cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Portal: Your Door to World Languages and Cultures

Portal: Your Door to World Languages and Cultures was a series of public cultural events, in a variety of formats, created through a new partnership between the credit and continuing education (noncredit) foreign language programs at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Portal was designed to cultivate interest in foreign languages and cultures by breaking down misconceptions and offering cultural demonstrations and language lessons. It also promoted enrollment and retention for foreign language courses and resulted in several positive outcomes.
Leveraging the Exit of Diabesity: We suffer from obesity and diabetes because we eat too much and exercise too little. Solving the problem is hard but not complicated.

Because hyperendemic obesity and epidemic diabetes have proved intractable thus far, there is a prevailing notion that they constitute a complex problem. Depending on the magnitude and direction of forces applied, a heavy rock may prove quite intractable to lifting. This does not make rock lifting complicated; it just makes it hard.
Laser-produced X-ray sources

Abstract A formidable array of advanced laser systems are emerging that produce extreme states of light and matter. By irradiating solid and gaseous targets with lasers of increasing energy densities, new physical regimes of radiation effects are being explored for the first time in controlled laboratory settings. One result that is being accomplished or pursued using a variety of techniques, is the realization of novel sources of X-rays with unprecedented characteristics and light–matter interactions, the mechanisms of which are in many cases still being elucidated. Examples include the megajoule class of laser-produced plasmas designed in pursuit of alternative-energy and security applications and the petawatt class of lasers used for fast ignition and X-ray radiographic applications such as medical imaging and real-time imaging of plasma hydrodynamics. As these technologies mature, increased emphasis will need to be placed on advanced instrumentation and diagnostic metrology to characterize the spectra, time structure, and absolute brightness of X-rays emitted by these unconventional sources. Such customized and absolutely calibrated measurement tools will serve as an enabling technology that can help in assessing the overall system performance and progress, as well as identification of the underlying interaction mechanisms of interest to basic and applied strong-field and high-energy-density science.
Why bother for 0.0001% of Earth's water? Challenges for soil moisture research

For each kilogram of water on Earth, only 1 mg is stored as soil moisture. Yet this miniscule amount of water exerts significant control over various hydrological, ecological, and meteorological processes ranging from boundary layer dynamics to the global water cycle. The 1993 Mississippi River flood illustrated the power of 0.0001% of Earth's water to dictate the fate and evolution of regional weather and climate. The space-time distribution of soil moisture is a key component in describing transfer and distribution of mass and energy between the land and the atmosphere. It is a fundamental variable in biosphere-atmosphere transfer, biogeochemistry, ecosystem process, and rainfall-runoff models. There is a growing consensus that a unified approach is necessary to monitor, characterize, and model soil moisture over a range of scales, but such an approach has yet to be defined.
MIL-PRF-1540, A Performance Specification for Design and Product Verification of Space Hardware

Acquisition reform has caused the cancellation or conversion of many military specifications and standards. One of the standards targeted for conversion by Air Force Material Command (AFMC) was MIL-STD-1540. The standard provides details for the testing of launch, upper stage, and space vehicles. AFMC requested that MIL-STD-1540C be converted from a standard to an alternative form of documentation. To answer this request, The Aerospace Corporation and Space and Missile Systems Center used an innovative approach to develop a document that retained the value of the original standard. The new document is MIL-PRF-1540 (a Military Performance Specification). MIL-PRF-1540 is intended for use in the Request For Proposal (RFP) instructions for new procurements of space hardware. The value of MIL-STD-1540C was retained by incorporating it into the already existing MIL-HDBK-340. The revised handbook, MIL-HDBK-340A, is referenced by MIL-PRF-1540 as guidelines only.
Non-trivial Dynamics In A Driven String With Impact Non-linearity

Abstract Consider a string with one end fixed and the other end forced to move periodically transversely to the string. A stop is positioned near the string, symmetrically with respect to the endpoints. When for a high enough driving amplitude the string hits the stop, the dynamics become non-linear. Experimentally and analytically, some aspects of the planar motion are investigated with the driving frequency in a range that includes the lowest eigenfrequency of the non-driven string. Upon slowly changing either the frequency or the driving amplitude, strong jump and hysteresis phenomena are observed: for instance, transitions from periodic motion to chaotic motion with much higher amplitude. Typically, the chaotic motion shows a broad pyramid shaped spectrum around the driving frequency. It is argued that a non-linear symmetric standing wave of the non-driven string forms the theoretical "backbone" for a proper description of these phenomena. It is shown how time-chaotic motion at the position of the stop can result in spatially complex motion of the string.
The Response of Turkey Poults to Moenomycin

Abstract A previous report from this laboratory (Waldroup et al., 1970) demonstrated the efficacy of the antibiotic moenomycin in promoting weight gains in broilers. The purpose of this communication is to report the results of studies in which young .turkey poults were fed diets supplemented with moenomycin. MATERIALS AND METHODS Trial 1—A typical turkey starter diet containing 5% fish meal and calculated to contain 28% protein and 2860 M.E. Kcal./kg. was used. It was supplemented with 0, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 p.p.m. of moenomycin. A premix supplying 5.1 grams of active material per kilogram was used. Each of the diets was fed to 8 pens of 10 male and 8 pens of 10 female turkey poults from day-old to 28 days of age. The poults were maintained in electrically heated battery brooders with raised wire floors in a temperature-controlled room. Trial 2—One level of supplementation (0 vs. 4…
645 NUTRIENT BALANCE STUDIES IN VERY-LOW-BIRTH WEIGHT (VLBW) INFANTS WITH ILEOSTOMIES

We have compared the findings of 8 metabolic balance studies performed on 5 enterally-fed VLBW infants (BW 1048±130 gm, GA 29.4±0.7wks, M±SE) who had i leostomies created during surgical management of necrotizing enterocolitis (n=4) or of an in utero G1 perforation (n=1) with the findings from 13 similar studies on 12 VLBW control infants (BW 1173±80 gm, GA 29.2±0.7 wks). 4 ileostomy patients were fed a casein hydrolysate-based formula; the other, mineral-fortified preterm human milk (PTHM). 6 controls were fed a premature formula; 6 mineral-fortified PTHM. Urine and fecal output were collected separately in a 72 hr interval bracketed by carmine red. Transit times were 3.1±0.4 hrs and 23.7±2.5 hr respectively. The % net nutrient absorption (A%) and apparent balance (units/kg/d) are shown below.(*p<0.02 **p<0.001)
A failure to replicate alcohol-induced laboratory aggression among college men without evidence of personality disturbance.

The effect of acute alcohol intoxication on laboratory-induced aggression among men has been fairly well established. The present study hypothesized that alcohol effects on Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) responding would not be replicated among “low-risk” college men distinguished by their absence of personality disorder features. Participants were assigned to either Alcohol (n = 18), Placebo (n = 7), or Time (n = 8) comparison groups with each completing 25-min. sessions during the baseline, ascent, peak (70 mg%), and descent (40 mg%) phases of absorption and elimination process. Participants assigned to the Alcohol condition received a .80 ml/kg dose of 95% ethanol mixed with soda in a 1:5 ethanol/soda ratio. As hypothesized, alcohol was associated with stable Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm responding across the course of absorption, peak, and elimination for all three groups. Aggression Paradigm responding was least variable among the men administered alcohol. The present procedure...
Parliamentary Sovereignty, Judges and the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Bill

It is an aspect of the traditional view of Parliamentary sovereignty that the courts will not rule as invalid an Act of Parliament, or any part of an Act, which has been passed in the correct fashion. This view has been questioned by some, including some senior judges. They argue that certain limits on the legislative competence of Parliament are necessary to protect those fundamental values that are essential in a democracy. Many who argue for limits to the legislative competence of Parliament also suggest that the relationship between the different arms of the government is one based on mutual respect, restraint and co-operation. If Parliament legislates in such a way as to breach this mutuality, and in a way that will cause conflict between Parliament and the courts, then, it is suggested, the courts may reply in kind by holding that legislation, or part of it, invalid. It is argued here that in the recent quarrel between the Government and the courts over the ouster clause contained in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill 2003, the Government was encouraged to undertake to amend the legislation as a result, at least in part, of intimations by senior judges that the clause could be overruled by the courts. This demonstrates, it is argued, that both sides believed this threat to have some force.
Spatial and temporal activity patterns of the brood parasitic brown-headed cowbird at an urban/wildland interface

We examined the impact of the urban environment on the spatial and temporal activity of brood parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) in Boulder County, CO, USA. We found that cowbirds used the urban areas for foraging and roosting and traveled into the 3240 ha wildland preserve of ponderosa pine in the mornings to parasitize songbird hosts. Cowbird abundance decreased with distance from the urban/wildland boundary, and Plumbeous Vireo (Vireo plumbeus) nests closer to the urban/wildland boundary were more likely to be parasitized by cowbirds than those farther away. A linear regression accurately predicted the relative abundance of cowbirds based on parameters of distance from residential areas, and distance from roads and trails within the wildland preserve. For species of concern that are known cowbird hosts, creating larger preserves, reducing residential encroachment, and reducing preserve perforation by roads and trails might alleviate high frequencies of parasitism for a portion of the host population. However, even large preserves, such as found in Boulder, CO, USA cannot insulate all focal nesting species from the urban effect of increased brood parasitism. Efforts to reduce food resources and cover for cowbirds in the urban areas might prove to ameliorate host reproductive success close to the urban/wildland boundary through decreases in cowbird abundance.
Atrial fibrillation through the patient's eyes.

The Canadian Cardiovascular Society Severity in Atrial Fibrillation (CCS-SAF) scale described in the report by Dorian et al1 in this issue of Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology is worthy of our attention because it offers us something we can use. It also serves a deeper purpose and offers us something we should use. Article see p 218 It is of use because it gives us a simple and reliable tool to use at the bedside to understand patients’ experiences with atrial fibrillation. We have scales that assess patient’s overall health status (so-called generic questionnaires), the most widely used of which is the SF-36 questionnaire. The SF-36 has been used previously to assess health status in a number of studies of atrial fibrillation.2 Its length, however, limits its use in everyday clinical practice. A shorter version (the SF-12) is available, but it is not clear if this questionnaire is able to separate the impact of atrial fibrillation from the burden of comorbidity that is the lot of the typical patient. We also have questionnaires specific for atrial fibrillation.3–5 Although they might be able to dissect the impact of atrial fibrillation from that of comorbidity, they have not been widely used and are too long for bedside use. Scales useful at the bedside have characteristics in common. They combine data from a …
Esophageal rupture due to Sengstaken-Blakemore tube misplacement

The author presents three cases of esophageal rupture during the treatment of massive esophageal variceal bleeding with Sengstaken-Blakemore (SB) tube. In each case, simple auscultation was used to guide SB tube insertion, with chest radiograph obtained only after complete inflation of the gastric balloon. Two patients died of hemorrhagic shock and one died of mediastinitis. The author suggests that confirmation of SB tube placement by auscultation alone may not be adequate. Routine chest radiographs should be obtained before and after full inflation of the gastric balloon to confirm tube position and to detect tube dislocation.
Hybrid Simulation Models: A Speed-up Technique Combining Analystic and Distrete-event Modelling

This paper defines a hybrid simulation model to be a computer system model which uses discrete-event simulation to model allocation and use of long-term resources (e.g., main memory) and mathematical modeling to approximate the use of short-term resources (e.g., the CPU and I/O processors.) This combination yields system models whose accuracy can approach that of an equivalent simulation-only model at a significant reduction in operating costs.
Information networks and integration: Institutional influences on experiences and persistence of beginning students

This chapter explores the ways that information networks are related to student persistence in the community college and how institutional structures can encourage such networks.
The Effect of Charge on Cellular Uptake and Phototoxicity of Polylysine Chlorine6Conjugates

The effect of charge on the cellular uptake, localization and phototoxicity of conjugates between chlorin(e6) (ce6) and poly-L-lysine was studied in vitro. These conjugates (average MW 35-55 kDa) were synthesized to have polycationic, polyanionic or neutral charges. Two human cell lines (A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells and EA.hy926 hybrid endothelial cells) were studied and the cellular uptake of ce6 delivered by the conjugates of varying charge and free ce6 was measured at conjugate ce6 equivalent concentrations up to 0.4 microM. Uptake was time and concentration dependent and temperature dependent in the case of neutral and anionic conjugates. Relative uptake at 6 h for A431 cells was 73:15:4:1 and for EA.hy926 cells was 63:11:3:1 for cationic, anionic, neutral and free ce67 respectively, but EA.hy926 cells took up 1.5-2 times as much ce6 from all the conjugates as A431 cells. Localization as studied by fluorescence microscopy indicated that the cationic conjugate was in aggregates bound to the plasma membrane, while the other forms were internalized in organelles and membranes. Phototoxicity was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay after irradiation with 5-20 J cm2 of 666 nm light. In contrast to the uptake, the order of phototoxicity for both cell types per mole of ce6 uptake per cell was neutral >> anionic > cationic > free ce6. Polymeric ce6 conjugates bearing positive, negative and neutral charges may have different tissue-localizing properties and could play a role in photodynamic therapy.
Distribution-free tests in randomized blocks

Classes of distribution-free tests are proposed for testing homogeneity against order restricted as well as unrestricted alternatives in randomized block designs with multiple observations per cell. Allowing for different interblock scoring schemes, these tests are constructed based on the method of within block rankings. Asymptotic distributions (cell sizes tending to infinity) of these tests are derived under the assumption of homogeneity. The Pitman asymptotic relative efficiencies relative to the least squares statistics are studied. It is shown that when blocks are governed by different distributions, adaptive choice of scores within each block results in asymptotically more efficient tests as compared with methods that ignore such information. Monte Carlo simulations of selected designs indicate that the method of within block rankings is more power robust with respect to differing block distributions.
Differences in reported esophageal cancer resection outcomes between national clinical and administrative databases.

Background The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD) is the largest clinical thoracic surgical database in the United States. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the GTSD esophagectomy outcomes are representative of nationwide outcomes by comparing them with other national clinical and administrative databases. Methods From 2002 to 2008, esophageal cancer resection outcomes from the GTSD were compared with those from the National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). The observed differences in patient characteristics and postoperative events were also analyzed. Results Annual esophageal resection volumes have increased over time. However, as of 2008, the GTSD and NSQIP only capture a small proportion of resections performed nationally (36% and 11%, respectively). The median patient age and female gender were similar in all 3 databases. Mortality was significantly lower within the GTSD (3.2%) and NSQIP (2.6%) compared with the NIS (6.1%, P P Conclusions The STS GTSD reports outstanding mortality results and hospital length of stay for esophageal cancer resection. However, the surgical outcomes from the STS GTSD are not representative of the national results from programs not participating in the database. These results establish a reference for future esophagectomy comparisons and highlight the importance of increased participation and use of the STS GTSD.
Deporting Cambodian Refugees: Justice Denied?

Until recently, the United States did not deport refugees convicted of crimes to the communist-dominated countries of Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. After all, these refugees had fled persecution, and diplomatic ties between the United States and these countries are not particularly strong. But in March 2002, the United States convinced Cambodia to each month accept the repatriation of a few of its nationals who have been convicted of aggravated felonies. These individuals have served their sentences in the criminal justice system, and the vast majority either fled the killing fields of Cambodia as toddlers or were born in Thai refugee camps. Is justice really being served by their deportation?
A framework for early and systematic evaluation of design rules

Design rules have been the primary contract between technology and design and are likely to remain so to preserve abstractions and productivity. While current approaches for defining design rules are largely unsystematic and empirical in nature, this paper offers a novel framework for early and systematic evaluation of design rules and layout styles in terms of major layout characteristics of area, manufacturability, and variability. Due to the focus on co-exploration in early stages of technology development, we use first order models of variability and manufacturability (instead of relying on accurate simulation) and layout topology/congestion-based area estimates (instead of explicit and slow layout generation). The framework is used to efficiently co-evaluate several debatable rules (evaluation for a 104-cell library takes 20 minutes). Results show that: a) diffusion-rounding mainly from diffusion power-straps is a dominant source of variability, b) cell-area overhead of fixed gate-pitch implementation compared to 1D-poly implementation is tolerable (5%) given the improvement in variability, and c) 1D-poly restriction, which improves manufacturability and variability, has almost no area overhead compared to 2D-poly. In addition, we explore gate-spacing rules using our evaluation framework. This exploration yields almost identical values as those of a commercial 65nm process, which serves as a validation for our approach.
Solving search problems with subgoals using an artificial neural network

Search problems with a series of subgoals can be solved using symbolic search algorithms. A method is proposed to use a neural network to perform this type of search by translating the serial and temporal resolution path into a spatial and parallel constraint structure using both state units and constraint units. A network is designed for the Missionaries and Cannibals Problem to illustrate the method. It is proved that every stable state of the neural network is definitely a feasible solution to the problem. The network finds the solution using a parallel stochastic relaxation algorithm. Computer simulation results are presented. >
Phase II Study of Extended-Dose Temozolomide in Patients With Melanoma

Purpose We conducted a phase II trial of extended-dose temozolomide (TMZ) in patients with melanoma to test the hypothesis that the approximately 30% response rate observed in patients treated with extended-dose TMZ with antiangiogenic agents was caused by TMZ alone. We hypothesized that expression of methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) in the tumor would correlate with drug resistance to TMZ. Patients and Methods Patients with stage IV or unresectable stage III melanoma were treated with TMZ 75 mg/m2/d for 6 weeks followed by a 2-week rest period. Cycles were repeated until progression. Patients were stratified by M1c disease or not. The primary end point was objective response proportion. MGMT expression was assessed by methylation-specific pyrosequencing of the promoter and by immunohistochemistry. Results Forty-nine patients (25 with M1c disease) were assessable. Three patients (12.5%) in each cohort experienced partial responses; there were no complete responses. Ten patients (21%) had stable dise...
A comparison of secure data aggregation schemes for wireless sensor networks

Several secure data aggregation (SDA) schemes are proposed in literature to reduce energy consumption for cryptographic operations and minimize their impact on the sensor network lifetime. Comparisons of SDA schemes focus primarily on the number of cryptographic operations used and number of bits transmitted in a given scenario. In reality, however, a sensor node operation is more complex: significant frame level overhead compared to data payload, sporadic communication, unreliable wireless links owing to radio interference from environment and competing transmissions by other sensor nodes, non-negligible energy consumption during sleep or power down mode, and overhead due to clock drift compensation. In this paper, we evaluate two representative SDA schemes in a more realistic setting by taking these other issues into account. We used TOSSIM simulator for our analyses, but validate our implementation of data aggregation techniques and simulation results using an analytical model. Our results show that, it is more crucial to reduce the number of packets transmitted than the overall number of bits transmitted. With low duty cycles and low probability of sensor data generation, even simple concatenation of sensor data, which reduces mostly the number of packets transmitted, is nearly as effective as the more sophisticated SDA schemes; when sensor data are generated more frequently, SDA schemes that do not require intermediate nodes to decrypt sensor data give 10% higher network lifetime.
Influence of Nitrate on Pit Stability in Austenitic Stainless Steel

Abstract Sufficiently high concentrations of nitrate (NO3−) additions to chloride (Cl−) solution resulted in the elimination of slow rise metastable pitting transients and, correspondingly, localized corrosion inhibition in Type 304L (UNS S30403) stainless steel (SS). In comparison, the nucleation frequency of sharp rise metastable pitting transients was independent of NO3− concentration. Sharp rise transients in solutions containing only NO3− were associated with the highest peak current and calculated pit current densities, 50 A/cm2 to 200 A/cm2. Thus, NO3− does not appear to inhibit pitting corrosion by reducing the current density at the incipient pit surface. To evaluate the influence of NO3− on repassivation, we developed a mathematical expression for fitting transients. In the case of sharp rise transients, the resulting parameters were used to generate plots of the anodic dissolution and the film growth components of the current as well as the fraction of passive film coverage with time. In compar...
Sonic Hedgehog Therapy in a Mouse Model of Age-Associated Impairment of Skeletal Muscle Regeneration

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a morphogen regulating muscle development during embryogenesis. We have shown that the Shh pathway is postnatally recapitulated after injury and during regeneration of the adult skeletal muscle and regulates angiogenesis and myogenesis after muscle injury. Here, we demonstrate that in 18-month-old mice, there is a significant impairment of the upregulation of the Shh pathway that physiologically occurs in the young skeletal muscle after injury. Such impairment is even more pronounced in 24-month-old mice. In old animals, intramuscular therapy with a plasmid encoding the human Shh gene increases the regenerative capacities of the injured muscle, in terms of Myf5-positive cells, regenerating myofibers, and fibrosis. At the molecular level, Shh treatment increases the upregulation of the prototypical growth factors, insulin-like growth factor-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor. These data demonstrate that Shh increases regeneration after injury in the muscle of 24-month-old mice and suggest that the manipulation of the Shh pathway may be useful for the treatment of muscular diseases associated with aging.
Numerical differentiation for use in integrating unified constitutive equations

The NONSS method for numerically integrating time-dependent constitutive equations requires evaluation of the partial derivatives of the constitutive equations. A numerical method for evaluating these partial derivatives has been developed, thus avoiding the cumbersome task of analytically re-deriving the partial derivatives when improvements to the constitutive model are evaluated. This method is based upon the adaptive finite-difference algorithm published by Stepleman and Winarsky. Modifications of their algorithm are described that allow its efficient use within an extended version of NONSS, called NONSS-ND. Using the MATMOD constitutive equations, the capabilities of NONSS-ND are demonstrated by comparing the results of a wide variety of deformation simulations with those of NONSS, for which the derivatives are computed from analytical solutions. The numerical differentiation within NONSS-ND is shown to be sufficiently accurate for use in integrating time-dependent constitutive equations, but results in a 30–100 per cent increase in computation time. Multi-element structural calculations are therefore found to be uneconomical, but NONSS-ND is well suited for testing alternative constitutive models owing to its accuracy and its general applicability to highly non-linear systems of differential equations.
Comparison between research-grade and commercially available SnO 2 for thin-film CdTe solar cells

A comparison between research-grade, tin-oxide (SnO 2 ) thin films and those available from commercial sources is performed. The research-grade SnO 2 film is fabricated at NREL by low-pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The commercial SnO 2 films are Pilkington Tec 8 and Tec 15 fabricated by atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition. Optical, structural, and compositional analyses are performed. From the optical analysis, an estimation of the current losses due to the SnO 2 layer and glass is provided. Our analysis indicates that the optical properties of commercial SnO 2 could be improved for PV usage.
High Resolution Structural Characterization of the Human Spastin Protein and its Complex With Tubulin

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a motor neuron disease caused by a progressive degeneration of the motor axons of the corticospinal tract. A number of different proteins have been implicated in the pathology of HSP, including mitochondrial proteins, a kinesin motor, spartin and spastin. Of the autosomal dominant cases of HSP, approximately 40% are caused by point mutations or exon deletions in spastin. Because of spastin's significant role in the development of HSP, there have been an increasing number of studies on this protein and its role in axonal degeneration. Recent studies have shown that spastin has a microtubule severing activity, and that this activity is linked to the manifestation of neurological disorders in Drosophila. Until recently very little structural information has been available for the spastin protein, and the mechanism by which it severs microtubules remains elusive. The goal of this study is to determine the high resolution crystal structure of the human spastin protein both alone and in complex with a domain of tubulin. To this end, we have expressed and purified a construct of human spastin and a C-terminal tubulin construct, to which spastin binds. We have also crystallized spastin and collected a 3.3 angstrom data set and are now attempting to crystallize the spastin-tubulin complex. Visualization of such a complex will provide details as to how spastin binds to and severs microtubules, and will also help to explain how point mutations in the spastin gene lead to altered protein activity and a disease phenotype.
Feasibility and efficacy of local radiotherapy with concurrent novel agents in patients with multiple myeloma.

Introduction This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) with concurrent novel agents (NAs), cytotoxic therapy (CTx), or both in the management of osteolytic bone lesions in multiple myeloma (MM). Patients and methods A total of 39 patients with MM received RT to 64 different bone sites during the 2007-2012 period, with a dose of 8 to 37.5 Gy (mean, 26.8 Gy) delivered in 1 to 15 fractions (median, 10 fractions). Of these patients, 21 also received concurrent NAs or CTx. Pain response, M protein and κ light chain response, and adverse events were evaluated. Results RT was completed in 35 of 39 patients (89.7%) in this study. Pain relief was observed in 30 of 31 patients (96.7%). Hematologic toxicity (grade 3 or 4 by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group system) was seen in 43.2% of treated patients, and NA therapy was stopped in 2 patients owing to grade 4 toxicity. RT adverse effects resolved at 4 to 6 weeks posttreatment. Changes in pre- and posttreatment levels of M protein trended toward significance in patients treated with RT + systemic therapy (ST) versus. RT alone (ΔM ProteinRT+ST = 5.6 g/L; ΔM ProteinRT = 0 g/L; P = .089). Conclusion Treating MM with RT concurrently with CTx including NAs was safe and well tolerated in the majority of patients (14 of 16 [87.5%] for those taking NAs and 19 of 21 [90.5%] for all patients). Excellent clinical pain response (> 95%) was also seen in patients regardless if they were treated with RT + ST or RT alone.
Resistance to Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Various Soybean Lines Under Controlled Laboratory Conditions

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., native to Asia, has recently become a principal pest of this crop in many areas of North America. Insecticides are currently used to manage A. glycines, but host plant resistance is a potential alternative management tool. Tests were conducted to determine resistance to A. glycines among soybean lines. 'Cobb,' 'Tie-feng 8,' and 'Jackson' were resistant to population growth of A. glycines compared with 'Cook' and '91B91,' a susceptible control. Antibiosis was evident in Cobb, Jackson, and Tie-feng 8 from lowered survival of first generation A. glycines, and in Cobb, Jackson, Tie-feng 8, and 'Braxton' from diminished reproduction by first generation aphids. Antixenosis was apparent in Cobb and Jackson during initial infestation of aphid population growth tests, because A. glycines were unsettled and dispersed readily from placement points on unifoliolate leaves. Decreased nymphiposition by A. glycines occurred on Cobb and Jackson, and it may have been caused by antibiotic chemicals in these lines, failure of aphids to settle, or both. Differences in distribution of A. glycines between unifoliolate leaves and other shoot structures suggest that unifoliolate leaves were acceptable feeding sites on 91B91 and Cook, whereas unifoliolate leaves and other shoot structures were roughly equally acceptable feeding sites on Braxton, Tie-feng 8, Jackson, and Cobb. However, Jackson and Cobb had relatively low counts of A. glycines on shoots that may have been due to abandonment of plants by aphids, decreased aphid survival, or both. Results confirm earlier findings that Jackson is a strong source of resistance to A. glycines, and they suggest that Tie-feng 8, Braxton, and especially Cobb are potentially useful sources of resistance.
Plants and Their Environment

In our previous discussions of animals and humans we have found that certain environments are unsuitable for life. An animal can choose its environment to best suits its energetics. Plants are not able to move around to find a suitable environment, but we see considerable evidence that selection and adaptation result in leaf morphologies, canopy structures, etc. which give the plants native to a given environment a competitive advantage for that location. Desert plants, for example, tend to have quite narrow leaves, while leaves of plants from more moist environments may be much larger. We might ask ourselves what environmental limitations there are to leaf size and other leaf characteristics related to energy exchange or whether there is an optimum leaf form for a particular leaf environment. Obviously, factors outside the scope of this discussion will influence the optimum leaf form for a given environment, such as structural economy, canopy structure, and predation. We will concern ourselves primarily with the effects of physical environment on photosynthesis and transpiration with the idea of indicating what leaf characteristics might be best suited to a particular environment.
Impediments to Obtaining, Retaining, and Developing Competent Undergraduate Teachers

A QUARTER century ago, professors more or less knew what was expected of them and were more secure in their contribution to society. Recently, however, a treacherous dazzle of purposes blurs the direction of their work and clouds their vision. No longer does a professor live a life of containment inside the walls of a university. Businessmen who formerly declared him impractical because he had "never met a payroll" are now competing for some of his time as a consultant. Government, which used to think a professor could not be trusted with tools of power, has suddenly found his talents useful. Thus, the anti-intellectual tradition dominating American culture up through the 1920's is over. While academic men should and do rejoice over this change, it has brought a new set of complex questions needing answers-one of which is the major focus of this paper. While it is true that we professors in landgrant institutions and more particularly those of us in agriculture have always been more oriented in our work to people's everyday needs and have had a firmer grasp of the relationships between life and learning than our colleagues in other disciplines, we were still not prepared to cope with these newer problems. The university institution has not done any better. Our administrators speak with vague generalizations of what the purposes of the university are. The phrase "being all things to all people" appears to professors as the major objective of our university leaders, but it gives little focus or direction to individual activities in addition to its futility from an economic viewpoint. State legislators and tax-paying parents of our students are awakening to the new roles professors are playing and their impact on classroom teaching of undergraduates. The acceptance of the "mass education" philosophy and the great American stamp of the Bachelor's degree brought mounting numbers of students to our doors at the same time that professors found enjoyment and satisfaction in their "new" activities. Let me hasten to say that I am not being harshly critical of any group. As professors, we like our new activities for several good reasons-money,
Bacteria Isolated from Southern Corn Rootworms., Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Reared on Artificial Diet and Corn

Bacteria in the guts of southern corn rootworms, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, feeding on artificial diet (AD larvae) and on corn roots (CR larvae) were studied. Species composition and abundance of gut-inhabiting bacteria differed between AD larvae and CR larvae. The total bacterial population in AD larvae was about 100 times less than those in CR larvae. The majority of bacterial species found in the gut of CR larvae were glucose fermenters, whereas the major bacteria found in AD larvae were fluorescent pseudomonads. Enterobacter cloacae was predominant among glucose-fermenting bacteria in CR larvae. Pseudomonas putida, P. fluorescens , and Agrobacterium sp. were major bacteria in the glucose nonfermenting bacteria group in CR larvae and AD larvae. The numbers of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. and Agrobacterium sp. found in CR larvae were positively correlated with their population on corn roots.
Developments in Accounting Regulation: A Synthesis and Annotated Bibliography of Evidence and Commentary in the 2010 Academic Literature

Abstract In this article, we synthesize in annotated bibliography form, recent regulation-related findings and commentaries in the academic literature. This annotated bibliography is one in a series of bibliographies that summarizes regulation-related academic research. We reviewed academic outlets such as The Accounting Review , The Journal of Accounting Research , The Journal of Accounting and Economics , Accounting Horizons , The Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance , The Journal of Accounting and Public Policy , The Journal of Business, Finance & Accounting , Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory , and Research in Accounting Regulation . We annotate results of regulation-related research studies and key points from regulation-related commentaries.
Estimating Uncertainty Bounds For Blade Vibratory Stresses Under Multi-Mode Excitation

The accurate prediction of peak vibration stresses of Integrally Bladed Rotors (IBRs) in their operating conditions is essential in engine survey testing. Stress estimation can be performed computationally by means of computer aided modeling and finite element analysis and blade vibration measurements. The advances in non-intrusive vibration measurement using blade tip timing data can help identify excited modes and the blade vibration in those modes and their relative phase. This paper presents the development of a software tool for automated analyses of the rotor geometry in ANSYS and post processing results to obtain the complex modal stresses. With the availability of modal stress real time updates of the maximum stress can be obtained using a superposition approach presented here. Estimating maximum stress requires a spatial and temporal search. The paper presents the effect uncertainty bounds of the maximum stress due to the uncertainties in the measured modal vibration amplitude and phase of the excited modes. These measurements errors are due to the limited number of sensors used in BTT measurements, small random variations in sensor sensitivity, sensor locations, and blade to blade variations.
The pseudoternary system SnPbSn4As3

Abstract The SnPbSn 4 As 3 system has been investigated by thermal analysis, metallographic and X-ray procedures. A ternary eutectic exists at a composition very close to that of the SnPb binary system at 38 wt.% Pb, 62% Sn. It melts at 182.2 ± 0.5 °C. Sn 4 As 3 is the primary phase of precipitation over about 98% of the compositional fields, and a lead-rich phase solidifies first from melts covering 2% of the area. No ternary compounds are formed in the system.
New Devices for the Production of Intense Pulsed Jets of CF2: Laser Spectroscopic Characterization

We report the development of two new sources for the production of intense pulsed jets of atomic and molecular free radicals. The present work applies these sources to the generation of the widely used semiconductor etchant, CF2, in each case characterizing the yield and internal energy distribution of this diradical by laser induced fluorescence. The methods employed modify a commercial high-vacuum compatible pulsed molecular beam valve to accept either a glow discharge or pyrolysis nozzle. The source compound for both systems is hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO). In each case measured yields of CF2 are high: For pyrolysis we find intensities as great as 5 × 1017 sr−1sec−1 representing nearly complete conversion of HFPO to CF2 + CF3CFO. The discharge source yields about an order of magnitude less CF2 intensity in a shorter beam-pulse which also contains ions and other atomic and molecular radicals. The vibrational energy distribution of the CF2 varies with source conditions, with the hottest CF2 produced by the pyrolysis source at high temperature.
Body images of one's self and of others: developmental and clinical significance.

The author presents a new concept of the term "body image." He also introduces the term "extraneous body image," i.e., one's mental representation of others' appearance and behavior. The formation of one's own and extraneous body images and their role in the development of self-concept, concept of others, interpersonal relationships, and mind-body interactions, as well as their clinical implications, are discussed.
Pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm.

AbstractCerebral arteries have been shown to react to experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage with a nonspecific arterial injury reaction characterized by endothelial cell desquamation, adherence of platelets to the exposed collagen, subendothelial edema, and medial necrosis. This injury reaction is followed by a reparative process with intimal proliferation and medial fibrosis.We have postulated that the arterial narrowing seen by angiography in patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage may be a manifestation of this injury reaction. Because it is likely that the platelets adherent to the damaged endothelium playa major role in the propagation of the process, it is possible that therapy directed at preventing platelet accumulation may interrupt the cycle.
Social Awareness in Monkeys1

Abstract Tests of self-awareness in nonhuman primates have to date been concerned almost entirely with the recognition of an animal's reflection in a mirror. By contrast, we know much less about non-human primates' perception of their place within a social network, or of their understanding of themselves as individuals with unique sets of social relationships. Here we review evidence that monkeys who fail the mirror test may nonetheless behave as if they recognize themselves as distinct individuals, each of whom occupies a unique place in society and has a specific set of relations with others. A free-ranging vervet monkey, baboon, or macaque recognizes other members of his group as individuals. He also recognizes matrilineal kin groups, linear dominance rank orders, and behaves as if he recognizes his own unique place within them. This sense of “social self” in monkeys, however, is markedly different from self-awareness in humans. Although monkeys may behave in ways that accurately place themselves withi...
Flexural Resistance of Longitudinally Stiffened I-Girders. I: Yield Limit State

AbstractThe current AASHTO specification requirements for the web bend-buckling strength-reduction factor (Rb) do not consider the influence of longitudinal stiffeners on the flexural resistance of steel I-girders subsequent to the theoretical bend-buckling of a slender web. This is a deficiency that can have significant impact, especially in regions of continuous-span girders subjected to negative moment. This paper evaluates the contribution of single-web longitudinal stiffeners to the yield limit state flexural resistance of slender-web steel I-girders, often referred to as the plateau resistance for the lateral torsional and flange local buckling limit states. Based on test simulation studies, the authors recommend a cross-section model that captures the response of the postbuckled web for both homogeneous and hybrid girders subjected to uniform moment. The proposed model offers up to 60% improvement relative to the current AASHTO specifications.
Wealth and the Income Tax

This article addresses a longstanding problem in the theory and policy of progressive taxation. Progressive taxation redistributes resources by taxing individuals in accordance with their ability to pay. In the progressive income tax, ability to pay is determined by the taxpayer’s annual income. Scholars have long noted, however, that annual income provides an incomplete signal of a taxpayer’s ability to pay, because income fluctuates over time and does not fully reflect the taxpayer’s economic circumstances. This article claims that accounting for both a taxpayer’s wealth and annual income provides a more complete measure of ability to pay, and therefore a more appropriate basis for progressive taxation. Although wealth and income are commonly distinguished on the grounds that the former represents a stock and the latter a flow, the differing measures can be reconciled and integrated by translating accumulated wealth into an annuity value, representing an additional flow of available funds over the taxpayer’s lifetime. This broader measure of ability to pay has policy implications for progressive tax design. A separate progressive wealth tax is not justified, and, like the current income tax, fails to accurately tax on the basis of ability to pay. Instead, measures of wealth and income should be incorporated within a single tax instrument. This article concludes with a proposed method of accounting for both income and wealth within the current income tax, whereby wealth affects the rate of tax imposed on annual income, without increasing the base subject to taxation, which remains annual income. This approach taxes individuals in accordance with a more complete measure of ability to pay, and thereby advances the redistributive function of the progressive income tax.