cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TH-CD-304-10: A Method for Correcting Ion Recombination Effects in OCTAVIUS 1000 SRS Measurements

Purpose: PTW’s Octavius 1000 SRS array performs IMRT QA measurements with liquid filled ionization chambers to allow closer detector spacing and higher resolution. Increased density of liquid relative to air, leads to increased ion recombination effects, which are proportional to dose/pulse experienced at the detectors. During IMRT QA, dose/per pulse will vary across the array, leading to varying collection efficiencies. Magnitudes of recombination effects were investigated and a method was developed to correct them in QA measurements. Methods: The OCTAVIUS 1000 SRS was used to measure different IMRT plans using varying dose/pulse and results were normalized to air filled chamber measurements to obtain collection efficiencies. Regression analysis was performed to relate collection efficiency to dose/pulse. Matlab software was developed to correct IMRT QA measurements using these correlations. Measurements were performed on a Truebeam equipped with high-definition MLC, using 6MV and 10FFF RapidArc plans. Plans were measured in the OCTAVIUS 4D system, which measures dose in time intervals. Dose/time was converted to dose/pulse using pulse repetition information. Collection efficiency to dose/pulse correlations were used to correct measured dose. 3D gamma analysis was performed on plans with and without corrections. Results: Liquid filled ionization chamber collection efficiency correlated linearly to dose/pulse with slopes of 2.15%/(mGy/pulse) for 6MV and 5.74%/(mGy/pulse) for 10FFF. After corrections, average gamma pass rates improved by [0.02%,0.06%,0.24%] for 6MV and [0.19%,0.54%,2.01%] for 10FFF using [3%/3mm,2%/2mm,1%/1mm] criteria. Maximum changes in gamma pass rates were [0.1%,0.3%,0.5%] for 6MV and [0.4%,0.8%,5.1%] for 10FFF using [3%/3mm,2%/2mm,1%/1mm] criteria. Conclusion: OCTAVIUS 1000 SRS ion recombination effects have little effect on 6MV measurements. However, the effect is larger for higher dose/pulse unflattened beams when using tighter gamma tolerances, as is common for SRS/SBRT. This researched was supported by PTW.
Proficiency of drug susceptibility testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Taiwan.

O B J E C T I F : Evaluer l'impact de l'evaluation externe de qualite sur la qualite des tests de sensibilite aux medicaments (DST) dans les laboratoires cliniques de mycobacteriologie. S C H E M A : On a mene en 2006 une evaluation pilote de competence et on l'a etendue en 2007. On a utilise un ensemble comportant 20 isolats de Mycobacterium tuberculosis. On a utilise comme definition d'un laboratoire competent une precision de 95% dans la detection de la resistance a l'egard de l'isoniazide (INH) et de la rifampicine (RMP) et de 90% a l'egard de l'ethambutol (EMB) et de la streptomycine (SM). R E S U LTAT S: En 2006, la participation a porte sur neuf laboratoires et en 2007 sur 30 laboratoires. En 2006, la precision moyenne dans la detection de la resistance a l'INH a ete de 91,6%, pour la RMP de 96,1%, pour l'EMB de 90,5% et pour la SM de 93,9%. En 2007, la precision moyenne de detection de la resistance a l'INH a augmente jusqu'a 95,7% et a la RMP jusqu'a 97,2% ; elle a diminue jusqu'a 82,0% pour l'EMB et jusqu'a 86,8% pour la SM. On a observe une amelioration de la qualite dans les laboratoires ayant adopte des methodes standardisees. Dans l'ensemble en 2007, cinq laboratoires seulement (17%) ont rempli les criteres de competence pour les quatre medicaments. CONCLUSION: La majorite des laboratoires ayant participe a l'evaluation de 2006 ont prouve en 2007 une amelioration de leurs performances en matiere de DST. Il est essentiel de poursuivre une evaluation externe de qualite pour renforcer la qualite de la DST.
Some Closure Properties of Finite Definitions

There is no known syntactic characterization of the class of finite definitions in terms of a set of basic definitions and a set of basic operators under which the class is closed. Furthermore, it is known that the basic propositional operators do not preserve finiteness. In this paper I survey these problems and explore operators that do preserve finiteness. I also show that every definition that uses only unary predicate symbols and equality is bound to be finite.
Exosporium formation in sporulating cells of Clostridium botulinum 78A.

In sporulating cells of Clostridium botulinum type A (NCA strain 78A), formation of exosporia was initiated laterally in the sporangia before the synthesis of the spore cortex. Mature spores were enveloped by multilayered exosporia; the layers were uniform in appearance, approximately 3 nm thick, with a center-to-center distance of 7 nm. Images
A new magnetoelastic force transducer

This paper describes a magnetoelastic based force transducer, one that may be used in the manner of a standard strain gage. The sensor appears to offer several advantages over resistance and semiconductor strain gages. In particular, it has a sensitivity more than an order of magnitude greater than semiconductor strain gages.
Design and operation of the cryostat for the CESR-c superconducting wiggler magnets

As part of the "CESR-c" upgrade project, a full-scale prototype superferric wiggler module has been installed into the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) and successfully operated since October 2002. At least eleven more wigglers are to be installed to enable full operation of the CESR-c. The wiggler magnets are chosen to achieve the necessary damping for optimum operation of CESR-c at a beam energy of 1.88 GeV. The wiggler cryostat units are designed to be modular, of fixed length flange-to-flange, so that they can be easily installed and exchanged. The cryostat incorporates several novel features including a suspension system with very low heat leak that prevents any significant motion during cool down, a custom triple cryogenic feedthrough, and a helium vessel made in two halves, each enclosing a half-magnet. This article presents the design, fabrication, and operation of the CESR-c wiggler cryostat.
The meaning of `public understanding of science' in the United States after World War II

In the United States after World War II, the term `public understanding of science' became equated with `public appreciation of the benefits that science provides to society'. This equation was the result of the independent, but parallel, social and institutional needs of four different groups with an interest in popularizing science: commercial publishers, scientific societies, science journalists, and government agencies. A new, more critical era of popular science began in the 1960s.
Japanese encephalitis virus neurotropism is dependent on the degree of neuronal maturity.

In a study on Fischer rats, all animals infected with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) before the age of 13 days died, but animals infected after the age of 14 days did not die, confirming the age-dependent resistance to JEV infection in the rat brain. A study of the kinetics of JEV infection in the developing rat brain disclosed that JEV antigen disappeared in a particular pattern, i.e., from the deeper layers to the upper layers of the motor cortex, which paralleled neuronal maturation in the cortex. Fifteen-day-old rats, which were resistant to JEV infection, received intracerebral transplants of neurons taken from 19-day embryos. When these animals were infected with JEV after transplantation, viral antigen was detected only in the embryonal neurons soon after transplantation. Thus, it can be concluded that the susceptibility to JEV infection in the rat brain is closely associated with neuronal immaturity.
Men, Militarism, and UN Peacekeeping: A Gendered Analysis

Men, Militarism, and UN Peacekeeping: A Gendered Analysis. By Sandra Whitworth. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2004. 225p. $49.95.The rapid expansion in United Nations peacekeeping operations in the 1990s has inevitably led to official and scholarly scrutiny of their efficacy and shortcomings. Sandra Whitworth offers a critical eye and questions of gendered analysis by studying the subjects of the UN's peacekeeping operation in Cambodia, whose presence often meant greater insecurity as well as the (mis)conduct of soldiers from Canada—a country historically linked to major peacekeeping contributions—in Somalia. Using these two case studies, Whitworth highlights a basic contradiction inherent in peacekeeping that stems from its heavy reliance on soldiers whose training emphasizes masculine traits of violence, homophobia, racism, and aggression, yet whose tasks as peacekeepers require limiting violence to self-defense and providing a benign, altruistic presence. She uses gender analysis to examine these contradictions, to challenge peacekeeping's association with alternatives to military violence, to show how peacekeeping forces can increase local people's insecurity, rather than alleviating it, and to critique the use of soldiers for missions requiring unsoldierly skills.
In vivo evaluation of vascular-targeted spheroidal microparticles for imaging and drug delivery application in atherosclerosis.

Abstract Objective : Vascular-targeting remains a promising strategy for improving the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) by providing localized delivery of imaging and therapeutic agents to atherosclerotic lesions. In this work we evaluate how size and shape affects the capacity for a vascular-targeted carrier system to bind inflamed endothelial cells over plaque using ApoE −/− mice with developed atherosclerosis. Method : We investigated the adhesion levels along mouse aortae of ellipsoidal and spherical particles targeted to the inflammatory molecules E-selectin and VCAM-1, as well as the biodistribution of targeted and untargeted particles in major organs following injection via tail-vein and a 30-min circulation time. Results : We found that targeted ellipsoidal microparticles adhered to mouse aortae at higher levels than microspheres of similar volume, particularly at segments that contained atherosclerotic plaques. Moreover, both ellipsoidal and spherical nanoparticles displayed the same minimal adhesion levels compared to both types of microparticles evaluated, likely due to poor localization of nanoparticles to the vessel wall in blood flow. We found that microparticles targeted to plaque-associated inflammation were retained at higher levels in the lungs than untargeted particles, largely due to molecular interaction with the pulmonary endothelium. The level of the mechanical entrapment of ellipsoidal microparticles in the lungs was also not significantly different from that of microspheres of the same volume despite a ∼3-fold higher major axis length for the ellipsoids. Conclusions : Particle shape and size should be considered in the design of carrier systems to target atherosclerosis, as these parameters can be tuned to improve carrier performance.
Synthesis of (-)-Δ9-trans-Tetrahydrocannabinol - Stereocontrol via Mo-catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation Reaction

Δ9-THC is synthesized in enantiomericaly pure form, where all of the stereochemistry is derived from the molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation reaction of the extremely sterically congested bis-ortho-substituted cinnamyl carbonate in high regio- and enantioselectivity.
Predefined massive transfusion protocols are associated with a reduction in organ failure and postinjury complications.

Introduction:Massive transfusion (MT) protocols have been shown to improve survival in severely injured patients. However, others have noted that these higher fresh frozen plasma (FFP):red blood cell (RBC) ratios are associated with increased risk of organ failure. The purpose of this study was to d
EFFECTS OF VARIOUS CONCENTRATIONS OF SODIUM NITRITE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE ON COLOR AND SENSORY QUALITIES OF COMMERCIALLY PREPARED BACON

Pork bellies (270) were processed under regular commercial conditions utilizing various concentrations (five treatments) of sodium nitrite and potassium sorbate. Sliced bacon was stored at 4°C under vacuum and nonvacuum packaged conditions and evaluated by consumers for uncooked color at 7, 14, 21, 35, and 49 days after slicing. Fried bacon slices were evaluated for flavor, texture, appearance, and overall desirability by a taste panel on a nine-point hedonic scale during 63 days storage at 4°C under vacuum-packaged conditions. Bacon samples formulated with sodium nitrite (40, 80, and 120 ppm) were similar in fresh color desirability during storage and were significantly more desirable than bacon formulated without sodium nitrite. Bacon formulated with 0.26% potassium sorbate in combination with 40 or 80 ppm sodium nitrite was not significantly different (p < 0.05) from bacon formulated with 120 ppm of sodium nitrite and no potassium sorbate for color and sensory qualities.
Bureaucracy Redux: Management Reformism and the Welfare State

Bureaucratic discretion is a fundamental feature of social provision, one that presents enduring difficulties for management. In general, management reform has taken two, divergent paths. One, utilizing the familiar public bureaucratic model, seeks to control discretion through hierarchical command structures and standardization. The other, utilizing decentralization and privatization, regulates and relocates discretion, using incentive structures associated with market or quasi-market institutions. However, it may be that discretion will prove to be as problematic for the new public management (NPM) as it was for the old. This article offers a critical political history of management reformism, reviewing efforts to reorganize the public welfare provision by applying new public management models to old public bureaucracy problems. It considers the dynamics of bureaucratic discretion and reform not only as a problem of public management but as part of the contested politics of social policymaking.
Origin of the retina from both sides of the embryonic brain: a contribution to the problem of crossing at the optic chiasma

Cells originating from one of the first two blastomeres of the frog embryo were labeled either by injecting them with horseradish peroxidase or by changing the ploidy of one blastomere. Both methods show the labeled cells confined to the same side of the brain as the labeled blastomere except for cells that have moved from the opposite side into the ventral diencephalon and ventral part of the retina. Reciprocal movement of cells from each side of the prospective forebrain into the prospective retina on the opposite side starts before the neural tube closes and results in the formation of an incipient optic chiasma which may provide the pathway for optic axons to grow from the retina to the opposite side of the brain.
Differential Social Performance of Religiously-Affiliated Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Base of Pyramid (BoP) Markets

As the debate over the value of microfinance institutions (MFIs) intensifies, it remains apparent that microfinance may, at the very least, be considered as one tool in the arsenal of the war against poverty in base of pyramid (BoP) markets. Given the variety of actors in the microfinance arena, stakeholders have placed a relatively new emphasis on performance reporting for MFIs, allowing comparisons and identifications of performance gaps. One result of this scrutiny is an increased importance placed on MFIs’ social performance, with an eye to understanding measures of MFIs’ intent, process, and results in the social realm—in addition to their financial sustainability. While a number of factors may explain differences in social performance, in this paper we take a close look at a particular factor that may have a positive relationship with social performance—that of an MFI’s religious affiliation or religiosity. Using archival data, we derived three sets of randomly paired samples, pairing religious MFIs with non-religious ones, and compared social performance indicators derived from the literature across the samples. We sought to understand whether religiously-affiliated MFIs would, in fact, demonstrate stronger social performance intent, wider social performance reach via service delivery processes, and better social performance outcomes in BoP markets. Statistical analysis provided preliminary evidence that religiously-affiliated MFIs display stronger social performance, suggesting new avenues for future research.
Porous organoclay composite for the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pentachlorophenol from groundwater.

Complex mixtures of hazardous chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soil and groundwater can have severe and long-lasting effects on health. The evidence that these contaminants can cause adverse health effects in animals and humans is rapidly expanding. The frequent and wide-spread occurrence of PAHs in groundwater makes appropriate intervention strategies for their remediation highly desirable. The core objective of this research was to assess the ability of a clay-based composite to sorb and remove toxic contaminants from groundwater at a wood-preserving chemical waste site. Treatment efficiencies were evaluated using either effluent from an oil-water separator (OWS) or a bioreactor (B2). The effluent water from these units was passed through fixed bed columns containing either an organoclay composite or granular activated carbon. The sorbent columns were placed in-line using existing sampling ports at the effluent of the OWS or B2. Individual one-liter samples of treated and untreated effluent were collected in Kimax bottles over the course of 78 h (total of 50 samples). Subsequently each sample was extracted by solid phase extraction methodology, and pentachlorophenol (PCP) and PAH concentrations were quantitated via GC/MS. Columns containing porous organoclay composite, i.e. sand-immobilized cetylpyridinium-exchanged low-pH montmorillonite clay (CP/LPHM), were shown to reduce the contaminant load from the OWS effluent stream by 97%. The concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and PCP were considerably reduced (i.e. >99%). An effluent stream from the bioreactor was also filtered through columns packed with composite or an equivalent amount of GAC. Although the composite reduced the majority of contaminants (including BaP and PCP), it was less effective in diminishing the levels of lower ring versus higher ring PAHs. Conversely, GAC was more effective in removing the lower ring PAHs, except for naphthalene and PCP. The effectiveness of sorption of PCP from the OWS effluent by the composite was confirmed using a PCP-sensitive adult hydra bioassay previously described in our laboratory. The findings of this initial study have delineated differences between CP/LPHM and GAC for groundwater remediation, and suggest that GAC (instead of sand) as the solid support for organoclay may be more effective for the treatment of contaminated groundwater under field conditions than GAC or CP/LPHM alone. Further work is ongoing to confirm this conclusion.
Efficient synthesis of (R)-3-amino-1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-ol via a Dakin–West reaction followed by enantioselective reduction

Abstract An efficient, chromatography-free asymmetric synthesis of (R)-3-amino-1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-ol was developed for large scale production of a cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor. The synthesis features a new efficient route to a β-amino trifluoromethylketone involving a modified Dakin–West reaction followed by an asymmetric hydrogenation or an enzymatic reduction of the resulting ketone to the alcohol.
The Railroads and the Space Program Revisited: Historical Analogues and the Stimulation of Commercial Space Operations

While many are familiar with the enticing of American transcontinental railroad construction through land grants from national, state, and local governments, there was a range of other stimulative efforts to facilitate railroad development. These included tax breaks, investment credits, and otherwise favorable decisions supporting these business interests. They also involved, in some instances, direct subsidies; monopolies not only on railroad operations but also in ancillary and even tertiary industries; and changes to regulations to ease requirements for labor, safety, and other factors. This article examines the analogue between railroad development in the U.S. and that of space exploitation specific to access to space, involving space launch technology development, drawing several key findings from the railroad experience. It suggests that there is a broad range of options that have been pursued in the past to stimulate investment in infrastructure—in this case in railroads—that have application for f...
Behavior of some singly ionized, heavy‐ion impurities during compression in a theta‐pinch plasma

The introduction of a small percentage of an impurity gas containing a desired element into a theta‐pinch plasma is a standard procedure used to investigate the spectra and atomic processes of the element. This procedure assumes that the mixing ratio of impurity to fill gas remains constant during the collapse and heating phase. Spectroscopic investigations of the constant mixing ratio assumption for a 2 % neon and argon impurity verifies the assumption only for the neon impurity. However, for the 2 % argon impurity, only 20 to 25 % of the argon is in the high‐temperature compressed plasma. It is concluded that the constant mixing ratio assumption is not applicable to the argon impurity.
Secondary Cleft Rhinoplasty

The cleft nasal deformity seen in patients with unilateral and bilateral cleft lip presents a formidable challenge for the facial plastic surgeon. The underlying anatomic deformities combined with scarring from previous procedures make secondary cleft rhinoplasty a difficult procedure for even the most experienced surgeons. Numerous techniques for secondary cleft rhinoplasty have been described in the literature over the past several decades, yet the lack of wide adoption of any given technique highlights the great variability seen with this problem. Regardless, the fundamental goals of achieving nasal symmetry with definition of the nasal base and tip, correction of nasal airway obstruction, and repair of nasal scarring or webbing have driven the progressive evolution of techniques developed to correct various aspects of the cleft nasal deformity. Despite the number of techniques that have been published, very few studies have looked specifically at outcomes in secondary cleft rhinoplasty, and further work is needed in this area. In this article, we will review anatomy of the cleft nasal deformity, repair strategies and timing, surgical techniques for both unilateral and bilateral cleft nasal deformity, and outcomes for secondary cleft rhinoplasty.
The association between C-reactive protein levels and insulin therapy in obese vs nonobese veterans with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2010;12:462–468. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The authors studied the association between insulin use and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in obese (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) and nonobese (body mass index <30 kg/m2) patients with type 2 diabetes at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center. There were 64 nonobese participants (insulin use and average daily dose, 23.4% and 7.0±18.2 units at baseline and 27.1% and 9.3±21.0 units at follow-up, respectively) and 106 obese participants (insulin use and daily dose, 39.6% and 28.2±47.3 units at baseline and 43.0% and 28.7±47.7 units at follow-up, respectively). Both use and daily dose of insulin were modeled with CRP levels of participants upon discharge from an intensive cardiac risk management clinic and at a 1-year follow-up visit using a linear mixed effects model for repeated measures. There was a significant direct association between log CRP and both insulin use and daily dose for nonobese participants (β=0.3, P=.03 and β=0.01, P=.02, respectively) but not for obese participants (P=.8 and P=.5, respectively). Due to the association between insulin therapy and CRP in nonobese patients, these results may aid clinicians in deciding on the initiation of insulin therapy for nonobese diabetic patients when noninsulin alternatives are available.
A note on the relationship between managerial change values, innovative intentions and innovative technology outcomes in food sector firms

In this study three, two-part propositions were developed based on a general model of how organizational variables moderate the influence of individual change values on innovative intentions and how these same organizational factors moderate the impact of individual innovative intentions on organizational innovative outcomes. A total of 66 respondents, mostly top managers in food processing and food equipment and packaging firms, returned questionnaires. Results indicated that the absence of technical specialist concentration significantly (p <.05) increased the correlation between managerial change values and innovative intentions. Organization size and diversification into nonfood markets did not significantly moderate the correlation between managerial change values and innovative intentions although results were in the predicted direction. Managerial innovative intentions were significantly (p <.05) more likely to be correlated with the rate of new products introduction, and the rate of adoption of incremental process innovation when technical specialists were concentrated. Managerial innovative intentions were significantly (p <.05) more likely to be correlated with the rate of new production introduction and the adoption of radical (new to the industry) process innovation in firms that had diversified into nonfood markets. Critical incident accounts by respondents of creative or innovative episodes in their organizations are strongly correlated with indicators of slack resources for innovation, and the skills managers develop to identify and back innovators in their firms are discussed.
Shopping the Leftovers: Warhol’s Collecting Strategies in Raid the Icebox I

Andy Warhol’s little-known commission in 1969 to ‘curate’ an exhibition from basement storage at the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design opens a window on the artist’s complex attitudes toward class. While the many manifestations of Warhol’s queer aesthetic have been illuminated in recent scholarship, little attention has been paid to how his sensibility was also shaped by his working-class roots in the slavic enclave of Depression-era Pittsburgh. While Warhol created a uniquely ‘cool‘ persona in the New York art world, he never repudiated his background and its values. His writings, from Popism and The Philosophy to the Diaries, are full of sharp insights on American class politics and aspirations. One can see in Warhol’s signature elevation of icons of mass consumption to the status of art and in his treatment of high subjects as mass products a radical proletarianizing will. Raid the Icebox I shows Warhol’s levelling aesthetic in its full glory as he makes a series of curatorial selections that directly assault the principles of connoisseurship that undergirded professional museum practice. Twenty years before postmodern artists would view the museum as a context for critical ‘reinstallations’, Warhol’s Raid the Icebox– the only such intervention he ever made – profoundly disrupted museum decorum by exposing the usually well-concealed links between elite collecting and its low-class other – shopping.
Scattering of radio waves from the mesosphere—2. Evidence for intermittent mesospheric turbulence

Abstract Strong intermittency of coherent VHF radio echoes from 70–80 km height, observed at Jicamarca, Peru, suggests the existence of sudden bursts in the rate at which energy is dissipated per unit mass by turbulence. It is shown that the observed correlation between the power and correlation time of these echoes implies that stronger turbulence occurs in thinner layers. A detailed analysis of the autocorrelation function of the echoes shows the presence of discrete layers of turbulence, with a minimum thickness of a few tens of meters and a minimum separation of about 1 km. The horizontal size of these layers is estimated from echoes observed simultaneously from mesospherio regions separated by ~4.5 km and is compared with the horizontal wavelength of gravity waves observed in the mesosphere.
Some observations of changes in metropolitan population in The United States

Este documento estudia las tendencias del crecimiento de la poblacion de los Estados Unidos en areas metropolitanas en las seis decadas de 1900 a 1960. En 1900, solamente una tercera parte de la poblacion de los Estados Unidos vivia en areas metropolitanas. En 1960, esta porporcion se habia doblado, llegando a dos terceras partes, el sector metropolitano de la nacion ha tendido a absorber una proporcin progresivamente mayor del crecimiento de la poblacion, La creacion de nuevas areas metropoliatnas ha declinado como factor de influencia en el crecimiento de la poblacion metropolitana. En decadas recientes ha tenido much mayor importancia la incorporacion de condados continuos a areas metropolitanas pre-existentes, condados que han sido incorporados dentro de la orbita de una creciente influencia metropolitana. Como las diferencias defecundidad han disminuido grandemente de importancia, las caracteristicas del crecimiento metropolitano pueden explicarse casi totalmente a base de diferencias en las tasas de migracion neta. El aumento de la poblacion metropolitana se ha concentrado en gran medida en la vecindad de las pocas areas metropolitanas de mayor magnitud.
Drug therapy to aid in smoking cessation. Tips on maximizing patients' chances for success.

PREVIEWNineteenth century humorist Josh Billings may have had smoking in mind when he observed that the vices a person contracts in youth, however much that person may try to shake them off, often call again through life and seek to renew acquaintance. Smoking is certainly one the most difficult practices to shake off and one of the most persistent in making return visits. Luckily, over-the-counter as well as prescription medications are available to facilitate cessation. In this article, the authors discuss the various methods and how to choose among them.
Rapid evolution and histocompatibility antigen function.

Recent evaluations of the fossil evidence suggest that a theory of phyletic gradualism as the basic tempo of evolution is untenable. A theory of punctuational change has been proposed, suggesting that rapid evolution of geographical isolates is the evolutionary norm. An alternate model of evolution, is suggested. The histocompatibility antigens are posited to act as gateways to the genome, permitting or forbidding entry of viruses into the genome. Gene flow through viral transmission is hypothesized as a basic phylogenetic process, allowing for rapid evolutionary change.
Differential effects of two nonspeech sounds on phonemic restoration

Sixty-nine introductory psychology students participated in a phonemic restoration (PHR) experiment. PHR is the illusory perception of a phoneme deleted from a spoken sentence when that phoneme is replaced by an extraneous sound. Contrary to previous results, it was found that PHRs were significantly more prevalent when a cough was substituted, than when a tone replaced the deleted speech sound (p <.05). The study also revealed a decreasing tendency across trials to mislocalize the extraneous cough or tone prior to its veridical location when expectancy of stimulus position was minimized. The theoretical import of this latter finding is discussed, as is a methodological problem common to all PHR research and its possible effect on the percentage of PHRs reported.
Renal response to volume expansion in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: influence of calcium channel blockade.

Abstract The renal response to volume expansion (VE) has been shown to be impaired in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. This may contribute to the abnormal maintenance of fluid balance in diabetics. Since calcium channel blockade (CaCb) has been shown to improve renal hemodynamic and tubular functions, the present studies were designed to examine the ability of CaCb to enhance the response of kidneys from diabetic rats to a volume load. Rats were made diabetic by a single injection of STZ (65 mg i.p.), while the control rats received only a vehicle injection. Nisoldipine, a CaCb agent was given to half of the diabetic rats in a dose of 0.015 μg/kg per min during the acute experiment. The left kidney was denervated in each rat while the right kidney remained innervated. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was elevated during VE in all of the rats except in the denervated kidneys of diabetic rats. Nisoldipine improved GFR in most cases. Urine flow increased markedly during VE. This response was enhanced by denervation but depressed in the diabetic rats. Nisoldipine improved the defective volume reflex in primarily the denervated kidneys. Changes in net urinary excretion of water and sodium during VE were significantly lower in the diabetic rats than in the control group. In the nisoldipine treated diabetic rats the VE induced changes in water and sodium excretion returned toward normal in the denervated, but not in the innervated kidneys. The data are consistent with a blunted volume reflex in the diabetic rats that may be improved by CaCb. Impaired sympathon hibition in diabetic rats appears to oppose the effects of VE and nisoldipine treatment. CaCb may contribute to the volume reflex by enhanced filtration as well as by reduced tubular reabsorption.
Modeling the transport and retention of nC60 nanoparticles in the subsurface under different release scenarios

Abstract The escalating production and consumption of engineered nanomaterials may lead to their increased release into groundwater. A number of studies have revealed the potential human health effects and aquatic toxicity of nanomaterials. Understanding the fate and transport of engineered nanomaterials is very important for evaluating their potential risks to human and ecological health. While there has been a great deal of research effort focused on the potential risks of nanomaterials, a limited amount of work has evaluated the transport of engineered nanomaterials under different release scenarios in a typical layered geological field setting. In this work, we simulated the transport of fullerene aggregates (nC60), a widely used engineered nanomaterial, in a multi-dimensional environment. A Modular Three-Dimensional Multispecies Transport Model (MT3DMS) was modified to evaluate the transport and retention of nC60 nanoparticles. Hypothetical scenarios for the introduction of nanomaterials into the subsurface environment were investigated, including the release from an injection well and the release from a waste site. Under the conditions evaluated, the mobility of nC60 nanoparticles was found to be very sensitive to the release scenario, release concentration, aggregate size, collision efficiency factor, and dispersivity of the nanomaterial.
Simultaneous Anatomical and Biochemical Imaging of Biological Tissue Using a Multimodal Optical Coherence Tomography and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging System

We have developed a multimodal optical system for simultaneous optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) imaging, and demonstrate its capability for high-speed co-registered micro-anatomical and biochemical tissue imaging.
Sensitivity of 30-cm mercury bombardment ion thruster characteristics to accelerator grid design

The design of ion optics for bombardment thrusters strongly influences overall performance and lifetime. The operation of a 30 cm thruster with accelerator grid open area fractions ranging from 43 to 24 percent, was evaluated and compared with experimental and theoretical results. Ion optics properties measured included the beam current extraction capability, the minimum accelerator grid voltage to prevent backstreaming, ion beamlet diameter as a function of radial position on the grid and accelerator grid hole diameter, and the high energy, high angle ion beam edge location. Discharge chamber properties evaluated were propellant utilization efficiency, minimum discharge power per beam amp, and minimum discharge voltage.
Selection of spontaneous mutants of Yarrowia lipolytica by inositol-less death

A procedure was developed for the selection of spontaneous mutants of the yeastYarrowia lipolytica. An inositol-requiring mutant of a wild-typeY. lipolytica, YB 3-122, was derived by mutagenesis and screening. The mutant had a reversion frequency of less than 6×10−9. A mutant selection procedure based on inositolless death was then developed using this mutant strain. The selection procedure killed growingY. lipolytica cells and enriched for mutants yielding cultures that consisted of 60–98% spontaneous mutants after two rounds of inositol-less death. The procedure enriched for four classes of mutants, strains that were auxotrophic, metabolite analog sensitive, temperature sensitive, or unable to grow on citric acid as the sole carbon source. Since strain YB 3-122 is now available to yeast researchers, inositol-less death will be useful for the routine isolation of spontaneous mutants ofY. lipolytica.
Resistivity of n -type degenerately doped silicon at low temperature: Dielectric-screening effects

Recent calculations of the dielectric enhancement of the resistivity of $n$-type degenerately doped germanium at low temperature is extended to silicon. We find, as in the Ge case, that Brooks-Herring scattering significantly underestimates the resistivity but the inclusion of the effects of dielectric screening is sufficient to remove the discrepancy between theory and experiment.
Irradiation for locally recurrent carcinoma of the prostate following radical prostatectomy

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the outcome of patients treated with irradiation (RT) for isolated, clinically apparent local tumor recurrence following prostatectomy for carcinoma of the prostate (CaP). Methods Between May 1979 and July 1992, 35 patients received external-beam RT as sole salvage therapy for post-prostatectomy locally recurrent CaP. Patient outcome was evaluated through retrospective medical record review with respect to clinical and prostate-specific antigen-based (that is, biochemical) control rates, as well as disease-free (clinical and biochemical) and overall survival estimates. Chronic RT-induced morbidity was also examined, and pre-RT disease characteristics were evaluated for their association with disease outcome. Results With median follow-up of 5.2 years (range 1.7 to 12.1) in survivors (30 patients), 19 patients (54%) had clinical (local, 1 patient [3%]; metastatic, 7 patients [20%]) or biochemical only (11 patients [31%]) relapse. The 8-year clinical relapse-free and any relapse-free (clinical or biochemical) rates were 80% and 56%, respectively, whereas the overall survival estimate was 97%. A chronic complication(s) of treatment was noted in 15 patients (43%) but spontaneously resolved in all but 6 (17%); persistent complications were mild and associated with rectal (grade 1 to 2, 14%) and lymphatic (3%) systems. The interval between prostatectomy and local tumor recurrence, the pre-RT prostate-specific antigen serum level, the pathologic stage, and tumor differentiation may be associated with disease outcome. Conclusions External-beam RT resulted in excellent local tumor control without serious long-term morbidity in most patients. Although this study could not define an optimal management strategy (for example, symptomatic measures only, RT, or hormonal therapy), these results provided outcome measures, in relationship to pre-RT tumor-related factors, that may be valuable for clinical decision-making.
Are the Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus Functionally Distinct Structures

One literature treats the hippocampus as a purely cognitive structure involved in memory; another treats it as a regulator of emotion whose dysfunction leads to psychopathology. We review behavioral, anatomical, and gene expression studies that together support a functional segmentation into three hippocampal compartments: dorsal, intermediate, and ventral. The dorsal hippocampus, which corresponds to the posterior hippocampus in primates, performs primarily cognitive functions. The ventral (anterior in primates) relates to stress, emotion, and affect. Strikingly, gene expression in the dorsal hippocampus correlates with cortical regions involved in information processing, while genes expressed in the ventral hippocampus correlate with regions involved in emotion and stress (amygdala and hypothalamus).
Deficits in trace fear conditioning induced by neonatal alcohol persist into adulthood in female rats.

The developing hippocampus is particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of alcohol, and behavioral deficits on hippocampus-dependent tasks have been reported following neonatal alcohol exposure in rodents. Previously, we have found that trace fear conditioning (a hippocampus-dependent learning task) is disrupted in rats exposed to alcohol during postnatal days (PD) 4–9, although delay fear conditioning is not. The present study indicates that this impairment in trace fear conditioning, previously only measured during adolescence, persists into adulthood but only in females. Animals were exposed to 5.0 g/kg/day alcohol on PD 4–9 and were trained on either PD 30 or 65. Alcohol exposure significantly impaired trace conditioning in both sexes at PD 30. In animals trained as adults, the deficit in trace was only observed in female subjects, suggesting that although males exhibit an age-related recovery of function, alcohol-induced trace conditioning deficits are more persistent in female Sprague–Dawley rats. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 55: 352–360, 2013
Peptide Macrocyclization Catalyzed by a Prolyl Oligopeptidase Involved in α-Amanitin Biosynthesis

Amatoxins are ribosomally encoded and posttranslationally modified peptides that account for the majority of fatal mushroom poisonings of humans. A representative amatoxin is the bicyclic octapeptide α-amanitin, formed via head-to-tail macrocyclization, which is ribosomally biosynthesized as a 35-amino acid propeptide in Amanita bisporigera and in the distantly related mushroom Galerina marginata. Although members of the prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) family of serine proteases have been proposed to play a role in α-amanitin posttranslational processing, the exact mechanistic details are not known. Here, we show that a specific POP (GmPOPB) is required for toxin maturation in G. marginata. Recombinant GmPOPB catalyzed two nonprocessive reactions: hydrolysis at an internal Pro to release the C-terminal 25-mer from the 35-mer propeptide and transpeptidation at the second Pro to produce the cyclic octamer. On the other hand, we show that GmPOPA, the putative housekeeping POP of G. marginata, behaves like a conventional POP.
Semaphorin7A: branching beyond axonal guidance and into immunity.

Semaphorins are a family of proteins that were originally described for their role in axonal guidance. Studies now show that semaphorins encompass many physiological functions outside of the nervous system, including immune responses. Semaphorin7A (SEMA7A) belongs to the “immune” semaphorin group and has been shown to play a crucial role in regulating immune responses. In this review, we discuss the structure and function of SEMA7A as well as its role of SEMA7A in innate and adaptive immunity. We further describe SEMA7A’s involvement in inflammatory disease and its emergent role in cancer.
Effects of chronic excess salt ingestion: lack of gross salt retention in salt-hypertension.

ConclusionThese studies on experimental hypertension are not in agreement with our clinical research (1,2) in which there was evidence that the biological half-life (T½) of 22Na often was prolonged in patients with uncomplicated essential hypertension. The present work on rats from 2 inbred strains having opposite genetic susceptibilities to hypertension induced by salt suggested the contrary: the biological T½ of 22Na was found to be shorter in the strain predisposed to hypertension, and did not appear to be related to elevations in blood pressure, per se. Tissue sodium was not found to be increased in animals with hypertension, nor was there evidence of potassium depletion. It is possible that the shorter biological T½ of 22Na in the group predisposed to hypertension was due to a slightly greater food (i.e., NaCl) intake as compared with the animals resistant to the development of hypertension.In sum, this evidence strongly suggests that however excess salt ingestion induces hypertension, it is not thro...
Angular distortion and through-thickness residual stress distribution in the friction-stir processed 6061-T6 aluminum alloy

Residual stresses were measured through the thickness of friction-stir processed (FSP) 6061-T6 aluminum-alloy plates using neutron diffraction. Two different specimens were prepared to study the relationship between residual stress distributions through the thickness of the plate and angular distortion: (Case 1) a plate processed with both stirring pin and tool shoulder, i.e., a typical FSP plate subjected to both plastic deformation and frictional heat, and (Case 2) a plate processed only with the tool shoulder, i.e., subjected mainly to the frictional heating. The measured residual stress profiles show relatively small through-thickness residual stress variations in Case 1, while there is a significant through-thickness residual stress variations in Case 2. The main cause of the geometric angular distortion could be related to the non-uniform distribution of the frictional heat generated by the tool shoulder leading to the asymmetric distributions of the residual stress through the thickness of the FSP plate.
Remnants of the Anterior Tunica Vasculosa Lentis and Long Anterior Lens Zonules

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in the Journal of Glaucoma 2014 Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Structure and mechanism of action of isopentenylpyrophosphate-dimethylallylpyrophosphate isomerase.

We have obtained the three-dimensional X-ray crystallographic structure of a C67A mutant Escherichia coli isopentenylpyrophosphate-dimethylallylpyrophosphate isomerase (EC 5.3.3.2) complexed with the bromohydrin of isopentenylpyrophosphate, at 1.93 A resolution. The overall backbone fold is very similar to that obtained previously for the wild-type enzyme in the presence of a divalent metal cation (Mn2+ or Mg2+). However, in the new structure, there are two metal binding sites, not just one. The first metal binding site is occupied by Mn2+, coordinated to three histidine and two glutamate residues, while the second is occupied by Mg2+, coordinated to two bromohydrin-ligand phosphate oxygens, the carbonyl oxygen of A67, a carboxyl oxygen of E87, and two water molecules. The C3 hydroxyl group of the bromohydrin inhibitor is involved in a short hydrogen bond to the carboxyl group of E116, one of the two Mn-bound glutamates. The structure obtained is consistent with a mechanism of action of the enzyme in which the carboxyl group of E116 protonates the double bond in isopentenylpyrophosphate, forming a carbocation, followed by removal of a C2 proton by the thiolate of C67, in the wild-type enzyme. The inhibition of the enzyme by a wide variety of other potent inhibitors is also readily explained on the basis of the bromohydrin inhibitor structure. Copyright © 2003 American Chemical Society.