cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance characteristics of a carbon isotope ratio method for detecting doping with testosterone based on urine diols: controls and athletes with elevated testosterone/epitestosterone ratios.

Background: Carbon isotope ratio methods are used in doping control to determine whether urinary steroids are endogenous or pharmaceutical. Methods: Gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) was used to determine the δ13C values for 5β-androstane-3α,17β-diyl diacetate (5βA), 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diyl diacetate (5αA), and 5β-pregnane-3α,20α-diyl diacetate (5βP) in a control group of 73 healthy males and 6 athletes with testosterone/epitestosterone ratios (T/E) >6. Results: The within-assay precision SDs for 5βA, 5αA, and 5βP were ± 0.27‰, ± 0.38‰, and ± 0.28‰, respectively. The between-assay precision SDs ranged from ± 0.40‰ to ± 0.52‰. The system suitability and batch acceptance scheme is based on SDs. For the control group, the mean δ13C (SD) values were −25.69‰ (± 0.92‰), −26.35‰ (± 0.68‰), and −24.26‰ (± 0.70‰), for 5βA, 5αA, and 5βP, respectively. 5βP was greater than 5βA and 5αA ( P <0.01), and 5βA was greater than 5αA ( P <0.01). The means − 3 SD were −28.46‰, −28.39‰, and −26.37‰ for 5βA, 5αA, and 5βP, respectively. The maximum difference between 5βP and 5βA was 3.2‰, and the maximum 5βA/5βP was 1.13. Three athletes with chronically elevated T/Es had δ13C values consistent with testosterone administration and three did not. Conclusions: This GC-C-IRMS assay of urine diols has low within- and between-assay SDs; therefore, analysis of one urine sample suffices for doping control. The means, SDs, ±3 SDs, and ranges of δ13C values in a control group are established. In comparison, testosterone users have low 5βA and 5αA, large differences between 5βA or 5αA and 5βP, and high 5βA/5βP and 5αA/5βP ratios.
A rewriting logic sampler

Rewriting logic is a simple computational logic very well suited as a semantic framework within which many different models of computation, systems and languages can be naturally modeled. It is also a flexible logical framework in which many different logical formalisms can be both represented and executed. As the title suggests, this paper does not try to give a comprehensive overview of rewriting logic. Instead, after introducing the basic concepts, it focuses on some recent research directions emphasizing: (i) extensions of the logic to model real-time systems and probabilistic systems; and (ii) some exciting application areas such as: semantics of programming languages, security, and bioinformatics.
High-speed planar plasma density measurements in a hall thruster plume

The unsteady behavior of a Hall effect thruster discharge is investigated via two-dimensional, time-resolved optical (109,500 frames-per-second) and plasma measurements (100 kHz). Large amplitude unsteady ionization “breathing-mode” fluctuations at 18.4 kHz are observed in the near- and far-field plume electron density, optical intensity, and discharge current of a 200-V, 2-A plasma plume generated by a 600-W Hall effect thruster. A specially designed High-speed Dual Langmuir Probe (HDLP) system is used to perform time-resolved measurements of the discharged plasma density and temperature in a planar grid of 352 elements measuring 0.31 m by 0.5 m. Using methods of Fourier analysis, contour-map movies with a 10-µs framerate of the plasma properties are created and presented with corresponding optical images taken with a high-speed camera. Discrete turbulent bursts of plasma are tracked as the thruster exhales breaths of ionized propellant at rates in excess of 12 km/s. These temporally-resolved measurements offer rare insight into the dynamic physics of thruster operation through unprecedented, detailed visualizations of the plasma density flow-field temporal evolution and structure.
Theoretical model for lateral inhibitory interaction in the human retina.

Stlmmary.-Several models for lateral inhibitory interaction are available in the literature; however, these models are deficient in providing a systematic account of simultaneous brightness contrast for one or several of the following reasons: (1 ) no rational basis is presented for phenomenal black; ( 2 ) the mediation of lateral inhibitory interaction is generally attributed to the horizontal cells of the human retina, but there is no neuroanatomical evidence that the horizontal cell is present in the central-most fovea, although there is psychophysical evidence that lateral inhibitory interaction occurs in the central-most fovea; ( 3 ) the response characteristics of the receptive field have nor been conceptually integrated into the models despite general theoretical agreement that the receptive field organization is meaningful for simultaneous brightness contrast. These deficiencies have prompted the development of the theoretical model presented here. In addition to integrating the foregoing empirical aspects of simultaneous brightness contrast, the model predicts that the magnitude of perceived brightness contrast will be greater at a corner than along an edge. Empirical data consistent with this prediction are presented. A further prediction that the perceived magnitude of brightness contrast will increase as the angular size of the corner decreases is tested. In a theoretical analysis, an approximation to the experimental results is obtained when contrast effects due both to the predicted effect of angle size and the well known effect of inducing-field area are considered.
Vibrational Stark effect for matrix-isolated CN − molecules

Stark measurements have been made on persistent IR spectral holes in the stretch mode of the CN−:Na+ center in KBr. A simple model in which the anharmonic CN− molecule is coupled harmonically to the lattice qualitatively explains both the magnitude of the zero-field frequency difference for the two molecular arrangements in the crystal as well as the absence of a Stark tuning curve for one of these configurations.
Dollars and sense: the path to board independence

States that there are several recent developments in the area of corporate governance (CG) reform that highlight issues of board independence and CG “best practices”. Notes that CG reforms often focus on achieving board independence. Concludes, that ultimately, the performance of any board is a function of the individual characters comprising it.
Distributed ECN-Based Congestion Control

Following the design philosophy of XCP, VCP is a router-assisted congestion protocol that intends to balance the efficiency and the fairness control in high Bandwidth-Delay Product networks. While both VCP and XCP achieve comparable performance, VCP represents a more practical alternative of deployment as it only requires the use of two ECN bits in the IP header. However, the use of two ECN bits only allows for establishing three levels of congestion notification signaling. Our previous work reveals that VCP suffers from relatively low speed of convergence and exhibits a biased fairness behavior in moderate bandwidth high delay networks due to utilizing an insufficient amount of congestion feedback. In this paper, we propose a distributed ECN-based congestion control protocol to which we refer as Double-Packet Congestion Control Protocol (DPCP). DPCP is capable of relaying a more precise congestion feedback compared to earlier proposed Variable-structure Congestion-control Protocol (VCP) yet preserving the utilization of the two ECN bits. By distributing (extracting) congestion related information into (from) a series of packets, DPCP is able to circumvent the limitations of VCP related to the use of three congestion levels encoded into two ECN bits. We implement DPCP in Linux and demonstrate its performance improvements compared to VCP through experimental studies.
Cut Your Risks with Environmental Auditing

Environmental audits help you reduce exposures and liabilities—by catching them before they become big problems. The authors explain the basics, and give step-by-step instructions to ensure your success. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Expanded host cell tropism and cytopathic properties of feline immunodeficiency virus strain PPR subsequent to passage through interleukin-2-independent T cells.

A cytopathic variant of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) strain PPR emerged after passage of wild-type virus on an interleukin-2-independent cell line. The virus, termed FIV-PPRglial, displayed a phenotype markedly different from the parental virus, including the ability to productively infect previously refractory cell lines, induction of large syncytia, and accelerated kinetic properties. A chimeric molecular clone, FIV-PPRchim42, containing the FIV-PPRglial envelope within the backbone of FIV-PPR, exhibited all the characteristics of the FIV-PPRglial phenotype, demonstrating that the viral envelope was responsible for the acquired traits. Subsequent molecular characterization revealed that the FIV-PPRglial envelope contained five amino acid substitutions relative to wild-type FIV-PPR. Mutagenic analyses further demonstrated that the acquired phenotype was minimally attributable to a combination of three mutations, specifically, a glutamine-to-proline change within the second constant domain of the surface protein (SU); a threonine-to-proline change within the V4 loop, also in the SU; and a premature stop codon in the cytoplasmic tail of the transmembrane protein. All three changes were required to produce the FIV-PPRglial phenotype. Cotransfection studies with mutant viruses in combination with each other and with FIV-PPR indicated that the truncated cytoplasmic tail was responsible for the induction of syncytium formation. Receptor usage analyses were pursued, and distinctions were observed between FIV-PPR and FIV-PPRglial. In vitro infections with FIV-PPR, FIV-PPRglial, and FIV-34TF10 on two adherent cell lines were ablated in the presence of SDF1α, the natural ligand for CXCR4. In contrast, viral infection of T cells was not limited to CXCR4 usage, and inhibition studies indicate the potential involvement of a CC chemokine receptor.
Electronic band structure and Kondo coupling in Yb Rh 2 Si 2

The electronic band structure of $\mathrm{Yb}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ is calculated in a relativistic framework including correlation corrections and magnetization of the Yb ion and compared to detailed angle-resolved photoemission spectra. The photoemission spectra for $\mathrm{Lu}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ are used as reference to identify electronic bands with no $f$ symmetry. The calculated band structure manifests a $4{f}^{13}$ spin-polarized configuration leaving the unoccupied state at $1.4\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ above the Fermi energy. At the band theory level, the $4f$ bands are located far below the Fermi level and the anisotropic Coulomb interaction within the $4f$ shell spreads the multilevel into broader $4f$ complexes below $\ensuremath{-}2.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$. The photoemission spectra obtained on $\mathrm{Yb}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ show a clear $f$-multilevel splitting into $j=7∕2$ and $5∕2$ excitations. The interaction of the $4{f}_{7∕2}$ levels close to the Fermi energy with two conduction bands shows visible hybridization gaps of 45 and $80\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$, respectively. We discuss the origin of these excitations and provide an analysis according to Anderson's single-impurity model with parameters suggested by the band-structure calculation and the photoemission spectra. Both experiment and theory indicate nearly identical Fermi surfaces for $\mathrm{Lu}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ and $\mathrm{Yb}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$. The valency of Yb in $\mathrm{Yb}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ is estimated to be close to $+3$.
Relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits and employees’ organizational commitment in a petroleum company in the State of Qatar

The study examined the relationship between the beliefs of senior staff Qatari national employees regarding training benefits as measured by the benefits of employee training, and employees’ organizational commitment as measured by the three-component model of organizational commitment. This relationship was assessed through a quantitative associational research design. From the study site, Qatar Petroleum, a total of 283 responses were analysed using stepwise regression analysis. The findings suggest that there is a positive relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits and employees’ organizational commitment.
Paradigm Uniformity Effects in German Phonology

German words like Siedl-ung [] ‘settlement’, which contain a sequence of obstruent plus sonorant consonant between vowels, pose two problems assuming the heterosyllabic parse: (a) the first syllable is superheavy, but superheavy syllables are otherwise restricted in their occurrence to word-final position; and (b) the /d/ does not devoice, contrary to what one would expect, since Final Devoicing operates without exception in coda position. The problem in assuming that consonant clusters like [dl] are tautosyllabic is that they are otherwise non-occurring in word-initial position. In the present study, it is argued that the heterosyllabic parse for words like Siedl-ung is correct, and that (a) and (b) derive an explanation by appealing to paradigm uniformity. It is shown in an optimality-theoretic analysis that the canonical patterns capturing the distribution of superheavy syllables and Final Devoicing require the ranking “markedness ” input-output faithfulness.” The paradigm uniformity effects, that is, (a) and (b), require a specific output-output faithfulness constraint to dominate the markedness constraint. The proposed paradigm uniformity approach is compared to earlier treatments in which the notion of paradigm does not play a role. It is also shown that the tautosyllabic parse in examples like Siedl-ung is problematic.This paper was presented at Indiana University in December 2004 and at the Old World Conference in Phonology 2 (OCP-2) at the University of Tromso in January 2005. Thanks are due to the respective audiences for their comments and suggestions. I would also like to thank two anonymous JGL reviewers for their remarks on an earlier written version. All disclaimers apply.
Effect of multiorder harmonics in a double-Raman pumped gain medium for a superluminal laser

Use of a double-Raman pump applied to a three-level system is a convenient method for generating negative dispersion. When the gain at the center is high enough, such a system can be used to realize a superluminal laser, which in turn can be used to enhance the sensitivity of rotation sensors. For this condition, it is often necessary to apply strong pumps that are closely spaced in frequency. Accurate modeling of this system thus requires taking into account interference between the two pumps. We present such an analysis where we allow for an arbitrary number of harmonics that result from this interference, and investigate the behavior of the gain profile under a wide range of conditions. We also describe an experimental study of double-Raman gain in a Rb vapor cell, and find close agreement between the experimental result and the theoretical model. The technique reported here can be used in developing a quantitative model of a superluminal laser under wide-ranging conditions.
It's tea time: do you know where your mug is?

The transition to Internet of Things depends on the ability to create small, simple applications that are easily written and can be flexibly combined into larger, more powerful systems. We have designed an infrastructure to meet this need and report on a year's experience expanding and using it in an open-plan academic office space with up to a hundred sensors enabling nearly a dozen applications ranging from announcing tea time in the break room, notifying users that the conference room is in use, to printing documents from a web-based map. Applications are simple to write, modular, easily reused, and can incorporate diverse data inputs in a heterogeneous sensing environment. We discuss our efforts to incrementally improve user interfaces and system management.
D-separation, forecasting, and economic science: a conjecture

The paper considers the conjecture that forecasts from preferred economic models or theories d-separate forecasts from less preferred models or theories from the Actual realization of the variable for which a scientific explanation is sought. D-separation provides a succinct notion to represent forecast dominance of one set of forecasts over another; it provides, as well, a criterion for model preference as a fundamental device for progress in economic science. We demonstrate these ideas with examples from three areas of economic modeling.
Bill Sponsorship in Congress: The Moderating Effect of Agenda Positions on Legislative Proposals

Positions of influence over the legislative agenda provide greater opportunities for shaping policy outcomes. Do legislators take advantage of this? If they do, when the median is pivotal and legislators' goals reflect both position taking and policy seeking, greater influence over the agenda leads legislators to moderate their bills relative to legislators with lower agenda priority. Analysis of a formal game theoretic model provides rigorous justification for the proposition, and empirical analysis of House and Senate bills from the 101st to 108th Congresses using cosponsorship data to measure the ideological locations of bills largely supports it. Committee leadership and majority party status have moderating effects while the effect of committee membership is slight. The analysis also tentatively supports the pivotalness of the median over other alternatives. Contrary to the view that bill sponsorship is mere position taking, legislative organization significantly shapes early-stage legislative behavi...
The Mcube: a symmetrical cube based network with twisted links

The Mcube network proposed in this paper is a highly recursive and symmetrical interconnection network based on twisted links (Abraham and Padmanabhan, 1989). However, unlike other twist-based networks which are asymmetrical, the Mcube has a uniform distance distribution. In addition the Mcube is immune to the adverse effects of skewed traffic patterns that occur in asymmetrical structures. Mcubes have about half the diameter of a hypercube with the same node and link complexity. Mcubes have been defined in terms of the structure of components rather than relations between binary strings chiefly to ensure structural symmetry. Mcubes have a lower average internode distance than other twist-based networks. Reduced network congestion and low message delays allow Mcubes to perform significantly better than other comparable networks particularly under heavy traffic loads. Mcubes can emulate comparable hypercubes with a small routing overhead. Several classes of parallel algorithms can be mapped to execute faster on Mcubes than on hypercubes. >
Phenomenological and global optimization inversion

This paper discusses geoacoustic inversion results based on benchmark range-dependent data using SAGA, a global inversion package, and using phenomenological inversions. In phenomenological inversions, physical and signal-processing approaches are used to enhance the data to extract specific features. The global optimization approach is carried out on complex-valued vertical array data, transmission loss data, and reverberation data. The importance of checking the solution is emphasized by inspecting the match with the data and the error estimates and by checking the solution using data that has not been used in constructing the solution. The results show that we are able to estimate the geoacoustic parameters and that these parameters could be used to predict the field for different frequencies and/or source-receiver geometry than used in the inversion.
Improving the prediction of protein secondary structure in three and eight classes using recurrent neural networks and profiles.

Secondary structure predictions are increasingly becoming the workhorse for several methods aiming at predicting protein structure and function. Here we use ensembles of bidirectional recurrent neural network architectures, PSI-BLAST-derived profiles, and a large nonredundant training set to derive two new predictors: (a) the second version of the SSpro program for secondary structure classification into three categories and (b) the first version of the SSpro8 program for secondary structure classification into the eight classes produced by the DSSP program. We describe the results of three different test sets on which SSpro achieved a sustained performance of about 78% correct prediction. We report confusion matrices, compare PSI-BLAST to BLAST-derived profiles, and assess the corresponding performance improvements. SSpro and SSpro8 are implemented as web servers, available together with other structural feature predictors at: http://promoter.ics.uci.edu/BRNN-PRED/. Proteins 2002;47:228–235. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE PLANTS OF THE SHIMBA HILLS, KWALE DISTRICT, KENYA

ABSTRACT An annotated checklist of the Shimba Hills in Kwale District is presented. The checklist includes the plants found in the Shimba Hills National Reserve, Mkongani North and West Forest Reserves, Matuga, Mwaluganje Forest Reserve and Elephant Sanctuary, as well as Kaya Chombo, Kaya Teleza, Chitsanze Sacred Grove and the recently destroyed Kaya Miyani. One thousand three hundred and ninety six (1396) plant taxa in 145 families and 686 genera are documented. This represents 44% of the coastal flora and 21% of the Kenyan flora. For each taxon recorded, I also present recent synonyms, a reference specimen, a more precise locality within the checklist area, a short description of its habit and a diagnostic characteristic, as well as some notes on its distribution and conservation status.
A bottom-up view of the biological pump : modeling source funnels above ocean sediment traps

Abstract The sinking of particles that make up the biological pump is not vertical but nearly horizontal. This means that the locations where the particles are formed may be distant from their collection in a sediment trap. This has led to the development of the concept of the statistical funnel to describe the spatial–temporal sampling characteristics of a sediment trap. Statistical funnels can be used to quantify the source region in the upper ocean where collected particles were created (source funnels) or the location of the collected particles during that deployment (collection funnels). Here, we characterize statistical funnels for neutrally buoyant, surface-tethered and deep-ocean moored trap deployments conducted just north of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. Three-dimensional realizations of the synoptic velocity field, created using satellite altimeter and shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler data, are used to advect sinking particles back to their source for sinking velocities of 50–200 m per day. Estimated source- and collection-funnel characteristics for the 5-day collections made by neutrally buoyant and surface-tethered traps are similar with typical scales of several km to several 10s of km. Deep-moored traps have daily source-funnel locations that can be many 100s of km distant from the trap and have long-term containment radii that range from 140 to 340 km depending upon sinking rate. We assess the importance of particle source regions using satellite estimates of chlorophyll concentration as a surrogate for the spatial distribution of particle export. Our analysis points to the need to diagnose water-parcel trajectories and particle sinking rates in the interpretation of sinking-particle fluxes from moored or freely drifting sediment traps, especially for regions where there are significant horizontal gradients in the export flux. But whence come the little siliceous and calcareous shells…[brought up] from the depth of over miles? Did they live in the surface waters immediately above? Or is their habitat in some remote part of the sea, whence, at their death, the currents were set forth as pallbearers, with the command to deposit the dead corpses where the plummet found them? (Maury, 1858).
TCAM enabled on-chip logic minimization

This paper presents an efficient hardware architecture of an on-chip logic minimization coprocessor. The proposed architecture employs TCAM cells to provide fastest and memory efficient implementation suitable for emerging on-chip minimization applications. The paper presents a detailed design of the on-chip minimizer and shows that it requires very little hardware resources to achieve acceptable quality of minimization. An incremental insertion and bulk deletion is achieved in 0.25 /spl mu/s and 3.8 ms respectively and a compaction of 100000 entries in 25 ms using just 300 TCAM entries.
Assessing reactivity in 3 breed of working dogs: Phenotypic determination and associated genotypes

s 249 may occur. Hazmat-related information on contamination detection, avoidance, and identification are covered elsewhere by multiple sources. Common hazards and canine medical issues are touched on briefly, with greater detail also available in another study by the author.
A new—old algorithm for minimum‐cut and maximum‐flow in closure graphs

We present an algorithm for solving the minimum-cut problem on closure graphs without maintaining flow values. The algorithm is based on an optimization algorithm for the open-pit mining problem that was presented in 1964 (and published in 1965) by Lerchs and Grossmann. The Lerchs—Grossmann algorithm (LG algorithm) solves the maximum closure which is equivalent to the minimum-cut problem. Yet, it appears substantially different from other algorithms known for solving the minimum-cut problem and does not employ any concept of flow. Instead, it works with sets of nodes that have a natural interpretation in the context of maximum closure in that they have positive total weight and are closed with respect to some subgraph. We describe the LG algorithm and study its features and the new insights it reveals for the maximum-closure problem and the maximum- flow problem. Specifically, we devise a linear time procedure that evaluates a feasible flow corresponding to any iteration of the algorithm. We show that while the LG algorithm is pseudopolynomial, our variant algorithms have complexity of O(mn log n), where n is the number of nodes and m is the number of arcs in the graph. Modifications of the algorithm allow for efficient sensitivity and parametric analysis also running in time O(mn log n). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Geographic Location, Media Coverage and Investor Reactions

This paper examines a previously unexplored dimension of press coverage: geography. We ask whether regional newspapers, located near firms, provide greater coverage relative to national newspapers, whether local investors, located near firms, disproportionately respond to this regional coverage, and whether there are resulting differences in returns. Our results show that regional newspapers do provide greater coverage: They cover nearby firms more often and with longer articles than national newspapers. They also issue a higher number of isolated articles, which are not clearly prompted by a management announcement or other news event, and issue longer articles following earnings announcements. We then compare the use of regional press information by local and non-local investors. We find that local investors react significantly more strongly than non-local investors to articles published in regional newspapers, even when restricting to investors who already hold the stock and thus have strong incentives to pay attention to firm-specific news. We find that the reaction of local investors to regional newspapers is significantly stronger among investors in more literate cities, suggesting that the choice to “read the paper” contributes to the stronger reaction of local investors, even controlling for costs to access the newspaper. Finally, we find that local investor trading predicts higher returns than non-local investor trading only on news article days, with the strongest difference for regional newspaper articles. We also find little difference in local and non-local investor trading before news, and little difference in returns following non-news days, suggesting that a large part of the local advantage documented in prior literature is related to coverage by the press.
Positive and negative forms of replicability in gene network analysis

MOTIVATION: Gene networks have become a central tool in the analysis of genomic data but are widely regarded as hard to interpret. This has motivated a great deal of comparative evaluation and research into best practices. We explore the possibility that this may lead to overfitting in the field as a whole. RESULTS: We construct a model of 'research communities' sampling from real gene network data and machine learning methods to characterize performance trends. Our analysis reveals an important principle limiting the value of replication, namely that targeting it directly causes 'easy' or uninformative replication to dominate analyses. We find that when sampling across network data and algorithms with similar variability, the relationship between replicability and accuracy is positive (Spearman's correlation, rs ~ 0.33) but where no such constraint is imposed, the relationship becomes negative for a given gene function (rs ~ -0.13). We predict factors driving replicability in some prior analyses of gene networks and show that they are unconnected with the correctness of the original result, instead reflecting replicable biases. Without these biases, the original results also vanish replicably. We show these effects can occur quite far upstream in network data, and that there is a strong tendency within protein-protein interaction data for highly replicable interactions to be associated with poor quality-control. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Algorithms, network data, and a guide to the code available at: https://github.com/wimverleyen/AggregateGeneFunctionPrediction. CONTACT: jgillis@cshl.edu.
Investigation on the relationship between CD and CDU in memory devices

As pattern design rule of device shrinks, CD control becomes more critical and important especially for resistance devices. As CD (Critical Dimension) increases, CDU (Critical Dimension Uniformity) becomes worse generally. The question with this relationship is a starting point of our study. Mainly we focused on two points. One is which factor affects CDU. The other is whether CDU degradation with large CD happens at all cases or not. We have analyzed with simulation and experiment results about CDU with splitted mask layout CD under limited conditions such as same equipment, illumination and exposure dose. As a result, we will show the relationship between CD size and CDU.
Cytologic and Cytogenetic Analysis of Metanephric Adenoma of the Kidney: A Report of Two Cases

Metanephric adenoma is a recently described renal neoplasm. Because follow-up to date has been benign, accurate diagnosis on fine-needle aspiration material may be important for appropriate clinical management. A retrospective analysis of fine-needle aspiration material from two metanephric adenomas was performed. The aspirates were cellular and composed of many small to large tightly packed clusters of cells and short papillae. Occasional tubules, rosettes, and glomeruloid-like structures were seen. The tumor cells had very scant cytoplasm; small, oval to round, uniform, overlapping nuclei with fine delicate chromatin; and minute or absent nucleoli. Rare psammoma bodies were noted. Atypia, pleomorphism, necrosis, and mitoses were absent. Cytogenetic analysis showed normal karyotypes in both cases. The cytologic differential diagnosis included Wilms' tumor, renal-cortical adenoma, papillary renal cell carcinoma, and neuroendocrin, and metastatic tumors. We conclude that metanephric adenoma has unique cytologic features that may allow distinction from other renal neoplasms on fine-needle aspiration material. In difficult cases, ancillary studies may be helpful.
Ecological Relationships of Two Species of Akodon in Central Chile

Analyses of habitat selection and diet showed significant ecological separation between Akodon longipilis and A. olivaceus (Cricetidae) in Mediterranean-climate areas of Chile. Comparing five sites with different climates and vegetation, A. longipilis was more common than A. olivaceus at those localities with higher rainfall and shrub cover. At two coastal scrub sites A. longipilis was strongly associated with trap stations having greater shrub cover, greater litter cover, taller shrubs, less herbaceous cover, and lower herb heights than stations selected by A. olivaceous . A discriminant analysis found measures of herbaceous and litter cover to be the strongest variables differentiating microhabitats of the two species. Analyses of stomach contents showed both species to be omnivorous, but A. longipilis consumed higher proportions of arthropods than A. olivaceus at most sites. Habitat use and diet may be correlated with adaptations in skull morphology and body size in these two species.
Abstract 5605: Pharmacologic inhibition of EphA2 in NRAS and BRAF mutant melanomas.

The Eph receptors are the largest known family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Research studies have shown that Eph receptors and ligands may be involved in many diseases including cancer. EphA2 is a member of the Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases and is highly expressed in many aggressive cancer types, including melanoma. Our previous studies showed that EphA2 levels are elevated in melanoma cells and EphA2 plays critical roles in melanoma cell survival, proliferation, colony formation and migration in vitro and melanoma tumor growth in vivo. Together, these data suggest that EphA2 is a critical oncogene in melanoma and a potential pharmacologic target in the treatment of metastatic disease. Herein we present early evidence that EphA2 inhibitors (ALW-II-41-27 and HG-6-64-1) are effective in inhibiting proliferation of both NRAS and BRAF mutant melanoma cell lines in vitro through suppressing a series of EphA2 downstream signaling pathways. At the same time, EphA2 inhibitors are also effective at suppressing migration and invasion of melanoma cells with a reduction in actin cytoskeleton reorganization and lamellipodia formation. Animal studies are underway to determine the effectiveness of these agents in suppressing melanoma tumor growth in vivo. These results point to EphA2 inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy for both NRAS and BRAF mutant melanomas either singly or in combination with BRAF or MEK inhibitors currently in trial. Citation Format: Benchun Miao, Jianming Zhang, Zhenyu Ji, Ching Ni Njauw, Michael Taylor, Raj Kumar, Nathanael Gray, Hensin Tsao. Pharmacologic inhibition of EphA2 in NRAS and BRAF mutant melanomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5605. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5605
The Plight,Reflection and Prospects of China's Rural Social Pension System:Based on the perspective of urban and rural development

This article is guided by the basic principles and ideology of urban and rural for social security reform,and is based on background and the trend of China's rural social transformation,combining with comparative analysis of the evolutional path of international rural social security system,and seeks the suitable model for China's rural social pension system as well as appropriate operating mechanism,and finds the way how to better achieve organic combination of China rural official social pension system,the traditional family protection, community service and mutual aid organizations,building a rural multi-level old-age security system with Chinese characteristics.
Survey of antiinflammatory agents and related drugs as inhibitors of ovulation in the rabbit

A wide variety of antiinflammatory agents and related compounds were administered to rabbits so that their ability to inhibit ovulation could be evaluated. In order of decreasing effectiveness, ovulation was inhibited by the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents diclofenac, indomethacin, fenoprofen, niflumate, tolmetin, phenylbutazone, naproxen, meclofenamate, ibuprofen, and flufenamate. Ovulation was not inhibited by aspirin, salicylate, or mefenamate, nor by the steroidal antiinflammatory agents dexamethasone (DEX) and prednisolone. The antineoplastic agents colchicine and vinblastine inhibited ovulation, but not azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, or cyclophosphamide. Contrary to previous reports, ovulation was not inhibited by the antihistamines chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, or cimetidine. Among the miscellaneous agents tested, ovulation was strongly inhibited by cycloheximide and slightly by acetaminophen but not by clomiphene, quinacrine, allopurinol, diethylstilbestrol (DES), heparin, melatonin, papaverine, chloroquine, D-penicillamine, or levamisole. These results show that ovulation can be inhibited by agents that inhibit acute inflammatory reactions.
Elton, C. 2002. Animal Ecology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, 209 pp. ISBN 0-226-20639-4, price (paper), $18.00

C. Elton 2002. Animal Ecology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, 209 pp. ISBN 0-226-20639-4, price (paper), $18.00. Animal Ecology is a somewhat daunting text to review, not because of its length but because of its long and seminal history. First published 75 years ago, it has been reviewed numerous times and its author recognized as one of the most influential ecologists of the 20th Century. This edition includes a new 27-page introduction by M. Leibold and T. Wootton. This current introduction provides a chapter-by-chapter review, placing Elton's work in the context of modern ecology. Leibold and Wootton's material is thought-provoking and deserves careful attention. It could serve as the basis for good laboratory discussions. The book begins by placing the then-current state of ecology into an historical context. Elton describes how during the past half century zoologists spent their time in museums focusing on classification, a necessary precursor to modem ecology. The next several chapters integrate the abiotic environment with changes in com munities. Elton emphasizes the need for greater interdisciplinary work, saying the …
Effect of low-density lipoprotein on endothelial cell membrane fluidity and mononuclear cell attachment.

To determine the effects of prolonged low-density lipoprotein (LDL) exposure in vitro on cultured endothelial cell (EC) lipid dynamics and cellular function, human umbilical vein ECs were incubated...
A Single Center Experience with Renal Transplantation in Young Children

Results of pediatric renal transplantation have been variable. We evaluated our experience with renal transplantation in children less than 5 years old to determine its safety and efficacy. Of the 428 renal transplants done at our institution from August 1983 to December 1989, 14 were performed in 13 children 13 to 50 months old (mean age 34 months). All of the patients were small for age with height standard deviation scores ranging from -1.7 to -4.5. Patient survival, allograft survival and statural growth were used as determinants of successful outcome. Followup was complete in all patients, including renal function studies and serial height measurements. Growth velocity standard deviation scores were calculated. Patient survival was 100%. Allograft survival was 100% 2 to 7.3 years after transplantation for living related donor recipients whereas 1-year graft survival was poor (40%) for cadaveric graft recipients. Of 10 patients with good graft function at 1 year 9 demonstrated improvement in the height standard deviation score. Seven of 10 patients demonstrated significant catch-up growth (growth velocity standard deviation score greater than 0, p = 0.04). Our study supports the safety and efficacy of renal transplantation in young children. Early transplantation using living-related donor organs is the optimal therapy to prevent growth retardation and allow the young child with end stage renal disease to have a normal life.
WE-AB-209-03: Adaptive SBRT Planning for Interfraction Motion

Purpose: Interfraction changes in abdominal SBRT patient anatomy are challenging to address with image guidance alone because avoidance of an overlapping high-priority gastrointestinal normal structure may come at the expense of tumor coverage. This work investigates the benefit of anticipating interfraction motion and exploiting favorable geometries at the time of treatment through dose adaptive planning. Methods: Beyond no change, six scenarios of duodenum shifts per fraction are generated (±1 cm XYZ) and sample five-fraction paths (combinations of no and/or the indicated changes) are simulated. Under the baseline (nominal) plan, generated assuming no uncertainty, three scenarios result in overdosing the duodenum while the others result in safe or reduced dose. The nominal plan under-doses the PTV (36.1 Gy-EQD2) due to duodenum proximity. Three adaptive strategies are considered: i) Standard IGRT: for duodenum overdose, patient's isocenter is shifted to satisfy the duodenum dose tolerance; nominal plan is delivered otherwise; ii) Scaling: nominal plan scaled up/down in favorable/unfavorable patient geometries; iii) Mixed: shifting as in i) but boosting otherwise. If max duodenum dose (limit 6 Gy/Fx) is exceeded, dose distributions are shifted or scaled down, depending on the strategy considered. In all adaptive fractions, critical structure dose limits are satisfied, even if the PTVs are under-dosed. Results: Generally, scaling dose allows better PTV dose (gEUD in Gy-EQD2); however, in some scenarios, shifting is better than scaling down dose. In a path with 2 fractions of the duodenum not moving and 3 fractions of an unfavorable duodenum position, scaling dose results in the best coverage, with 36.8 Gy-EQD2. In another path with 2 favorable and 3 unfavorable duodenum positions, the mixed strategy achieves the highest coverage with 41.0 Gy-EQD2. Conclusions: Anticipating interfraction motion and exploiting favorable geometries through dose adaptive scaling can improve overall tumor coverage by compensating for conservative IGRT in unfavorable fractions. NIH-P01-CA059827
Is Active Representation an Organizational-Level Process? The Indirect Effect of Bureaucrats on Clients They Don’t Directly Serve:

A now well-established link exists between passive representation of racial and gender minorities in certain bureaucracies and substantive benefits for the represented groups. However, few quantita...
Measure of a Man: Catechizing Elgar’s Catholic Avatars

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The Effect of High Energy Shock Waves on Oxalate Uptake in Cultured Renal Cells

Cellular damage, as evidenced by decreased cell viability, in response to high energy shock waves (HESW) has been demonstrated in vitro. However, effects of HESW on specific metabolic cell functions have not been described. We studied the effect of HESW on active cellular uptake of oxalate.
A review of emerging IL-17 inhibitors in the treatment of psoriasis focusing on preclinical through phase II studies

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Interleukin-17 has recently been identified as a key player in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. As such, several drugs targeting IL-17 are in various stages of clinical development.Areas covered: In this review, the authors describe several emerging therapies and drug candidates targeting IL-17. The authors detail many biologic injectable drug candidates as well as numerous potential oral and topical small molecule drug candidates.Expert opinion: Approval of IL-17 inhibitors has significantly improved the treatment options for psoriasis patients. Secukinumab and ixekizumab are approved in both Europe and the USA, and brodalumab is likely facing approval by the end of 2016. Numerous additional biologic and small molecule drug candidates are in the pipeline, and once deemed safe and effective will likely offer significant benefit to our psoriasis population.
Amorphous-based controlled-release gliclazide matrix system.

The aim of this study was to develop a hydrophilic oral controlled release system (CRS) using the amorphous form of gliclazide, a BCS class II compound, listed on the WHO list of essential medicines. For this purpose, spray-dried dispersions (SDDs) of gliclazide were produced using various grades of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) or copovidone as carrier under fully automated conditions. The solid-state properties of prepared SDDs were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Supersaturated micro-dissolution testing of SDDs in fasted state-simulated intestinal fluid showed prolonged supersaturation state, with solubility increases of 1.5- to 4.0-fold. Solubility and stability characteristics of the most desirable SDDs in terms of relative dissolution area under the curves (AUCs) (AUC(SDD)/AUC(crystalline)) and stable supersaturated state concentration ratio up to 180 min (C180/Cmax) were determined. The optimized gliclazide-SDD amorphous forms were included into matrix tablets with HPMC blends using compaction simulator. Developed matrix systems were subjected to standard USP dissolution testing. Dissolution profiles obtained were linear with different slopes indicating varying rates of dissolution. Six-month storage stability testing was performed, and dissolution profiles remained stable with “similarity factor” (f 2 = 85). Results show that the use of various HPMCAS as a drug carrier in the spray-drying process produces homogeneous single-phase SDDs which are stable and promising for inclusion into HPMC-based hydrophilic matrix systems.
Fine-Scale Genetic Structure and Reproductive Biology of the Blueberry Pathogen Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi

The fungus Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi, a pathogen of Vaccinium spp., requires asexual and sexual spore production to complete its life cycle. A recent study found population structuring of M. vaccinii-corymbosi over a broad spatial scale in the United States. In this study, we examined fine-scale genetic structuring, temporal dynamics, and reproductive biology within a 125-by-132-m blueberry plot from 2010 to 2012. In total, 395 isolates of M. vaccinii-corymbosi were sampled from infected shoots and fruit to examine their multilocus haplotype (MLH) using microsatellite markers. The MLH of 190 single-ascospore isolates from 21 apothecia was also determined. Little to no genetic differentiation and unrestricted gene flow were detected among four sampled time points and between infected tissue types. Discriminant analysis of principal components suggested genetic structuring within the field, with at least K = 3 genetically distinct clusters maintained over four sampled time points. Single-ascospore progen...