cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Virtual stationary timed automata for mobile networks

In this thesis, we formally define a programming abstraction for mobile networks called the Virtual Stationary Automata programming layer, consisting of real mobile clients, virtual timed I/O automata called virtual stationary automata (VSAs), and a communication service connecting VSAs and client nodes. The VSAs are located at prespecified regions that tile the plane, defining a static virtual infrastructure. We present a theory of self-stabilizing emulation and use this theory to prove correct a self-stabilizing algorithm to emulate a timed VSA using the real mobile nodes that are currently residing in the VSA's region. We also specify two important services for mobile networks: motion coordination and end-to-end routing. We split the implementation of the end-to-end routing service into three smaller pieces, consisting of geographic routing and location management services with an end-to-end routing service built on top of them. We provide stabilizing implementations of each of these services using the VSA abstraction, and provide formal correctness analyses for each implementation. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
The impact of physical activity on age-related bone loss

This chapter aims to examine the evidence that physical activity can attenuate age-related bone loss. It describes the nature of age-related changes to the skeleton, the typical response of normal bone tissue to controlled mechanical loading, and the effect of exercise intervention on the skeleton during aging. It also considers the modulating influence of factors such as muscle strength, calcium supplementation, and hormone replacement therapy on that effect. Important factors contributing to bone loss during adult life include bone remodeling inefficiency, sedentary life-style with associated reduced habitual bone loading, inadequate nutrient intake and assimilation (particularly calcium), reduced muscle strength, and age-related attenuation of the adaptive capacity of bone. Exercise intervention targets reduced skeletal loading and muscle weakness. The weight of evidence supports a conclusion that exercise is an effective strategy for the maintenance of skeletal health. Intervention trials in humans suggest that certain forms of exercise may, at a minimum, halt or slow age-related bone loss and, in some instances, actually improve bone mass in a site-specific manner.
Insulin-like growth factor regulation of mammary gland development and tumorigenesis

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are potent mitogens and survival factors. In the mammary gland, IGFs stimulate proliferation, differentiation, and survival during numerous developmental stages; IGF signaling is required for puberty-dependent ductal outgrowth, stimulates lobuloalveolar development during pregnancy, and is reduced or absent during apoptosis-driven involution. Much of our knowledge of IGF action in the mammary gland in vivo comes from knockout or transgenic models. However, very few of these studies have examined the consequence of these gene alterations on IGF signaling in vivo. We have recently shown that intravenous injection of IGF-I stimulates IGF-IR and IRS phosphorylation in the mammary gland, and we are currently assessing the effect of targeted gene deletion of overexpression of IGF signaling components on downstream signaling in the mammary gland in vivo. Many years of research have shown that the proliferative and survival functions of the IGFs are not only important in mammary gland development, but are also strongly involved in mammary cancer. Early work using breast cancer cell lines in vitro showed that IGFs could increase cell growth and survival; in particular, that IGFs could block the effects of chemotherapy. We have recently shown that breast cancer cell lines grown as xenografts in vivo are also sensitive to intravenous IGF stimulation, and several IGF-IR inhibitors have been shown in the past year to block MCF-7 xenograft growth. IGF-IR and its downstream signaling intermediate IRS-1 can transform fibroblasts in vitro. To date there is no evidence for their transforming ability in vivo using transgenic mice. We have recently characterized mice that overexpress IGF-IR, IRS-1, or IRS-2 in the mammary gland, using mouse mammary tumor virus directed overexpression. We have found that overexpression of a constitutively active IGF-IR in the mammary gland disrupts normal development, such that female mice are unable to lactate, and that mice rapidly develop mammary tumors. Interestingly, overexpression of IRS-1 or IRS-2 also causes mammary tumorigenesis, albeit with a longer time to tumor formation than dominant active IGF-IR. These are the first mouse models showing that IGF-IR or IRS overexpression leads to tumorigenesis in vivo. We are currently examining the pathways required for IGF-IR and IRS-mediated tumorigenesis in the mammary gland.
Novel frequency domain space-time adaptive architectures for OFDM systems

Adaptive antenna arrays can be used to improve the performance of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless communications systems. The unique structure of OFDM suggests adaptation in the frequency domain after the FFT demodulation. A number of authors have looked at adaptive weighing schemes for individual and preformed groups of subcarrier frequency bins to achieve spatial diversity and thereby improve performance in strong interference and cochannel signal scenarios. In this paper two OFDM frequency domain weighting architectures, borrowed from the radar community, will be examined that address serious channel distortion and interference conditions that can disrupt the orthogonal subband nature of OFDM and degrade performance. The new algorithms exploit the induced correlation between subcarriers under these stressing conditions and can therefore improve performance.
Precision tunable RTL macro-modelling cycle-accurate power estimation

This study presents a precision tunable cycle-accurate register transfer level (RTL) power estimation method based on a hybrid lookup table (LUT) and linear regression model. The authors' method pre-characterises the power profile for a set of atomic units (i.e. adder, multipliers, multiplexers) into an RTL library. This library consists of two parts: (1) an LUT to capture the non-linear behaviour of the atomic unit and (2) a linear regression equation for its regular activity. These non-linearities are treated as outliers of the linear regression and therefore removed from the linear regression data set into the LUT. Based on the precision requirements (quality of the estimation) their method stores more or less discrete values in the LUT library part. This method has been integrated into a high level synthesis (HLS) tool that generates specific RTL for power estimation where each atomic unit is instantiated with a shadow components that outputs its power consumption based on its inputs' activity. Experimental results for different precision requirements (outliers 3', 2' and 1' from the linear regression equation) show an improvement of the RMSE by 78, 82 and 90' and a maximum error reduction of 30, 34 and 54', respectively, at the expense of having to store 0.69, 4.05 and 15.09' of all the training set combination, respectively, in the LUT power library compared to the pure linear regression method.
Ileal Loop Fluid Accumulation and Production of Diarrhea in Rabbits by Cell-free Products of Clostridium perfringens

The ability of cell extracts and culture filtrates of various strains of C. perfringens to produce ileal loop fluid accumulation and overt diarrhea in rabbits was tested. Good correlation was obtained in the ability of whole cells and a toxic factor (present in cell extracts and concentrated culture filtrates) to produce both fluid accumulation in ileal loops and diarrhea when injected into the normal ileum of the rabbit. The toxic factor was present in cell-free preparations when cells were grown in a sporulation medium, but not when they were grown in an asporogenic medium. The factor was shown to be heat labile, nondialyzable, and was inactivated by Pronase but not by trypsin, lipase, or amylase. Loss of activity occurred at pH 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 12.0.
Purification and Properties of a Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate-requiring Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase from Spinach Leaves

The glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase which uses NADP+ and requires phosphate has been isolated from spinach leaves. The enzyme was shown to be pure by ultracentrifugation, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and immuno gel diffusion. The enzyme was shown to have a molecular weight of about 600,000 based on sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation. The enzyme was shown to catalyze the oxidation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate by either NADP+ or NAD+ with the formation of 1,3-diphosphoglycerate. Results of studies with the two coenzymes indicate that they react with the enzyme at the same catalytic site.
Comments on return on investment (ROI) as it applies to clinical systems.

In the current issue of this journal, Kaushal and colleagues 1 present an exemplary, thorough analysis of the financial impact of installing computerized physician order entry (CPOE) in a major academic hospital. This excellent work quantifies quantifiable parameters clearly, estimates other parameters conservatively, and lists problems associated with measurement of the remaining small set of other factors. This work is arguably the best that can be done with respect to evaluating CPOE return on investment (ROI). Why does it not quite seem to be enough or to be sufficient to persuade? The answer to the foregoing question lies in the culture of informatics research and in the health care industry’s collective culture of decision making. The research community feels compelled to refine estimates of CPOE’s financial return to a greater and greater degree along the analytical lines in the work of Kaushal et al. Using adoption estimates and implementation plans, proponents of CPOE installation in many institutions may base their arguments solely on the Kaushal et al. financial framework. Other proponents may take a different approach, emphasizing instead the broader array of workflow and professional productivity factors that lead to greater financial return. Still other CPOE proponents pursue the challenge of extending financial models to estimate the benefits of CPOE in every hospital, in every ambulatory practice setting, and in every community. A growing body of hard data on the benefits of CPOE presents a compelling case for all who make CPOE decisions to go forward (see references cited in Kaushal et al. 1 ). They should accept, once and for all, that substantial benefits will accrue to hospitals and patients following the successful implementation of effective CPOE systems. The challenge is not to fine-tune the financial benefit models, but instead to determine how to identify and successfully install an effective CPOE system. Many other factors not included in financial models contribute to the success or failure of CPOE implementations. The challenge to society and to industry is to determine how to extend successful CPOE implementations from the setting of a premier academic medical center to every care delivery setting in the nation. We must understand more fully limitations of ROI analysis in hospitals. We must question and document the extent to which such analyses serve as a valid justification for extending CPOE into diverse, nonhospital-based settings where most medical care is delivered. Such an investigation should start with available findings from the large, sophisticated academic medical centers with adequately abundant technology, talent, and time to develop and install CPOE systems. Even in these settings, we are reminded that ‘‘many savings from CPOE are not realized in the operations budget’’ and hence preclude accurate confirmation of financial benefit.
Advances in estrogen receptor biology: prospects for improvements in targeted breast cancer therapy

Estrogen receptor (ER) has a crucial role in normal breast development and is expressed in the most common breast cancer subtypes. Importantly, its expression is very highly predictive for response to endocrine therapy. Current endocrine therapies for ER-positive breast cancers target ER function at multiple levels. These include targeting the level of estrogen, blocking estrogen action at the ER, and decreasing ER levels. However, the ultimate effectiveness of therapy is limited by either intrinsic or acquired resistance. Identifying the factors and pathways responsible for sensitivity and resistance remains a challenge in improving the treatment of breast cancer. With a better understanding of coordinated action of ER, its coregulatory factors, and the influence of other intracellular signaling cascades, improvements in breast cancer therapy are emerging.
Risk and Reversals: Explaining Individual-Level Support for Public Social Insurance Expansion in Latin America

The provision of social insurance in Latin America has undergone rapid and significant changes in recent years. After a strong swing toward private solutions in the 1990s, many countries have moved decisively in the opposite direction in the 2000s. Publicly-funded initiatives – including tax-financed, non-contributory benefits – have taken on new prominence in the “policy-mix” of public and private offerings in a wide set of countries. Surprisingly, this return of the state has enjoyed broad-based popular support. Why? Using survey data from eighteen Latin American countries, this paper documents the decisive role that employment vulnerability and income sensitivity play in determining the recent, individual-level demand for public (rather than private) provision of social policy. It finds that exposure to labor-market risks, both at the individual and household-level, is strongly associated with support for public options. In contrast, household income – long held to be a major factor in social insurance preferences – has differing effects across policy areas, with a non-linear influence on public health plans, but no clear effect for pensions.
Unusual Ionic Hydrogen Bonds: Complexes of Acetylides and Fluoroform

Ion−molecule complexes of substituted acetylides, RCC- (R = tert-butyl, H, phenyl, p-tolyl), and fluoroform, HCF3, were studied using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. These complexes, RCC-·HCF3, all have complexation energies of approximately −19 kcal/mol and are, therefore, hydrogen bonded. The acetylides vary in basicity over a 6 kcal/mol range, but all have the same complexation energy with fluoroform. The structure of these complexes was verified by deuterium isotopic exchange reactions and equilibrium fractionation experiments. The relationship between acid−base thermochemistry and hydrogen bond stability is discussed.
A semiempirical model for heavy element depletion in the interstellar medium

An empirical relationship is derived which reproduces the observed depletion factors in interstellar gas by relating them to some preshock distribution factor and the binding energy of the elements in appropriate compounds. By fitting this equation to the data, estimates are obtained for both the distribution factor and the critical binding energy, which is related to the shock strength at which grains are completely destroyed. The critical binding energy value therefore provides an estimate of the energy involved in the most recent shock event, while the preshock distribution factor is related to the preshock elemental distribution between gas and dust. It is noted that the minerals most likely to survive are the refractory ones with the largest binding energies.
Factors influencing clinical outcome in patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1

The renal outcome in patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 is partly determined by AGXT mutations, including but not limited to the p.Gly170Arg mutation. The study by Mandrile et al. reports on the largest cohort of patients genotyped yet, with long-term renal survival and medical treatment by pyridoxine. In addition to the common p.Gly170Arg mutation, three other mutations were shown to be potentially associated with slower evolution.
Effects of molecular shape on osmotic reflection coefficients

Abstract The effects of molecular shape on the osmotic reflection coefficient ( σ 0 ) for rigid macromolecules in porous membranes were analyzed using a hydrodynamic model. In this type of model, employed first by Anderson and Malone [1] , steric exclusion of the solute from the periphery of the pore induces a concentration-dependent drop in pressure near the pore wall, which in turn causes the osmotic flow. Results were obtained for prolate spheroids (axial ratio, γ > 1) and oblate spheroids ( γ a / R , where a is the prolate minor semi-axis or oblate major semi-axis and R is the pore radius, σ 0 increased monotonically with increasing γ . When expressed as a function of a SE / R , where a SE is the Stokes–Einstein radius, the effects of molecular shape were less pronounced, but still significant. The trends for slits were qualitatively similar to those for cylindrical pores. When σ 0 was plotted as a function of the equilibrium partition coefficient, the results for all axial ratios fell on a single curve for a given pore shape, although the curve for cylindrical pores differed from that for slits. For spheres ( γ = 1) in either pore shape, σ 0 was found to be only slightly smaller than the reflection coefficient for filtration ( σ f ). That suggests that σ 0 can be used to estimate σ f for spheroids, where results are currently lacking.
High-density Au nanorod optical field-emitter arrays.

We demonstrate the design, fabrication, characterization, and operation of high-density arrays of Au nanorod electron emitters, fabricated by high-resolution electron beam lithography, and excited by ultrafast femtosecond near-infrared radiation. Electron emission characteristic of multiphoton absorption has been observed at low laser fluence, as indicated by the power-law scaling of emission current with applied optical power. The onset of space-charge-limited current and strong optical field emission has been investigated so as to determine the mechanism of electron emission at high incident laser fluence. Laser-induced structural damage has been observed at applied optical fields above 5 GV m−1, and energy spectra of emitted electrons have been measured using an electron time-of-flight spectrometer.
Structure and dynamics of melittin in lysomyristoyl phosphatidylcholine micelles determined by nuclear magnetic resonance

Mixed micelles of the 26-residue, lytic peptide melittin (MLT) and 1-myristoyl-2-hydroxyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (MMPC) in aqueous solution at 25 degrees C were investigated by (13)C- and (31)P-NMR spectroscopy. (13)C alpha chemical shifts of isotopically labeled synthetic MLT revealed that MLT in the micelle is predominantly alpha-helical and that the peptide secondary structure is stable from pH 4 to pH 11. Although the helical transformation of MLT as determined from NMR is evident at lipid:peptide molar ratios as low as 1:2, tryptophan fluorescence measurements demonstrate that well-defined micellar complexes do not predominate until lipid:peptide ratios exceed 30:1. (31)P linewidth measurements indicate that the interaction between phosphate ions in solution and cationic groups on MLT is pH dependent, and that the phosphoryl group of MMPC senses a constant charge, most likely +2, on MLT from pH 4 to pH 10. (13)C-NMR relaxation data, analyzed using the model-free formalism, show that the peptide backbone of MLT is partially, but not completely, immobilized in the mixed micelles. Specifically, order parameters (S(2)) of C alpha-H vectors averaged 0.7 and were somewhat larger for residues in the N-terminal half of the molecule. The amino terminal glycine had essentially the same range of motion as the backbone carbons. Likewise, order parameters for the trp side chain were similar to those found for the peptide C alpha moieties, as was verified by trp fluorescence anisotropy decay data. In contrast, the motion of the lysine side chains was less restricted, the average S(2) values for the C epsilon-H vectors being 0.19, 0.30, and 0.44 for lys-7, 21, and 23, respectively, for MLT in the mixed micelles. Values of the effective correlation time of the local motion tau e were in the motional narrowing limit and usually longer for side-chain atoms than for those in the backbone. The dynamics were independent of pH from pH 4 to pH 9, but at pH 11 the correlation time for the rotational motion of the mixed micelles as a whole increased from 10 ns to 16 ns, and S(2) for the lys side chains increased. Overall it appears that the MLT helix lies near the surface of the micelle at low to neutral pH, but at higher pH its orientation changes, accompanied by deeper penetration of the lysine side chains into the micelle interior. It is apparent, however, that the MLT-lipid interaction is not dependent on deprotonation of any of the titratable cationic groups in the peptide in the pH 4–10 range, and that there is substantial backbone and side-chain mobility in micelle-bound MLT.
Local scales and multiscale image decompositions

Abstract This paper is devoted to the study of local scales (oscillations) in images and use the knowledge of local scales for image decompositions. Denote by K t ( x ) = ( e − 2 π t | ξ | 2 ) ∨ ( x ) , t > 0 , the Gaussian (heat) kernel. Motivated from the Triebel–Lizorkin function space F ˙ p , ∞ α , we define a local scale of f at x to be t ( x ) ⩾ 0 such that | S f ( x , t ) | = | t 1 − α / 2 ∂ K t ∂ t ∗ f ( x ) | is a local maximum with respect to t for some α 2 . For each x , we obtain a set of scales that f exhibits at x . The choice of α and a local smoothing method of local scales via the nontangential control will be discussed. We then extend the work in [J.B. Garnett, T.M. Le, Y. Meyer, L.A. Vese, Image decomposition using bounded variation and homogeneous Besov spaces, Appl. Comput. Harmon. Anal. 23 (2007) 25–56] to decompose f into u + v , with u being piecewise-smooth and v being texture, via the minimization problem inf u ∈ BV { K ( u ) = | u | BV + λ ‖ K t ¯ ( ⋅ ) ∗ ( f − u ) ( ⋅ ) ‖ L 1 } , where t ¯ ( x ) is some appropriate choice of a local scale to be captured at x in the oscillatory part v .
Experimental Research on Profile Control Technology Using Sewage Flowed Back from Injecting-Polymer Wells

With the amount of injecting-polymer wells in Xingnan SS block of Daqing Oilfield increasing gradually, a lot of problems, such as the treatment and use of sewage flowed back from injecting-polymer wells, need to be solved. The concentrations of gelling agent, cross-linking agent, and regulators have been optimized by measuring gelling strength and gelling time. The additives about pH modifier and deoxidizer have been selected. As a result, the formula system of profile control using sewage flowed back from injecting-polymer wells has been formed, realizing reuse of sewage, reaching the goal of improving oil recovery. The research in this paper not only solves the problem of re-injecting sewage flowed back from injecting-polymer wells, making full use of resources, but saves costs, improving economic benefits.
Null angular anisotropy of the gravitational red shift at microwave frequencies

Abstract An experiment to detect an angular anisotropy of the gravitational red shift at 10 Gc/s is described; any such effect is less than 0.1% of gh/c 2 .
World population and energy demand growth: the potential role of fusion energy in an efficient world

The fertility rate for women and the related population growth rate for numerous developing (transitional) countries show a downward trend with increasing annual per capita energy use. On the assum...
A space bound for one-tape multidimensional Turing machines

Let L be a language recognized by a nondeterministic d-dimensional Turing machine with one worktape head of time complexity T(n). Then L can be recognized by a deterministic Turing machine of space complexity (T(n) log T(n))d(d+1). The proof employs a generalization of crossing sequences.
Handedness and locus of control.

Groups of 15 left-, 15 mixed-, and 39 right-handers were tested with Rotter's Locus of Control Scale. Contrary to prediction, it was found that both left- and right-handers scored significantly higher, i.e., were more externally controlled, than mixed-handers. Primarily these data suggest a complex relationship between handedness and personality and they serve to reinforce the need to include mixed-handers in research on handedness.
Modulation of immune function and cytokine production by various levels of vitamin E supplementation during murine AIDS

Abstract Female C57BL/6 mice were infected with LP-BM5 retrovirus, causing murine AIDS which is functionally similar to human AIDS. Dietary supplementation, with a 15-, 150- and 450-fold increase of vitamin E in a liquid diet, significantly restored levels of interleukin-2 (IL) and interferon-γ produced by splenocytes, which were suppressed by retrovirus infection. Retrovirus infection elevated levels of IL-6 and IL-10 produced by splenocytes, which were significantly normalized by all levels of vitamin E supplementation, respectively. Increased levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, produced by splenocytes during progression to murine AIDS, were also significantly normalized by all levels of vitamin E supplementation. Vitamin E supplementation restored retrovirus-suppressed splenocyte proliferation and natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Vitamin E supplementation also alleviated the AIDS symptoms: splenomegaly and hypergammaglobulinemia. These data indicate that dietary vitamin E supplementation at extremely high levels was not immunotoxic, and can modulate cytokine release and normalize immune dysfunctions during progression to murine AIDS. It should favorably affect host resistance and thereby retard the development of AIDS.
Charcoal hemoperfusion for the treatment of a combined diltiazem and metoprolol overdose

We describe the management of 49-year-old woman who ingested 1,200 mg diltiazem and 500 mg metoprolol. The patient was bradycardic and hypertensive, requiring large doses of inotropic agents and temporary transvenous pacing. Charcoal hemoperfusion was used as an adjunct technique to hasten drug elimination; it rapidly lowered plasma drug levels, with a parallel improvement in the patient's clinical condition.
Know thy neighbor: stromal cells can contribute oncogenic signals

Although the stroma within carcinogenic lesions is known to be supportive and responsive to tumors, new data increasingly show that the stroma also has a more active, oncogenic role in tumorigenesis. Stromal cells and their products can transform adjacent tissues in the absence of pre-existing tumor cells by inciting phenotypic and genomic changes in the epithelial cells. The oncogenic action of distinctive stromal components has been demonstrated through a variety of approaches, which provide clues about the cellular pathways involved.
On the appropriate modeling of process plant water systems

The definition of the water/wastewater allocation problem is discussed as it was originally defined by Takama et al.1 how this concept was modified, and sometimes simplified, through time, as well as additional issues that is believed are still not properly addressed. A few attempts are reviewed where parts are pointed out, and the addition of water pretreatment units are discussed, and further investigation in to the impact that proper modeling has on predictions of freshwater consumption, total annual cost and zero discharge cycles. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010
Berth scheduling by customer service differentiation: A multi-objective approach

In this paper the discrete and dynamic berth allocation problem is formulated as a multi-objective combinatorial optimization problem where vessel service is differentiated upon based on priority agreements. A genetic algorithms based heuristic is developed to solve the resulting problem. A number of numerical experiments showed that the heuristic performed well in solving large, real life instances. The heuristic provided a complete set of solutions that enable terminal operators to evaluate various berth scheduling policies and select the schedule that improves operations and customer satisfaction. The proposed algorithm outperformed a state of the art metaheuristic and provided improved results when compared to the weighted approach.
Visual attention and inferotemporal cortex in rhesus monkeys.

Abstract Four rhesus monkeys with inferotemporal lesions were inferior to their normal controls in relearning a visual discrimination problem with variable, irrelevant cues, and in shifting responses to the previously irrelevant cues. Reducing the variability and/or amount of information improved the performance of the inferotemporal group. Results are interpreted in terms of a “trade-off” model of visual attention.
TH-C-201B-10: Development and Testing of a CT Dose Software ``VirtualDose'' Using Anatomically Realistic Patient Phantoms: Preliminary Results for the Phase I of the Project

Purpose: To demonstrate the need and feasibility for developing a new software for reporting patient imaging dose who undergoing CT or PET/CT examinations. Method and Materials: Existing CT dose reporting software do not meet the need because of the simplified anatomical phantoms updated ICRP data and scanner information. A new software is being designed with original dose data derived from Monte Carlo simulations involving CTscannermodels and anatomically realistic phantoms. Specified scanning protocols and CT sources are modeled. Dosimetry capabilities for tube current modulation (TCM) and PET/CT protocols are currently under development. The RPI Pregnant Women series RPI Adult Male and Adult Female phantoms are used in the dose calculation. Organ doses and effective doses are computed using ICRP Publication 60 and 103. The software framework is developed using the Visual C#.NET. Results: VirtualDose offers a modern graphical user interface (GUI) designed to allow interactive 3D phantom display and user‐selectable scanning parameters. Standard scanning ranges can be selected from a pull‐down menu or manually specified on the displayed phantom. When compared with data reported by existing software using stylized MIRD‐type phantoms the organ dose estimates have been found to differ by a ratio ranging from 0.77 to 1.24 for organs or tissues covered in the scan range and a ratio as small as 0.13 for organs outside of the scan region. The TCM technique can reduce the dose by around 20% for pregnant patient phantoms. Conclusion: It is clear that existing software do not meet the need for accurate and state‐of‐the‐art CT dose reporting. The preliminary GUI design and reporting features of VirtualDose improve upon existing tools by considering the latest CTscanners new ICRP recommendations and anatomically realistic patient phantoms. VirtualDose is expected to improve both the accuracy and usability in reporting CT doses in the future.
A new method for examining the interdependence among toxic endpoints

Many toxicological problems involve interdependence among several endpoints, the values of which vary randomly over time and in relation to each other. For two endpoints, correlation analysis can be used to determine interdependence. Since correlation between more than two endpoints is not defined, higher order interdependence is determined using multivariate methods. This paper presents the first description of a correlation measure that can be used to test interdependence among more than two endpoints. The observations for each endpoint must be expressible as binary (0 or 1) values. This measure is illustrated using teratogenicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity data for 104 compounds. All possible bivariate correlations were determined to be significant. The three-wise correlation was also significant.
Toxicity of cupric lon to eggs of the spot Leiostomus xanthurus and the Atlantic silverside Menidia menidia

Experiments were conducted to determine the toxicity of free cupric ion to the eggs of two marine fish: the spot Leiostomus xanthurus, and the Atlantic silverside Menidia menidia. A cupric ion buffer consisting of 5 mM of the chelator, trishydroxymethylamino methane (Tris), and varied concentrations of CuSO4 was employed to achieve stable cupric ion activities in experimental seawater media. Egg hatch of the silverside appears to be more sensitive to cupric ion than that of the spot. The silverside had 60% inhibition of hatch at a pCu (negative logarithum of cupric ion activity) of 9.4 with complete supporession of hatching at pCu values below 8.2, while the spot had 50% inhibition at a pCu of 9.0 and complete suppression at a pCu of 8.0. Cupric ion was most toxic to the eggs of silverside at or around the time of hatching, whereas a pronounced sensitivity at hatching was not apparent with the eggs of spot. Calculated estimates of the range of cupric ion activity in seawater indicate that natural activity levels may in some instances inhibit the hatching of silverside and spot eggs.
A Computational Model for the Study of Gas Turbine Combustor Dynamics

A dynamic combustor model is developed for inclusion into a one-dimensional full gas turbine engine simulation code. A flux-difference splitting algorithm is used to numerically integrate the quasi-one-dimensional Euler equations, supplemented with species mass conservation equations. The combustion model involves a single-step, global finite-rate chemistry scheme with a temperature-dependent activation energy. Source terms are used to account for mass bleed and mass injection, with additional capabilities to handle momentum and energy sources and sinks. Numerical results for cold and reacting flow for a can-type gas turbine combustor are presented. Comparisons with experimental data from this combustor are also made.
Jet flavor conversions in the quark-gluon plasma

A quark or gluon jet traversing through a quark-gluon plasma can be converted to a gluon or quark jet through scattering with the thermal quarks and gluons in the quark-gluon plasma. Their conversion rates due to two-body elastic $q({\bar q})g\rightarrow gq(\bar q)$ and inelastic $q{\bar q}\leftrightarrow gg$ scattering have recently been evaluated in the lowest order in QCD. Including both energy loss and conversions of quark and gluon jets in the expanding quark-gluon plasma produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions, a net conversion of quark jets to gluon jets has been found. This reduces the difference between the nuclear modification factors for quark and gluon jets in heavy ion collisions and thus enhances the ratios of high transverse momentum protons and antiprotons to pions that are produced from the fragmentation of these jets. To account for the observed similar ratios in central Au + Au and p + p collisions at same energy requires, however, a much larger net quark to gluon jet conversion rate than that given by the lowest-order QCD, indicating the importance of higher-order processes and the strongly coupling properties of the quark-gluon plasma in describing the propagation of jets in the quark-gluon plasma.
The role of substitutional boron in carbon oxidation

Abstract An experimental and theoretical study of carbon oxidation in the presence of substitutionally doped boron has been carried out. The effects of boron loading, reaction temperature and degree of burnoff were analyzed for a range of carbon materials. Both inhibiting and catalytic effects were observed. Several semiempirical molecular orbital modeling approaches were used in an attempt to rationalize these intriguing experimental findings in terms of electronic effects in the graphene layer. In particular, a critical analysis of the key adjustable parameters was performed. The oxidation results were discussed in terms of a balance between three potentially competing effects of substitutional boron: (a) reduced total electron density; (b) decreased contribution of delocalized π electrons to the electron density of the remaining carbon atoms; and (c) σ electron localization on carbon atoms due to the higher electronegativity of carbon with respect to boron.
The security enhancement of diffractive optically variable image devices

ABSTRACT It is well known that Diffractive Optically Variable Image Devices (DOVIDs) can be copied, duplicated or simulated by the counterfeiters. Some customers consider that such devices are no longer secure and will not use them to protect their product. To avoid counterfeiting, DOVIDs are being made more complicated with the introduction of a large number of simultaneous images, where recognition by cust omers is strongly compromised. Future trends appear to favor multiple technologies in one device while allowing the consumer to readily identify and remember the device. One approach calls for a combination of the diffractive foil interference found in DOVIDs with thin film interference to create new security devices called SecureShift ChromaGrams®. A second approach calls for a combination of diffractive and thin film interference in the form of pigments combined with magnetic fields during the printing process to create another new security device called a PrintaGram   Each type of enhanced DOVIDs will be discussed in terms of its optical performance, manufacturability, its counterfeit deterrence, and its application. Key Words: Diffractive interference, Thin film interference, Combined interferences, DOVID, Groove alignment, Magnetic orientation
Induction of microsomal cytochrome P450s by tire-leachate compounds, habitat components of Aedes albopictus mosquito larvae.

Benzothiazole (BZT) and its derivatives are the major leachate compounds of automobile tires, the principal breeding habitat of Aedes albopictus, particularly in the United States. Effects of the compounds on insecticide toxicity, and activities and expression of microsomal cytochrome P450s (P450s) in the mosquito larvae were examined. Mosquito larvae were more tolerant to carbaryl, rotenone, and temephos when they were pre-exposed to tire-leachate compounds, particularly BZT. There was no change in toxicity from the aldrin treatment by BZT. The effect of BZT was reversed when a P450 inhibitor, piperonyl butoxide, was applied in admixture with the insecticides. Microsomes from BZT-treated larvae had increased peroxidation activity of tetramethylbenzidine. This correlated with increased intensity of SDS-PAGE protein bands corresponding to molecular weights of 59 and 62 kD, which were detected as heme-containing proteins, a characteristic of P450s. The results suggest that BZT induces P450s, which detoxify insecticides and thus cause insecticide tolerance in the mosquito larvae. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 49:71–79, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Willingness to pay for forest amenities: The case of non-industrial owners in the south central United States

Abstract We analyze the willingness to pay for non-timber values (NTV) by non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners of uneven-age mixed species forest stands in the south central United States. The preferences of NIPF owners are revealed by the way they manage their timber. Many NIPF owners maintain a more diverse and natural stand structure than that of a more profitable even-aged industrial plantation. In so doing, the average NIPF owner was willing to forego 60% of the timber profit for the NTV of their more natural stands compared to a less diverse industrially managed even-aged plantation.
Yang-Mills theory without Mandelstam constraints

Abstract We continue our investigation of the SU(2) lattice gauge theory in terms of an independent set of gauge-invariant Wilson loops. It is demonstrated how the standard measure of the gauge-covariant formulation can be transformed to a loop-variable measure. Explicit calculations in two and three dimensions illustrate the validity of our approach. We solve the 1 × 1 theory in terms of loop variables, and discuss the derivation of the classical equations of motion and possible consequences for the continuum theory.
Testing Biological Hypotheses with Embodied Robots: Adaptations, Accidents, and By-Products in the Evolution of Vertebrates

Evolutionary robotics allows biologists to test hypotheses about extinct animals. We modeled some of the first vertebrates, jawless fishes, in order to study the evolution of the trait after which vertebrates are named: vertebrae. We tested the hypothesis that vertebrae are an adaptation for enhanced feeding and fleeing performance. We created a population of autonomous embodied robots, Preyro, in which the number of vertebrae, N, were free to evolve. In addition, two other traits, the span of the caudal fin, b, and the predator detection threshold, ζ, a proxy for the lateral line sensory system, were also allowed to evolve. These three traits were chosen because they evolved early in vertebrates, are all potentially important in feeding and fleeing, and vary in form among species. Preyro took on individual identities in a given generation as defined by the population’s six diploid genotypes, Gi. Each Gi was a 3-tuple, with each element an integer specifying N, b, and, ζ. The small size of the population allowed for genetic drift to operate in concert with random mutation and mating; the presence of these mechanisms of chance provided an opportunity for N to evolve by accident. The presence of three evolvable traits provided an opportunity for direct selection on b and/or ζ to evolve N as a by-product linked trait correlation. In selection trials, different Gi embodied in Preyro attempted to feed at a light source and then flee to avoid a predator robot in pursuit. The fitness of each Gi was calculated from five different types of performance: speed, acceleration, distance to the light, distance to the predator, and the number of predator escapes initiated. In each generation, we measured the selection differential, the selection gradient, the strength of chance, and the indirect correlation selection gradient. These metrics allowed us to understand the relative contributions of the three mechanisms: direct selection, chance, and indirect selection.
Africa and the Nuclear World: Labor, Occupational Health, and the Transnational Production of Uranium

What is Africa's place in the nuclear world? In 1995, a U.S. government report on nuclear proliferation did not mark Gabon, Niger, or Namibia as having any “nuclear activities.” Yet these same nations accounted for over 25 percent of world uranium production that year, and helped fuel nuclear power plants in Europe, the United States, and Japan. Experts had long noted that workers in uranium mines were “exposed to higher amounts of internal radiation than … workers in any other segment of the nuclear energy industry.” What, then, does it mean for a workplace, a technology, or a nation to be “nuclear?” What is at stake in that label, and how do such stakes vary by time and place?
Kinetics of the Formation of Organic Molecular Nanocrystals

Nanoparticles of the molecular crystal naphthalene were prepared through a solvent exchange process. The gradual replacement of the solvent acetone with water induces aggregation and precipitation of naphthalene. Near the phase boundary in this ternary system we found regions in which nanocrystals with diameters on the order of 100s of nanometers formed. The particle size vs time after mixing was measured using dynamic light scattering, showing the progress of the growth of the crystals.
Modeling Flight Attendants' Exposures to Pesticide in Disinsected Aircraft Cabins

Aircraft cabin disinsection is required by some countries to kill insects that may pose risks to public health and native ecological systems. A probabilistic model has been developed by considering the microenvironmental dynamics of the pesticide in conjunction with the activity patterns of flight attendants, to assess their exposures and risks to pesticide in disinsected aircraft cabins under three scenarios of pesticide application. Main processes considered in the model are microenvironmental transport and deposition, volatilization, and transfer of pesticide when passengers and flight attendants come in contact with the cabin surfaces. The simulated pesticide airborne mass concentration and surface mass loadings captured measured ranges reported in the literature. The medians (means ± standard devitions) of daily total exposure intakes were 0.24 (3.8 ± 10.0), 1.4 (4.2 ± 5.7), and 0.15 (2.1 ± 3.2) μg day(-1) kg(-1) of body weight for scenarios of residual application, preflight, and top-of-descent spraying, respectively. Exposure estimates were sensitive to parameters corresponding to pesticide deposition, body surface area and weight, surface-to-body transfer efficiencies, and efficiency of adherence to skin. Preflight spray posed 2.0 and 3.1 times higher pesticide exposure risk levels for flight attendants in disinsected aircraft cabins than top-of-descent spray and residual application, respectively.
Unraveling the effects of compensation, litigation, and employment on treatment response in chronic pain

Abstract Although it has often been suggested that chronic pain patients who are receiving workmen's compensation or who have litigation pending are less likely to benefit from treatment, the results of outcome studies of this question conducted by various pain clinics have been inconsistent. We hypothesized that poorer outcome in such patients may be related to the fact that they are less likely to be working and that the inconsistent results in the literature may therefore be explained by variability among studies in the percentages of patients who are receiving compensation (or who have litigation pending) who are also working. We examined the relationships among compensation, litigation, employment, and short- and long-term treatment response in a series of 454 chronic pain patients. Compensation benefits and employment status both predicted poorer short-term outcome in univariate analyses; however, when employment and compensation were jointly used to predict outcome in multiple regression analyses, only employment was significant. In additional analyses, only employment significantly predicted long-term outcome, whereas compensation and litigation did not. Our results suggest that it would be valuable to redirect attention away from the deleterious effects of the ‘compensation neurosis’ and toward the roles of activity and employment in the treatment and rehabilitation of chronic pain patients.
Illuminating Hippocampal Control of Fear Memory and Anxiety

Previous reports on dorsal and ventral hippocampal regulation of context learning versus anxiety have been mixed. In this issue of Neuron, a new study by Kheirbek et al. (2013) using optogenetics demonstrates that dentate gyrus granule cell activity in dorsal hippocampus encodes contextual fear learning while ventral granule cell activity regulates anxiety behavior.
A NOTE ON THE EFFECT OF FIBER LENGTH ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF HOLLOW FIBER MODULES

Les resultats experimentaux montrent que l'on peut accroitre la productivite des modules a fibres creuses en ouvrant chaque extremite de la fibre ou en fabricant des modules plus courts
John Banville's narcissistic fictions

John Banville's fictions have become a staple topic in studies of contemporary Irish literature. Following Rudiger Imhof's (1989, 1997) and Joseph McMinn's (1999) pioneering studies, Banville's nov...