic long sequence. This paper focuses on blind multiuser channel estimation in aperiodic time hopping UWB systems, using both the least squares method and the correlation matching method. After we formulate the PPM UWB signal to a pulse-rate discrete-time linear model, instantaneous estimate of the mean or correlation of received signals can be explored to estimate the channel. We also introduce corresponding single user variants of both methods. The estimation performance is evaluated by simulations in the end.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN CONGENITAL LIPOID ADRENAL HYPERPLASIA AND STEROIDOGENIC ACUTE REGULATORY PROTEIN

To date, studies of patients with lipoid CAH have shown the indispensable role of StAR in the production of steroids by adrenal gland and gonads. Lipoid CAH is the first and so far only inborn disorder of steroid hormone synthesis and metabolism that is not caused by a defective steroidogenic enzyme but rather by a defect in cholesterol transport.
A spline‐based enrichment function for arbitrary inclusions in extended finite element method with applications to finite deformations

SUMMARY A novel enrichment function, which can model arbitrarily shaped inclusions within the framework of the extended finite element method, is proposed. The internal boundary of an arbitrary-shaped inclusion is first discretized, and a numerical enrichment function is constructed ‘on the fly’ using spline interpolation. We consider a piecewise cubic spline which is constructed from seven localized discrete boundary points. The enrichment function is then determined by solving numerically a nonlinear equation which determines the distance from any point to the spline curve. Parametric convergence studies are carried out to show the accuracy of this approach compared with pointwise and linear segmentation of points for the construction of the enrichment function in the case of simple inclusions and arbitrarily shaped inclusions in linear elasticity. Moreover, the viability of this approach is illustrated on a neo-Hookean hyperelastic material with a hole undergoing large deformation. In this case, the enrichment is able to adapt to the deformation and effectively capture the correct response without remeshing. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
When Budgets Are Tight, There Are Better Options Than Colonoscopies For Colorectal Cancer Screening

A critical challenge facing cancer screening programs, particularly those aimed at uninsured people with low incomes, is choosing the screening test that makes the most efficient use of limited budgets. For colorectal cancer screening, there is growing momentum to use colonoscopy, which is an expensive test. In this study, we modeled scenarios to assess whether the use of fecal occult blood tests or colonoscopy provides the most benefit under conditions of budget constraints. We found that although colonoscopy is more accurate, under most scenarios, fecal occult blood tests would result in more individuals’ getting screened, with more life-years gained.
Nonlinear observability formulation for shipboard power systems incorporating converter dynamics

Performance of planned shipboard distribution/generation systems can be affected by power fluctuations and inappropriate control strategies. A measure of observability of such systems will allow one to quantify their operational performance. This paper attempts to account for observability of these systems through the incorporation of nonlinear dynamics of converters and electromechanical behavior of generators and loads. The example section will focus on a DAE model of a shipboard system where observability formulation is applied and results reflect the influence of these additional states on overall observability and system performance.
Relationship of Depressive Symptoms to the Impact of Physical Symptoms on Functional Status in Women With Heart Failure

Heart failure is a chronic condition that affects about 5 million patients in the United States.1 In South Korea, heart failure is the most common health problem contributing to hospitalization and readmission of elderly persons.2–4 Among all patients with heart failure, approximately one-half are women,1,5 but women’s specific needs have been underestimated or overlooked in the management of heart failure, and women have been underrepresented in major clinical trials.6–8 Women and men with heart failure differ in demographics, disease-specific characteristics, and outcomes.9–12 Women have a higher prevalence of heart failure at an advanced age than do men, and higher rehospitalization rates, with an increasing annual rehospitalization rate.10,13 In addition, most women with heart failure have worse quality of life (QOL) than do men,14–17 and the lower QOL is influenced by poor functional status.14,18,19 Heart failure is associated with poor QOL, limited social functioning, and lost work capacity.15 These conditions have a strong adverse effect on functional status, and poor functional status has implications for exercise capacity, illness severity, and QOL in patients with heart failure.20–23 Functional status, which is considered an important aspect of illness progression,24 includes 4 dimensions25,26: functional capacity (a person’s maximum potential ability), functional performance (physical daily activities for basic needs), functional reserve, and use of functional capacity. However, researchers14,27 have found that functional capacity and performance were more important to patients with heart failure. In addition, in most studies28,29 of sex-based differences in patients with heart failure, women had poorer functional status—namely, decreased functional capacity or functional performance—than did men. Most investigators have focused on sex-based differences in functional status, with little attention given to sex-based differences in factors associated with functional status. Because of the importance of functional status in patients with heart failure, factors that influence functional status in men and women with heart failure should be determined and compared. The purposes of this study were to compare functional status between women and men with heart failure, determine whether sex-based differences exist for factors that influence functional status, and examine whether depressive symptoms mediate the link between physical symptoms and functional status in women and men.
Raman generation by phased and antiphased molecular states.

We use molecular deuterium and two driving lasers to demonstrate collinear generation of mutually coherent equidistant sidebands, covering $50000{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ of spectral bandwidth and ranging from $2.94\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ to 195 nm in wavelength. The essential idea is the adiabatic preparation of a single, highly coherent ( $|{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\mathrm{ab}}|\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0.33$) molecular eigenstate.
Will the master settlement agreement achieve a lasting legacy

This article outlines the mission and activities of the American Legacy Foundation (Legacy)—the public charity created by the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) between 46 states attorneys general and the tobacco industry. Payments to Legacy are made by the 46 settling states. Legacy has achieved much in its short 5-year tenure and has faced and continues to face challenges. These include the “sunset” clause of the MSA that may terminate payments to Legacy’s public education fund—the source of funds for most of Legacy’s public education campaigns and grant making, a unique set of MSA provisions intended to rein in the activities of Legacy and rising public expectations in the context of sharply reduced resources. The inextricable link between Legacy, state tobacco control, and the politics of tobacco are discussed.