cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulation of protein synthesis in unfertilized sea urchin and sand dollar eggs treated with trypsin.

Abstract Unfertilized sea urchin (Lytechinus pictus) and sand dollar (Dendraster excentricus) eggs exposed to trypsin are stimulated to incorporate labelled amino acids into proteins at greatly increased rates. This increase in protein synthesis in trypsin-treated sand dollar eggs is a result of their parthenogenetic activation, whereas the sea urchin eggs do not exhibit any morphological signs of activation from the effects of trypsin. Attempts to artificially activate sea urchin eggs with cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate were unsuccessful.
Assessment of Beach Access Paths on Dune Vegetation: Diversity, Abundance, and Cover

ABSTRACT Purvis, K.G.; Gramling, J.M., and Murren, C.J., 2015. Assessment of beach access paths on dune vegetation: Diversity, abundance, and cover. Coastal human populations are expanding and affecting plant communities, in particular dune systems. Coastal communities face risks from storm events, while coastal dune systems are heavily affected by human population and recreation pressures. Here, we evaluate the impacts of human disturbance (beach access paths) on vegetative cover and plant diversity in coastal dunes on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Transects were created in the foredune, middune, and backdune vegetation communities, and plots were placed 0, 1.5, 5, 10, and 20 m from a path to assess the impacts of three types of paths (public sand paths, private sand paths, and private wooden paths) at these distances on diversity, abundance, and measures of cover. Results indicate that beach access paths reduce biodiversity and density of beach dune vegetation. Sand paths contribute to greater redu...
Phe45 of NRG2beta is critical for the affinity of NRG2beta for ErbB4 and for potent stimulation of ErbB4 signaling by NRG2beta

The Neuregulins (NRGs) are members of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family of growth factors. EGF family members regulate the signaling of ErbB family receptor tyrosine kinases, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ErbB1), ErbB2/HER2/Neu, ErbB3/HER3 and ErbB4/HER4. We have previously demonstrated that the EGF family hormone NRG2beta is a potent ErbB4 agonist, whereas NRG2alpha is a weak ErbB4 agonist. We have also previously demonstrated that Phe45 of NRG2beta regulates the potency of NRG2beta. Here, we address the hypotheses that Phe45 regulates the potency of NRG2beta by regulating the affinity of NRG2beta for ErbB4. We demonstrate that Phe45 of NRG2beta indeed regulates the affinity of NRG2beta for ErbB4. Furthermore, a hydrophobic or uncharged amino acid side chain at residue 45 contributes to NRG2beta binding to ErbB4. These data indicate that Phe45 of NRG2beta may regulate the affinity of NRG2beta for ErbB4 by interacting with hydrophobic amino acids in ErbB4.
Defective development after puncturing the periplasm of nuclear multiplication stage Drosophila embryos

Abstract Nuclear multiplication stage embryos were punctured in either the anterior, midlateral, or posterior regions. Both embryos and adults were examined for defects, and the defects were correlated with whether there had been any leakage of cytoplasmic material from the egg at the time of puncturing. Embryonic defects were found, correlated to the site of damage, in all three regions. A number of embryos was followed through development and it was found that 15.1% of the embryos which leaked cytoplasm hatched into larvae, compared to 82.3% of those which did not leak any cytoplasm. Morphological defects arising as a result of lateral puncture only were observed in adults. Many sterile adults were obtained from eggs in which the posterior region had been punctured. The results show that nuclear multiplication embryos are well able to tolerate the disturbance of the cortical cytoplasm created by puncture, but only rarely are they able to compensate for the actual loss of material by regulation. The results were similar to those observed after puncturing Drosophila embryos at the cellular blastoderm stage.
Surface Figuring Using Neutral Ion Beams

During recent years, economic and technological pressures have driven research for higher performance optical fabrication techniques. Among the candidate figuring technologies is ion beam sputtering in which material is removed from the optical surface by the kinetic interaction of ions and atoms or molecules of the surface. The first use of sputtering as a means for optical figuring occurred in the mid 1960's [1,2], and the technique has been investigated by several groups since that time. The prior work was done primarily with ion sources producing high energy (20KeV and above), low current (fraction of a milliampere), narrow (usually less than one millimeter) ion beams. The low current directly translates to low removal rates, while the high energy contributes to radiation damage, ion implantation, and other effects. In the present work the low current, high energy source is replaced with a Kaufman broad-beam ion source[3]. These sources produce higher ion currents at lower energies, thus giving faster removal with minimal surface damage. The ion beam produced by a Kaufman ion source consists of a number of ions traveling in a (typi-cally) slightly diverging beam, along with an equal flux of lower energy electrons. The electrons are injected into the ion beam to reduce electrostatic repulsion in the beam, but also to prevent the charging of dielectric targets.
Spatial Effects in Econometric Practice in Environmental and Resource Economics

This paper reviews some methodological and practical issues that arise in the use of spatial econometric techniques in empirical research in environmental and resource economics. The focus is on four issues that do not always receive sufficient attention in applied work: the statistical implications of using spatially interpolated values in the RHS of models; the issue of spatial scale and spatial aggregation; the conceptualization of spatial variation in a continuous or discrete space; and the modeling of dependence as simultaneous or conditional. Spatial Effects in Econometric Practice in Environmental and Resource Economics Introduction Recent years have seen a tremendous increase in the application of geographic information systems and spatial analysis in the social sciences in general (Goodchild et al. 2000), and in applied research in environmental and resource economics in particular (Bockstael 1996). Such research is often characterized by the need to combine data obtained from different sources, using different sample designs, aggregation conventions and reporting frequencies. For example, economic variables such as house and land values and the type and volume of agricultural production are collected by means of censuses and surveys designed to accurately portray the distribution of the variable in the “population” of interest. This population pertains to economic agents or aggregates thereof, which are typically conceptualized as discrete, distinct “objects”, but rarely envisaged in an explicit spatial context. In contrast, environmental characteristics are often obtained from physical measurements that result from an underlying spatial sampling design. Examples are satellite imagery used to estimate land use and land cover and readings from sensors at fixed air and water quality monitoring stations. The sampling design used for these measures may be optimized to estimate the distribution of the physical phenomenon (such as air quality) as a spatial continuum or “field”, but has little connection to the framework used to collect economic information. In addition, neither economic nor physical data collection necessarily matches the spatial scale of the phenomenon under study, such as the geographic extent of a “market.” This is a level of complexity that goes well beyond the traditional micro-macro distinction in economic analysis. The scale mismatch and the inherent need to “integrate” data from various
HEARING SCREENING IN A WELL ELDERLY POPULATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR GERONTOLOGISTS

The present study focused on the hearing needs of a well elderly population living in a retirement community. Approximately one person in four either failed a hearing screening or had hearing concerns. The majority of these persons classified their hearing handicap as mild, their vision as good to excellent, and their lipreading skills as poor to fair. Only a few were using hearing aids. Many would participate in an aural rehabilitation program if one were available. Gerontologists, in consultation with audiologists, should include the hearing needs of well elderly persons in their education programs.
The impact of Pascal education on debugging skill

Education in the Pascal programming language has been touted as a means of learning structured programming principles. This paper reports the results of two experiments that tested the effect of Pascal education on the debugging skills of novice programmers under timed test conditions. Results of both experiments indicate (1) that Pascal education is a better predictor of debugging performance than major, previous COBOL education, number of computer courses taken, or professional programming experience, and (2) that novice programmers who have studied Pascal demonstrate superior debugging performance regardless of program structure. Measures of program comprehension used in Experiment Two suggest that Pascal education may improve debugging performance by increasing the comprehension of program goals and plans. These results suggest that the value of structured programming techniques may be realized more in the programmer's way of thinking about a program than in the creation of a structured program per se.
Activist research and city politics: Ethical lessons from youth-based public scholarship

This article offers observations from an ongoing action research project involving advocacy for public skateboarding facilities in Seattle, Washington to demonstrate both the need for, and the inhe...
Theoretical Approaches to Political Support

Meme si, au cours de la derniere decade, de tres nombreux travaux empiriques ont porte sur les problemes relatifs au soutient politique, les approches theoriques susceptibles d'engendrer par la suite des theories partielles du soutient ont ete relativement rares, et cela en depit du fait que cette notion ait depuis toujours permeabilise la recherche en politique. L'auteur examine ici les idees de Parsons concernant le support politique dans l'espoir qu'une meilleure comprehension des problemes non encore resolus permettra de proceder plus rapidement et plus surement a l'elaboration d'une theorie valable a ce sujet.
Minimal level cataloging: what does it mean for maps in the contexts of card catalogs, online catalogs, and digital libraries?

In this article, we examine some of the proposals which have dealt with the problems in cataloging in two different technological contexts: Printed-card catalogs and online catalogs. We first look at some of the measures which attempted to deal with the crisis in cataloging at the Library of Congress in the 1940s. Then we address some of the current problems in cataloging in the era of online public access catalogs (OPACs). In particular, we discuss the extent to which minimal-level cataloging, as defined by the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules and implemented in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC®) database, works for maps. Our discussion is organized around two main groups of access points: Controlled vocabulary data elements, including name data elements, and free-text data elements. In closing, we discuss prospects that the next generation of online catalogs using the Z39.50 protocol and SGML format might offer to minimal-level cataloging for maps.
Functional polymorphism of the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) influences reinforcement learning in humans.

Previous reports on the functional effects (i.e., gain or loss of function), and phenotypic outcomes (e.g., changes in addiction vulnerability and stress response) of a commonly occurring functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1 A118G) have been inconsistent. Here we examine the effect of this polymorphism on implicit reward learning. We used a probabilistic signal detection task to determine whether this polymorphism impacts response bias to monetary reward in 63 healthy adult subjects: 51 AA homozygotes and 12 G allele carriers. OPRM1 AA homozygotes exhibited typical responding to the rewarded response—that is, their bias to the rewarded stimulus increased over time. However, OPRM1 G allele carriers exhibited a decline in response to the rewarded stimulus compared to the AA homozygotes. These results extend previous reports on the heritability of performance on this task by implicating a specific polymorphism. Through comparison with other studies using this task, we suggest a possible mechanism by which the OPRM1 polymorphism may confer reduced response to natural reward through a dopamine-mediated decrease during positive reinforcement learning.
Action of mercurials on the active and passive transport properties of sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The effect of Hg2+ and Ch3-Hg+ on the passive and active transport properties of the Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase-rich fraction of skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is reported. The agents abolish active transport, at 10−5 and 10−4 M concentrations, respectively. Addition of the mercurials was also shown to release actively accumulated Ca2+. The mercurials increase the passive Ca2+ and Mg2+ permeability in the absence of ATP at the same concentrations at which they inhibit transport. It is proposed that both effects are the result of direct binding of the mercurials to the SH groups of the Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase pump, altering the conformational equilibria of the pump. The agents were also shown to increase the passive KCl permeability. The SR preparation consists of two vesicle populations with respect to K+ permeability, one with rapid KCl equilibration faciliated by a monovalent cation channel function and one with slow KCl equilibration. The mercurials increase the rates of KCl equilibration in both fractions, but produce higher rates in the fraction containing the channel function. The results are discussed in terms of pump and channel function and are compared with results for the electrical behavior of the Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase and other SR proteins in black lipid membranes, as presented by others.
AUDITORY-INSPIRED PITCH EXTRACTION USING A SYNCHRONY CAPTURE FILTERBANK AND PHASE ALIGNMENT

The question of how harmonic sounds produce strong, low pitches at their fundamental frequencies, f0s, has been of theoretical and practical interest to scientists and engineers for many decades. Currently the best auditory models for f0 pitch, e.g. [1], are based on bandpass filtering (cochlear mechanics), half-wave rectification and low-pass filtering (haircell transduction and synaptic transmission), channel autocorrelations (all-order interspike interval statistics) aggregated into a summary autocorrelation, and an analysis that determines the most prevalent interspike intervals. As a possible alternative to autocorrelation computations, we propose an alternative model that uses an adaptive Synchrony Capture Filterbank (SCFB) in which groups of filters or channels in a filterbank neighborhood are driven exclusively (captured) by dominant frequency components that are closest to them. The channel outputs are then adaptively phase aligned with respect to a common time reference to compute a Summary Phase Aligned Function (SPAF), aggregated across all channels, from which f0 can be easily extracted.
Relationship between bacterial binding to lymphocytes and clinical features in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

In previous studies we showed that spontaneous bacterial adherence can be used to identify human lymphocyte subpopulations and to demonstrate variable binding patterns in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In this study, 10 strains of bacteria of different genera and species were used in blood smears from 24 CLL patients to determine the percentages of lymphocytes that bind bacteria. From these percentages, binding indices were calculated. The symptoms and other laboratory tests were independently recorded and the stages determined. When the two sets of data were compared, relatively low binding indices were found in symptomatic patients or in Stages I11 and IV; relatively high binding indices were found in asymptomatic patients or in Stages I and 11. We suggest that with progression of leukemia, lymphocytes with less “lectio” recognition potential are selected and escape any control mechanism of proliferation. Cancer 44:1665-1670, 1979. HRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA (CLL) is C a disease of variable and unpredictable course. This disease is usually a malignant proliferation of B lymphocytes, but a rare T lymphocyte variant has also been described.2 It appears that the identification of a CLL as being the result of a malignant proliferation of B- or T-cells can be correlated with the clinical features of an individual patient.2 In spite of numerous attempts, there has been no good correlation between lymphocyte markers and clinical features for the majority of patients with typical B-cell CLL. Also, the generally accepted view is that in a particular patient the leukemic cell population is homogeneous, particularly when looking at the surface Ig by immunofluorescence.’ Davis, however, has recently presented evidence
The shh signaling pathway is upregulated in multiple cell types in cortical ischemia and influences the outcome of stroke in an animal model.

Recently the sonic hedgehog (shh) signaling pathway has been shown to play an important role in regulating repair and regenerative responses after brain injury, including ischemia. However, the precise cellular components that express and upregulate the shh gene and the cellular components that respond to shh signaling remain to be identified. In this study, using a distal MCA occlusion model, our data show that the shh signal is upregulated both at the cortical area near the injury site and in the adjacent striatum. Multiple cell types upregulate shh signaling in ischemic brain, including neurons, reactive astrocytes and nestin-expressing cells. The shh signaling pathway genes are also expressed in the neural stem cells (NSCs) niche in the subventricular zone (SVZ). Conditional deletion of the shh gene in nestin-expressing cells both at the SVZ niche and at the ischemic site lead to significantly more severe behavioral deficits in these shh iKO mice after cortical stroke, measured using an automated open field locomotion apparatus (Student’s t-test, p 0.05). In summary, our data demonstrate that shh signaling plays critical and ongoing roles in response to ischemic injury and modulation of shh signaling in vivo alters the functional outcome after cortical ischemic injury.
Performance of a near-infrared GaAs metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector with islands

A GaAs metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector with ultrasmall gold islands deposited on its photosensitive surface is described. The interdigitated detector is fabricated on a semi-insulating substrate in a MESFET-compatible technology. Responsivity as high as 1.8 A/W is obtained at 0.86 mu m and a bias voltage of 8 V. This represents over a sixfold increase with respect to responsivity of a conventional MSM photodetector. The mechanism for dark current is suggested and breakdown characteristics are presented. >
Mammalian SCAN Domain Dimer Is a Domain-Swapped Homolog of the HIV Capsid C-Terminal Domain

Retroviral assembly is driven by multiple interactions mediated by the Gag polyprotein, the main structural component of the forming viral shell. Critical determinants of Gag oligomerization are contained within the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the capsid protein, which also harbors a conserved sequence motif, the major homology region (MHR), in the otherwise highly variable Gag. An unexpected clue about the MHR function in retroviral assembly emerges from the structure of the zinc finger-associated SCAN domain we describe here. The SCAN dimer adopts a fold almost identical to that of the retroviral capsid CTD but uses an entirely different dimerization interface caused by swapping the MHR-like element between the monomers. Mutations in retroviral capsid proteins and functional data suggest that a SCAN-like MHR-swapped CTD dimer forms during immature particle assembly. In the SCAN-like dimer, the MHR contributes the major part of the large intertwined dimer interface explaining its functional significance.
Human receptive field characteristics: Probe analysis of stabilized images

Abstract Five experiments were reported in which a small probe dot or line was inserted into a circular field from which a stabilized test line had faded. Latency of probe detection was measured at a number of probe locations around vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines of various sizes. For all lines tested, an adapted area on the order of 5–8 min extended outward from each edge. More surprising, however, was a strong “edge enhancement” effect obtained with some lines which seemed to depend on line length. It was hypothesized that disappearance of stabilized lines reflects selective adaptation of supraretinal pattern-specific mechanisms, and that these data have demonstrated some characteristics of receptive fields associated with them.
Growth, Structure, and Mechanical Properties of Pulsed Laser Deposited TiN/TiB2 Microlaminates

A variety of hard nitride and boride coatings have attractive properties for a wide range of tribological electronic applications. Hard coatings of TiN and TiB{sub 2} have many interesting properties such as high thermal and electrical conductivity, high melting point, good thermodynamic stability and combination of these properties make them an interesting prospect for a wide range of tribological and electronic applications. It is understood that artificial multilayer structures have shown anomalously high hardness and moduli making them likely candidate for future protective coatings. Single layer of TiN, TiB{sub 2}, and TiB{sub 2}/TiN microlaminates coatings with varying thickness have been deposited on Si(100) and oxidized Si(111) substrates by in-situ pulsed laser deposition method. These films are deposited at 10 Hz repetition rate of excimer laser ({lambda} = 248 nm). The preliminary results show that elastic moduli and hardness values of multilayered coatings are superior than monolithic coatings of either of the two constituent materials. The coatings have been characterized by X-ray diffractometer and AFM techniques. Detailed results have been presented to correlate the effect of microlaminate thickness on the mechanical properties.
Examination of the calcium-modulated protein S100α and its target proteins in adult and developing skeletal muscle

In this study radioimmunoassay, immunohistochemistry, Northern blot analysis, and a gel overlay technique have been used to examine the level, subcellular distribution, and potential target proteins of the S100 family of calcium-modulated proteins in adult and developing rat skeletal muscles. Adult rat muscles contained high levels of S100 proteins but the particular form present was dependent on the muscle type: cardiac muscle contained exclusively S100 alpha, slow-twitch skeletal muscle fibers contained predominantly S100 alpha, vascular smooth muscle contained both S100 alpha and S100 beta, and fast-twitch skeletal muscle fibers contained low but detectable levels of S100 alpha and S100 beta. While the distribution of S100 mRNAs paralled the protein distribution in all muscles there was no direct correlation between the mRNA and protein levels in different muscle types, suggesting that S100 protein expression is differentially regulated in different muscle types. Immunohistochemical analysis of the cellular distribution of S100 proteins in adult skeletal muscles revealed that S100 alpha staining was associated with muscle cells, while S100 beta staining was associated with nonmuscle cells. Radioimmunoassays of developing rat skeletal muscles demonstrated that all developing muscles contained low levels of S100 alpha at postnatal day 1 and that as development proceeded the S100 alpha levels increased. In contrast to adult muscle S100 alpha expression was confined to fast-twitch fibers in developing skeletal muscle until postnatal day 21. At postnatal day 1, developing contractile elements were S100 alpha positive, but no staining periodicity was detectable. At postnatal day 21, S100 alpha exhibited the same subcellular localization as seen in the adult: colocalization with the A-band and/or longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum. Comparison of the S100 alpha-binding protein profiles in fast- and slow-twitch fibers of various species revealed few, if any, species- or fiber type-specific S100 binding proteins. Isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum fractions and myofibrils contained multiple S100 alpha-binding proteins. The colocalization of S100 alpha and S100 alpha-binding proteins with the contractile apparatus and sarcoplasmic reticulum suggest that S100 alpha may regulate excitation and/or contraction in slow-twitch fibers.
Chromium Coordination Compounds of Pyridoxal and Nicotinic Acid: Synthesis, Absorption and Metabolism

The poor gastrointestinal absorption of inorganic chromium has hampered study of the bioavailability, biodistribution and function of this essential trace element. New coordination compounds of Cr(III) — most notably the Schiff base complexes of pyridoxal, dipeptides and nicotinic acid — have been synthesized and characterized for metabolic studies in mice. Data are presented to document the whole-body absorption, excretory pathways and organ distribution of orally administered 51Cr complexes. These compounds are well absorbed but retention is low because of rapid urinary excretion. The liver accumulates more Cr from the pyridoxylidene complexes than from inorganic or other coordination compounds. These results suggest that Schiff base chelates potentiate the absorption of Cr by cells of the intestine, kidney and liver. Coordination by nicotinic acid increased the stability of the Schiff base chelates but did not affect the biodistribution significantly. The relationship of these complexes to the “glucose tolerance factor” is discussed.
Piecewise affine dispatch policies for economic dispatch under uncertainty

Stochastic optimization has become one of the fundamental mathematical frameworks for modeling power systems with important sources of uncertainty in the demand and supply sides. In this framework, a main challenge is to find optimal dispatch policies and settlement schemes that support a market equilibrium. In this paper, the economic dispatch under linear network constraints and resource uncertainty is revisited. Piece-wise affine continuous dispatch policies and locational prices that support a market equilibrium using a two-settlement scheme are derived. We find that the ex-post locational prices are piecewise affine continuous functions of the system uncertainties.
Interpreting semilogarithmic regression coefficients in labor research

Labor economists frequently misinterpret coefficients of variables in semilogarithmic regression equations. The proportional rates of change in the dependent variable that are implied by these coefficients are often erroneously assumed to be valid over arbitrarily large intervals. This note provides mathematical and empirical evidence on how serious the error can be. A simple formula is developed for making correct interpretations of semilog regression coefficients.
The value of slicing while debugging

Abstract The paper describes a study that explored the relationship of program slicing to (1) code understanding gained while debugging, and to (2) a debugger's ability to localize the program fault area. The study included two experiments. The first experiment compared the program understanding abilities of two classes of debuggers: those who slice while debugging and those who do not. For debugging purposes, a slice can be thought of as a minimal subprogram of the original code that contains the program faults. Those who only examine statements within a slice for correctness are considered slicers; all others are considered non-slicers. Using accuracy of subprogram construction as a measure of understanding, it was determined that slicers have a better understanding of the code after debugging. The second experiment compared debugger fault localization abilities before and after a training session on how to use slicing in debugging. Using time as a measure of ability, it was shown that slicing while debugging improves a debugger's ability to localize the program fault area.
In search of cognitive equilibrium: Beauty, quality and harmony

The field of MCDM should become significantly concerned about problems that are also qualitative, ‘messy’, fuzzy or not well-defined—they abound in human systems. Dealing exclusively with quantitatively well-defined problematique (the proverbial ‘finding the shortest path’) is part of the unidimensional legacy of OR/MS: it programmatically neglects attributes of beauty, quality, harmony, aesthetics, safety and reliability. Yet these are the criteria which are ardently sought after by modern humans, while being mostly ignored or neglected by modern technocrats.
Size Dependence of Inter- and Intracluster Interactions in Core–Shell Iron–Iron Oxide Nanoclusters

The room-temperature magnetic properties of core−shell iron− iron oxide nanoclusters (NCs) synthesized by a cluster deposition system were investigated, and their dependence on mean cluster size is discussed. In this study, the surface/boundary spins of clusters were not frozen and were thermally activated during the measurements. The intercluster interactions between clusters and intracluster interactions between the iron core (ferromagnetic) and iron oxide shell (ferrimagnetic) were investigated by field-dependent isothermal remanent magnetization and dc demagnetization measurements at room temperature. The Henkel and ΔM plots support the existence of dipolar intercluster interactions that become stronger with the growth of the clusters. The derivative of the initial magnetization curve implies that smaller clusters require lower fields and less time than larger ones to overcome various energy barriers before saturating the moments along the field direction. Coercive field and magnetization were also correlated with the interaction parameters. To compare the room-temperature magnetic results, one system was studied at low temperature, where exchange coupling at the interface between the oxide and metallic phases was observed through bias effect and anisotropy enhancement.
Unsuspected abnormalities noted on CT treatment-planning scans obtained for breast and chest wall irradiation

Abstract Purpose: Three-dimensional treatment planning and CT simulation is widely used for the treatment of a variety of cancers. At the Stanford University Medical Center, a treatment-planning CT scan is obtained before breast irradiation to optimize the dose distribution to the treated breast and to limit radiation to the opposite breast, heart, and lung. In this paper, we review the incidental findings discovered on a careful review of these scans. Methods and Materials: Between 1997 and 1999, 153 patients referred for breast or chest wall radiation therapy underwent a treatment-planning CT scan in our department. The planning scans were extended to include not only the breast, but also the neck, thorax, and liver. A resident and attending radiation oncologist carefully reviewed each scan before approving the treatment plan. Any abnormal findings were reviewed by an attending in the department of radiology, and additional diagnostic imaging or other evaluation was obtained as necessary. Results: One hundred and fifty-three sequential scans were reviewed, and 17 unsuspected abnormalities were noted (11%). The abnormalities involved the lung ( n = 4), the liver ( n = 3), the gallbladder ( n = 4), the esophagus ( n = 2), lymph nodes ( n = 3), and the breast. All abnormalities were evaluated with additional imaging studies and/or appropriate consultations. Four of these abnormalities represented additional cancer foci (3%) and altered the treatment plan. Conclusions: Three-dimensional treatment-planning CT scans for breast cancer should be carefully reviewed. In our institution, 11% of these planning studies contained abnormalities, and 3% demonstrated additional unanticipated sites of involvement by breast cancer.
The relationship between increased myogenic tone and hyporesponsiveness in vascular smooth muscle of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Responsiveness of aortic strips from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) normotensive rats was examined in the presence of different concentrations of Ca++. Helical strips from SHR exhibited a Ca++-dependent myogenic tone, whereas WKY strips maintained a stable resting tension at all levels of Ca++. In the presence of 1.5 mM Ca++, SHR strips were hyporesponsive to norepinephrine (NE) and KCl compared to WKY strips. However, when first exposed to Ca++-free medium, responses of strips from SHR and WKY rats to agonist plus Ca++ were of approximately equal magnitude. When an increase in active tone was induced with KCl in strips from WKY rats, these strips were seen to mimic SHR strips in their responses to Ca++-free solution and to NE. These results indicate that: 1) vascular smooth muscle of SHR possesses intrinsic myogenic tone, possibly due to increased permeability to Ca++, and 2) the decreased responsiveness of SHR strips in the presence of Ca++ is only an apparent hyporesponsiv...
An efficient vector finite element method for nonlinear electromagnetic modeling

We have developed a mixed Vector Finite Element Method (VFEM) for Maxwell's equations with a nonlinear polarization term. The method allows for discretization of complicated geometries with arbitrary order representations of the B and E fields. In this paper we will describe the method and a series of optimizations that significantly reduce the computational cost. Additionally, a series of test simulations will be presented to validate the method. Finally, a nonlinear waveguide mode mixing example is presented and discussed.
A rough logic formalism for fuzzy controllers: A hard and soft computing view

Abstract Based on hard and soft computing, an integrated design process, called rough logic government, is proposed. In this process, fuzzy logic is viewed as a methodology of a grand scale interpolation based on qualitative information. The design process is a sequence of transformations of mathematical models. It starts with a symbolic model that describes the control system in terms of predicates in rough logic. Predicates may include not only the usual linguistic rules, but also some hard computing information. These predicates are derived from either (1) experts' experience or (2) some training data using rough set methodology (rules mining). The next step is a transformation of the symbolic model into a fuzzy model, called a possible fuzzy world. It is accomplished by replacing every symbol that represents certain real world phenomena with a membership function that represents the same phenomena according to a fuzzy view. In formal logic, the symbolic model is called a theory and the transformation an interpretation of the theory. Of course, interpretations are usually not unique. The collection of all such possible fuzzy worlds is called a rough fuzzy model. It is a highly structured set, and can be treated as a differential geometric object. Using some inference methods, each possible fuzzy world is transformed into a “virtual” trajectory or integral submanifold which is a candidate for the solution of the unconstructed system equations. So a rough fuzzy model will produce a family of candidates. To verify and validate these candidates, the method of evolutionary computing is adopted. Some of these “virtual” objects may actually become “real world” trajectories or integral submanifolds, which are the design goal. Several new applications are identified.
Correlates of Mexican American Students' Standardized Test Scores: An Integrated Model Approach.

The use of standardized testing to evaluate academic achievement is a widely debated topic. Despite controversies, standardized testing is used in all educational levels from elementary school to c...
A system of alloantigens that selectively identifies lymph-node lymphocytes

The antiserum (BALB.I-H-2j x SWR/J)F1 anti-I.29 ascites cells, in reaction with B6 lymph-node cells (LNC) in the cytotoxicity assay, defines an alloantigen system called Lna-1 (lymph-node alloantigen-l) which in normal, untreated mice is expressed on the cells of lymph nodes but not of other lymphoid organs. The T- and B-cell populations of lymph nodes evidently include Lna-1+ subpopulations representing 30-40 percent of the total population The Lna-+ phenotype could be induced on cells of thymus and spleen but not of bone marrow. Congenitally asplenic +/Dh mice have no Lna-1+ cells in their lymph nodes, but their LNC can be induced to express Lna-1; this suggests that the spleen is normally required for the differentiation of Lna-1+ cells from Lna-1- precursors. It is not yet known whether thymus is also required for the expression of Lna-1 in lymph nodes. It remains to be seen whether the existence of the Lna-1+ B-cell subpopulation of lymph nodes depends on Lna-1+ T cells, and whether the Lna-1+ phenotype of B cells may be acquired rather than intrinsic. One hypothesis which is the basis of further study is that there is a T-cell pathway in which noninducible bone-marrow cells become Lna-1-inducible in the thymus, then travel to the spleen, where they are induced to become Lna-1+, after which they reside in lymph nodes.
A CT assisted method for absolute quantitation of internal radioactivity

A method is described for the determination of radioactivity (microCi or MBq) at an organ site within an object or patient. Using both anatomic image data (CT or MRI scans) and planar gamma camera images, activity at depth is determined using a matrix inversion method based on least squares. The result of the inversion analysis was the unknown set of n linear (uniform) activity densities representative of each organ within the phantom or patient. The problem was overdetermined since the number of unknown activity densities (microCi/cm) was much less than the number of analysis points (N) within the nuclear image. This method, defined as the CT assisted matrix inversion (CAMI) technique, was accurate to within 15% for a three "organ" plastic phantom, wherein the organs were right circular cylinders having activities of 74 to 508 microCi (or 2.74 MBq to 18.8 MBq). This accuracy included image quantitation effects, particularly assumptions concerning attenuation correction. The average absolute percent error of the estimated activity in four distinct radioactive volumes in the phantom was 9.8%. It was found that the background activity within the phantom was estimated to be too high if sampling regions near strong sources were used in the analysis (scatter effect). This was minimized by going at least 2 cm away from such sources. By applying the method to a monoclonal antibody clinical study, activities within the patient's major organs such as liver, spleen, and kidney could be estimated, even in cases where the organ could not be visualized. Here, the CAMI algorithm gave internally consistent results for the patient's left and right lung linear activity concentrations. The CAMI technique resolves the problem of tissue superimposition using depth information from 3-D CT and is applicable in cases where a number of organs overlap in the gamma camera image. Thus, the method should be generally useful to nuclear image quantitation and the estimation of absorbed radiation doses in patients. One particular application is the estimation of radiation doses in radioimmunotherapy (RIT).
An infrared spectroscopic study of the structural phase transitions of n-C10H21NH3Cl

Abstract Infrared spectroscopy was used to study the phases of n-decylammonium chloride in the temperature range 20 to 65°C. The infrared spectra of virgin crystals at room temperature are indicative of a well-ordered phase, while the spectra of the high temperature phase demonstrate extensive motional and conformational disorder. The phase obtained by cooling from 65 to 25°C also presents motional and conformational disorder. However, it is metastable and annealing for 13 days at room temperature (25°C) results in a phase similar but not identical to the virgin crystals.
Augmented and Delayed Feedback in the Chevreul Pendulum Illusion.

Summary Two experiments were performed with male and female college students to determine the effects of augmented and delayed feedback on the Chevreul pendulum effect: the tendency of a small pendulum, when suspended from the hand and imaginatively concentrated on, to oscillate seemingly of its own accord. Using a time exposure photographic measurement technique and an electronically monitored pendulum, visual and auditory analog feedback was presented to Ss during imaginal processing tasks. It was found in Experiment I (N = 14) that both visual and auditory analog feedback facilitated the pendulum effect, although not as extensively as normal visual feedback. In Experiment II (N = 30) it was found that delayed visual analog feedback disrupted performance with the pendulum but that delayed auditory analog feedback did not. The reliable within-Ss results established the pendulum effect as a skilled behavior which can be investigated like other sensory motor skills.
R. A. Millikan's Struggle with the Meaning of Planck's Constant

In 1916 R. A. Millikan published his experimental determination of the value of Planck’s constant, with remarkable precision. It was later cited as part of his Nobel Prize award. But as a study of that paper together with Millikan’s subsequent comments over the years reveal, he initially refused to accept the interpretation of the theoretical meaning of his work, as seen from the perspective of a present-day physicist. Yet, over time, Millikan adjusted his view retroactively to accept the meaning of what he had done — namely to provide crucial support for Einstein’s heuristic point of view on the quantum theory of light (1905). This case also serves as a test whether scientists, as is now often alleged, as a rule arrange to obtain their results in the light of their own beliefs.
The bivariate probit model of uncomplicated control of tumor: A heuristic exposition of the methodology

Abstract Purpose: To describe the concept, models, and methods for the construction of estimates of joint probability of uncomplicated control of tumors in radiation oncology. Interpolations using this model can lead to the identification of more efficient treatment regimens for an individual patient. The requirement to find the treatment regimen that will maximize the joint probability of uncomplicated control of tumors suggests a new class of evolutionary experimental designs—Response Surface Methods—for clinical trials in radiation oncology. Methods and Materials: The software developed by Lesaffre and Molenberghs is used to construct bivariate probit models o the joint probability of uncomplicated control of cancer of the oropharynx from a set of 45 patients for each of whom the presence/absence of recurrent tumor (the binary event Ē 1 l/E 1 ) and the presence/absence of necrosis (the binary event E 2 /Ē 2 ) of the normal tissues of the target volume is recorded, together with the treatment variables dose, time, and fractionation. Results: The bivariate probit model can be used to select a treatment regime that will give a specified probability, say P(S) = 0.60, of uncomplicated control of tumor by interpolation within a set of treatment regimens with known outcomes of recurrence and necrosis. The bivariate probit model can be used to guide a sequence of clinical trials to find the maximum probability of uncomplicated control of tumor for patients in a given prognostic stratum using Response Surface Methods by extrapolation from an initial set of treatment regimens. Conclusions: The design of treatments for individual patients and the design of clinical trials might be improved by use of a bivariate probit model and Response Surface Methods.
The Luminosity-Metallicity Relation, Effective Yields, and Metal Loss in Spiral and Irregular Galaxies

I present results on the correlation between galaxy mass, luminosity, and metallicity for a sample of spiral and irregular galaxies having well-measured abundance profiles, distances, and rotation speeds. Additional data for low surface brightness galaxies from the literature are also included for comparison. These data are combined to study the metallicity-luminosity and metallicity-rotation speed correlations for spiral and irregular galaxies. The metallicity-luminosity correlation shows its familiar form for these galaxies, a roughly uniform change in the average present-day O/H abundance of about a factor of 100 over 11 mag in B luminosity. However, the O/H-Vrot relation shows a change in slope at a rotation speed of about 125 km s-1. At faster Vrot, there appears to be no relation between average metallicity and rotation speed. At lower Vrot, the metallicity correlates with rotation speed. This change in behavior could be the result of increasing loss of metals from the smaller galaxies in supernova-driven winds. This idea is tested by looking at the variation in effective yield, derived from observed abundances and gas fractions assuming closed box chemical evolution. The effective yields derived for spiral and irregular galaxies increase by a factor of 10-20 from Vrot ≈ 5 to 300 km s-1, asymptotically increasing to approximately constant yeff for Vrot 150 km s-1. The trend suggests that galaxies with Vrot 100-150 km s-1 may lose a large fraction of their supernova ejecta, while galaxies above this value tend to retain metals.
Methoden zur Analyse von Zwei-Komponenten-Systemen

Die Entdeckung der Proteinphosphorylierung in der bakteriellen Stickstoffassimilierung und Chemotaxis vor mehr als 30 Jahren hat die Entwicklung vieler biochemischer Methoden nach sich gezogen. Dieser Beitrag gibt eine ubersicht uber die gangigsten Techniken.
An economic approach to analyzing civil wars

Civil wars and conflict can be understood from an economic point of view only if there is incomplete contracting. I examine such settings and first discuss sources of incomplete contracting, from geography and ethnic and social distance to external interventions due to geopolitics or the presence of rents. Yet, since war is destructive, the contending parties might normally be expected to settle in the shadow of war. One reason that sometimes they do not, contrary to conventional wisdom, is because the shadow of the future is too long. Subsequently, using a formal model for guidance I examine some consequences of civil wars and emphasize the role hierarchical organization and rents play in determining the severity of conflict.
Structural Basis and Biological Consequences for JNK2/3 Isoform Selective Aminopyrazoles.

Three JNK isoforms, JNK1, JNK2, and JNK3 have been reported and unique biological function has been ascribed to each. It is unknown if selective inhibition of these isoforms would confer therapeutic or safety benefit. To probe JNK isoform function we designed JNK2/3 inhibitors that have >30-fold selectivity over JNK1. Utilizing site-directed mutagenesis and x-ray crystallography we identified L144 in JNK3 as a key residue for selectivity. To test whether JNK2/3 selective inhibitors protect human dopaminergic neurons against neurotoxin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, we monitored reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). The results showed that JNK2/3 selective inhibitors protected against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced ROS generation and MMP depolarization. These results suggest that it was possible to develop JNK2/3 selective inhibitors and that residues in hydrophobic pocket I were responsible for selectivity. Moreover, the findings also suggest that inhibition of JNK2/3 likely contributed to protecting mitochondrial function and prevented ultimate cell death.