cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemical reaction in the turbulent wake of a cylinder

A rapid, irreversible, second-order chemical reaction in the turbulent wake of a cylinder was studied. A hypothesis relating the correlation of the fluctuating concentrations directly to the mean concentrations of the reacting species was found applicable, at least, when tested for a pseudo first-order reaction system. Experimentally, the mean concentration profiles of a colored reactant were obtained with and without reaction by time-exposure photographs. Since the reactant changed from colored to colorless during reaction, the rate of reaction could be determined directly from the rate of color disappearance. Both the reaction rate and the turbulent intensity divided by the half-width of the wake were found to be inversely proportional to the distance from the source for x/d values from 35 to 180. This indicates a direct relationship between them. Consequently, the concentration correlation function also may be related directly to the turbulent intensity divided by the wake half-width. In addition, it is shown that the rate of reaction is faster in the center of the wake than it is toward the edges.
The theory of the boundary eigenvalue problem in the cohesive crack model and its application

Abstract T he conceptual differences between the conventional cohesive crack model and the cohesive crack model discussed in this paper are briefly reviewed. Based on the potential energy principle and the assumption of a linear softening law, a boundary eigenvalue problem is introduced. Under the critical condition, that is, when the smallest eigenvalue is one, the corresponding eigenfunction represents the non-unique part of the displacement solution, and the critical load can be determined via the eigenfunction. Based on this formulation and using a singular integral equation technique, the boundary eigenvalue problem is established for an infinite plane with a central cut under transverse tension. It is found that the obtained solution approaches Griffith theory in the large size limit. The implication of this result is discussed in comparison with the concept of the R-curve approach.
Studies on allergoids from naturally occurring allergens IV. Efficacy and safety of long-term allergoid treatment of ragweed hay fever

Abstract An allergoid of ragweed was produced by treating dialyzed defatted pollen extract under mild conditions with formaldehyde. This modified antigen was found to have the desirable properties of reduced allergenicity, retained antigenicity, and prolonged stability for IgG antibody production. A series of trials was carried out in ragweed-allergic patients from 1972 to 1978. In 1972 it was demonstrated that on average, allergoid had on the basis of antigen E content about one fiftieth the ability of unaltered whole ragweed extract (allergen) to induce local delayed and systemic allergic reactions when given subcutaneously. IgG antibody responses specific for allergen were readily induced. A blinded comparison in 1973 divided 48 highly sensitive patients into two groups on the basis of basophil sensitivity; one group was treated with allergoid and the other with allergen. In individuals never before treated, allergoid stimulated a significantly more rapid rise in IgG antibodies. Clinical evaluation in 45 of the patients gave a modest advantage (not significant) to allergoid. An open trial employing booster injections every 2 wk except during the ragweed season continued until 1978 in many of these patients and showed no evidence of long-term ill effects of allergoid. IgG antibody titers were maintained at a high level, and IgE antibodies, after a rise in the first year, declined slowly in both groups. Daily symptom-medication scores continued to be lower in the allergoid-treated group each year, and the difference was significant (p
Long term retention of sealants applied by inexperienced operators in Minneapolis.

A clinical trial of 4047 single applications of Nuva Seal placed on the occlusal surfaces of primary molars, permanent first and second molars and premolars by 250 dental students showed that the sealants were not well retained. The sealant was fully retained on 86% of all permanent posterior teeth at 3 months, on 76% at 6 months, 58% at 12 months, 52% at 24 months and 41% at 36 months. At 4 years, complete sealant coverage was shown by 14% of primary molars, 25% of permanent molars and 68% of premolars. Permanent mandibular molars and premolars were superior to permanent maxillary molars and premolars in fully retaining sealants. Following sealant failure, i.e. providing partial coverage or missing, permanent maxillary molars and premolars were more prone to occlusal caries than permanent mandibular molars and premolars. At 4 years, caries was diagnosed in 40% of applications to permanent molars and in 9% of applications to premolars. Twelve instances of caries under apparently intact sealants were seen.
Multiple impact behavior therapy in a child's dog phobia

Abstract The treatment of an 11-yr-old boy's multiple-supported fear of dogs is described. A variety of coordinated, learning-based procedures, each of which was directed toward eliminating either the fear or altering circumstances conducive to that fear, were employed. Recovery was complete and had been maintained at a 2-yr follow-up.
Visual Antecedents of Patronage: Personal and Professional Items in the Servicescape

Personal items in the office are reported to convey unprofessionalism. To investigate this, subjects reacted to staged photo stimuli, reporting their perceptions of an unseen tax service provider based on personal items (family photos, sports memorabilia) and professional objects (CPA certificate, IRS publications) in the servicescape. Professional items exhibited favorable main effects for perceived competency, anticipated satisfaction, and patronage intent. Personal items yielded a favorable main effect for likeability of the service provider. Within the limits tested, no significant adverse effects for personal items in the servicescape were found. Beyond improving likeability, personal items may help initiate a provider-client relationship.
Role Salience, Role Embracement, and the Symbolic Self-Completion of Sorority Pledges

According to symbolic self-completion theory, people who feel status anxiety may engage in self-symbolization, resulting in the adoption of symbols used to bolster identity. Self-symbolization is an idealized condition that occurs when a person's status is legitimized by others who accept these symbols as valid status markers. While some studies support this perspective, others have identified blind spots and suggest revision. The current research suggests that role theory be incorporated with this perspective. In this article, the sorority experience is analyzed as a rite of passage in which high levels of role salience produce role embracement and symbolic self-completion. Symbolic self-completion theory is made more robust by analyzing the use of visual symbols as expressions of social roles.
Numerical evidence for electron decay in the two-dimensional t-J model

A variety of computational results on the t-J model is reviewed and the case made that they constitute evidence for the decay of quasiparticles into other, more “elementary” particles at low energy scales in doping range relevant to high-Tc superconductivity. At low dopings these particles bind together with a linear potential associated with the underlying magnetic order to form a sharp quasiparticle. At higher dopings the order disappears, and the quasiparticle becomes a scattering resonance. A brief review of the Bethe solution of the t-J model in 1 dimension is also made and a numerical argument presented that the particles in question are 2-dimensional analogues of spinons and holons. Some elementary calculations using these particles as the fundamental degrees of freedom are reviewed and shown to account simply for several strange features of the numerical results. Both variational and gauge theory calculations are considered.
VIEWING TRADE LIBERALIZATION THROUGH A FEMINIST LENS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE COUNTERHEGEMONIC DISCOURSE OF GENDER AND TRADE ADVOCACY GROUPS

An intersectional feminist approach informs qualitative content analyses of gender and trade advocacy websites in order to gain insights into the relation between trade liberalization and women in the global South. Findings include these websites are advocating for more representation in policymaking institutions spanning the global and local divide; emphasizing the need for networks within and outside institutions; and advocating for alternatives to free trade. The diverse and often contradictory understandings and strategies displayed by these websites arise from concern with giving voice to local needs and women in the South. These findings underscore the contributions a feminist approach makes to global political economy research by bringing attention to the heterogeneity of global political economic processes and power relations, and providing insights as to how global counter-hegemonic efforts can embrace diversity rather than being homogenizing.
Constraint optimized weight adaptation for Gaussian mixture reduction

Gaussian mixture model (GMM) has been used in many applications for dynamic state estimation such as target tracking or distributed fusion. However, the number of components in the mixture distribution tends to grow rapidly when multiple GMMs are combined. In order to keep the computational complexity bounded, it is necessary to approximate a Gaussian mixture by one with reduced number of components. Gaussian mixture reduction is traditionally conducted by recursively selecting two components that appear to be most similar to each other and merging them. Different definitions on similarity measure have been used in literature. For the case of one-dimensional Gaussian mixtures, Kmeans algorithms and some variations are recently proposed to cluster Gaussian mixture components in groups, use a center component to represent all in each group, readjust parameters in the center components, and finally perform weight optimization. In this paper, we focus on multi-dimensional Gaussian mixture models. With a variety of reduction algorithms and possible combinations, we developed a hybrid algorithm with constraint optimized weight adaptation to minimize the integrated squared error (ISE). In additions, with extensive simulations, we showed that the proposed algorithm provides an efficient and effective Gaussian mixture reduction performance in various random scenarios.
Suckling in newborn rats: eliminated by nipple lavage, reinstated by pup saliva

Chemical lavage of the nipples of anesthetized maternal rats virtually eliminated suckling by their 4- to 5-day-old pups. Normal suckling was immediately reinstated, however, by painting a vacuum distillate of the wash or of pup saliva onto the nipples. Thus, a substance necessary to direct and release suckling, possibly rat pup saliva, appears to coat the nipple surface.
Development of experimental exophthalmos in scorbutic guinea pigs.

Summary1. Scorbutic thyroidectomized guinea pigs treated with TSH developed exophthalmos as readily as a group of similarly treated animals maintained on an adequate diet. 2. Histologic and histochemical findings in orbital tissues of the scorbutic guinea pigs were identical with those seen in the control group. 3. The increase in water and hexos-amine contents of orbital tissues of exophthalmic animals was as great in those with scurvy as in the group fed an adequate diet. 4. The existence of the scorbutic state does not in itself affect the capacity of the connective tissue to produce the substances which constitute the amorphous interfibrillar ground substance.
Percutaneous revascularization for ischemic nephropathy: the past, present, and future

Occlusion of the renal arteries can threaten the viability of the kidney when severe, in addition to accelerating hypertension and circulatory congestion. Renal artery stenting procedures have evolved from a treatment mainly for renovascular hypertension to a maneuver capable of recovering threatened renal function in patients with ‘ischemic nephropathy' and improving management of congestive heart failure. Improved catheter design and techniques have reduced, but not eliminated, hazards associated with renovascular stenting. Expanded use of endovascular stent grafts to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms has introduced a new indication for renal artery stenting to protect the renal circulation when grafts cross the origins of the renal arteries. Although controversial, prospective randomized trials to evaluate the added benefit of revascularization to current medical therapy for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis until now have failed to identify major benefits regarding either renal function or blood pressure control. These studies have been limited by selection bias and have been harshly criticized. While studies of tissue oxygenation using blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance establish that kidneys can adapt to reduced blood flow to some degree, more severe occlusive disease leads to cortical hypoxia associated with microvascular rarefaction inflammatory injury, and fibrosis. Current research is directed toward identifying pathways of irreversible kidney injury due to vascular occlusion and to increase the potential for renal repair after restoring renal artery patency. The role of nephrologists likely will focus upon recognizing the limits of renal adaptation to vascular disease and identifying kidneys truly at risk for ischemic injury at a time point when renal revascularization can still be of benefit to recovering kidney function.
Effect of calorie restriction on subjective ratings of appetite

Background Energy or calorie restriction (CR) has consistently been shown to produce weight loss and have beneficial health effects in numerous species, including primates and humans. Most individuals, however, are unable to sustain weight losses induced through reductions in energy intake, potentially due to increased hunger levels. The effects that prolonged CR has on subjective aspects of appetite have not been well studied. Thus, the present study tested the effect of 6 months of caloric restriction on appetite in healthy, overweight men and women. Methods Forty-eight overweight men and women with a body mass index (BMI; kg m(-2)) between 25-29.9 took part in a 6-month study and were randomised into one of four groups: healthy diet (control); 25% CR; 12.5% CR plus exercise (12.5% increased energy expenditure; CR + EX); low-calorie diet [LCD; 3724 kJ day(-1) (890 kcal day(-1)) until 15% of initial body weight was lost, then maintenance]. Appetite markers (i.e. hunger, fullness, desire to eat, etc.) were assessed weekly during a fasting state. Results Body weight was significantly reduced in all three energy-restricted groups (CR = -10.4 +/- 0.9%; CR + EX = -10.0 +/- 0.8%; and LCD = -13.9 +/-0.7%), indicating that participants were adherent to their energy restriction regimen, whereas the healthy diet control group remained weight stable (control = -1.0 +/- 1.1%). Despite these significant weight losses, appetite ratings of participants in the three energy-restricted groups at month 6 were similar to the weight stable control group. Conclusions CR regimens with low fat diets producing significant weight losses have similar effects on appetite markers over a 6-month time period compared to a weight stable control group.
Methodological Review: Temporal reasoning with medical data-A review with emphasis on medical natural language processing

Temporal information is crucial in electronic medical records and biomedical information systems. Processing temporal information in medical narrative data is a very challenging area. It lies at the intersection of temporal representation and reasoning (TRR) in artificial intelligence and medical natural language processing (MLP). Some fundamental concepts and important issues in relation to TRR have previously been discussed, mainly in the context of processing structured data in biomedical informatics; however, it is important that these concepts be re-examined in the context of processing narrative data using MLP. Theoretical and methodological TRR studies in biomedical informatics can be classified into three main categories: category 1 applies theories and models from temporal reasoning in AI; category 2 defines frameworks that meet needs from clinical applications; category 3 resolves issues such as temporal granularity and uncertainty. Currently, most MLP systems are not designed with a formal representation of time, and their ability to reason about temporal relations among medical events is limited. Previous work in processing time with clinical narrative data includes processing time in clinical reports, modeling textual temporal expressions in clinical databases, processing time in clinical guidelines, and building time standards for data exchange and integration. In addition to common problems in MLP, there are challenges specific to TRR in medical text, which occur at each level of linguistic structure and analysis. Despite advances in temporal reasoning in biomedical informatics, processing time in medical text deserves more attention. Besides the need for more research in temporal granularity, fuzzy time, temporal contradiction, intermittent events and uncertainty, broad areas for future research include enhancing functions of current MLP systems on processing temporal information, incorporating medical knowledge into temporal reasoning systems, resolving coreference, integrating narrative data with structured data and evaluating these systems.
Substance use and sexual risk behaviors among American Indian and Alaska Native high school students

BACKGROUND: We describe the prevalence of behaviors that put American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) high school students at risk for teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the relationships among race/ethnicity and these behaviors. METHODS: We analyzed merged 2007 and 2009 data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a biennial, self-administered, school-based survey of US students in grades 9-12 (N = 27,912). Prevalence estimates and logistic regression, controlling for sex and grade, were used to examine the associations between race/ethnicity, and substance use, and sexual risk behaviors. RESULTS: Of the 26 variables studied, the adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were higher among AI/AN than White students for 18 variables (ranging from 1.4 to 2.3), higher among AI/AN than Black students for 13 variables (ranging from 1.4 to 4.2), and higher among AI/AN than Hispanic students for 5 variables (ranging from 1.4 to 1.5). Odds were lower among AI/AN than Black students for many of the sexual risk-related behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest it is necessary to develop targeted, adolescent-specific interventions aimed at reducing behaviors that put AI/AN high school students at risk for teen pregnancy, STI/HIV, and other health conditions. Language: en
A NOVEL PHOSPHATASE REGULATING NEURITE EXTENSION ON CNS INHIBITORS

Abstract The inability of injured axons to regenerate in the adult mammalian central nervous system is thought to be in part due to inhibitory molecules synthesized by oligodendrocytes and present in myelin. We describe the cloning of a cDNA encoding a novel neuronal protein, named NERPP-2C, which is distantly related to protein phosphatase 2C and plays a role in the inhibitory response pathway to myelin inhibitors. NERPP-2C is expressed in neuronal cell lines and in rat brain. Expression in rat is detectable at E15, increases with age, and is highest in adulthood. Exposure of NG108-15 cells to antisense oligonucleotides reduces NERPP-2C expression and overcomes the inhibition of neurite extension on CNS myelin substrates in vitro. Antibodies to NERPP-2C detect two proteins, approximately 55 and 80 kDa in size, the smaller of which is found in the cytoplasm, and the larger is associated with the membrane fraction. The antibodies specifically immunoprecipitate a protein which exhibits serine/threonine and tyrosine phosphatase activity. NERPP-2C is localized in neurites and in growth cones, as well as in the cell nucleus. We hypothesize that NERPP-2C is a component in the signal transduction pathway for neuronal growth inhibitory factors in CNS myelin.
Image restoration: An examination of the response strategies used by Brown and Williamson after allegations of wrongdoing

Abstract Organizations often respond to allegations of wrongdoing made by whistle-blowers. Response mechanisms may take several forms, from simply denying the wrongdoing, to offering an apology. This study sought to examine the various response strategies an organization employed after a whistle-blowing incident. Using the whistle-blowing case of Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company, this study sought to examine the different image restoration strategies the organization (Brown and Williamson) used in responding to the allegations of wrongdoing made by the whistle-blower, Dr. Jeffrey Wigand. The study found because Wigand accused Brown and Williamson of management misconduct and inappropriate behavior, the organization used a defensive strategy in order to protect its image. Furthermore, a defensive strategy was more likely because Brown and Williamson was accused of a serious wrongdoing. Analyses of each strategy and organizational concerns are provided.
Automatic Differentiation of Computer Programs

Abstract : A method for the automatic differentiation of computer functions (subroutines) written in a high level language is discussed. A theory is developed to show that most functions that arise in applications can be differentiated automatically. It is shown how one can take FORTRAN function (Subroutine) and, with the aid of a precompiler, obtain a FORTRAN subroutine that computes the original function and its desired derivatives. Implementation of two types of differentiation is described: in terms of (1) automatic Taylor series expansion of FORTRAN programs, and (2) automatic Gradient calculation of FORTRAN functions.
Mononeuropathy of the deep motor palmar branch of the ulnar nerve: report of two unusual cases

Two female patients with lesions of the deep motor branch of the ulnar nerve are presented. In the first, a 40-year-old woman, the lesion was provoked by the stereotyped professional activity (screwing lids). In the second, aged 50 years, the nerve was damaged by a strike from a tennis ball. In both patients, we observed atrophy of the dorsal interosseous muscle. Hypothenar muscles and sensitivity were spared. Motor and sensory conduction velocities of the ulnar nerve were normal. Both patients recovered well in a few months.
Ethical values and social change: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ahn Chang Ho

Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ahn Chang Ho exemplify the leaders who brought social change by applying their belief in non-violence and love of humanity to the accomplishment of their respective goals. Gandhi’s goal was securing India’s independence from British colonialism, and King’s was to rid America from racial segregation. Irony about England and the US was that they had a long history of commitment to human rights and democracy. Hence, Gandhi and King’s struggle for justice focused on reminding their adversaries of their hypocrisy, a gulf between their commitment and actions. Ahn had to deal with Japanese colonialists, who had little respect for and commitment to human rights and civil liberties. Ahn’s job was, therefore, more complicated than Gandhi’s or King’s. Ahn insisted that for the Koreans to achieve their political independence from Japan, they must build their inner strength first, and do this by self-cultivation of moral and ethical values. Building moral and ethical strength ought to also accompany receiving modern education, acquiring marketable skills, and building financial resources. At the same time he condoned the militant approach to the Korean independence movement, as necessary. Ahn was a complex figure, a blend of a moralist, a strategist, and a pragmatist.
Modeling the Probability of Arsenic in Groundwater in New England as a Tool for Exposure Assessment

We developed a process-based model to predict the probability of arsenic exceeding 5 μg/L in drinking water wells in New England bedrock aquifers. The model is being used for exposure assessment in an epidemiologic study of bladder cancer. One important study hypothesis that may explain increased bladder cancer risk is elevated concentrations of inorganic arsenic in drinking water. In eastern New England, 20−30% of private wells exceed the arsenic drinking water standard of 10 micrograms per liter. Our predictive model significantly improves the understanding of factors associated with arsenic contamination in New England. Specific rock types, high arsenic concentrations in stream sediments, geochemical factors related to areas of Pleistocene marine inundation and proximity to intrusive granitic plutons, and hydrologic and landscape variables relating to groundwater residence time increase the probability of arsenic occurrence in groundwater. Previous studies suggest that arsenic in bedrock groundwater ma...
Sex-specific impairment and recovery of spatial learning following the end of chronic unpredictable restraint stress: Potential relevance of limbic GAD

Chronic restraint stress alters hippocampal-dependent spatial learning and memory in a sex-dependent manner, impairing spatial performance in male rats and leaving intact or facilitating performance in female rats. Moreover, these stress-induced spatial memory deficits improve following post-stress recovery in males. The current study examined whether restraint administered in an unpredictable manner would eliminate these sex differences and impact a post-stress period on spatial ability and limbic glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) expression. Male (n=30) and female (n=30) adult Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to non-stressed control (Con), chronic stress (Str-Imm), or chronic stress given a post-stress recovery period (Str-Rec). Stressed rats were unpredictably restrained for 21 days using daily non-repeated combinations of physical context, duration, and time of day. Then, all rats were tested on the radial arm water maze (RAWM) for 2 days and given one retention trial on the third day, with brains removed 30min later to assess GAD65 mRNA. In Str-Imm males, deficits occurred on day 1 of RAWM acquisition, an impairment that was not evident in the Str-Rec group. In contrast, females did not show significant outcomes following chronic stress or post-stress recovery. In males, amygdalar GAD65 expression negatively correlated with RAWM performance on day 1. In females, hippocampal CA1 GAD65 positively correlated with RAWM performance on day 1. These results demonstrate that GABAergic function may contribute to the sex differences observed following chronic stress. Furthermore, unpredictable restraint and a recovery period failed to eliminate the sex differences on spatial learning and memory.
Vascular distribution of stroke and its relationship to perioperative mortality and neurologic outcome after thoracic endovascular aortic repair

Objective This study assessed the vascular distribution of stroke after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and its relationship to perioperative death and neurologic outcome. Methods A retrospective review was performed for patients undergoing TEVAR between 2001 and 2010. Aortic arch hybrid and abdominal debranching cases were excluded. Demographics, operative variables, and neurologic complications were examined. Stroke was defined as any new focal or global neurologic deficit lasting >24 hours with radiographic confirmation of acute intracranial pathology. Results Perioperative stroke occurred in 20 of 530 patients (3.8%) undergoing TEVAR. The cohort was 55% male and a mean age of 75.2 ± 8.9 years (range, 57-90 years). Among patients with perioperative strokes, the indication for surgery was degenerative aneurysm in 14 (mean diameter, 6.8 cm), acute type B dissection in four, penetrating atherosclerotic aneurysm in one, and aortic transection in one. Cases were performed urgently or as an emergency in 60%. The proximal landing zone was zone 2 in 11 or zone 3 in nine. All strokes were embolic. The vascular distribution of stroke involved the anterior cerebral (AC) circulation in eight (zone 2, n=5) and the posterior cerebral (PC) circulation in 12 (zone 2, n=6). Laterality of cerebral infarction included five right-sided, eight left-sided, and seven bilateral strokes. Nine strokes were diagnosed P = .02) and history of prior stroke (OR, 4.92; 95% CI, 1.69-14.4; P = .004); the risk factor for AC stroke was prior stroke (OR, 7.67; 95% CI, 1.25-46.9; P = .03) and the risk factors for PC stroke were age (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00-1.23; P = .04), prior stroke (OR, 7.53; 95% CI, 1.78-31.8; P = .006), zone 2 coverage (OR, 6.11; 95% CI, 1.15-32.3; P = .03), and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (OR, 32.7; 95% CI, 1.33-807.2; P = .03). Overall in-hospital mortality was 20% (n = 4), with those sustaining PC strokes observed to trend toward increased mortality (33% vs 0%; P = .12). Patients with AC strokes were more likely than those with PC strokes to achieve complete recovery of neurologic deficits before discharge (75% vs 17%; P = .02). Conclusions Perioperative stroke after TEVAR is primarily an embolic event. Although infrequent, stroke was associated with significant morbidity and death, particularly among those with strokes involving the PC circulation.
SU-E-T-14: Modeling of 3D Positron Emission Activity Distributions Induced by Proton Irradiation: A Semi-Empirical Method

Purpose: to present and validate a method for modeling three‐dimensional positron emission (PE) activity distributions induced by protonbeam irradiation for PET/CT delivery verification studies in homogeneous media. Methods: the method relies on modeling the 3D proton flux distribution by combining the analytical expression for the depth reduction of proton flux with the empirically obtained lateral distribution. The latter is extracted from the corresponding dose distribution under the assumption that the projectile energy is nearly constant in the lateral plane. The same assumption allows calculating the 3D induced activity distributions from proton flux distributions by parameterizing the energy‐dependent activation cross‐sections in terms of depth via the energy‐range relation. Results of this modeling approach were validated against experimental PET/CT data from three phantom deliveries: unmodulated (pristine) beam, spread‐out Bragg peak (SOBP) delivery without a range compensator, and SOBP with a range compensator. BANG3‐Pro2 polymergel was used as a phantom material because of its elemental soft‐tissue equivalence. Results: the agreement between modeled and measured activity distributions was evaluated using 3D gamma index analysis method, which, despite being traditionally reserved for dose distribution comparisons, is sufficiently general to be applied to other quantities. The evaluation criteria were dictated by limitations of PET imaging and were chosen to correspond to count rate uncertainty (6% value difference) and spatial resolution (4 mm distance to agreement). With these criteria and the threshold of 6%, the fraction of evaluated voxels passing the gamma evaluation was 97.9% for the pristine beam, 98.9% for the SOBP without compensator, and 98.5% for SOBP with compensator. Conclusions: results of gamma evaluation indicate that the activity distributions produced by the model are consistent with experimental data within the uncertainties of PET imaging for clinical protonbeams deliveries. This work was supported by the Bankhead‐Coley Florida Biomedical Research Program under Grant No. 1BD10‐34212.
Targeting the Oncogenic MUC1-C Protein Inhibits Mutant EGFR-Mediated Signaling and Survival in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells

Purpose: Non–small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) that express EGF receptor with activating mutations frequently develop resistance to EGFR kinase inhibitors. The mucin 1 (MUC1) heterodimeric protein is aberrantly overexpressed in NSCLC cells and confers a poor prognosis; however, the functional involvement of MUC1 in mutant EGFR signaling is not known. Experimental Design: Targeting the oncogenic MUC1 C-terminal subunit (MUC1-C) in NSCLC cells harboring mutant EGFR was studied for effects on signaling, growth, clonogenic survival, and tumorigenicity. Results: Stable silencing of MUC1-C in H1975/EGFR(L858R/T790M) cells resulted in downregulation of AKT signaling and inhibition of growth, colony formation, and tumorigenicity. Similar findings were obtained when MUC1-C was silenced in gefitinib-resistant PC9GR cells expressing EGFR(delE746_A750/T790M). The results further show that expression of a MUC1-C(CQC→AQA) mutant, which blocks MUC1-C homodimerization, suppresses EGFR(T790M), AKT and MEK→ERK activation, colony formation, and tumorigenicity. In concert with these results, treatment of H1975 and PC9GR cells with GO-203, a cell-penetrating peptide that blocks MUC1-C homodimerization, resulted in inhibition of EGFR, AKT, and MEK→ERK signaling and in loss of survival. Combination studies of GO-203 and afatinib, an irreversible inhibitor of EGFR, further demonstrate that these agents are synergistic in inhibiting growth of NSCLC cells harboring the activating EGFR(T790M) or EGFR(delE746-A750) mutants. Conclusions: These findings indicate that targeting MUC1-C inhibits mutant EGFR signaling and survival, and thus represents a potential approach alone and in combination for the treatment of NSCLCs resistant to EGFR kinase inhibitors. Clin Cancer Res; 20(21); 5423–34. ©2014 AACR .
Computer Simulations of Hydrogen Adsorption on Graphite Nanofibers

Adsorption of hydrogen on graphitic nanofibers has been computed from Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations. The graphite platelet spacing has been optimized to maximize the weight fraction of hydrogen adsorbed. Comparison of experimental data of Rodriguez and co-workers (Chambers, A; Park, C.; Baker, R. T. K.; Rodriguez, N. M. J. Phys. Chem. B 1998, 102, 4253) with adsorption isotherms from simulations indicate that the phenomenal uptake observed from experiments cannot be explained in terms of reasonable solid−fluid potentials. We have varied the strength and range of the solid−fluid potential in order to reproduce the experimental excess adsorption. If the form of the potential is held constant, the potential well depth must be increased by a factor of about 150 in order to reach the experimental data. If the range of the attractive well is allowed to increase from r-6 to r-4, the potential well depth must be increased by about a factor of 30 to match experimental data. Given the magnitude of the wel...
Regional Suppression of Bactrocera Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the Pacific through Biological Control and Prospects for Future Introductions into Other Areas of the World

Bactrocera fruit fly species are economically important throughout the Pacific. The USDA, ARS U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center has been a world leader in promoting biological control of Bactrocera spp. that includes classical, augmentative, conservation and IPM approaches. In Hawaii, establishment of Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) in 1895 resulted in the introduction of the most successful parasitoid, Psyttalia fletcheri (Silvestri); similarly, establishment of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) in 1945 resulted in the introduction of 32 natural enemies of which Fopius arisanus (Sonan), Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) and Fopius vandenboschi (Fullaway) were most successful. Hawaii has also been a source of parasitoids for fruit fly control throughout the Pacific region including Australia, Pacific Island Nations, Central and South America, not only for Bactrocera spp. but also for Ceratitis and Anastrepha spp. Most recently, in 2002, F. arisanus was introduced into French Polynesia where B. dorsalis had invaded in 1996. Establishment of D. longicaudata into the new world has been important to augmentative biological control releases against Anastrepha spp. With the rapid expansion of airline travel and global trade there has been an alarming spread of Bactrocera spp. into new areas of the world (i.e., South America and Africa). Results of studies in Hawaii and French Polynesia, support parasitoid introductions into South America and Africa, where B. carambolae and B. invadens, respectively, have become established. In addition, P. fletcheri is a candidate for biological control of B. cucurbitae in Africa. We review past and more recent successes against Bactrocera spp. and related tephritids, and outline simple rearing and release methods to facilitate this goal.
On the origin ofEthmodiscus ooze

Abstract Ethmodiscus ooze is essentially a monospecific diatomaceous deposit found in the equatorial parts of the oceans. Laboratory dissolution experiments on fossil diatom assemblages from the deep-sea floor show that Ethmodiscus rex is very resistant to dissolution. This species is therefore concentrated in the diatom assemblages subjected to experimentally controlled dissolution in seawater. Examination of deep-sea sediments, labelled in the literature as E. rex oozes, indicates that two different types of sediments are involved. In the first type the entire siliceous assemblage is made up by Ethmodiscus fragments. The second type is numerically dominated by Ethmodiscus fragments but includes an amount of etched, dissolution-resistant species. It is suggested that the first type of Ethmodiscus ooze is formed by a combination of differential dissolution and winnowing, whereas the second is created by differential dissolution.
Hydrothermal stability of aromatic carboxylic acids

Abstract The chemical behavior of aromatic carboxylic acids in water at elevated temperatures has implications for industrial chemistry, fuel processing and waste treatment processes. Therefore, the hydrothermal reactions of six different aromatic carboxylic acids were investigated from 250–410 °C at times up to 240 min. Benzoic acid was the most stable of the six, showing negligible degradation after 1 h of hydrothermal treatment at 350 °C. Terephthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid and isophthalic acid were stable after 1 h at 300 °C, but they decarboxylated to form monoacids in 10–15% yields at 350 °C. Trimellitic anhydride decomposed completely after 30 min at 350 °C, but showed no appreciable decomposition after 30 min at 250 °C. Terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid were the main degradation products, but o-phthalic acid was also formed in small amounts at 350 °C. The o-phthalic acid conversion to benzoic acid was 73% after 60 min at 300 °C, but the diacid remained stable at 250 °C for 1 h. An autocatalytic kinetics model provided a good description of the trimellitic anhydride and terephthalic acid decomposition at 300 and 410 °C, respectively.
Membrane-disruptive abilities of β-hairpin antimicrobial peptides correlate with conformation and activity : A 31P and 1H NMR study

The membrane interaction and solution conformation of two mutants of the β-hairpin antimicrobial peptide, protegrin-1 (PG-1), are investigated to understand the structural determinants of antimicrobial potency. One mutant, [A 6 . 8 , 1 3 , 1 5 ] PG-1, does not have the two disulfide bonds in wild-type PG-1, while the other, [Δ 4 , 1 8 G 1 0 ] PG-1, has only half the number of cationic residues. 3 1 P solid-state NMR lineshapes of uniaxially aligned membranes indicate that the membrane disorder induced by the three peptides decreases in the order of PG-1>[Δ 4 , 1 8 G 1 0 ] PG-1 » [A 6 . 8 , 1 3 , 1 5 ] PG-1. Solution NMR studies of the two mutant peptides indicate that [Δ 4 , 1 8 G 1 0 ] PG-1 preserves the β-hairpin fold of the wild-type peptide while [A 6 . 8 , 1 3 , 1 5 ] PG-1 adopts a random coil conformation. These NMR results correlate well with the known activities of these peptides. Thus, for this class of peptides, the presence of a β-hairpin fold is more essential than the number of cationic charges for antimicrobial activity. This study indicates that 3 1 P NMR lineshapes of uniaxially aligned membranes are well correlated with antimicrobial activity, and can be used as a diagnostic tool to understand the peptide-lipid interactions of these antimicrobial peptides.
Finding highly correlated pairs efficiently with powerful pruning

We consider the problem of finding highly correlated pairs in a large data set. That is, given a threshold not too small, we wish to report all the pairs of items (or binary attributes) whose (Pearson) correlation coefficients are greater than the threshold. Correlation analysis is an important step in many statistical and knowledge-discovery tasks. Normally, the number of highly correlated pairs is quite small compared to the total number of pairs. Identifying highly correlated pairs in a naive way by computing the correlation coefficients for all the pairs is wasteful. With massive data sets, where the total number of pairs may exceed the main-memory capacity, the computational cost of the naive method is prohibitive. In their KDD'04 paper [15], Hui Xiong et al. address this problem by proposing the TAPER algorithm. The algorithm goes through the data set in two passes. It uses the first pass to generate a set of candidate pairs whose correlation coefficients are then computed directly in the second pass. The efficiency of the algorithm depends greatly on the selectivity (pruning power) of its candidate-generating stage.In this work, we adopt the general framework of the TAPER algorithm but propose a different candidate-generation method. For a pair of items, TAPER's candidate-generation method considers only the frequencies (supports) of individual items. Our method also considers the frequency (support) of the pair but does not explicitly count this frequency (support). We give a simple randomized algorithm whose false-negative probability is negligible. The space and time complexities of generating the candidate set in our algorithm are asymptotically the same as TAPER's. We conduct experiments on synthesized and real data. The results show that our algorithm produces a greatly reduced candidate set - one that can be several orders of magnitude smaller than that generated by TAPER. Because of this, our algorithm uses much less memory and can be faster. The former is critical for dealing with massive data.
Hypomethylation of an expanded FMR1 allele is not associated with a global DNA methylation defect.

Summary The vast majority of fragile-X full mutations are heavily methylated throughout the expanded CGG repeat and the surrounding CpG island. Hypermethylation initiates and/or stabilizes transcriptional inactivation of the FMR1 gene, which causes the fragile X–syndrome phenotype characterized, primarily, by mental retardation. The relation between repeat expansion and hypermethylation is not well understood nor is it absolute, as demonstrated by the identification of nonretarded males who carry hypomethylated full mutations. To better characterize the methylation pattern in a patient who carries a hypomethylated full mutation of ∼60–700 repeats, we have evaluated methylation with the McrBC endonuclease, which allows analysis of numerous sites in the FMR1 CpG island, including those located within the CGG repeat. We report that the expanded-repeat region is completely free of methylation in this full-mutation male. Significantly, this lack of methylation appears to be specific to the expanded FMR1 CGG-repeat region, because various linked and unlinked repetitive-element loci are methylated normally. This finding demonstrates that the lack of methylation in the expanded CGG-repeat region is not associated with a global defect in methylation of highly repeated DNA sequences. We also report that de novo methylation of the expanded CGG-repeat region does not occur when it is moved via microcell-mediated chromosome transfer into a de novo methylation-competent mouse embryonal carcinoma cell line.
The rate of oceanic detachment faulting at Atlantis Bank, SW Indian Ridge

Abstract The rates of slip on oceanic detachment faults and how those rates compare to sea-floor spreading rates constitute fundamental data required to constrain how oceanic core-complexes form and their role during crustal accretion. We combine sea-surface magnetic data, with the magnetic polarity of shallow-core samples and Pb/U SHRIMP ages of igneous zircon to determine the time-averaged half-spreading rate during oceanic detachment faulting at Atlantis Bank, 100 km south of the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). The Pb/U zircon ages correlate well with the magnetic ages and so highlight that magmatic accretion and faulting were coeval for over 2 Myr, creating and exposing a > 1.5-km-thick layer of gabbro for > 35 km parallel-to-spreading. We use bivariate linear regression of distance–age data and forward modeling of magnetic anomaly data to calculate a half-spreading rate during detachment faulting of 14.1 + 1.8/− 1.5 km/Myr (95% confidence limits). When integrated with regional constraints on spreading history, we note that detachment faulting coincided with a short-lived regional increase in the full-spreading rate along the SWIR and, for the ridge segment containing Atlantis Bank, spreading was highly asymmetric with ~ 80% of plate-motion accommodated by detachment faulting. Consequently, the detachment fault effectively formed the plate-boundary at the surface in this spreading segment. Highly asymmetric spreading was confined to the spreading segment containing Atlantis Bank and to the duration of detachment faulting. So the ridge segment containing Atlantis Bank migrated northward relative to its symmetrically spreading eastern neighbour, such that the intervening non-transform discontinuity shortened. We suggest that the highly asymmetric spreading may be a characteristic feature of oceanic detachment faulting, an inference supported by more poorly constrained half-spreading rates determined at several other oceanic core-complexes.
Synthesis of 1-Methyl-3-pyrrolin-2-one

The synthesis of 1-methyl-3-pyrrolin-2-one from the oxidative-elimination of 1-methyl-3-phenylselenenyl-2-pyrrolidinone and from the pyrolysis of 3-phenylsulfinyl-2-pyrrolidinone is reported.
Keeping in Check Painful Synapses in Central Amygdala

Glutamatergic projections from the parabrachial nucleus to the central amygdala are implicated in pain transmission. In this issue of Neuron , Delaney et al. identify a new form of adrenergic modulation at these synapses, demonstrating that noradrenaline-induced suppression of glutamate release is mediated by a decrease in the number of sites of synaptic transmission without changes in probability of release.
Cochlear implantation of totally deaf ears. Histologic evaluation of candidacy.

Successful cochlear implantation depends on the presence of stimulatable neural elements, which are believed to be the spiral ganglion, neurons, or their axons. We examined the 1152 temporal bones in our laboratory to determine how many with a total sensorineural hearing loss would be implantable. We defined implantable as having 3500 neurons or more, as determined by successful implant stimulation in two ears from our collection with less than 3 500 neurons. Of 46 bones with deafness, 37 had 3500 neurons or more and would be considered implant candidates. The types of deafness in the potentially implantable ears and in ears with sufficient neural elements will be discussed.